And I will make thy windows of agates
Some sort of which stones, Pliny F24 says, were valued for their
clearness like glass; but the stone which bears this name with us
is not clear and lucid enough to make windows of. The Septuagint,
Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "of
jasper", a stone more fit for that purpose; and it is interpreted
of the jasper in the Talmud F25; so "the light" of the New
Jerusalem is said to be like unto the "jasper stone", ( Revelation
21:11 ) . Some take the crystal to be meant, which suits well
with windows; the word F26 for which has its name from the
sun, because by means of them the rays and light of the sun are
let into a house, and illuminate it; these in a figurative sense
may design the ministers of the Gospel, who are the lights of the
world, especially of the church; and the word and ordinances
administered by them, by means of which the light of spiritual
knowledge, joy, and comfort, is let into the churches, and into
the souls of men, from Christ, the sun of righteousness. The
phrase signifies, that in the latter day their ministrations
should be very clear and bright, and be greatly owned, and be
very successful: "and thy gates of carbuncles"; precious stones
so called from their fiery flaming colour. The gates of the New
Jerusalem are said to be so many pearls, ( Revelation
21:21 ) which there, as here, signify the entrance into the
church of God, which is through Christ, who is the door into it,
and through faith in him, which works by love; these gates will
be open in the latter day to receive many, who will come in great
numbers, and are called "praise", ( Isaiah 60:11
Isaiah
60:18 ) , which will be expressed in very warm and lively
strains of love and affection, of which the carbuncle may be a
symbol: and all thy borders of pleasant stones;
true believers, called "lively stones", and who are pleasant in
the sight of God and Christ, and are taken pleasure in by one
another; see ( Psalms
102:14 ) . The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "thy
wall", which agree with ( Revelation
21:18 ) , where the wall of the New Jerusalem is said to be
of jasper.