Funeral reading
Revelation 21:1–5a
King James Bible
“Revelation 21:1–5a” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about a minute and a half read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, so the full text is printed on this page and goes straight into a ceremony script.
The full text
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
In Revelation 21 the writer names himself: “I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven”.
What it says
The writer sees a new heaven and a new earth, the first ones having passed away, and no more sea. The holy city comes down like a bride adorned for her husband. A voice says God now lives with people. God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain, because the former things have passed. The one on the throne says: behold, I make all things new.
No more death, no more crying, no more pain. Often chosen after a hard death. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: no more death · tears wiped away · all things new · a new heaven · a child.
Who it suits
Christian funerals where the family wants a vision of a future without pain, and a death after suffering. It suits a young person’s funeral, where the promise of no more crying matters most.
Where it goes in the ceremony
As the last reading before the address, or the reading that leads to the commendation. Read by a family member or minister.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 141 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about a minute and a half of reading.
- The opening vision is grand. Read it with wonder rather than volume.
- “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” is the line the family chose. Slow down.
- Read the list of things that will be no more, death, sorrow, crying, pain, evenly. Then pause before “Behold, I make all things new”.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Revelation 21:1–5a” take to read aloud?
“Revelation 21:1–5a” takes about a minute and a half read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “Revelation 21:1–5a”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Revelation 21:1–5a” runs about a minute and a half, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “Revelation 21:1–5a” be printed in a ceremony script?
Yes. It is in the public domain, so the full text is on this page and can be printed in a script or an order of service.
Where this text was checked
Checked word for word against a full-text edition that is itself the authority — a Project Gutenberg or Wikisource transcription, a publisher’s own edition, or the issuing body’s page.
Checked
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- Isaiah 25:6–9a minute and a halfGod wiping away tears, in Isaiah
- Revelation 14:1320 secondsBlessed are the dead, in one verse
- John 14:1–6, 27a minute and a halfA place prepared for you
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsKing James Bible
- 1 John 4:7–12a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Psalm 10040 secondsKing James Bible