Revelation 21:21 (KJV)

Passage

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one 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 garnished 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, chrysolyte; 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 were twelve pearls: every several gate 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 Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "twelve", "gates", "pearls", "several", and "street". 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.