In this section on the New Jerusalem, let’s focus on the gates of the city and on the street:
Rev. 21:12-13, 21, 23-25
12 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
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
…
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
…
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
KJV
These twelve gates were said to be twelve pearls, each gate was from one pearl. Knowing how large pearls usually are, either these are very small gates, or these are very large pearls! It’s been jokingly said, “Wow! Imagine the size of the oysters!”
Let’s take the time to look at the Greek of verse 21:
21 Kai hoi doodeka puloones doodeka margaritai, ana heis hekastos toon puloonoon een ex henos margaritou. Kai hee plateia tees poleoos chrusion katharon hoos hualos diaugees.
21 Kai = 21 And
hoi = the
doodeka = twelve
puloones = gates
doodeka = twelve
margaritai, = pearls,
ana = severally
heis = one
hekastos = each
toon = of-the
puloonoon = gates
een = was
ex = out-from/out-of
henos = one
margaritou. = pearl.
Kai = And
hee = the
plateia = street
tees = of-the
poleoos = city
chrusion = gold
katharon = clean/pure
hoos = like
hualos = a-glass/looking-glass/mirror
diaugees. = showing-through/transparent/reflective.
21 And the twelve gates twelve pearls, severally one each of-the gates was out-from/out-of one pearl. And the street of-the city gold clean/pure like a-glass/looking-glass/mirror showing-through/transparent/reflective.
21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls, severally each one of the gates was [made] out of one pearl. And the street of the city [was] pure gold like a reflective mirror.
Some have suggested that these gates are simply made FROM a pearl, looking more gate-like with fine scroll work; others have said they are made from “mother-of-pearl,” like the inside of an oyster or clam shell. Still others have said they are merely “pearl-like” in their appearance and have suggested a force-field at each gate that swirls colors in the atmosphere LIKE the colors of a pearl.
The force-field is innovative and imaginative, but I don’t think it works. A force-field would be a means of closing the gates in a way, but we are told they always stand open.
I believe Yochanan said what he meant to say, namely that each gate was one very large pearl. However God made them, I believe them to be real pearls. Here’s why:
WHY would there be gates to this city that are NEVER USED? We are told, “the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day,” but then we are also told, “there shall be no night there!” This means that they are never shut at all! Then, why do they exist at all? God is a very efficient God, indeed a perfectly efficient God. So, why would He make gates never to be closed?
It seems to me that the answer is in their SHAPE. After all, what is the typical shape of a pearl? Well, at the risk of stating the obvious, pearls are generally ROUND! They are spheroid in shape. Maybe they are not perfect spheres, but in general they are at least ovoid or spheroid. It occurred to me one day why these round objects would always stand open. How would one open or close a round gate? They would ROLL it back and forth from the opening!
Matthew 28:1-2
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
KJV
Mark 16:1-5
1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
KJV
Luke 24:1-7
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
KJV
John 20:1
20 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
KJV
In every one of these records, we find that the stone was rolled away from the door and at least one (Luke says two) messenger was in attendance!
I believe that every one of these twelve gates commemorates the resurrection of Yeshua` the Messiah of God to be King! That’s why they will always remain open with a messenger in attendance!
The only other thing to say about the gates is that each one will have one of the names of the twelve tribes of Isra’el written upon it. I believe this is to identify which gate one is entering so one knows where he will be within the city, like a street name. Indeed, it may be that the golden avenue associated with that gate will also be so named, although Yochanan did not say this.
Seeing that there are three gates on each of the four sides associated with the four compass directions, we do have another such passage of Scripture:
Ezek 48:30-34
30 And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.
31 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
32 And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
33 And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.
34 At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
KJV
Although I believe these to be the gates of a Millennial Jerusalem rebuilt for the King and not directly associated with the New Jerusalem of the eternal state of the Third Earth and Third Sky, I believe that the name orders could be the same in both cities.
These names, I believe, will be written in Hebrew characters. In fact, I believe that the “lingua Franca” will be Hebrew. So for the Jewish-sounding names, I turn to the Complete Jewish Bible:
Ezek 48:30-34
30-34 “‘These are the city exits; they are to be named after the tribes of Isra’el, three gates on each of the four sides; the four sides each measure just under one-and-a-half [miles]: on the north, gates named after Re’uven, Y’hudah and Levi; on the east, gates named after Yosef, Binyamin and Dan; on the south, gates named after Shim‘on, Yissakhar and Z’vulun; and on the west, gates named after Gad, Asher and Naftali.
CJB
Because of the order of the compass directions, I believe that the names start in the northwest corner and continue around the perimeter of the city from north wall to east wall to south wall and then to west wall. This makes sense to me, especially when one considers that the gates are 500 miles apart! One wouldn’t want to go out the wrong gate if one is heading to a certain region of the New Earth!
North-west: Re’uven
North-central: Y’hudah
North-east: Leviy
East-north: Yosef
East-central: Binyamin
East-south: Dan
South-east: Shim`on
South-central: Yissakhar
South-west: Z’vulun
West-south: Gad
West-central: Asher
West-north: Naftaliy
Finally, the street of the city is said to be made of pure gold “as it were transparent glass.” The Greek phrase, “hoos hualos diaugees,” is NOT referring to a “transparent glass” but is talking about a highly reflective, “LOOKING glass” or a mirror.
In the Messiah’s love,
Retrobyter
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