Revelation 21:19 (ASV)

Passage

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

Nearby Context

Revelation 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass.

Revelation 21:19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

Revelation 21:20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.

Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "foundations", "wall", "city", "adorned", "manner", "precious", "stones", and "first". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "foundations" and "wall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And the building of the wall thereof..." into verse 20's "the fifth sardonyx the sixth sardius the...", so "foundations" and "wall" belong inside that flow. In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "foundations" and "wall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.