The Holy City, Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 25
Vers. 25.
And the Gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.
This is the effect of what you read before; namely, of the coming in of the Kings and Great ones of the Earth to this Jerusalem: For when the Whore is made desolate, and naked, and burned with fire, and when the Kings also that loved her, and that maintained her, are come in, and have closed with the Glory and Beauty of this City, then what need is there to shut the Gates? Alas, all the injuries that the Kings and Great Ones of the Earth have done to the Church and Spouse of Christ in these days of the New Testament, it hath been through the Instigation and Witchcraft of this Mistris of Iniquity. The Horseman hath lift up both the bright Sword, and the glittering Nah. 3. 3, 4.Spear, against the Saints of God, by reason of the multitudes of the Whordoms of the wel-favoured Harlot, the Mistris of Witchcrafts, who selleth Nations thorow her Whordoms, and families thorow her Witchcrafts. Wherefore, I say, this Gentlewoman being laid in her grave, and all her fat ones gone down to the sides of the pit; these Kings will change their mind, and fall in love with the true and chast Matron, and with Christ her Lord: NowIsa. 2. 4. Jer. 33. 16. when this is thus, this City must needs be safely inhabited as towns without walls, and as a place, neer to which there is neitherZec. 2. 4. & 14. 11. Thief nor ravenous Beast.
Persecutors, while they remain in their spirit of outrage against the Church and People of God, they are frequently in the Scripture compared to the venemous Dragons, fierce Lions, and ravenousJer. 51. 34, 37. Wolves; all which at this day, shall be driven out of the World: that is, so out, as never to molest the Church again, or to cause a Gate of this City to be shut, through fear against them; as he saith by the Prophet, In the habitation of Dragons where each lay, shall be grass, with Isa. 35. 7.…eeds and rushes. In the habitation of Dragons, that is, even in the places of Persecutors, where each lay, shall be food for the Flock of Christ. The Dragon is a venemous beast, and poisoneth all where he lieth; he beats the Earth bare, and venoms it, that it will bear no grass: as do the Persecutors where they inhabit and lie. But behold, the dayes do come in which these Dragons shall be removed, and the ground where they lay, be made fruitful and flourish, so that even there shall be places for the flocks to lie down in; In the habitation of Dragons where each lay, shall be grass, with reeds and rushes. No Lion shall be there, nor any ravenous Beast shall be found thereon; but the Redeemed of the Lord shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall Isa. 35. 9, 10.return and come to Zion with Songs, and everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain Joy and Gladness, and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away: according to that of Moses, The Lord will give peace in his Land, and his People shall lie Lev. 26. 6.down, and none shall make them afraid: For Isa. 32. 18he will rid the evil Beasts out of the Land, and the Sword shall not go through it more. And my People shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
And the Gates shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.
This word day, we may understand two ways; either for the day of bringing in to fill this City, or for the day of her perfection and fulness. Now if you take it with reference to the day in which her Converts are coming in (as indeed it ought) why then, the Gates shall not be shut at all. Thy Gates shall be open continually, Isa. 60. 11they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their Kings may be brought.
But again, This day of Grace, and of conversion of sinners, it must be looked upon, either as the Church is in captivity and persecution, or as she is out: now as she is in Captivity, so her longest day is usually accompanied with a black and doubtful night of Temptation and Affliction; Wherefore this Day here being spoken of, it is the Day of Grace that she shall have even when she is absolutely delivered from the rage of the Beast, False Prophet and Whore. Wherefore he is not content to say, the Gates shall not be shut at all by day, but adds withal, for there shall be no night there; as who should say, I know that commonly in the day of the Churches affliction, she is accompanied with nights aswel as days, but it shall not be so here, Thy Sun shall go no more down, neither shall Isa. 60. 20.thy Moon withdraw it self; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Wherefore, John considering this, doth quite exclude the night, saying, There shall be no night there. Indeed, after this New Jerusalem hath had her Golden day in this world, I say, just towards the ending thereof, she will yet once again be beset with raging Gog and Magog, Ezek. 28 & 29.which enemies will after the long safety and tranquility of this City, through the instigation of the Devil, come upon the breadth of the Earth, and encamp about this holy City. But behold, in the midst of of this intention to swallow her up, The Lord rains fire and brimstone from Heaven, and destroys them all: So that Gog, I say, though he may bring one only evening upon this Holy City, after her long peace and rest among the sons of men, yet he shall not bring one night upon her, nor cause a Gate thereof to be shut for ever. The Sun shall now stand still in the midst of Jos. 10.Heaven, and this night shall be thus prevented by this marvellous Judgment of God; as another Prophet saith, At evening-time Zech. 14. 7.it shall be light: that is, though her enemies will at last still make, thorow their enmity, one only attempt to swallow up all in everlasting oblivion: yet they themselves shall fall down dead upon the Mountains of Israel, and be a prey to this Jerusalem. Thus there will be only day accompanying the Inhabitants of this City: For there shall be no night there.