May 7, 2020 God’s Ideal Walls

There are so many stories about the walls placed around cities in the Bible. They provide boundaries, and they protect those inside from the evil darkness in the world. Often we see in the Bible that wise men and warriors would sit at the gates to check out who was wanting to come into their city.  Those that were not a threat were allowed to come in.
 
Although most of our cities do not have walls surrounding them, the same concept is relevant today. Great spiritual darkness, confusion, strife… are pouring into our cities to take over the minds and bodies of the inhabitants within. We must build or rebuild the spiritual walls with holiness and faithful prayers. We are to be those “watchmen” at the gates of our cities.
 
Do you know that God has told us what His ideal walls are made of?  At the end of the Bible, God tells us that He is going to make a new earth and a new heaven.  They will come together in one place, and God will dwell with us!  Although we are not given a lot of detail about the New Heaven, also called the New Jerusalem, but we are given great details about its very high and ornate walls and gates, made out of precious gems. 

Revelation 21:19-21 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. 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.
 
You might think these are just decoration, but no.  They are valuable to God because of what they went through to become strong and beautiful jewels. All of these stones are birthed out of times of great pressure and fire, to become beautiful jewels of great value. 

• Diamonds are made out of rotting and decaying vegetation that is smothered with massive amounts of mud and pressure to become coal. That coal then is subjected to much MORE pressure until a diamond is made. 
• Amethysts are found on the inside of a geode. Geodes are extremely ugly rocks that are made out of molten lava that is blasted out of a volcano. Once they cool and are opened up, they are spectacular gems. 

Both of these gem stones have to be found, cut out of the rock surrounding them, and then cut into facets and polished to reflect the light beautifully.  Then we can see their true beauty and worth. We don’t like the times of testing and trials, but they have great eternal value. Strong and beautiful walls of jewels are a promised heritage for all believers.

Isaiah 54:11-17  "O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. "Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones. "All your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great. "In righteousness you will be established…This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.
 
God’s ideal walls are adorned with beautiful precious stones, but it is not the external ornamentation that makes the walls ideal to God.  Satan was adorned with these same gems, but there was no godly character inside of him, no substance, so he fell.  (Ezekiel 28:12-17)

Man looks at the gems and sees the value there, but not God.  The walls themselves are what are important to God.  The remnant who understands this will stand strong.  The ideal walls are great and mighty, very high, and very thick.  Not flimsy, not low, not full of gaps; but solid and sure.

We are the stones in the walls, and Jesus is the cornerstone.  The apostles and the prophets are the foundation.  We are built upon this sure foundation.  (1 Peter 2:5, Ephesians 2:20-22)

​1 Corinthians 3:9-16 tells us that fire will test the quality of our works. It is only the gold, silver, and precious jewels that will remain.

We have been called to participate in building up these walls.  Are the stones we contribute to the building of these ideal walls worthy to be used?