The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 21 · Part 8 – Part 9
Of the Wall And 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. 12. On the Eaſt three Gates, on the North three Gates, on the South three Gates, on the Weſt three Gates. 13. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations, and in them the names of the twelve Apoſtles of the Lamb. 14. And he that talked with me had a Reed to meaſure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof. 15. And he meaſured the Wall thereof a hundred forty four Cubits, and the building of the Wall of it was of Jaſper, &c.
HAving ſpoken of the City in general, he comes to ſpeak of her ſtrength and ſplendor, being a City compact together, and the firſt thing he begins with is the Wall.
A Wall is for ſafety, ſecurity, and defence, as well as for Ornament and Beauty.
It is ſaid, The Canaanites had Walls reaching to Heaven, Deut. 1.28. And that Babylon had a great broad Wall, Jer. 51.58. That Jeruſalem after the Captivity had a Wall with twelve Gates. And ſo had Ezekiels City alſo, lying four-ſquare, and upon each quarter three Gates.
In alluſion whereto the new Jeruſalem is here deſcribed to have a four-ſquare Wall and twelve Gates therein, but ſuch a Wall that in all reſpects tranſcends all that ever was heard or read of in the world.
Which in its conſtitution, ſeveral parts, dimenſions, and proportions, you have thus laid down, viz.
1. In its regularity, laid out by the Golden Reed in the Angels hand.
2. In its materials of which it is built, all of Jaſper ſtone.
3. In its foundation, viz. twelve precious ſtones garniſhing the ſame.
4. In its figure, Quadranguler, four ſquare, lying upon the four Quarters Eaſt, North, South, Weſt.
5. In its breadth, 144 Cubits.
6. In its heighth, which if agreeing with the City, is twelve thouſand Furlongs, or 1500. Miles.
7. In the number of the Gates, which according to the number of the Patriarchs and Apoſtles, as the Gates of Jeruſalem of old are twelve.
8. In its Emblematical inſcription, twelve Tribes names upon the Gates, and twelve Apoſtles names upon the foundation-ſtones.
9. In its Porters, aſſigned to keep the Gates, twelve Angels.
10. In the admirable, and wonderfull matter of the Gates, twelve entire Pearls.
In all which (no queſtion) ſingular Myſteries are intended, which for want of light we may come very ſhort in the underſtanding of, yet according to what we have attained, you may upon the whole take theſe following general hints, from whence light may be fetcht to look into the particulars, viz.
1. By the exact menſuration of both Wall, Gates and City it ſelf in all their dimenſions.
We may underſtand that as of old both in the Tabernacle, Exod. 25.4. as in the Temple, firſt 1 Chron. 28.19. and ſecond, Zach, 2.1, 2, 3, &c. Ezek. 43.11, 12. all things relating to the worſhip and ſervice of God was to be exact according to Rule, even to the very Pins and Nails of the Temple, &c.
So alſo in this Glorious ſtate of the Church, how large and extenſive ſoever, yet is ſhe not, it ſeems, in an arbitrary way to order and regulate her affairs, either relating to the worſhip and ſervice of God, or to her whole Oeconomy of Rule and Government, but muſt in all lie truly level to the ſquare, and even to the pattern, of the Golden Reed of Gods Word, which muſt try both Members, Doctrine, Worſhip, and Manners.
2. By this wonderful great and high Wall, that is ſaid thus to encompaſs this glorious City, we may conclude that the Protection, Salvation and defence of the Church ſhall be very ſingular, and that then that Word of the Prophet ſhall be fulfilled, Violence ſhall no more be heard in thy land, nor waſting and deſtruction within thy borders, but thou ſhalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy Gates Praiſe; And that when Gods encompaſſings and encampings ſhall be ſo viſibly without, as Iſa. 4.5. Zach. 9 8. 2 Kings 6.16, 17. And his co-habitation within, as Rev. 21.3.22, 23. Chap. 22.3. Then may the Church ſafely conclude that Song may ſeaſonably be Sung, Iſa. 26.1. We have a strong City, Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks.
3. That the matter of the Wall being of the ſame glorious ſubſtance that the Glory it ſelf and chief Corner Foundation-ſtone is of, viz. the precious Jaſper as clear as Chryſtal, denotes that the Churches Foundation, Glory and Salvation is Jeſus Chriſt; for he is the Elect and precious Corner-ſtone, and other Foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Jeſus Chriſt, who is alſo their Glory, 2 Cor. 3.18.
4. That as the twelve Gates ſtanding upon the four quarters within Jeruſalem, the Type were places through the Wall, that gave entrance into the City to the twelve Tribes, coming up out of all the World, to worſhip and to partake of the Priviledges, that belonged to the natural Seed of Abraham, as ſaith the Pſalmiſt; Our feet ſhall ſtand within thy gates O Jeruſalem: Jeruſalem is builded as a City compacted together, whither the Tribes go up; The Tribes of the Lord unto the Teſtimony of Iſrael to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
So here theſe twelve Gates ſerve for entrance in the new Jeruſalem to all the Elect, who are the Spiritual Seed of Abraham (for they that are Chriſts, whether Jew or Gentile are Abrahams Seed according to promiſe) even thoſe, who are built upon the foundation o the Prophets and Apoſtles, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf being the chief corner ſtone: and ſo entering in by Chriſt the door, they have admiſſion by the Angels or Miniſters of Chriſt, into the rights and priviledges of this Holy free City, the Mother of us all, and are to be eſteemed as the true Iſaacs, the children of Sarah the free Woman, the marked ſealed number belonging to the twelve Tribes Spiritual. For as the twelve Tribes of old in the Type comprehended all the natural Seed of Abraham; ſo under the denomination of the twelve Tribes are comprehended in alluſion thereto all the Seed of Abraham Spiritual, as Mead well obſerves from the ſealed Tribes the 144000 mentioned in the ſeventh Revelation, which you may read at large in his Coment upon the Seales, Page …9.
Whereas the ſecurity and ſtrength, the broad and high Wall, that encompaſſeth Babylon, the falſe Church, and wherein ſhe truſts for Salvation, and hath boaſted, ſaying, She ſhall ſit therein as a Queen, and ſee no ſorrow; Is her wiſdom, beauty, riches and ſtrength, her Sorceries, and her Witchcrafts, wherein ſhe hath laboured from her yout…, Iſa. 47. To the enchanting of the Nations and the Kings thereof, and whereby the Waters have been gathered about her for her ſecurity; for ſhe ſits amongſt the Rivers, Nah. 3.8. viz. In the midſt of the people, Rev. 17.15. Whereby ſhe hath been enabled to impoſe and eſtabliſh her Idolatry by blood and cruelty, incompaſſing her ſelf with violence and ſpoil: For in her is found the blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were ſlain upon the Earth, Rev. 18.24. Witneſ… her blaſphemous, murderous Edicts, her bloody cruel Inquiſition, her Gibbets, Halters and Stakes. But her Walls will totter and fall, her Sea will be dryed up, her wiſdom and beauty, wherein ſhe hath truſted will fail her, and all her Inchantments will be ineffectual, when all her violence muſt return upon her; The ten Horns or Kingdoms that have ſupported her will eat her Fleſh and burn it with Fire, and by how much ſhe hath glorified her ſelf, and lived deliciouſly, ſo much torment and ſorrow muſt be meted out to her, when Plague, Death, Mourning, Famine and Fire ſhall be her portion; for ſtrong is the Lord God that will judge her.
Of the Cities fourſquare Cubical Figure. And the City lyeth 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.
THis Cubical Figure is juſt anſwering to the form of the Holy place: for as that was juſt twenty Cubits high and twenty Cubits long, and twenty Cubits broad, and the length, and the breadth and the height of it equal, and overlaid with pure gold, 1 Kings 6.20. 2 Chr 3.8. Ezek. 41.4. And which is repreſented to be the figure of Heaven it ſelf, Heb. 9.24.
So this is juſt twelve thouſand furlongs or fifteen hundred miles high, fifteen hundred long, and fifteen hundred broad, the breadth and height, and length being juſt equal, not onelyonly overlaid with gold, but all of pure tranſparent gold, which great myſtery may hold out thus much to us.
1. That all things relating to the City or Church of God in this glorious ſtate will exactly hold proportion with the word, and lye even every way to the golden Reed.
2 That the Church in purity anſwering Rule, is even Heaven upon Earth, the very figure and pattern of Heaven, where the Lord himſelf dwells and is enthroned.
Whereas Babylon is without any regularity or order of Gods appointment, being a City of confuſion, for as is her name, ſo is ſhe: and as ſhe is the ſtrong hold and habitation of Devils and unclean Spirits, and the figure of Hell (coming indeed out of the bottomleſs Pit) and ordered by the wiſdom from beneath; So thither muſt ſhe go, both head and members: as Rev. 19.21.22.8.20.14.