Paul in Rome · The new heaven and the new earth

Acts 28:11–31 WEB

¹¹After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was “The Twin Brothers.” ¹²Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. ¹³From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, ¹⁴where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. ¹⁵From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. ¹⁶When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. ¹⁷After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, ¹⁸who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. ¹⁹But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. ²⁰For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” ²¹They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. ²²But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” ²³When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. ²⁴Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. ²⁵When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one message: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, ²⁶saying, ‘Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. ²⁷For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them.’ ²⁸“Be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.” ²⁹When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. ³⁰Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, ³¹preaching God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

Revelation 21:1–22:5 WEB

^21:1I 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. ²I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. ³I 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. ⁴He 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.” ⁵He 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.” ⁶He said to me, “I am 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. ⁷He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. ⁸But 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.” ⁹One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls which were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” ¹⁰He 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, ¹¹having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; ¹²having a great and high wall with 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. ¹³On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. ¹⁴The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. ¹⁶The city is square. 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. ¹⁷Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. ¹⁸The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass. ¹⁹The 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, ²⁰the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹The 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. ²²I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³The 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. ²⁴The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ²⁵Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), ²⁶and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. ²⁷There 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.

^22:1He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, ²in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.