Revelation 21:10

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

And {G2532} he carried {G667} me {G3165} away {G667} in {G1722} the spirit {G4151} to {G1909} a great {G3173} and {G2532} high {G5308} mountain {G3735}, and {G2532} shewed {G1166} me {G3427} that great {G3173} city {G4172}, the holy {G40} Jerusalem {G2419}, descending {G2597} out of {G1537} heaven {G3772} from {G575} God {G2316},

He carried me off in the Spirit to the top of a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God.

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

Commentary

Revelation 21:10 continues the apostle John's breathtaking vision of the new creation, specifically focusing on the ultimate dwelling place of God with humanity.

Context

This verse follows the profound declaration of a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1) and the promise that God Himself will dwell among His people, wiping away every tear (Revelation 21:4). Here, one of the seven angels who had shown John the bowls of God's wrath (Revelation 17:1) and who promised to show him "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Revelation 21:9) now carries him "in the spirit" to a majestic vantage point. This spiritual transportation to a "great and high mountain" is a common biblical motif for receiving profound divine revelation, often found in prophetic books like Ezekiel's vision of the temple (Ezekiel 40:2).

Key Themes

  • Divine Revelation and Guidance: John's experience of being "carried away in the spirit" emphasizes that this vision is not a product of human imagination but a direct, divinely orchestrated revelation. It's a guided tour of future realities, ensuring the authenticity and authority of what he is about to see.
  • The New Jerusalem: The central focus is the "great city, the holy Jerusalem." This is not merely a rebuilt earthly city, but a transcendent, spiritual reality, often understood as the redeemed people of God collectively, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2). Its grandeur ("great city") speaks to its immense significance and glory as God's eternal dwelling place.
  • Heavenly Origin and Purity: The phrase "descending out of heaven from God" is crucial. It underscores that this city is entirely of divine origin, perfect, pure, and holy, untouched by human sin or imperfection. It signifies God's direct initiative in establishing His eternal dwelling place with humanity, not built by human hands.
  • God's Presence: The city's descent "from God" highlights that its essence is God's presence. It is where God Himself resides, and therefore, it is the ultimate fulfillment of His desire to dwell with His people, a theme central to the entire biblical narrative.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "carried me away in the spirit" translates the Greek en pneumati (ἐν πνεύματι), indicating a visionary, spiritual experience rather than a physical one. This mode of revelation is consistent with other prophetic encounters in the Bible, signifying a direct impartation of divine truth. The description of the city as "holy Jerusalem" (Greek: hagia Ierousalem) emphasizes its consecrated and set-apart nature, purified and sanctified by God Himself, making it fit for His presence and the dwelling of His redeemed people.

Significance and Application

Revelation 21:10 offers believers a powerful vision of hope and the glorious culmination of God's redemptive plan. It assures us that God's ultimate intention is to establish a perfect, holy, and eternal dwelling place where He will fully reside with His redeemed creation. This vision provides immense comfort and certainty for the future, reminding us that despite the trials and imperfections of this present world, a glorious destiny awaits those who belong to Christ. It calls us to live lives of holiness and anticipation, knowing that our ultimate citizenship is in this heavenly city, as referenced in Hebrews 12:22, where believers are said to have "come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." This vision is a cornerstone of Christian eschatology, painting a vivid picture of God's promised future where His glory will fully reside with humanity.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Revelation 21:2 (8 votes)

    And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

  • Ezekiel 11:24 (6 votes)

    Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

  • Ezekiel 11:1 (5 votes)

    ¶ Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

  • Ezekiel 8:3 (5 votes)

    And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where [was] the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

  • Acts 8:39 (5 votes)

    And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

  • Revelation 1:10 (5 votes)

    I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

  • Revelation 17:3 (5 votes)

    So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.