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The measurements of the city are given and must be received, and nothing we can
write will be of any service beyond stating that we must accept the explanation as a
matter of fact. It is possible that the shape of this city is that of a pyramid, which would
be in harmony with the archaeological evidences of early Babylonian buildings. Near to
the ruins of Babylon is a huge mound which is called Birs-Nimrud, or the tower of
Nimrod:--
"It covers a square surface of 49,000 feet, and is nearly 300 feet high . . . . . Herodotus
saw it while it still retained something of its ancient glories."
He describes it as being constructed of a series of eight towers, with a way running
spirally around them. Nebuchadnezzar leaves a record to the effect that he restored this
tower, using different coloured tiles for each stage of the building (see Volume V of
The Berean Expositor, page 30). This seems to be Satan's anticipation and travesty of
the glorious colours of the new Jerusalem.
It is somewhat difficult to decide whether the word "building" in verse 18 means the
super-structure, as some translate it, or the buttresses, as others suggest. It is evidently
something different from the foundations themselves, as one could scarcely adorn jasper
with jasper. Those who have opportunity may find in the Museum at South Kensington
the twelve stones mentioned in this description. We do not think any spiritual good can
come by a lengthy description; most have some fair knowledge of their general
appearance, and when we do see this vision of beauty we shall doubtless say "the half
was not told me".
No temple, no sun, no moon.
During the millennium there will be the glorious temple described with such
minuteness by Ezekiel (in chapters 40:-47:), but the greater glory of the new Jerusalem
is that it needs no temple:--
"And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the
temple of it" (Rev. 21: 22).
While temples, altars, sacrifices and priests stand, full access is denied (see Heb. 9: 8,
9; 10: 19-22 for the principle). During the millennium:--
"the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be
sevenfold" (Isa. 30: 26).
but of the city of Jerusalem itself we read:--
"The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give
light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy
glory" (Isa. 60: 19, 20).
This is but another anticipation of the heavenly city:--