The Twelve Foundation Stones on the City Walls of New Jerusalem (4)
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March 29, 2009 |
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 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; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. (Revelation 21:19-20)
God's word itself is the light. So if the word of God dwells in you, you will give out the light from within you. This spiritual light cannot be hidden or covered by something. It just comes out naturally. It shines out into the surroundings and softens the harden heart. In this issue we will study the spiritual meanings embedded in the 9th, 10th, 11th and the 12th foundation stones.
1. The 9th Foundation Stone Is Topaz
This topaz has reddish-orange color and is transparent. It symbolizes spiritual goodness. A dictionary defines gentleness as 'the characters of being kind, helpful, and honest.' The spiritual meaning of goodness is to seek goodness within the Holy Spirit. To seek goodness from our perspective is not spiritual goodness. To seek the goodness in God's sight is spiritual goodness. Therefore, those who have spiritual goodness in them will naturally bring out that goodness (Matthew 12:35). Wherever they go and whomever they meet, good words and good deeds will come out from them. They give out the aroma of the goodness of Christ, moral virtue and love to the people around them.
Matthew 12:19-20 are concerned with the goodness of Jesus. It says, "He will not quarrel, nor cry out; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory." Likewise, Jesus' bearing, gestures, and language must have been blameless and perfect and He must have had true etiquette. Those who seek goodness in truth will also resemble even His gestures and deeds and have different words on their lips (Proverbs 22:11). It is said that we should not break a bruised reed or put out a smoldering wick. Here a 'bruised reed' represents those who suffered many afflictions of this world and are hurt in their hearts. When even such people as these seek God with a poor heart, God will not forsake them. 'A smoldering wick' is a person who is so stained with evil that the light of his spirit is 'smoldering.' We should not give up on even this kind of person if he has the slightest possibility of receiving salvation.
Some people don't have the strength to come back to church again by themselves when they have fall to temptations because of weak faith. It may be because of any number of the things of this world that they had not yet been able to cast off. They might have caused damage to other church members. Then, because they are so sorry and embarrassed about it, they don't feel they can return to the church. Some of them want to be loved and recognized by others, but it doesn't happen. So they are heartbroken and the evil in them comes out. If we have true goodness, we will also be able to understand these people and accept them. We have to melt and move their hearts by treating them well with truthfulness and love and not by discussing what is right and wrong and trying to force others into submission.
2. The 10th Foundation Stone Is Chrysoprase
This chrysoprase is a variety of chalcedony that is semi- transparent and has a light apple-green jade-like color. It symbolizes self-control. In God, abundance is good in everything, but to have everything in harmony and in an orderly manner, we must have self-control.
In the Lord, whatever we do, we have to have self control in everything, discernment of things with the truth, and we must follow the Holy Spirit. If we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit clearly and follow it, we can control ourselves when we need to, so we will prosper in all things. Otherwise, we are going to have any number of problems. So the fruit of self-control is important and necessary to accomplish perfection. We can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit like joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness as you have the fruit of love. All these fruits will be perfected by self-control. People who live in the untruth go through trials and distresses and won't know they're loved by God because they don't control themselves.
It is important to control your heart in the Holy Spirit. You have to control your fleshly desires and follow only the desires of the Holy Spirit. As you go into spirit, you have to control the strength or magnitude of each of the spiritual hearts to have perfect harmony as a whole.
3. The 11th Foundation Stone Is Jacinth
Jacinth is bluish, transparent stone. It symbolizes 'purity and holiness.' 'Purity' is to be clean and clear. The purity in the sight of God is to have no sin in the heart. Namely, it is a heart that is clean having no blame, spot, or blemish.
We can have clean and true hearts to the extent that we act according to the Word of God (Hebrew 10:22). In the same way that we wash to clean our hands and body with water, we can purify it by washing it with the spiritual water that is the Word of God. When we obey the commands in the Word of God to cast off something and not to do this or that, the untruth and evil will be washed from our hearts. Also, if we obey the 'Do' and 'Keep' commands, we can avoid being stained by the sins and evil of the world again by constantly being supplied with the cleansing water. This way we can keep our hearts clean.
Those who are pure in their hearts will receive the blessing of being able to see God (Matthew 5:8). They will live a life in which they walk with God in heaven and even on this earth.
4. The 12th Foundation Stone Is Amethyst
Amethyst has light violet color and is transparent. Amethyst has such an elegant and beautiful color. The spiritual heart symbolized by amethyst is gentleness. The dictionary defines gentleness as 'the characters of kindness, mildness, and meekness'. To be spiritually gentle is to have a mild and warm character along with a broad heart to accept everybody. It is somebody who possesses the heart that is soft and cozy as cotton so that many people can find rest in him. Also, it's somebody who can understand everything in goodness and embrace and accept everything in love.
If we have a very warm and soft heart only within ourselves, it doesn't really mean anything. You have to show deeds of goodness and love. Namely, the virtue is also needed to strengthen others, let them feel the warmth, and let them find rest in our heart.
Those who have true spiritual gentleness do not have any prejudice toward any person. Through a person who has spiritual gentleness, one can be strengthened and feel the comfort that they couldn't feel in the world. They can then become submissive from their heart and desire to remain with him. This spiritual gentleness is like a big tree that provides a wide, cool shadow on a hot summer day. Likewise, through those who have cultivated spiritual gentleness, people around them can also find rest and feel happy. Then God the Father will say that those who are spiritually gentle are also really beautiful. As a result, they will receive a large area of land in the eternal heavenly kingdom because they have embraced and guided many souls to the truth (Matthew 5:5).
Moses was very humble. He was more humble than any man who was on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). When he led the Exodus out of Egypt, he led more than 2 million people, and guided them for 40 years in the wilderness. Just as parents raise their children, he embraced them in his heart and guided them according to the will of God. Likewise not only in duties of taking care of the souls, but in any kind of duty, if you do it with humble gentleness, you will have no problem.
Everybody has been raised in different circumstances and has different characters. The gentleness to empty oneself and accept others stands out beautifully in a situation where everyone insists that he is right.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As of today we have finished learning about all the spiritual hearts symbolized by each of the twelve foundation stones of the city wall of New Jerusalem. They are the hearts of faith, uprightness, sacrifice, righteousness, faithfulness, passion, mercy, patience, goodness, self-control, purity, and gentleness. When we consolidate all these characters, it becomes the heart of Jesus Christ and God the Father. It has the meaning of the perfect love and it becomes a key to entering into New Jerusalem.
I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that many of you will accomplish the spiritual heart completely and give comfort and joy to the heart of God the Father in New Jerusalem.
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