Verse of the day
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
Emerald is on my mind this morning. Emerald is known as the “glowing” stone. The rainbow surrounding the throne of God in Revelations had the appearance of an emerald because of it’s glow. Emeralds have a beautiful and rich green color (not the color above, I wasn’t given the right option) and is said to biblically represent resurrection power and the kindness and goodness of Jesus. And how awesome that this precious stone is on my mind this morning because it is also in the text that I read in Revelations 21.
'One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.'
Revelation 21:9-27
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/REV.21.9-27
Here the angel shows John the bride of the Lamb (Jesus). We, the church, are the bride of Christ described here. We are described as having a light with the appearance of a precious stone, meaning that we shine with the glory of God! Awesome. He describes our great and high wall which is no longer needed for defense here because all enemies have been defeated at this point. Now this wall represents the fact that only the righteous will be allowed inside. Here the judgement has already been final and noone else will enter. This wall represents the completeness of Heaven. There will come a day when all the inhabitants of the earth will run out of time to repent and turn to the Lord, which is sad in a way because there may be people that we know and love that will not enter in. However, it is also an encouraging reminder for the remnant that one day there will be no more enemies, struggle, sadness, pain, betrayal, sin, etc. All of that will come to an end and we will be with the Lord forever!! Hallelujah!! These walls in Revelations 21 also represent security and belonging like the walls of our home. Amen!!! In our new home, we will not need anything from God’s creation, but we will only need Him. We won’t need the sun, moon, stars, etc. We will have no need of anything for we will be made perfect in Him and will worship Him with the more pure worship. Amen!!!
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
Emerald is on my mind this morning. Emerald is known as the “glowing” stone. The rainbow surrounding the throne of God in Revelations had the appearance of an emerald because of it’s glow. Emeralds have a beautiful and rich green color (not the color above, I wasn’t given the right option) and is said to biblically represent resurrection power and the kindness and goodness of Jesus. And how awesome that this precious stone is on my mind this morning because it is also in the text that I read in Revelations 21.
'One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.'
Revelation 21:9-27
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/REV.21.9-27
Here the angel shows John the bride of the Lamb (Jesus). We, the church, are the bride of Christ described here. We are described as having a light with the appearance of a precious stone, meaning that we shine with the glory of God! Awesome. He describes our great and high wall which is no longer needed for defense here because all enemies have been defeated at this point. Now this wall represents the fact that only the righteous will be allowed inside. Here the judgement has already been final and noone else will enter. This wall represents the completeness of Heaven. There will come a day when all the inhabitants of the earth will run out of time to repent and turn to the Lord, which is sad in a way because there may be people that we know and love that will not enter in. However, it is also an encouraging reminder for the remnant that one day there will be no more enemies, struggle, sadness, pain, betrayal, sin, etc. All of that will come to an end and we will be with the Lord forever!! Hallelujah!! These walls in Revelations 21 also represent security and belonging like the walls of our home. Amen!!! In our new home, we will not need anything from God’s creation, but we will only need Him. We won’t need the sun, moon, stars, etc. We will have no need of anything for we will be made perfect in Him and will worship Him with the more pure worship. Amen!!!
