The Pearl Gates

By
the church in Toledo
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“𝐴𝑛𝑑 β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘‘ π‘šπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ 𝑖𝑛 π‘ π‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘Ž π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘”β„Ž π‘šπ‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘‘ π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘œπ‘™π‘¦ 𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑦, π½π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘’π‘š, π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œπ‘€π‘› π‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ β„Žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘› π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š πΊπ‘œπ‘‘…𝐼𝑑 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Ž π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘”β„Ž π‘€π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑑𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒 π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘ , π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘  𝑑𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒 π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘™π‘ , π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘  π‘–π‘›π‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘‘, π‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘β„Ž π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑑𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒 π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘  π‘œπ‘“ πΌπ‘ π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘’π‘™β€¦.𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑑𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒 π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘  π‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑑𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒔; π‘’π‘Žπ‘β„Ž π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘  π‘€π‘Žπ‘ , π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘™π‘¦, π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘™.” (𝑅𝑒𝑣. 21:10; 12; 21π‘Ž)

When we come to the end of the Bible, we see a city; it is the only one of its kind in nature, composition, expression and function. When we look at each of its elements, there is a specific significance that cannot be missed. Take, for example, the gates. New Jerusalem has twelve gates made of pearl, each gate one pearl respectively. Why is the building material pearl? Consider the pearl. Pearls are produced by oysters. When an oyster is wounded by a grain of sand, it secretes its life-juice around the grain of sand and makes it into a precious pearl. If we look deeper, we will see that the pearl is created not only from the irritation of the sand to the oyster, but often because of a parasite, which causes the wound in the oyster; there is something foreign within that is not supposed to be there. As a defense mechanism, the oyster secretes a life-juice to cover, protect the wound, transforming what was once a foreign, hurtful element into something precious.

This picture of the pearl carries two-fold importance. First, it shows Christ: He came as the living One who went through death (the water), who was wounded by us as sinful men (the sand), and who secreted His life over us to make us into pearls for the building of the New Jerusalem (ref. Rev. 21:21 note [1]). He is the entrance to the city. Yet, we also are that pearl; we play a critical role in the building of God’s city for His full expression and are that unique, transformed building material for the gates of the New Jerusalem.

But do you know what happens to an oyster that doesn’t recognize that their life has a parasite? That oyster becomes diseased and it dies. It is not able to create this pearlβ€”the precious pearl that is useful for God’s building. Are we an oyster that is broken and injured? Just as the Lord was, so also are we. But oftentimes, we don’t recognize our own condition. We must be an oyster first to recognize that we are a broken vessel, that we have something in us that is parasitic. We need the reality of being broken. We need to see that there is something in us that is foreign and damaging. The only way we can live a healthy life is by secreting that organic lifeβ€”the resurrection lifeβ€”inside of us. That life secretion can shield our injuries and cover and heal our broken self.

Our life during this age is just like the pearl and the oyster. First, we need to recognize our fallen and broken condition so that the true life can cover and heal us, and only then can we be transformed into useful, beautiful, shining building material. We need the transformation. Through transformation, our speaking, functioning, and living builds up the church. Even more, the pearls are the entrance into New Jerusalem; we are the entrance into His divine life, His divine nature, His divine essence. We are the gateway into the Lord Himself.

(π΄π‘π‘œπ‘£π‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘“π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’π‘› π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘Ž π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘› 07/05/2020, π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘£π‘–π‘’π‘€π‘’π‘‘ 𝑏𝑦 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’π‘Ÿ.)

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