Rainbow City

Revelation 21 VERSE 19. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;  20.  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a az; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

A Literal City. - If we consider this description exclusively metaphorical, as is done by the great mass of those who profess to be Bible teachers, and spiritualize away this city into aerial nothingess, how unmeaning, yea, even bordering upon folly, do these minute descriptions appear; but if we take it, as it is evidently designed to be understood, in its natural and obvious signification, and look upon the city as the Revelator evidently designed we should look upon it, as a literal and tangible abode, our glorious inheritance, the beauties of which we are to look upon with our own eyes, how is the glory of the scene enhanced!

It is in this light - though it is not for mortal man, of himself, to conceive of the grandeur of those things which God has prepared for those that love him - that men may delight to contemplate the glories of their future abode. We love to dwell upon those descriptions which convey to our minds, as well as language can do it, an idea of the loveliness and beauty

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p 759 -- which shall characterize our eternal home. And as we become absorbed in the contemplation of an inheritance tangible and sure, courage springs up anew, hope revives, faith plumes her wings; and with feelings of thanksgiving to God that he has placed it within our power to gain an entrance to the mansions of the redeemed, we resolve anew, despite the world and all its obstacles, that we will be among the sharers in the proffered joy. Let us, then, look at the precious foundation stones of that great city, through whose gates of pearl God's people may hope soon to enter. 

The Glorious Foundation. - "The word adorned"- (garnished), says Stuart,      "may raise a doubt here whether the writer means to say that into the various courses of the foundation ornamental precious stones were only here and there inserted; but taking the whole description together, I do not apprehend this to have been his meaning.

"Jasper, as we have seen above, is usually a stone of green, transparent color, with red veins; but there are many varieties.

"Sapphire is a beautiful, azure, or sky-blue, color, almost as transparent and glittering as a diamond.

"Chalcedony seems to be a species of agate, or more properly the onyx. The onyx of the ancients was probably of a bluish white, and semipellucid.

"The emerald was of a vivid green, and next to the ruby in hardness.

"Sardonyx is a mixture of chalcedony and carnelian, which last is of a flesh-color.

"Sardius is probably the carnelian. Sometimes, however, the red is quite vivid.

"Chrysolite, as its name imports, is of a yellow or gold color, and is pellucid. From this was probably taken the conception of the pellucid gold which constitutes the material of the city.

"Beryl is of a sea-green color.

"The az of the present day seems to be reckoned as yellow; but that of the ancients appears to have been pale green. Plin., 38, 8, Bellermann. Urim et Thummim. p. 37.

p 760 -- "Chrysoprasus, of a pale yellow and greenish color, like a scallion; sometimes it is classed at the present day under az.

"Hyacinth [jacinth], of a deep red or violet color.

"Amethyst, a gem of great hardness and brilliancy, of a violet color, and usually found in India.

"In looking over these various classes, we find the first four to be of a green or bluish cast; the fifth and sixth, of a red or scarlet; the seventh, yellow; the eighth, ninth, and tenth, of different shades of the lighter green; the eleventh and twelfth of a scarlet or splendid red. There is a classification, therefore, in this arrangement; a mixture not dissimilar to the arrangement in the rainbow, with the exception that it is more complex."

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A rainbow city! How gorgeous are rainbows?  I know I love seeing rainbows. And even though we can manufacture them, a water hose on a sunny day and such, their beauty never fades. The beauty of this forever heaven sent city will truly be beyond our imaginations. All the beauty we see now is shadowed by the horrors of sin's existence.  The beauty we will have the honor, the privilege of seeing will be given to us from love! The love of our God will provide all we ever need.  We have to hold fast to our Savior's love, His promises!

By His grace alone will we be with Him in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem!