Revelation 21:21

New Testament

18 The city’s wall is made of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. 19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls—each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The main street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God—the All-Powerful—and the Lamb are its temple.

Genesis Rabbah 44:12

Aggadah
Rabbinic

AND HE BROUGHT HIM FORTH WITHOUT - HA-HUZAH. R. Joshua said in R. Levi’s name: Did He then lead him forth without the world, that it says, And HE BROUGHT HIM FORTH WITHOUT? It means, however, that He showed him the streets of heaven, as you read, While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the outer spaces—huzoth. R. Judah b. R. Simon said in R. Johanan’s name: He lifted him up above the vault of heaven; hence He says to him, (HABBET) NOW TOWARD HEAVEN, HABBET signifying to look down from above. The Rabbis said: [God said to him]: ‘Thou art a prophet, not an astrologer,’ as it says, Now therefore restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet In the days of Jeremiah the Israelites wished to entertain this belief [in astrology], but the Holy One, blessed be He, would not permit them. Thus it is written, Thus saith the Lord : Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, etc.: your ancestor Abraham wished to entertain this belief long ago, but I would not permit him. R. Levi said: While the sandal is on your foot tread down the thorn; he who is placed below them fears them, but thou [Abraham] art placed above them, so trample them down [ignore them]. R. Judan said in R. Leazar’s name: Three things nullify a decree [of evil], viz. prayer, righteousness, and repentance. And the three are enumerated in one verse: If My people, upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray - here you have prayer; And seek My face alludes to righteousness, as you read, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; And turn from their evil ways denotes repentance; after that, Then will I forgive their sin. R. Huna said in R. Joseph’s name: Also change of name and good deeds. Change of name is learned from Abraham and Sarah. Good deeds, from the people of Nineveh, for it says, And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways. Some say, change of place, too, for it says, Now the Lord said unto Abram: Get thee out of thy country, etc. R. Huna said: Also fasting, as it says, The Lord answer thee in the day of trouble. Raba b. Mehasia and R. Hama b. Guria said in Rab’s name: Fasting is as effective for counteracting an evil dream as fire for consuming tow. R. Joseph said: Providing it is done on the same day, even on the Sabbath.

 Notes and References

"... Genesis Rabbah (44:12) also interprets the reference to YHWH bringing Abram 'outside' in an overtly cosmological manner, in a way that appears both to presuppose and to censure his use of astrology outright (Such an interpretation of the lifting above the firmament is, in fact, represented in the so-called Midrash Aggadah of Solomon Buber (based on a Mediaeval manuscript from Aleppo), which explicitly says (ad loc.) that although most humans are "under their constellation" (bënê ädäm tahat mazzäläm) which 'therefore judges them' (lëpikäk hammazzäl dän ötäm), Abra(ha)m is "above the dome of the firmament, in which the constellations are" (lëmalá mikktppat häräqta sehammazzäl säm), and therefore, presumably, exempt from astrological influence) ..."

Wikander, Ola "Go Out from Your Sign": Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction - Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Hiyya (pp. 1-5) Old Testament Essays Vol.33, No. 3, 2020

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.