April 13 – A Real Place (pt. 1)
Revelation 21:9-17
“One of the seven angels who had 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, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 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, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s measurement, which the angel was using.”
As if John hasn’t experienced enough. One of the angels who had carried a bowl shows up and asks him to follow so that he can see the bride, the wife of the Lamb. The angel carries John in the Spirit to a high mountain to see the New Jerusalem. When John saw it, it was coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory (Shekinah) of God. This wasn’t a reflection of God’s glory, this was actually the shining glory of the presence of God!
“Its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
The city had a great, high wall with twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates. The gates had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on them.
There are a few things that I’d like you to see in these verses.
The great high wall. There is nothing to be afraid of on the outside of the city, yet the wall is there. Angels stand at the gates of the wall. These things are there to provide the people of the city with a sense of security. Whether or not there are frightening things on the outside, the inhabitants will feel this security as they walk along the streets of New Jerusalem.
John’s vision takes us back to familiar territory again. In Ezekiel 48:30, each of the twelve tribes are named on the gates of the city. On the north side will be the gates of Reuben, Judah and Levi. The east side will have three gates – Joseph, Benjamin and Dan. On the south side will be found Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun and on the west side will be the gates of Gad, Asher and Naphtali.
None of this is new information for those that received the Revelation. They would recognize ancient prophecies from centuries of recitation.
Next John is with the angel as he measures the city. The city is laid out like a square – 12,000 stadia – about 1500 miles.
Now there is something quite profound here, but it is quickly lost if we aren’t paying attention. From Rev. 21:16, “He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length and as wide and high as it is long.”
John would have prayed for his hearers to interpret all of his words.
Paul, in Ephesians 3:17-18, says “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
The length, the height and depth of the city. The length, the height and depth of the love of Christ. God is so good to us!
Revelation 21:9-17
“One of the seven angels who had 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, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 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, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man’s measurement, which the angel was using.”
As if John hasn’t experienced enough. One of the angels who had carried a bowl shows up and asks him to follow so that he can see the bride, the wife of the Lamb. The angel carries John in the Spirit to a high mountain to see the New Jerusalem. When John saw it, it was coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory (Shekinah) of God. This wasn’t a reflection of God’s glory, this was actually the shining glory of the presence of God!
“Its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
The city had a great, high wall with twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates. The gates had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on them.
There are a few things that I’d like you to see in these verses.
The great high wall. There is nothing to be afraid of on the outside of the city, yet the wall is there. Angels stand at the gates of the wall. These things are there to provide the people of the city with a sense of security. Whether or not there are frightening things on the outside, the inhabitants will feel this security as they walk along the streets of New Jerusalem.
John’s vision takes us back to familiar territory again. In Ezekiel 48:30, each of the twelve tribes are named on the gates of the city. On the north side will be the gates of Reuben, Judah and Levi. The east side will have three gates – Joseph, Benjamin and Dan. On the south side will be found Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun and on the west side will be the gates of Gad, Asher and Naphtali.
None of this is new information for those that received the Revelation. They would recognize ancient prophecies from centuries of recitation.
Next John is with the angel as he measures the city. The city is laid out like a square – 12,000 stadia – about 1500 miles.
Now there is something quite profound here, but it is quickly lost if we aren’t paying attention. From Rev. 21:16, “He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length and as wide and high as it is long.”
John would have prayed for his hearers to interpret all of his words.
Paul, in Ephesians 3:17-18, says “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
The length, the height and depth of the city. The length, the height and depth of the love of Christ. God is so good to us!
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