Revelation 21:9-14 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The next part of Revelation describes the New Jerusalem. Much of this language is symbolic. Some of it may be literal, but the intended affect upon the reader is one of awe and anticipation. The number 7 is repeated many times in this passage. This number is often symbolic for completion. The Lamb is also mentioned 7 times. John’s vision is introduced in verses 9-10. The “bride” earlier designates the church, those who have put their trust in Jesus. The angel is showing John what awaits believers. One possibility of the New Jerusalem is that it is God’s people. It could also be a literal city, but in this description there is a lot of extravagant symbolism. There are many descriptions of it:

  1. It descends from heaven. Jesus said that he goes to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). This is the fulfillment of that statement.
  2. It shines with the glory of God. This matches other descriptions of God’s presence and throne.
  3. It has a wall with twelve gates matching the twelve tribes of Israel.
  4. It has twelve foundations that have the names of the twelve apostles.

In both the Old Testament and New Testament, the specific names of the twelve tribes and twelve apostles is not always clear. In the OT, the tribe of Joseph is split. In the NT, Judas commits suicide and is replaced by Matthias. So, it will be interesting to see how this works out. Minimally, this description of the walls and foundations is symbolic for the merging of God’s people: the old Israel and the new Israel.

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