The New Jerusalem
Ibadan, Nigeria
by Vera Pullen,
I N my latter years I have become a “ rockhound.” It is a very in teresting and instructive hobby, es pecially for holiday recreation high upon the 4000-foot plateau of north ern Nigeria, West Africa. God has made all things perfect. Nothing is left to mere chance. Everything “ after its kind.” Every mineral takes its own shape under proper combinations, and the re quired degrees of heat. In the tin mining areas around Jos we find many quartz stones, such as the love ly pink amethyst and the clear crys tals with their six sides. Clear tear drop topaz, water worn from being tumbled over the stones in the shal low streams, are found in abun dance. But the Bible tells us about a home, a glorious city, new Jerusa lem, made of stones, perfect stones, possessing brilliancy the like of which no human eye has ever seen. “ And the building of the wall of it 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 founda tion was jasper; the second sap phire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sar donyx; the sixth, sardius; the sev enth, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chry- soprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst” (Rev. 21: 18-20). Did you ever sit down and think about the colors of the new Jerusa lem, “ the bride, the Lamb’s wife?” Let us look at the colors of the stones which are made into the foun dations and walls of this holy city. She has walls of jasper, blue in color, probably a kind of diamond, but not the jasper we know which is green, brown, red, and other shades, and has a greasy surface.
The city is of pure gold, clear as glass. Her foundations are of jasper (b lue); of sapphire (rich, transpar ent blue); of chalcedony (pale blue or g rey ); emerald (rich green ); sardonyx (veined gem of different colors, mostly red and white); sar dius (blood-red); chrysolite (a gem called by ancients a “ golden stone” but a “ topaz” by modems); beryl (green or bluish green); topaz (yel low clear); chrysoprase (apple green or brilliant bluish tin t); jacinth (violet); amethyst (brilliant rose or bluish-violet). This beautiful city has twelve gates, each made of a single pearl with one of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written upon them. She has streets of pure gold, transparent like glass. She has twelve foundations. Each foundation has carved on it the name of one of the apostles. She is 1500 miles in length, and the same in breadth and height a perfect cube. She will have a river of living water, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. On either side of this river is the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit which are for the healing of the nations. This is all beyond human compre hension. We cannot even envision such beauty as is described in the twenty-first and twenty-second chap ters of Revelation. The Bible says there will be no temple there. The Lord God and the Lamb are the temple. There will be no sun or moon there. God’s glory will lighten it, “ and the Lamb is the light thereof.” There will be no night there, and no evil shall ever enter this beauti ful city of God. No atheist will be present; there will be no lust, no greed, no hate, no violence; no liars, no “ truce- breakers,” no “ covetous, blasphem-
ers,” rebels to their parents, “ un thankful and unholy persons” will enter that city of light. No “ traitors, high-minded, or lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” will be there (II Tim. 3:2-4). Can you imagine what it will be like to have none of these things to contend with from day to day? No longer will the cries of the suf fering saints be heard, for they will be at rest. Martyred Christians will be avenged by their Lord (Rev. 6: 10). There will be no more Inquisi tion tortures; no more saints will be thrown to thè wild beast or sawn asunder. Rest, and peace, and joy will be experienced. All will be love, and we shall know even as we are known. We shall see each other as we really are and not as we think others to be. Such a place is far beyond the understanding of our finite minds, but it is real. The Bible says so. All the redeemed of the Lord — His blood-bought'saints will be there. Will you be among them? Have you washed your robes and made them clean in the blood of the lamb? Do you long to see the face of God and the Lamb, and have your name written in the Lamb’s book of life? If you are not sure, then you can be now. God has commanded that “ all men everywhere repent” of their sins and seek forgiveness. Paul said to the Phillipian jailor: “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved . . .” (Acts 16:31a). Hava you believed? Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth, the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). There is no other way to enter this holy city, Jerusalem, except through the blood. "Some thro’ the umters, Some thro’ the flood, Some thro’ the fire, But all thro’ the blood.”
MARCH, 1966
43
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker