Revelation 21:14
14 And [kai] the wall [teichos] of the city [polis] had [echo] twelve [dodeka] foundations, [themelios] and [kai] in [en] them [autos] the names [onoma] of the twelve [dodeka] apostles [apostolos] of the Lamb. [arnion] KJV-Interlinear
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. NASB
What are the first things that John observes, when he sees the city of Jerusalem descending down from heaven?
He sees a brilliantly and beautifully lit city that is huge. He sees a high wall with twelve gates. Three gates on each side of the city, and then he sees twelve foundation stones.
The gates are named after the tribes of Israel, the twelve sons of Jacob, who was later renamed Israel.
The foundations are named after the twelve apostles. Their names can be found in the gospels.
And they are Peter, and Andrew his brother, and
brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee, also called the sons of thunder,
Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer,
James the son of Alphaeus, and
Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Paul.
The names of the tribes of Israel represent the lineage of faith, which is Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their line is significant not because of their genetic relationship, because Abraham had Ishmael who is not in this named line, and Jacob had a brother Esau, who also is not in this line.
The common denominator in their relationship is faith in the one and only promised savior, the Son of God as they came to know Him. We of course know Him as Jesus Christ.
The apostle’s names are symbolic here as they represent the gospel and doctrine of Christ.
Therefore, all entrances into the eternal city are based on faith, in Christ. These then will commemorate that truth forever. Gods relationship with His people is based on those two things, faith in, and the doctrine of, Christ, who is the chief cornerstone.
Gods relationship with humanity is not based on anything else.
No person can attain a relationship with God through the self-righteousness of Judaism, through the arrogance of Islam, through the absurdity of Hinduism, through the foolishness of Buddhism, or through the stupidity of any other belief system or lack of one.
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