Translation
The wall of the city
had twelve foundations
and on them were
the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles
Go to footnote numberof the LAMB.
Paraphrase
The protection of these people was based on extremely solid foundations; these foundations were
the positive spiritual examples of the spiritual leaders of all the people of THE ONLY EFFICACIOUS SACRIFICE.
Footnotes
1
The word “apostle” means “one who is sent” (on a mission). Here this term represents all those who have been sent by God on a mission to be godly leaders to God’s people. “The names of the twelve Apostles” means their example of faith and their stories of God’s faithfulness to them in their time of hardship. The disciples of Jesus, later called Apostles, were examples of God’s protecting power in that none of them recanted, none of them turned against their Lord. For this purpose Judas is excluded and Mathias is substituted in his place, that may be why the term Apostle is used instead of disciple, to exclude Judas. Most of them died martyrs’ deaths, but that is seen in Revelation as a victory, the victory of faith over fear, the victory of purity over temptation.
The disciples that Jesus chose did not come from the twelve tribes of Israel, in fact, all of them were from the area around the Sea of Galilee.