Do you Know the Names? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 28:16,

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go."

Following Jesus' resurrection, he instructed his disciples to meet with him in Galilee. 

I note that the twelve disciples of Jesus have been reduced by one: Judas Iscariot who betrayed him and then went and hung himself in remorse. These remaining eleven disciples are those we see functioning as the apostles of Jesus Christ in the book of acts, taking the gospel to a lost and fallen world.

Here is something fun to muse over: in the book of Revelation we read, "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Revelation 21:14. The city in this verse is the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from God. We are told the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem have the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb. What are those names?

In Matthew 10:2-4 we read, "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." These are the original twelve. However, it's a good bet Judas Iscariot's name is not one of the twelve names on the foundations of the New Jerusalem.

It is reasonable to assume the remaining eleven disciples will have their names there, but who is the twelth? In Acts we read that the always impetuous Peter had the disciples gathered with him select a replacement for Judas Iscariot, "Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." Acts 1:26.

However, following this, in Acts 2:14, we see the apostles called as a group (in the 2011 version of the NIV) "the Eleven". Why are they not referred to as the Twelve now, since they chose Matthias to replace Judas? (On the other hand we see them called the "Twelve" in Acts 6:2)

We see another apostle added to the roster by the Lord himself - unlike the addition of Matthias that Peter instigated. Jesus Christ confronts a man named Saul on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:1-19. Saul's name is changed to Paul who introduces himself in his letter to the church in Rome, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God ..." Romans 1:1. He begins his letter to the Galatian churches declaring God sent him as an apostle, "Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead ..." Galatians 1:1.

Interesting, isn't it? Now we have thirteen apostles?

Realizing that not all the activities of Peter and others we read of in the book of Acts were without mistakes (see Galatians 2:11-14. Paul says, "When Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned, verse 11.) 

I'm thinking the twelve names on the foundations of the New Jerusalem will be the eleven, with the addition of Paul and not Mattias. But, what do I know? The Scriptures don't say.

What names do you think will be on the foundations of the New Jerusalem?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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