THE HOLY
CITY
(continued)
“…and
he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God…having a wall
great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and
names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children
of Israel: on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south
three gates; and on the west three gates.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:10-14).
As
the entire city symbolizes the perfected bride of Christ, the glorified sons of
God, and the fully established kingdom
of God
invested, manifested, and operating in and through them, so the several parts
of the city described signify special attributes, characteristics, and
conditions that will obtain in the divine kingdom in its perfection.
One
of the beautiful symbols given us in the new Jerusalem is that of its majestic
wall. John testified the wall was built
of jasper, or, as it would be called
today, of blue-white diamonds.
John used the beauty and brilliance of these diamonds to describe the glory
of the city as a whole (21:11), but verse eighteen indicates the wall is totally built of these
diamonds. Here is glory indescribable! The scene is one of luminous splendor! The idea is not one of mere physical
appearance, but of spiritual wealth,
beauty, power, and glory! How
beautifully they reflect the glory and power of God!
“And he that talked with me had a golden reed
to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length
is as large as the breadth:
and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred
and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the
messenger. And the building of the wall
of it was of jasper…” (Rev. 21:15-18).
According to this passage the city lies foursquare, 12,000 furlongs each
way, which translates into 1,500 miles wide, 1,500 miles long, and 1,500 miles
high with a wall around it that is 144 cubits high. Twelve is
the number of divine government.
12 X 12 is 144 — that is, divine government squared, brought to its ultimate
fullness. The measurement of the wall (144 cubits) means that the city is
surrounded and protected by the divine authority and omnipotent power of God! That makes the wall, in our measurements, 264
feet high. Now, if this is a literal
city in heaven, who are the enemies this wall is designed to keep out? What would be the purpose of a wall 264 feet high? Or, if we understand this city carnally, will
the new heavens and the new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness be so wicked that walls are needed to protect and
defend it? Even in our time, what
protection would a wall 264 feet high provide?
Would such a wall hinder demons, or terrorists, or jet planes loaded
with bombs, or missiles carrying warheads?
The
literal interpretation of these beautiful symbols cannot explain any purpose
for this wall. But understood
spiritually, the wall has deep meaning and wonderful significance. The walls of this city are SALVATION. “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city; salvation will
God appoint for walls and bulwarks” (Isa.
26:1). “Violence shall no more be heard
in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy wall Salvation, and thy gates Praise” (Isa. 60:18). “For I,
saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall
of fire (the scintillating gems) round about, and will be the glory in the
midst of her” (Zech. 2:5). “The name of the Lord is a strong tower (literally:
a walled place)…” (Prov. 18:10). The
mighty power of God’s salvation in our lives is the wall of the city of our
God! God is raising up this wall within
us from glory to glory. The wall has a
measurement — there were 144 cubits, according to the measure of a man. John
said that the man was the angel, or
the messenger. So the man was not an angel as we think
of angels, for he was indeed
a man.
The man is Christ Jesus! The man
is the measure of the wall of the
city! That is the measure of the second
man, the last Adam,
the perfect man, the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. It is the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ
(Eph. 4:13). This measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ IS THE SALVATION that brings every son and
daughter of God into that safety where no enemy can harm! As we come into the perfection of Christ we
dwell within the walls of His salvation!
The power of the Christ formed within is our defense, His life becomes
the strength of our life! It is the
raising up of His life within us that overcomes sin, defeats Satan, dispels
darkness, subdues carnality, and vanquishes death. This is the eternal salvation that has been
brought to us by the man Christ Jesus!
This
“so great a salvation” is our inheritance in Christ. Where is it?
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to
an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God unto salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time” (I Pet. 1:3-5). This great salvation is “reserved in heaven”
for you, that is, in the realm of the
spirit. It is reserved not in some
far-off heaven out in space, but in the heavenly, spiritual dimension of our
very own lives from whence it is raised up in power within us. And it is reserved for you — for each individual
who will enter the kingdom. It is reserved for you and for me! It means that it is kept in this treasure
chest of the Lord, reserved, labeled for each saint predestinated unto the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us
not cheat ourselves out of our inheritance!
Let us not neglect so great a
salvation! The inheritance is our FULL
SALVATION in spirit, soul, and body. It already exists in the spirit within us,
reserved for us to appropriate in the
totality of our experience!
This
great salvation is “ready to be revealed in the last time.” The “last time” is not a date on the
calendar. It signifies the completion,
the fullness, the consummation, the final crowning work of God in His
people. Everything in our spiritual walk and experience in God
is moving us forward toward that “last
time,” the ultimate maturity and power of Christ raised up in us! The Emphasized Version expresses it so
beautifully, “…ready to be revealed at the ripening
time.” The ripening time is the
season in our lives and in all of the Lord’s elect when the full fruit of God
ripens in our experience. The Father has
waited long for the precious fruit of the earth to come to maturity — fully
ripe. God wants His people to be
perfectly ripe so that all the nourishment, strength, victory, power, and life
of Christ is reproduced within us, the beautiful fruit that He will present to
creation to partake of. Think of it!
This
inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, is reserved in the heaven of our
spiritual reality to be revealed in the last time, or in the ripening
time. Dear ones, are we afraid to ride
the rocket of God? Are we hesitant to
venture to believe that something is reserved for people now that no other
people has been able to reach? Are we
afraid to believe that? Or do we wish to believe that
this age is just like every other? Will
we venture to ride on God’s rocket and soar away by faith in God and say, “Lord,
I am not going to look at my weakness or consider my unworthiness, but I know
you have something for me which has been reserved in my name far beyond
anything I have ever dreamed of, and I do now arise to possess my inheritance.” It is reserved in heaven “for you,” ready
to be revealed. All things are
ready, ready to be revealed, manifested in us.
It is just as though we had something beautiful, something that eyes had
never seen
which was veiled, and the veil would be removed and all could look upon it.
What God has for His people is ready to be revealed. God wants to lift the veil from our eyes so
that we might see the full salvation
that He has prepared for those who love Him.
That is what was happening to John when he saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
And there he beheld in transfixed wonder the great and glorious WALL OF
SALVATION by which every enemy is shut out, even the last enemy, which is
death, forever shut out from us by the mighty, impregnable wall of His
victorious life!
You
see, beloved, walls are not for protection only, but for exclusion. The purpose of a wall in Bible times was for
protection and defense, to keep out enemies.
Every garden had a wall. Every
city had a wall. To be inside the wall
signifies protection and freedom from enemies.
It means to have no enemies! Are
you still struggling with enemies, dear one?
Then get inside the city! Realize
that you are the city and God has a
great and strong wall about you! There
are no enemies there, for every enemy has been put under foot! There is no sin there! There is no flesh there! There is no immaturity there! There is no misunderstanding there! There is no sickness there! There is no pain, sorrow, or death
there! Oh, what a wall of salvation! Everything is excluded that defiles! “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” (Rev. 21:27). Nothing
can come into the city but that which is of the life of Christ. Anything
that is not of incorruptible life is
excluded.
Those
who inhabit this glorious realm are separate from the filth of Babylon
and the flesh-pots of Egypt. They abide in union with Christ. They put on His glorious mind and are
transformed into His wonderful likeness.
Nothing else is permitted entry into their world! “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain” (Ps. 127:1). Thank
God, the Lord Himself is the keeper of the walls of salvation in the city of God! The wall of salvation has nothing to do with
so-called “coverings” of elderships, headships, fellowships, rules,
regulations, laws, or doctrines. If
there was really “safety” in any of those orders you wouldn’t see so much confusion,
divisions, disgraced ministries, and fellowships falling apart. The wall of salvation reflects the glory of
God in the life of the child of God as the faith and strength and power of God Himself
is formed as a nature in him. Isn’t it
wonderful!
THE GATES
“And
had a wall great and high, and had twelve
gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east three gates; on the north three
gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the twelve
gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl…and the gates of it shall not be shut at all
by day: for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it”
(Rev. 21:12-13, 21, 25-26).
The
beautiful type is seen in Solomon’s temple
of which we read, “And he set the porters (answering to
the twelve angels at the twelve gates in the passage above) at the gates of the house of the Lord, that
none which was unclean in anything should enter in” (II Chron. 23:10). Something more than a mere “gate” is
understood by the word in Hebrew. It
signifies a porch or a structure enclosing the gate, sometimes containing chambers.
We may take our conception of what John saw from the gates of cities
in ancient times which were often
elaborate affairs, massive gateways which form entrances, not simply gates as
we know gates. The same is seen in the
temples of Egypt. It was something like entering through the “customs house” at
the border of a foreign country.
Rare
indeed is the
man or woman in the religious systems of earth who has a true and spiritual
understanding of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb. In one remarkable prophetic word the prophet Isaiah carries us beyond the
symbol to the reality, saying, “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land,
wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and THY GATES
PRAISE” (Isa. 60:18). How clear that the
idea of a material city is but a product of carnal minds and childish
understanding, as the Holy Spirit pulls aside the veil and identifies for us just
what the walls and gates of the city of God really are. The WALLS are SALVATION and the GATES are
PRAISE! Salvation and praise are wrought
out through a people — not through
stone walls or pearly gates. There are
twelve gates of praise — twelve aspects or dimensions of HIS PRAISE lived out
through the lives of those ministries through which men are ushered into the
realities of the city. Again, twelve is
the number of divine government, thus the rulership of the spirit in our lives
evokes the praise by which HE is glorified.
Jesus, our elder brother and pattern, was ruled by the mind and will of
the Father at all times and in all things.
His whole life was a praise unto
God! His life, in all its words,
attitudes, and actions GLORIFIED GOD!
Praise is often associated in our minds only with verbal singing,
thanksgiving, and noise — but true praise lies beyond what one speaks — it is a
state of being. Christ’s life was a praise to God. It
was in harmony with the purpose of God
and revealed the character and glory of God.
The
gates are the entrance into the
presence, majesty, and glory of God! “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and
into His courts with praise” (Ps. 100:4).
The gates are also the entrance into
the kingdom of God! “There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and
which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: the lion’s whelps have not trodden it,
nor the fierce lion passed by it” (Job 28:7-8).
“It shall be called the Way of
Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the
wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err and go therein” (Isa. 35:8-9). It is only by and through the wisdom, grace, and Spirit of God that we can find an
entrance in through the gates of the holy city.
Nothing that is unclean or that defileth, nothing of the world, the
flesh, or the devil can enter into this eternal divine relationship with the
Lord. The holy city, the divine
government of the Lord, is composed of only those that have been made fully
one in Him, filled with His fullness,
invested with His nature. They have laid
aside the corruptible things of this life and have put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
being granted an abundant entrance into His kingdom and glory.
These are they whose life is hid with Christ in God, and when Christ,
who is their life, appears, they appear with Him in His glory (Col.
3:3-4).
Since
the gates are never
closed by day, and there is no night
there; and since “entering in” by the gates is mentioned, while there is no
suggestion of anyone exiting through the gates, we can conclude that there will
always be access to God’s presence, power, and glory; and always access to
enter (become a part of) the bride!
Think of that! Night is caused by
the earth turning way from the light. In
this realm there will no longer be a turning away, no longer a vacillating back
and forth between light and darkness, truth and error, spirit and flesh. And there is no more a dependence upon any
light of any kind from without, for
the Lamb who is the light dwells
within! Every man has His own light within and no longer draws any
light (receives any ministry) from anything or anyone outside himself! What a word that is!
The
twelve gates of the city bear the names of the twelve tribes of the children of
Israel. This fact has led some to erroneously assume
that the natural Israel,
the fleshly seed of Abraham, the multitude of nations that have come out of his loins, the thousands of millions
of physical descendants of Rebekah and Leah, are the bride of Christ. But such can never be!
The book of Revelation is entirely a book of symbols! A symbol is never the reality, it merely points to the
reality. Should we begin to interpret
the book literally, we would start down a slippery slope indeed, which would land us in an abyss of
innumerable absurdities. If the term
“children of Israel”
signifies literally the fleshly descendants of Israel, then why would the term
“gates” not signify literal gates of a material city? One simply cannot “pick and choose” what
is to be taken literally and what is
figurative and metaphorical.
The
city as seen by John in holy vision is not a literal city — it is a symbolic
city — a people. The gates are not
literal gates — they are spiritual entrances into the presence, holiness,
glory, and power of God. The river of the water of life is no babbling stream
like the rivers of earth — it is the eternal outflowing of the life of God in
the spirit. The wall is nothing like
that wall which surrounded the ancient earthly Jerusalem — it is the almighty defense of His
salvation-power in our lives. The throne
is not a golden seat in some far-off heaven somewhere — rather, it is a symbol
bespeaking the realm of His omnipotent power and sovereignty, and His universal
dominion. Thus, when we read of the names of the twelve tribes of the
children of Israel upon the
gates of the city it cannot mean the literal names written with letters of the
alphabet, nor can it signify the fleshly Israel — else the symbolism breaks
down and what is intended as merely a figure becomes in fact the very
reality. It must point beyond the
outward and physical to the inward and spiritual. The things pertaining to the city of God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from God, are both heavenly
and spiritual — not of the earth, earthy. They belong to the new creation — not the
old!
The
names of the twelve tribes of Israel
are deeply meaningful to us in the spirit.
An understanding of the tribes reveals to us ways and means by which we
are able to enter into the new Jerusalem today.
The first is RUEBEN, meaning, “Behold a son.” God is perfecting the spirit of sonship in a
people, and this spirit is one of the entrances into the governmental realm of
God. The throne is within the city, and
it is the manchild, the manifest sons of God, who is caught up into that
throne. Therefore, the spirit of sonship
in our hearts by which we cry, “Abba!
Father!” is the first gate of our entrance into the city! The second tribe is SIMEON, meaning
“Hearing.” The admonition to the
overcomer always is, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Faith comes by hearing the word of God, the living
word of God, and this spiritual capacity to truly hear in the Spirit and by the Spirit is the second gateway into the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
LEVI, the third of the tribes, means “Unity” or “Joined,” and truly “he
that is joined unto the Lord is one
spirit.” It speaks of the principle of abiding in Christ — experiencing a divine union with Him. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can
do nothing.” Those of the spiritual
tribe of Levi have discovered the secret place of the Most High!
The
fourth is JUDAH,
and means “Praise” — not “praisers” per se, but a people transformed to show
forth HIS PRAISE, that is, HIS VIRTUES AND HIS EXCELLENCIES, TO BECOME His
praise in the earth. “This people have I
formed for myself; they shall show forth
my praise” (Isa. 43:21). “I have set
watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never
hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not
silence, and give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem
a praise in the earth” (Isa. 62:6-7).
“That I may show forth all Thy
praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in Thy salvation” (Ps.
9:14). Being changed — becoming His
praise — is the fourth gate of entrance into the kingdom of God! The fifth tribe, ZEBULON, means
“Dwelling.” It speaks of possessing our
possessions, of apprehending that for which we also have been apprehended of
Christ Jesus, actively entering into and laying hold upon that which has been
promised. It means to no longer just
“talk the talk” but begin to “walk the walk”!
This principle is another mighty gate of entrance into the power and
glory of the city! The sixth tribe,
ISSACHAR, means “Bearing a reward.” This
bespeaks of attainment — that which
surpasses grace and gifts and imputation — something bestowed in recognition of
actual accomplishment and qualification.
The gifts of the Spirit are given, not because of the goodness of the
recipient, but because of the goodness of the Giver. They are free gifts, not merit badges. But in Issachar we receive a “reward,” as the
Lord has said, “Behold, I come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to give to every man according
as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:12).
As we begin to receive His reward for our growth and development in Him,
we discover another gate of entrance into the governmental realm of God!
GAD,
the seventh tribe, denotes “A seer” — the spirit of prophecy, the opened
heavens, divine wisdom
by which one understands the true nature of all things. All truth, spiritual understanding of
all mysteries of the kingdom, fullness
of revelation — without doubt these are an important prerequisite for rulership
in the kingdom! ASHER, the eighth of the
tribes, means “Happy.” “The joy of the Lord is our strength” — no
longer that soulish joy often “worked up” in meetings by singing, clapping, and
praising, nor yet that bubbly, giddy, superficial excitement of spiritual children over God’s goodness and
blessings; but that deep, confident, abiding joy of spiritual maturity which is
undisturbed by anything that happens in the outer world of appearances. If something bad or disappointing happening
can rob us of our joy, then it is not this kingdom
joy that comes down out of heaven from God!
This is the mind of Christ and
the kingdom attitude that is unmoved
and unshaken by events, the fundamental
quality that admits us into the inner calm and stability of the Christ in the
face of all situations and circumstances.
That is one gate we must enter
in order to reign with Christ and enlighten the nations! The ninth tribe is NAPHTALI, meaning
“Wrestling.” This denotes victory in
spiritual warfare, not just in our own personal battles, but on behalf of
others and on behalf of creation. It is
an aspect of overcoming, but not merely the overcoming in our own lives, but
overcoming the powers arrayed in the outer world — “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high (exalted, entrenched, heavenly, spiritual) places”
(Eph. 5:12). What an accomplishment that
is for showing forth the glory, authority, power, and majesty of the Christ!
The
tenth tribe, EPHRAIM, means “Double fruit” — that which becomes provision for
all men out of the abundance of HIS LIFE.
It is provision and sonship ministry.
As Jesus went about healing, delivering,
casting out demons, raising the dead, feeding the multitudes, speaking to the
elements, His ministry was not out of the “in part” measure of the church age,
for He received the Spirit without
measure. His ministry therefore was
not out of the “gift” realm, but out of the spirit and power of sonship to God. Every apprehended son of God must
eventually move out of the old “church
order” into the kingdom order; and
out of the “five-fold” ministry into the sonship
ministry, as Paul the apostle has
taught us, “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: TILL we
all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
UNTO A PERFECT MAN (SON), UNTO THE MEASURE
OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST” (Eph. 4:11-13). This “perfect man” and this “measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ” ministry bears the fruit of the tree of life
in the midst of the city, the leaves of which are for the healing of the
nations, and the fruit of which will satisfy the hunger of all creation!
The
eleventh tribe, MANASSEH, means “Forgetfulness” — representing the ministry of reconciliation, unconditional
love, mercy, forgiveness, and blessing — God in Christ reconciling the world
unto Himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them, wherein He says even to the rebellious, “And they shall
not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord: for ALL shall know me, from the least
to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sin and iniquities will I REMEMBER NO MORE” (Heb. 8:11-12).
All God’s sons must enter through this gate of reconciliation, mercy,
and love, partaking of the spirit of the firstborn Son of God who “came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.” It is here that we forget the “sin” message
as it is preached in the church systems, and go forth in the power of the true
“salvation” message — saviours upon
mount Zion! The twelfth tribe is
BENJAMIN, meaning, “Son of the father’s right hand.” Benjamin is the youngest son and the figure
of authority and power, revealing the great truth that all the foregoing
principles, characteristics, and attainments must be thoroughly established in
one’s experience and life before he qualifies to share THE DOMINION OF HIS
THRONE!
There
are twelve gates to the holy city — three gates on each side — and each gate is
one great pearl (Rev. 21:13,21). Think
of it, beloved, the seer of Patmos does not
tell us that the gates are made of pearl,
but that each of the gates IS ONE PEARL!
What kind of pearls are these!
Why is every gate a pearl? You
remember the heavenly merchant man in Jesus’ kingdom parable of the pearl of
great price. “The kingdom of heaven is
like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one
pearl of great price, went out and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Mat.
13:45-46). You may say, “That is the
sinner seeking the Saviour. Jesus is the
one Pearl of
great price, and we must sell all we have and all we are to obtain that
priceless stone.” Indeed! a sinner selling? What has old Adam got, what has the
natural man got that is of any value to pay
for the Christ? What has the natural
man got to sell but his sin, lack, ignorance, limitation, darkness, and
death? And what does the carnal, baby
Christian in religious Babylon
have to sell but his wood, hay, and stubble?
Nay, the pearl of great price in
this parable is not Christ Jesus, but the church! Not that filthy harlot system which calls itself the church,
but the true elect of God born from
above!
I
do not hesitate to tell you that the Christ went and sold all that He had, He
emptied Himself, made Himself of no reputation, being made in the form of a
servant, and in the likeness of sinful flesh, laying aside the glory He had
with the Father before the world was, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross — truly He payed ALL for the church which is the new
Jerusalem! The inspired writer has borne
divine witness: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves…to feed the church of God,
which HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD” (Acts 20:28). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT; that He might present it to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy (the holy
city) and without blemish (as the
pearls and gems of the city) before Him in love” (Eph. 5:25,27). The pearl of great price is the true church
in her unity, beauty, perfection, and completeness — the bride adorned for her Husband, the wife of the Lamb, the exalted queen
of heaven, the glorious city of God! The bride so fascinated with the Lord Jesus,
was of such value and preciousness unto Him, that He parted with “all that He
had,” to get that pearl! Aren’t you glad!
The
pearl was the most precious substance known to the ancients. A large pearl is almost priceless. A single ordinary pearl’s worth may be in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars. And
there is a reason for the pearl’s great value.
Some one hundred years ago, a common mussel living in the Tennessee River, began feeling mighty uncomfortable. A
fragment of shell from some other mussel, long since dead, had washed into its
housing. This shell fragment became an
irritant within the mussel. Immediately
the mussel began a response, a healing response,
to the irritation. Because of the
irritation and hurt, a juice or fluid began to be exuded by the mussel to
“coat” the foreign substance. Secreting
streams of pearly saliva or nacre — one
of the things mussels as well as oysters do best — this particular mollusk
managed to cover all the rough edges of the shell fragment. This provided some temporary relief. But each time the substance hardened it again
created suffering, renewed pain, on the part of the mussel. Another layer of nacre was added. As the years passed, it added more and more
coats of nacre until the fragment became deeply hidden in the pea-like
object. Each layer added hardened into a
spherical form of lustrous beauty. Thus
was born an authentic North American
fresh-water pearl.
The
value of a pearl more than an inch in diameter is fabulous. The world’s largest natural pearl found
anywhere (recorded by Guinness) turned up in a giant killer clam off the coast
of the Philippine Islands. It weighed a little more than 14 pounds. The pearl is baroque in shape, a little
larger than a man’s head, and was (at that time) valued at $4,080,000. In the light of all this, how staggering is
the statement that the portals of the new Jerusalem are each a single pearl! Each one represents the wealth of a world! Twelve of them matched! It stuns the imagination. But the type speaks powerfully to us of the
immense heavenly value of our process of
entrance into the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!
The
pearl is formed within a living creature by a living process. Pearls
do not grow in the open air, or exposed to the outer elements. Most are formed within an oyster, hidden away
within the depths of the seas. The
oyster is certainly not a beautiful creature on the outside, yet God has
ordained a spiritual lesson for us in that on the inside of the oyster, through processes that He has ordained,
something BEAUTIFUL and of GREAT VALUE can be formed. Thus a pure heart, a divine mind, a heavenly
nature is formed in the center of the
ugliness of an outwardly earthly creature.
It is a living thing — a living process — and has its seat at the very
center of the life. As already pointed out, the creation of the pearl is
initiated by the introduction of an irritant, a piece of shell, or in most
cases just a grain of sand. When the
irritant arrives, there seems only one thing for the lowly creature to do. To deny the existence of the sand is futile,
for it is there. To rebel is useless,
for there is no way to extract it. So,
slowly and patiently, the oyster begins to build layer upon layer of that milky
substance, leaving a lovely coating over all, which then hardens to become a
beautiful pearl. In the life of the
overcomer that irritant is THE CROSS. It
is produced out of suffering, and the crucifixion of a life. The “sea” is a type of our fleshly, human
nature, and the living process involved in making the pearl is the living,
dynamic work of GRACE that flows out from our spirit within in response to the
inworking of the cross, producing the beautiful character qualities that give us
an entrance into the higher dimensions of God’s kingdom. Our hearts are made pure, the new creation
life is formed in soul and body, through the crucifixion of the natural life and
the outflowing of His grace. The cross
enters our lives as something that hurts
— we may see it as a trial, a difficulty, a hard place, a crisis experience
— but it pierces the flesh-life, evoking streams of the pearly nacre of HIS
LIFE, GRACE, AND GLORY, forming the beauty of the Christ within. Thus the trials, testings, and difficulties
are conquered and the seeming misfortune turned to blessing. All who enter this fair city pass through the
gates of pearl, and by the abundant grace of God they turn their trials into
triumphs. Oh, the wonder of it! Oh, the
mystery of it!
The
city has twelve gates and each gate is a pearl.
This reveals the great truth that every gate of entrance into the
blessedness, righteousness, life, power, and glory of this city will bring you
pain, irritation, and the fellowship of His sufferings as you experience the
work of His cross within yourself. Is it
any wonder why most people would rather “look for the city” up in the sky than
to “enter into the city” in their own experience? As we enter the city we become the habitation and expression of God in the earth! The pain we experience as we enter the city
is the crucifixion of our old nature, our old creation man, our fleshly,
soulical life, and our natural understanding.
At each gate we lose more and
more of Self and gain more and more of Him!
Once we have experienced all of the gates of the city all the shadows
have flown away, all the in-part realm has been swallowed up, there is no more seeing
through a glass darkly, for in union
with Christ we see face to face.
Never forget, precious friend of mine, that each gate,
each means of entrance into that city, is a PEARL
— we cannot be admitted to the heavenly Jerusalem
unless God has produced something in our lives akin to the beauty and value of the
pearl. As someone has pointed out,
pearls can be found anywhere in the
world, even in waters that are somewhat shallow, but the best quality pearls
are found in the depths of the sea,
speaking to us of a deep work of God
in our lives. “They that go down to the
sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these are the works of the
Lord, and His wonders in the deep” (Ps. 107:23-24). The deeper the work of God in us, the more
astounding it is to us! Without a doubt
a pearl is one of “His wonders in the deep.”
As God does a deeper work in us, piercing to the very depths of our
life, then truly “deep calleth unto deep at the noise of the waterspouts” (Ps.
42:7).
Leland
Earls wrote: “A pearl cannot be produced without suffering in the oyster. Hebrews 2:10 says that Jesus was ‘made
perfect through suffering.’ The Greek
word used here is pathema, meaning
‘something undergone, i.e. hardship or pain.’
Another Greek word is used in Hebrews 5:8 where we read that Jesus ‘learned
obedience by the things which He suffered.’
The word in this passage is pascho,
which means ‘to experience a sensation or impression.’ Thus it was ALL
the experiences that Jesus went through which prepared or perfected Him for His role or ministry as King-Priest in the kingdom of God. And remember — Jesus is not only our Saviour,
but also the Pattern Son for all the
sons who are to be brought to His
same glory and share in His King-Priest ministry and rule. We are now being prepared for future roles of
responsibility. And the experiences of
life correspond to the ‘irritants’ that ‘invade’ the oyster! How we respond to them is important! If we let the spirit ‘exude’ divine grace
within us, even as the oyster exudes a living substance that forms a pearl,
then our right and grateful response to every experience can be used by God to
form the pearl-like beauty of His nature and character in us. Pearls
may be rose, cream, white, bronze, brown, or pastel shades of lavender, blue,
green, etc., depicting the various ‘hues’ of the Lord’s work in us by His
Spirit. It is not the irritants
(experiences) themselves that make us overcomers, but rather our drawing upon
His grace — His divine life substance, that builds layer upon layer of
pearl-like beauty in us. The appealing
iridescence and the luster for which pearls are prized are due primarily to the
reflection and refraction of light on the surface of the translucent gem. Ah, beloved, the light of the new Jerusalem
is the GLORY of God! Can we be ready for that city unless when
that glory shines upon us there is a reflection and refraction of HIS VERY OWN
beauty and image developed within us? —
end quote.
In
ancient times, pearls were regarded as a symbol of perfection. This came about because of their pure color —
predominantly white with other hues and tones.
Their appearance was also regarded as softer, more feminine, than that
of mineral gems such as diamonds and emeralds.
Because they are softer and vulnerable to scratches, pearls need gentle treatment. A modern comparison of pearls and other
precious gems, made by a woman’s magazine some time ago, stated in a
mock-serious vein that, while diamonds make a woman appear harsh and
mysterious, pearls make her more sexy and sensuous. Is it not remarkable, in the light of this
worldly evaluation, that two millenniums ago the Holy Spirit used the pearl as
a symbol of entrance into the company of the prepared, adorned, beautiful, and
glorious bride of the Lamb! She is prepared, perfected, matured, adorned
with goodly pearls as a bride for her Husband.
Corporately, it is the feminine qualities of God formed in a people and
united to Himself. Individually, it is the soul cleansed,
sanctified, and transformed, made one with the spirit. O glorious city of God!
To be continued… J. PRESTON EBY
