Revelation 21:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, in the Kingdom at the first resurrection, the holy city will appear, descending from heaven, foursquare and adorned with stones differing in value, color, and kind. The city is like pure gold, that is, radiant. Its street, he says, is paved with glass. The river of life flows through its midst, and there are springs of the waters of life. The tree of life is on both sides of the river, giving different fruits each month. There is no light of the sun there because of the abundance of God's glory. For the Lamb, he says, that is, God, is its light (Rev 21:23). Victorinus gives a free exposition of Rev 21-22 in order to express his millenarian interpretation.

The saint was led in the spirit, and this indicates the upward movement of his thought from earthly things to heavenly things. The great mountain signifies the lofty and transcendent life of the saints, with which the wife of the Lamb, the Jerusalem above, will be adorned and glorified by God.

The angel is about to show the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, and he calls it the heavenly Jerusalem. Paul spoke of it in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “You have not come to a mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, nor to darkness, gloom, and tempest, nor to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. Those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them any more, for they could not endure what was commanded: ‘If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.’ So terrible was the sight that Moses said.

According to the testimony of the Truth, this is the city set on the top of a mountain (Mt 5:14). Isaiah also says: “The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the chief of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills” (Isa 2:2).

This means the height of her righteousness, of which we read: “Your righteousness is like the mountains of God” (Ps 35:7). Or the mountains may mean the apostles and prophets. Yet surpassing all the rest, the Lord is exalted like a mountain at the head of mountains, and “from His fullness,” as it is said, “we have received, and grace for grace” (Jn 1:16).

According to some interpreters, the wall surrounding the holy city means not a boundary perceptible to our senses, arranged by the power and wisdom of God. It may also mean the very power and wisdom of God, inaccessible to every other force, guarding the dwellings of His glory.

This boundary, or wall, according to such interpreters, is invisible to the eyes of sinners. Therefore it does not prevent them from seeing the blessed dwelling of the righteous, as is said in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (see Lk 16:23). Yet at the same time this boundary is impassable for every attempt to cross its line.