March 5: FROM SUFFERING TO GLORIOUS ENTRYWAYS
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:21
It has often been said that pearls represent suffering. However, it may be more accurate to say that pearls represent Biblical responses to suffering. The lovely, smooth, iridescent coating that an oyster produces in response to an irritant, such as a grain of sand, can be likened to our witness for Christ, especially in response to those who are difficult to love. The patient example, in order to be effective, must be a mirror of what Christ has done in the life of that witness, for He Himself is the Source of all goodness.
The Creator’s great heart of love for all of His creatures means that He has suffered the most by far, the depths of His love being matched by the depths of His own suffering — all on account of His wayward creatures. The size of each wall opening for the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem is not specified in Scripture, but we may be sure that these openings are of a grand proportion. The gates, each made of a single pearl, are a fitting representation of the manner of Divine Love’s mercy, produced as “covering layers” for our rebellious past—and additionally coated with liberal layers of grace to do a work within His followers for sanctification, empowering them to get up again after each failure (see Proverbs 24:16). If we experience reproach for the name of Christ, His mindfulness of our sufferings is accompanied by the comfort of His Holy Spirit (see 1 Peter 4:14). The divine Architect is carving His own enormous suffering into magnificent gates of eternal beauty.
The gate and pearl metaphors are developed in the gospels. In John’s gospel account, we are reminded of these words of Jesus: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” (John 10:9a) Matthew’s gospel brings us this parable of Jesus: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45) This statement from our human perspective points to our recognition of the great value of God’s Kingdom, and we see ourselves as willing to let go of all that we have in order to gain it. Then we come to realize that it involves a process of asking Him to point out whatever we may be clinging to that should be let go. He will do it! (see Mark 10:21) But now let us view Jesus’s statement from Heaven’s perspective: The Lord, like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, considered this fallen world a pearl of great price. He laid down His very life in order to buy it!* Do we realize how much He values us?
It is challenging to think of pure gold as pavement, yet we are taught that the streets of God’s City are paved with it. Its beauty will be there for the Lord’s beloved to tread upon. The fact that it is like transparent glass must mean that the jeweled foundations below are visible. We will be reminded of the beautiful, eternal truths that our faith is built upon.
*For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:20
For further study: Zechariah 8:5; Matthew 6:19-20; Acts 14:22