REVELATION 21: 18 - 27 PART 3 of 3

REVELATION 21: 18 - 27

PART 3 of 3

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 18) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper:  and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

   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, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

   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.

   22) And I saw no temple therein:  for the Lord God Almighty and The Lamb are the temple of it.

   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 honour into it.

   25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:  for there shall be no night there.

   26) And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

   27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:  but they which are written in The Lamb's  Book of Life.   King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

COMMENTARY

   Verse 18:  The wall is jasper.  This jasper stone was well known in the ancient world but is unidentified in the modern world.  Reading of extrabiblical references suggest that the jasper stone  is a fine translucent stone, capable of different colors, primarily radiant white, but also with flashing fiery red and purple tints.  You can bet it is more beautiful than we humans can describe.  And the city:  the streets and buildings are made of pure, flawless gold.

   The next verses describe the colors and materials of the foundations.

   Verse 21:  Let's examine the gates.  Are you familiar with how a pearl is formed?  The commentary by John Phillips points out that all the building materials used for the streets, walls, foundations of New Jerusalem were gems or metals.  But not the gates.  The pearl is made by a living creature who has an injury or an irritant introduced and forms a pearl around it to isolate the injury.  The pearl  continues to grow as long as the irritant is in the body of the oyster.  The super size of these pearly gates speak of the suffering of Jesus, Who is The Door, The Way.  Thus, the gates, which are always open, stand as an eternal witness of the sacrifice of Jesus.

   Verse 22:  Before Christ, the temple was a prophecy; during the Dispensation of Grace, the Saints were the temple, where God lives in our hearts; during the Millennial Age, it is a memorial.  In New Jerusalem, God lives among us, both by virtue of creation and by right of redemption.

   Verse 23:  Reference Isaiah 60: 19 - 23 here.  God will illuminate the world.  There will be no need for a sun or a moon.

   Verse 24:  The commentaries want to talk about the "kings of the earth" here and speculate who these people are.  I will not expound on this, as they are of no consequence to me.

   Verse 25:  Again, we understand that the gates are never closed; they are entrances, not barriers.  The night is also symbolic of sin.

   Verse 26:  All that we have and all that we are belong to the God Who created us.   All of us will understand this and glorify God for it; we will bring all the glory and honor into the New Jerusalem constantly and lay it all at the feet of our God, Who deserves it all.

   Verse 27:  There is no conceivable possibility that the wholesomeness of the city will ever be defiled by the entry of an unclean thought or impure motive.  We will have long since been conformed to the image of Jesus and have purified ourselves, even as He is pure.  There is no way we will ever sin again in any way!  Hallelujah!


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BE A BLESSING MATTHEW 10: 40 - 42

MATTHEW 10: 40 - 42

BE A BLESSING

   I had someone recently talk about "preachers" who "peddle Jesus" for their personal financial gain.  It bothered me, I must admit.  Now, I, too, have seen these people who claim to "heal" the sick and ask for money so you can see them "perform".  I have seen people on television ask for a thousand dollars from their viewers as a "seed" so the giver can "reap a harvest". There is a donate button on this site.  Let me explain why.  Come with me to Matthew 10: 40 - 42 and cliff notes from the commentary book on Matthew by Dr. John MacArthur, Jr.

Jesus is speaking:
   40) "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes The One Who sent Me.  41) Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.  42) And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."  New International Version (NIV)

COMMENTARY

   God has a tremendous economy of grace.  He gave His Only Begotten Son as sacrifice for our sins, so that whosoever believes on Jesus is washed clean of all sin.  That alone is just the most incomprehensible statement ever!  We are as if we had never sinned, just as Jesus never sinned.....but only because of His action and obedience.  We could not save ourselves but our faith in Jesus saves us.

   When God uses a prophet to deliver His message and you "welcome" the prophet, because he is a prophet and is about The Father's business, then you receive the same reward from our Father as the prophet does.  Likewise, a righteous man.  Even a disciple who is young in his faith....when you support him, rather than judge him, you receive the same reward as he does.

   In the words of  Dr. MacArthur, "Whenever we become the source of blessing for others, we are blessed; and whenever other believers become a source of blessing to us, they are blessed.  In God's magnificent economy of grace, the least believer can share the blessings of the greatest, and no one's good work will go unrewarded."

   However, we are still responsible for "testing the spirits" and confirming that The Word that is being shared is true.

   Now, you see why there is a donate button added to this ministry blog.  I don't need your money.  I have lived my entire life without it. When you donate to this ministry, you send a message to me that you are in compliance with God's requirements (tithing).  I can trust that God will hear your prayer when you call on Him, so I can count on your prayers to be added to mine when the occasion arises.  The gifts sent to this ministry are used as a benevolent fund for other believers.  I don't use your gifts for my own personal gain.  When you support this ministry (or any other), and we are used by God to win a soul to Jesus, YOU are receiving the same blessing as does the one who walked him to Jesus!  I love this.  Even if I (or you) play a miniscule role in their blessing, we receive the full blessing!

   God doesn't need your money, either.  He created you, gold, jewels, silver, etc.  He owns everything.  What God wants is your heart and your obedience.  He wants to bless you and not curse you.  You have the first move, though.  Whether it is salvation or blessings, it is up to you to willingly come.  So, be a blessing.....and receive blessings.

Have you accepted the priceless gift of salvation?  Click here to learn more:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.


 You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts.

 If this ministry is a blessing to you, please share our post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.