Part 20 (2/2)

15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16. And the city lieth four square, and the length is as large as the breadth. Ami he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length, and the breadth, and the height of it are equal.

17. And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Vs. 15-17.--The apostle borrows the symbols and language of preceding prophets, especially those of Ezek. (xl. 3,) and Zech. (ii. 1.) The ”furlongs” measured by the ”reed,” indicate a city of vast dimensions; and being ”four square,” each side would be about fifteen hundred miles!

And as the ”length and breadth and height of it are equal,” we are hereby taught that no gross conceptions are to be formed in our imaginations, since a city fifteen hundred miles high, is utterly inconceivable. The instruction intended to be conveyed to us by the vast dimensions, and precious materials of this city may be, the incomprehensible nature and transcendent glory of heaven. (1 Cor. ii.

9.) A cubit, as the word signifies, ”is the measure of a man” from his elbow to the end of his middle finger. The measure of the wall, in height or breadth, was a hundred and forty-four cubits, or the twelve tribes, as before, multiplied by the twelve apostles; for the idea of a cube, as the most perfect symbol of symmetrical form, seems to be intended.

18. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear gla.s.s:

19. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20. The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent gla.s.s.

Vs. 18-21.--The ”jasper, gold and gla.s.s,” are here all combined; though their natural properties and chemical elements are so different. Gla.s.s is clear, transparent, but brittle; gold is solid and s.h.i.+ning, but opaque. In heaven, the saints shall _know_ more than we can now _imagine_. The gla.s.s will be all gold. As the eye sees an object through gla.s.s at a glance, so the saints in heaven will perceive truth without the tedious process of comparison and reasoning. The gold will be all gla.s.s. All these symbols are intended to show to the devout reader, that the antichristian harlot is incomparably eclipsed by the glory of the Lamb's bride,--having ”no glory, by reason of the glory that excelleth.”--The twelve ”precious stones” which ”garnished the foundations of the wall of the city,” are an allusion to those of Aaron's breastplate of judgment. (Exod. xxviii. 17-20;) indicating that the _Urim_ and _Thummim_, the _light_ and _perfection_ of glory, shall be there, superseding the oracle and Shekinah: for one thing is peculiar to this city by which it is distinguished from the old Jerusalem,--no temple.

22. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord G.o.d Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it.

23. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to s.h.i.+ne in it; for the glory of G.o.d did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.

26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Vs. 22-27.--There was ”no temple therein.” As there _was a temple_ in the city which Ezekiel saw in vision, (ch. xli. 1,) and this fact determines the point, that his prophecy relates to the church _militant_; so, the absence of even the semblance of such a structure here, proves that this is a description of the church _triumphant_. In heaven there is no need of external, material, visible symbols of G.o.d's presence. As the ceremonial ”law had a shadow of good things to come,”

but ”vanished away” when Christ appeared, (Heb. x. 1,) so will it be in heaven; no ordinances will be used to act upon either sense or faith, these having issued in vision.

The glorious presence of ”the Lord G.o.d Almighty and the Lamb,” having superseded the necessity of a temple; the light of the sun and moon shall be no longer needed. ”G.o.d is light, and in him is no darkness at all,” (1 John i. 5;) and ”as long as Christ was in the world, he was the light of the world.” (John ix. 5.) We have seen that other suns and moons which were _symbolical,_ have been darkened or blotted out of existence by the omnipotent Mediator; but now these natural luminaries are totally and for ever obscured by the ineffable effulgence of uncreated light,--the manifested and immediate presence of the Father and the Son.--All the redeemed shall ”walk in the light of the Lord;”

and all the glory of ”the kings of the earth,” concentrated in one place, would bear no comparison with the splendor of this ”holy city.”

The gates are not to be shut during the ”day” of _eternity_; and since the ”excellent ones of the earth” shall all enter the twelve open gates from every part of the world, it may be truly said ”they bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.” What a delightful scene of a holy, happy, safe and harmonious fellows.h.i.+p!--It is observable that the apostle altogether drops _personalities_ here. He seizes only upon properties or qualities,--”any thing,”--so holy is the place, and so holy the inhabitants; yea, so safe and secure, that no creature,--no ”beast of the field which the Lord G.o.d has made,” shall ever gain an entrance into this heavenly Paradise: but only those whose names are ”written in the Lamb's book of life;” who, despite of the Serpent, brings all his spiritual seed safe to glory.

CHAPTER XXII.

1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb.

2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.

<script>