Fathers

Revelation 21

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I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.” He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.” He said to me, “I have become the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb’s bride.” He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. The city is square, and its length is as great as its width. He measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal. Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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What the Fathers say

Revelation 21:25

Eastern Fathers

Oecumenius

And its gates he says shall not be shut by day. The meaning is twofold: for either this says that there will be peace and absence of fear, such that there will be no need to keep watch over the city by day or to bar the doors ever, or that the apostolic teachings, for we called the apostles gates, will not be silenced even there, but the apostles will be present there as teachers of new doctrines and of more divine things to the saints; for the righteous are "children of day and light," (1 Thess. …

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Western Saints

Bede

And its gates will not be closed by day, for there will be no night there. He recalls that the perpetual light of the Lamb, or rather the Lamb himself as the eternal light, will be in that city, with the time of night removed. But the fact that the gates will not be closed is a sign of complete security. For there it is no longer said: "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation" (Matt. XXVI), but rather: "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. XLV).

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Alcuin of York

THERE FOLLOWS: And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day: for there shall be no night there. ANSWER: He is saying that there will be in that city the perpetual light of the Lamb, or rather that the Lamb himself will be there as a perpetual light, while nighttime will have been eliminated. As for the gates not being shut, it is a sign of the fullest security; for there it is no longer said, Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation, [Matt. 26:41, Mark 14:38] but rather, Be still and see that I am God. [Ps. 45:11]

Questions And Answers Manual On Revelation ↗

Victorinus of Pettau

And that the gates cannot be shut, it is evidently shown that the doctrine of the apostles can be separated from rectitude by no tempest of contradiction. Even though the floods of the nations and the vain superstitions of heretics should revolt against their true faith, they are overcome, and shall be dissolved as the foam, because Christ is the Rock by which, and on which, the Church is founded. And thus it is overcome by no traces of maddened men.

Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John ↗