The Holy City, Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 12

The Holy City · Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 12

p. 59Vers. 12.

…nd had 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.

These words do give us to understand that this holy City is now built, and in all her parts compleat; they give us also to understand the manner of her strength, &c.

And had a Wall—

Having thus, I say, given us a descriptionOf her Defence. of this City in general, he now descends to her Strength and Frame in particular; her Frame and Strength, I say, as she is a City compact together: as also of her Splendor and Beauty.

And observe it, that of all the particulars that you read of, touching the fence, fashion, or frame of this City, and of all her glory, the first thing that he presenteth to our view, is, her Safety and Security; She had a Wall. A Wall, you know, is for the Safety, Security, Defence, p. 60and Preservation of a Place, City, or Town; therefore it is much to the purpose that in the first place after this general description, he should fall upon a discovery of her Security and Fortification: for what of all this Glory and Goodness, if there be no way to defend and preserve it in its high and glorious state? If a man had in his possession even Mountains of Pearl, and Golden Mines; yet if he had not wherewith to secure and preserve them to himself, from those that with all their might endeavour to get them from him, he might not onelyonly quickly lose his Treasure, and become a Beggar, but also through the very fear of losing them, even lose the comfort of them while yet in his possession. To speak nothing of the Angels that fell, and of the glory that they then did lose, I may instance to you the state of Adam in his Excellencie; Adam you know, was once so rich and wealthy, that he had the Garden of Eden, the Paradise of pleasure, yea, and also the whole World to boo…, for his inheritance; but mark, in all his Glory he was without a Wall; wherefore presently, even at the very first assault of the Adversary he was p. 61not onelyonly worsted as touching his Person and standing, but even stript of all his Treasure, his Paradise taken from him, and he in a manner left so poor, that forthwith he was glad of an Apron ofGen. 3.Gen 3 Fig-Leaves to cover his nakedness, and to hide his shame from the face of the Sun: Wherefore, I say, John speaks to the purpose in saying she had a Wall; a Wall for Defence and Safety, for Security and Preservation: Now then, she shall lie no longer like blasted Bones inEzek. 37. 1, 2.Ezek 37:1Ezek 37:2 an open field, or valley; that was her portion in the days of her affliction.

And had a Wall—

It is said of old Jerusalem, that she hadJer. 39. … & 52. 7.Jer 39 a Wall and a Wall, two Walls for her Defence and Safety: which two, in my Judgement, did hold forth these two things; The one, their eternal preservation and security from the wrath of God, through the benefits of Christ; and the other, that special protection and safeguard that the Church hath always had from and by the special Providence of her God, in the midst of her Enemies: Wherefore one of these is called by the p. 62proper name of Salvation, which SalvationIsa. 26. 1. Act. 4. 12.Isa 26:1Acts 4:12 I take in special to signifie our fortification and safety from the wrath of God, and the Curse and Power of the Law and Sin: The other is called, A Wall of fire round about her; and alludeth to the Vision that the Prophet's servantZech. 2. 5 2 King. 6. 17.Zech 2:52 Kgs 6:17 was made to see for his comfort, when he was put in fear, by reason of the great company of the Enemies that were bending their force against the life of his Master.

But now in those days, though thereThe Reason of two Walls. was for the defence of the City those two Walls, yet they stood a little distance each from other, and had a ditch between them; which was to signifie, that though then they had the Wall of Salvation about them, with reference to their eternal state, yet the Wall of Gods Providence and special Protection was not yet so nearly joyned thereto, but that they might for their foolishness have that Isa. 22. 10 11, 12.Isa 22:10broken down, and they suffered to fall into the ditch that was between them both; and so he saith by the Prophet, I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard, (that is, to this City, for the wickedness thereof) I will take away the hedge thereof, and it p. 63shall be eaten up; and will break down the Wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down, Isa. 5. 5, 6, 7. Which Hedge and Wall could not be that of Eternal Salvation, for that stood sure, though they should beAmos. 9. 9Amos 9:9 scattered among the Nations, as Wheat is sifted in a Sieve; it must therefore be the Wall of her special Preservation in her outward Peace and Happiness, which Wall was often in those days broken down, and they made havock of, of all that dwelt about them.

But now touching the safety of New Two Walls made one.Jerusalem, the City of which I here discourse; she is seen in the Vision by John to have but one onelyonly Wall; to signifie, That at this day the Wall of her Eternal Salvation, and of Gods special Providence, to protect and defend her, in her present, visible and Gospel-Glory, shall be so effectually joyned together, that now they shall be no more two, that is, at a distance, with a ditch between, but one sound and inclosing-Wall; to shew us, That now the state of this Jerusalem, even touching her outward Glory, Peace, and Tranquillity, will be so stable, invincible and lasting, that unless that part of the Wall which is Eternal p. 64Salvation, can be brokendown, the Glory of this City shall never be vailed more: Wherefore the Prophet, when heThe reason why they both are made one. speaks with reference to the happy state and condition of this City, he saith, Violence shall be heard no more within thy Land, nor wasting and destruction within thy Borders; but thou shalt call thy Walls, Salvation, and thy Gates, Praise: as he saith also in another place, Thine Eye shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation, a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, nor one of the Stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken, Isa. 60. 18. & 33. 20. The Walls are now conjoyned, both joyned into one; the Father hath delivered up the great Red Dragon into the hand of Christ, who hath shut him up, and sealed him down, even down for a thousand years: WhereforeRev. 20. 1▪ 2, 3.Rev 20:1Rev 20:2Rev 20:3 from the Lord shall there be upon every dwelling Place of Mount Zion, and upon all her Assemblies, a Cloud and Smoak by Day, and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night; for upon all her Glory shall be a Defence: And in that day shall this Song be sung, We have a strong City, Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks, Isa. 4. 5. & 26. 1, 2. The same in effect p. 65hath our Prophet John, saying, I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband; and I heard a great Voice out of Heaven, saying, The Tabernaele of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them; and God himself shall be with them, and be their God; and God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away, Rev. 21. 2, 3, 4.

And had a Wall great and high—

These words, Great and High, are addedThe Wall is great and high▪ Deut. 1. 28.Deut 1:28 for illustration, to set out the matter to the height; and indeed the glory of a Wall lyeth in this, that it is great and high; the Walls of the Canaanites were terrible upon this account, and did even sink the Hearts of those that beheld them: wherefore this City shall be most certainly in safety, she hath a Wall about her, a great Wall; a Wall about her, an high Wall: It is great for compass, it incloseth every Saint; it is great for thickness, it is compacted of all the p. 66Grace and Goodness of God, both … ritual and temporal: and for height, if you count from the utmost side to the utmost, then it is higher then Heaven, whoHeb. 7. 26▪ Job 11. 8▪ The height of the Wall.Heb 7:26Job 11:8 can storm it? and for depth, it is lower then Hell, who can undermine it?

Great Mercies, high Mercies, great Preservation, and a high Arm to defend, shall continually at this day incamp this City: God himself will be a continual Life-Guard to this City; I will incamp, saith he, about mine House, because of the Army, because of him that passeth by, an… because of him that returneth; and no Oppressor shall pass thorow them any more, for now have I seen with mine Eyes, Zech. 9. 8.

—And had twelve Gates—

Having thus shewed us her Wall, heThe Gates of the City. Jer. 17. 19, 20.Jer 17:19Jer 17:20 now comes to her Gates; it had Gates, it had twelve Gates: By Gates in this place, we are to understand the way of Entrance; Gates, you know, are for coming in, and for going out; and do in this place signifie two things:

First, An Entrance into communionWhat the Gates sig nifie. with the God and Saviour of this City.

Secondly, Entrance into communion p. 67with the Inhabitants and Priviledges of this City; in both which the Gates do signifie Christ: for as no man can come to the knowledge and enjoyment of the God, and glorious Saviour, but by and thorow the Lord Christ; so no man can come into true and spiritual communion with these Inhabitants, but by him also: I AM THE WAY, saith he, the Truth, and the Life; and no man comes to the Father but BY ME: and again, I am the DOOR, BY ME if any man ENTER, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and finde pasture, Joh. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. & 14. 6.

—And had twelve Gates—

In that he saith, Twelve Gates, he alludethTwelve Gates. Neh. 3. 13▪ 28, 29, 31. & 12. 37▪ 39. Why Twelve Gates.Neh 3:13Neh 3:28Neh 3:29Neh 3:31Neh 12:37Neh 12:39 to the City Jerusalem that was of old, which had just so many; and are on purpose put into the number of Twelve, …o answer to the whole number of the Elect of God, which are comprehended within the number of the Twelve Tribes, whether they are natural Jews or Gentiles; for as all the Godly Jews are the Seed of Abraham after the Flesh, though …ot Godly because they are the Children p. 68of the Flesh of Abraham; so all the Godly Gentiles are the Children of Abraham after the Spirit, though not by that means made the Children of the Flesh of Abraham: they both meet then in the Spirit and Faith of the Gospel, asExod. 12. 48.Exod 12:48 God saith to the Jews, When the Stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep Gal. 3. 7.Gal 3:7the Passover (that is, become godly, andRom. 4. 16Rom 4:16 receive the Faith of Christ) let all his Males be circumcised, and then let them come near, and keep it, &c. For they that are of Faith, are the Children of faithful Abraham, who is called, The very Father of us all. Thus you see all the godly come under the Title of the Children of Abraham, and of the Jews; and so under the denomination also of being PersonsThe twelve Gates do answer the twelve Tribes. belonging to the Tribes, the twelve Tribes, who answer to those twelve Gates▪ Wherefore the Psalmist minding this speaketh indifinitely of all the Godly under the name of The Tribes of Israel saying, Our Feet shall stand within the Gates, O Jerusalem: Jerusalem is builded a City that is compact together, whith… the Tribes go up, the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel, to give tha… to the Name of the Lord; Psal. 122. 2, 3, …

p. 69But again, Though I am certain that all the Gentiles that are at any time converted, are reckoned within the compass of some of the Tribes of Israel, to which the Gates of this City may truly be said to answer: Yet the Gates are here in a special manner called by the name of twelve, to answer to the happy Return and Restoration of those poor distressed Creatures the twelve Tribes of the Jews that are scattered abroad, & that are, and for a long time have been to our astonishment and their shame, as Vagabonds and Straglers among the Nations, there to continue Hos. 9. 17Hos 9:17many days, without a King, without a Prince, and without a Sacrifice, and without an Ephod; that is, without the true God, the true Saviour, and the true Word and Ordinances; after which, saith the same Prophet, They shall even in the latter days, (that is, when this City is builded) return and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, and shall then fear the Lord and his Goodness, Hos. 3. 4, 5. This the Apostle also affirmeth, when he telleth the believing Gentiles, That blindness in part …s happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; which Israel in this place cannot by any means be taken for p. 70the Gentiles that are converted, for th… Israel must be rejected until the bulk of the elect Gentiles be converted; besides, he calleth this Israel by the name of Israel, even while unconverted; but the converted Gentiles, still Gentiles, even when converted: he calls this Israel the Natural Branches; but the Gentiles Wil… Branches; and tells us further, Tha… when they are converted, they shall be grafted into their own Olive Tree; but when the Gentiles are converted, they must be cut off of their own Stock and Tree: read Rom. 11. throughout. Wherefore, I say, the Gates are called twelve, to answer these poor Creatures, who at this day shall be awakened, and enlightned, and converted to the Faith of Jesus. These Gates in another place are called, A Way, and these Jews, The Kings of the East; and it is there said also, That at present this Way doth want preparing▪ which is as much as to say, This City wants setting up, and the Gates want setting in their proper places: Wherefore saith John, The sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates, that is, destroyed the strength and force of the Roman-Antichrist, (for the p. 71River Euphrates was the fence of literal Babylon, the Type of our spiritual one) which force and fence, when it is destroyed, or dried up, then the way of the Kings of the East will be prepared, or made ready for their Journey to this Jerusalem, Rev. 16. 12. Of this the ProphetsIsa. 57. 14Isa 57:14 are full, crying, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my People: and again, Go thorow, go thorow the Gates, prepare ye the way of my People; cast ye up, cast ye up the high-way, gather out the stones, lift up a Standard for the People: Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the World, Say to the Daughter of Zion, Thy Salvation cometh; behold, his Reward is with him, and his Work before him: and they shall call them, The holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out; A City not forsaken, Isa. 62. 10, 11, 12. All which doth most especially relate to the Conversion of the Jews in the latter day, who in great abundance shall, when all things are made ready, come flocking in to the Son of God, and finde favour, as in the days of old.

p. 72—And at the Gates twelve Angels—

By Angels, in this place we are to understandThe Angels, and what they are. the Messengers and Ministers of the Lord Jesus, by whom the Mystery of Eternal Life and Felicity is held forth and discovered before the Sons of Men; and thus this word Angel is frequently taken in this Prophec…, Rev. 1. 20. & 2. 1, 8, 12, 18. & 3. 1, 7. & 14. 6.

—And at the Gates twelve Angels—

In these words then, there are two things to be considered:

First, Why they should be called twelve. And

Secondly, Why they are said to stand at the twelve Gates of this New and Holy City.

For the first, They are called twelve, Why the Angels are said to be Twelve.to signifie two things: 1. The Truth of their Doctrine: and 2. The sufficiency of their Doctrine and Ministry for the converting of the twelve Tribes to the Faith of Christ, and Priviledges of this City.

First, For the Truth of their Doctrine: p. 73For by twelve here, he would have us to understand that he hath his Eye upon the twelve Apostles, or upon the Doctrine of the twelve, the Apostolical Doctrine: as if he should say, This City, the New Jerusalem, shall be every way accomplish… with Beauty and Glory; she shall … a Wall for her security, and twelve …ates to answer the twelve Tribes; yea, and also at these Gates the twelve Apostles, in their own pure, primitive, and unspotted Doctrine. The Romish Beasts have corrupted thisEzek. 34. 17, 18.Ezek 34:17Ezek 34:18 Doctrine by treading it down with their Feet, and have muddied this Water with their own dirt and filthiness; but at this day, this shall be recovered from under the Feet of these Beasts, and cleansed also from their di…t, an… again in the same Glory, S… and Purity, as in the Primitive …mes. It is said, that when Israel was passed out of Egypt, beyond the Sea, they presently came to Elim, where were twelve Wells of Water, Exod. 15. 27.Exod 15:27&c. and that they …ncamped by the Waters: which twelve Wells did figure forth the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles, out of which the Church at her return from Captivity, shall draw and drink, as out p. 74of the Wells of Salvation. Now shall the Isa. 12. 3.Isa 12:3Wells of our Father Abraham, which the Philistines have for a great while stopped; now, I say, shall they again be opened by our Isaac, his Son; and shall be also called after their own Names, Gen. 26. 18. This is generally held forth by the Prophets, That yet again the Church shall be fed upon the Mountains of Israel, and that they shall lie down in a good fold, and a fat pasture; yea, I will feed my Flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God, Ezek. 34. 14, 15.

Secondly, As by these twelve, we are to understand the Truth and Purity of the Doctrine of the Twelve; so again by this word twelve, we are to understand the sufficiency of that Doctrine and Ministry to bring in the twelve Tribes to the Priviledges of this City: Mark, for the twelve Tribes there are twelve Gates, for every Tribe a Gate; and at the twelve Gates, twelve Angels, at every Gate an Angel: O Judah, saith God, I have set Hos. 6. 11Hos 6:11an Harvest for thee, when he shall turn again the Captivity of his People; and so forPsal. 80. 2.Ps 80:2 the rest of the Tribes: Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, he will stir up his strength to save them: I will hiss for p. 75them, saith God, and gather them, for I have reedeemed them; and they shall increase as they have increased: and I will sow them among the Nations, and they shall remember me in far Countreys, and they shall live with their Children, and shall return; and I will bring them again also out of the Land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria, and I will bring them into the Land of Gilead and Lebanon, and place shall not be found for them, Zech. 10. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

But to come to the second Question,Why the twelve Angels stand at the twelve Gates. that is, Why these twelve Angels are said to stand at the Gates? which may be for divers Reasons.

First, To shew us that the Doctrine of the Twelve, is the Doctrine that letteth in at these Gates, & that also that shutteth out: Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted, Mat. 18. 18.Matt 18:18saith Christ; and whose sins ye retain, they are retained: And hence it is thatJoh. 20. 23.John 20:23 the true Ministers in their right administration, are called Porters; because asMark 13. 34.Mark 13:34 Porters stand at the Gate, and there open to, or shut upon those that make an attempt to enter in; so the Ministers of Christ by the Doctrine of the Twelve,2 Chron. 23. 19.2 Chr 23:19 do both open to, and shut the Gates against p. 76the Persons that will be attempting to enter in at the Gates of this City.

Secondly, But again, They are said to stand at the Gates for the incouraging and perswading of the tempted and doubting Jews, who at the beginning of their return will be much afflicted under the sight and sence of their own wretchedness: Alas! were it not for some to stand at the Gates of this City for instruction, and the incouragement of those that will, at that day in earnest be looking after life, they might labour as in other things for very very Vanity; and might also be so grievously beat out of Heart and Spirit, that they might die in despair: But now to prevent this, for those that are in the way to Zion▪ with watry Eyes, and wetted Cheeks, here stands the Angels, continually sounding with their Golden-Gospel-Trumpets, Enter ye into his Gates with …hanksgiving, Psal. 100. 4, 5.Ps 100:4Ps 100:5and into his Courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his Name; for the Lord is good, and his Mercy … everlasting, and his Truth indureth for ever, even to all Generations: as he saith again, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great p. 77Isa. 27. 13Isa 27:13Trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the Land of Assyria, and the out-casts of the Land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Jerusalem.

—And at the Gates twelve Angels, and Names written thereon, which are the Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel.

Thus it was in the Vision of the Prophet,Ezek. 48. 31.Ezek 48:31 when he was taking a View of the Pattern of this City; And the Gates of the City, saith the Angel to him, shall be after the Names of the Tribes of Israel; which saying John doth here expound, saying, The Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel, were writ or set upon them.

This being thus, it cleareth to you what I said but now, to wit, That the Gates are called twelve, to answer the twelve Tribes, for their Names are written thereon: This must therefore without all doubt be a very great incouragement to this despised People; I say great incouragement, that notwithstanding all their Rebellion, Blasphemy, and contempt of p. 78the glorious Gospel, their Names should yet be found recorded and ingraved upon the very Gates of New Jerusalem. Thus then shall the Jews be comforted in the latter days; and truly they will have but need hereof; for doubtless at their return, when they are throughly sensible of the Murder they have committed, not onelyonly upon the Bodies of the Prophets and Apostles, but of the Son of God himself: I say this must needs, tother with the remembrance of the rest of their villanous actions, exceedingly afflict and distress their bleeding Souls: for the Children of Israel shall come, they and the Children of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall go and seek the Lord their God, and shall ask the way to Zion, with their Faces thitherward, Jer. 50. 4, 5. Mark, going and weeping; there will not be a step that these poor People will take in the day of their returning, but will be watered with the Tears of Repentance and Contrition, under the consideration of the wickedness that in the days of their Rebellion, they have committed against the Lord of Glory: as he saith also by another Prophet, I will pour upon the House of David, and upon the Inhabitants p. 79of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as a Man mourns for his onelyonly Son; and they shall be in bitterness for him, as him that is in bitterness for his first-born: at that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon, and the Land shall mourn, Zech. 12. 10, 11, 12.

Wherefore, I say, they both have and also will have need of twelve Gates, and on them the Names of their twelve Tribes, with an Angel at each, to incourage them to enter this holy and goodly City; and to tell them that yet he counts them his Friends, in whoseZech. 13. 6.Zech 13:6 House he received the wounds in his Hands.

But again, As by the Names of the twelve Tribes written on the Gates, we may see what incouragement the Jews will have, at their Return, to enter in at them: so we may also understand that by the Names of the twelve Tribes here written, God would have us to perceive how all must be qualified, that from among the Gentiles at this day do enter in at these Gates; namely, Those, and p. 80those onelyonly, that be cut out of their own wild Olive-Tree, and transplanted among the Children of Israel, into their good Olive-Tree: Such as are Jews inwardly, the Israel of God according to the New Creature, they shall enter, (for the holy Gentiles also by vertue of their conversion, are stiled the Children ofGal. 3. 7.Gal 3:7 Abraham, Jews, the Chosen Generation,Rom. 2. 28.Rom 2:28 the Peculiar People, the Holy1 Pet. 2. 9, 10.1 Pet 2:91 Pet 2:10 Nation; and so are spiritually, though not naturally by carnal generation, of the twelve Tribes, whose Names are written upon the Gates of this City) And it shall come to pass, saith the Prophet, that in what Tribe the Stranger (that is, the Gentile) sojourneth, there shall ye give him his Inheritance, saith the Lord God, Ezek. 47. 22, 23. Thus the Jews and Gentiles shall meet together in the Spirit of the Gospel, and so both become a righteous Nation; to both which▪ the Gates of this City shall stand continually open; at which also, they may with boldness demand, by the Faith of the Lord JESUS, their entrance, both for Communion with the God, Grace, and Priviledges of this City; according to that which is written, Open ye the Gates, p. 81that the righteous Nation which keepeth the Truth may enter in, Isa. 26. 2.

Thus much of the Number of the Gates, and now to proceed to the Order of them.