Scripture reading: Revelation 21:10-12
Revelation 21:12 describes Jerusalem. “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.”
This is a spiritual “wall,” and these are spiritual “gates” and “angels” (messengers). “A wall” is made to keep out intruders and to keep in those who are in; it is used as security. When the Lord speaks of “a wall” in the spiritual sense, He is talking about something that prevents intruders. Those who are not belonging cannot come in without proper entrance through the gate.
In the Song of Solomon we see a reference to “wall” in verse 9 of chapter 2. “My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.” “Our wall” is the barrier that we construct in our lives between us and the Lord (the wrong things that make a barrier to prevent God from coming in). Our “Beloved” is the Lord Jesus. We see Him coming and standing “behind our wall,” and “look(ing) forth at the windows” and “shewing himself through the lattice.” In other words, He is trying to make communication with us even in spite of our barriers. Think of the barrier now between the world, the outsiders, and the people of the Lord. It is all spiritual. There is a spiritual fence, a spiritual wall (solid, unable to be breached by those from without) which God has put around the sons of God, around the spiritual city of Jerusalem, the bride, to protect her from the invasion of the outside world.
This “wall” has “twelve gates.” This city has “twelve gates.” A gate is a way, an entrance in. Jesus Christ said, “I am the way,” THE GREAT WAY; and because Jesus is “the way,” all of us who follow Him and walk in His path become a way for someone to come to Jesus. Jesus is “the way” into the Father. We are the different ways into Christ. Someone finds Christ because we led him/her to Christ. We become a way, a gate, a door. In the same way, God is speaking of the 12 tribes of Israel. We are talking about spiritual Israel finding “the way” into the city through the 12 different gates. The 12 apostles, representatives of the 12 gates, and the work of the apostles become a foundation through which and upon which we have built our spiritual life. They have become a permanent way to the city of God, to the New Jerusalem. They are the 12 doors, the 12 gates.
(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 3, pages 129-130)
Thought for today: Because Jesus is “the way,” all of us who follow Him and walk in His path become a way for someone to come to Jesus.
Sonlight Devotional 
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