Revelation 21:21 (DRB)

Passage

And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, one to each: and every several gate was of one several pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were, transparent glass.

Nearby Context

Revelation 21:19 And 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; a chalcedony: the fourth, an emerald:

Revelation 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx: the sixth, sardius: the seventh, chrysolite: the eighth, beryl: the ninth, a topaz: the tenth, a chrysoprasus: the eleventh, a jacinth: the twelfth, an amethyst.

Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, one to each: and every several gate was of one several 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 Almighty is the temple thereof, and the Lamb.

Revelation 21:23 And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God hath enlightened it: and the Lamb is the lamp thereof.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "twelve", "gates", "pearls", "each", and "several". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "twelve" and "gates", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "The fifth sardonyx the sixth sardius the..." into verse 22's "And I saw no temple therein For...", so "twelve" and "gates" 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 "twelve" and "gates" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.