David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]
Listen to this prophecy from Isaiah:
“O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you”
(Isaiah 54:11-14).
What an amazing prophecy! The “colorful gems” mentioned in verse 11 are jewels. If you know much about jewels, you know that a diamond was once a piece of coal that has been worked on for years by the elements. God’s Word is telling us: “Your afflictions are meant to change you into something beautiful—something precious to Me!”
The “pinnacles [windows] of rubies [agates]” mentioned here are a type of quartz, made transparent by fire. The “windows” aspect has to do with eyes or vision. God is saying that trusting Him through your afflictions will give you clear vision and discernment. It will allow you to see into the unseen with crystal clarity.
Many scholars believe the phrase “gates of crystal” reads more accurately as “gates of pearl.” Pearls are formed from a grain of sand in the belly of an oyster. The grain is injected with fluid, then grated and irritated until it becomes a pearl.
Think of all the grating, irritating friction in your life. What is God doing? He is making a pearl! Every pearl is a memento of suffering, pain, friction.
I believe Isaiah is talking about the beauty of Jesus Christ in this passage. In other words, affliction, when allowed to accomplish its work, brings about a people who shine forth the beauty of Christ’s character. It makes us more and more like Jesus.
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From the beginning of our Journey of Fire, I noticed that God would always take me to this passage whenever I opened my Bible. I read it over and over again. I knew it had something to do with God wanting to make something beautiful of my life, but I could never get much clarity beyond that. And the part about my children being taught of the Lord and having great peace was very comforting to me.
This explanation of the meaning of the passage helps me so much. It gives me that clarity I needed. I feel like I’m starting to come out of a fog.
And I’m taking hold of the promises concerning my children stronger than ever right now.
If you feel like all you ever experience is affliction, be encouraged. There’s a reason for it. You are becoming more beautiful and more like Jesus through it. It will be worth it!
I want to be beautiful for my Jesus, don’t you?
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
Penney I have read that so many times and not known what in the world it meant:) Although the scriptures about children is something I speak over my dd and am believing for her everyday! Thanks for this great post!