Transcript

Rodney Buchanan tells the following: “For the last two weekends we have been busy keeping our granddaughters. In preparation for their coming, my wife and I stocked up on ice cream, cookies and candy. Sue bought finger paints and little plastic smocks.

“She went to the Salvation Army and bought dress up clothes for the girls to play in. I bought a children’s video and some coloring books, and Sue planned some small cooking projects for them.

“We made all kinds of preparations to make their time with us memorable and enjoyable. Why did we do all that? We did it because we love our grandchildren and want the best for them.

“The point is, if we make those kinds of preparations for our grandchildren’s visit, how much more does a God of love and grace prepare for the time His children will come to His eternal home.”

That’s the case with the new Jerusalem. When you read all the fine details about it in Revelation 21 and 22, and the glory, beauty, and intricacy of it, you see how much God loves the redeemed from His prophetic program, that He took that much care to create such an extraordinary place for them to dwell in and enjoy for all eternity.

Revelation 21:9: “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

One of the angels who was commissioned to pour out one of the horrific seven bowls of God’s righteous wrath in the Tribulation comes to speak with the Apostle John.

We can’t be certain, but it might be the same angel who earlier showed John the vision of the city of Babylon. It is written about that angel in Revelation 17:1,

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”

That angel of Revelation 17 who poured out one of the vials of God’s wrath said to “Come hither” and gave John a vision of a great city: Babylon, a city of evil, wickedness and unrighteousness, a city of Satan.

Likewise, the angel in Revelation 21:9 is also one who poured out one of the vials of God’s wrath and said again to “Come hither,” but this time he gave John a vision of the greatest city: the new Jerusalem, a city of glory, purity, and righteousness, the city of God.

The angel invites John to see “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” The marriage has already taken place back in Revelation 19:7-9, so here the bride is called “the Lamb’s wife” (21:9).

Now a physical city is not a bride, nor a wife. But in reality, a city is not just buildings; it is its people. The truth that is being represented here is that the city is the residence of the Lord’s saints of His prophetic program.

The new Jerusalem will be occupied by the redeemed of God from the first resurrection of prophecy (20:4,5). The city is personified as the pure bride by virtue of all the holy saints residing within her. Believing Israel, all prophetic saints, is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” The new Jerusalem is the eternal, perfect home for the wife of the Lamb.

In the sight of God, marriage is two becoming one in a permanent union. Thus Israel, as the bride, will be joined to and become one permanently with her Bridegroom, the Lamb: the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing Israel joining the Lord Jesus Christ in marriage is a picture of her oneness and eternal union with her Messiah and Savior.

We, too, are one with our Savior, but we are the Body of Christ, not the bride of Christ. At the moment of salvation, by the Holy Spirit, we are spiritually baptized into and identified with Christ and made one with Him.

We are placed as members of the Body of Christ not the bride of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 teaches: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.”

And as the Body of Christ, Christ is our living Head, not our Groom. Ephesians 1:22-23 reads: “And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.”

Revelation 21:10-11: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”

The angel carries John “away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain” so that, from this good vantage point, he could see “that great city.” As a side note, it’s interesting to see that in the new earth, there will be great and high mountains.

John observes the city of “holy Jerusalem,” which is both new and holy, completing its descent from heaven to the new earth.

In verse 2 of this chapter, John saw the new Jerusalem on its way from a distance, “coming down from God out of heaven.”

In verse 10, he sees it as it is still descending, but from this new, high vantage point he gets a better look at it in all its beauty and brilliance.

He does not get to see the city from within the city, but from the outside looking in as it moves down past his gaze.

From where he is positioned by the angel, he can observe the entire city in panorama but is also close enough to see all of its details and glory.

Its descent out of heaven “from God” as verse 10 says, emphasizes its divine origin, that its “Builder and Maker is God” as Hebrews 11:10 tells us.

The exquisiteness, intricacy, and design of the city are all from the mind and heart of the all-wise, true and living God, built with loving care to be a dwelling place on earth for both Himself and His earthly redeemed people, Israel.

It will be a city like no other. Like the God indwelling it, this great city will have no equal. Many have boasted in the cities of this world: Rome, New York City, Paris, London, Tokyo, etc. They all pale in comparison.

In John’s inspired description of it, the new Jerusalem has “the glory of God” (Rev. 21:11). It shines with the glory of God Himself, because God is in it (v. 3).

God’s glory radiates from the new Jerusalem, so much so that as verse 23 says, “the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (v. 23).

God’s glory is the only light the city will need for all eternity. Describing the brilliance of that glory-light, John stated that the city’s “light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (v. 11).

John compared the glory of the gleaming city to that of a beautiful, precious gemstone. It gave off a “clear as crystal,” pure light. The comparison to a jasper stone takes us back to earlier in Revelation, to John’s vision of the throne of God in Revelation 4:

“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone” (Rev. 4:2,3). This gemstone, the “jasper stone,” described God Himself.

Thus, the glory of God in the new Jerusalem having the appearance “like a jasper stone” (29:11) is additional confirmation of God’s eternal presence in that great city.

Revelation 21:12-13: “And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.”

The first thing that caught John’s attention was the glory of the new Jerusalem. The next thing was its majestic, high walls with twelve gates. The wall shows us that the city has specific dimensions and limits to its size.

The wall is described as “great,” which refers to its thickness and strength. Its awesome height speaks to the greatness, glory, and exclusivity of the city, that only the redeemed of God are permitted into this great, glorious place.

The old city of Jerusalem had walls and the eternal city of Jerusalem will have walls as well. The walls around old Jerusalem were for protection from enemies, but there will be no enemies to fear in the eternal state.

Satan and his host, and all unbelievers, will have been cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. Therefore, as we later learn in this chapter, the gates in the walls will remain always open.

The massive wall, as well as the angels stationed like sentries at the gates, are symbols of its perfect, eternal security.

In the wall are twelve gates, guarded by twelve angels and inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Greek word used for “gates” refers to a large gate, such as the gateway of a palace.

The presence of one of God’s holy angels at each gate proclaims that this is the city of God. And they will likely greet and welcome visitors. With the enemies of God vanquished, these angels are not stationed here as protectors, but as an honor guard.

And as honor guards, these angels will carry out their duty with the utmost respect for the God they represent and the city in which His blood-bought earthly saints reside.

A significant feature is that each gate will have “names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel” (Rev. 21:12).

This reminds us that this city is the great hope of Israel and that she will rule and reign on the new earth, while we, the Body of Christ, will reign in heaven.

For eternity, those gates with those names engraved on them will celebrate and be reminders of God’s covenant relationship with Israel and how God was faithful to all the promises He made to the fathers of the nation: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Those who were saved under Israel’s earthly program will be the eternal residents of this great city.

Going around the city, three gates will face each direction of the compass: “On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates” (v. 13).

Twelve gates with the names of each tribe of Israel is reminiscent of the way the twelve tribes camped around the tabernacle in the wilderness, three on each side.

Back then, EAST of the tabernacle camped the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; SOUTH of the tabernacle camped Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; WEST of the tabernacle camped Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin; NORTH of the tabernacle were camped Dan, Asher, and Naphtali (Num. 2:1-31).

Levi camped in the center of the arrangement, closest to the tabernacle itself.

The gates are around the New Jerusalem, in which “the tabernacle of God is with men” (v. 3). Thus, the gates are a visual reminder of the tabernacle in the past and how Israel camped around it.

During the Millennial Kingdom, there will also be gates in the wall around Jerusalem named after the twelve tribes of Israel, three on each side.

The order is different, however, than the way they camped around the tabernacle. The names are also different, with Levi’s and Joseph’s names on the gates, and Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, not included.

Ezekiel 48 tells us that the names on the NORTH gates will be Reuben, Judah, and Levi; the EAST side will be Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; the SOUTH side will be Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun, and the gates on the WEST will be Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.

Revelation 21 does not tell us, so there’s no way for us to predict for certain which names will be on which side of the new Jerusalem. Although, if I had to venture a guess, I think it will be the way they are arranged during the Millennial Kingdom.

But it’s enough to say that the gates of the city will be a memorial to God’s program with Israel and His faithfulness to her. And it teaches us who will inhabit this great city on the new earth: Israel, and those saved under God’s program with her.

While we will likely visit it often, the new earth with the new Jerusalem is not our hope. The hope for the Church, the Body of Christ, and where we have our eternal citizenship and position, is in heaven. As Philippians 3:20 says, “For our [citizenship] is in heaven.”

Revelation 21:14: “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

The number twelve is very prominent in the description of the new Jerusalem. The number twelve is the number of governmental perfection and is closely associated with God’s plans and purpose for the earth.

The number twelve is stamped throughout prophecy and God’s program with Israel. For examples: there were 12 sons of Jacob from whom came the 12 tribes of Israel.

Representing the 12 tribes, there were 12 precious stones that graced the breastplate of the high priest in Israel. There are 12 apostles of the Kingdom who were promised to sit on 12 thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

This numerical theme continues uninterrupted into the eternal state. John tells us the new Jerusalem has a wall around it with 12 gates that have the names of the 12 tribes of Israel inscribed upon them.

Standing at each gate is an angel, for a total of 12 angels. The tree of life that grows by the river of water of life flowing out of the throne will bear 12 kinds of fruits.

The height, length, and width of the city is described as 12 thousand furlongs each (21:16).

The foundations of the city are garnished with 12 different types of precious stones (21:19,20). John also noted that here “the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and in them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14).

The Apostle Paul is not mentioned or named here and for good reason: Paul is not one of the twelve apostles nor is he the thirteenth apostle of the Kingdom!

Paul’s apostleship is unique. He was raised up to make known the dispensation of the grace of God, the Church the Body of Christ, and Christ’s current heavenly ministry.

Therefore, his apostleship is identified with the heavens. Paul teaches us, the Body of Christ, in his epistles that the members of the Body have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, seated with Christ there.

The present administration of grace is stamped from beginning to end with the number 1.

There is only ONE apostle who is God’s spokesman for the Body of Christ: Paul.

There is “ONE new man” (Eph. 2:15) a new creation made of Jews and Gentiles called the Church, the Body of Christ.

The sevenfold unity of the Spirit states, “There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:4-6).

What the number 12 is to prophecy, the number 1 is to the revelation of the mystery.

John observed how the great, high walls of the new Jerusalem rested on twelve massive foundations. Hebrews 11:10 tells us how Abraham in his hope, “looked for a city which hath foundations,” plural. This is that city, and it has “twelve foundations.”

The twelve apostles have a prominent place in God’s program for the nation Israel. During the Millennium, in the temple in Jerusalem, they “shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28).

Here we see that, in the eternal city, the twelve apostles will have the distinct honor and eternal blessing of having their names inscribed on its twelve foundations. There is grace in every dispensation and this is grace in the dispensation of the fullness of times.

When we read the 4 Gospels, sometimes we want to pull our hair out for the way the apostles reacted without faith to the things the Lord did and taught.

One that always gets me is when the apostles saw how the Lord miraculously multiplied the 5 loaves and 2 fishes and fed the 5000, and they distributed the food to the people.

Later, they saw how the Lord again miraculously multiplied 7 loaves and a few small fishes and fed 4000, and they again served the food to the people.

Following this, the 12 and the Lord got in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, and they forgot to bring bread with them. And they began whispering amongst themselves that they forgot to bring bread and they wondered what they were going to do!

I think the Lord can take care of the problem! And the Lord rebuked them and reminded them of these miracles, and asked them, “How is it that ye do not understand?”

One of the most amazing examples of their lack of faith is that, after Christ died and rose again and had appeared to the apostles numerous times, right before He gave them their commission and ascended into heaven, Matthew 28:16-17 tells us,

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted.” After He rose again and was right there in front of them, some still doubted!

We can’t be too hard on them though, because often we act just like the apostles; our faith gives way and we too doubt and struggle with things in life.

But because they left their homes, families, and occupations to follow the Lord in His earthly ministry, they will be highly esteemed and eternally rewarded for their sacrifice by the Lord.

Because they were faithful to God’s program for Israel, and they served the Lord, and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom, and brought Christ’s earthly teachings to Israel after His ascension, they will be recognized forever.

It’s encouraging to know for each of us that, in spite of our failings, struggles, mistakes, stumbles, doubting, lack of faith in the Lord, that when we give our time to serve the Lord and make His truth known, when we give our talents to the Lord as He has equipped and follow the Lord according to His heavenly ministry, the Lord will recognize, honor, and reward us one day at the Judgment Seat of Christ and for all eternity in heaven.

Around the new Jerusalem will be twelve foundations with the names of these twelve men: Peter, Andrew, James (the son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon Zelotes, and Matthias.

Because they followed Christ, glory will follow them for eternity, and they will be honored with their names on the foundations of the new Jerusalem forever.

Notice though how they are called “the twelve apostles of the Lamb,” which focuses the glory in this city where it rightly belongs—on the Lamb—the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who willingly laid down His life as a sacrifice for our sins, so that Israel might have an eternal home on the earth, and we might have an eternal home in heaven.

Ever since he was a kid, Bob Goff had a dream to sail across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. So Bob and four of his buddies entered the Transpac Race, a semi-annual sailboat race from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

With limited sailing skills, Bob and his friends loaded their 35 foot sailboat with canned chili and bottled water and set sail for Hawaii. But for Bob and his friends, the most moving part of the journey was the arrival at the finishing line. Bob writes:

There’s a tradition in the Transpac Race no matter when you finish the race, even if it’s 2 in the morning. When you pull into the Ala Moana Marina in Oahu, there’s a guy who announces the name of the boat and every crew member who made the trip.

It’s the same guy, and he’s been announcing each boat’s arrival at the end of every Transpac Race for decades.

Just when we came to the end of our supplies, we sailed across the finish line just off Diamond Head and into the marina. It was a few hours before dawn.

It had been sixteen days since we set out from Los Angeles in our little boat knowing very little about navigation. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a booming voice over a loudspeaker announcing the name of our tiny boat.

Then he started announcing the names of our ragtag crew like he was introducing heads of state. One by one he announced all of our names with obvious pride in his voice, and it became a really emotional moment for each of us onboard.

When he came to my name, he didn’t talk about how few navigation skills I had or the zigzag course I’d led us in to get there. He didn’t tell everyone I didn’t even know which way north was or about all my other mess-ups.

Instead, he just welcomed me in from the adventure like a proud father would. When he was done, there was a pause and then in a sincere voice his last words to the entire crew were these: “Friends, it’s been a long trip. Welcome home.”

Because of the way he said it, we all welled up and fought back tears. I wiped my eyes as I reflected in that moment about all the uncertainty that had come with the journey, all the sloppy sailing and how little I knew.

But none of that mattered now because we had completed the race.

I’ve always thought that heaven might be kind of a similar experience. After we each cross the finish line in our lives, I imagine it will be like floating into the Hawaiian marina when our names were announced, one by one.

At the end of our lives, after all the uncertainty, our many mistakes and midcourse corrections, by grace, our loving Heavenly Father will simply say, “Friends, it’s been a long trip. Welcome home.”