twelve tribes of the children of the south, three gates; and on Israel. the west, three gates. 13 On the east, three gates; on the north, three gates; on 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in four cardinal points of the compass. We certainly cannot see any propriety in any other supposition touching this verse; but there are persons who can discover images and proofs of the trinity wherever the number three is mentioned. 14. Twelve foundations. — As the revelator had mentioned the twelve tribes, whose names he had represent strength and defence. The prophet Isaiah said, God appoints "salvation for walls and bulwarks;" Isa. xxvi. 1; lx. 10-18. Twelve gates. — Many very wise speculations have been made about the twelve gates, with the twelve angels, &c. The gates, in our judgment, are mentioned only because there must be gates to a city which has walls, otherwise there can be no entrance. The numbered as being engraved upon the twelve twelve was chosen because it was a gates, so he had a desire to mention famous sacred number with the Jews, the twelve apostles also. He thereon account of the number of the fore supposed the city to have twelve tribes ; and as, if there be gates, principal foundations, and on these there must be janitors or gate-keepers, were placed the names of the twelve so an angel is placed at each gate. apostles of the Lamb. This agrees The names of the tribes were engraved precisely with the beautiful metaphor upon the gates, to show who resided of the apostle: "Now, therefore, ye within the walls. The twelve tribes are no more strangers and foreigners, here are to be understood metaphor- but fellow-citizens with the saints, and ically, as in chapter vii. 5-8. of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together, for a habitation of God through the spirit;" Eph. ii. 19-22. Does not this show that the revelator was not describing things that are to take place after the immortal resurrection, but the state of the church on earth? Peter was one of the principal stones in this foundation. See Matt. xvi. 18. If the revelator was describing the state of the church on earth, does it not show that all that is described in the twentieth chapter must be on the earth? If it had been a judgment after the immortal resurrection, which is described in the twentieth chapter, how is it that we find the church still described as existing on the earth? 13. Three gates. - Hammond, without the acuteness he frequently shows, supposes that "these entrances, three toward every quarter, denote the coming in of men from all quarters of the world to the faith of Christ, or doctrines of the gospel, and their baptism, their sacrament of admission to all, performed by a threefold immersion, [as there were three gates on each side,] and profession of faith in the three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost."-(Com. on the place.) Metaphors were not designed to be treated in this manner. They are not to be explained and applied in every point. The object of the revelator was to show a very beautiful and perfect city, to represent the spiritual city or the new Jerusalem. And as there must be gates where there are walls, and as twelve gates answered to the twelve tribes, and as no city has all its gates on one side of it, it was a very natural division of them to put three in each wall, facing the 15. Measure the city. As, according to the style of the prophets, it them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15. And he that talked with me, had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were gar 16 And the city lieth four-nished with all manner of presquare, and the length is as cious stones. The first founlarge as the breadth and he dation was jasper; the second, measured the city with the reed, sapphire; the third, a chalcetwelve thousand furlongs. The dony; the fourth, an emerald. 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. became necessary to give the measurement of the city, [Ezek. xl. 3; Zech. ii. 1; Rev. xi. 1,] so the revelator supposed the angel that talked with him to have a golden reed in his hand, for the purpose of measuring the city, the gates, and the wall. These things show how fully he was instructed in the style of the proph 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. the measurement, he now comes to speak of the external beauty, richness and glory of this imaginary city. The wall seemed to be of itself like jasper-stone, beautiful, very brilliant, and yet not painful to behold. ¶Pure gold. The city was rich beyond all comparison, being built of gold, polished to that high degree, that, although gold, it had still, for transpa16. Twelve thousand furlongs.rency, the appearance of glass. These dimensions were surely imaginary. Everything is made conformable to the most exact rule. The city is in the form of a cube- the length, breadth, and height, are equal. It is an extraordinary city, constructed with the most exquisite art, but is surely metaphorical. ets. 17. An hundred and forty and four cubits. - Twelve times twelve cubits the number twelve still dwelling in his mind. A cubit is the ordinary length of the human arm, from the elbow (cubitus) to the tip of the longest finger. The revelator says, although he was talking with the angel, that he intended the cubit of ordinary length; i. e., according to the measure of a man. 18. Of jasper.- Having got through 19, 20. All manner of precious stones. The foundations of the city represented the twelve apostles of the Lamb. These foundations are represented as being ornamented with twelve kinds of precious stones, like the breastplate of the high priest. These stones were set one for each tribe, as a kind of sign of that tribe. See Exod. xxxviii 17-21. It was perhaps from this fact that a covering of precious stones came to signify the highest state of glory, prosperity and riches. So the original state of Tyre was expressed: "Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the work 21 And the twelve gates were | mighty and the Lamb are the twelve pearls; every several temple of it. gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, as it were transparent glass. to shine in it for the glory of 22 And I saw no temple God did lighten it, and the therein; for the Lord God Al-Lamb is the light thereof. manship of thy tabrets and of thy highest and most important sense, for pipes was prepared in thee in the day the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb that thou wast created;" Ezekiel are the temple of it. God was present xxviii. 13. The foundations of the in this Jerusalem in a nearer and new Jerusalem were garnished in the more definite sense than he had been highest possible degree. The whole present in the former. In the new intent is to make the metaphor trans-Jerusalem his presence will not be cendently glorious. The revelator copies from the prophets. 21. Twelve pearls. - Pearls were of great value; and were used as representations of the most precious things; Matt. vii. 6. They were used for personal ornaments, as they are to this day; 1 Tim. ii. 9. Each of the gates was said to be of one pearl a thing impossible in itself, because the pearl being found in a fish, no one could have been obtained large enough for a gate of a city, much less a city of such dimensions. This clearly shows that the expression was hyperbolical, and that the design was to describe a city of exceeding richness, adorned in the highest manner, as a metaphor of the gospel, or covenant of God, in which he dwells with men. We repeat a remark made before, that the Jews were accustomed to represent the enslaving of a people under the metaphor of the destruction of a city; and a return from captivity, or a renewed or increased state of prosperity, was represented by the rebuilding of a city. It is so in the case before us. It is measured with great exactness, but the whole, surely, is metaphorical. 22. I saw no temple therein. - In the old city of Jerusalem there was a temple; i. e., an outward, literal, temple; but there was no such temple in the new Jerusalem; yet the new city was not without a temple in the confined to place. There is no need of an outward temple; he is himself the temple. He dwelleth not now in temples made with hands; Acts xvii. 24. The worship of God under the new covenant is confined to no place. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall, neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father;" John iv. 21. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." "Where'er the saints assemble now, 23. The glory of God did lighten it. It was a spiritual city. the sun need not shine upon it. The glory of God made it radiant; the sun of righteousness shed upon it its beams. Its light was spiritual light. The Jews, who abounded in the richest metaphors, were accustomed to say, when the glory of God was peculiarly manifested in a place, that it had no longer the need of the sun and moon. See Isaiah 1x. 18-20: "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the 24 And the nations of them | glory and honor of the nations which are saved shall walk in into it. the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor 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 Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." The revelator applies the metaphors of the -prophets to the superior beauty and radiance of the gospel. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. the kings of Sheba and Seba shall Shall not be shut. - The figure here is principally quoted from Isaiah, to whom the revelator became frequently indebted: "Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they 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;" Isa. lx. 11. In earthly cities the gates are shut at night, to exclude thieves and enemies, and to avoid surprise. But as there is no night in the new Jerusalem, these precautions would be unnecessary. 27. Anything that defileth. — All glory and all honor will be conferred upon the new Jerusalem, that the nations can bring. Everything that defileth will be excluded from it, be 24. Them which are saved. · The nations of them that are saved were those who had been brought to the knowledge of the truth, and saved thereby. The Christians were called the saved; 1 Cor. i. 18. They were saved from error, sin, and moral death. ¶ Walk in the light of it. They walked in the light of the new Jerusalem. Before the coming of Christ, the people walked in darkness; Isa. ix. 2. When he came, they saw a great light. But they did not all walk in that light; some continued in dark-cause "the unrighteous cannot inness. The saved, however, walked in the light of the new Jerusalem. Bring their glory, &c.—And as kings, in building up an earthly city, use their immense influence and treasures, to bring glory and honor to it, they are said to do the same here: "And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me;" Isa. xlix. 23. In describing the glory of Solomon's kingdom, the Psalmist said, "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; herit the kingdom of God." They must be washed, and sanctified, and saved, before they can enter. Only the saved shall walk in the light of it, those whose names are enrolled among the Christian believers, in the Lamb's book of life. The conclusion of this description will be found in the next chapter. CHAPTER XXII. Preliminary Remarks. In the preceding chapter we found an account of the descent of the new Jerusalem from heaven; and a description of it under the figure of an earthly city. This description had not closed at the end of the chapter, but is continued to 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 2. On either side of the river. — This description is clearly taken from Ezekiel, as well as that of the preceding verse. Hear what the prophet says: thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine;" xlvii. 12. In the description of a beautiful garden, how is the scene heightened by the introduction of a pure stream of water. See Solomon's description: 1. Pure river of the water of life.· The throne of God is supposed by the revelator to be set up in the new Je-"And by the river, upon the bank rusalem. It is a divine kingdom in which God reigns in conjunction with the Son, and of course the throne of God and the Lamb is represented as being there. See verse 3. From the throne of God and the Lamb, or from under the throne, came out a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal. Nothing adds more to the beauty, comfort, and health of a city, than a river running through it. In describing a perfect city, therefore, the river is introduced. In the garden of Eden, the perfection of beauty, Thy plants are an orchard of pomethere was the river to water it; Gen. granate, with pleasant fruits; camii. 10. But unquestionably the reve- phire, with spikenard, spikenard and lator had his mind on Ezekiel's de- saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with scription of the city. Ezekiel had all trees of frankincense; myrrh and thereby prefigured the happy state of aloes, with all the chief spices; a the Jews after their return from cap- fountain of gardens, a well of living tivity. As he had prefigured their waters, and streams from Lebanon ;" return to Jerusalem by the resurrec- Song, iv. 13-15. ¶ Tree of life. — İn tion in the valley that had been filled Ezekiel's description, the healing tree, with dry bones, so he proceeds to de- or tree of life, was seen on either scribe a city for them to dwell in. As bank of the river, yielding its fruit the Christians, by the help of God, monthly, the leaves of which were for were to overcome Gog and Magog, medicine. The revelator paints a viz., their spiritual enemies, they street on each side of the river, and must have a spiritual city to dwell in, between the street and the brink of and the new Jerusalem was that city. the river on either side grew the tree And as Ezekiel saw the waters issue of life. Not that there was one tree out from under the threshold of the only; but that all the trees were of house eastward, xlvii. 1, so here, in that species. They were all the tree the new Jerusalem, the waters issue of life. ¶ Yielded her fruit every month. from beneath the throne. The waters -And this tree bore its fruit every which Ezekiel saw were healing, liv-month. It is not intended that the ing waters: "Everything shall live, tree bore twelve different kinds of (said the prophet,) whither the river fruit, for no tree does this; but it afcometh;" ver. 9. So in the revela- forded twelve harvests in the year. tor's description, the water is called It is said the tree bore twelve fruits; the "water of life, clear as crystal." and this is explained by the re |