18/11/18 Revelation 21:9-21 “New Jerusalem”
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.
bride – nymphe (betrothed woman; bride; young wife)
wife – gyne (woman of any age, whether virgin, married or widow; wife; can mean betrothed woman)
The seven angels who pour out the 7 vials (bowls) of wrath are mentioned 4 times in Revelation 15, and again in Revelation 16:1 where these 7 angels are ordered to pour out their vials of the wrath of God. Then one of these angels (it doesn’t say which one) introduces God’s judgment (Revelation 17:1) upon the mega-whore Babylon, and now one of these 7 angels (it may or may not be the same angel) tells John all about the bride, the Lamb’s wife. The description of this bride, this wife, however, does not appear to be of the Church, but of new Jerusalem.
So, my next step in this study was to determine what the Scriptural basis was for naming the Church as the bride of Christ. And, I found nothing that straight-out said that the Church was the bride of Christ. Of course, Ephesians 5:22-32 does make a good case for this, when comparing the husband and wife relationship with Christ.
Ephesians 5:22-32 – 22 Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church
is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own
husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word, 27 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. 28 So ought men to love
their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth
and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be
joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This
is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Other clues may be found in the parable of the wedding feast of Matthew 22:1-14. However, if this refers to the wedding feast of the Church, then why was Israel invited first? (And then refused, clearly by their free wills?!!) Or is it actually a wedding feast put on for God’s people, whether they be Israel or the Church? Also note the parable of the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.
Matthew 22:1-14 – 1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [my] fatlings [are] killed, and all things [are] ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them]. 7 But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen.
Also see 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Revelation 19:7-9 for clues to the bride of Christ.
In the OT, Israel is also likened to the wayward wife of God, the wife that plays the harlot. For example, Ezekiel 16 talks about the wife that plays the harlot with other nations, particularly their gods.
Ezekiel 16:32 – [But as] a wife that committeth adultery, [which] taketh strangers instead of her husband!
But in Ezekiel 16:3 it says Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, which may be assumed to mean the people of Jerusalem. However, is it Jerusalem or the people? And is it Israel or the people who play the harlot? Is Jerusalem the unfaithful wife, or is it the people in Jerusalem?
In the following, it is Judah and Jerusalem that have committed such spiritual unfaithfulness.
Malachi 2:11 – Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
So, is the Church specifically the bride of Christ, or is it a term used to give meaning to the close relationship that God has with His people, whether they be Israel or the Gentile Church?
Revelation 21:10 – 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,
great – megas, thus a mega-mountain.
high – hypselos (high; lofty; exalted on high; exalted; influence and honour)
As used in Matthew 4:8 – Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
and Hebrews 1:3b
– sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
And John is carried away in his vision (I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day – Revelation 1:10a) to a mega- and towering mountain from where he has an unimpeded view of the revealing of that mega city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. The context then declares new Jerusalem to be the bride, the Lamb’s wife. However, is it the city, or the people who comprise the city. For, if it is the people of Jerusalem, the people of Judah, the people of Israel, who are the wife of God, then it is the inhabitants of the new Jerusalem who are the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
So, who are the inhabitants of new Jerusalem? It is likely that both Israel and the Church will inhabit Jerusalem, for it is God’s city, and therefore the place where His people will dwell. God’s people must include both Israel and the Church.
Hebrews 11:10 – For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.
Revelation 21:11 – Having the glory of God: and her
light [was] like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone,
clear as crystal;
glory of God – God’s shekhinah glory. The word “shekhinah”, while not found in the Bible (it was first found in rabbinic literature) is derived from a Hebrew word meaning “to settle, inhabit or dwell”. The word for tabernacle (mishkan – dwelling place; tabernacle) is derived from the same Hebrew root word.
light – phoster [that which gives light; an illuminator; (of the stars, sun and moon); light; brightness]
most precious – timios (as of great price, precious; held in honour; esteemed; especially dear) Derived from time which was translated “honour” in Revelation 19:1 – And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
clear as crystal – krystallizo (to be of crystalline brightness and transparency; to shine like crystal)
God dwells in light that none may approach (1 Timothy 6:16) such is His glory. This glory has now been bestowed upon the new Jerusalem as befitting the city of the great God (Psalm 48:1-2). This glory is like a precious stone (cf diamond etc)
Jasper (probably means “spotted or speckled stone”) may be a range of colours (red, yellow, brown or green, sometimes blue or purple) and may even come in a clear crystal-like form (which could be that referred to in this verse).
Just as precious stones give their best in bright light, God’s glory gives the new Jerusalem her best display.
Revelation 21:12 – And had (having) 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:
great and high – see “great and high” in Vs 10 above.
There are 12 gates with an angel at each gate. (I can’t see why there would be 12 angels at each of the 12 gates!) Each gate is a single pearl (Vs 21 below). Each gate has the name of one of the tribes of Israel (although it is likely that these names of new Jerusalem’s gates may omit Dan but include Joseph and his son Manasseh) – see Revelation 7:5-8.
It is also unlikely that each gate has the complete list of the 12 tribes of Israel. Ezekiel supports the “one name per gate” interpretation.
Ezekiel 48:30-35 – 30
And these [are] the goings
out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures. 31
And the gates of the city [shall be] after the names of the
tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah,
one gate of Levi. 32 And at the east side four thousand and
five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin,
one gate of Dan. 33 And at the south side four thousand and
five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of
Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. 34 At the west side four
thousand and five hundred, [with] their three gates; one gate of Gad,
one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. 35 [It was] round
about eighteen thousand [measures]: and the name of the city from [that]
day [shall be], The Lord [is] there.
Revelation 21:13 – On the east three gates; on the
north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
The city walls form a square (Vs 16 below). It has 4 sides each the same length with 3 gates in each side. It may be assumed that these 3 gates are spaced evenly along each side. In Numbers 2 is a list of the 3 tribes on each side, with a different order from that in Ezekiel 48:30 (see above). No list of the tribes is given in this passage from Revelation. Each of the OT lists includes Dan, yet Dan is omitted from the list of sealed from each tribe in Revelation 7:5-8.
Revelation 21:14 – And the wall of the city had (having) twelve
foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The wall of the city not only has 3 gates in each side, a total of 12 gates, but it has 12 foundations, which are the foundations of the wall (see Vs 19 & 20 below).
It must be assumed that these wall foundations are equally placed around the city, thus 3 foundations on each side.
Vs 18 says the walls are made of jasper and that the foundations (Vs 19 & 20) are 12 different types of precious stones. (It is likely, from the wording in Vs 19 & 20, that each wall foundation section has one single piece of stone garnishing the foundation, yet it also seems possible to be interpreted as being many stones of the one type on each foundation section.) These precious stones would cover (ornament; adorn) the foundations for each of the 12 sections of the wall. Thus these 12 foundations are beneath the walls of jasper (although jasper could still be the basis of those foundations). The wall foundations are an integral part of the walls, and it would be logical for 12 wall foundations to be placed between the 12 gateways.
These foundations couldn’t be just the corners, because that suggests only 4 foundations. These 12 foundations are garnished by the precious stones, on which the wall itself is built (Vs 19 & 20 below). Thus these foundations must be visible.
But, the main idea here is that this city is built upon the foundation laid by the 12 apostles, with the access points being according to the 12 tribes of Israel. How this eventuates may just have to wait until new Jerusalem appears.
Also, was Paul one of these apostles, or was it Matthias (as chosen by the other disciples in Acts 1:26)?
Revelation 21:15 – And he that talked (was talking) with me had (having) a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
Often a measuring rod symbolised judgment of some kind, or to set spiritual limits (note Revelation 11:1), but here it does appear to be merely what it says it is, a measurement of the dimensions of new Jerusalem.
It appears that gold is used extensively in the new Jerusalem: Vs 18 below says that the city is pure gold, like clear glass, and Vs 21 below says that the streets are made of transparent pure gold. As far as I know, gold is the only metal that can be mined in its pure form; and gold is often used in the Bible to symbolise purity.
Revelation 21:16 – And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
12,000 furlongs (actually stadii – or stadia?) or around 2200 km. Is this the total length around the city walls, or is it the length of each side? The 12,000 furlongs does seem to more logically describe the total distance with 1,000 furlongs between every pair of gates.
The new Jerusalem is as high as it is long and wide. One interpretation is that this city is in the shape of a cube with every side the same. However, it is difficult to picture a city this big in the shape of a cube. Note, though, that the Holy of Holies was a cube, each side being 20 cubits (1 Kings 6:20). And, a difficulty in picturing such a city should not be on its own sufficient to reject this interpretation.
Another view has new Jerusalem placed on a very high mountain, with foundations going down far into the ground. And yet another view is that the city is indeed as high as it is wide and long, but not in the shape of a cube, but a pyramid. This could mean the actual mountain rising in the midst of the city to a height equal to the width and length of the city. Or a city that rises in building height in the shape of a pyramid.
The most logical interpretation is that the city is built on a mountain such that houses rise to the peak as you move in from the walls. But logic is not necessarily a major factor here.
Revelation 21:17 – And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred [and] forty [and] four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
It doesn’t make it clear whether this measures the height or the thickness of the wall. 144 cubits is approximately 72 yards or about 66 metres. If it is the height of the wall, then it is hard to see the city as a cube, but if the city is pyramid-shaped, then the wall may still be only 66 metres high. Or it may be measuring the thickness of the wall, and 66 metres would seem quite reasonable from John’s point of view.
The angel uses the measure commonly used by man to measure such things; thus it is clear that man is intended to understand such measurements.
Revelation 21:18 – And the building of the wall of it was [of] jasper: and the city [was] pure gold, like unto clear (or pure or clean) glass.
The city wall is constructed of jasper, probably in its highly-polished form, and the gold is not only pure, but in its most beautiful form. New Jerusalem is intended to be a spectacular city.
Revelation 21:19-20 – 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished
with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation [was] jasper (red, yellow, brown or green,
sometimes blue or purple); the second, sapphire (blue); the third, a chalcedony (misty grey colour, clouded with
blue, yellow, or purple); the fourth, an emerald (green); 20
The fifth, sardonyx (red
& white); the sixth, sardius (possibly red or flesh-coloured); the seventh,
chrysolite (probably
golden, or a yellowish-green or yellowish-brown variety of olivine); the eighth, beryl (pale green or pale blue; includes
emerald and aquamarine); the ninth, a topaz (greenish-yellow; orange-yellow; pinkish-red; blue); the tenth, a chrysoprasus (green possibly inclined to gold); the eleventh, a jacinth (reddish-blue; dark blue verging on
black; cf hyacinth); the twelfth, an amethyst (violet or purple).
were garnished with – kosmeo (here it means to ornament by adding these precious stones)
If these foundations were underground, then they would not have been noticed. These precious stones are meant to be noticed, and therefore will be above ground level; they will be seen by those approaching this city. Therefore they will be seen at the base of each of the 12 sections of wall, and each section of wall will be garnished (ornamented) with a particular type of precious stone, 12 types of precious stones in all.
Revelation 21:21 – And the twelve gates [were] twelve
pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the
street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
several – heis (one)
pearl – margarites (pearl) from margaros (a pearl-oyster)
Every single (“one”) gate is one single pearl. It doesn’t give the dimensions of these gates, but they would have to be big enough to permit much traffic to pass through them easily. These pearls are going to be huge. (Just imagine the oysters that these pearls came from!)
And not only is the city built of pure gold but the streets are paved with a transparent pure gold. I wonder how it lasts with all the traffic; even just human feet can wear down concrete given enough time, and pure gold is generally a very soft metal. I guess that somehow this gold is going to be indestructible, as will be the rest of new Jerusalem; it may be assumed to be eternal, and eternal means not bound by time, never changing in time, ever. These streets should be as new after a few thousand years (how will they measure time anyway?) as it was when it first appeared.
Just one final comment, a calvin-bash, I fear. They say that free will is not in the Bible, yet the Bible actually proves that free will exists.
Using the consistency that exists between John 6:44 and John 12:32, you can demonstrate the existence of free will.
If (a) the Son on the cross draws “all” to Himself in John 12:32,
and (b) the Son and the Father are one (John 10:30),
then (c) the Father must also draw that same “all” to Himself in John 6:44.
If not all who are drawn actually come, then despite being drawn, some must be resisting coming; this can only result from free will. Or else, if “all” who are drawn must come, then “all” means all mankind will be saved (universalism).
The calvinists say (using John 6:44) that “All whom the Father calls to
Himself will come in faith and all who come in faith the Father will receive” (MacArthur’s church doctrinal
statement). But if “all” means “all mankind” in John 12:32, then all mankind
will be saved! Or else they are forced to teach that “all” actually means “only
the elect”. Typical calvinists, always adding extra meaning to so many Bible
verses, yet removing truth as a result!
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