Around the New Jerusalem a wall is built with twelve foundations. These twelve foundations are twelve different kinds of precious stones (Rev. 21:19-20). The wall is all of jasper, and the first foundation of the wall is also of jasper (Rev. 21:18-19). On the twelve foundations of the wall of the city are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:14). I read an article which said that the colors of these precious stones are exactly the same as the colors of a rainbow. In Revelation 4:2-3, John saw God on the throne, and He looked like jasper. “And immediately I was in spirit, and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne, and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne.” God on the throne appears like jasper, and the expression of the New Jerusalem also appears like jasper. “Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev. 21:11). This shows that the New Jerusalem is the very expression of God. We also see that around the throne there is a rainbow (Rev. 4:3). This corresponds with the foundations of the wall of the city which also look like a rainbow. A rainbow signifies God’s faithfulness. The foundation of this city is based upon God’s faithfulness. The rainbow around God’s throne also speaks of His faithfulness.
Now we have seen the harvest and consummation of the Bible. Revelation 21 and 22 are the full harvest of the whole Bible. Everything that is sown in the Scriptures is reaped in these two chapters. The tree of life, the flowing river, the precious materials are all harvested here. This consummation is God’s complete building. It should not be considered as a physical place. This picture of the New Jerusalem symbolizes that God in eternity will have a great living habitation composed of all the Old Testament and New Testament saints. The names of the twelve tribes are written on the twelve gates (Rev. 21:12). This signifies that all the Old Testament saints are there. The names of the twelve Apostles on the twelve foundations of the wall represent the New Testament saints.
In Revelation 3:12, we have a good illustration: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem.” This verse reveals that the New Jerusalem, God’s temple, is not a physical building. We are God’s temple, and this temple is eventually enlarged into a city. In the Old Testament the temple was God’s habitation, and now this city-temple will be God’s habitation for eternity. The overcomers who have been built into God’s temple will all be part of God’s eternal habitation. In this way we can see that the New Jerusalem is not a physical building, but a living composition composed of all God’s chosen people. Hallelujah!
For centuries these last two chapters of the Bible have not been opened up to the church as they are today. Peter is a layer of the foundation, and John is a layer of the foundation. I do believe that we will all be the wall. In eternity we will all look like jasper stones. There will be no white face, no black face, no yellow face, but all jasper faces! We will not express American, Spanish, Chinese, or Japanese, but we will express the unique God. God on the throne looks like jasper, and we will be there for eternity looking also like jasper. Satan did his best to damage us, but God purged away all our negative elements into the lake of fire. Everything of Satan that came into us in the garden of Eden is now in the lake of fire. Now we are the same as God. Every saint in eternity will lose his identification, but this does not mean that we will lose our personality. We will all look like jasper stone in the appearance of God.
Precious stones are not created, but are formed under the earth mainly by heat and pressure. I have been told that there are some manufacturers today who produce diamonds by using high heat and pressure. There is no other way. God knows how to surround us with just the right heat and pressure. All the brothers realize that their wives are good heaters, and their children produce much pressure. For the sisters, their husbands and children produce the same. It sometimes seems that we cannot stand it any longer, but after a few years a precious stone is produced. If we are not married, there are still many good heaters in our big family, the church life. Some members will press us to the uttermost. They will press us out of our strength and out of our measure. I have been a Christian with two families for many years. One is small, and the other is larger. I have many pressures from my small family. But in the big family, the church life, I could not remain for one day without the Lord’s mercy and grace. Sometimes I am in a big oven during the day with all the brothers, and at night I go home to be in the little oven. I am happy for so many pressures. They will produce precious stones for God’s habitation. Today this habitation is just the church life. In the midst of all the heat and pressure we have the life supply. Praise the Lord! We have the tree of life and the water of life. In this way God is building His eternal habitation.