Revelation 21:22–27 Commentary and Meaning – The Light and Glory of the New Jerusalem
Quick Summary
Revelation 21:22–27 shifts from the dimensions of the New Jerusalem to its inner reality. There is no temple, for God and the Lamb are the temple. The city needs no sun or moon because God’s glory and the Lamb’s light shine within it. The nations walk by this light, their glory brought into the city, whose gates are never shut. Nothing unclean enters, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Introduction
After John has measured the city and seen its jewels and gates, he now looks within. What makes the New Jerusalem glorious is not its walls but God’s presence. The holy city is not defined by defenses, shrines, or imposing buildings. Its light and holiness come from the Lamb.
For believers under Rome, this was a vision of reversal. Rome boasted of its temples, its sun gods, and its locked city gates. The New Jerusalem needs none of these. Its glory is God’s presence, its security God’s rule, its open gates a welcome to the nations.
Revelation 21:22–27 Explained Verse by Verse with Commentary
Revelation 21:22 Explained – No Temple
“I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22)
In the old Jerusalem, the temple was central. It symbolized God’s presence, though access was limited. Here there is no temple building, because God’s presence fills everything. The Lord and the Lamb are the temple.
This fulfills what Jesus said in John 2:19–21 — his body is the true temple. It also fulfills Zechariah 14:20–21, where holiness covers everything. The whole city is God’s dwelling place. No separation, no veil, no mediating structure.
Revelation 21:23 Explained – No Sun or Moon
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:23)
Light comes not from created sources but from God’s glory. This echoes Isaiah’s promise: “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:19–20). The Lamb is the lamp, mediating God’s light.
For Rome, whose emperors claimed to be “sons of the sun.” Coins from Nero, Vespasian, and Domitian carried solar imagery. John’s vision subverts imperial propaganda. Creation’s lights may fade, but God’s light never fails. For the persecuted church, the message is simple: their night will end in the Lamb’s light.
Revelation 21:24 Explained – The Nations’ Glory
“The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” (Revelation 21:24
Here the scope widens. The nations walk in God’s light. This fulfills Isaiah’s vision of nations streaming to God’s light (Isaiah 60:3). Kings who once opposed God now bring their glory into the city.
This imagery doesn’t suggest rival powers but the redeemed creation offering its honor to God. Culture, beauty, and splendor find their place when offered in worship. What Babylon hoarded and corrupted, the new Jerusalem receives in holiness.
Revelation 21:25–26 Explained – Gates Never Shut
“Its gates will never be shut by day — and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.” (Revelation 21:25–26)
Ancient cities shut their gates at night for protection. In the new Jerusalem, the gates are always open. There is no night, no danger, no fear. The openness signals security and welcome.
The nations’ glory flows in, echoing Isaiah 60:11: “Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut.” The vision is not of isolation but of communion, where the diversity of nations finds its fulfillment in God’s presence.
Revelation 21:27 Explained – The Book of Life
“But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27)
The city is open, but not indiscriminate. Those who cling to Babylon’s way — abominations, falsehood — remain excluded. The only entrance is through the Lamb’s book of life. This echoes Revelation 20:15.
The tension is clear. The gates are never shut, but entry depends on allegiance to Christ. Grace is wide, but not sentimental. Holiness defines the city, and only those belonging to the Lamb share it.
Revelation 21:22–27 Meaning for Today
The closing verses of chapter 21 remind us what makes eternity glorious. It’s not golden streets or pearly gates, but God’s presence. No temple is needed, because God and the Lamb are the temple. No sun or moon are required, because the Lamb is the lamp.
For us, the vision is both promise and calling. Promise, because our future is secure in God’s light. Calling, because the nations streaming into God’s city hint at our mission now: to bear witness to the Lamb so that all peoples may walk in his light.
FAQ: Revelation 21:22–27
Why is there no temple in the New Jerusalem?
Because God’s presence fills everything. The Lord and the Lamb are the temple.
What does it mean that there is no sun or moon?
It symbolizes that God’s glory is the everlasting light, echoing Isaiah 60:19–20.
Why are the gates never shut?
Because there is no night, no danger, and no threat. The city is secure and open in God’s peace.
Who can enter the city?
Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Holiness defines the city’s character.
Related Content
Revelation 21:9–21 Commentary and Meaning – The Vision and Dimensions of the New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:1–8 Commentary and Meaning – The New Heaven and the New Earth
Revelation 20:11–15 Commentary and Meaning – The Great White Throne Judgment
Works Consulted
Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, NICNT, rev. ed. (Eerdmans, 1998), ch. 21.
Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), ch. 21.
Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Baker, 2002), ch. 21.
G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Eerdmans, 1999), ch. 21.
David E. Aune, Revelation 17–22, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 52C (Thomas Nelson, 1998), ch. 21.
Craig S. Keener, Revelation, NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 2000), ch. 21.
M. Eugene Boring, Revelation, Interpretation Commentary (Westminster John Knox, 1989), ch. 21.
