(12) And 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: (13) On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. (14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (15) And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. (16) And 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. (17) And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. (18) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. (19) And 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; (20) The 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. (21) And 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. (22) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (23) And 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.
I do not think it necessary, in a work of this kind, to attempt what I freely confess, I am not competent to perform, an analysis of what John hath said, of the gates, and precious stones of this building. They may, for ought I know, have an allusion to the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, in their, different qualities and colors, But of this I am not sure. And, as the Holy Ghost hath not thought proper to explain, I dare not offer conjectures. In relation to the walls, we may venture to speak with more confidence, for Christ himself is both the foundation of Zion, and his salvation God hath appointed for walls and bulwarks. And Christ is the only gate; or way, for an entrance into the Church below, or above, Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:4-5; Isaiah 26:1; John 14:6. But, though I do not venture on an explanation of these several verses, of the building, and precious stones, here mentioned; I would beg to propose a short remark on what is said, of this city needing not the light of sun, or moon, because the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. There is somewhat in it most blessed. The Lord help us, in some measure, suited to our present capacities to understand it.
And, first. Though I can form no one idea whatever, in relation to the essential glory of God, as God; yet, I think, we may derive some apprehensions from what scripture hath said, in relation to the glory of the God-man Christ Jesus. We have several striking accounts of the sight the Elders of Israel and others had of seeing the God of Israel, in the Old Testament scripture, to which I might refer; see Exodus 24:10; Isaiah 6:1-4. But if we come down to New Testament times, we shall find somewhat more suited to our capacities to lean upon. The Apostle's view of Christ's Transfiguration in the Mount; Stephen's sight of Christ before the Jewish Council; or Paul's view of the Lord in the road to Damascus: These furnish out sufficient subjects for enquiry on this ground.
The Apostle's account of the Transfiguration is, that Christ's face did shine as the sun. Now the Lord Jesus, when preparing the minds of those men for this glorious sight, some days before it took place, told them, that there were some standing there, which should not see death, till they had seen the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:1-8. Now I beg the Reader to observe, from Christ's words, that the glory which he was then proposing to display before them, was intended, by Christ to represent somewhat, though imperfectly, of the glory he would appear in, in his kingdom. This I think highly important to be kept in view, in our humble enquiry concerning the light the Lamb is, in the New Jerusalem, which supersedes, and renders unnecessary, the light of sun or moon.
Secondly. Both, the Apostles John and Peter, who have given their testimony to this transaction, as well as the Evangelists who have recorded it, tell the Church, that this glory of Christ was abundantly great, and overpowering. John's account is: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory; the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, John 1:14. And Peter, speaking of it, saith: We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty; for he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent Glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, 2 Peter 1:16. And the Evangelist Matthew's account is, that his face did shine as the sun, Matthew 17:2. Paul's statement of the Damascus scene is, that it exceeded the sun. I saw from heaven (saith he) a light above the brightness of the sun. Acts 26:13
Thirdly. We shall have a yet stronger matter to help us in our discovery, concerning this glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the glory in which he will appear, (only infinitely increased), in his kingdom of the New Jerusalem-state; if we call into our remembrance what is said of the two men which appeared with him, at the Transfiguration; Moses and Elias. They are said to have been talking with Jesus. And they are moreover said to have appeared in glory; that is I venture to apprehend, in their glorified bodies. Elias could not have appeared any other way, for he did not pass through the grave to glory. And of the burial-place of Moses, no one ever knew: Hence, therefore, it is but a fair conclusion, that they both appeared in their bodies. And somewhat must have told Peter who they were; for it seems plain enough, that he knew them, see Luke 9:30-31. Is it not, therefore, a probable conclusion, that the Lord Jesus's glory, upon this occasion; was the same; only in a lesser degree, because, had it been more, the three Apostles then in the body, could not have borne it; and that both Moses and Elias were, as those saints of God shall be, who are to reign with Christ, in his thousand years kingdom?
Fourthly. From these considerations, we shall now, through grace, be enabled to form some conclusions; how glorious will be the human nature of Christ, in that kingdom, from the indwelling Godhead. Here is the source, and hence, as this is one and the same as the Essential Godhead, though dwelling bodily in Christ, it may serve to explain to us, wherefore the glory of God, and of the Lamb, are both said in this verse, (Revelation 21:23) to lighten the city. It is the glory of God, to all intents and purposes, when shining in, and from Christ: For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Colossians 2:9. And hence, this glory, which is the source of ail light, yea, the light and life of men, must supersede, and render unnecessary, all the luminaries of heaven. How strikingly the Prophet speaks, when describing this day, in reference to Christ's glory. Then the Moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients, gloriously, Isaiah 24:23
Reader! think then, of the present greatness, and glory of the Lord Jesus, by what the disciples saw of him in the Mount, and by what he will then appear, when he lightens his kingdom with his own personal glory? This is He, whom man despiseth! This is He, whom the nation abhorreth! This is He, whose Godhead some call in question; and yet, by a perversion of all language, call themselves Christians! Oh! the awful delusion of those, whom the God of this world hath blinded! But recollect, that the glory in which he appeared in the Mount, was but a glimpse, not a full blaze. The poor disciples could not have borne it. Paul was made blind three days, only from a transient view of it. And yet, what was that, compared to the glory Paul saw, when by vision he was caught up to heaven? The Apostle could not tell, when the vision was over, whether he had been in the body, or out of the body, 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. Blessed, glorious Savior! Oh! for faith to behold thee now, until with open face, without a medium, we come to thy glory, and are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord! 2 Corinthians 3:18.