Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:10
Verse 10. To a great and high mountain] That, being above this city, he might see every street and lane of it. The holy Jerusalem] See on ver. 2.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. And he carried me away in the Spirit , etc.] John was in an ecstasy, as in ( Revelation 1:10 4:2 17:3) and in the thoughts and apprehensions of his mind and spirit, it seemed to him as if he was carried away from one place to another; for this was not a corporeal sight, nor were any of the visions he had, but what was represented to his mind or spirit; it being with him as it was with the Apostle Paul when he was caught up to the third heaven, who knew not whether he was in the body or out of the body. The Ethiopic version renders it, the Spirit brought me; not the evil spirit Satan, who took up our Lord corporeally, and carried him to an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of this world, and their glory, ( Matthew 4:8) but either a good angel, or the Spirit of God: to a great and high mountain ; to such an one was Ezekiel brought in the visions of God, when the frame of a city and temple was shown him, with their dimensions, ( Ezekiel 40:2) as here a city is shown to John, with its wall, gates, foundations, and their measures: and he was brought to such a place, partly that he might have the more plain and full view of it; and partly to suggest unto him, that now the church of Christ was established upon the top of the mountains, and exalted above the hills, and was a city on a hill, which could not be hid, ( Isaiah 2:2). And showed me that great city ; which is no other than the church, the bride, the Lamb's wife; just as the apostate church, all along in this book before, is called the great city, ( Revelation 11:8 14:8 17:18 18:10,16,18) but now that being demolished, there is no other great city in being but the church of Christ, called a city before; ( Revelation 21:2) here a great one, not only because of its prodigious large dimensions, ( Revelation 21:16) but because of the number of its inhabitants, being such as no man can number; and because it is the residence of the great King, the tabernacle of God will be in it; though this epithet is left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin and all the Oriental versions: the holy Jerusalem; called the new Jerusalem, ( Revelation 21:2) here holy, in allusion to the city of Jerusalem, which was called the holy city, ( Matthew 4:5) on account of the temple in it, the place of divine worship; but here this city is so called, because it is the residence of the holy God, Father, Son, and Spirit, inhabited only by holy men, made perfectly so, and encompassed by holy angels. Descending out of heaven from God ; (See Gill on Revelation 21:2).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-21 - God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they soun the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometime they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heave as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its lustre; glorious in relation to Christ; which shows that the happiness of heaven consists in intercourse with God, and in conformit to him. The change of emblems from a bride to a city, shows that we ar only to take general ideas from this description. The wall is for security. Heaven is a safe state; those who are there, are separate and secured from all evils and enemies. This city is vast; here is roo for all the people of God. The foundation of the wall; the promise an power of God, and the purchase of Christ, are the strong foundations of the safety and happiness of the church. These foundations are set fort by twelve sorts of precious stones, denoting the variety and excellenc of the doctrines of the gospel, or of the graces of the Holy Spirit, or the personal excellences of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven has gates there is a free admission to all that are sanctified; they shall no find themselves shut out. These gates were all of pearls. Christ is the Pearl of great price, and he is our Way to God. The street of the cit was pure gold, like transparent glass. The saints in heaven tread gol under foot. The saints are there at rest, yet it is not a state of sleep and idleness; they have communion, not only with God, but with one another. All these glories but faintly represent heaven.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 απηνεγκεν 667 5656 με 3165 εν 1722 πνευματι 4151 επ 1909 ορος 3735 μεγα 3173 και 2532 υψηλον 5308 και 2532 εδειξεν 1166 5656 μοι 3427 την 3588 πολιν 4172 την 3588 μεγαλην 3173 την 3588 αγιαν 40 ιερουσαλημ 2419 καταβαινουσαν 2597 5723 εκ 1537 του 3588 ουρανου 3772 απο 575 του 3588 θεου 2316
Vincent's NT Word Studies
10. In the Spirit. See on ch. i. 10.Mountain. Compare Ezek. xl. 2.
That great city, the holy Jerusalem. Omit great. Render the article as usual, and not as a demonstrative pronoun, and construe holy With city. So Rev., the holy city Jerusalem.
