Commentary on the Apocalypse 21.1–21.6

In the kingdom, then, and in the first resurrection, the holy city is displayed, which he says will come down from heaven, four-square, surrounded by stones differing in value, color, and kind, like pure gold, that is, transparent. “Its street,” he says, “paved with crystal; the river of life flowing through the middle, and springs of the waters of life; the tree of life round about, bearing different fruits each month; the light of the sun is not there, because of a more excellent glory. For the Lamb,” he says — that is, God — “is its light.”

Its gates are each made of a single pearl, three on every side, not closed but open. Scripture shows much reason why gifts are brought there from the kings, regions, and nations that will serve: it speaks of the subjection of the last ones, of whom we have treated. But the city is not to be understood as we know cities; for without a guide we can imagine nothing beyond what we have heard and seen. Rather, the city is said to be that whole region of the eastern provinces promised to the patriarch Abraham. “Look,” he says, “to the sky from the place where you now stand” — that is, from the great river Euphrates to the river of Egypt — “all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your seed.” Then the Holy Spirit says: “He will rule from sea to sea” — that is, from the Red Sea to the sea of Arabia, and (from the sea) of the north to the sea of Phoenicia — “and to the ends of the earth”: these are the parts of Greater Syria. It is plain, then, that all these provinces will be leveled and cleansed at the Lord's coming, and covered all around by a brightness coming down from heaven like a cloud, its light surpassing the brightness of the sun.

For the Holy Spirit testified thus through Isaiah too: “like the smoke of light in a burning fire it will be covered with all glory”; and in another place he says: “Be enlightened, Jerusalem, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the sun will not give you light by (day, nor the moon) by night; for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light.” And David says: “And there will be a support on the earth on the tops of the mountains, and its fruit will be exalted above Lebanon, and they will flourish from the city like the grass of the earth.” And Daniel said that a stone cut out without hands struck the statue that had four things in it — that is, gold and silver, bronze and iron, and at the last clay — and that the stone itself, after it had reduced the statue to dust, became a great mountain, filling the whole earth; and he himself interpreted the dream to the king and said: “You,” he says, “are the golden head, you and your nation. There will arise,” he says, “another kingdom lower than you, and there will be a third kingdom, which will rule the whole earth. And the fourth kingdom, very hard and strong like iron, which subdues all things and cuts down every tree. And in the last time,” he says, “like clay mixed with iron, men will be mixed, and they will not be in harmony or agreement. And in those times the Lord God will raise up another kingdom, which,” he says, “the saints of the most high God will receive. And another people will not track down this kingdom; for God will strike and track down all the kingdoms of the earth, and it will remain forever.”

Paul too recalls this kingdom, saying to the Corinthians: “He must reign until he puts his enemies under his feet.” In this kingdom the saints will say: “I have rejoiced, as we have heard.” In the same kingdom he will find those keeping the faith whole, whom he says stood on the sea of glass having harps and bowls, that is, who stood firm on their baptism and, having their confession in their mouths, will rejoice there.

In this kingdom he made a promise to his servants, saying: “Whoever leaves father or mother or brother or sister for the sake of my name will receive a reward multiplied a hundredfold now, and in the future will possess eternal life.” In this kingdom those who were robbed of their goods for the Lord's name, and the many put to death by every kind of crime and in prisons — and before the Lord's coming the holy prophets were stoned, killed, sawn in two — will receive their comfort, that is, crowns and heavenly riches. In this kingdom the Lord promised that he would repay for the years which the locust and the caterpillar and the blight have eaten. In it the whole creation will be preserved and, at God's command, will pour forth the good things hidden within it. Here the saints will receive gold for bronze and silver for iron, and precious stones. In this place he will transfer to them the riches of the sea and the strength of the nations. In this kingdom (the priests of the Lord) will be called ministers of God, as … are called sacrilegious. In this kingdom they will drink wine and be anointed with ointment and be given over to gladness.

Of this kingdom the Lord spoke to the apostles before he suffered, saying: “I will not drink again of the fruit of this vine until I drink it new with you in the kingdom to come.” That which is multiplied a hundredfold is ten thousand times over, toward greater and better things. For when he says that stones differing in kind and color will be displayed, he says this (of) people; but it also signifies the most precious variety of each person's faith. He shows that the pearl gates are the apostles. “They will not be shut,” he says: grace has been given through them, and it is never shut. In this place they will see face to face, and no one will have need to seek out another. That the names of both the fathers and the apostles are on the foundations and above the gates: we have already treated of the twenty-four elders; and of those who will have reigned in this kingdom, they themselves will judge the world.