Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
We have spent considerable time in the heavenly city (doesn’t that sound wonderful!) described in Revelation 21:1-22:5, but there is more to consider. Another aspect of this city that attracted my attention is its symmetry. We have already seen that it is a perfect cube (21:16), like the Most Holy Place in the Temple. We should also note the repetition of “twelve.” There are “twelve gates” and “twelve angels” (21:12), with the gates bearing the names of the twelve tribes… of Israel” (also 21:12). In addition, there are “twelve foundations” (21:14, meaning layers built one upon another, each layer extending around the entire city); these include “the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (also 21:14). The size of the cubic city is “twelve thousand furlongs:” (21:16) on all sides. Also, the “tree of life” has “twelve manner of fruits” (22:2). This symmetry is not sameness; rather, it is beautiful balance and pleasing proportion. When ever I come across mathematical concepts such as pi or the golden ratio, I think of the beautiful mind of our Savior God and am blessed. The fullness of the symmetry of the heavenly city will be an everlasting blessing.