THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The New Jerusalem
Message Three—The New Jerusalem—the Consummate Shulammite
Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:18-25; John 19:34; Eph. 5:25-27, 32; S.S. 6:13; 7:11-12; 8:5-6, 13-14; Rev. 21:2, 9-10; 22:17a
I. The entire Bible is a divine romance, a record of how God courts His chosen people and eventually marries them—Gen. 2:21-24; S. S. 1:2-4; Isa. 54:5; 62:5; Jer. 2:2; 3:1, 14; 31:32; Ezek. 16:8; 23:5; Hosea 2:7, 19; Matt. 9:15; John 3:29; 2 Cor.11:2; Eph. 5:25-32; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9-10; 22:17:
A. When we as God’s people enter into a love relationship with God, we receive His life, just as Eve received the life of Adam—Gen. 2:21-22.
B. It is this life that enables us to become one with God and makes Him one with us—John 14:21, 23.
C. In order for God and His people to be one, there must be a mutual love between them—John 14:21, 23; Exo. 20:6.
D. The love between God and His people unfolded in the Bible is primarily like the affectionate love between a man and a woman—Jer. 2:2; 31:3.
E. As God’s people love God and spend time to fellowship with Him in His word, God infuses them with His divine element, making them one with Him as His spouse, the same as He is in life, nature, and expression—Psa. 119:140, 15-16; Eph. 5:25-27.
II. In Genesis 2 we see a picture of Christ and the church in the types of Adam and Eve—Gen. 2:18; Rom. 5:14; cf. Isa. 54:5; John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:31-32; Rev. 21:9:
A. Adam typifies God in Christ as the real, universal Husband, who is seeking a wife for Himself—Rom. 5:14; cf. Isa. 54:5; John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:31-32; Rev. 21:9.
B. “Jehovah God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart”—Gen. 2:18.
III. Ultimately, we are conformed to be the wonderful Shulammite, who, as the duplication of Solomon, is the greatest and ultimate figure of the New Jerusalem as the counterpart of Christ—S. S. 6:13; Rev. 21:2, 9-10; 22:17a:
A. Shulammite is the feminine form of Solomon, indicating that now the overcomers have become the same as Christ in life, in nature, in expression, and in function but not in the Godhead for the carrying out of God’s economy—S. S. 6:13; Matt.9:15; Rev. 19:7:
1. Just as King Solomon became a country man to court a country girl in order to make her His queen, His duplication, God in Christ became a man to court man in order to make man God in life, nature, expression, and function but not in the Godhead to be Christ’s bride—Matt. 9:15; Rev. 19:7; cf. Psa. 45:1-3, 9, 13-14.
2. The Bible reveals that God became a man to court us and that now He wants us to court Him by our becoming divine for His expression through our personal, affectionate, private, and spiritual relationship with Him—Eccl. 1:2; S. S. 1:1-8; cf. 2 Cor. 2:10; Exo. 33:11; Rom. 8:4, 6; 1 Cor. 2:15.
B. The Shulammite is like two camps, or armies, in the sight of God—S. S. 6:13:
1. When Jacob was on the way to confront Esau, the angels of God met him, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim—Gen. 32:1-2.
2. After he saw the two armies of God, Jacob divided his wives, children, and possessions into two groups or “two armies,” indicating that we are more than conquerors and that we bear a strong testimony—S. S. 6:7.
IV. Eventually, Christ’s lovers who are becoming His duplication need to share in His work by being equipped with all the attributes of the divine life to be expressed in their human virtues—2 Cor. 6:1a:
A. Actually, to work with Christ we must be Christ; Paul was a real Shulammite because he lived Christ—Phil. 1:21a.
B. The Spirit, esteeming the Shulammite as one of the royal household, reviews her virtues, presenting a beautiful portrait of the lovely lover of Christ from her feet to her head as an expression of Christ, whom she loves—Rom. 5:17.
C. The Shulammite works as Solomon’s counterpart to carry out with her Beloved the work that is for the entire world by sojourning from one place to another—S. S. 7:11; Rev. 14:4.
D. She and her beloved work diligently not for herself but in the churches, for others to bud, blossom, and bloom, in which she renders her love to her Beloved—S. S. 7:12; cf. 1:6b.
E. Because the Christ-seeker’s heart is fully possessed by Him, she has become mature in the divine life and is filled with a hope to be raptured—S. S. 8:13-14; Psa. 73:25.
V. The New Jerusalem is the ultimate and eternal Eve, the corporate bride, the wife of the Lamb, built up with precious materials produced by the flowing, transforming, building, resurrection life of Christ—Gen. 2:22:
A. The Spirit as the consummation of the processed Triune God marries the bride as the consummation of the processed tripartite man—Rev. 22:17a.
B. The processed man will match the processed God forever for His full expression and satisfaction—21:11, 23.
Ministry Excerpts:
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH
Verse 21:1 says, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.” Here again, from a distance, we are standing opposite to Genesis. In Genesis 1, the heaven and the earth are the original heaven and earth, but in this verse we have a new heaven and a new earth. In Genesis there was the sea, but in this verse the sea is no more.
Verse 2 continues, “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” In chapter nineteen there is a declaration that the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. But in this chapter, the New Jerusalem is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This is the actuality. There are many declarations in Revelation, but the most important declaration is Revelation 11:15. According to the order of occurrence, the rapture of the man-child and the casting down of the dragon from heaven take place after this declaration. Then how can the words, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,” be spoken at this time? It is possible because this declaration was made at the beginning of things, not at the point of their accomplishment. This means that a turning point has come. When there is a definite turn towards God’s eternal purpose, God can make such a declaration in heaven. In chapter nineteen God makes another declaration, saying that the marriage of the Lamb has come and that His wife has made herself ready. This declaration is also made at the starting point of events which are about to occur. Because before Him the overcomers represent the bride and because this group of people is ready in His sight, God is able to declare that the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. However, the “has come” is fully realized in the new heaven and the new earth. In Revelation 21:2, John actually saw the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. At that time the bride was truly ready in every sense. This is not merely the readiness declared in chapter nineteen, but the readiness in actual fact.
Now we must turn back to read Ephesians 5:26 and 27. “That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.” “That He might present the church to Himself” is fulfilled in Revelation 21. Now, before God, the bride is ready to be presented to the Lord. “Prepared as a bride” is no longer difficult to comprehend. By the end of the kingdom age, the whole church will be brought to this place. What we fail to see today will be fully seen in that day. Today we may say that God’s standard for the church is high and ask how the church will ever attain to such a condition. We may not know how God will do it, but we do know that the church will attain to that position at the time of the new heaven and new earth. Some may think that the church will reach the stage of Ephesians 5 before the age of the kingdom. However, the Lord did not say this. The church will not arrive at that place until Revelation 21. At the time of the new heaven and new earth, there will not be just a group of saints who are perfected, but all the saints, the whole Body, from all the nations throughout all the ages. They will all be together before God and glorified in His presence.
Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice out of the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” This verse reveals what it will be like in the new heaven and new earth. The new heaven and new earth are in the eternal blessing, and positive blessing is spoken of here. This verse is followed by statements that say there will be no more of this and no more of that. These are the negative aspects, not the positive aspects. What is the positive and eternal blessing? It is that God will be with us. The presence of God is the blessing. All that the Scriptures have ever said about the blessing in eternity is summed up in these words, “God Himself will be with them.” The severest suffering is to be without God’s presence. But all of the enjoyment in eternity will be God’s presence. The blessing of that day, is nothing other than God being with us. Solomon once said, “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Kings 8:27). The heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, but we may say that the New Jerusalem can contain Him. God dwells in the New Jerusalem, and God’s throne is established there.
The New Jerusalem is the woman whom we have been considering. In Genesis we saw a garden and a woman. This woman sinned, and God drove her out of the garden. Now in the new heaven and new earth, the woman and the holy city are one; they are no longer two separate entities. Since the New Jerusalem is the woman, the New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb; therefore, the woman and the holy city are one. Not only so, but God’s throne is established in the New Jerusalem, or we may say that God Himself dwells within this woman. The Almighty One is dwelling in her. Therefore, it does not matter how great the force or temptation that can come from without. Evil powers can no longer enter, nor can man fall again, because God dwells within her. The blessing of the new heaven and new earth is the presence of God. All who have tasted something of God’s presence in their experience know that it is indeed a blessing. No other blessing is greater or more precious than this. (The Glorious Church, ch. 5)
THE WIFE OF THE LAMB
Revelation 21:2 tells us that the New Jerusalem is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and Revelation 21:9 refers to the New Jerusalem as the bride, the wife of the Lamb. The first wife in the whole universe was Eve. In Ezekiel 23 the children of Israel are referred to as the wife of Jehovah (vv. 1-4). In John 3 all the regenerated believers are the bride of Christ to be His increase, His enlargement (vv. 29-30). In Ephesians 5 is the church as the wife of Christ and in 2 Corinthians 11:2 the believers have been engaged or betrothed to Christ as their husband. In Revelation 19:7-9 is a universal wedding day, the marriage of the Lamb. Finally, in the last two chapters of the Bible is the wife of the Lamb. The Lamb is the embodiment of the Triune God and the wife is the consummation of all the saints. The Bible concludes and consummates with a divine couple living a married life in eternity.
COMPOSED OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS
The New Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb is composed of the Old Testament saints represented by the twelve tribes, and the New Testament saints represented by the twelve Apostles (Rev. 21:9-14). The twelve gates of the New Jerusalem are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. This indicates that the New Jerusalem is composed of all the redeemed saints of the Old Testament. Also, “the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (21:14). “Apostles” here also indicates that the New Jerusalem is not only composed of the Old Testament saints, represented by Israel, but also of the New Testament saints, represented by the Apostles.
THE BELIEVERS—THE WIFE OF THEIR REDEEMER
Also, the New Jerusalem symbolizes the believers as the wife of their Redeemer. In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul says, “I betrothed you to one Husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ.” “You” in this verse is a corporate you. Many saints have been betrothed to Christ as one corporate virgin. There is one church with many members and Paul betrothed the believers in a corporate way as one corporate virgin to one husband—Christ.
ONE WITH HER REDEEMER
The wife of the Lamb is one with her Redeemer, as Eve taken out of Adam and attached back to him to be one flesh, two as one in one nature and one life (Gen. 2:21-24; Eph. 5:25-27, 29-32). Eve was originally a piece of bone, a rib, taken out of Adam. This bone was taken out of Adam, builded into a woman, a wife for Adam, and attached back to Adam to be one flesh. These two, Adam and Eve, were as one in one nature and one life. A wife is one that is one nature and one life with her husband. Based upon this significance we must again ask how the New Jerusalem could be a physical city. A physical, material city could never be one with Christ in one life and in one nature. The New Jerusalem is not only something with the divine element added to it and with the holy nature wrought into it, but also it is one with the Redeemer in one nature and in one life.
THE UNIVERSAL AND HEAVENLY WOMAN
The wife of the Lamb as symbolized by the universal and heavenly woman in Revelation 12:1-6, 13-17, is composed of all the Old Testament and the New Testament saints. According to Revelation 12:1, this woman is “clothed with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (see Message 34 of the Life-study of Revelation). This universal and heavenly woman is the total composition of God’s people on the earth. The sun signifies God’s people in the New Testament age (Luke 1:78), the moon signifies God’s people in the Old Testament time, and the stars signify the patriarchs (Gen. 37:9). We know that this woman is composed of both the Old and New Testament saints because among the sun, the moon, and the stars are the brothers who overcome Satan because of the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11). We also see that the rest of the woman’s seed are those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17). Those who keep the commandments of God are the Jews, and those who have the testimony of Jesus are the New Testament believers. When I was a young believer I read some books which said that this woman was Mary and that the man-child was Jesus. When I studied this woman with her man-child, though, I discovered that this kind of teaching was unscriptural and illogical. After the man-child is brought to the throne of God there is a period of 1,260 days, which is the period of the great tribulation (Rev. 12:6). This very universal and heavenly woman in Revelation 12 is the wife of the Lamb. This woman is a universal composition of all the saints and this woman consummates in the New Jerusalem.
THE CONSUMMATION OF THE WIFE AS THE CHURCH
The wife of the Lamb is also the consummation of the wife as the church in Ephesians 5:25-27 and 29-32. An example may help to illustrate what we mean by the wife in Ephesians 5 consummating in the New Jerusalem. When a certain man’s wife was only ten years old, she was his wife, but she was not consummated to be his wife. As she was growing up, she was consummating. When she finally reached the age of twenty-three to become this man’s bride, that was the consummation of this ten-year-old girl. The bride on that wedding day was the consummation of that little girl. The church in Ephesians 5 is like that little girl who is ten years old, and the New Jerusalem will be the consummated bride. The bride in Revelation 21 can never be improved. She will live forever but she will not grow. The wife in Ephesians 5, however, is still growing. The church in Ephesians 5 still has wrinkles and spots, but the bride in Revelation 21 has no wrinkles or spots. The New Jerusalem is the consummation of the wife in Ephesians 5. The Lord is still working in the church to cause her to grow.
THE MILLENNIUM AND ETERNITY
The millennium will be the wedding day in which the overcoming saints will participate (Rev. 19:7-9). To the Lord a thousand years are as one day (2 Pet. 3:8), so the millennium will be the wedding day of the Lamb with the church as His bride. A wife is a bride for one day, but after the wedding day she is no longer the bride. The millennium of one thousand years will be one day for the Lamb to marry His bride. In the new heaven and new earth, all the saints of both the Old Testament and the New Testament will be the New Jerusalem, enjoying the divine married life with the Triune God for eternity.
THE MOTHER OF THE BELIEVERS,
THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE
Galatians 4:26-28 and 31 reveal the New Jerusalem as the mother of the believers. This mother is the Jerusalem above, the heavenly Jerusalem (4:26). It is impossible for a physical city to be a mother bringing forth children. The New Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above, is our mother. In Galatians 4 Hagar symbolizes the old covenant of law that condemns and brings in death, bringing forth the children unto slavery (vv. 24-25) while Sarah symbolizes the new covenant of grace that justifies and brings in life, bringing forth children unto freedom (vv. 26-28, 31). The New Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above, is our mother and this mother is the new covenant of grace. This new covenant is our mother because it brought us forth as children of freedom.
The children brought forth by the old covenant of the law were the children of Hagar, but the new covenant of grace brings forth children of freedom by God as grace to enjoy the Triune God, not by human effort to keep the law. Also, her children become her components. This is a great mystery in the Bible that the children of the mother become the components of the mother.
THE TRIUNE GOD AS THE CENTER, SUBSTANCE,
ELEMENT, AND ESSENCE
The center of the New Jerusalem, who is the mother of the believers, is God and the Lamb on the throne (Rev. 22:1). This is the Triune God as the center and the element of the mother of the believers. The element of the new covenant of grace is also the Triune God. Grace is nothing less than God Himself for our enjoyment. When God is revealed, this is truth, and when God is enjoyed by us, this is grace. The new covenant brings us God for our enjoyment, so it is called the new covenant of grace. Furthermore, the real element, essence, and nature of the children of freedom is the Triune God. The element and substance of the components of the mother is also the Triune God. Finally, the center, substance, element, and essence of the ultimate consummation of the Scriptures, the New Jerusalem, is the Triune God. This shows us that the mother of the believers, the new covenant of grace, the components of the mother, and the New Jerusalem are all one. Throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation we see one divine wonderful Person—the Triune God. The ultimate consummation of the divine revelation in the Holy Scriptures and of everything the Triune God has done and achieved is the New Jerusalem, which is the composition of the Triune God mingling Himself with the tripartite man. The New Jerusalem as the divine composition of the Triune God mingling Himself with His redeemed, transformed, tripartite man is the ultimate, universal consummation of all of God’s divine revelation and His divine doing.
THE NEW COVENANT, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM,
AND THE CHURCH
To take the new covenant and to keep it is to come to the heavenly Jerusalem and to the church (Heb. 8:7-13; 12:22-23). The new covenant, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the church are one. In order to understand this we must see the link between Galatians and Hebrews. Galatians deals with Judaism, warning the believers not to backslide into Judaism but to stay in grace. Hebrews charges us not to drift into the old covenant but to remain in the new covenant. Chapters seven through ten of Hebrews are on the better covenant, the new covenant. Hebrews 8 indicates that the old covenant is over and the new covenant has come in to replace it. Then in Hebrews 12 Paul tells us that we have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, and to the church (vv. 22-23).
Based upon our fellowship thus far, we can understand that to come to the new covenant is just to come to the New Jerusalem. Without Galatians 4 as a background, it would be hard to understand this. Galatians 4 clearly shows us that the mother of the believers which is the Jerusalem above, the New Jerusalem, is also the new covenant of grace as symbolized by Sarah. To come to the new covenant is not only to come to the New Jerusalem but also to come to the church (Heb. 12:23). To keep the new covenant is to remain in the New Jerusalem. We need to realize that we are not going to the New Jerusalem but we are in the New Jerusalem already. We have come! The tense of the verb in Hebrews 12:22 is the perfect tense, “have come,” not the future tense. We know that we have come to the New Jerusalem because the New Jerusalem is the new covenant. Because we have taken the new covenant, we have entered into the New Jerusalem. The taking of the new covenant is the entering into the New Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God passing through the long process of His new covenant. Without the Triune God, the new covenant is just an empty shell. The Triune God in His new covenant is imparting and dispensing Himself into all of us all the time, making us His components, the components of His ultimate consummation. The ultimate consummation will not be the Triune God Himself alone, but it will be the mingling of the Triune God with His redeemed, tripartite man—this is the New Jerusalem. We all have to be wrought with God and by God that we might be fully transformed, saturated, and conformed to Himself. Then we will be participating in that ultimate consummation. Thank Him that today we are in this mingling of God with man, which is today’s church life. We should remain here and should not be distracted by anything. (God’s New Testament Economy, ch. 28)