Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. – Matthew 13:45-46
the merchant man = Jesus
the pearl of great price = believers, the body of Christ, the Church (not the buildings)
Of all jewels, the pearl is the only one that is made by a living organism as a response to irritation that has been introduced. It is then removed from its place of growth to become an item of adornment.
Oysters are not kosher, one can only eat seafood with scales. -Deuteronomy 14:10
Pearls were not prized by the Jewish community, but they might
trade in them because they would sell them to the Gentiles. Pearls are
distinctly a Gentile ornament, not a Jewish ornament.
The kingdom of heaven is like Jesus calling believers: and when the Church was complete He took possession of that which He purchased on the cross and removed it from it’s place of growth to be with Him in heaven, during His return, through the millennium, and in eternity.
Jesus has bought us and the creation back with the blood He shed on the cross, and He will take final possession, with us following, after He finishes opening the seven sealed title-deed He takes out of the right hand of the Father. – Revelation 5:1, Revelation 5:7