having the glory of God.

Greetings friends.

having the glory of God. And its brightness was similar to that of a precious stone, like jasper stone, diaphanous as crystal.

In this passage the translation is somewhat difficult. The word here translated by "glare" is used in the Greek original to describe the luminaries that illuminate the sky, such as the sun, the moon and the stars. Does this mean that the body that illuminates the city is like a precious stone? Or does it mean, rather, that the light that radiated throughout the city was like the flashes of jasper? Later we are clearly told that the city will not need a celestial body, such as the sun or the moon, to project light, because God himself will be his light. On the other hand, the word used here as "jasper" is a transliteration, not a translation, that is, it does not correspond to the opaque stone that is known by that name, but the term refers more to a transparent diamond, a perfect gem that clearly reflects the bright light of the Glory of God, which emits with brightness and spreads through the new heavens and the new earth.

The apostle Paul instructs believers to rejoice in the hope of God's glory, as we can read in his epistle to the Romans, chapter 5, verse 2: "by whom we also have access by faith to this grace in the which we are firm and we glory in the hope and in the Glory of God. " This hope will be fulfilled in the holy city. Man has lived in sin since the beginning, he has never been able to witness the full revelation of God's glory. The people of Israel, in their journey through the desert, learned that every time there was a rebellion in the camp, the Glory of God manifested itself in judgment and turned away from them.

There are two aspects that allow the manifestation of the Glory of God in this city. First, the very presence of God, which makes this city the source of His Glory radiation and blessing for the entire universe. Second, the saints, whose presence does not prevent or limit the manifestation of the Glory of God. But in that city, everything is different and the limitation of the presence of sin will no longer exist. Man, already redeemed and current fellow citizen of God, having the glory of God, can live and enjoy eternally in his presence. The city reveals God's very high purpose for His Church: bringing many children to glory. (Hebrews 2:10)
The New Jerusalem is like a diamond set in gold. This city is like the wife's engagement ring. Actually, it is the wedding ring. It is the symbol of the commitment and the wedding of the Church with Christ. Now, the apostle John tells us about the wall and the city gates.