The beauty ofthe city. Revelation 21v18-21.
"And thebuilding of the wall was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.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; the fifth sardonyx; the sixth sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
What is before us here is something of exquisite beauty and incalculable value. Our God is not only a God of moral and spiritual beauty, He is a God who loves aesthetic beauty. This is seen right from the beginning and all the way through; in the garden of Eden, it is said that the trees were " pleasant to the eyes", Genesis 2v8& Genesis 3v6. In Exodus 28v2, the garments of Aaron the high priest were to be "for glory and for beauty". In 2 Chronicles 3v6 , the stones for the temple were to be"precious stones for beauty." In Psalm 50v2 it says"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty God hath shined." Psalm 96v6 "....strength and beauty are in His sanctuary."
Attention is drawn to the wall, the city, the foundations of the wall, the gates, and the street of the city. We can look at each of these in turn.
- The beauty of the wall. The wall is of jasper; verse 11 says the jasper was like clear crystal. Imagine a huge wall diamond-like in appearance, irradiating the brilliant rays of Deity in fullglow. This is what surrounded the city.
- The beauty of the foundations. Usually foundations would consist of cheaper, if solid, materials; not so the city of God, nothing but the best! No wonder the apostle Paul insists on gold, silver and precious stones for the ministry of the church. Costly ,beautiful stones, for the base of the eternal city. Clear diamond-like jasper,sapphire blue, the colour of heaven; chalcedony, bluish white in colour like an onyx stone; the emerald, vivid green in colour; the sardonyx, a flesh coloured stone; the sardius, the blood-red stone; the chrysolyte, "the golden stone" , yellowish green; the beryl, probably sea-green, aquamarine colour; the topaz, a pale green gem ; the chrysoprasus, a leek- green stone;the jacinth or hyacinth, violet in colour; the amethyst, a beautiful purple-violet stone. When blended together, they must make an awesome sight, as from underneath the crystal-clear wall they emit brilliant colours the height of the city.
- The pearly gates. Twelve gates of huge dimensions, every one a massive single pearl. It is a known fact that pearls are made by the suffering of the oyster. A grain of sand, or grit ingresses the oyster shell causing severe distress. The oyster, automatically covers the offending item by surrounding it with " mother of pearl", layer upon layer until the invader is crushed. The principle is beauty and value from suffering which is an apt description of Christ and the church.
- The street of the city Only one street!, Does it run from top to bottom, or is it central? We don't know. What we do know it is like the city itself..... pure gold, but not merely pure as we know it now;gold which has been refined to clearness, such that no purer can be obtained. Even Solomon's temple had no such gold, and all their gold was simply a covering. The city and the street are pure, transparent gold
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