‘For bronze I will bring gold,

And for iron I will bring silver,

And for wood, bronze,

And for stones, iron.

I will also make your officers peace,

And your exactors (taskmasters) righteousness,

Violence will no more be heard in your land,

Desolation or destruction within your borders,

But you will call your walls, Salvation,

And your gates, Praise.'

The catalogue of perfection for the new Jerusalem continues. Gold and silver instead of bronze and iron; bronze and iron instead of wood and stones. All will be better than it has ever been before. Peace will be its overseers and righteousness its exactors, that is it will be controlled in all things by peace and righteousness, and as they enjoy and delight in both of these, their ‘subjection' will be their joy.

There will be no more violence, no more desolation, no more destruction. All the forces of disorder and chaos will be gone. They will be guarded by the walls of salvation, and shut in by the gates of praise (compare Isaiah 26:1). Peace, righteousness, salvation and praise will be their inheritance. A wondrous city indeed is this.

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