The New Jerusalem

Rev. 21:15-21 (ESV)
And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to mea sure the city and its gates and walls. [16] The city lies foursquare; its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. [17] He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. [18] The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. [19] The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20] the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
Ok. So as a rockhound reading this, you get a bit preoccupied with the gemstones used. My son and I have gone on many an expedition to find these different gemstones. Lots of fun! And they are beautiful. Personally I think the Topaz used for the Ninth foundation of Jerusalem will be none other than the sherry colored Topaz of Topaz Mountain Utah. My son’s favorite rock hounding stop, the kid is a nut. I suspect he will be the boy to go to college and study rocks, I think they call them geologists. But Biology might win out, as he loves his animals too.
But to get stuck talking about rocks, would be to miss the forest for the trees. I think the most beautiful city I ever visited, and there have been a few, is Prague. The city conjured up images of Tolkien and the Brothers Grim, Gothic architecture, mixed with art Nouveau. Memories of that city, the culture, the excitement the beauty of the streets and buildings, the beauty of the women, enhanced by goggles purchased at 50 cents a litre, makes living among the manicured lawns and vinyl fencing of a Salt Lake Suburb a bit torturous.
I love living here, it has its upsides too. The mountains are gorgeous, and an upland gamebird hunter has little to complain about. Ah, but the life of a genuine city, where the people take pride in their homes and buildings and aren’t content to live in prisons of vinyl. A city where the bars are full of song and joy as children dance and parents sing, artists are inspired to paint, and carve, and life is loved.
And when the beauties of the New Jerusalem are described in terms barely fathomable to the human mind, well, I might just hang up my shotgun willingly to live there in the perpetual blossom of youth. I have it on good authority too, that you can’t get better wine than you can in the New Jerusalem, nor better rack of lamb. They say France has nothing to compare to the culinary delights of heaven.