The Story

John was shown by the Lord in his vision a beautiful city. We know as we read about it that it describes the home of happy people who love the Lord and keep His commandments. That God is with them, we know from Revelation 21:3, and that they are happy people we know from verse 4. John was shown the city from a mountain, as he had often looked upon Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. It was shining with light and beauty. It was built of lovely stones. Its streets were like gold, but clear as glass. Its wall was of a clear stone called jasper, and stones of beautiful colors were in its foundations. There were twelve gates, three on each side of the city, and each gate was made of one pearl. (Have you seen pearls?) The angel who showed John the city had a golden reed, or measuring stick, to measure the city and the wall and gates. The light shining in the city was more beautiful than sunlight. It was from the Lord, and there was no dark night.

Who saw the things that are described in the Revelation? Where was he at the time? How did he see them? John was "in the spirit," and the things that he saw were a kind of picture lesson, a parable, and represented changes that were coming in the other world and in the minds and lives of people in this world. John says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth." It meant a new and happier state of life which was coming in heaven and in this world. As we read the chapter, you will understand many things in the picture; you will see that the state described is a strong and beautiful one. In the opening verses of the chapter you will see the secret of the new happiness. It comes from a new knowledge of the Lord, and a new sense of His presence, comforting and strengthening His people.

In the first chapter of Revelation the Lord appeared to John and sent His appeal to the churches, to all who would to come to Him and enjoy a blessed life in the sunshine of His presence. The last two chapters of Revelation describe this blessed life as a beautiful city which was shown to John in his vision. The blessed life is for heaven, and it is also for this world. The city was seen descending out of heaven from God. The voice said, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men."

Let me ask you a few questions, and find the answers if you can in Revelation 21 and 22. What was the name of the beautiful city? Do the people of the city know that the Lord is with them? Are they happy people? Notice another name by which the city is called. (Revelation 21:9) The clear precious stone called "jasper" may perhaps mean "diamond." What shows that the people are protected from all harm? How many gates had the city? How were they placed? Of what was each gate made? Who were at the gates?

John was shown a Holy City coming down out of heaven from God. The city is called Jerusalem, and perhaps as John saw it from the high mountain, it had some likeness to Jerusalem in the land of Palestine, which he had so often seen from the Mount, of Olives. The Jerusalem that John had known stood on its hills, with strong walls and towers, and high arched gateways by which the pilgrims entered. The city that John now saw had its wall "great and high," but the wall was of a precious stone, and its foundations were of twelve precious stones of beautiful colors. The city that he saw had its gates; but these were gems, each gate was of one pearl. Three gates were on each side of the city, always standing open as if to welcome all of every kind who would come into this beautiful home. The tribes of Israel used to be seen gathering at Jerusalem for the feasts, and in the city that John saw the names of the tribes were written on the gates.

In one way the heavenly city was very different from the Jerusalem that John had known. There on the hilltop facing the Mount of Olives, the temple stood with its great open courts. But of this new Jerusalem John says, "I saw no temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."

The city was always bright; "her light was like unto a stone most precious"; "there shall be no night there." But it was not bright with any earthly light: "the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." And all within the city was safe and peaceful, for all evil things must stay outside, and no one could enter who would do harm.

The picture here given of the New Jerusalem is the Lord's own picture of the New Church, of the beauty and strength of its doctrines and of the life which rests upon them. We should keep the picture before our minds, and be humbly grateful that we are allowed to live in the light of this Holy City.

Let us read the description together.

1. What else is the church twice called in this chapter besides a city? (Verses 2, 9)

2. What is the meaning of the names Alpha and Omega?

3. Why are the "fearful" classed with the evil doers? (Verse 8)

4. What can you tell me about the walls of the city?

5. What can you tell me about the gates?

6. What is said about the light of the city? What about the temple?

Spiritual Study

When countries are mentioned in the Word, the spiritual thought is not of places, but of different states and qualities of human life. Cities represent the true or false principles that belong to various states and give them strength. Especially the foundations and walls of a city represent such principles or doctrines. Of all the cities of the Word, Jerusalem especially is the type of a heavenly faith resting upon and protected by principles of Divine truth. "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter in." (Isaiah 26:1, 2) "Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth." (Zechariah 8:3)

Jerusalem everywhere in the Scriptures is a type of the Lord's church. Here in Revelation it represents the New Church in heaven and in this world, established as the judgment is effected and the hindering evils are removed. It is called both a bride and a city: a bride as to its life, and a city as to its doctrine. It is because the Holy City represents the New Church as to its doctrine from the Lord's Word that so much is said about its foundations and wall, its light, its river. (R. 194, 881; E. 223; N. 1; T. 781-784; A. 8988)

The wall of the city had foundations of precious stones. Stones represent sure, unchanging truths or facts. There are common stones, like the facts of science and history; and there are precious stones, which represent holy truths about the Lord and heaven. These are transparent to heavenly light and shine with various colors more or less fiery according to the degree and kind of love which they express. Such holy truths are the foundation of the city's walls. (R. 914, 915)

And what are the gates? They are a part of the wall; but they are the ways of entrance and represent truths that relate to life and give protection in a faithful life. They are especially the truth of the Lord's presence and saving power, which grows with one as he faithfully keeps the Lord's commandments. The gates were of pearl. This beautiful substance ranks with the gems, but it is a product of life, and is formed by the effort of the oyster to exclude particles that disturb its peace. In the highest sense it represents the knowledge of the Lord's saving power, which grows, as the pearl grows day by day, in faithfully keeping the commandments, and comes as a gate of protection from all things that would disturb our spiritual peace. (A. R. 727, 916)

There were twelve gates: why twelve? Three were on each side, east, north, south and west. In heaven a certain quality of character is associated with each quarter: interior affection with the east (why?), and goodness of an external kind with the west; the brightest intelligence with the south, and obscure intelligence with the north. What is the meaning of open gates on every side? Compare Matthew 8:11. (R. 901, 906)

The direction east and west in the spiritual world is length, and the direction north and south is breadth. What does it mean, that the length and the breadth of the city were equal? An equal development of what is good and what is true. The height means these two in all degrees. The measure was a hundred and forty-four - a full and perfect development; "the measure of a man, that is, of an angel." (R. 906-910)

The names of the twelve apostles were on the foundations, and the names of the tribes were on the gates. Both the apostles and the tribes stand for all the various elements of the Lord's church. The apostles are strictly guiding, governing principles of truth, and the tribes the developments of good life in obedience to the truth. Compare the Lord's promise to the disciples, that they should sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28; R. 900, 903)

What had the tabernacle and temple of the Jews represented? The Lord once said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," and He spoke of the temple of His body. (John 2:19-22) In their highest sense, the tabernacle and temple represented the Lord's own Divine Humanity, the perfect dwelling-place of God with men. This is the meaning where we read in this chapter, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men." No temple building was seen, because the Lord would now be present and would be known in the fuller, truer way, which the temple only represented. "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." (R. 918)

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