The New Jerusalem

We are very short sighted when we see with only the eyes of our flesh. Even in so called spiritual matters such as church, ministry and service, we have a tendency to have only short term goals. Little wonder that our agendas don't always match the Lord's agenda for us.

When we see our lives or any activity, we often only see the immediate effect in our lifetimes. But God sees the end from the beginning. He works to accomplish His end and His goal is to obtain a people to live and govern with Him, not only in the millennial kingdom but also in eternity.

That's what I learnt, when we read Rev 21 in bible study. The New Jerusalem filled with precious stones, gold and pearls. It speaks of maturity and purity. Maturity is through suffering and perseverance. The precious stones of many different types from many sources, hidden in the ground now, but God found them, allowed them to have many different pressures but at the end achieving His goal, that of being precious in His sight.

The gold which had been beaten and purified exhibit a transparency which is able to shine forth God's glory.  So pure that although the person is still there, yet there is a transparency in his life that shines forth the glory of God.

The pearl is the life hidden in the grace of the Lord. We are all little pebbles. When hidden in the Lord, and His grace abounds in our lives, grace upon grace, then we are transformed. We are completely hidden inside the grace. "I no longer live but Christ lives in me." Such a people, becomes the gate to New Jerusalem, because they manifest the grace of God in their lives. Very often they are the chief of sinners, the worst of the bunch but when sin abounds, the grace of God abounds even more.

When we see the end to which God is bringing us into, we are comforted over the problems and even tribulations which we are going through. It is not by chance or by accident. Perhaps the purpose of the Lord showing us these things is so that we can share a little bit of Paul’s thought.

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (KJV)