Revelation 21:9 – 14 “Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
One of the same angels who poured out the bowls containing the plagues now gets to show John the New Jerusalem as it comes down out of heaven shining with the glory of God. The sight of this city is so magnificent that John has to strain to find words sufficient to describe it. There is a radiance over the city – the radiance of the glory of God and the radiance of the faith of the saints within the city. The city is well protected and has twelve gates, each having an angel and each inscribed with a name of one of the tribes of Israel.
There are twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. But WHO is the twelfth apostle included here? Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, so obviously, he is not included. Just after Jesus ascends into heaven, Peter pushes the disciples to vote on someone to take the place of Judas, and Mathias is selected. (Acts 1:26) Personally, I have always believed that the Apostle Paul was God’s selection for the twelfth disciple. Peter was impulsive and sometimes ran ahead of the Lord, as do many of us. Certainly, this is the last time we hear any mention of Mathias, although he was present on the Day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit fell on him as it did on all the others.
There are twelve gates, three on each wall, allowing believers to come in from all directions. Barclay describes these gates: “There is one symbolic interpretation (of the gates) which was unlikely to be in his(John’s) mind, but which is none the less very beautiful and very comforting. There are three gates on the east. The east is the place of the rising sun and the beginning of the day. These gates could represent the way into the holy city of those who find Christ in the glad morning of their days. There are three gates on the north. The north is the cold land with a certain chill in it. These gates could stand for the way into the holy city of those who come to Christianity by the intellectual exercise of thought, and have found the faith through their minds rather than through their hearts. There are three gates on the south. The south is the warm land, where the wind is gentle and the climate soft. These gates could stand for the way into the holy city of those who have come to Christ through their emotions, whose love ran over at the sight of the cross. There are three gates on the west. The west is the land of the dying day and the setting sun. These gates could stand for the way into the holy city of those who come to Christ in the evening of their days.”
The important thing about the city of New Jerusalem is that God has made ways for all those who will believe to come and to be with Him forever. Nobody is excluded unless they choose to be by their actions. God is the Great Lover, always wooing us and drawing us to Himself, if we will only allow Him. If we will only open our hearts, God will come in and will change us into His Likeness.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for making so many ways for us to come to you! Thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins! Thank you that you are always drawing us to yourself if we will only stop fighting and running away. Lord, soften hearts! Cause all those who are reading these words to come to know the height and depth of your magnificent love for them. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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