The Last Scribe
Revelation 21 · 27 verses · The new heaven and the new earth
Revelation 21 as a game: the new earth and the holy city, new Jerusalem
See what John saw: “a new heaven and a new earth”, and the holy city coming down from God, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”. Hear the promise that God “shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”.
No download. Plays in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Revelation 1 and the Baptism of Jesus are free to try first.
What you will see
One city, measured gate by gate
You arrive as a Scribe, sent to witness the chapter and write it down. Revelation 21 comes near the end of the book that opens with Revelation 1, which is free to play, and it is one map you can walk end to end. Five voices stand in it, each speaking from their own verses: the voice from the throne, never drawn as a person, which says “Behold, I make all things new”; the angel who shows John the bride, the Lamb’s wife; the angel with the golden reed; a witness of the twelve foundations; and a witness of the city that has no temple.
Five things wait to be found and read: the golden measuring reed, a gate of pearl, the wall of jasper, the street of pure gold, and the fountain of the water of life, offered “freely”. The quest follows the chapter in order. You witness the new heaven and new earth, see the holy city come down, hear the promise that there shall be “no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying”, drink from the fountain, walk through the gates of pearl, measure the city, and see why John “saw no temple therein”: the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Every verse the game quotes is the King James Version. When you have seen it all, step into the quiz zone and fifteen questions ask what you saw.
The chapter, in order
The quest, Tour the New Jerusalem, has seven steps, and they follow the chapter in order. Nothing is added to the text; the steps are a way of making sure you miss none of it.
- Witness the new heaven and new earth
- See the holy city descend from God
- Hear the promise that God will wipe every tear
- Drink from the fountain of the water of life
- Walk through the twelve gates of pearl
- Measure the perfect cube of the city
- See that there is no temple — God and the Lamb are its temple
Who you meet
Five people and voices stand in the chapter. Each speaks only from their own place in the chapter.
- He Who Sits on the Throne — the voice from the throne, never drawn as a person, which says “the tabernacle of God is with men”.
- Angel of the New Jerusalem — one of the seven angels, who carries John to “a great and high mountain” to see the city.
- Angel with the Golden Reed — who measures the city, its gates and its wall, and finds that it “lieth foursquare”.
- Witness of the Twelve Foundations — who names the twelve precious stones of the foundations and the twelve gates of pearl.
- Witness of No Temple — who tells you why the city has “no need of the sun, neither of the moon”.
What you find
Walk up to any of these and the game reads you the verses it comes from, in the King James Version.
- Golden Measuring Reed — the reed that measures the city (21:15). (Revelation 21:15)
- A Gate of Pearl — “every several gate was of one pearl” (21:21). (Revelation 21:21)
- Wall of Jasper — the wall of the city (21:18). (Revelation 21:18)
- Street of Pure Gold — “as it were transparent glass” (21:21). (Revelation 21:21)
- Fountain of the Water of Life — given to him that is athirst (21:6). (Revelation 21:6)
The promise of no more tears
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4, King James Version
Every verse the game quotes is the KJV. Where a character speaks in their own words, the dialogue is written from the chapter and checked against our doctrinal rules before release. The about page says plainly how we read the Bible.
Try five of the fifteen
Revelation 21 quiz questions, with answers
Five real questions from the Revelation 21 quiz, in the game's own words. In the game the options are shuffled every time, and you need 70% to pass.
1. What three things does John see in Revelation 21:1?
- A new sun, a new moon, and a new ark
- A new lamb, a new river, and a new tree
- A new heaven, a new earth, and no more sea
- A new throne, a new city, and a new temple
Show the answer
C. A new heaven, a new earth, and no more sea And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. Also there was no more sea. The absence of the sea recalls John’s exile on Patmos — the sea of separation is gone.
2. According to verse 4, what four things shall be no more in the new earth?
- Sin, sickness, poverty, and war
- Death, sorrow, crying, and pain
- Hatred, envy, pride, and shame
- Darkness, hunger, thirst, and fear
Show the answer
B. Death, sorrow, crying, and pain God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
3. What are inscribed on the twelve foundations of the city wall?
- The twelve plagues of Egypt
- The twelve signs of the zodiac
- The names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb
- The twelve stones of Elijah’s altar
Show the answer
C. The names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Old Covenant tribes on the gates, New Covenant apostles on the foundations — one people of God united in one city.
4. What are the twelve gates of the city made of?
- Twelve tablets of jasper
- Twelve cedar beams
- Twelve olivewood doors
- Twelve pearls — each gate a single pearl
Show the answer
D. Twelve pearls — each gate a single pearl The twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl. A pearl is formed through suffering — the gateway of the redeemed is made of suffering transfigured.
5. Why does the New Jerusalem need no sun or moon to shine in it?
- The glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its light
- The twelve foundation stones produce radiance
- The jasper walls give off their own light
- The golden streets reflect enough starlight
Show the answer
A. The glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its light The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it. The Lamb is its light. Christ becomes the literal light-source of the new earth.
Right answers pay 10 XP each and a perfect score pays 50 more. In a room, everyone answers the same quiz and sees how the others did. More on how the quiz works.
Chapter facts
- 27
- verses, every one covered by something you see, hear or read
- 15
- quiz questions, each tied to a verse
- 5
- people and voices to speak with
- 5
- things to find and read
- 1–6
- players in a room; solo play is fine too
- KJV
- every verse quoted from the King James Version
How to play it
- Open the game in your browser and make an account. A child under 13 gives a parent's email instead of their own, and the parent confirms before the child can play with anyone else; see the page for parents.
- Play the short intro story in the Archivery, the library where the Scribe finds the Book. It is free and takes a few minutes.
- Open the world map and choose Revelation 21. To play with others, start a room and share its code, which looks like SCRIBE-7K4P2Q; up to six people can join from their own devices.
- Walk the map, speak with everyone, read everything, then step into the quiz zone.
Free, and with a subscription
Revelation 21 is part of the subscription ($9.99 a month or $79.99 a year). Chapters open in Bible order along a road through the books, era by era, so Revelation 21 opens when you reach Revelation on that road; nobody skips ahead. See pricing.
Free forever, for every player: the intro story, Revelation 1, the story scene The Baptism of Jesus, and four open lands to walk with other players: the City of the Last Days, the Garden of Eden, Judea in the days of Jesus, and Patmos and the Seven Churches. Revelation 1 is a good first chapter to try before you subscribe.
More to play
- Before: Revelation 4 — Hear the voice like a trumpet say “Come up hither”, and see what John saw: “a throne was set in heaven”, a rainbow round about it, and the four and twenty elders casting their crowns before it.
- After: Revelation 22 — Stand by “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal”, and the tree whose leaves are “for the healing of the nations”.
- Every chapter and story with a page: the list of what you can play.
Walk the street of gold.
Revelation 21 takes about twenty minutes alone, a little longer with friends in a room.
Start with the free chapters