The Holy City, Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 13
Vers. 13.
On the East three Gates, on the North three Gates, on South three Gates, and on the West three Gates.
I shall not speak any thing to the manner of his repeating of the Quarters towards which the Gates do look; why he should begin at the East, then to the North, afterwards crossing to the South, and last to the West; though I do verily think that the holy Ghost hath something to shew us, wherefore he doth thus set them forth: and possibly he may set them thus, and the West last, not onelyonly because the West part of the World is that which always closeth the day, but to signifie that the West, when Jerusalem is rebuilded, will be the last part of the World that will be converted, or the Gate that will be last, because longest occupied with the travels of the Passengers and wayfaring-Men in their Journy to this Jerusalem. But I pass that.
From the order of their standing, I shall enquire into two things:
First, Why the Gates should look in this manner every way, both East, West, North, and South?
Secondly, Why there should be three, just three, on every side of this City; On the East three, on the North three, on the South three, and on the West three?
For the First, The Gates by lookingWhy the Gates look every Way. every way, into all Quarters, may signifie to us thus much, That God hath a People in every corner of the World: and also, That Grace is to be carried out at these Gates by the Angels in their Ministry, into every place, to gather them home to him: as it is said of the living Creatures, Whither the Head looked, they Ezek. 10. 11.followed it, and turned not as they went; so whithersoever the Gates look, thither the Ministers go, and carry the Word, to gather together the Elect: He sent them Mat. 28. 19.two and two before his Face, into every City Joh. 11. 12.and Place whither he himself would come.
Again, The Gates by their thus lookingLuk. 10. 1 every way, do signifie to us, That from what Quarter or Part of the World soever men come for Life, for those men there are the Gates of Life, even right before their doors: Come they from the East, why thither look the Gates; and so if they come from North, or West, or South: No Man needs at all to go about, to come at Life, and Peace, and Rest: Let him come directly from Sin to Grace, from Satan to Jesus Christ, and from this World to New Jerusalem. The twelve Brazen Oxen that Solomon made to bear1 Kin. 7. 23, 24, 25 the molten Sea, they stood just as these Gates stand, and signifie, as I said before, that the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles should be carried into all the World, to convert (as in the Primitive Times, so now at the building of New Jerusalem) and to bring in Gods Sheep to the Fold of his Church: Now I say, as the Word is carried every way, so the Gates, the open Gates, look also into all corners after them, to signifie that loving Reception that shall be given to every Soul that from any corner of the whole World shall unfainedly close in with Grace, through the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus therefore Men shall come from the East, and from the West, from the North, and from the South, and sit down in the Kingdom of God, Luk. 13. 29. Psal. 107. 1, 2, 3.
On the East three Gates, on the North three Gates, on the South three Gates, and on the West three Gates.
Having thus shewed you in a word why they stand thus looking into every Corner or Quarter of the World; I now come to shew you why there must be just three looking in this manner every way.
First then, There may be three lookingWhy there is three Gates looking every Way. every way, to signifie that it is both by the consent of the Three Persons in the Trinity, that the Gospel should thus every way go forth to call men: and also to shew you, that both the Father, Son and Spirit are willing to receive and embrace the Sinner from whatsoever part or corner of the Earth he cometh hither for Life and Safety: Come they from whence they will, the Father is willing to give them the Son, and so is the Son to give them Himself, and so is the Spirit to give them its help against whatever may labour to hinder them while they are here, Joh. 3. 16. Rev. 21. 6. & 22. 17.
Secondly, In that three of the Gates look every way, it may be also to shew us, that there is none can enter into this City, but by the three Offices of the Lord Jesus; Christ by his Priestly Office must wash away their Sins; and by his Prophetical Office he must illuminate, teach, guide and refresh them; and by his Kingly Office rule over them, and govern them with his Word, Heb. 7. 25. Joh. 13. 8. Act. 3. 22, 23, 24. Isa. 40. 10, 11. & 9. 6, 7. Psal. 76. 1, 2, 3. Psal. 110. 3.
Thirdly, Or by three Gates, may be signified the three states of the Saints in this Life; an entrance into Childhood,1 Joh. 2. 12, 13, 14. an entrance into a Manly state, and an entrance into the state of a Father in the Church.
Or lastly, The three Gates may signifie the threefold state we pass thorow from Nature to Glory: The state of Grace in this Life, the state of Felicity in Paradise, and our state in Glory after the Resurrection: Or thus, The state of Grace that possesseth Body and Soul in this Life, the state of Glory that posseseth the Soul at Death, and the state of Glory that both Body and Soul shall be possessed with at the coming of the Lord and Saviour: This was figured forth by the order of the Stairs in the Temple at Jerusalem, which was first, second, and third, by which Men ascended from the lowest to the uppermost Room in the House of God; as he tells us, They went up with winding Stairs from the first into the second story, and from thence by them into the third, 1 King. 6. 8.
Thus much for the Wall and Gates of New Jerusalem.