Day 14: The Gift…A New Home

Read: Revelation 21:1-3, Revelation 21:10-21

To date, my husband and I have lived in 8 different homes. This over the course of our 38-year marriage. I always wanted a new home, but in each instance the Lord led us to a “fixer-upper.” This was before Chip and Joanna Gaines made it chic.

But the day is coming when my Groom will usher me into an incredible new home, made just for me. This home will never grow old or need repair!

This beautiful residence for the Bride of Christ appears to be 1400 miles cubed (2 million square miles). Streets of pure gold, foundations of costly gems, the walls of jasper (diamonds), and the gates into my home will be solid pearl. All will radiate the glory of God! Never a power outage there.

Regarding these gates of pearl, J. Vernon McGee writes:

“Each gate is a perfect pearl. This is the one jewel that sets forth the church. The pearl is different from all other precious gems, for instead of coming from the earth, the pearl comes from the sea and it comes from a living organism. A little grain of sand or some other particle begins to cut into the side of a living organism. To protect itself, the organism sends out a fluid to coat the object. Layer upon layer coats it until a beautiful pearl is formed.

The New Jerusalem is the home of the Church, and the gates of pearl are there to remind us throughout eternity that we were a little grain of sharp, dirty sand that was a hurt in the side of Christ. We were not attractive; we were in rebellion against God, walking according to the course of this world. But Christ took that ugly thing—which was you—and covered it with His righteousness. The beauty was not in the grain of sand, but in what the organism puts around it. We have no value in ourselves, yet we are the pearl of great price. Christ gave His life to get us, and to Him we are precious.” 1

Challenge: Read Matthew 13:45. The price for our new home, beyond our reach. A gift.

Prayer: Once again, O Lord, there are no adequate words to convey my heartfelt love and appreciation for You! As the ancient Hymn records, “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” 2


1 J. Vernon McGee, Reveling Through Revelation, pp. 101, 102

2 John M. Neele, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, 12th Century