END OF TIME PROPHECIES 252

The gates of the city                                       Revelation 21v12-13.

"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: on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates."

Clearly this has a millennial application, since it is talking of a high wall, gates with angel sentries.   What the need for these would be in eternity we cannot tell, but the subject matter here is of the security of the city and the protection of it's inhabitants.   In contrast to a world of insecurity, the eternal experience of the saints is secure.   We must remember that the bible was written in an eastern culture and in a time when cities were surrounded  by walls, and the thrust here is to proclaim the safety of God's people; the language is graphic, the great high wall, and the angel sentries at the gates.   There is no possibility of any hostile ingress here.

The gates suggest access and egress and that is seen to be universal with the gates positioned north, south, east, and west. There was only one entrance to the tabernacle of old, but there was a similar layout, with the tribes surrounding the tabernacle in all four directions.   It is said here names of the twelve tribes are upon the gates.   We cannot be sure what tribes will be placed where.   However, readers may be aware that the tabernacle is said to be "a pattern of things in the heavens".   On this basis from Numbers 2, we can say that the tribes of Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulon will be on the east; on the south, will be Reuben, Simeon and Gad; on the west side Ephraim ,Manasseh and Benjamin; and on the north side Dan, Asher and Naphtali .   There will be no tribe nearer than another, each having its own gate unlike the tabernacle where there was only one gate.   We will notice that in the city, there is still a distinction made between Israel and the church, and although they will both have freedom of movement, the church as the bride of Christ will remain the principal resident.      It is important to see the perpetual link between Israel and the church.   It was Israel who brought Christ to the world, and initiated the church.   .   It was through the church Israel will eventually be reconciled to God (Romans chapter 11).

We must take note here of the first occurrence of the number twelve, which is repeated throughout the remainder of the verses.   Twelve gates, twelve angels, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve foundations of the wall, the twelve apostles of the Lamb, the measurement of the city twelve thousand stadia  in all directions, the wall is one hundred and forty four cubits which is twelve by twelve; the twelve pearls, the tree of life yielding twelve manner of fruits.   The number twelve dominates the description of the city.   This is described by scholars to represent governmental perfection.   There are twelve months in the year, controlling the cycle of time; in the course of the earth's orbit around the sun, scientists will tell us that it passes through the twelve signs of the zodiac, thus the perfect control of space.  It is the number which proclaims the perfect government of God in the stability of this world both as to space and time.   Unlike the transient and unstable governments of earth, the kingdom of God, as administered through this glorious city, will be an existence of governmental perfection.   No longer will divine rules be flouted and divine rules ignored.   God's kingdom will be stable, will remain forever and will not be disturbed in anyway, according to Hebrews chapter 12v27-28.