The Glory of the 12 Foundations of the New Jerusalem

Praise God. I want you to turn again in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 21. We're on this series concerning Searching for a city.

This is one of the most remarkable things we can be caught up in is Searching for an eternal city not temporary not of this world Not of this time not of this season of life But a city that will have no end a city filled with the glory of God I want you to turn to Revelation chapter 21 this part 4 of this miniseries and I've called this the glory of the foundations or the glory of the twelve Foundations of the New Jerusalem Reading from verse 19 Sorry verse 9 and there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues and Talk with me saying come hither. I will show thee the bride the Lamb's wife and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and Showed me that great city the Holy Jerusalem Descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious Like unto a jasper stone clear as crystal and then going down to verse 19 and The foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner precious stones The first foundation stone was jasper the second sapphire the third Caledonia the fourth emerald The fifth sardonyx the sixth sardius the seventh chrysolite the eighth barrel the ninth tubas the tenth chryso saris the eleventh adjacent and the twelfth and amorous Amen, let's pray together Here tonight father. We are here in this meeting tonight father in this church Nor God amongst us people lose online father.

We're searching for a city. Oh God It's not the things of this world that are gonna perish nor God. It's not the wealth of man father It's not the fame the reputation of man, but father We're looking for something nor God the last time nor God into eternity father We're looking for something that has substance that has reality.

We're looking for a city of truth We're looking for a city that is filled with light and glory father tonight I pray inspire every single heart in this room Oh God that we wouldn't be looking and searching our temporal things nor God things that perish things Lord God that our faulty things Lord God no let us down and fail us But oh God, we're looking for things nor God They will uphold us and sustain us throughout all of eternity in Jesus name nor God Satisfy our hearts enlarge our hearts. Oh God the by faith. We'll embrace this vision I'm searching for a city in Jesus mighty name Amen praise God our message here the fourth message the glory of the twelve Foundations the glory of the twelve foundations on Sunday We already covered six of these twelve foundations Now I want to take you and deal with another six foundations.

I Don't want to enter into debates and arguments over colors and sizes and everything else But I want you to catch something of glory that isn't natural not of this world Glory that is eternal glory that is of another world. I'm speaking about heaven I'm speaking about a world beyond this if you're only living for this world. You're a fool tonight You're an absolute fool if you only think of this life what you get now Satisfying your flesh you are the biggest fool in this room tonight You are staking your eternity who if they were in the right mind would stake all Eternity on things that perish who would stake Eternity without end upon a few things of this lifetime Only a fool would do that Here in Revelation 21 We read about a new heaven and a new earth not this one That will be far beyond that that's far greater far better What the new resurrection body is now to this physical body is what the new heaven and earth is To this present world what you consider this world to be is nothing compared to the new heaven and the new earth or Present bodies are falling apart.

I'm sad to tell you they are decaying Hair is changing color teeth are not staying the same Every bodily organ is under attack in your body. Your days are Numbered they're finite. They're restricted.

They're limited. This body will come to nothing I want to tell you if there isn't a resurrection of the Saints if there isn't a new body Then I am a man without hope. I want to tell you it's the same with this world If this is all we've got to look at it's winding down The entirety of creation is groaning looking for something more Desire and some more all of creation is going there's got to be more than this If this is all there is what a sad thing Well, the Bible shows this isn't all there is there is a world to come alive to come.

This is but brief This is momentary. This is fleeting. This is very Disappointing but there's a life to come.

It's not disappointing. It's not boring. It's not sad It doesn't have all the things that blemish this world.

It is a new earth. It is a new world It is an eternity of utter perfection Where God dwells with man in perfection look at what Revelation 21 verse 2 says And I John saw the holy city John saw What Abraham searched for by faith? What Abraham searched for every day every year simply by faith by faith in God John actually saw an open vision of it the same city and so John says I saw the holy city He actually saw the new Jerusalem Coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Notice this city. It was prepared as a bride To prepare means to be adjusted made ready Certain people have been sent to prepare it for an event for a time for a particular situation In other words this city needs to be made ready for a great event For a great revealing for a coming down from heaven this city is no being Prepared it is being made ready and notice what he says as well That it's prepared as a bride adorned for her husband So look at the preparation.

What is the preparation? It is like a bride being adorned the word adorned means to be dressed to be Decorated or We say in our terms dolled up a lady gets all dolled up What's she doing? She is preparing herself. She is making herself ready. She's not just walking out the door She is preparing for a time and event a meeting a person When you see a lady prepare to meet her man, I want to assure you When it's getting ready for a wedding There is a great preparation There is a door and adorning there is a decoration But this isn't just any bride.

This is God's bride. This is the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ How does God adorn the bride of Christ who is going to marry Christ? How does he adorn her? How does he prepare her? How does he decorate her it says again in verse 19? The angel speaking of John come hither I will show thee the bride Noticing these verses is very important time and time again. I John saw Then the angel says come I will show you in other words in Revelation 21 when you see this city you are being shown the bride of Christ There's a revelation of the bride of Christ It's actually be an open up so you can see the bride that's actually gonna marry Christ And he says I will show thee the bride the Lamb's wife Have you considered who is gonna marry the Lamb? What the Lamb's wife actually looks like how she's been? Decorated how she's been prepared for this great event and it says and he carried me away in the spirit To a great and high mountain and again notice this word and showed me Do you see how important in this chapter? There's a vision a revelation God is showing John God is showing you and I through the through the Word of God a revelation It's important that you see the bride the Lamb's wife The wife of the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross It's very important that you see who she is what she looks like How you see her getting prepared being made ready for this great marriage feast of the Lamb There's going to be a marriage day.

Only one bride is going to marry the Lamb Only one marriage is going to happen of any real consequence And I hope by God's grace that you and I are a part of that so he showed me the great city the Holy Jerusalem Descending out of heaven from God if I want to show you the bride. I've got to show you the city You can't know the bride of Christ unless you see a city and can I throw a side thought in if? We as a local church are a bride. We're also a city We are being prepared as a bride how we are a city the church ought to be a city It ought to be a strong fortress.

Oh, I know we're not like that city that city It's gates never closed day and night. They didn't have to The it had great walls of around it, but it didn't close the gates. Why there's new enemies There's no need to defend itself, but it still has gates.

It still has walls It still has defenses, but it has no need for them We the church in this are true. We must be a strong city We must be a fighting study against the enemies of God. We need walls.

We need gates. We need defenses and We certainly need Foundations if you want to see a real bride look for the walls If you want to see the real bride of Christ in this hour look for its gateways More than that listen look for its foundation and so it says when he's going to show John the bride What does he do? He reveals the city, but especially the foundation the foundations of this city is very important He's revealing who the bride of Christ is the lamb's wife If you're gonna see who she is you need to recognize her strong Foundations you need to see how glorious these foundations are how eternal they are Impregnable there. There's no end to them.

There's no blemish in them. They are pure. They are mighty They are holy and so this entire chapter is a Revelation of these things and I want you to notice something here about this city about this bride Sitting they showed me concerning This city descending from God look at Look at verse 11 Notice what this city has and I want you to see this is my message tonight the glory of the 12 foundations We've seen several things about the foundations, but tonight I want you to see the glory of these foundations the glory of them Because that's what this is about verse 11 I need this city having the glory of God and Her life was like unto a stone most precious even like a jasper stone clear as Crystal I want you to see this city and this woman.

This is eternity This is the city where heaven comes down and meets earth This is where all the resurrected saints who die and go to be in the presence of God. This is where they come back To earth a new heaven and a new earth in the city of God to reign upon the earth with the Lord Jesus Christ But I want you to see this bride. It says she had the glory of God You remember what the glory of God is what is it? Is it a mere cloud? Is that the glory of God? Is it a mist? Is that the glory of God? Is it a feeling? Is it an emotion? What is the glory of God? It is the knowledge of God.

It is the character of God It is the name of God being revealed That's what the glory of God is and so it says this city or this woman has the glory of God God's glory is revealed there. His glory is manifest there, but there's another thing and her light Was like unto a most precious stone Notice the light of this city is like a very precious stone The entire city is like a massive light. It is like a massive stone This is the bride of Christ You know why she looks like this because she has the light of God not only the glory of God But her light is like a precious stone She has the light of God in the Bible light is truth.

It's not love It's truth It's the truth of God See this world hates darkness. Let me just quote you some scriptures here Jesus praying to the father and John 17 22 praying about his people. This is what he said father the glory Notice that word the glory the glory which thou gavest me.

I Have given them the same glory the glory the knowledge of God the Revelation of who he is. That's the glory It's light. It's truth So Jesus prays here the same glory father that you gave me I have given to them That's the mark of a real Christian.

They have the glory of God. The glory of God is in a real church That's not a cloud That's not mere manifestations. What is the glory of God? It is the knowledge of our heavenly father It is an open revelation It is him be a made known Saints of God, this is the glory of God.

We need to get away from all these strange Charismatic teachings and we need to get back to the Word of God when you see the glory of God You're gonna fall in your face I'm telling you when you see the real glory You will tremble not in a scared way wanting to run off from God But you will tremble in a way that draws you right into the presence of God You will lie on your face and go. Holy. Holy.

Holy worthy worthy worthy You you will begin to worship and magnify and love this great God You know why his glory is revealed and so Jesus said this is the mark of my people Where you find them together my glory is revealed. They have my glory They carry my glory and this is the mark of this city You want to know what the new Jerusalem's like it has the glory of God. It is filled saturated Consumed there isn't anything there that isn't glory.

It is a glorious city. It is a city Absolutely filled with the glory of God the knowledge of God But also the light of God the light the truth of this city see it's a city of truth There's no darkness there There's no need for the Sun there There's no need for the moon there. You know why God is the light of that city He is actually the light in this city.

He is a bright and a shining light You don't need to turn a light on in your cupboard in this city. Oh, no. God is the light there There is no darkness.

There's no shadow in this city I think if you go there, you you won't be able to cast a shadow. There won't be any shadow there That's darkness. There is no shadow Within this city, you know why everything is like God is light And so God says I give you my glory.

He also makes you his light now says in 1 John chapter 1 and verse 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him of Jesus Christ. This is the message What is the message and we declare it on to you that God is light and In him is no darkness at all What is darkness? It's disobedience You know what darkness is like you're ashamed. You're embarrassed.

You do what is wrong. You want to hide You never want to hide if you're right if your heart doesn't condemn you if you're walking in the light, you don't want to hide But you know what you want to hide when you're ashamed when you're embarrassed when you're not doing what you ought to do Remember when God comes walking in the Garden of Eden says Adam, where are you? Adam went and heads why he had sinned against God Adam where are you? He's hiding because he's not doing what God's saying. He is ashamed of his own nakedness because of his sin You see God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

There's absolutely no darkness Don't try to change our theology. Well God understands. No, he doesn't.

Oh Well, God tolerates these things. No, he doesn't God is light Light is blind and light. I don't think you and I know what light is you think this is light You think when the Sun is shining at its full strength.

You think that it's like I don't believe we even perceive what real light is That this is a mere Nothingness compared to the light of God if we were to behold the glory of God None of us could stand before it. It says in John 3 19 we all know John 3 16 for God so loved the world But listen three verses later what Jesus says, this is so Unquoted and it ought to be more quoted. Yes.

Tell men God so loved the world Yes preach that but let's preach three verses later and This is the condemnation is Jesus speaking that light is come into the world Speaking about Jesus dying on the cross loving men loving sinners Light is come into the world and man loved darkness Rather than light Remember the word agape Remember I've always said Although I've told you this as well what I'm about to tell you, but I usually say Agape is not used in natural normal senses not talked about Loving food agape and food or agape and skiing. You don't say that Agape is never used. It's a divine word.

It's a word of deity It's a supernatural word agape is not normal. You know what the word agape is used here men loved darkness rather than light That's talking about the condition of men in our world. They loved the agape They had a passionate.

Do you know what that tells me? It's not natural See how men love darkness in this world. Don't tell me it's natural. It's not it's perverted It's supernatural.

There is a power behind that darkness. It's not natural It's not normal to love darkness men in our day and generation. They love darkness They desire it says they love darkness rather than light Why do they do that because their deeds were evil? For everyone that doeth evil Heedeth the light So notice that people hate the light They hate it.

They detest it if their works are evil. They don't want exposed so those who Resist the light they hide from it. They reject it.

They attack it. They change it Why would you do that with light if it's light if it's the light of God if it's the truth of God? Why why would you hate it? Why would you oppose it? Why would you attack it? Why would you want to change it? That's a very dangerous thing says neither cometh to the light Lest his deed should be reproved if you come to the light light always reproves or Exposes or reveals what isn't of God? Then he says But he that doeth truth Do you say how I know light is truth. It's not love light Darkness, what is the light? He's talking about it is Doing the truth light is truth.

It is obedience not love And I'm emphasizing that for a reason but he that doeth truth cometh to the light That his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God So look someone who does the truth Who loves the truth they want to come to the light so the light will reveal What is what you know in 1 John chapter 1 it says if we walk in the light The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from sin. Oh, but I thought if you walk in the light, you don't commit any sin 1 John chapter 1 says those walking in the light as They walk in the light sin gets exposed in the light Don't think that those who walk in the light are so sinlessly perfect There's nothing to be dealt with if you're walking in the light You want to be exposed you want to be dealt with you want to be changed you you want to move on from where you are You want victory you're walking in the light, but the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses You from all sin and So you see here? It's a remarkable thing that the Church of God the people of God Abraham and the Old Testament Paul in the New Testament We're men of truth men of light men of the glory of God Christ always planned that he would give glory to his church He would give light to his church But you know what God's ultimate plan is is to have an entire city that has the glory of God Can you imagine walking into a city sign of what walking into limerick is like or into London or Berlin or? New Orleans you don't want to go there. I want to tell you When you walk into the great cities of the world and you walk in there on a Saturday night You see what fills those cities? But I want to tell you what fills this city the glory of God and the light of God it saturates Absolutely saturates this city and so it says here that the Foundations of this city are like a bright stone 12 stones Precious gems we've already looked at six of them.

I'm gonna deal with six more here now Tonight as we continue to look at Searching for a study. I'm after a city Saints. I'm after a city of truth I'm after a city of like this world is filled with lies Deception This world will deceive you You know what the old saying what the preacher the old preacher preachers used to say Sin will take you further than you want to go keep you longer than you want to stay and Take more from you than you ever wanted to give Sin is a deceptive thing.

I'll destroy you. I'll take you love for it. Just one drink Just a little bit Just this person for a night.

It will destroy your soul sin darkness lies Deception the only answer to this is the light of God and you know what? There's an entire city filled with light its foundations are 12 precious stones Filled with the light of God and you know in these stones if you switch off the light all 12 Precious foundation stones don't give off any light. There is no light in this study What is the light of these diamonds of these precious stones of all of this gold? Where does the light come from? God alone Don't think that you're so beautiful all the light shines out of you it doesn't You know what? It is the light of God shining in you and through you and then around you That's what makes you beautiful If there's any beauty in you at all if you can find anything at all in you It's because of the light of God shining upon you And so we've said over the past couple of messages that this city the new Jerusalem It's built for square it is as high as it is long as it is broad And we said if you look at the stats here of what size it is It's 1,400 miles on one side on that one side of the four square city Just one side a length of one thousand four hundred miles from here to Poland You have three gates on that side But you also have three foundation stones that are manifest that are seen and think about all of this light Absolutely engulfs the entire city all of these shining bright stones and around it It is a glorious city this city is a is a city of absolute light of absolute glory of a Manifestation of the character of God it is beautiful There's nothing ever existed in history quite like this city. You know what it is.

It is the Bride of Christ So let me give you these six other stones that we didn't get to on Sunday. I'm gonna go to the seventh stone And it's a strange name it's called the crystal light this seventh massive stone That is so large you could see it if it was sitting on the moon You would see it distinctly shine and glittering. It was on the moon You you would be in all of it.

It was at that distance, but this is going to be on the new earth It's gonna be a part of the new Jerusalem. It's gonna be one of the twelve main foundation stones You're constantly gonna see this and it's got the Apostle the name of an Apostle engraved upon it now this word chrysolite Actually means gold or yellow stone The word chrysal here the first half of it means gold the second half of the name means stone And so its actual name means a gold stone now some people argue, and they say this is a carbuncle Or a new Pez or something like that. I do not believe it is let me tell you what I think I studied this stone carefully, and this is what I think it is.

It's also called Olivia its name or Parasite So this Chrysolite what color is it it is a pale green or a deep olive green Or it's what they call a golden green It's like a golden look in with the green and so it's that deep pale green and It depends on the amount of iron that is present Here is a diamond that in our world that comes out of the ground it comes out of the earth And as you study this precious stone, that's gonna make up a massive stone There's been nothing like it in all the world history This is an entire stone But you know what God's doing he's showing you the glory and the light of this city and the majesty of this city It's a testimony to the truth of God and to the knowledge of God and here yet It's only a foundation stone. It's not a wall. It's not a building.

It's not a street. It's a foundation Underneath it, but it is made of the most Remarkable material imaginable now, where does a chrysolite come from? It's very like diamonds and if you know end about diamonds Diamonds, where do they get formed? Do you know what diamonds are before they become diamonds? They're carbon. They're coal basically coal Where the diamonds come from? I'll tell you where God gets his diamonds in the church From the old carbon hate the old coal hate if you can find coal deep within the ground There's a potential to bring forth diamonds, but we're not talking about diamonds.

It's a massive chrysolite here where the chrysolites come from where do they get formed exactly the same as diamonds They actually get formed or created are brought forth in the earth under extreme high pressure and Temperature you need intense heat Applied to them. They've got to be deep under the earth There's got to be an awful lot of pressure upon them. That's where diamonds are formed and that's where chrysolites are also formed the this stone Marks the city of God or the Bride of Christ.

You want to know what the bride looks like? You want to know what the real church looks like? It is like this Chrysolite God has shown us. This is the mark of God's people and it is extraordinary Now this chrysolite is a bit different than all of the other diamonds every single other diamond mentioned here all of their 11 They actually get formed in the crust of the earth Just below the earth in the crust of the earth but chrysolites don't Chrysolites get created in the mantle of the earth. That's far far deeper Diamonds get formed there, but all the other precious stones aren't this is the only one that you have to go right down into the Mantle of the earth in order to find them.

Do you know how they come up on the earth's surface? Usually through volcanoes it takes a mighty eruption it takes that volcanic flowing of fire in order to bring forth these Chrysolites to sit on the surface of the earth or to be found by man They are so deep in the mantle of the earth. It takes something eruptive to bring them forth I believe this is speaking about the Church of God and God's people and God forming in this earth certain precious elements of the Bride of Christ There are those in the church who began like coal like carbon Deep under the earth hidden from the eyes of man, but through this volcanic reaction Something beautiful gets birthed in this lifetime in this world that becomes a part of the city of God You might think you're only carbon let God work in your life Maybe you're in this life and you go. Oh the pressures.

Oh the darkness Oh, I can't handle the extreme pressure. I'm under the hot temperatures of trials They're too much for me Maybe you're a chrysolite being prepared for the New Jerusalem. I'm not joking I'm not making up nice stories here.

We're talking about a city. That's eternal Now your trials are temporary for a moment see then The the reward of that or what comes out of this is for all eternity What you become in the darkness under pressure in trials? What do you get formed into as a precious chrysolite is a remarkable thing Do you know where most of these? Chrysolites used to get found in ancient days It was on a deserted island of Egypt in the Red Sea There was an island there that produced numbers of these chrysolites Number after number after number they get mined out of the ground because it was so volcanic The the entire island do you know what the ancient Greeks used to do? They used to mine at night not during the day You must never mine for chrysolites during the day and the Romans followed their example The Romans they would never mine at a day. You had a mine at night You could only mine these chrysolites when it's dark when it's night time Preferably not much moonlight and that's when you began to find them They you ask why I'll tell you they used to call these stones the stones of the Sun They believed if they come out during the day, they soak up all the Sun They steal the Sun because they hold it within themselves.

Remember what I said, it's all of green. There's a gold and Green within these stones and so all those ancient peoples not saying the Bible these ancient peoples Romans Greeks they actually thought these stones they stole up the Sun Can you imagine something formed in the darkness of the earth the pressure of the earth and yet being filled with the Sun? That all ancient people thought it's filled to overflowing Here's another interesting thing about this stone. All the other stones are only found on earth but these chrysolites have been found and meteorites been found on Mars on the moon and stars none of the rest of the stones But only the chrysolite all this tells me something very unusual here Concerning this chrysolite see there's a part of the New Jerusalem the Bride of Christ a city that is being formed It's being for now Saints it God isn't gonna wait and say well I'll build you a city in that day heard a great preacher on this quite recently and he said the New Jerusalem isn't built yet I beg to differ I'm telling you it's being built.

It has been being built. See this search for a city. You become a part of this city You're searching a part of something that you're actually gonna be so that's the first stone That we're dealing with tonight.

It's the seventh stone the chrysolite then let me take you to the eighth stone. It's called the barrel Now there's another precious stone called the barrel It can come in different colors But I actually believe that it's speaking Specifically about a certain color a barrel they can be gold They can be colorless It can be yellow. It can come in diverse colors the barrel stone But I believe it's a particular color here, and I want to prove it of all the barrels that you're gonna get in the world the deep pink color is the most valuable and sought-after of all the barrels in our entire world in about 1910 it Was a man named the pink barrel the rose Morganda after Morgan the famous millionaire It was named after him and so this precious barrel was named the rose Morgana or the pink barrel it Become famous in our world now.

It's become the number one Engagement ring in all of the world it is the most sought-after engagement ring of any All are seeking after it when you go into the Bible this barrel. It was the tenth Stone on the high priest breastplate It was the fourth stone of the king of Tyre or what did we call him? Lucifer Satan in the Old Testament When you read an Ezekiel about the king of Tyre the prince of Tyre of a city, that's Lebanon modern-day Lebanon or Phoenicia in olden days the prince of Tyre was the leader of the entire nation But we read about the king behind him if the prince is the man who is the king of Tyre? Well, we are told he's a man his body is instrument He's adorned with all these precious stones. And so we see that the king of Tyre of Lebanon the great merchants of the earth These were the greatest Merchants in the entire world they traded to the end of the world.

They become very financially rich They traveled the seas Why am I telling you that it's for this reason if you remember our series on Tarshish? Remember these were called the merchants of Tarshish We're told about the ships of Tarshish that went out from Tyre To trade even to the British Isles to Britain and Ireland These were called the Ten Isles and they traded all the way from Israel to Ireland With their ships trading now, I'm telling you this for a reason the word barrel in Hebrew is The word Tarshish in the Hebrew So you've got a precious stone named after Tarshish this stone Now I want you to connect this Where's Tarshish the British Isles? Okay prove that in other messages you can go in here What's noted about the people of the British Isles compared to the Mediterranean and the Middle East They're pink. What did I say about this barrel? I believe this barrel is actually pink Okay, I know I haven't got you yet. I'm glad I haven't convinced you because I'm gonna convince you as we go along Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 14 Listen to how it uses this when it's describing the man The shepherd who falls in love with the Shulamite says his hands are as gold rings set with the barrel It's talking about a skin Color or listen Ezekiel chapter 1 verse 16 the appearance of the wheels Attached to the cherubims Was the color of barrel or in Daniel chapter 10 verse 6 Speaking about an appearance of a man a divine man God's man listen what this man looks like his body also was like the barrel and His face is the appearance of lightning and his eyes like a lamp of fire and his arms and his feet like a color to to polish brass and the voice of his words like unto the voice of a great multitude The barrel when it's used in the Bible It could be different colors but the most expensive the most sought-after The most rare of all barrels is this deep pink color The world is after the deep pink barrel and I believe the barrel Is such a diamond.

It's a very very precious diamond. Do you know what it's showing us here with this? Precious stone it can either be glassy pink or like pink salmon It's a beautiful color and it's held within the stone Can you imagine a massive stone in the city of God this beautiful deep pink color? like human flesh You've got an entire massive stone in the city of God with light reflecting off it it is beautiful It speaks about the appearance of man in divine glory and power the third stone is The topaz says the ninth a Topaz the topaz was the second stone of the high priest in his breastplate it marked or defined a tribe of Israel one of The children of Israel had his name written on the stone on The breastplate of the high priest the topaz had a man's name written on it on the breastplate But also on the stone in the city of God. It's got a man's name written there one of the apostles of the Lamb You know what this shows me these stones are Identified with the people of God in the Old Testament and in the New Testament again The topaz is mentioned in the Bible and Job chapter 28 verse 19 Listen to what says the topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it Neither shall it be valued with pure gold Job is speaking about something in Job 28 and he begins to compare the greatest most precious stones in the entire world the most expensive He actually talks about gold, but he doesn't say any gold.

He says the gold of Ophir the best gold the most sought-after gold So in this chapter in Job 28, he starts naming things like the gold of Ophir Then he comes down in verse 19 to the topaz of Ethiopia And you know what he's doing. He's mentioned all these things Then listen what he says the topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it He's talking about something That the most precious stone he can think of in the entire world can't compare to it Then he speaks about the gold of Ophir it won't compare to it Stone after stone after stone Diamond after diamond gold after gold and he says none of these compare What's Job talking about when he talks and pinpoints the topaz of Ethiopia? Do you know what he's comparing it to? Wisdom the wisdom of God. I Wish we sought after the wisdom of God Like women in this world seek after diamonds and precious stones and men embark to endowed their brides With these precious stones.

I wish we had husbands that endeavored to endowed their brides their wives With the wisdom of God I wish we had men who went on journeys to search out to find the wisdom of God The best wisdom for raising their children The best wisdom to lead their wives the best wisdom to enlarge their home. I Wish we had husbands like that again who went on journeys to say the topaz of Ethiopia Doesn't compare with the wisdom of God. And so when we read about the topaz of Ethiopia we're made to think of something glorious Absolutely Beyond this world the wisdom of God.

Where is it Ethiopia, by the way? See the actual word in the Hebrew is the word kush the topaz of Ethiopia is kush Ethiopia and the Old Testament is not the same as today's Ethiopia. It's in two different places in Africa. It's not the same The Ethiopia of the Bible is kush Where is kush just below Egypt? It was in that area northern Sudan That is kush South of Egypt.

That's where the Queen of Ethiopia came from. That's where she was from It was a region in Job's day. It was called Nubia.

It had royal houses royal families They say that the people of Nubia were the best educated the most articulated and they Populated all of Africa. This was the strength of Africa you sing this particular region they still haven't translated their writings and Their entire language. They've got it sitting there still to understand still to translate But you know what mark this people was precious stones Jewels Diamonds they were noted for the riches that they had the gold they had it was spectacular It's still an entire culture and society waiting to be discovered waiting to be revealed fully Now this gold Job is emphasizing that the topaz of Ethiopia does not compare to the wisdom of God this stone the topaz it can be a pale blue It can be a golden brown.

It can be a yellow orange It comes in all different colors But it is something very costly to be sort of its royalty Possessed it and said that is for us Saints of God are you endowed with the wisdom of God? We're gonna be a part of the city of God We're part of an eternal city a city of truth filled with life. Do you have the wisdom of God? It's a terrible thing if you sit here, and you're ignorant if you're ignorant in this church. You're deliberately ignorant You merely listen and you go out you never learn You never understand you don't put all the facts together, and you don't apply the the wisdom of God What is wisdom it is known what to say when? how to act when What to do? When that is wisdom and I believe the topaz this massive stone Amongst the people of God it is a testimony to us of the dynamic wisdom of God I don't care what color it is, but I want to tell you it's precious.

It is remarkable You know what this is it is us this stone is who we are we are the city of God We are the bride of Christ I'm telling you the the brides of this earth seek after topaz But the Church of God seeks after Spiritual topaz the wisdom of God. That's what they're looking for the 10th stone It's a Christopher person two words Christos and process The first word Christos like I said before is gold The second half of it process means green or lake. It's the word for a green lake now I want you to note this a green lake I'm talking about The green color that you find with a frog.

I'm talking about a green fluorescent color That is the color of a very precious stone. It's almost a luminous, but you know what they call this Chris's process. Do you know what they call this stone? They called they call it golden green It's a remarkable color.

It's a luminous green and It strangely and there's a very strange thing about it when you take it and it gets still dying if you put it in water It suddenly becomes absolutely bright and pristine again You see water Impacts this precious stone. They don't know how it happens all the experts in stone say we don't know how it happens, but it does just take this stone put it back in the water and Suddenly it's as if it was day one and and all of its brightness and shining Say I want to tell you that's like the water of the word Upon us the Church of God Let us be washed in the water of the word again, and you're gonna see a shine crystal clear shine for truth once again You know what makes it so green so beautiful is the gold content It's very very unusual This content of gold within it that makes it go green makes it go beautiful It is the gold within it that makes it like that that gives it value There's a story told about 600 years before Christ. It's in mythology.

You've maybe heard about it King Midas You know King Midas He had one request of the gods And he asked them We'll do anything for you. Just ask what you want What's your desire? Listen me see in the stone What's your desire? What do you desire in the Church of God? What is your pursuit? What are you seeking after you better be very careful? Because some of you sir desiring things that if you got it it would burn you badly to a degree you can't imagine You don't even understand protection You don't understand the heart of a father to a little child. I want to touch you'll burn yourself I want to touch.

I want to you'll burn yourself badly. I don't care So many around the church don't even understand the care of a loving father, but it's gold It shines You couldn't handle it if you got it. I want I want you know what happened with King Midas He was in present-day Turkey He asked of the gods one request We'll give you anything you ask just ask for it We'll give it to you.

What would you ask? He said I want because this is what he was after see his decision was affected by what he wanted Said I want the power that everything I touch turns into gold Everything I'll be the richest man the face there Just give me that ability whatever I touch becomes gold It was great at the beginning. He just went Like this, can you imagine him I'm getting rich I'm gonna be rich I'm gonna be the richest man in the world. I'll be the greatest Emperor.

He began to dream think imagine Everything is turning to gold lunchtime Try to eat turn to gold Try to have a drink of water turn to gold worst of all the tragedy his beautiful daughter That he was in off come running in to kiss him and he embraced her and should turn to gold That's a story from mythology It's a story of tradition But you know what the moral is you don't even know how to handle the things that you think you want See with these things that we're dealing with like with gold There's just enough gold in this stone To make it safe to make it beautiful to make it glorious Gold is a wonderful thing some things your design are wonderful, but too much will destroy You don't want all that you desire but you know what when you allow God to work a precious stone comes forth a Golden green and a luminous green a frog green I don't know where you like frogs or not, but this stone is a massive. You're gonna look at it for all eternity Do you realize in the city of God? You've got a lot of green in this city, but it's beautiful. It's shining.

It's Remarkable, it's a testimony to what God has done. The 11th stone is called a jacques Sometimes it's various colors. Sometimes it's been called a flame green That's what it's called the jacques a flame green You know why in the stone with its edges cut it's a mixture of yellow and orange and ready brown Sometimes it looks fiery orange This stone is actually a stone on fire.

It's like fire has been caught in the stone Saints of God all of these stones Represent the body of Christ and the people of God Old Testament New Testament This is a new Jerusalem a city where we dwell with God for all eternity And this massive for a book archival stone. It's a stone on fire Eternally on fire. Do you have that fire within you? Do you have a fire burning a few weeks ago as ton of brother Stephen sitting in that seat during school of Christ? And what we we add on to our tea break 30 40 minutes school of Christ tea break We had to be back for a certain time But we began to talk about the church and holiness and righteousness and my heart began to burn like a fire Saints of God, I hadn't felt it burn like that in a long time you know why I'm talking about the church and the body of Christ and the glory of God and It began a flame and I was shocked at myself because I've spent two years coming through trials and troubles and emotions I'm just trying to survive day by day and do the will of God and here I was Just later.

I spoke to Anna I said I become a flame of fire since the church can burn with the Holy Fire You realize we've got a predominant part of the foundation The foundation of the city of God is like a burning fire It's a testimony of time and eternity. It's a testimony of what God does to us He makes us all these diamonds. He makes it a reality a part of our testimony But let me mention where else this tomb is mentioned in the Bible Because it's mentioned one other time in the New Testament The Jenkins Revelation 9 verse 17 and thus I saw the horses in the vision the four horsemen of the apocalypse for men of judgment on Horses being let loose and it's going to happen shortly for horsemen With judgments being released on the earth that's what it says about them and then that sat on them having breastplates of fire and of Jenkins and Brimstone, can you imagine these four men? representing different things all four Have this this breastplate and it's like a burning fire These are messengers from God these are things being released into the world and it says the horses were as the heads of lions and Out of their mouth.

Sorry. I'm I'm getting this mix-up. It's not the four horsemen.

I'm getting mixed up my two passages but these horsemen out of their mouth issued fire and smoke and Brimstone These are horsemen riders being released on the earth By God for a time for a season. They are a consuming fire fire Saints of God if we don't bring fire as a blessing to this world certain men Certain judgments are going to get released on the earth. They are going to burn with fire.

I know which you can't stop them You cannot hinder them Certain horses are going to be released at a certain time certain things in our world and you know what the riders have these breastplates that are going to be like a fire a consuming fire fire Jaskin Brimstone But you know what? Please remember this Jaskin is still a mark of the people of God you and I of the real church Where's the Jaskin here? It's not judgment against this world No, our fire is a glory. It is a shining of the knowledge of God. It is a burn and consuming fire Saints of God we need Jaskin in the Church of God, but let me finish twelfth and finally The last stone is a nun.

I'm fest It's a purple precious stone or a violet stone It's a remarkable stone Here it is shining violet vibrant purple an entire stone a Twelfth of the entire foundation of the city of God and it's this beautiful purple mags's top Doesn't even come close to the brightness of this purple. That's just getting there. That's just getting close in the right direction But the purple of this is so deep so purple so violet It leaves you in awe And saints as I close again, we're gonna say more about the foundations more about the city But on Sunday and here I've given you a feel a little feel that the foundation that Abraham was looking for he was looking for a city that had foundation what kind of foundation this kind of foundation a Foundation with the twelve apostles names on it.

It's a city that represents something glorious But what am I going to tell you? I'm fest has to say to us as we close the name in the Greek means something It means not to intoxicate the actual word do not intoxicate this stone all through history the Secular world the pagan world used to use this stone and then put it on their cups Some of them were foolish enough to fill it with alcohol Then they put this stone on the cup and said I'm gonna be protected against getting drunk I want to drink the drink, but I won't get drunk. That's stupidness Now how to be drunk to do that? but you know what that world knew this stone meant and Represented do not be intoxicated Intoxicated Don't come under the influence of alcohol Imagine having a twelfth of your stones in the New Jerusalem one entire stone and its name means Do not be intoxicated Don't come under the influence of this world Don't let alcohol in your body Do you hear my? Saints of God I am tired of seeing people who have never studied their Bible They won't even read our book super saints who don't even understand. They've never studied it.

They don't know the Bible clearly constantly teaches Absolute abstinence do not touch alcohol You know what alcohol is it's the gateway to all sins You take one glass of wine. Oh, I know Christians suppen saints. They say I can take a drink.

I'm not sinning I feel okay. None of my faculties are gone. That's not true You don't know your medical facts if you say that You know why medically and I've read medical book after medical book.

I study before I speak And you know what all the medical people say one glass of wine You lose 15% Of your reaction time and speed and ability and clarity one glass of wine Almost all of those who take one glass of wine says it hasn't affected me All the Christians the preachers who say we socially drink only one glass of wine. There's no effect from it No, that's you judging by faculties that have already been affected You can't even discern your own self. You've lost 15% Medically and yet you think you're the same.

I've got all my wits. I've got all my clarity. No, you don't Listen church as we close it says in Ephesians 5 verse 18 be not drunk with wine We're in his excess But be filled with the Spirit Don't be filled with wine Don't drink wine or alcohol or fermented drinks.

Don't take drugs Don't take all the things of this world to help ease your conscience to take away your pain To make life enjoyable. Are you kidding me? You're gonna destroy your life Those things they don't fix your life. They just blank out all the bad things for a time They pause they put it off for another time.

You know what? I know how to love because I know how to hurt I feel pain I Feel all the emotions of man. I don't need a drawing out my grief for the from the last two years You know what? I embrace it. I walk through it I know what it is to be alive people out in the city They can't face life or reality so they go to drugs and drink or whatever.

They're not even there Their senses aren't alive. All mine are you know what it comes to love a certain young girl No, I knows I know how to love I love with all my heart. You know why I grieve with all my heart I get angry with all my heart.

I feel the full spectrum of emotion Sadness grief for this world Burden for lost souls. I feel at all You know what this last 12 stone of the New Jerusalem You know what it speaks to us as it shines out as it has a glorious testimony of life It's them do not touch alcohol. I didn't write this Go search the history books all through the ages has known this stone this diamond means don't touch do not be intoxicated But I want to tell you this stone speaks about being filled with the Holy Spirit of God Why don't you be filled with the Holy Spirit you you say you need to fill yourself with something? Why not can be filled with the Holy Spirit? Why not let him pour out his Holy Spirit upon you.

Are you empty? Are you dry? Are you searching for something? Are you not satisfied? Why not come and drink at the waters of God this stone tells you there is a people who gets Satisfied in the house of God since we're going to continue. I've got a very important message Sunday morning If you know any unsaved people bring them Sunday morning, you know any backslider bring them Sunday morning You know anyone who's tempted and considering walking away from God bring them Sunday morning If you are battling anything you come Sunday morning, so I've got a message Concerning this city that's for you. That's for them.

It's for all of us It's for me and I want to tell you as we begin to look for this city search for this city This is real. This isn't a pipe dream the world out. There's a pipe dream Atheism is a pipe dream Religion is a pipe dream all of these different isms are pipe dreams, but you know what the Lord Jesus Christ I am getting ready for a marriage feast.

I am preparing. I'm getting adorned I'm part of that bride That's gonna be the city of God the New Jerusalem Mount Sion Coming down from heaven from God Nothing of this world and yet you know what all these stones have been forged out of the crust and one From the mantle of the earth have been brought up precious stones out of carbon out of coal Can you believe it to be a part of the city of God? I know I was a sinner I was born a sinner. I loved to sin you loved to sin many of you here You don't vile things you were rebels you could not come you didn't want to come you didn't desire to come You didn't believe in order to come but you know what Jesus Christ come looking for you And he loved you and he conquered you and you know what he's raised you up to be a part of the city of God And I'm gonna sing one day.

I'm gonna be a stone in the city in the New Jerusalem I'm gonna sing that night, but one of these days. I'm gonna go. I'm here church.

I've made it home Let's stand together, and let's just thank and father. We praise you we worship you nor God Give us a vision of this city that we might search for it Lord God amidst our trials and our troubles and our temptations and the Deceptions around us and the things that allure us my God and the weariness and the tiredness of this walk my God We ask for power from on high fill us with your Holy Spirit Oh God make us to shine with the light and the glory of God let the very Testimony of God be revealed even tonight in Jesus mighty name hallelujah