Unjust, filthy - righteous, and holy.

Revelation 22 VERSE 3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.

This language proves that the great God, the Father, is referred to, as well as the Son. The marks of the curse, the deadly miasma, and the ghastly scenes of desolation and decay, will no more be seen on the earth. Every breeze will be balmy and life-giving, every scene beauty, and every sound music.

VERSE 4. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

The word his, in the sentence, "And they shall see his face," refers to the Father; for he is the one whose name is in their foreheads; and that it is the Father, we learn from chapter 14:1. This will be a fulfilment of the promise in Matt. 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God."

VERSE 5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever.    6.    And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.    7.    Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Here, again, we have the declaration that there shall be no night in the city; for the Lord God will be the light of the place. Verse 7 proves that Christ is the speaker, a fact which it is of especial importance to bear in mind in connection with verse 14. To keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book is to obey the duties brought to view in connection with the prophecy, as, for instance, in chapter 14:9-12.

VERSE 8. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.    9.    Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this

p 768 -- book: worship God.    10.    And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.    11.    He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.    12.    And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

(For remarks on verse 9, see on chapter 19:10.) In verse 10 John is told not to seal the sayings of the prophecy of this book. The popular theology of our day says that the book is sealed. One of two things follows from this:   either John disobeyed his instructions, or the theology above referred to is fulfilling Isa. 29:10-14. Verse 11 proves that probation closes, and the cases of all are unalterably fixed, before the coming of Christ; for in the very next verse Christ says, "Behold, I come quickly." What dangerous and insane presumption, then, to claim, as age-to-come believers do, that there will be probation even after that event! Christ's reward is with him, to give every man as his work shall be, which is another conclusive proof that there can be no probation after that event; for all the living wicked, those "who know not God," the heathen, and those "who obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ," the sinners of Christian lands (2 Thess. 1:8), will be visited with swift destruction from Him who then comes in flaming fire to take vengeance on his foes.

The declaration of verse 11 marks the close of probation, which is the close of Christ's work as mediator. But we are taught by the subject of the sanctuary that this work closes with the examination of the cases of the living in the investigative judgment. When this is accomplished, the irrevocable fiat can be pronounced. But when the cases of the living are reached in the work of judgment, we apprehend that what remains to be done will be so speedily accomplished that all these cases may almost be said to be decided simultaneously. We have therefore no occasion to speculate as to the order of work among the living; that is, whose cases will be decided first, and whose last, nor whether or not it will be known that any are decided before all is finished.

*******

I will study this more in depth tomorrow by the grace of God.

In His love always!

Water and Tree - of Life

Revelation 22 -

CHAPTER -- XXII -- The Tree and the River of Life 

p 763 -- VERSE 1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

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

The angel continues to show John the wonderful things of the city of God. In the midst of the street of the city was the tree of life.

The Broad Street. - Although the word street is here used in the singular number, with the definite article the before it, it is not supposed that there is but one street in the city; for there are twelve gates, and there must of course be a street leading to each gate. But the street here spoken of is the street by way of distinction; it is the main street, or, as the original word signifies, the broad way, the great avenue.

The River of Life. - The tree of life is in the midst of this street; but the tree of life is on either side of the river of life; hence the river of life is also in the midst of the street of the city. This river proceeds from the throne of God. The picture thus presented before the mind is this: The glorious throne of God at the head of this broad way, or avenue; out of that throne the river of life, flowing lengthwise through the center of the street; and the tree of life growing on either side, forming a high and magnificent arch over that majestic stream, and spreading its life-bearing branches far away on either hand. How broad this broad street is, we have no

p 764 -- street diagram means of determining; but it will be at once perceived that a city three hundred and seventy-five miles from side to side in either direction, would be able to devote quite an ample space to its great avenue.

A very natural conception of the arrangement of the streets of the city would be that shown in the accompanying diagram; namely, the throne in the center, and a grand avenue in which is the river of life and the tree of life extending out in four directions to the wall of the city on all of its four sides. This would give all corresponding parts of the city equal access to the grand avenue. It would also furnish opportunity for one magnificent gate in the center of each side of the city, opening upon the grand avenue. The length of each of these four branches of the avenue (depending of course on how much space is allotted to the throne) would be at least some one hundred and eighty miles. It may be said that this is carrying speculation a degree too far. Perhaps it is. But it is assumed that those who hope soon to enter into that city, will not be averse to a little innocent speculation in that direction.

The Tree of Life. - But how can the tree of life be but one tree, and still be on either side of the river?   1.    It is evident that there is but one tree of life. From Genesis to Revelation it is spoken of as but one - the tree of life.    2.    To be at once on both sides of the river, it must have more than one trunk, in which case it must be united at the  or in its upper branches, in order to form but one tree. John,

p 765 -- 

(picture omitted) 

p 766 -- caught away in the Spirit, and presented with a minute view of this wonderful object, says that it was on either side of the river. Another who has been privileged to behold in vision the marvelous glories of the heavenly land, has borne similar testimony:       "We all marched in, and felt that we had a perfect right in the city. Here we saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life. At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again, and saw that they were united at the  in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either side of the river of life; its branches bowed to the place where we stood; and the fruit was glorious, which looked like gold mixed with silver." Experience and Views, pp. 12, 13.       And why should such a tree be looked upon as unnatural or impossible, since we have an illustration of it here upon earth? The banyan tree of India is of precisely the same nature in this respect. Of this tree the Encyclopedia Americana thus speaks:       "The ficus Indica (Indian fig, or banyan tree) has been celebrated from antiquity from its letting its branches drop and take root in the earth, which in their turn become trunks, and give out other branches, a single tree thus forming a little forest."       In just this way the tree of life could extend and support itself.

The tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit, and yields its fruit every month. This fact throws light upon the declaration in Isa. 66:23, that all flesh shall come up "from one new moon to another " to worship before the Lord of hosts. The words new moon should be rendered month. The Hebrew has (hhodesh), the second definition of which Gesenius gives as "a month." The Septuagint has mhn ek mhnoV (men ek menos) "from month to month." The redeemed come up to the holy city from month to month to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations; literally, the service of the nations. This cannot be understood as implying that any will enter the city in a diseased or deformed condition to need healing; for then the conclusion would follow that there will always be persons there in that condition, as we have no reason to understand that the

p 767 -- service of the leaves, whatever it is, will not be perpetual, like the use of the fruit; but the idea of disease and deformity in the immortal state is contrary to the express declarations of other scriptures.

*******

 VERSE 1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Water equals life.

Without water we human beings cannot live. We are comprised of a lot of water. Without water we die of thirst in very short order.

A pure river of water of life.

The source of this water of life is the throne of God and the Lamb.

To drink from this pure water of life that comes from the throne of God and the Lamb, this would be beyond any sort of water we've ever had to drink before in our entire life. Water from God, from our Savior, life from our God and Savior in a tangible way. 

We will never drink anything as exquisite as this water, never, and only by the grace of God will we partake in the water of life.

The tree of life with its twelve manner of fruits, how amazing is this?! 

I read this article recently-

http://time.com/3086552/tree-of-40-fruit-sam-van-aken/

A man grafting a tree so much that it yields 40 different kinds of fruit.  A man made tree, designed to bear fruit in a way you'd never find in nature on its own.  Yet the tree of life will be a GOD given tree, a tree meant purposefully, without any grafting, to yield 12 different kinds of fruit. The fruit will be special and why wouldn't it be, it is the fruit of the tree of life!

Remember this--

Gen 3:22  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Gen 3:23  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

We were no longer allowed to eat of this tree. Banned from the tree yielding its special fruit lest we eat of it and live forever.  God would NOT allow sinful man the ability to live forever in sin. Living forever was DENIED to sinful man.  And once again that draws me back to the insane belief that man continues to live on after death in a way that they know they are living, they know others are not living, they are conscious of their loved ones not in heaven living upon earth, watching them. This is insanity at its best because Satan has been able to cause this insane thinking upon almost the entire population of humanity in one form or another. What gives us life- that breath God gives to us, it goes back to God who gave it.

Ecc_12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

That spirit-breath is not an invisible duplicate of ourselves separated from our bodies. If this were so wouldn't we ALL just want to die as soon as we are aware that we can live as a disembodied person? We are under the delusion that this spirit living person we become after death feels no pain, doesn't cry, has no more heartache so what stops people from wanting this life over living now in the agonies of a flesh existence? Truly if people believe they go on to exist on another plane with their loved ones what stops them from wanting that life above all?  They are under the impression that we must suffer out whatever length of years of flesh filled life we are given for reasons we can't truly comprehend. Or perhaps part of them, some small part of them knows the truth is, there is NO immediate living in any form after they die.

We were kept from the tree of life- lest we eat of it and live in a sinful manner forever.

What does this tell us, truly, what does this say to us?

We absolutely do NOT live forever in any way, not until our Savior returns for us and gives us immortality, raising the dead from their graves to give this immortality to them, if they have chosen life over death.

What point is there in having a tree of life if you already live forever? What point is there is there to this…

Rev 22:2  …the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

What's the point? Truly we need to ask ourselves these logical questions. We need to look for the TRUTH.

Don't sit there and tell me it is perfectly harmless for people to believe in their loved ones going to heaven to be with other loved ones and Jesus immediately after death. It is DEADLY to hold that belief! It is contrary to the TRUTH. It is believing in the DEVIL'S LIES, the very first lie he told Eve-

Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

Joh_8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

He LIED.

Do you think Adam and Eve believed that lie after they saw the dead body of their son, Abel? Do you think they believed Abel went on to a better place? Seriously, do you really believe God would make death just another form of life, and a better one at that? Where is the punishment for sin? Where is the determent in even telling them they would die if death meant something better?

I can only shake my head and continue to not comprehend why people insist on believing in immediate life after death in heaven.

Psa_13:3  Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death

And why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead if he were already gone on to a better life? Why?!

I go on and on about this, but I must!

DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Please!

We will live with our God, our Savior, in heaven and we will live with them in the New Jerusalem upon earth made new, and we will eat of the tree of life and drink from the pure water of life. All by the GRACE of GOD we will enter immortality with HIM.

Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

The promise of becoming an heir to the city whose builder and maker is God.

None of them realized that promise- not yet.

They will realize it along with us- at the same time.

They 'received NOT the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that THEY without US should NOT be made perfect.'

They 'all died in faith NOT having received the promises'.

We do not receive the promise, not until our Savior returns for us!  Stop believing you inherit that promise upon death, it's a lie and opens the door to spiritual blindness, being allowed to believe all you want to believe, yet never truly being known by Jesus who is TRUTH.

Please, Father God in Heaven, please… we would be YOURS! We believe! Help Thou our unbelief!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, and ever!

AMEN.

No need for the sun or the moon...

Revelation 21-

VERSE 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.  24.   And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.  25.   And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall he no night there.  26.   And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  27.   And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

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

p 762 -- No Night There. - It is in the city alone, probably, that there is no night. There will of course be days and nights in the new earth, but they will be days and nights of surpassing glory. The prophet, speaking of this time, says, "Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." Isa. 30:26. But if the light of the moon in that state is as the light of the sun, how can there be said to be night there? Answer:   The light of the sun shall be sevenfold, so that although the night is as our day, the day will be sevenfold brighter, making the contrast between day and night there as marked, perhaps, as at the present time; but both will be surpassingly glorious.

Verse 24 speaks of nations and kings. The nations are the nations of the saved; and we are all kings, in a certain sense, in the new-earth state. We possess a "kingdom," and are to "reign" forever and ever.

But it appears from some of our Saviour's parables, as in Matt. 25:21, 23, that some will occupy in a special sense the position of rulers, and may thus be spoken of as kings of the earth in connection with the nations of the saved. These bring their glory and honor into the city, when on the Sabbaths and new moons they there come up to worship before God. Isa. 66:23.

Reader, do you want a part in the unspeakable and eternal glories of this heavenly city? See to it, then, that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life; for those only whose names are on that heavenly "roll of honor" can enter there.

*******

Did you ever wonder why Adam and Eve needed to be clothed after they sinned? They no longer were covered in the light of their Creator. Darkness came between them and the light of God. Our God, and our Savior are all the light we need! Seriously! Once more the light of God's righteousness will be able to cover us. Sin will no longer separate us from God. When we sin we SEPARATE ourselves from God.

As sinners we cannot remove sin from ourselves. You cannot with your hands, clean mud from yourself, as long as your hands are covered in mud, it's impossible. You need some way to clean the mud from your hands first.

Sin permanently attaches itself to us unless we allow our Savior to remove it from us, accepting we cannot remove the sin ourselves.  We might, with our SAVIOR'S strength be able to keep from sinning and therefore avoid sin staining ourselves over and over again, in fact in the very last days when probation is over and all cases decided, God's people who are alive then will have to live sinlessly through the Holy Spirit. They will have to live sinless by the grace and power of God and Jesus until our Savior returns and calls us to be with Him forevermore.

Sin stains, and our Savior alone can remove the stains. As long as we refuse to have our Savior remove the sin stains from us, we are allowing ourselves to be covered in a barrier that will keep us from being reunited with our God. We are truly separating ourselves from God, we are choosing separation.

If we hope to live in the glorious forever light of our God and Savior the light of the New Jerusalem we mustn't allow any sin to remain unconfessed to Jesus Christ our Lord. We must confess all, we must repent, we must look to our Savior, Jesus Christ always, for all things! Our Savior will forgive us, He will cleanse us, He will cover us in HIS righteousness!

All by HIS love! All through HIM, our Savior Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!!

AMEN!

God the Temple

Revelation 21 VERSE 22. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

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

The Living Temple. - With the temple is connected the idea of sacrifices and a mediatorial work; but when the city is located upon the earth, there will be no such work to be performed. Sacrifices and offerings, and all mediatorial work based thereon, will be forever past; hence there will be no need of the outward symbol of such work. But the temple in old Jerusalem, besides being a place for sacrificial worship, was the beauty and glory of the place; and as if to anticipate the question that might arise as to what would constitute the ornament and glory of the new city if there was to be no temple therein, the prophet answers, "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." It appears that there is now a temple in the city. Chapter 16:17. What becomes of that temple when the city comes down, revelation does not inform us. Possibly it is removed from the city, or it may be put to such a different use as to cease to be the temple of God.

*******

No temple in the New Jerusalem- why?

Why was the earthly temple created? Who dwelt in the temple in example?

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

The tabernacle served as an example- a pattern of the heavenly was shown to Moses for the earthly. 

There between the angels on the mercy seat …

Exo_25:22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

GOD was meeting with MOSES.  God was there in the temple.

1Ki 8:26  And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.

1Ki 8:27  But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

1Ki 8:28  Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:

1Ki 8:29  That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.

God doesn't dwell on earth, heaven, and the heaven and heavens cannot contain God.

However, God WILL dwell on the NEW earth, God and our Savior, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ will BE the temple of the New Jerusalem!

The TEMPLE.  How important IS the TEMPLE that God and Jesus will be the TEMPLE of the New City?

The Temple represents GOD WITH US!

No wonder when GOD is with us, He is the TEMPLE.

By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, may we be in the New Jerusalem with our God, with our Savior!

All in His love! Now and forever!

AMEN!

Gates of Pearl, Streets of Gold

Revelation 21-

VERSE 21. -- And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

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

The Gates of Pearl. - Whether we understand that these gates were of solid pearl, or whether composed of pearls thickly set in a framework of some other precious material, does not materially affect the testimony. If it should be objected that it would be contrary to the nature of things to have a pearl large enough for a gate, we reply that God is able to produce it; the objection simply limits the power of God. But in either case the gates would outwardly have the appearance of pearl, and in ordinary language would be described as gates of pearl.

The Streets of Burnished Gold. - In this verse, as also in verse 18, the city is spoken of as built of gold, pure, like unto clear glass, or, as it were, transparent glass. It is not necessary to conclude from this language that the gold is of itself transparent. Take that, for instance, which composes the street. If it were really transparent, it would simply permit us to look through and behold whatever was beneath the city, - the substratum upon which it rested, - a view which cannot be anticipated as specially pleasing. But let us suppose the golden pavement of the street to be so highly polished as to possess perfect powers of reflection, like the truest mirror, and

p 761 -- we can see at once that the effect would be grand and striking in the extreme. Think for a moment what the appearance of a street so paved would be. The gorgeous palaces on either side would be reflected beneath, and the boundless expanse of the heavens above would also appear below; so that to the person walking those golden streets it would appear that both himself and the city were suspended between the infinite heights above and the unfathomable depths below, while the mansions on either side of the street, having equal powers of reflection, would marvelously multiply both palaces and people, and conspire to render the whole scene novel, pleasing, beautiful, and grand beyond conception.

*******

Gates of Pearl.

Streets of Pure Gold.

We all know about things this world considers precious, special, priceless. To say pearls are considered among the special things isn't an understatement at all. To have a REAL pearl necklace is something wonderful. Just as having a real gold necklace is equally precious, and expensive. We all know pearls and gold are among this world's treasures so is it any wonder at all that our Lord would give us a revelation that contains these amazing things? The Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem will be a city unlike ANY other city that ever existed and ever will exist.

By the GRACE of God we will LIVE in that Holy Heaven Sent City!

Please, Lord, please.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior now and forever, AMEN!

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

(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 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!

A city of gold.

Revelation 21

verse 15. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates.thereof, and the wall thereof.  16.   And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.  17.   And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.  18.   And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

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

The City's Dimensions. - According to this testimony the city is laid out in a perfect square, measuring equally on all sides. The measure of the city, John declares, was twelve thousand furlongs. Twelve thousand furlongs, eight furlongs to the mile, equal fifteen hundred English miles. It may be understood that this measure is the measure of the whole circumference of the city and not merely of one side. This appears, from Kitto, to have been the ancient method of measuring cities. The whole circumference was taken, and that was said to be the measure of the city. According to this rule, the New Jerusalem will be three hundred and seventy-five miles on each side. The length, breadth, and height of it are equal. From this language, the question has arisen whether the city was as high as it was long and broad. The word rendered equal is isoV (isos); and from the definitions given by Liddell and Scott, we learn that it may be used to convey the idea of proportion: the height was proportionate to the length and

p 757 -- breadth. And this idea is strengthened by the fact that the wall was only a hundred and forty-four cubits high. Taking the cubit at about twenty-two inches, the length which is most commonly assigned to the ancient cubit, it would give only two hundred and sixty-four feet as the height of the wall. Now, if the city is just as high as it is long and broad, that is, three hundred and seventy-five miles, this wall of less than three hundred feet would be, in comparison, a most insignificant affair. Probably, therefore, the height of the buildings of the city is to be judged of by the height of the wall, which is distinctly given. 

The following criticisms on verse 16, the verse which gives the dimensions of the heavenly city, are undoubtedly correct:  -

"It has been inferred from the above text that the New Jerusalem city is to be as high as it is long, and that its length will be twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen hundred miles. It seems to us entirely unnecessary to place such a construction upon the language. The word equal does not always mean the same as to dimensions or position; it is frequently used in the sense of proportion. If we were to say that the length and the breadth and the height of the city were in proportion, we should not violate the language." This view is taken by Jas. Du Pui, A. M., in his Exposition of the Apocalypse. The following from Thomas Wicks, author of Lectures on the Apocalypse, presents the same idea:       "The language, however, will bear another meaning, which is far more natural. It is not that the length and breadth and height were severally equal to each other, but equal with themselves; that is, the length was everywhere the same, and the breadth everywhere the same, and the height the same. It was perfect and symmetrical in all its proportions. This is confirmed by the fact distinctly stated, that the wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits high, or two hundred and sixteen feet, a proper height for a wall; while it is said that 'the length is as large as the breadth."'      This writer allows but eighteen inches to the cubit.

The Greek word isos, which is translated equal, will, according to Pickering, bear the meaning of proportion. Greenfield, in defining one of its cognate words (isotes), gives to it the

p 758 -- sense of "equal proportion," and refers to 2 Cor. 8:13, 14 as an example where this definition is quite admissible.

It would appear, therefore, that the height of the city was proportionate to its length and breadth, and not that it was as high as it was long. The text certainly admits of this interpretation; and this frees the language from all ambiguity, and the city from all disproportion, and shows perfect harmony in the general description.

The building of the wall was of jasper. Jasper is a precious stone usually described as of "a beautiful bright green color, sometimes clouded with white or spotted with yellow." This we understand to be the material of the main body of the wall built upon the twelve foundations hereafter described. And let it be remembered that this jasper wall was "clear as crystal" (verse 11), revealing all the glories within.

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'an hundred and forty and four cubits'  Interesting isn't it? 144 cubits.

144,000-

Rev_14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

God does everything for a reason, everything. Do we always comprehend the reasons, no. Do we have to? No. Will we one day understand? Yes. We are allowed to comprehend everything necessary to our salvation, and by the grace of our Lord and Savior we will! 

Knowing the dimensions of the new city Jerusalem truly amazes us doesn't it? Such a city! That our God and our Savior will be in that city with us is most amazing… and we will definitely find out more about that very soon!

A new home, a home that will boggle our minds with wonder, truly we long for this city, this perfect city!  This world isn't our final home, this world wasn't Abraham's home… remember this…

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

We are strangers and pilgrims on earth! Our country is heaven, our city is the new Jerusalem!

Please, Father, may we live with you in this new country, in this new city! By Your Love, Your Grace, Your Mercy!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever! AMEN!