We Become Precious Stones for New Jerusalem
New Jerusalem is built with gold, pearls, and precious stones. These are spiritual signs which represent the Father’s divine nature, Christ’s death and resurrection, and the Spirit’s transformation. The first two are for us to receive; transformation is carried out by the Spirit within us throughout our Christian life based on our cooperation (2 Cor. 3:16-18; Rom. 12:1-2).
The name Peter means stone (the name has the same root as the English word petrify). John 1:42 records that Jesus said to him, “you shall be called Cephas (which is interpreted, Peter).”
“In his first Epistle Peter tells us that the Lord is the living stone and that we all need to come to Him as living stones for God’s building of His habitation (2:4-5; Eph. 2:22). All of us believers, including Peter, are the living stones for God’s building. After he experienced Christ in His resurrection and ascension, Peter declared that he was one of the precious stones for the building up of a spiritual house. John 1, 1 Peter 2, and Revelation 21 all refer to Peter. He was predicted to be a stone in John 1, he became a stone in 1 Peter 2, and he is a foundation stone in the New Jerusalem.*
Like Peter, all who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior have been regenerated and are being transformed. This transformation is part of the preparation of New Jerusalem. The whole city has the appearance of a precious stone, as declared in Revelation 21:11, “Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.”
* From chapter 29, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.
Posted by Don on December 30, 2022
