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KevinK

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In the movie The Rapture (Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny), frequent reference is made to something called "the Pearl". Sidestepping for the moment any scriptural shortcomings the film may have had, does anyone know what this symbol is? I'm not familiar with any major religion that emphasizes such a symbol. Did they just make it up for the movie?
 
Dear Brother KevinK, the pearl of great price is the bride of Christ. The following excerpt from Mary Bodie's teaching on Parables may offer an understanding of what Jesus did to purchase us.

Notes by Mary Bodie: The Pearl of Great Price

"Again the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls. Who when He hath found one of great price went and sold all that he hath and bought it." - (Mt. 13:45-46)

This parable resembles that of the treasure hid in a field.. In some respects they are closely connected; but they do not signify the same thing. They both speak of the Lord's purchased people who are all precious to Him, but with quite a distinction between them. The one, the treasure, is hidden in a field - the world: while the others, the pearl and pearls are found in the depths of the sea - the nations. The latter would emphasize the fact that it was for the sake of the Bride (for She is the Pearl), that He stooped to the death of the cross. It is written of Christ - "the waves and billows" (Jonah 2:3) of God's wrath were poured out upon Him. Like Jonah, of whom He was the antitype in this respect, He cried, "The waters compassed me about even to the soul; the depth closed round about; the weeds were wrapped about my head." (Jonah 2:5). He was the Merchantman, seeking goodly pearls. Therefore He came down into the sea, where He found one pearl of great price which He drew out of the sea - the old creation.

Notice in this parable that the sea is not bought to get the treasure as the field was bought to get the treasure, because the Church and the Bride are heavenly jewels. Their inheritance is in heaven. they are taken out of the element or condition in which they are found and translated to another. Furthermore pearls are found in shells, a hard rough exterior, which must be put off, before their beauty can be seen. Pearls are the only jewels known that are the work of a living organism, a fact of wonderful significance. A grain of sand enters the side of the oyster which causes discomfort and annoyance. It is foreign substance to that of the organism; therefore because it cannot get rid of the grain of sand, it begins to coat it over with the same substance, nacre, or mother of pearl, which lines the interior of the shell. It continues with this work until the substance ceases to annoy, because the irritation vanishes. It becomes even as the living organism.

Thus, what appeared to be injury to the oyster, results finally in the formation of the beautiful gems, sought for in deep waters thru-out the world. They become clothed with beauty, put upon them by the one that they hurt; even as the Church composed of many members, the choice ones, objects of divine favor, are clothed with the comeliness of Him whom they crucified. The beauty of Christ is put over upon the very least of these. There are degrees of beauty and grades of worth among pearls as well as saints. The most rare ones are those that are perfectly spherical, with no roughness anywhere, a hint of the completely rounded character which God desires and must have in His Church, but more especially in the Bride. She is the one Pearl of great price that is found among the many pearls which He gathers from the sea. The Gentiles in Scripture are often figured by the sea.

The beauty of a pearl is entirely dependent upon the coatings which the oyster puts upon it, not at all upon the size or shape of the piece of sand. Therefore to read the parable aright, we learn that the Church is dependent upon the living Christ for her beauty. He will apply grace after grace upon each part of the body as each allows Him to have His way until finally the beauty of each is indescribable. He will adorn all in the Church with His own Comeliness as each one yields to Him.

But now let us notice some points that are generally overlooked. The majority of teachers of these seven parables of Matthew 13, apply the Pearl to the whole church - but we are perforce obliged to differ somewhat with them. Observe that the Merchantman went down into the sea "seeking goodly pearls," not one pearl alone. Christ is that Man in question, the seeker of the beautiful gems. Did He with His eagle eyes find only one Pearl? No, He found "many pearls." We read in Revelation 2 an 3 of seven churches." Several of these companies mentioned remain unto the coming of the Lord. There is Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Each company of these is a pearl. They have been gathered out of the sea (Gentiles), but they differ in beauty and worth. One of these pearls is the Pearl of great price - Philadelphia. (Smyrna Saints will be part of that company, being of the same worth). Her worth cannot be computed in figures. She is the most precious part of the Church, the Choice One of the Merchantman. She will be taken away by the Seeker of pearls before the pearls of lesser value are taken.

In the day of rewards, when all the Churches have been gathered home, the beauty of the Bride will be manifested as greater than that of others. She will have a more heavenly sheen upon her, because she let the Bridegroom beautify her. She will be like Him and in His beauty will shine. The sun-glory will be upon her. The Pearl of great price will outshine the pearls. Israel will have her place as the treasure in the world; we need not envy her; we have the better part, as the Pearl of great price, which like Mary's part, shall not be taken away from us.
:wave2
 
Thank you, Eugene. I vaguely remember that parable now, but never associated it with the Church.
 
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