New Jerusalem has Twelve Gates

Revelation 21:12-13 describes New Jerusalem saying, “It had a great and high wall and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel: on the east three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.”

The three gates on each of the four sides of the holy city signify that the Triune God is the entrance into the holy city. The gates on the four sides face the four directions of the earth, signifying that the Triune God as the entrance into the holy city is available to all the peoples on earth, those “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9; cf. Gen. 2:10-14). This matches the Lord’s charge to His believers to disciple all the nations by baptizing them into the name of the Triune God (Matt. 28:19).*

The Triune God is our entrance into New Jerusalem. Our salvation begins with confessing that we are a sinner and receiving Him into us and then being baptized into Him. (Baptism should quickly followed receiving the Lord, as in Acts 2:38, 41; 10:44-48; 16:14-15, 31-33.)

Not only our baptism, but even our believing is “into Him.” John 9:35, “believe into the Son of God.” John 14:1, Jesus said, “believe into God, believe also into Me.” Philippians 1:29, “it has been graciously granted…to believe into Him.” First Peter 1:21, “believe into God.” Our believing, followed by our sanctification, concluding with our glorification, brings us fully into New Jerusalem.

* From page 25 of Ed Marks, The New Jerusalem—A Corporate Person, Affirmation & Critique Monograph, A&C Press, © Living Stream Ministry (2025).

Posted by Don on June 12, 2026

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2026/06/12/new-jerusalem-has-twelve-gates/