The wall of the New Jerusalem built with jasper separates the organic building from the nations around it. The first function of the wall is to separate. The second function of the wall is to provide protection. A person may build a wall around his house to separate it and to protect it from the outside environment. In a similar way, the wall of the New Jerusalem separates the city from the nations around it and fully protects the interests of God within the city.
The wall is the appearance of this organic building, which is the appearance of precious jasper. This is also the appearance of God (4:3), indicating that this organic building is just the expression of God shining as jasper, a most precious stone (21:11). When we look at the city, we first see the appearance of the wall, which is the appearance of precious jasper. The entire wall is built with jasper. Thus, the appearance of the wall is the appearance of jasper. This is also the appearance of God, for in Revelation 4:3 we are told that the very God sitting on the throne looks like a jasper stone. This is very meaningful. The jasper God within the city is expressed by the jasper wall. Hence, the two are one. This indicates that the New Jerusalem is the expression of God.
According to Revelation 21:11 the shining of the New Jeru-salem is the shining of jasper. The wall of the New Jerusalem is jasper, and God as the content of the city is also jasper. Both the wall and God shine as jasper. The color of jasper is dark green. In typology green signifies life, and dark green signifies life in its richness. Our God is the totality of life. Hence, in His appearance He is dark green. Revelation 4:3 also says that He looks like a sardius, a red precious stone. This indicates that God is also the redeeming God. He is not only a God full of life, but He is also the redeeming God.
The wall of the New Jerusalem is great and high (21:12) in the measurement of one hundred forty-four cubits (twelve times twelve-v. 17), indicating that this wall is for the divine administration of this organic building, which is twelvefold complete and perfect. The city proper of New Jerusalem is like a mountain with a length, breadth, and height of twelve thousand stadia (v. 16), whereas the wall itself, from the foundation to the top, has a height of one hundred forty-four cubits. The number twelve signifies absolute perfection and eternal completion in God’s administration. There are three aspects to the significance of the number twelve: the aspect of being eternal, the aspect of being complete, and the aspect of being perfect. Thus, this number signifies that God’s administration is eternal, complete, and perfect, unlike man’s administration, which is neither eternal nor complete nor perfect. One hundred forty-four is twelve times twelve, indicating that the divine administration of the New Jerusalem as God’s organic building is twelvefold eternal, complete, and perfect. How perfect and complete is the wall of the holy city in God’s eternal administration!
The foundations of the wall are also in the number of twelve (v. 14a), signifying that the foundation of the divine administration is twelvefold complete and perfect. Thus, the foundations are the same as the wall. Both are for God to administrate, to govern, the city.
Home | First | Prev | Next