The Twelve Foundations, The Twelve Stones, and The Twelve Apostles! Part 1

Many of us may be familiar with the twelve Apostles, the twelve Stones in Revelation and some of the nature of Jesus Christ, but have you ever pondered how they all fit together? Recently, I was reading Revelation 21, where John was describing the New City or the New Jerusalem. In verse 19, he was talking about the twelve Stones and the twelve Apostles. I knew that the Stones and the names of the Apostles had a special meaning, but I wanted to learn about  those meanings - so I went searching. I found the information that I was looking for in a book written by Rev. B. R. Hicks, a well-known pastor and author. Here’s what I found:

The Twelve Foundations, the Twelve Names of the Apostles of the Lamb, and the Twelve Precious Stones unite to form one beautiful revelation of truth about the Lord Jesus Christ as the Supporting Structure of the New City. The number twelve tells us that God’s Perfect Governmental Ruling Power has reigned in every aspect of building the New City.

The first foundation in God’s Eternal Plan for the New City is the Lord Jesus Christ as the Judge, the Divine Decider of good and evil which brings to an end doubts and disputes, and He gives definite, unmistakable determination to a penitent soul so that it can stride forward in God’s Purposive Will, according to His master plan. This Foundation has the name of the Apostle Peter inscribed on it, and it is garnished with the Jasper Stone, the polished and prominent stone. Peter’s name signifies the spiritual nature or Rock-Strength and firmness of Christ that we must have in order to defend the LORD’S divinely ordained position as the Just Judge. The Jasper Stone, with its polished, prominent nature, teaches us that we are to adorn the first Foundation of the Just Judge with bright, shining gratitude, which makes His decisions prominent before others. Hebrews 10:42 says, “And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead.”

The Second Foundation in God Eternal Plan for the New City – is Wisdom that bears the name of the Apostle Andrew – with the Sapphire Stone. Proverb 3:19 says, “The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he establish the heavens. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get Wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverb 4:7.) Wisdom’s ministry is present to reveal the “Truth that now is,” confirming the Justice of the Just Judge, the Devine Decider. The name of the Apostle Andrew is inscribed on the second foundation of the wall. His name means - Manly or Strong. Andrew was manly, strong, forceful, and determine to protect the Living Torah – Truth from obscurity and from remaining unknown. The second Foundation is garnished with the second Precious Stone, the Sapphire. The word sapphire means to scratch, to mark, or to inscribe. When Andrew found Christ, God’s Wisdom who had been made Flesh, he used his manly strength and his Sapphire Stone to adorn the Truth about Wisdom, which he so greatly inscribed the truth in his brother Simon’s heart that he came to Christ. Unless people realize how necessary it is to have this second foundation in their heart, they will be disinterested and disinclined to make the effort to obtain it.

The Third Foundation of the wall of the New City is – Repentance. Repentance bears the name of the Apostle James (son of Zebedee) with the Chalcedony Stone – which means the Hollowing Out. Hebrews 6:1 says, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” The name of the Apostle James, is inscribed on this third foundation because it fits with the Principle of Repentance. The Chalcedony Stone, which beautify the third Foundation, also fits with Repentance. It means to hollow out, when sin is cleaned out of the old heart through repentance, the heart is hollowed out so that there is room or a place for God’s Master Plan and Purposive will to abide.

Come back next week for more of the 12!

With all that said, let the church say Amen... and AMEN!