Beloved saints of God. Precious and elect. What a beautiful scene we have set before us today! Lift up your eyes now, far beyond the majesty of the starry heavens, and see what radiant glory is descending from heaven. Let us hear and see with the beloved disciple what this Spirit-filled vision is:

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb . . . And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.  (Revelation 21:10-14, 21)

Beloved, here at the outset I want us to understand that this scene is no mere watercolor portrait of heaven. Rather, I want you to look closer. I want you to see that there is a hidden and embedded storyline here that is bursting forth with riches of grace!

At the introduction to this scene, let us consider the reverse imagery that the Spirit is presenting to us: “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain.” I say ‘reverse imagery’ because this high mountain setting is an instance of biblical déjà vu. It must be asked, where else in the Scriptural narrative have we visited this great, high mountain before? The answer is given to us in Matthew’s gospel: “Again, the devil took Him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matthew 4:8).

The spiritual connection between these two events must not be lost here, each in their own context, each in their own setting. The first high mountain is shown to Jesus by the devil, the spirit of this world. It is here that Jesus is tempted by Satan to gain the whole world through the easy means of selling out His birthright, by simply falling down and making the devil lord. But Jesus did not come to placate the self-indulgent ambitions of this fallen Day Star (Isaiah 14:12-15). Rather, He came to destroy the works of the devil and set men free from his enslavement forever (I John 3:8). Jesus would possess the kingdom of this world, but it would be on His own redemptive terms, purchased on the cross through His own precious blood.

It is within the framework of Christ’s blood-bought redemption that we are here to understand the scenery of John’s second high mountain. Whereas the first mountain setting was shown to Jesus by the devil, this second mountain setting is now shown to John by the Spirit of God.

In both instances, they were each shown a kingdom.

To Jesus, “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

To John, “the holy city Jerusalem . . . having the glory of God.”

In John’s heavenly vision, we now have the grand finale of what Jesus’ temptations, ministry, sufferings, death, and resurrection have accomplished. A holy city! Not a dirty, sin-ridden city of political corruption, violence, drugs, crime, decay, and poverty, where the devil is lord. But a holy city! The very city, which once represented fallen mankind’s rebellious defiance against God (Genesis 11:4 + Revelation 18:2-3), is now shown to be repossessed, reclaimed, redeemed, blood-washed, and made holy, with Jesus Christ as King and Lord!

See how this vision is bursting forth with the riches of God’s grace! The holy city! The heavenly Jerusalem! It is now filled with all the redeemed saints from every nation, tongue, tribe, village, town, and city of the whole world. All of them together, “having the glory of God” and shining like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

And as this majestic vision rolls over us with the immense wonder and awe of God’s love, let us catch our breath and look yet again!

Oh believer, look at this city as it descends in its breathtaking beauty. It is gleaming and glittering with all the splendid radiance of God Himself, as He indwells her. But that is not enough!

Look closer! It is placarded with the most stunning and scandalous billboards to ever grace a city. Behold its gates! They are dazzling with a magnificent brightness beyond all compare. But these are no ordinary city gates, made of dull wood and iron bars. Rather, they are 12 singular pearls emblazoned with the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel! O, what grace upon grace!

Can you see this imagery more clearly yet? This is nothing less than a scandalous revelation! These are scandalous gates!

You see, my dear saints, the Scriptures have a lot to say about the divine enemy of Christ and his saints. More commonly, he is called the serpent, the dragon, and the devil. But in many prophetic passages, he is also poetically referred to as a Sea Monster, the Pharaoh of the seas, the Beast of chaos and destruction, whose dwelling is the sea of chaotic waters.

In Lamentations 2:16-17 and similar passages, we read of how Israel’s enemies had been allowed to swallow them up, like a serpent who eats the dust (Genesis 3:14). This judgment was allowed to befall Israel on account of their continued covenantal unfaithfulness to Yahweh, their Husband. The long history of Israel is a sad testament to their faithless failure, under the Law, to ever please God.

When their long-awaited Messiah Husband finally appeared to them, the majority of them rejected and despised Him (John 1:11, 19:6). And so, the majority portion was broken off from their own covenant tree (Acts 28:28; Romans 11), and the Gospel was sent into the Gentile nations.

It was here that the majority of Israel was swallowed up yet again, allowed to be blinded by the same old divine enemy for a long season of exile and wilderness wandering (2 Corinthians 3:12-15, 4:3-4).

But their exile is not to last forever. All the great prophetic promises of their full restoration and in-gathering will surely be fulfilled (Romans 11:24-31), for “they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.”

They who pierced their Messiah were broken off for a time. But in true Joseph-like fashion, that which they meant for evil, God meant for good in order to save the Gentile nations. In the end, they will see Him and repent (Zechariah 12:10 to 13:1).

And herein is the scandal fully discovered! That which was broken off was a Jacob (Romans 11:26), dirty, earthy, disobedient, and rebellious, being swallowed up into the mouth of the sea Serpent. But now, they come forth in the end with the new name, “the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.” That which was dead is alive again. That which was lost is found. No longer Jacob, but Israel shall your name be! These specks of dirt are transformed into radiant pearls of glorious splendour for all the cosmos to see. These are scandalous gates of pearl, gathered in from the enemy’s mouth! Preeminent trophies of God’s grace! Their Redeemer, who promised to rescue them from the very mouth of their enemy which swallowed them (Jeremiah 51:44), has crushed the serpent’s head and done so at last!

These are the promised “gates of the enemy” (Genesis 22:17, 24:60) that are here seen in full possession of the true Offspring of Abraham, Jesus Christ!

The very first vision of this holy city, even for those who view it from afar, will be these beautiful and gleaming gates of pearl! Gates of triumphant victory and grace! Forever they will stand as magnificent and scandalous billboards of God’s faithfulness to His people Israel, declaring His New Covenant Passover victory over the serpent who dared to trespass upon His holy garden temple in the beginning. Truly, the end of a thing is better than its beginning (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Amen!

---