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THE CITY AS BEAUTIFUL AS SHE COULD BE
by: Pieter Bos
date: 10/20/2003
Category: Nations
The City as beautiful as she could be
The second volume of the Trilogy "The City Redeemed" is being written: "The City Called; a Theology of the City, ofher Pain and of her Redemption."
This is the 1st article introducing that volume.
THE AWESOME GLORY OF THE CITY.
City in general:
"The land with… good and great cities" (Deut 6:10 RSV).
"Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle… (the Lord) led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle" (Ps 107:4,7).
Tyre, as beautiful as she could be:
"Tyre… became the market-place of the nations… Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth… Tyre. She will return to her… trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth" (Isa 23:3,8,17).
"You satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth" (Isa 27:33).
"…Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea… perfect in beauty" (Ezek 27:3).
Babylon, ancient and future, as beautiful as she could be:
"Virgin Daughter Babylon; with… a throne, Daughter Babylon… tender or delicate… queen of kingdoms… eternal queen! … saying to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ with magic spells and many sorceries…" (Isa 47: 1,5,7,8,12)
"The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet… She held a golden cup in her hand… This title was written on her forehead: 'Mystery. Babylon the Great'…" "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth" (Rev 17:4,18).
"For all the nations… The kings of the earth… the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. In her heart she [says]: 'I sit as queen'" (Rev 18:2,3,7).
"… the kings of the earth who… shared her luxury see her… they… cry: '… O great city, O Babylon, city of power!'" "They will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will cry out: 'O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!'… Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led…'" (Rev 18: 9-10,17-19,23)
Jerusalem, old and new, as beautiful as she could be:
"Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels… Truly, such is God, our God, for ever and ever" (Ps 48:12-14).
"See… the faithful city… full of justice… City of Righteousness, the Faithful City" (Isa 1:21,27)
"O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendour, O Jerusalem, the holy city" (Isa 51:17-52:1).
"Then I passed by and… said to you: 'Live.' I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you" (Ezek 16:3-8, also: 59-61).
"The Lord will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies" (Ps 110:2).
"Tyre has said of Jerusalem, 'Aha! The gate to the nations …'" (Ezek 26:2).
"Many peoples will come (to mount Zion) and say: '…He will teach us his ways….' The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Isa 2:3).
"We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter" (Isa 26:1-2).
"And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is there" (Ezek 48:15,35).
"Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there" (Zech 8:4-5).
"Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" (Heb 12:22).
"… the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all," (Col 3:10-11).
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus… There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," (Gal 3:26,28)
"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband" (Rev 21:2).
"bride of the Lamb… the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel… it had a great high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates… The wall of the city had twelve foundations… the wall was made of jasper and the city was made of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city were decorated with every kind of precious stone… The twelve gates were twelve pearls." (Rev 21:9-21).
"The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it… The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it" (Rev 21:24,26, see also Isa 60:3)
The search for the definition of City leads us to this discovery: the CITY as Bride is God’s DESIGNED RULING PARTNER in this age and in the age to come!
Imagine the glory and prosperity of the great cities of the world, of (Inca) Machu Picchu, of Zimbawe, of Bejijng or Petersburg, of Venice, Prague or Amsterdam, if accumulated, without decacence or abuse of power, during a thousand year reign of Jesus and concentrated in Jerusalem: really the throne of the LORD, the city of the living God.
In chapter 1 we reached as conclusion that ”the city is a "pre-fall" concept, as fruit of God cooperating with humanity, both on this earth and on the new earth.”
In this chapter 2 we groped step by step towards a definition: “The City is a helpmate to God, even his designed ruling partner, as nations gather in her place and invest themselves environment wise, resource wise, social-intercourse wise and community wise, so emphasizing the joy of eco-system, of labour, of culture and of being a people at a place.”
It is this concept of cooperation of God with Humanity that we perceived in chapter 1 and researched in this chapter, that leads us to an awesome conclusion: At creation Man was the crown of it. But through time, through God cooperating with Man, the CITY will be the crown of the creation; that will then set the course into eternity!
The city is a person, woman, a mother, a harlot or a bride, an impressive Grand Lady ruling nations, God’s designed Power Partner on earth, the main stake of the spiritual battle, the final crown of creation, the gorgeous eternal Bride.
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