The glory of the city Revelation 21verse 11.
"Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious,even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal."
"The glory of God", probably the least understood of all the attributes of God, simply lbecause we have never seen it, nor can visualize it. Nevertheless there are glimpses of it in scripture we do well to study. Glory refers to His outward appearance rather than His inward character and the root of the word has to do with "weight" the idea of value or influence used particularly in the weighing of metals;overall it is the compelling and commanding presence of God. It is best understood by the phrase in Hebrews 1v3 which says that Christ was "the brightness of His glory," better rendered the effulgence of His glory, the outshining of the rays of the brilliance of God's appearance. The following scriptures give us a little understanding :
- Exodus 4v29 Moses face shone after spending forty days and nights in God's presence. 2nd Corinthians 3v7 puts it like this "The children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance."
- Isaiah 6v2 Such was the outshining of the presence of God that the burning seraphs had to cover their faces because they could not look upon God.
- Ezekiel 1v28 "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, and when I saw it I fell upon my face."
- 1st Timothy 6v16 ".......who is the blessed and only potentate, the king of kings, and lord of lords;who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see."
- Acts 26v13 At his conversion, Paul was arrested by what he described as "a light above the brightness of the sun." This happened at midday when the sun would be at its brightest.
We can somehow understand this when applied to divine beings, but this is now applied to the saints and the truth of it is staggering "having the glory of God;" the verse goes on to say "her light was like unto a stone most precious." The word for "light" is "radiance" and the sight of it must have been truly amazing. This city of huge dimensions comprising all the angels and all the glorified saints, each one radiating the brilliance of the glory of God who was at its centre. They have no inherant light, they have only irraditated light, but countless numbers irradiating the glory of God is like nothing else that has ever been seen. It is well known that masses of crystals will enhance the glory of a source of pure light. This is the picture here. Attention is drawn to two aspects. First of all its beauty "a stone most precious;secondly as to its transparency "like a jasper stone clear as crystal." The only way we can today conceive it is to visualise a huge diamond irradiating light from countless sources. It will be like nothing else earth has ever seen.
The mention of the jasper stone is interesting. It is not the jasper stone as we know it today which can have many colours and is opaque. This is a jasper stone clear as crystal and appeared on the breastplate of the high priest; was used to describe the presence of God in Revelation 4v3 ; it was the the material of which the surrounding wall of the city was made, and as the first named of the foundations of the wall of the city. Its clear and brilliant appearance suggests absolute transparency as God through His people displays His glory. When we consider that these people once were sinners, and anything but transparent, we can understand a little of the beauty which is here.
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