Revelation 21:19 (LSB)

Passage

The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

Nearby Context

Revelation 21:17 And he measured its wall, 144 cubits, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.

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

Revelation 21:19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone 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 gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And the material of the wall was..." into verse 20's "the fifth sardonyx the sixth sardius the...", so "foundation" and "stones" 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 "foundation" and "stones" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.