Has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it: the city does not depend on the sun or the moon for its light; its light comes from a different source.

The glory of God is its light: for glory see verse 11 and comments at 1.6.

Its lamp is the Lamb: this involves a formal contradiction, inasmuch as all the light the city needs comes from God’s glory shining on it. The use of the word lamp is not to give the Lamb an inferior function; it is a way of saying that the Lamb also supplies light. For lamp see comments on “lampstand” in 1.12. God and the Lamb provide all the light needed all the time, so there is no need of sun, or moon, or lamps.

An alternative translation model for the final part of this verse is:

• Because the brilliant light of God shines on it and the Lamb lights it up just as a lamp does.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .