The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 465

u another guard, even "at the gates twelve- angels,'' so that none can enter with hostile aims. And not only so, but on the several gates the name of a tribe of Israel is found. None but Israelites enter there. 4,. ltafoundation& (Ver. 14.) (1) '.l'here 8l'tl inscribed the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. lo the Apocalypse, the song is the song of the Lamb ; praise is to the Lamb; in the midst of the throne is U,.e Lamb ; the book of life belongs t<, the Lamb; the seals are opened by tJie Lamb ; the apostldS are the apostles of the Lamb. Even so. The whole of this glory is based on the sacrifice of the atoning Lamb. (2) The foundations are lustrous in their splendour (v.er. 18). The most exquisite and costly things are lavished here. The pearl, with glistering radiance; the amethyst, with its red or violet hue; the jacinth ; the translucent chrysoprasus, with its golden gleams; the topaz and emerald; the beryl, sardiua, and chrysolite; the chalcedony, shining -as a lamp; the sapphire, in its azure blue; the jasper, so resplendent that it is a fit image of the glory of God. All such precious stones, flashing and gleaming, are there; so precious is the foundation work of this city of the Lamb I 6, Its citizens. These are from "the nations," but not as of ,earthly nationality. This is past. They are the -nations (If the saved (ver. 24. Authorized Version). We have brief hints as_to their character (eh. xxi. 6, 7; xxil. 14, Revised Version). Brief as these expressions are, they are enough; speoio.lly when we read the lbt of the excluded ones (vers. 8, 27). Only holy ones are in<tha holy city. The separation from the unholy is complete and finaL 6. Its magtiiRldc. It ia measured, The measnring~reed was a golden one, and showed its size--12,000 stadia iu length. Alexandria, according. to Josephus, was 80 stadia by 10; Jerusalem was, in circuit, 33 stadia; Thebes, 43; Nineveh, 400; Babylon, 480; the holy euy, 48,0001 How. puny are the measurements of earth's great cities compared with those of the great city of God! (Such is the case with this symbolic description, even if.we take 12,000 stadia to be the compass of the city, rather than a side thereof.) There will be room in the holy city for men from every nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue. None of the artificial divisions or nomenclatures of ecclesiastical boundaries will -0011nt for anything there. Only love and life will enter there. 7, Its glory~ Ver, 11, "Iler light is like unto a stone most. precious;" "The glory of God doth lighten it, and the.Lamb is the light thereof," We could almost say, with Payson," Lord, with• bold thy h11nd. and show us no more/or. we shall be overpowered by the aplendolll' of the viaion ! " , . , , · .. . · IIL 1N THIB BOL'l' CITY TBEIIB Alm m:w CONDITIONS OP LIFE. Here, too, we ·11an ,bnt analyze and arrange ·the description before us, dropping a hint or two as we advance. 1. There i3 oae compre.henirive, all-embracing conattion whicl,, covera the whol• groun.•l. Ver. ,3, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with [the] men," et.c., i.e. with ,the sanctified men who are in this holy city. The home of God is there. '!'heir l!{lirits are At home in God. 'l'he work of redemption is perfected. The commu:moil is entire and complete.; never to be interrupted for a moment, nor to be marred by one ain. The revelations of the put secured an approximation to this. 'l'he earthly worship was an earnest of i:t (cl. Exod. xxv. 8; xxix. 46; Numb. xxxv. 34; 2 Kings xi,x. 16; 1 Chron. xxiii. 26, margin; Ps. lxviii. 16, 18, cxxxiL 14; Isa. Mi., 16; Ezek:. xliii. 7 ; l Cor. vi. 19 ; iii. 16 ; 2 Cor. xii. 9 (Greek); Eph. ii. 22). These passages are but specimens of many more which show that the whole drift and aim.of the gospel redemption baa been to bring together God and roan in sublimest fellowship. The perfoction of thie is realized in "the holy city ; " and it is the one oondition al blessednellll which includes all else. 2, There is a double set of detaikd condituma qf life, which follow on the complete realizalion of thia full redemption. (1) The first set includes the cessation of what used to be. (a) No more death. When the redemp- tion in Christ has done ita work on the body at. the resurrection, there ron be no more dying. No element of perishableneBB will exist in the "spiritual body." It is ''incor.- ruptible." Death will have been swallowed up in victory. (b) No mourning nor crying. No physical distress nor spiritual ill shall grieve. Joy shall have no shade. The day or eternity will know no cloud. (c) No pain; no tension from excessive exertion; no aching from disease; no disappointment at the failure to realize our ideal; no outting• off of work ere it can be completed. (cl) No more curse. No oondemnation will presa on the oonscience, nor will any sin pollute the souL (e) No alien. "There shall en.tor nothing. that defileth." 'l'here will be no intrusion of aught that is evil within ur 516 TIIE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN TUE DIVINE. [cir. llL 1-~.