Revelation 21:9-27

Verse nine to the end of the chapter inclusive is occupied with a new vision of this holy city New Jerusalem. An angel said: "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." And he showed him this holy city the New Jerusalem.

In the nineteenth chapter of Revelation we had mention of the bride of the Lamb, but no vision of a marriage ceremony. In the second verse of this chapter this holy city is seen coming down from God as a bride adorned for her husband and here in the ninth verse she is called the bride, the Lamb's wife. The union of the bride and her heavenly bridegroom is therefore implied in these scenes that lie beyond the resurrection and final judgment. In chapter nineteen the bride was clothed in fine linen which is the righteousness of saints; the dwellers in that city, the body of the redeemed, therefore, rather than the city itself, constitutes the bride or wife of the Lamb.

Paul speaks of Christ and the church on this wise: "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." The glorified church is the bride of Christ, and the place of their union and fellowship is that holy city the New Jerusalem that descends from God out of heaven.

Now follows a long description of this city with its walls, and gates, and foundations, and streets of gold.

It has twelve gates in its walls bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; three gates toward each point of the compass, perhaps signifying its accessibility to all the world. The sons of the north, and the sons of the south, the children of the east, and the children of the west may find their way to this city that is open toward all quarters. Behold the universality of God's love, and the universal call of God's grace.

The wall of the city had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. We call to mind the saying, that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles; Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. "The city lieth foursquare" "the length and breadth and height are equal;" perfect symmetry, perfect proportion. The city when measured is twelve thousand furlongs each way, or fifteen hundred miles long, broad, and high; sufficient to indicate the symbolical nature of this description. The act of measuring was doubtless meant to impress on all the greatness and the glory of the city.

But the description of this city is still more wonderful as it proceeds, "And I saw no temple therein;" (different from the earthly Jerusalem) "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." No need of sun or moon to shine in it "for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

This shows how this city transcends all earthly things, and that God and the Lamb are the supreme objects of admiration, and the source of glory and blessing. "And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there." Gates are shut against assault and attack; but these gates need not be shut; there is no enemy to attack, no marauder, or intruder to disturb the peace and happiness of the heavenly abode.

The next feature of this description, in the last verse of the chapter, shows a still more exalted condition of that city, in the perfect purity and holiness of its happy inhabitants. "There shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Beyond all the glory of golden streets and jasper walls and foundations garnished with precious stones is the glory of the moral and the spiritual character of the place. The highest tribute to that city is its holiness. The ruling attribute of God is his holiness, and the goal of all God's redemptive work is the holiness of the objects of redemption, and consequent on that holiness, their eternal blessedness.

Here we meet again those "which are written in the Lamb's book of life." We saw that book of life at the great judgment scene at the end of the twentieth chapter. There we saw the destiny of those who were not written in that book of life; here we see the destiny of those who were written in it. This serves to vindicate the interpretation we are presenting, that in this chapter we are dealing with the post-resurrection and post-judgment period; that whereas the twentieth chapter ended with the destiny of the wicked as determined by the great judgment, the twenty-first chapter continues the story in the destiny of the righteous as determined in that same judgment. All the human race divided into two classes; the righteous and the wicked; those whose names are in the Lamb's book of life, and those whose names are not found written therein.