The foundation is no unimportant part of a building. It must last as long as the building lasts. It cannot be dug up while the building stands. It must not bend or sink or crack. If what is built on it is to be very high, it must be an immensely strong. It is prepared with the future building in mind. How carefully would men consult together if they were intending to build a building that would last for a thousand years! But this structure is to last for eternity. God as the Master Builder has taken that fact into account in laying its foundation. It can never be dismantled in order to be re-constructed. This foundation is sufficient to bear the weight of the countless millions that will rest upon it.
The materials from which earthly foundations are made are soon forgotten once the building is up. They may be discovered by those who study the architectural plans but they can no longer seen. But these foundations are known to all in heaven. They are too precious to be forgotten. Like everything else in this supernatural building, they are transparent and so visible even after the city and its walls are in place. The building is no longer under construction when John sees it. It comes down from heaven complete. It was constructed during earth’s history; now it is finished. And yet the names of the twelve apostles are still visible to him. The church will never forget and will never want to forget the work that was done to form her and what is her past history. We will always be dependent on Christ for our place there.
How much we underestimate the church and how it is valued by the Lord! We see a little flock on earth, often scorned, often derided. We see in it those who are the least in the estimation of the world, and we see the wise of this world convinced that their wisdom has saved them from believing anything as foolish as the gospel. God’s estimation however is altogether better. He has made her beautiful in his sight. In the metaphor of this vision, these jewels do not just tell us how we will view the church and its foundation; they tell us how God views it. Even to him it is something precious. How can anything be precious to God, who owns all things and can multiply what already exists by any amount? It is precious because he gave his only Son for it. The love which he has for his Son is therefore linked to the love he has for the church. How could he lose her or allow any to harm her when he has given so much for her?