Pearls and Glitter

 As we wrap up our Bride of Christ series, I’d love to do a short survey. When you hear “Bride” what’s the first thing you think of?

Wedding. Love. Young. Beautiful.

If you’re like many people, these are some of the things you associate with brides.

For me, my first thought is “white” and then my mind starts adding in glitter, flowers, and of course some tulle.

So that was fun. But do you get the idea? This is a momentous occasion that typically even the most rough-and-tumble get cleaned up nice for.

This is where we are at in our text. Please read Revelation 21.

We’re here finally. The dark times are over, all hard lessons learned. The last bit of polishing, smoothing and styling are done. The Bride is ready to present to her (literally) perfect Groom.

It’s been a long time coming.

Revelation 21:5-6 “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” NLT

Here is fulfillment. Here is where His promises are fulfilled, and all the faith and blind trust (but not always blind right? Haven’t we seen evidence of Him at work?) comes to fruition and we can actually put our hands on the tantalizing…

Revelation 21:7 “All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings…” NLT

…and the vows are spoken!

Rev 21:7 “…and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” NLT

That’s vow He’s been saying all along. He loves you so much, Dear One.

The bride. Just have a look. This is beauty. True, lasting beauty. Her heart is pure, sweet genuine smile on her face, a smile driven from endless gratefulness for a gift she can never repay. This is it. And an angel presents her.

When the Bride is presented, she shines and sparkles. (I believe God loves glitter and sparkly just as much as our inner Princess does. Don’t you agree?)

And her Groom wipes every tear from her eye (Revelation 21:4) whispering, “I love you more than you will ever know. You were so worth it. I’m glad you’re here. You will never have any more pain or any tears ever again. You are Mine.”

Oh that will be heaven. And it will literally be Heaven.

Are you reading this beautiful account?
It is so beautiful. Read it slowly, and picture in your mind what your Prince has in store for you!

I encourage you to look at verse 19, and then do an image search for each of those precious stones mentioned. And we are those precious stones, yes? See the beauty! And in it, see and feel a bit of God’s heart. He loves you so so much!

One thing too, I’d like to discuss, is the pearl mentioned in verse 21.

Revelation 21:21a “The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl!” NLT

The ‘pearly gates’ are more rightly called the Pearl Gates, for they are not ‘pearl-like’ but each of the twelve gates is an actual pearl.

Go with me for a moment – remember how a pearl is made? Would these large of pearls even be possible without our awesome God?

I love pearls for this reason – they truly are a beauty birthed from discomfort; the waxing beauty out of pain, and the longer the pain, the greater the beauty.

Perhaps why God chose pearl gates? Beauty from pain. Beauty received only at the time of restoration, when God cracks open the shell, and holds the pearl in His loving hand. And the gates are pearl.

Beauty from pain.

Walk through it, Dear One. Walk into His beautiful presence as the pure, beautiful Bride of Christ.