Whose Name will be on the Twelfth Foundation of New Jerusalem’s City Wall?
At the last conference the question arose about the twelfth name on the foundation of New Jerusalem’s wall. So, we thought it would be of interest to learn what the Bible says about it.
We start out with asking the following questions:
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?
In some situations, these questions need to be asked in order to gain full understanding of reasons and results.
The prophesied new city of Jerusalem will be surrounded with a great and high wall (Revelation 21:10-12). Disagreement as to whose names will be on the twelve wall foundations will be settled when we all get there to see for ourselves. But present controversy is spiritually unhealthy in the Church. Therefore, letting the Spirit lead the way to take a closer look into Scripture will hopefully quell the differences.
The prophecy tells us this:
The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Revelation 21:14 (NIV)
Here the question arises:
“Who is the Lamb?”
Being obedient to His Father, the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as the sacrifice without blemish to die once for all. He died in place of the multitude of lambs that died before the Father sent Him.
When The Passover was instituted for Israel to be liberated from slavery in Egypt (and, today our freedom from bondage to sin), a lamb was killed as an offering, or sacrifice for sin:
Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats. (KJV)
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (KJV)
Of course, the Lamb in Revelation 21:14 refers to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (NIV)
We need to dig a little bit deeper:
“Chose the Twelve Disciples?”
Who chose the twelve disciples, eleven of whom would become the Twelve Apostles?
No question about it, the Lord Jesus Himself selected each and every one. God the Father gave them to His Son Jesus, who tells us this:
John 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”
We see from His choices of the first twelve disciples the following names:
Matthew 4:18-22 18And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter [also called Cephas in John 1:42], and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Matthew 10:2-5 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew [also called Nathanael in John 1:45]; Thomas [also called the Twin in John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2; and called Didymus in some Bible versions]; and Matthew the tax collector [also called Levi, the son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:14]; James, [also the son of Alphaeus in Mark 3:18], and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus [also called Judas the son of James in Luke 6:16]; 4Simon the Cananite [also called the Zealot in Luke 6:16], and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.”
Still talking to the twelve disciples, He told them:
Matthew 10:2-8 8“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
The original twelve are also named in the other three Gospels:
Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; and John 1:35-51, 6:5-8, 11:16, 20:24, 21:2
Why Judas Iscariot and What was the Purpose?
And we start with the question: ‘Why Judas Iscariot and What was the Purpose?”
If the son of perdition is he who would betray the Son of God, what was the purpose for choosing Judas Iscariot to be one of the twelve disciples? The Lord knew well that He would choose a new twelfth man to replace Judas Iscariot.
Of course, the reason was to fulfill prophecy. The Lord Jesus already knew Judas Iscariot would betray Him; The Holy Spirit, circa 850 BC, inspired David to prophesy the following:
Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. (NIV)
Psalm 109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office. (KJV)
Furthermore, the Lord Jesus prophesied to the twelve when gathered at the table:
John 13:21b “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
John 13:26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Judas Iscariot indeed betrayed the Lord Jesus:
John 18:3-5 3Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said, “Whom are you seeking?” 5They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He” And Judas who betrayed Him, also stood with them.
Why would the Savior choose such a one as Judas Iscariot? The Lord Jesus, who is Almighty, Sovereign God along with His Father, knew the character of Judas, the one who would betray Him. He also knew the quality, mindset, capabilities and learning aptitudes of the other eleven whom He chose.
Our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, knows our thoughts, our minds, and our hearts:
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Psalm 94:11a The LORD knows the thoughts of man;… (NIV)
Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?”
Matthew 12:25a And Jesus knew their thoughts,… (KJV)
Acts 15:8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.” (NIV)
-to be continued-
Next Blog Post on February 6, 2026:
“Who? When? Why? Where? What? and An Example of Absorbing the Holy Spirit – Part 2 of The Twelfth Apostle”
A Personal Note:
We published these 6 posts in a small book! In case you don’t want to wait for Part 2 to 6 over the coming weeks, you can download an e-copy here or order the book through our website.
Pray that people will come to the saving knowledge of the Truth before it’s too late, and love their children to teach them the Truth.
Thank you for reading and God bless you!
Other Blog Posts to Check Out:
Why did Jesus Christ die on the Cross?
Who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last?
What is a Believer? What is an Unbeliever?
The Decision – Is it only for Self?
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How to Receive Eternal Life Posts
Would you like to find out why believers have hope of Eternal Life and how to develop a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ? Check out these blog posts if your answer is “yes.”
Receiving Eternal Life as easy as A-B-C-D
Why do I need the God of the Bible?
Resources:
Check Out these Interesting Resources:
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Inc.
Gospel Folio Press – William MacDonald – Believers Bible Commentary
Warren Henderson Publishing
Christ-centered Books and Messages to Enhance Your Spiritual Growth
Uplook Ministry – Fireside Friday by Jabe Nicholson
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