New
Revelation 21:9-21 (NKJV)
12 Tribes, Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30
12 Initial Disciples, Matthew 10:2-4
Judas Dies, Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18
Paul as Apostle, I Corinthians 1
When I did the drawing (included on the acrazyjourney.com website) for this lesson it took several full drafts. I did three completely different versions of the New Jerusalem. Even with the version I did the third time, I wasn’t completely satisfied, but I decided I’m not sure I would be satisfied with anything.
I mean...this is going to be our holy place for eternity. The ground we walk on will be like glassy gold.
Revelation 21:9-11 says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”
How could I draw what the church...the people of God, the BRIDE of Christ will look like? I couldn’t, so I tried to keep it as simple as possible.
I imagined when John wrote about seeing the city from a high mountain he was standing above the city where the Angel stands in the drawing. Looking down at the inside of the inner gates would make it so we could see the golden flooring.
John described the light of the city being like a precious stone, like a clear jasper stone. I always thought jasper was dark teal, but when I looked it up jasper can be several colors including one that looks like clear crystal. That’s what John described...but I couldn’t draw that so I tried to make it like there was a lot of light.
In Revelation 21:12-13 John said, “Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.”
My drawing shows high wall with 12 gates and each gate is guarded by an angel on the outside. The 12 gates represent the twelve tribes of Israel and their names are written on the outside of the gate. The 12 tribes are: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons).
In Revelation 21:14-15 we learn: “Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.”
In my drawing, the foundation was the twelve Apostles to the right. The twelve Apostles names are: Simon Peter, Andrew, James (Son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (Son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon, and later, Paul. (Note, Judas Iscariot the a disciple who died after he betrayed Jesus).
In Revelation 21:16-18 the structure of the New Jerusalem is described as, “The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.”
The drawing shows the square city with high walls and it gives the measurement. I’ve had visions of Angels and in my visions they are always very large with huge wings. Every time I’ve had a vision of Angels I gasp because of their size and power to protect and administer messages. Each time, within a few weeks of the vision, something happened that revealed to me what I’d been told.
According to John’s vision that included Angels, the wall was 144 cubits according to the measure (size) of an Angel.
In Revelation 21:19-21, “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation 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, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”
In John’s vision, he saw precious stones throughout the city and each gate was one pearl.
That’s where we will live when heaven and earth become one. We will be surrounded with gates made of pearls and with precious stones everywhere.
We will walk on streets that are golden.
Angels will surround us.
The light will emanate from God and there will be no darkness.
To be clear, it’s heavenly!
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: New Jerusalem
Close your eyes and imagine you are in the New Jerusalem. The Holy City of God.
Sit there as long as you are inclined.
In God, Deborah
acrazyjourney.com
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