Revelation 21:23 (ASV)

Passage

And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof [is] the Lamb.

Nearby Context

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.

Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof.

Revelation 21:23 And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof [is] the Lamb.

Revelation 21:24 And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.

Revelation 21:25 And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by day (for there shall be no night there):

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "city", "hath", "need", "neither", "moon", "shine", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "city", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And I saw no temple therein for..." into verse 24's "And the nations shall walk amidst the...", so "light" and "city" 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 "light" and "city" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.