Revelation 21:18-19
The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text emphasizes the purity and transparency of the city's gold, suggesting it's not just valuable but also perfectly radiant and clear, allowing God's glory to shine through unimpeded. This isn't inert wealth; it's a dynamic, luminous material reflecting the divine presence.
John is witnessing the new Jerusalem descending from heaven, described in glorious, precious materials to signify its divine nature and perfection. The preceding verses focus on the city's immense size and its gates, while the subsequent verses detail the temple, the absence of the sun, and the pure river of life. This passage specifically highlights the building materials of the outer wall and the city itself, emphasizing their unearthly radiance and value.
Imagine a wall so radiant it shines with divine light. In Revelation, the city's protective wall isn't just stone; it's jasper, a gem that speaks volumes about God's promises.
The wall of the New Jerusalem is described as being built of jasper. This isn't just a beautiful stone; it signifies impregnability and enduring brilliance. Jasper is known for its hardness and vibrant colors, suggesting that God's protection for His people is absolute and eternal. It's a symbol of His unwavering faithfulness and the secure, unbreakable nature of salvation in Christ. The wall stands as a testament to God's power, safeguarding His people from all harm and separating them eternally from sin and sorrow.
A city made of pure gold, like clear glass? It sounds almost too incredible to grasp. What does this dazzling image reveal about the very essence of heaven?
The city itself is described as 'pure gold, like unto clear glass.' This imagery moves beyond mere material wealth. Gold in Scripture often symbolizes divine purity, perfection, and, crucially, God's unwavering love. The addition of 'like clear glass' is key: it means this gold is not opaque or hidden; it's transparent. This suggests that in heaven, God's love and His presence are completely unveiled and perfectly manifest. There are no hidden motives, no obscured truths, only the pure, radiant, and fully visible reality of God's glorious love filling everything. It speaks to a state of complete openness and perfect communion with God.
Understand the original words
iaspis · Greek Noun
A precious stone often associated with the glory, radiance, and holiness of God’s presence; in Revelation, it symbolizes the brilliant, untarnished purity of the New Jerusalem.
chrysion · Greek Noun
Gold represents the highest value, divine royalty, and incorruptibility; as a building material, it signifies the heavenly realm's eternal nature and glorious worth.
themēlios · Greek Noun
The base upon which a structure is built; in scripture, it symbolizes the foundational truths, established righteousness, or the apostolic and prophetic witness upon which the kingdom of God is established.
lithos timios · Greek Noun Phrase
This passage also describes God's glorious throne room using the imagery of precious stones, including jasper, connecting the jasper's brilliance and preciousness to divine presence and glory.
1 Corinthians 3:12This verse discusses the 'building' of the church with different materials, contrasting them with gold, silver, and precious stones, which speaks to the quality and value of what endures for God's eternal dwelling.
Zechariah 2:5Zechariah speaks of Jerusalem being inhabited without walls because God Himself will be its protective 'wall of fire,' paralleling the immense value and divine protection symbolized by the wall of jasper in Revelation.
Matthew 13:45-46The parable of the merchant seeking a single pearl of great value highlights the supreme worth and beauty of the kingdom of heaven, similar to how the city being pure gold represents its ultimate preciousness.
ellicottRevelation 21:18: "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."
THE BUILDING OR MATERIAL OF THE CITY. (18) And the building of the wall . . .—Or, And the building-work (or, the masonry, so Alford) of the wall of it was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. The general aspect of the city was jasperlike, because the material of the wall was of the jasper stone. On this stone, see Note on Revelation 4:3, and on Revelation 21:1…
pulpitRevelation 21:18: "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."
Verse 18. - And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass; pure glass. The exceeding brightness and purity is the idea contained in both expressions - the light of ver. 11, which is there associated with jasper and crystal. (On "jasper," see on ver. 11 and Revelation 4:3.) The whole description is, of course, typical, not…
The text emphasizes the purity and transparency of the city's gold, suggesting it's not just valuable but also perfectly radiant and clear, allowing God's glory to shine through unimpeded. This isn't inert wealth; it's a dynamic, luminous material reflecting the divine presence.
John is witnessing the new Jerusalem descending from heaven, described in glorious, precious materials to signify its divine nature and perfection. The preceding verses focus on the city's immense size and its gates, while the subsequent verses detail the temple, the absence of the sun, and the pure river of life. This passage specifically highlights the building materials of the outer wall and the city itself, emphasizing their unearthly radiance and value.
John is witnessing the new Jerusalem descending from heaven, described in glorious, precious materials to signify its divine nature and perfection. The preceding verses focus on the city's immense size and its gates, while the subsequent verses detail the temple, the absence of the sun, and the pure river of life. This passage specifically highlights the building materials of the outer wall and the city itself, emphasizing their unearthly radiance and value.
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Precious stones in the Bible often represent the beauty, variety, and incomparable worth of God's creation, particularly when used to adorn the sacred dwelling places of God (like the High Priest's breastpiece or the New Jerusalem).
sappheiros · Greek Noun
A precious blue stone; it frequently symbolizes the color of the heavens or the throne of God, representing holiness, divine authority, and majesty.
chalkēdōn · Greek Noun
An ancient precious stone (likely chalcedony or similar); in biblical lists of gems, it represents the richness of creation brought into the service and glory of the Creator.
smaragdos · Greek Noun
A brilliant green stone; it often evokes themes of life, freshness, and the enduring vitality of God's creation, appearing in visions of God’s throne.
"The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald," — The text emphasizes the purity and transparency of the city's gold, suggesting it's not just valuable but also perfectly radiant and clear, allowing God's glory to shine through unimpeded. This isn't…
