2003-11-07
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
When I left off last week, we were right in the middle of John’s description of the new Jerusalem, which began at REV 21: 9. We got as far as verse 18. How can we not be quite surprised at the degree of detail John shares with us? God never puts anything in the Scriptures without important reasons that will benefit us to know. I’m sure one of these reasons is to encourage us to want very badly to spend eternity in this wonderful place with Him. REV 21: 19-21, “The foundations stones of the city wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh yellow quartz, the eight beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chalcedony, the eleventh turquoise, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each gate was made from a single pearl. The street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.” When I first read this passage, it rang a familiar bell in my mind. After doing some searching to see if my suspicions were right, I found that these twelve stones were the same as those worn by the Jewish High Priest in ancient Israel in EX 28: 15-21. As I see it, God intends this to honor those who had served Him well.
It is not possible from what we are given in the Bible to identify the spiritual meaning of all the twelve stones, but some of them are known. Jasper, which is translucent, represents holiness. Think of the instruction on this subject that we receive in 1 PET 1:15-16, “Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God Who called you is holy. The Scriptures [LV 11: 44-45 & 19: 2] say, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’” God’s desire for us to live holy and sanctified lives is threaded throughout the Bible, OT and NT alike. Carnelian (a red stone also known as sardius) represents God’s wrath against His enemies. It suggests His willingness to protect those who endure in faith against His enemies. This notion is further supported in the comment found in REV 21: 27, “But nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of the living will enter the city.” Emerald is known to represent mercy. Our Lord has demonstrated His mercy throughout mankind’s history. David and the other writers of Psalms certainly recognized this fact. PS 25, 1, 6, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul: in You I trust, O my God. Remember, O Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from old.” PS 116: 5, “The Lord is kind and does what is right; our God is merciful.” I like to think that amethyst, a purple stone, represents spirituality and God’s royalty. This idea is also found throughout the Scriptures and is especially highlighted by the careful genealogy of Christ given in it. From this, there is no question of Christ’s royal lineage, and we must remember that Christ is the second person of God.
It is not lost on those of us who are interested that the church, is God’s “pearl of great price.” The Savior, Jesus Christ, sold all He had for it. If we read the Parable of the Pearl in MT 13: 45-46, we can better understand this. “Also the Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.” How can those who endure in faith not recognize how much God loves us? Remember Paul’s words in RO 8: 1, 28, “There is no condemnation for those who live in union with Christ Jesus…We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has called according to His purpose.” Gold has always been a precious metal that is associated in the minds of men with great value. The fact that the golden streets of the new Jerusalem are transparent would lead one to feel this represents the purity, magnificence, and brilliance of God’s glory.
If we look at the messages of all the Scriptures given here so far, we can hardly feel that God is ever indifferent toward us. COL 1: 19-20 gives us a clear picture of God’s purpose in sending Christ to earth in the first place. “For it was by God’s own decision that the Son has in Himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to Himself. God made peace through His Son’s death on the cross and so brought back to Himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.” It isn’t hard to imagine God’s disappointment when a human being chooses to reject Him and sticks to that decision. When we take the time to study the Scriptures and pray about what we have seen there, God is pleased and willing, through the Holy Spirit, to reveal His will, His attributes, and His wonderful deeds to those who love Him. In view of that, we should never feel unloved if we endure in our faith.
PRAYER: O Lord, no precious stone or human word can approach Your great glory. How very privileged we are that You were willing to share with us, through John, so much about the new Jerusalem, Your eternal city on the hill. When we lose a loved one who was faithful, we do not have to feel the hopelessness that people without faith in Christ have. That is because we know that if we endure in our own faith, we will be reunited with them in the Kingdom of heaven. The more we read Your word, the more loved we can feel. That is because Your glory is so brilliant and dazzling that it’s light will never be put out. Instead, Your light can be reflected in our eyes and through our lives if we live in righteousness. Two Scriptures, 2 CH 16: 9 & HO 14: 8, come to mind, which demonstrate how much You care about us. “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those who hearts are fully committed to Him…The people of Israel will have nothing more to do with idols; I will answer their prayers and take care of them. Like an evergreen tree, I will shelter them; I am the Source of all their blessings.” Because believing Christians have been “in-grafted to the cultivated olive tree” [RO 11: 16-24] that represents believing Israel, we are all joined together in the Body of Christ with no barriers between us. Nothing like this could be possible without the profound love You have for us. Dearest Abba, You are precious like a luxurious pearl in our lives. You are more beautiful than the purest diamond, more important than the most valuable metal to us. We confess our sins before You, knowing that if we stop sinning, You will forgive us. You sent Your Son to die on the cross, so that we could be saved. We stand before You today to acknowledge Your wonderful attributes-things like patience, compassion, justice, kindness, love, wisdom, and righteousness. We know that You continually do wonderful things for us, like offering us salvation, granting us unmerited favor (grace), teaching us how to live righteously, offer us encouragement when in sorrow, protecting us, and providing for us. You are a glorious Lord, supreme and sovereign, and we pledge You our love. In Christ’s name, we pray, amen.
Next week, we will continue on with our look at God’s revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven, through John, in REV 21: 1-22:5. We will pick up with REV 21: 22. Our awesome Lord shines His light down upon all who believe in Him. He asks us to live lives of holiness, because He loves us enough to want us to be at His side in heaven forever. Considering the alternative, that awful lake of fire and sulfur, we are so very blessed that God loves us this much. We can meditate on that love and make our homes a sanctuary for Him. Because He is omnipresent, He can live with each of us. He is in our hearts in His third person, the Holy Spirit, when we stick to our belief in Him. I have personally seen, through my work on the prayer chain, God at work in the lives of ordinary people. He is nothing short of amazing in what He does and how He does it. I have also seen the Holy Spirit’s work at many wonderful Cursillo 4-day retreat weekends. Peoples’ lives have been permanently altered by this wonderful program in which God’s grace is showered on them. God can do things through ordinary people of faith that have a huge effect which is good and righteous for many others. This is the joy that comes from having faith in Jesus Christ!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn