The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height. And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using. The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.
And mount on it a setting of gemstones, four rows of stones: In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald; in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; in the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.
Walk the Square · a single-voice walk of this pair around the Clowney square13:57
Significance
The twelve-gemmed foundations of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:19-20), bearing the names of the twelve tribes on its gates and the twelve apostles on its foundations (Rev 21:12, 14), reach back to the high priest's breastpiece of judgment, set with "four rows of stones" engraved with "the names of the sons of Israel... each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes" (Exod 28:17-21). On the Day of representation Aaron bore the twelve tribes "over his heart... as a continual reminder before the LORD" (Exod 28:29); in the consummation the whole redeemed people is itself the jeweled city, the dwelling of God. This is typological correspondence with escalation: what Aaron carried near God's presence as a memorial, the city now embodies as permanent, glorious reality, and the priestly mediation pictured on one man's chest becomes the eternal nearness of the entire covenant community to God. The historicity of the Mosaic ordinance, its analogical match (twelve tribes, named gemstones, mediated access), and its prospective character all hold. The telos is that all God's people are gathered, named, and treasured in the very presence of the Lamb, who is Himself the great High Priest bearing His people forever on His heart — Christ as our jeweled treasure and we as His.
