Outline
Ⅳ
The overcoming believers are signified by jasper and other precious stones—21:9-11, 18-21:
A
Jasper signifies the appearance of God shining with the glory of God as the light of the New Jerusalem for the expression of God—4:3; 21:11, 18-19.
B
The other precious stones signify the riches of the beauty of Christ in different aspects for the foundation of God's eternal dwelling—vv. 19-21.
C
By the judging Spirit, the burning Spirit, and the flowing Spirit—the Lord Spirit—we are being transformed by the experiences of the riches of Christ as the God of resurrection gained through sufferings, consuming pressures, and the killing work of the cross—Isa. 4:4; 11:2; John 4:14b; 2 Cor. 1:8-9.
D
Through the process of transformation, we boast in our weaknesses and boast in Christ Jesus so that the power of Christ as grace might tabernacle over us—v. 12; 11:30-33; 12:7-9; Rom. 5:3; 1 Cor. 1:29-31; Phil. 3:3.
E
By our growth in the divine life in Christ as the living stone, we are being transformed into precious stones; through the process of transformation, the Triune God is being wrought into and structured together with us to the praise of the glory of His grace with which He graced us in the Beloved for us to become the New Jerusalem as the conclusion of the entire Bible and the good news to the entire universe—1 Pet. 2:4; 1 Cor. 3:12a; Eph. 1:6; Rev. 21:18-21.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 4:3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone…21:11 …Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.
18-19 And the building work of its wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold…The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone: the first foundation was jasper…
Now we come to the last, consummating, and most striking symbol of the believers in the New Testament—jasper and other precious stones… Eventually all believers will be transformed into precious stones. By nature we are clay. But from the time we were regenerated, we began to be transformed.
Jasper signifies the appearance of God shining with the glory of God as the light of the New Jerusalem for the expression of God. In Revelation 4:3 we are clearly told that God sitting on the throne has the appearance of jasper which, according to 21:11, is “a most precious stone…clear as crystal.” Its color must be dark green, which signifies life in its richness. Jasper here, as 21:11 indicates, signifies God’s communicable glory in His rich life (John 17:22, 2). It is the appearance of God, which will also be the appearance of the New Jerusalem. The city’s wall and first foundation are built with it (Rev. 21:18-19). (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1231)
Today’s Reading
Since jasper is God’s appearance, His expression, and since we shall be transformed into jasper, this means that we shall be the corporate expression of the Triune God…The entire city will bear God’s appearance, God’s expression. This corresponds to the word in 1 John 3:2: “We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is.” God and the believers will have the same appearance—the appearance of jasper. This will be the ultimate fulfillment of Genesis 1:26, for this will be the splendid, corporate expression of the Triune God.In Revelation 21:19 and 20 the believers are symbolized by eleven other precious stones in addition to jasper [that] signify the riches of the beauty of Christ in different aspects for the foundation of God’s eternal dwelling. Christ is the foundation stone of God’s building in eternity, and all the precious stones are different aspects of the riches of Christ as the foundation.
The colors of the precious stones in 21:19 and 20 give the appearance of a rainbow. This signifies that the city of New Jerusalem is built upon and secured by God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenant (Gen. 9:8-17). Because the foundation is built upon the faithfulness with which God keeps His covenant, it is trustworthy and reliable. Therefore, the foundation of the New Jerusalem will be an eternal rainbow guaranteeing the faithfulness of God… The faithfulness of God is the sure foundation upon which the New Jerusalem is built. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1231-1232)
[Revelation 21:19-20 lists] the names of twelve precious stones, which are the twelve apostles of the Lamb, each of whom is signified by a precious stone. Peter, the first of the twelve apostles, was originally named Simon. When Simon was brought to the Lord, the Lord changed his name to Peter, meaning “a stone” (John 1:42). Later, the Lord called him by that name when He spoke concerning the building of His church (Matt. 16:18)…All the apostles were created as clay, but they were regenerated and transformed into precious stones for God’s eternal building. Every believer needs to be thus regenerated and transformed that he may be a part of the New Jerusalem.
The first layer of the wall’s foundation, as well as the entire wall of the New Jerusalem, is built with jasper. This indicates that the main material in the building of the holy city is jasper. Since jasper signifies God expressed in His transmittable glory, the main function of the holy city is to express God in bearing His glory (Rev. 21:11). (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 694-695)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 113