Enter Those Gates With Praise

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Revelation 21:21

How many of each type of animal was taken on the ark?  They went two by two, right!  Everyone knows that.  This was often a question that my mother would ask me as a child.  However, the answer is two for each kind of unclean animal only.  The clean animals were loaded on the single means of salvation in groups of 7.  See for yourself, “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.”  Genesis 7:2

Her point was that we often have the tendency to focus on the bad, the unclean, and the awful while ignoring was is just, true, and good.  It is often that way with the study of biblical prophecy.  Don’t get me wrong—we must pay attention to the serious warnings of prophecy, but we often forget that the future holds bright promises for the child of God.  Though the night of tribulation will come upon the world, hold on servant of the LORD because joy comes in the morning.  His story has a wonderful ending.

When Jesus returns it will be a new beginning.  All things will be made new and righteousness and holiness will be the order of the day.  Longevity of life will be restored and all men, women, and children will see Christ ruling from His capital city of Jerusalem.  Those who enter this glorious kingdom will know true joy and happiness as the world has never known before.  The Prince of Peace will extend that peace from the City of Peace.  Ironic isn’t it?  The name of Jesus Christ and Jerusalem evoke such different responses today.


After the millennial reign of Christ there will be a brief evil interlude followed by the makings of a new heavens and a new earth wherein righteousness and purity dwells forever; furthermore, nothing unclean will ever enter there.  The New Jerusalem will descend and be the abode of the saints from all ages.  The city will have twelve layers in the walls and twelve gates.  Each layer and each gate will be named for an Israeli tribe and an apostle respectively. Each gate will be made of a pearl.  Why a pearl?

Pearls are formed when an irritant gets between the soft tissue of an oyster and its shell.  As a defense mechanism the Almighty Creator programmed the creature to produce a substance called nacre that surrounds the irritating particle.  In time the buildup of this material forms a protective barrier around the sand, and it is a visible yet beautiful reminder of the pain that once inflicted the oyster.


In the same way, those gates will be a constant reminder to the saints entering and exiting that city of Messiah Jesus' sacrificial, atoning death at the cross.  The only works of humanity that will be seen in that day are the scars from the cross that are on the body of Jesus. That cross produced grace that surrounded the life of each believer creating something new from what once was an irritant to God's holiness and justice.  The beauty of the pearl will remind us of the beauty of Calvary where God Almighty dealt a death blow to sin forever.  Surely, each step in and out of those gates by every blood washed saint will erupt with a loud shout of praise to the one and only Savior that gave us complete access to the presence of God.  Let's start now as we consider the power of the cross and the grace that surrounds each one of us--HALLELUJAH!!!!!

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Revelation 21:5