the promise of jewels

Sometimes, when I read the book of Revelation in the Bible, I get overwhelmed. The prophecies and visions of the end of the world (and after, in Heaven) should delight me, but they tend to confuse me.

This morning, I was reading Isaiah, and when I read chapters 60 and 61 where Isaiah prophecies about the time when Jesus will return, I got excited. He will be the sun. We, His followers, will inherit a double portion, and everlasting joy will be ours (Isaiah 61:7). But I have to admit that my favourite part was verse 10, when it says that the Lord will clothe me as a bride clothes herself in jewels. I cannot wait to look that beautiful for my Beloved.

I recently also finally understood why John called himself "the one that Jesus loved." It was not because he was unique in being somebody who Jesus loved (although he and Jesus did seem to be particularly close); part of Jesus' character is that He loves everyone and died for everyone. But John understood Jesus' love for him, and it was his understanding, in his heart, of that love that changed his life.

I am one that Jesus loves. And better than adorning me in physical jewels, which are of no value to Him, since He has control of all of the jewels in the world, He is making my heart beautiful. That means so much more to Him. It's the reason He came to Earth, took a human body, died, and descended to Hell to take the power of death from Satan. He did all of that for the chance to make my heart beautiful. He did it for the chance to prepare me to spend eternity in His light, instead of the light of a gaseous star. He did it for the chance to spend an eternity with me, to give me a double portion, to give me everlasting joy.

That is why I have to be holy. That is why I have to grow in righteousness. Those are more precious than jewels.

Those are the jewels my Beloved wants to dress me in.