Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:11
21:11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
The New Jerusalem city means as follows:
Actually, the sinful man who is hard-hearted is like black hard stone.
Matthew 18:6
18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Revelation 18:21
18:21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstoneand threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylonshall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
If it continues, he will be hard-hearted more like the millstones or stumbling-block. It means easily stumbling or getting angry and being the stumbling-block until falling into the sins of Babylon, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage. He is used in the edification of Babylon or the false church that is perfect in evil and uncleanness. Consequently, his life decreases and drowns from now on in the world up to the lake of fire and brimstone or perdition in the hell.
God wants to form the hard stone to be the precious one in the New Jerusalem.
The process is that the hard stones must be the sons of Abraham first, and then the living stones, until being the precious stones.
God blesses you.
Revelation 21:11
21:11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
The New Jerusalem city means as follows:
- The city that is full of God's glory.
- The city that shines like the jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Actually, the sinful man who is hard-hearted is like black hard stone.
Matthew 18:6
18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Revelation 18:21
18:21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstoneand threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylonshall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
If it continues, he will be hard-hearted more like the millstones or stumbling-block. It means easily stumbling or getting angry and being the stumbling-block until falling into the sins of Babylon, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage. He is used in the edification of Babylon or the false church that is perfect in evil and uncleanness. Consequently, his life decreases and drowns from now on in the world up to the lake of fire and brimstone or perdition in the hell.
God wants to form the hard stone to be the precious one in the New Jerusalem.
The process is that the hard stones must be the sons of Abraham first, and then the living stones, until being the precious stones.
- The hard stones must become the sons of Abraham.
Matthew 3:7-9
3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
3:8 "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
3:9 "and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Because a part of the Israelites hardened their heart like the viper, the opportunity and mercy of God for the Gentiles or the hard stones to be lifted up as the sons of Abraham are opened. The process is as follows:- [verse 8] Yielding the fruit of repentance, namely having faith or believing Jesus as the only Savior and repenting, especially from the sin of lying and hating.
Jeremiah 9:5
9:5 Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.
If one is lazy to repent, he will not be able to repent like Satan. - Being renewed by the water and Spirit.
Matthew 3:11
3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John 3:5
3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
The water baptism means that one who has believed Jesus and repented or died to sin must be buried in water together with Him. The hard stones are drowned in the water baptism.
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buriedwith Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raisedfrom the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Being raised from water with Jesus and the heavens' being opened, we get the new life, namely the Holy Spirit baptism, so we live in righteousness or by faith. The faith is able to make impossible things possible until the matter of entering the heavenly kingdom is possible also.
Galatians 3:7
3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
We become the sons of Abraham spiritually that deserve to receive the promise of God to enter the spiritual Canaan or the New Jerusalem. We are blessed up to our descendants and we become blessings for others.
- [verse 8] Yielding the fruit of repentance, namely having faith or believing Jesus as the only Savior and repenting, especially from the sin of lying and hating.
- The sons of Abraham become the living stones.
1 Peter 2:5
2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The living stones refer to the priests and kings.
A priest refers to one who is holy and bears the ministry which God has entrusted with the gifts of Holy Spirit or the miraculous ability from Holy Spirit for doing the ministry.
Exodus 29:1
29:1 "And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,
How can we live in holiness or continue from the sons of Abraham to the priests? We must be like a branch that dwells in the true Vine or shepherded to Jesus Himself. The requirements of being shepherded are as follows:- Dwelling in the sheepfold or Holy Place. We have the perseverance in committing the three main services to God. Our body, soul, and spirit attach to the Trinity of God, so we do not fall in sins and we are not deceived by the false teachings. We do not get disappointed or hopeless because of impossible temptation.
- We must hear and obey the voice of the shepherd or the repeated true teaching Word.
1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
We get the sanctification to our body, soul, and sprit, so we can live in holiness and love one another.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
We are equipped with the ministry and gifts of Holy Spirit to be appointed as priests and kings who are used in the ministry for the edification of Christ's body. We become the living stones or the priests living in holiness and loving one another. It starts from the marriage, shepherding, and inter-shepherding, until the one perfect body of Christ is formed. It is the same as placing Jesus as the Head. We are only like a piece of hair that is powerless. Nevertheless, we live by the mercy of God that cannot be limited. We can live anywhere, anytime, and in any circumstances until we reach the eternal life. - Dwelling in the sheepfold or Holy Place. We have the perseverance in committing the three main services to God. Our body, soul, and spirit attach to the Trinity of God, so we do not fall in sins and we are not deceived by the false teachings. We do not get disappointed or hopeless because of impossible temptation.
- The living stones become the precious ones.
Malachi 3:1-5
3:1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.
3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap.
3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.
3:4 "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As in former years.
3:5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien--Because they do not fear Me," Says the LORD of hosts.
It is done by the work of the following things:- The launderer's soap. It refers to the repeated teaching Word or shepherding Word that cleansing the garments of ministry from the following spots:
- The spot of laziness and evil. It is changed into faithfulness and goodness to please God's heart.
- The spot of uncleanness.
Judges 19:25-29
19:25 But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go.
19:26 Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, till it was light.
19:27 When her master arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.
19:28 And he said to her, "Get up and let us be going." But there was no answer. So the man lifted her onto the donkey; and the man got up and went to his place.
19:29 When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. - The spots of Judas Iscariot, namely the lust of money, greediness (not being able to give) and greediness (stealing the possession of God and others), are sanctified, so we can feel more joyful to give than to receive until we can submit our whole life to God.
- The spot of laziness and evil. It is changed into faithfulness and goodness to please God's heart.
- The refiner's fire or the flame of the fiery trial.
1 Peter 4:12-14
4:12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trialwhich is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
It refers to the sprinkling of blood or sufferings in the flesh because of Jesus or without sin. When we are facing the sprinkling of blood, we must pray and worship God much more so that we can endure, rejoice, and do not deny God.
The Spirit of Glory changes us, so we appear like the jasper stone, namely having the burning longing.
God does not look at our goodness, weakness, or infirmities, but the longing of the heart of the Gentiles.
- To lick the crumbs or enjoy the revelation of God's Word.
Mark 7:25-30
7:25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.
7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
7:27 But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
7:28 And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."
7:29 Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."
7:30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
The dog licking vomit (meaningless words) is changed into the words of faith that result in miracle. The impossible sickness can be cured. One who commits sin can be changed to live in righteousness and holiness. The sufferings and tears are changed into peace. All things become easy and light. - To serve and minister to as well as glorify God.
John 12:20-23
12:20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.
12:21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
12:22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
12:23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
The purpose of our service to God is to meet Him through the preaching of the Word. When the Word points at our sins, we can confess and repent, and then we live in righteousness. We can meet God when we pray and He answers our prayer. The miracle happens. - To be saved and perfected.
Mark 10:25
10:25 "It is easier for a camelto go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Camel refers to the unclean animal, namely the Gentiles. Nevertheless, we get the mercy of God to enter through the door of heaven or be saved, sanctified, and renewed until being perfect and worthy to welcome Jesus' second coming on the glorious clouds.
- The launderer's soap. It refers to the repeated teaching Word or shepherding Word that cleansing the garments of ministry from the following spots:
God blesses you.