Jesus Christ is Our Entrance into New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:12 tells us that New Jerusalem has “a great and high wall and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.”
The gates are for going in and out, but why are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written upon them? The Lord Jesus said that salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). We have learned everything related to God from Israel. The law was given to Israel, redemption is known through Israel, and salvation has come from Israel.¹
Furthermore,
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 goings out, of the holy city meet the law’s requirements.²
In Matthew 5:17 the Lord Jesus declared that He had come to fulfill the law. He has redeemed us from the curse of the law and satisfied all its requirements. He is now our entrance into New Jerusalem and everything with Him meets or exceeds the laws requirements.
Based on His redemption, “the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit” (Rom. 8:4). By a life in spirit, not according to our fallen flesh, we have no rejection from the law at the gates of New Jerusalem.
The law is for righteousness but was weak because of man’s flesh. But today Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30), which is higher than the law requires. This is the righteousness which will fill the new creation (2 Peter 3:13) and characterize New Jerusalem. Praise Him that He is all we require!
Jesus Opened the Pearl Gates, Let’s Enter!
¹ From chapter 5 of The Glorious Church by Watchman Nee, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, available at www.ministrybooks.org/ and www.livingstream.com/en/the-church/8012401-glorious-church-the.html.
² A portion of footnote 4 on Revelation 21:12 in the Recovery Version Bible, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003.
Graphic courtesy of pixabay.com.
Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, is at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is © by LSM.
Posted by Don on June 1, 2022
