Through the apostles and their successors, we enter this city. In addition, the twelve apostles symbolize the unity of the Church. There is a gate on all four sides of the city to show that nations are gathering from all corners of the earth. The New Jerusalem is a city for all nations. At each of the twelve gates there is one Angel. St. Andrew of Caesarea explains that these are the same Angels who helped the Twelve Apostles in their missionary work – the Guardian Angels of the Apostles.

If every Christian has a Guardian Angel, how great are the 307   Guardian Angels of the Apostles. For example, we know the Guardian Angel of the Mother of God, his name was Archangel Gabriel. "On the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel" (Rev. 21:12), that is, it is emphasized here that this city is the fulfillment of the very hope that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had.

What they had been waiting for, what they had hoped for, had finally come true. In addition, twelve names of the tribes of Israel are written on the twelve gates, as a sign that this city is an assembly of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, they are gathered together in the name of Christ. "The wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. He who spoke to me had a golden reed to measure the city, and its gates, and the walls thereof.

The city is located in a quadrangle, and its length is the same as its latitude. And he measured the city with a reed for twelve thousand stades; its length and breadth and height are equal" (Rev. 21, 14-16). The Church of God is founded on one stone – Christ, and on Him there are twelve other stones – the apostles. These precious stones lying at the foundation of the walls are the holy apostles on whom the city was founded, since their labors, their ministry, gave birth to the new Jerusalem.

We see that the real material world is an expression of visible things. "He who spoke to me had a golden reed to measure the city, and its gates, and the walls thereof" (Rev. 21:15). Like the prophet Ezekiel and the apostle John, the angel shows the measure of the city to demonstrate that this city was designed and designed by God. God makes all things "by measure, number, and weight" (Wis. 11:21)

, as the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon testifies. Indeed, God designed the city and knows all its inhabitants, so the whole city is measured. The golden reed is called because it is incorruptible. 308   "The city is located in a quadrangle, and its length is the same as its latitude. And he measured the city with a reed for twelve thousand stades; its length and breadth and height are equal" (Rev. 21, 16). The city is described here as a cube.

A cube is a regular polyhedron, each face of which is a square (a quadrilateral in which all angles are right and all sides are equal). The structure of the city in the form of a cube means its hardness and strength, because it is equal in width, height and length. That is, the city is absolutely stable. Therefore, all altars in the altars of Orthodox churches are made square.

The quadrangular shape of the altar symbolically depicts that sacrifice is offered on it for all four cardinal directions, that all the ends of the earth are called to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. A stadia is a measure of length equal to 185 m. 12,000 stadia are 2,220,000 meters, or 2,220 kilometers. That is, the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, is a cube with an edge of 2,220 kilometers.

It is important to remember that the city is not the only place to dwell in eternity: some will live in a returned paradise, some in heaven, and the city will become the center, the capital of the universe. "And he measured his wall a hundred and forty-four cubits, with the measure of a man, as is the measure of an angel. Its wall was built of jasper, and the city was of pure gold, like pure glass.

The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first base is jasper, the second is sapphire, the third is chalcedon, the fourth is smaragdus, the fifth is sardonyx, the sixth is carnelian, the seventh is chrysolite, the eighth is virilla, the ninth is topaz, the tenth is chrysopras, the eleventh is hyacinth, the twelfth is amethyst" (Rev. 21:17-20). What is the height of 144 cubits? Since it is indicated that the Angel's measure coincides with the human measure, we can use an approximate figure of half a meter.

It turns out that the height of the wall at 309   measured by 72 meters. Why 144 cubits? This is twelve squared – a symbolic designation of the fullness of the twelve apostles saved through the preaching. Numerical expressions are also used to denote the perfection, firmness and symmetry of the integral edifice of the Church of God.

Here is an interesting observation: the angel measured the walls with the measure of a cubit. This means that this is a human measure, on the one hand, and an angel's measure, on the other. This speaks of both the originality and similarity of the man and the Angel. Both man and angel are created in the image of God, although man is in one respect greater than the angel in the other. Their thinking is similar. Therefore, the indication that they have a common measure speaks of the presence of a certain similarity between people and the Angels.

The walls of the city are built of green crystalline jasper. The city is pure gold, it is like pure glass, because its inhabitants are bright and pure. The base of its wall is decorated with all kinds of precious stones. The first base is jasper, that is, jasper, a green transparent crystal. The second base is a sky-blue sapphire. The third is a translucent multi-colored chalcedon (chalcedony). The fourth base is smaragd (emerald).

The fifth is the sardonyx stone, with a silky sheen and brown, black and white thin stripes. The sixth is orange and red-orange carnelian. The seventh is golden-green chrysolite. The eighth base is greenish, golden, pink, crimson transparent virilles (beryls). The ninth base is white, light blue, yellowish, wine-yellow, pink topaz.