the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. On the north side there will be three gates: the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi.
The old names vanish because old things are done away and all things become new. These measurements puzzle us by design: whether reeds or cubits, common or geometrical, we cannot pin them down. That very uncertainty teaches us these things are meant to be understood spiritually, not mapped out with earthly precision.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 48:31-35
gates-- (Rev 21:12, &c.). The twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes to imply that all are regarded as having an interest in it.
The city's dimensions are given with exactness on all four sides, each 4,500 rods, for a total circuit of 18,000. The twelve gates bear the tribes' names in orderly fashion. But the name that matters is this: Jehovah is there. That is the city's true designation and its glory.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 48:30-35