What does Revelation 21:9 mean?
One of the seven angels that poured their bowls of judgment onto the earth beckoned to John to come and see the bride, the Lamb's wife. Perhaps this angel is the same one that had shown the apostle John the woman who sat on a scarlet beast (Revelation 17:1–3). The angel now shows John another woman. Whereas the woman on the scarlet beast was thoroughly immoral, the woman of Revelation 21:9 is thoroughly pure. She is the Lamb's bride and wife.The first woman symbolized the Beast's city, Babylon. The woman here represents God's city, the New Jerusalem. Once again, the Bible contrasts unrighteousness and righteousness, impurity and purity, evil and good, what is marked for destruction and what abides eternally. A bride presents herself to her fiancé as beautiful. Similarly, as we see in the subsequent verses, the bride and wife of our Lord presents herself as beautiful.