THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The Divine Dispensing
Message Ten
The Ultimate Consummation of the Divine Dispensing
Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 1:2; Heb. 1:8; Acts 5:3-4; John 4:24; Rev. 1:4; 4:5; 5:6; 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 19:7-9; 21:2, 9, 11, 18-21; 22:1-2, 14, 17
I. The consummation of the divine dispensing is in John’s last book, the book of Revelation; in Revelation we can see the consummation, the issue, of the divine dispensing; this consummation is not only the consummation of the divine dispensing, but also the consummation of God’s entire plan and economy—Rev. 21:2, 10: (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
A. The consummation of the divine dispensing in the book of Revelation is mainly in the first three chapters and the last two. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
B. In the first three chapters there are the seven churches signified by the seven lampstands; in the last two chapters there is the wife of the Lamb signified by the New Jerusalem. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
C. Both the lampstands in this age and the New Jerusalem in eternity are the marvelous issue and consummation of the divine dispensing—Rev. 1:12; 21:2. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
II. The Bible of sixty-six books is for only one thing: for God in Christ by the Spirit to dispense Himself into us to be our life, our nature, and our everything so that we may live and express Christ to become the New Jerusalem; this should be the principle that governs our life—Rev. 22:17a; Rom. 9:23; 2 Kings 4:1-6; Rom. 8:28-29; Prov. 20:24; Psa. 139:7-12; Gen. 45:4; 50:20; Phil. 1:19-21a; Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:10: (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
A. If we do not have a clear view of God’s eternal intention in His eternal economy, our interpretation of the New Jerusalem will not be accurate, and our life and work will be meaningless; the goal of our life and work is to become the New Jerusalem and to build the New Jerusalem—1 Tim. 1:3; Eph. 3:8-11; Rev. 21:2-3, 9-11, 22; 22:1-5: (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
1. The New Jerusalem is a sign (a symbol with spiritual significance) of the ultimate consummation of the Divine Trinity dispensing Himself into His chosen people—1:1; 22:1-2; cf. John 4:14b; 6:35, 57. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
2. The New Jerusalem is a corporate person, a great God-man, the aggregate and totality of all of God’s chosen and redeemed people—Rev. 21:2a, 12b, 14. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
3. The New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the Lamb, Christ’s eternal counterpart, so we have to love Him supremely and betroth others to Him—vv. 2, 9-10; 22:17a; 2 Cor. 11:2; cf. Eph. 5:25-27. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
4. The New Jerusalem is the mutual abode of God and man, so we have to abide in Him that He may abide in us, and we have to minister Him as the building and builded God into others—Rev. 21:3, 22; John 14:23; 15:5, 7; 8:31; Eph. 3:16-19; 2 Cor. 3:3; 1 Cor. 3:12. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
5. The New Jerusalem is the fullness of God, the corporate expression of God, the glory of God, so we need to be saved from our self-likeness to express God in the oneness of the divine glory while we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, considering ourselves as slaves to serve the believers and laying down our lives on behalf of the brothers—Eph. 3:19; Rev. 21:9-11; 4:3; Rom. 5:10; Heb. 2:9-10; John 17:22-23; Matt. 16:24-25; 2 Cor. 4:5; 1 John 3:16. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
6. The New Jerusalem as God’s masterpiece is designed and constructed by God; He constructs the New Jerusalem by dispensing Himself as the Architect and Builder into our being—Heb. 11:10; Eph. 2:10; 3:10. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
B. The mystery of the ages hidden in God’s heart is that God in His Divine Trinity desires to be dispensed and wrought into His created man to make man His duplication and His expression—10:13; Eph. 3:8-11. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
C. God’s purpose in dealing with His people is that He wants His people to gain Him, to partake of Him, to possess Him, and to enjoy Him, rather than all things, until their enjoyment reaches the fullest extent, that His people may ultimately become the New Jerusalem—Phil. 3:7-14; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Rev. 21:2—22:5. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
III. In the ultimate consummation of the dispensing of the Divine Trinity as the New Jerusalem, we will enjoy the Lamb-God, the Redeeming God, in His triune dispensing—Rev. 22:1, 3; 21:23; 7:17; Ezek. 1:26: (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
A. The entire New Jerusalem is saturated with God the Spirit as the river of living water which flows out of the throne of God the Father and of the Lamb, God the Son; in the river the tree of life grows; the life water, God the Spirit, quenches thirst, and the life tree, God the Son, nourishes—Rev. 22:1-2. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
B. The entire city, which is a composition of the Trinity with His redeemed people, is watered, nourished, and saturated with the divine life; which is nothing less than the Triune God, dispensing Himself to saturate His redeemed people; this is a blending of the Triune God with His redeemed people—vv. 1-2, 14, 17. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
C. The nature of the Father is the substance; the redemption of the Son, including His death and resurrection, is the entry; and the Spirit’s transformation is the work to make us divine and precious; such a composition is the New Jerusalem; this is the consummation of the divine dispensing—Rev. 21:11, 19-21. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
D. What God is doing is dispensing Himself as the Father, the source, as the Son, the expression, and as the Spirit, the very entering in, into you and me; day and night He is working on this one thing; He is working toward this one goal, that we all would be a lampstand in this age to express the Triune God, and eventually that we would be that bride in eternity—1 Thes. 3:16; Rev. 1:12; 22:17. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 14)
IV. In the ultimate consummation of the dispensing of the Divine Trinity as the New Jerusalem, we will enjoy the eternal life to the fullest—Rev. 21:2—22:5: (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
A. We will enjoy the Father as the light of life in Christ, the Lamb, as the lamp; the shining of the divine light is the dispensing of the Triune God into the believers—21:23; 22:1, 5; cf. John 8:12; Luke 11:33-36. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
B. We will enjoy the Son as the tree of life for our rich, fresh, and eternally refreshing supply, our eternal portion—Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14; cf. Gen. 2:8-9; 3:24; Rom. 5:10, 17; 8:2. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
C. We will enjoy the Spirit as the river of water of life, a symbol of the processed Triune God in Christ as the life-giving Spirit flowing out Himself to saturate His redeemed people, the constituents of the New Jerusalem, showing that even in eternity future we will still need the supply of the dispensing of the Divine Trinity—Rev. 22:1; cf. John 4:14b; 7:38-39; 1 Cor. 12:13. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)
V. In the ultimate consummation of the dispensing of the Divine Trinity as the New Jerusalem, we will be the union, mingling, and incorporation of the processed Triune God with His redeemed, regenerated, sanctified, renewed, transformed, conformed, and glorified tripartite people for His glorious and utmost expression and His consummated manifestation for eternity as the new creation of resurrection—Rev. 21:12-13, 21a, 14, 17a; 22:1-5. (FTTA-2007 Spring to 2008 Spring, msg. 52)