Explain Revelation 22:15

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

I say ----in order for you to understand this scripture --you need to go back to Revelation 21 --this describes the New Jerusalem ---

I just used these verses 23-27 here

Revelation 21 NIV
A New Heaven and a New Earth


23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there

26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
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I say ----So your scripture here below ----Jesus is telling John here Just who will be admitted through the Gates and who won't ---

the Greek word for dog here is used as a metaphor

1. A dog.
2. Metaphorically a man of impure mind, an impudent man.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

I say ----in order for you to understand this scripture --you need to go back to Revelation 21 --this describes the New Jerusalem ---

I just used these verses 23-27 here

Revelation 21 NIV
A New Heaven and a New Earth


23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there

26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
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I say ----So your scripture here below ----Jesus is telling John here Just who will be admitted through the Gates and who won't ---

the Greek word for dog here is used as a metaphor

1. A dog.
2. Metaphorically a man of impure mind, an impudent man.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

When it says that the wicked are outside the gate it does not mean that they are right outside the gate because the Bible says the wicked shall go in to the lower parts of the earth but it means they cannot enter in to the city which they do not have salvation.

But they are not right there outside the gate.

The new earth and heaven the New Jerusalem is a place where sin has never been and sin will never be so the wicked could not be there outside the gate for it is still the New Jerusalem in which there can be no wickedness there.

But shouldn't the evil people be in hell?

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

I'm stuck on the "gates". Where else are 'gates' referred to

Thanks for your question. The Bible refers to Jesus as the door that the sheep enter to find pasture. In one place in the New Testament we read of the 'door of the gate'. I would think of this as Jesus being the way into the city of God, salvation. Outside is a term referring to the unsaved who have not entered by Jesus. We read of this in Mark 4, "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: " The verse mentions the term 'blessed'. This shows that the term is used in the Bible to indicate those who are saved. Knowing this is very useful in interpreting many other verses in the Bible which use the term 'blessed', which show various characteristics of those who are saved. In English, we think of the term blessed as meaning someone had something good happen to them. Maybe they got a good grade or a job. But in the Bible the term blessed is a parable word meaning those who are saved.

Sounds familiar.

19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Thanks for your question. The Bible refers to Jesus as the door that the sheep enter to find pasture. In one place in the New Testament we read of the 'door of the gate'. I would think of this as Jesus being the way into the city of God, salvation. Outside is a term referring to the unsaved who have not entered by Jesus. We read of this in Mark 4, "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: " The verse mentions the term 'blessed'. This shows that the term is used in the Bible to indicate those who are saved. Knowing this is very useful in interpreting many other verses in the Bible which use the term 'blessed', which show various characteristics of those who are saved. In English, we think of the term blessed as meaning someone had something good happen to them. Maybe they got a good grade or a job. But in the Bible the term blessed is a parable word meaning those who are saved.

But shouldn't the evil people be in hell?

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:15

What does he mean "outside the gate"? I remember one bible teacher saying, "I have no idea what this means" Trying to picture this image.