Revelation 21: 15-21
Now John will describe the appearance of this city, as told and demonstrated by this angel who came out of the temple in Heaven to pour out a bowl of wrath.
(15) The one who spoke with me
The angel.
had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.
He is finished with the bowl, he now has a measuring stick, to determine the size of this city.
(16) The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and its width and its height are equal.
It is square, as long as it is wide; and it could be shaped as a cube or as a pyramid, as high as it is wide and long. A perfect cube or pyramid.
(17) And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.
The wall around the city is 144 cubits, which is 72 yards tall, using man's measurement, which is the same as the angel's.
(18) The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
Jasper is a beautiful mineral with captivating color patterns and formations. It is typically spotted, striped or ringed. Each jasper stone possesses a unique pattern or color scheme, making it one of the most unique gemstones. This is a most beautiful wall.
And the city itself is of a valuable gold material that is so pure that it is as clear as glass. But not fragile like glass, but strong and permanent.
(19) The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
(20) the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacith; the twelfth, amethyst.
All of these stones he mentions are of varied and beautiful colors and qualities, making this city the most spectacular place imaginable. And John had to describe all this using the Earthly materials he was familiar with, so these must have been extraordinarily gorgeous!
(21) And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Can you imagine a pearl as big as a city gate? This is incredible! These must be new materials on this New Earth, in this city that came directly out of Heaven itself!
John was again seeing things that he would never be able to imagine, so he had to use things and materials that he knew to compare these new things with, to be able to give a description at all.
This is a New Earth in a New Heaven, so it must be completely different from the present planet we are living on now. I commend John for his imagination, to think up things he knew to illustrate somewhat what he was seeing, things never seen before.
These things are extremely extraordinary and supernatural, and God is preparing them all for us! He made this world so we could prosper here, following His ways. When He makes His New Creation, we will be in our resurrected, spiritual bodies that will be suited to live in a fantastic place such as what is described here.
When Jesus was about to die and be resurrected and ascend back to Heaven, He told the disciples at the Last Supper, that, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14: 2). Right now, while He is still in Heaven, before His return here, He is constructing this city, using Heavenly materials, so that it will be ready when the New Heaven (universe) and New Earth (Earth-like planet) are ready.
O my Father, You are so supremely generous and gracious to make us to be Your own children, and to wash us clean in the blood of Your Son, so that Your Spirit could come into our human spirits, making them alive. Now, when He returns to this broken Earth to wipe it clean and make it new, healing it for its Golden Age, He will also redeem us, who He has saved, to assist Him in ruling it. But this isn't all You have planned for us!
When You are finished with this creation, then You will do away with it, remaking it into a completely new creation for your pleasure and enjoyment, and I wonder if You will also make a new kind of people to form the nations there.
Father, Your imagination has no bounds! You are God, and I expect for You to continually exercise Your creativity to make more and varied worlds and universes all throughout future eternity! And, as Your royal family, we will participate with You in assisting, probably similar to how Your holy angels are assisting You now with Mankind.
Dear Father, let us go out now to the world, to broadcast Your word, Your good news of how much You have loved us, and are the Source for everything we need, both material and spiritual; temporary and eternal.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
