It’s an old saying with a lot of truth: Earthquakes don’t kill people; buildings do. However, engineers today are using new techniques to guard against earthquake damage, including setting skyscrapers on giant shock absorbers or sliding plates, along with flexible foundations, helping reduce the impact of massive shaking.

It’s interesting that John describes the foundations of the New Jerusalem, as you don’t typically focus on a building’s footings when admiring its beauty. Even more impressive is that the foundation isn’t for one building but the whole city. What’s so important here?

When the foundation was laid for the Second Temple after the Babylonian exile, there was a large celebration. “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. … Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid” (Ezra 3:10, 11). It marked an important step in reestablishing worship.

Jesus told a parable of a wise man who built his house upon rock, enabling it to withstand storms. Note the spiritual application: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). The home of the saved is built upon the words of Christ. Indeed, the “names of the twelve apostles” who initially carried forth the gospel words of Jesus are written on the foundations of the holy city.

The apostle Paul describes the church as “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). Both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles stand on Christ, the Rock that cannot be shaken.

Lord, I choose to build my life on Your words. I place all my weight on Scripture so that I can stand securely in these last days.

For Further Study: Matthew 16:18; Acts 16:26; Galatians 2:9

Key Bible Texts

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:14 KJV)