A whimsical question: What will the gates of pearl look like?

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, everyone!

This is just a whimsical way to get us away from all the bickering.

What do you think the gates of pearl will look like? ENJOY!

[OneLight]

...

 

[Ezra]

7 hours ago, Retrobyter said:

What do you think the gates of pearl will look like? ENJOY!

Exactly how they are presented: (1) they will be gates and (2) they will be constructed from heavenly pearl.  

[missmuffet]

I would not speculate because what Revelation says about this gate is all that I would image. But it sounds awesome. Built in the walls are the twelve gates described as each being made out of one huge pearl, leading to the streets of the city. It sounds beautiful and a scene I am very anxious to see.

Revelation 21:21 ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

[Ezra]

53 minutes ago, eileenhat said:

So you gain 'entry' by being 'precious' and the finest example (of human), which would be someone who has patterned their life after Jesus's here.

So what you are saying is that only those who DESERVE to be in Heaven will gain entry.  But that is not what the Bible says at all. Salvation is purely by God's grace, and solely on the merits of Christ and His finished work of redemption.

[Ezra]

17 minutes ago, eileenhat said:

I never mentioned Heaven...

The heavenly city is also in Heaven, so it makes no difference. Evidently you are not very clear on the Gospel or the finished work of Christ.

[Ezra]

1 minute ago, eileenhat said:

Then it is just a difference of opinion as to what "New Earth" and "New Jerusalem" mean.

The New Jerusalem is also the Heavenly City.  It has been in existence all along, and is the eternal home of the saints.  The New Earth will come into existence in the future, but the New Jerusalem is in Heaven, and already occupied (Heb 12:22-24).

4 minutes ago, eileenhat said:

Can you explain that language then in Rev. 21:10?  Especially the part where it clearly says " showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, ".  It does not say it resides in Heaven.

Notice that it comes down "out of Heaven" (which confirms what is stated above).  But it does not descend to earth since it is the size of a continent and the shape of a cube (1,5oo cubic miles). It hovers over the earth and gives light to the New Earth.

The important thing in all of this is whether people enter Heaven by God's grace or through their own merits.  If we are not clear on this, nothing else matters.

[OneLight]

So we are sure to be on the same page: Revelation 21:9-27

The New Jerusalem

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me^[f] and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”^{[g] 10} And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy^[h] Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹ having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. ¹² Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: ¹³ three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

¹⁴ Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names^[i] of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵ And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. ¹⁷ Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. ¹⁸ The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

The Glory of the New Jerusalem

²² But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it,^[j] for the glory^[k] of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. ²⁴ And the nations of those who are saved^[l] shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.^{[m] 25} Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). ²⁶ And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.^{[n] 27} But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes^[o] an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 21:9 NU-Text and M-Text omit to me.
2. Revelation 21:9 M-Text reads I will show you the woman, the Lamb’s bride.
3. Revelation 21:10 NU-Text and M-Text omit the great and read the holy city, Jerusalem.
4. Revelation 21:14 NU-Text and M-Text read twelve names.
5. Revelation 21:23 NU-Text and M-Text omit in it.
6. Revelation 21:23 M-Text reads the very glory.
7. Revelation 21:24 NU-Text and M-Text omit of those who are saved.
8. Revelation 21:24 M-Text reads the glory and honor of the nations to Him.
9. Revelation 21:26 M-Text adds that they may enter in.
10. Revelation 21:27 NU-Text and M-Text read anything profane, nor one who causes.

 

[Retrobyter]

5 hours ago, Ezra said:

Exactly how they are presented: (1) they will be gates and (2) they will be constructed from heavenly pearl.  

Shalom, Ezra.

But, HOW will they be constructed from a pearl?

[ENOCH2010]

they must be some big oysters out there somewhere