The Glory Of God Series

The heavens declare the glory of God, and that is why the

study of astronomy is so fascinating. It is constantly confirming

what God has revealed in His word. Many Christians look at

God's revelation of the heavenly city and conclude that it must be

symbolical and not literal. A fourteen hundred square mile city

of gold with the walls loaded with precious gems seems a little too

extravagant even for God. But then comes the March 1992 issue

of Science News, and it is revealed that scientists have found

literal jewels in the heavens. They have found, not just the

glorious light of stars, galaxies, and supernovas, but actual

diamonds in the sky.

A NASA team in Hawaii, using an infrared telescope, found

what they are convinced are real diamonds and three Milky Way

clouds. They knew there were diamonds out there somewhere

already, for in 1987 diamonds were found in meteorites that fell

to earth. These researchers have concluded that the carbon dust

that gives rise new stars is as much as ten percent in the form of

diamonds. They feel there is likely to be diamonds in every

molecular cloud in the heavens.

The point is, when we read this description of the heavenly city

made of gold and precious stones, we do not have to back away

from the literal interpretation, as if God does not have the know

how or the power to produce such an abundance of precious

stones. If man could get at them he could fill the Grand Canyon

with diamonds that God has already created in stellar spaces.

The reason I take this picture literally is not just because of

any scientific discovery, but because John tells us in verse 11 that

the city shown with the glory of God and its brilliance was like a

very precious jewel. If this is not literal, then it has to be greater

than the literal, for God's glory will never be less than the glory of

the kings of the earth, who splendor will be brought into the city,

as John says in verse 24. I have seen pictures of the crown jewels

of the royalty of the earth. They are awesome in their glory. It is

a valid assumption that God, the king of the universe, will have a

glory that is so superior to theirs, that it will take our entire

vocabulary of words dealing with light and jewels to describe it.

Words like brilliant, magnificent, glorious, lustrous, regal,

resplendent, dazzling, luminous, radiant, gleaming, glittering,

glistening, and a host of others.

It's a city of gold and jewels,

For it's God's glory that we share.

Only the boldest of fools

Would want to miss being there.

In America The Beautiful, we sing the last verse--

"O beautiful for patriot dream

that sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam,

Undimmed by human tears!"

And in the chorus we sing, "May God thy gold refine," and,

"Crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea." All

these terms of gold, gleaming, and shining are ideals of man. He

wants his cities to shine with the glory of gold and brilliant light.

That ideal will never be complete until God builds the city. That

is just what John saw in his vision of the golden city of heaven.

Man has done some impressive things in his cities, but only the

city of heaven will shine with the very glory of God.

Emerson said, "I always seem to suffer some loss of faith on

entering cities." They can look quite impressive as you approach

and see the new buildings on the skyline. The vast array of

gleaming windows can be awesome, but when you get there you

are hit by the reality that the beautiful city is filled with

corruption. Aristotle felt the government should prevent people

from accumulating in cities, for they become hot beds of

corruption. We see the truth of his conviction in every large city.

Jesus wept over the largest city He ever entered, the Old

Jerusalem, because of it's corruption and resistance to the will of

God. That city and it's leaders killed the very Son of God, and

revealed just how corrupt the city could be, even when the most

glorious works of man are all around. The beautiful temple with

it's treasure of gold and works of art did not prevent such

corruption.

Jesus loved all the beauty and glory of the temple, but he wept

for the people, for they were rejecting the one all this beauty

pointed to. Hitler and the Gestapo leaders would feast in luxury

with the world's finest art all about them. Then they would enjoy

the exquisite beauty of the best classical music. Yet, from that

setting of grandeur they could go forth to kill, in cold blood,