Issue 1375 – Shiny Rocks – February 20, 2024
Yesterday, Kathy and I slipped across the border and drove down to Birch Bay, Washington. It’s a lovely little community with plenty of amenities, but I’m told it isn’t horribly busy during the summer. It seems quiet enough in the offseason.
Counting the time at the border crossing, it is only about an hour and a half drive through some beautiful rural countryside. We had been there once before for a visit. An extended public beach area transitions into the beach for Birch Bay State Park, so there is plenty of space to walk.
The beach isn’t sandy; it’s a typical northwestern beach with plenty of small stones. That makes it more fun for me.
I’m one of those guys who tends to walk with his head down, looking at rocks and shells. I picked up some lovely semi-translucent quartz specimens and a conglomerate with various colour crystals. Nothing particularly special or valuable, but pretty. Kathy picked up a few she thought would make good rocks for painting.
I’ve loved shiny rocks since I was very young, and I often find myself picking up one or two (or half a car trunk load). My father was into the lapidary arts, which probably fuelled my passion.
I am amazed at the seemingly infinite variety that rocks come in. There are some stones found only in one small location or mine in the world, making them far more rare than diamonds. Yet, even common rocks such as quartz come in endless shapes and colours.
A passage in the New Testament speaks about the New Jerusalem. It speaks in part of the foundation for the new city.
And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubitsby human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 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. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:15-21
The twelve stones symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. They are foundational to the building of the church, just as they will be to the coming new heaven and earth.
Now, there is a sense that this is just a bunch of stones. What you may not know is that every type of stone listed here has a translucent form; that is, it lets the light shine through. Between them, they also come in every colour under the rainbow.
The foundations of the New Jerusalem will shine through with God’s light in a beauty that surpasses any rainbow you can imagine. What a sight to behold. It defies description.
The beauty of God’s realm is beyond anything we can picture today. I can hardly wait to see it for myself.
How about you?
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God alone)
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