In chapter 17 of Revelation, John was in the spirit. The angel brought him to the wilderness and he saw the punishment upon the great harlot. In chapter 21, the angel brought him to a great high mountain and the holy city New Jerusalem was shown to Him. From the viewpoint of God, the harlot is living in the wilderness, in a desolate, fruitless, lifeless place. The outwardly visible Babylon has been rejected, but the bride, the wife, of the Lamb is the holy city. You need to be on a high mountain to see these. You will not be able to see it on a plain. God wanted Moses to climb the high mountain of Pisgah so that he would be able to see the promised land. Therefore, Christians who are plain, to them the eternal plan of God is merely teaching, doctrine and knowledge. We must have a spiritual upliftment to be able to see the New Jerusalem.

The city in chapter 17 is called the Great Babylon whereas the city in chapter 21 is called the Holy City, New Jerusalem.

The Glory of the Holy City

The jasper in chapter 4 is the visible God. Revelation 21:11 says that the light of the holy city is like jasper stone as clear as crystal.

In 21:12-14, the people included in the holy city is a corporate man. On the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and on the foundations are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. We see that it includes all the saints in the Old Testament time and the New Testament time. When we come to the new heaven and new earth, all those who have the life of God will be in the New Jerusalem.

The holy city has a great high wall (21:12). The wall is for separation, to separate that which is inside from the outside. The Garden of Eden had no wall. Adam did not repair and watch, so the serpent got into the garden (what Satan hated most is the walls: Nehemiah and his group repaired the wall, but the enemies were doing their best to stop them). Therefore, separation is an important principle. Christians should learn to discern what is spiritual from what is fleshly. Everything that came out of Babylon must be rejected; all that came out from God must be preserved.

The city has twelve gates. Gates are for entrance and exit. Upon the gates are twelve angels. The angels are ministering spirits subdued under the feet of the church. Upon the gates are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. The law, redemption and salvation all came out of Israel. This city has three gates on each side: from the east, the north, the south, and west side with the city as its center. The wall of the city has twelve foundations and on the foundations are the twelve names of the twelve apostles. This indicates that everything is based upon the principle of God preached by the apostles. Ephesians 2:20 says, “Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets…”

In 21:15, “using the golden reed as a measure” he might measure the city and its gates and its wall. Gold signifies the nature of God. This city can be measured with the standard of God, because it is up to God’s standard.

The city lies square, its length, breadth and height are the same. In 1 Kings 6:20, the holy of holies in the temple has a measure of 20 x 20 x 20 cubits. The holy city here has become the holy of holies of God.

Today, the measure of man is not the same as the measure of the angel, but in resurrection it will be the same (Luke 20:36). Both are one hundred and forty-four cubits. Everything in the city is in resurrection. The number of the city are all in twelve’s (12 x 12 = 144). Twelve is a complete number in eternity. At the beginning of the book of Revelation there are many number “seven”, (3 + 4 = 7, 3 represents God, 4 represents man), God plus man is the completeness in the beginning. But there are many “twelve’s” at the end of Revelation, 3 x 4 =12. This is God mingled with man as the completeness in eternity.