DAY 67 21:9 And one of the seven angels holding the seven censers full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me saying, Come! I will show you the wife, the bride of the Lamb. The angels bring both wounds and medicine. The same angel who carries the seven plagues, shows John the great blessedness of the Church. The Church is the bride of the Lamb. Just as Eve was formed out of sleeping Adam (Genesis 2:21), the Church is formed from the side of the sleeping Christ. When the crucified Christs side was pierced, blood and water flowed (John 19:34). The Church is regenerated in the water of baptism and given Christs blood to drink in the Supper. 21:10-11a And he carried me in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and he showed to me the Great City, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. To be carried away in the spirit means to raised up from an earthly mindset toward comprehension of heavenly things. The great mountain indicates the exalted and supernatural life of the saints by which the wife of the Lamb, the heavenly Jerusalem, will be adorned and glorified by God. 21:11b Her Luminary is like the most precious stone, like a jasper stone transparent as crystal. Christ is the Luminary of the Church. He is everlasting, life-giving, and pure. 21:12 She has a great and high wall, which has twelve gates, and upon the gates twelve angels and names written, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel-- The great wall which guards and protects the Church is Christ. The twelve gates signify the twelve Apostles through which we are given access to the Father. The Apostles are attended by angels who are co-workers in the sowing of the Word of the Gospel. The names of the tribes of spiritual Israel are written upon the Apostolic entrances just as names of the tribes of Israel were written on the shoulder of the high priest under the Old Covenant (Exodus 28:12). The writings of these names shows the concern of the Apostles that the Church contain all who are given birth to through the Gospel (1 Corinthians 4:15). 21:13 from the east three gates and from the north three gates and from the south three gates and from the west three gates. The four-sided formation of the gates and their threefold entries signifies the knowledge of the worship of the Trinity in the four quarters of the inhabited earth which we have received through the life-giving cross. The position of the gates is in the shape of a cross just as the sea built by Solomon which was held by twelve oxen (1 Kings 7:23-25). The sea of Trinitarian baptism cleanses the world of sin. 21:14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundation stones, and upon them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The foundations stones are the twelve Apostles upon whom the Church of Christ is founded. 21:15 And the one speaking with me was holding a golden measuring rod, so that he might measure the city and her gates. The golden rod signifies both the dignity of the angel and the measured city. 21:16 And the city is being laid out foursquare, and her length is as great as her width. And he measured the city with the rod: twelve thousand and twelve stadia across. Her length and width and height are equal. The city is said to be cube-shaped because it is firm and solid. The twelve thousand and twelve stadia indicate the great size of the city and also indicate that it was settled by the twelve Apostles. 21:17 And he measured her wall: one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measurement of a man, that is of an angel. The number 144 is equal to 12 x 12 and indicates the Apostolic teaching. 21:18 And studded in the wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like pure crystal. The jasper indicates the evergreen and unfading life of the saints. The gold is pure as crystal because of the radiance and brightness of its inhabitants. 21:19a And the foundation stones of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone: Eight stones were worn on the breastplate of the high priest. The twelve stones here indicate the superiority of the New Testament. The Apostles are shown to be adorned with every virtue through the precious stones. 21:19b the first foundation stone was jasper, These identification of these stones is taken from Epiphanius. The chief Apostle Peter is probably signfied by the jasper. He is shown to be evergreen and full of youthful spirit in His love towards Christ and leads us into Christs green pasture. 21:19c the second sapphire, Sapphire is like the heavenly body and probably signifies Paul who was taken up into the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:22) and attracted all those who received his Gospel to Heaven where he has his citizenship (Philippians 3:20). 21:19d the third chalcedony, Chalcedony was not worn on the breastplate of the high priest. The name “chalcedony” may have been used at this time to refer to anthracite which was worn by the high priest. Anthracite literally means “a form of coal.” It is red in color and luminous in the dark. This probably has reference to Andrew who is referred to as “coal” since he was inflamed by the Holy Spirit. 21:19e the fourth emerald, Emerald is green in color and receives additional splendor and beauty from olive oil. The emerald probably refers to John who by divine oil brings gladness out of the despondency that comes our sins and by the precious gift of theology gives us evergreen faith. 21:20a the fifth sardonyx, Sardonyx is the color of a shining human fingernail and probably symbolizes James. James was the first of the Apostles to accept bodily death for Christ. A fingernail is deprived of sensation when it is cut off. 21:20b the sixth sardius, The sardius has the appearance of fire and radiance and was believed to have therapeutic properties for inflammations and wounds from iron. This stone probably represents the beauty of the virtue of Philip. The fire of the divine Spirit illumines us and heals our spiritual wounds when we are attacked by the Devil. 21:20c the seventh chrysolite, Chrysolite glitters like gold and probably symbolizes Bartholomew. He was made glorious by his precious virtues and his divine preaching. 21:20d the eighth beryl, Beryl has the color of the sea and air and probably symbolizes Thomas. Thomas was sent on far journeys beyond the sea to preach the Gospel. 21:20e the ninth topaz, Topaz is red and similar to charcoal with a milky discharge. It was believed to ward off the pain of those who have eye diseases and probably symbolizes Matthew. Matthew was inflamed with divine zeal and was adorned by the pouring of his own blood for the sake of Christ. Through the Gospel he healed those who were blind in their hearts and gave milk to the newborn in the faith. 21:20f the tenth chrysoprase, Chrysoprase has a golden-green color that is deeper in color than gold and probably refers to Thaddeus who preached the Gospel to Abgar, king of Edessa. The preaching of the Gospel is signified by the gold and the dark green color symbolizes the death of Thaddeus. 21:20g the eleventh jacinth, Jacinth is a deep blue color like the upper atmosphere and probably signifies Simon the Zealot who possessed heavenly wisdom. 21:20h the twelfth amethyst. Amethyst is fiery in appearance and probably signifes Matthias who was deemed worthy of the divine fire in the distribution of tongues. He filled the place of Judas who had fallen. 21:21a And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each one of the gates was made of a single pearl. The twelve gates are the twelve Apostles who have led us Christ who is the Door and the Way. They are said to be twelve pearls because they receive their radiance from Christ who is the Pearl of great price. 21:21b And the main street of the city was pure gold, like transparent crystal. We are presented with the paradoxical image of a main street that is pure gold and also transparent. Perfect comprehension of the heavenly city is beyond our understanding. 21:22 And a Holy Place I did not see in her, for the Lord, the only God, the All-Powerful, is her Holy Place, as is the Lamb. There will no longer be need of a Holy Place or temple. God is our protection and shelter. God is both Holy Place and dweller. The Lamb is Christ who was slain for us. He will walk among us as He promised (Leviticus 26:12). 21:23 And the city does not have need of the sun nor of the moon that they should shine in her, for the glory of God illuminated her, and her lamp is the Lamb. Christ is the Sun of Righteousness. There is no need of any other illumination. Christ is our glory and lamp. 21:24-25 The nations will walk about by her light, and the kings of the earth are bringing their glory and honor into her. And her gates will never be shut during the day (indeed, night will not be night there), The saints of all the nations will walk in the light of Christ. The kings of the earth are those who ruled over their temptations and will bring the glory and honor of their good deeds into the city. That the gates will not shut either indicates the security of the city or that the Apostolic teaching will more fully understood by the inhabitants of the city. There will be no night there. The darkness of night will be allotted to the sinners who do not occupy the city. 21:26-27 and they will bring the glory and the honor arising from the nations into her. And never will enter into her any unclean thing and no one committing abomination and falsehood, but only those written in the Scroll of Life of the Lamb. The glory and honor of the nations refers to those who have pleased Christ. There will be no sinners, only those whose names are written in the Scroll of Life of the Lamb.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 01:01:24 +0000
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