More about our
heavenly city- a city that will come down out of heaven to land upon the earth.
This city will be our home in the earth without sin! A city gorgeous beyond our imagination. A
city where our Savior will dwell with us!
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither
of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
is the light thereof.
AMAZING!
*******
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
(picture omitted)
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 semi-pellucid.
"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."
*******
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!
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