Matthew Henry Commentary Revelation 21:9-21

"And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: her light was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal: having a wall great and high; having 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: on the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." — Revelation 21:9-21 (ASV)

God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they sound the trumpet of Divine Providence and warn a careless world; sometimes they reveal things of a heavenly nature to the heirs of salvation. Those who desire clear views of heaven must draw as near to heaven as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its luster, glorious in relation to Christ. This vision demonstrates that the happiness of heaven consists in communion with God and in conformity to him.

The change of emblems from a bride to a city shows that we are to take only general ideas from this description. The wall signifies security. Heaven is a safe state, where those who are there are separated and secured from all evils and enemies.

This city is vast; there is room for all the people of God. The foundations of the wall are the promise and power of God and the purchase of Christ; these are the strong foundations for the safety and happiness of the church.

These foundations are represented by twelve kinds of precious stones, denoting the variety and excellence of the doctrines of the gospel, or of the graces of the Holy Spirit, or of the personal excellences of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven has gates, signifying free admission for all who are sanctified; they will not find themselves shut out. These gates were all of pearls. Christ is the Pearl of great price, and he is our Way to God.

The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. The saints in heaven tread gold under foot. The saints are there at rest, yet it is not a state of sleep and idleness; they have communion not only with God but also with one another. All these glories only faintly represent heaven.