Revelation 21:18

Revelation 21:18

And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

a. NASB 1995: The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  [NASB95 New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved]

b. NKJV: The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Classic Amplified: The wall was built of jasper, while the city [itself was of] pure gold, clear and transparent like glass.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: And the wall was constructed of jasper: and the city itself was pure gold, resembling clear glass.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. ESV: The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper…”

a. And [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. the [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

c. building [Strong: 1739 endómēsis, en-dom'-ay-sis; from a compound of G1722 and a derivative of the base of G1218; a housing in (residence), i.e. structure:—building.]

d. [of] the [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

e. wall [Strong: 5038 teîchos, ti'-khos; akin to the base of G5088; a wall (as formative of a house):—wall.]

f. [of] it [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

g. was [Strong: 2258 ēn, ane; imperfect of G1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):—+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]

h. [of] jasper [Strong: 2393 íaspis, ee'-as-pis; probably of foreign origin (see H3471); "jasper", a gem:—jasper.]

1). The height of the wall around the city was 216 feet high.

2. “...and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. the [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

c. city [Strong: 4172 pólis, pol'-is; probably from the same as G4171, or perhaps from G4183; a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size):—city.]

d. pure [Strong: 2513 katharós, kath-ar-os'; of uncertain affinity; clean (literally or figuratively):—clean, clear, pure.]

e. gold [Strong: 5553 chrysíon, khroo-see'-on; diminutive of G5557; a golden article, i.e. gold plating, ornament, or coin:—gold.]

f. like [Strong: 3664 hómoios, hom'-oy-os; from the base of G3674; similar (in appearance or character):—like, + manner.]

g. [unto] clear [Strong: 2513 katharós, kath-ar-os'; of uncertain affinity; clean (literally or figuratively):—clean, clear, pure.]

h. glass [Strong: 5194 hualŏs, hoo'-al-os; perhaps from the same as G5205 (as being transparent like rain); glass:—glass.]

1). The streets made of pure gold. 

a). Revelation 21:21b “…and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”

2). If the city was square and the three eastern gates ran west to those three gates and the north and south gates ran like wise, its adds up to 9000 miles of gold streets.

3). I don’t believe knowledge of this city is exclusively New Testament. The book of Hebrews clearly mentions that Abraham looked or awaited expectantly for a city, “whose builder and maker is God.” Within that text it also says Isaac and Jacob had the same promise.

a). Hebrews 11:8-10  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

4). There is also a similar passage in Isaiah that mentions a building constructed by God decorated with similar materials.

a). Isaiah 54:11, 12 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

54:12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.