THE Book of Revelation, beginning at Chapter 4, unfolds God's governmental dealings with this world prior to the setting up of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ as the long-promised King of Israel, and entering upon His world-wide dominion as the Son of Man.
During that period the church will have been raptured to the Father's house at the Lord's second coming, and is seen, in the symbolic language of this book, as likened to four and twenty elders clothed in white raiment with crowns of gold upon their heads. At the close of this period of governmental judgments, spoken of as seals, trumpets and vials, the great battle of Armageddon will be fought, and at last our Lord will descend to take His rightful place in this world, and set up the true New World Order of righteousness, security, and peace.
The church will come with Him to share in His triumph and reign. In Rev. 21:99And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9) we get the introduction of the church in association with Christ during the millennium, the thousand years' reign of Christ. We read: "There came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.” In response to this invitation the Apostle John in his vision is shown a great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. We may well ask the question, Why should the bride be seen as a city? The answer is that the bride aspect of the church is not presented in Rev. 21:9-279And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12And 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: 13On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16And the city lieth 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. 17And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19And 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, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20The 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. 21And 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 glass. 22And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24And 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 honor into it. 25And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27And 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. (Revelation 21:9‑27). The city aspect is here presented, the city being a symbolic way of showing that the church will be associated with our Lord in the administration of the millennial period. We associate the idea of administration with a city. We speak of the city council, the city hall, the city boundaries, etc.
That the city sets forth the church is clear, for we read that in the foundation of the city are inscribed the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and we know that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. (Eph. 2:2020And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:20).)
The number twelve in Scripture is symbolic of administration. Twelve months in the year set forth God's administration in nature; twelve tribes of Israel, God's administration in connection with His earthly people; twelve apostles of the Lamb, His administration in connection with His church. In Revelation we have twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve apostles of the Lamb, twelve foundations of the city, its length and breadth and height measuring 12,000 furlongs each way. The size of the city is purely symbolic. Whoever heard of a city the shape of a cube, whose measurement covers 1,728,000 cubic miles. What may be the meaning of this huge measurement, unless it be to express in symbolism how vast is God's conception of the church, how complete is the triumph of Christ in that out of all the utter breakdown of the professing church in this world, there should spring from His hand a church, likened to a glorious city, in whose light all the nations of the world should walk.
The symbolism of Rev. 21 is magnificent to the last degree. We read that the Lord God and the Lamb, are the temple of it. " No building made with hands," no intermediary as of old, no longer seeing through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:1212For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)), but the very presence of the Lord God and the Lamb constituting the glory of that city.
Again, the Lord God and the Lamb are the light of that city. No more " philosophy and vain deceit," no more " science falsely so-called," no more controversies as to the Person of Christ, but the full glory of Divine Persons illuminating that scene.
The glory of these Scriptures haunts one. They produce an impression very hard, nay impossible, to express. They give one the sense of what the Apostle Paul must have felt when he spoke of his being caught up to the third heaven, and hearing unspeakable words, not lawful for man to utter on earth.
The nations shall walk in the light of that city, but we have to carefully note that the light is that of the Lord God and of the Lamb. The light of the city is reflected light. The city is just the medium through which it shines. What dignity and glory to be associated with our beloved Lord and Savior in His reign upon the earth. The thousand years will roll by only to bring us to the end of time, and the church of God viewed as in eternity.