Revelation 21:17 says, “He measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, a measure of a man, that is, of an angel.” It is in resurrection that man will be like the angels (Matt. 22:30). Hence, “a measure of a man, that is, of an angel” signifies that the wall of the city is not natural but in resurrection. The principle of resurrection is that the natural life is killed and the divine life rises up in its place. This is resurrection. The wall of the city is not only measured according to the divine nature but is also according to resurrection.
The city proper is a golden mountain with a height of twelve thousand stadia, but according to Revelation 21:17, the measure of the wall of the city is a hundred forty-four cubits. A hundred forty-four is twelve times twelve. Twelve signifies absolute perfection and eternal completion in God’s eternal administration. Twelve times twelve signifies absolute perfection and eternal completion of absolute perfections and eternal completions, that is, the holy city’s absolute perfection and eternal completion in God’s eternal administration is times twelve. How perfect and complete is the wall of the holy city in God’s eternal administration!
The wall of the New Jerusalem is “great and high” (21:12) for a complete and perfect separation of God’s holiness. The wall surrounding the city separates what is in it from all other things. This separation in the New Jerusalem is the absolute sanctification. The designation “the holy city” means the separated city, a city that is separated from anything other than God. This city, as the embodiment of the processed Triune God, is a separated, sanctified, holy city.
Although the wall of the holy city is mainly for expression, spontaneously it becomes a separation and a protection. Anything that is separated is also preserved and protected. The wall separates us from everything common (21:27), protects us, and keeps us in the realm of God’s expression.
Having considered the wall of the holy city, we will now go on to consider its gates. The New Jerusalem has twelve gates (21:12). The twelve gates of the holy city are for communication, for coming in and going out. Since twelve is the number of absolute perfection and eternal completion in God’s administration, the twelve gates indicate that the communication in the New Jerusalem is absolutely perfect and eternally complete for God’s administration.
Revelation 21:12b tells us that the city has “twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.” Israel here represents the law of the Old Testament, indicating that the law is represented at the gates of the New Jerusalem. The law watches and observes to insure that all the communications, the comings in and the goings out, of the holy city meet all its requirements. Thus, all the communications of this city are according to the law of God.
We should not think that the law is useless. Nothing in the hand of God is useless. The law is not useful in producing sons, but it is useful in proving whether or not we are genuine sons of God. Grace is the mother who produces the sons, and the law checks out these sons to prove that they are genuine and thus entitled to receive the inheritance.
The twelve gates of the holy city were produced according to the law. Christ died for our sin according to the law, and, in a very positive sense, He was also resurrected from among the dead for the complement of the law. Even our repentance was according to the law, for we repented because we had violated the law, and we confessed our sins according to the law. Thus, the law was the basic factor in Christ’s death and in our repentance and confession. This means that the twelve pearl gates are absolutely according to the law and have fulfilled the requirements of the law. Our entrance into the holy city did not break the law; rather, it was according to the law and even a fulfillment of the law. Whatever the law required was fulfilled in our entering into the holy city. Our entrance into the New Jerusalem was altogether legal, lawful, and justified because Christ, by His death and resurrection, completely fulfilled the requirements of the law.
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