Revelation 21:9

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 seven angels is about to take John to see the bride of Christ. Some are confused by this because after the angel tells John he will take him to see the bride we see the structures of the Holy City described. They then jump to the conclusion that the Holy City is some mystical metaphor describing the body of Christ. Believing that John saw the Church as a structure by this statement, is equal to me saying I will take you to see the French and when we arrive in Paris you see the structures of Paris and then believe the structures are the French.

John can actually see the bride within the structure of the city because the walls of the city are clear as crystal. In fact, the whole city is transparent. There is nothing to hide. It should not even be surprising to anyone that the Holy City would be made to reflect the beauty of the bride of Christ. The city was made to be a perpetual memorial of God’s work in His people.

This city actually was created before the foundations of the world  but Jesus is the one who prepared it for the arrival of His bride. The actual bride is the people that are one with Jesus within the city. There always has been one abode of God in heaven and one Holy City. God has occupied it ever since He created it.  This is the Father’s house  that Jesus talked about; it is where Jesus came from and it is where He went after He rose from the dead. Jesus said in His Father’s house are many dwelling places and that He will go and prepare a place for believers so that they can be where He is.

John 14:2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

This is the city that Jesus prepared for His bride. New Jerusalem is the city of God adorned for the Lamb’s wife, the people of faith and the promise. This is the same city that Abraham the father of all people of faith expected to find (Hebrews 11:10). Jesus prepared it by writing names of the apostles on the foundations and the tribes of Israel on the gates and by adorning it with every kind of beauty, which reflects God in her. The names written on her foundational walls and on her gates are names of twenty-four Israelites, so it should be clear that the entire commonwealth of Israel dwells in the Holy City and not just the Church since Pentecost.