Revelation 21:21
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The gates being made of a single, immense pearl, and the street being pure gold, hints that entrance into God's eternal city is not through a collection of works or merit, but through the singular, priceless value of Christ. The pure, transparent gold street emphasizes a life of unhindered fellowship and perfect righteousness in His presence.
John is in the midst of describing the New Jerusalem, the ultimate dwelling place of God with His people, a vision that began with its glorious descent in chapter 20. This vision continues the detailed depiction of its architecture, following the description of the city's immense size, its foundation, and its wall. The focus now shifts to the gates and the main street, emphasizing the unparalleled beauty and value of this eternal city.
Imagine gates made not of stone or metal, but of single, immense pearls. What does this precious material tell us about entering God's presence?
The verse describes each of the twelve gates to the New Jerusalem as being made of a single pearl. Pearls were incredibly valuable and rare in the ancient world, symbolizing immense worth and beauty.
The Unique Value of the Pearl
The very ground we walk on in heaven is pure gold, as clear as glass. What does this tell us about the nature of that eternal city?
The description of the city's street as 'pure gold, like transparent glass' evokes a sense of unparalleled magnificence, purity, and radiance.
The Meaning of Golden Streets
Understand the original words
pylon · Greek Noun
A controlled entrance or opening allowing passage into a city or sacred space; biblically, it symbolizes access, security, and the invitation of God's kingdom.
margaritēs · Greek Noun
A hard, lustrous, spherical mass produced by certain mollusks, highly valued for its beauty and rarity; in this context, it represents the incomparable, radiant perfection and value of the entry into God's presence.
chrysion · Greek Noun
A precious yellow metallic element valued for its incorruptibility and beauty; biblically, it represents purity, divine holiness, and the precious nature of the kingdom of God.
This passage speaks of God making the windows of a restored Jerusalem out of jewels and the gates out of fiery carbuncles, highlighting the precious and glorious materials that will adorn God's people, a theme echoed in Revelation's description of pearl gates and gold streets.
Matthew 13:45-46Jesus tells the parable of the merchant seeking fine pearls, who, upon finding one of great value, sells all he has to buy it, directly connecting the pearl to something of immense worth, much like Christ is the singular, precious way to enter God's eternal city.
John 14:6Jesus declares, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' This echoes the idea that Christ, like a single, perfect pearl, is the exclusive and essential way for anyone to enter the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11Paul speaks of building the church on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and that each builder's work will be tested. This reinforces the concept that Christ is the ultimate foundation and entryway, the precious 'truth' through which all are built into God's eternal dwelling.
Hebrews 10:19-20The author encourages believers to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, referring to Him as a 'new and living way.' This shows Jesus as the unique, life-giving path into God's presence, mirroring the single pearl gates of the New Jerusalem.
ellicottRevelation 21:21: "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
(21) And the twelve gates . . . —Or, gate-towers. Each gate was of one pearl— i.e., made out of one pearl. The foundations are diverse; the gates are alike. There is one way, though there are many roads; one mode of entrance, through twelve gates. All find entrance through one new and living Way ( John 14:6 ; Acts 4:11-12 ; 1Co…
clarkeRevelation 21:21: "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
The twelve gates were twelve pearls - This must be merely figurative, for it is out of all the order of nature to produce a pearl large enough to make a gate to such an immense city. But St. John may refer to some relations of this nature among his countrymen, who talk much of most prodigious pearls. I shall give an example: "W…
The gates being made of a single, immense pearl, and the street being pure gold, hints that entrance into God's eternal city is not through a collection of works or merit, but through the singular, priceless value of Christ. The pure, transparent gold street emphasizes a life of unhindered fellowship and perfect righteousness in His presence.
John is in the midst of describing the New Jerusalem, the ultimate dwelling place of God with His people, a vision that began with its glorious descent in chapter 20. This vision continues the detailed depiction of its architecture, following the description of the city's immense size, its foundation, and its wall. The focus now shifts to the gates and the main street, emphasizing the unparalleled beauty and value of this eternal city.
John is in the midst of describing the New Jerusalem, the ultimate dwelling place of God with His people, a vision that began with its glorious descent in chapter 20. This vision continues the detailed depiction of its architecture, following the description of the city's immense size, its foundation, and its wall. The focus now shifts to the gates and the main street, emphasizing the unparalleled beauty and value of this eternal city.
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"And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass." — The gates being made of a single, immense pearl, and the street being pure gold, hints that entrance into God's eternal city is not through a collection of works or merit, but through the singular, p…
