Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:15-21.

“The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.  The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width;  and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles;  its length and width and height are equal.  And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.  The material of the wall was jasper;  and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.  The first foundation stone was jasper;  the second, sapphire;  the third, chalcedony;  the fourth, emerald;  the fifth, sardonyx;  the sixth, sardius;  the seventh, chrysolite;  the eighth, beryl;  the ninth, topaz;  the tenth, chrysoprase;  the eleventh, jacinth;  the twelfth, amethyst.  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;  each one of the gates was a single pearl.  And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”  Revelation 21:15-21.

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Heaven is perfect, pure, precious, and priceless in different ways.  Today’s devotion will focus on some of the ways those qualities are shown.

“Walk about Zion and go around her;
Count her towers;
Consider her ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
That you may tell it to the next generation.” Psalm 48:12-13.

Heaven is perfect as shown by its cube shape:  “its length and width and height are equal.”  In sharp contrast, how many earthly cities look like a jigsaw puzzle that is randomly slapped together over time?!

Heaven is pure as “the city was pure gold, like clear glass”.  Heaven is also pure in the following sense:  “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, …”  Revelation 21:27.

Heaven is precious as shown by “The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.”  Heaven is also precious in the sense that the only ones that shall ever come into it are “… only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  Revelation 21:27.

Heaven is priceless as shown by “each one of the gates was a single pearl.”

In summary, this “single pearl” quality both ties all of heaven’s qualities together and exhorts us to have single devotion in seeking heaven like that merchant seeking fine pearls.  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-46.