Revelation 21 describes an amazing city that God creates as a dwelling place with His chosen people. John sees a vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from a new heaven onto the new earth.
One amazing feature of this new city is the foundations of its outer wall. “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst” – Revelation 21:19.
I’m not really into jewels, but I do take longer to look at them than most of my family members when we are at the mineral and rock section of the Del Mar Fair or at rock museums. One thing that is unique and inspirational about the selections God makes in choosing these particular jewels is that they are all anisotropic. Isotropic means “having the same value when measured in different ways.” Anisotropic means having a different value when measured in different ways. The jewels God uses in building the foundation of the wall respond anisotropically when shown with light. Investigators have sliced very thin sections and shown double-polarized light through them. The result is that each of these jewels shines forth with a cacophony of colors when shown with pure light. Jewels that are isotropic: diamonds, rubies, and garnets, turn dark when shown with pure light. The foundations of the New Jerusalem’s wall will shine with amazing beauty as God’s pure light fills the place.
Pastor David Pawson, who explains this phenomenon in this YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFMrQUjp-Aw , believes that this feature of the new city gives evidence that the Bible is supernatural because this anisotropic feature of these gems was only recently discovered. “To me, that one thing alone would prove that the Bible was inspired by God because nobody could have known this. They didn’t know it until our generation, but there it is.” – David Pawson
Meditate today on the future home God is preparing for us, and walk in his light.
Dr. John Riley
Junior High Pastor