We saw that the New Heaven and the New Earth have been created and made ready for habitation, and the capital city, New Jerusalem, was not built or constructed, but came down to the planet from Heaven already finished.
Now we will begin to look at it.
(9) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
The angels who poured out the seven last plagues are good angels, and one of them is talking to John, showing him this new creation.
(10) And he carried me away in spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God,
This city has been created, not built. It comes down already finished.
(11) having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
John says that this city sparkles like a diamond.
(12) It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.
Great cities always had protective walls around them, and these walls surrounding New Jerusalem had gates of entry, with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on them, showing that the way into the city is through Israel.
(13) There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.
Entry to the city can be had from every direction; wherever you're coming from, there is a way in.
(14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The foundation under this city has the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, which shows that it is stabilized by the redeemed ones of the sacrificial Lamb, the Church.
Jesus is the Lion of Judah, from the root of Jesse; He came as the Son of Man to be one of us, as the sacrificial Lamb of God, to die in place of each of us, to cleanse us and bring us into God's own family as His children. And the twelve apostles built this Church through the whole Church Age.
So the foundation under the city is the Redemption, and the way in is through His Chosen People Israel.
O my Father, Your Plan of the Ages for this world begins before You made it, and marches right through all the millennia of the race of Man all the way into the re-creation of our planet, based on what has been accomplished here.
My dear Father, You have loved us so much, more than my human brain can comprehend. You used all of our human choices and decisions and you used all of the resources of this Earth, to both bless us with bounty when we obey You, and to pour out Your wrath to punish and destroy those who rebel against You.
Your wisdom is so deep and true and complete. All You have desired to do with what You have designed for your pleasure will have been done and finished. And You will receive all the glory and honor and credit for having done it all.
Please let us reach out to every living person, to tell them how much You have loved us, and have already met all of our needs. Please let them all gain enough understanding to be able to make a clear choice to follow You, seek Your face, and receive Your gracious, generous gift! Please, before it all hits the fan, and there is so much confusion.
O Father, draw all of Your children to Yourself, bring every embryonic child to the birth into Your family, to grow Your Kingdom to uncountable numbers.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
