The center of the holy city is the throne of God and of the Lamb from which proceeds everything for the existence and supply of the city. This throne represents God’s administration under His authority and headship. The base and support for the throne of the New Jerusalem is the gold of which the city is composed. This signifies that the foundation of God’s throne is His divine nature, one attribute of which is righteousness (cf. Psa. 89:14). Also, from the throne proceeds the golden street in which flows the river of water of life. This signifies that it is only out of the throne of God that there can be communication or fellowship between God and man and that in this communication is the consummated Spirit of the Triune God as our flowing supply. Therefore, on the one hand, the throne is the center of the city, and on the other, it is the source out of which the entire city is supplied.
In our daily living, as those becoming the New Jerusalem, we need to have the throne of God in the preeminent place in our being. When we submit to the throne and allow the Lord to rule and reign in us, He is able to communicate and fellowship with us and supply us with the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19). As we become the New Jerusalem in our experience, the throne of God will be our source and center.
The second furnishing of the holy city is the temple. John saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, but the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Rev. 21:22). The significance of the temple is that the almighty redeeming God is the dwelling place of His redeemed elect and the place where they serve Him. As priests to God we dwell in God as the temple and serve Him (Rev. 1:6; 22:3). But the God in whom we dwell is also the King and that makes us His royal family, sons of the King (Rev. 21:7). Therefore, we are a kingly, royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9) and we serve God and reign with Him forever and ever.
Today, we must have the realization that God is our dwelling place and that we are priestly kings who live the kingly life of our Father. Wherever we go, we should remember that we are kings and priests, not living according to our fallen nature in Adam, but according to our divine nature in Christ.
The final furnishing of the New Jerusalem is its light. In the city, there is no need of the sun, the moon, or the light of a lamp because the glory of God illumines it and its lamp is the Lamb (Rev. 21:23; 22:5). Natural light is signified by the sun and the moon and artificial light is signified by a lamp. In the New Jerusalem, there is no need of any natural or artificial light, but only God as light, the true light, the light of life (John 1:4, 9; 8:12).
Light is an important theme running throughout the Bible from Genesis 1:3 until Revelation 22:5. As New Testament believers, we walk in the light, we are children of light, and we even are light in the Lord (1 John 1:7; Eph. 5:8). Since we have received the light and have been born of God, we must refrain from any natural light or artificial light. As those who will consummate the New Jerusalem, we have no need of natural light or artificial light. God is our light. While reading the Bible, preaching the gospel, or doing anything, we should not rely on our own understanding or try to create any light of our own. Rather, we should stay in the fellowship of life with the Triune God and walk in the light as described in 1 John chapter 1. Then we will be those living in the reality of the New Jerusalem today.
As we pay attention to the matters of the furnishings of the New Jerusalem and live a life according to the principles revealed by the significances of these furnishings, we will have a living that is according to the New Jerusalem. As this city is not physical, so also it is not to be apprehended only in our mentality. Rather, we need to apply the interpretation of all the details of the city to our living today.
Showing posts with label FTTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FTTA. Show all posts
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Dust to Stone
“And Jehovah God formed man with the dust of the ground…” (Gen. 2:7). As God’s creation we were made from dust. But God desires something solid and precious to be built up into the consummation of His eternal economy, the New Jerusalem. Therefore, He has to transform fallen man through the stages of His full salvation to make man useful for His building. So from creation to the New Jerusalem there is a marvelous process through which God brings man in order to change him from the dust of the ground into precious stones built up into the wall of the New Jerusalem.
God firstly changes man from dust to a stone in regeneration. This is seen in the Lord’s first interaction with Peter, recorded in the Gospel of John. In verse 42 of chapter 1, the Lord Jesus tells Peter that his name would no longer be Simon, but Cephas (or Peter), meaning a stone. In regeneration, the Lord begins a work in us that will transform our “dusty” nature into a stone. But the work of regeneration occurs mainly in our human spirit. So after regeneration our spirit is solid and substantial, but there is still a major work of the Lord to be carried out in the rest of our being.
After regeneration, we need to keep “coming to Him,” to the Lord, as Peter tells us in his first epistle (1 Pet. 2:4). This One to whom we are coming is the real living stone, the foundation stone, the cornerstone, and the topstone, and by contacting Him and receiving Him into us daily, we allow more of His stone nature to be added to our being. It is by this addition that the Spirit is then able to transform us into precious stones. The Spirit in the Bible is revealed in many ways, but one significant aspect of the all-inclusive Spirit is that He is the transforming Spirit. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us that we are being transformed from the Lord Spirit. This transformation is a metabolic process in which the old element (our “dusty” nature) is discharged and a new element (Christ’s “stone” nature) is wrought into our being. As we come to Him and behold and reflect Him, He transmits His stone nature into us and the Spirit is then able to work this nature into us, transforming us from dust into precious stones.
However, God’s desire is not merely to have many individual precious stones lying around as specimens. The New Jerusalem as the consummation of God’s eternal economy has a great and high wall built up, and this wall is composed of precious stones. Therefore Peter, in his first epistle, continues to explain the result of coming to Christ, the living stone. Chapter 2, verse 5 says that we are being built up as a spiritual house. This building work is the issue of our transformation. When we are transformed by the Spirit working the element of Christ into our being, we need to go on to be built up with all the other believers who are going through the same process. This building work shapes and fits us, not allowing us to retain our peculiarities or rough edges. It is when we are built with all the other saints that we are truly the solid, immovable wall, losing all trace of our former “dusty” nature.
Finally, this matter of transformation into precious stones implies the matter of deification. The God on the throne whom John saw in Revelation 4 was like a jasper stone in appearance (Rev. 4:3). The wall of the city in Revelation 21 is also like a jasper stone in appearance (Rev. 21:11). This shows that we who are the wall become the same as the God who is on the throne in life, nature, and especially expression. So today we need to heed Peter’s exhortation to come to the Lord and like Peter, we need to have our name (our nature) changed from Simon to Cephas, from dust to stone. By beholding and reflecting the Lord every morning and every day, we are then transformed by the Lord Spirit and built up into the wall of the New Jerusalem.
God firstly changes man from dust to a stone in regeneration. This is seen in the Lord’s first interaction with Peter, recorded in the Gospel of John. In verse 42 of chapter 1, the Lord Jesus tells Peter that his name would no longer be Simon, but Cephas (or Peter), meaning a stone. In regeneration, the Lord begins a work in us that will transform our “dusty” nature into a stone. But the work of regeneration occurs mainly in our human spirit. So after regeneration our spirit is solid and substantial, but there is still a major work of the Lord to be carried out in the rest of our being.
After regeneration, we need to keep “coming to Him,” to the Lord, as Peter tells us in his first epistle (1 Pet. 2:4). This One to whom we are coming is the real living stone, the foundation stone, the cornerstone, and the topstone, and by contacting Him and receiving Him into us daily, we allow more of His stone nature to be added to our being. It is by this addition that the Spirit is then able to transform us into precious stones. The Spirit in the Bible is revealed in many ways, but one significant aspect of the all-inclusive Spirit is that He is the transforming Spirit. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us that we are being transformed from the Lord Spirit. This transformation is a metabolic process in which the old element (our “dusty” nature) is discharged and a new element (Christ’s “stone” nature) is wrought into our being. As we come to Him and behold and reflect Him, He transmits His stone nature into us and the Spirit is then able to work this nature into us, transforming us from dust into precious stones.
However, God’s desire is not merely to have many individual precious stones lying around as specimens. The New Jerusalem as the consummation of God’s eternal economy has a great and high wall built up, and this wall is composed of precious stones. Therefore Peter, in his first epistle, continues to explain the result of coming to Christ, the living stone. Chapter 2, verse 5 says that we are being built up as a spiritual house. This building work is the issue of our transformation. When we are transformed by the Spirit working the element of Christ into our being, we need to go on to be built up with all the other believers who are going through the same process. This building work shapes and fits us, not allowing us to retain our peculiarities or rough edges. It is when we are built with all the other saints that we are truly the solid, immovable wall, losing all trace of our former “dusty” nature.
Finally, this matter of transformation into precious stones implies the matter of deification. The God on the throne whom John saw in Revelation 4 was like a jasper stone in appearance (Rev. 4:3). The wall of the city in Revelation 21 is also like a jasper stone in appearance (Rev. 21:11). This shows that we who are the wall become the same as the God who is on the throne in life, nature, and especially expression. So today we need to heed Peter’s exhortation to come to the Lord and like Peter, we need to have our name (our nature) changed from Simon to Cephas, from dust to stone. By beholding and reflecting the Lord every morning and every day, we are then transformed by the Lord Spirit and built up into the wall of the New Jerusalem.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Throne
The throne of God is the center of the spiritual view John had in the book of Revelation. But the true significance of the throne is not seen until the final chapter of the book. In Revelation 22:1-5, the throne of God and our relationship to it is revealed in a full and complete way. This vision of the throne describes both our full portion in eternity and our enjoyment and experience today. We are, as believers in Christ, a little New Jerusalem with the throne of God and of the Lamb in the center of our being. As we experience this throne in a practical way, we will receive the dispensing of the Triune God which will issue in the New Jerusalem—our full experience and enjoyment of this vision at the end of the Bible.
The vision of the throne in Revelation 22 contains several important themes. These themes are the throne itself, the golden street, the river of water of life, the tree of life, seeing God, serving God, and reigning with God. In order for these to be our experience in eternity future, we need to experience them today. It is by our experience of these seven items that we experience being a little New Jerusalem today, and become the consummate New Jerusalem in eternity future.
The first and most significant item in Revelation 22 is the throne of God and of the Lamb (v. 1). The fact that God and the Lamb are on this throne is very significant. This indicates that not only the creating God is on the throne (signified by God; Gen. 1:1; John 1:3), but also the redeeming God is on the throne (signified by the Lamb; John 1:29; Rev. 5:6). This shows that God is not only the Source and Creator, but He is also the Redeemer, redeeming His creation so that they may partake of Him (Eph. 1:7-9). This throne is also the source (Eph. 4:6). Every other item in Revelation 22 issues out from the throne. We need to practically experience this throne of God in order to experience the other items in this chapter. The simple way to experience this throne is to tell the Lord that we submit to Him, that we enthrone Him in our being. We are not here for ourselves, but we are here for God. By taking Him as the Head and Authority in our life, we allow Him to carry out His purpose in us. This can be applied in any situation from shopping to living with our spouse or roommate. If we are under the throne of God, we will experience the other items in this chapter. But if we throw the throne away we will be dried up and it will be difficult for God to have His way in us.
The next item related to the throne is the golden street of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1). The street being gold signifies that it represents the divine nature of the Father. We are partakers of the divine nature to be constituted the New Jerusalem (2 Pet. 1:4) and the divine nature is the governing factor of our living and walk. There is only one way—one street—in the New Jerusalem and it is according to the divine nature. If we submit to the throne, we will be in the position to walk on this golden street, to walk by the divine nature. Walking by the divine nature of God is seen in Ephesians where Paul tells the believers to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8; cf. 1 John 1:5), to walk in love (Eph. 5:2; cf. 1 John 4:8, 16), and to be filled in spirit (Eph. 5:18; cf. John 4:24). The nature of God’s being is Spirit, the nature of His essence is love, and the nature of His expression is light. We walk by these three things, therefore we walk by the divine nature. This is the practical experience of the street once we submit to the throne.
In the middle of the street is the river of water of life. This is the sweetest and most experiential part of the vision in Revelation 22. If we submit to the throne, taking God as our Head, and walk on the street, walk by the divine nature, we will spontaneously have the flow of God as the consummated Spirit in our being (John 4:14; 7:39). This is what is signified by the river of water of life. This flow is the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19) and this flow supplies us and waters us. When we are dry, not in the flow, we need to turn back to the Lord to submit ourselves to Him and walk by His divine nature, then we will have the flow in our being again. Everything we do should be done by this flow and not by our own effort.
With the flow of the Spirit as the river of water of life comes the tree of life as our life supply (Rev. 22:2). This tree of life with its twelve fruits, yielding them each month, signifies the crucified and resurrected Christ in all His riches as our fresh and inexhaustible supply (Eph. 3:8; Col. 3:4; John 6:57). As we experience the throne, the street, and the river, spontaneously Christ as the tree of life will supply our being. Even today, when we turn to the Lord and touch his word in a living way with our spirit, we can eat of Him as our life supply (John 6:63).
Finally, there are the matters contained in Revelation 22:3-5 concerning our seeing, serving, and reigning with God. The prerequisites to these are the previous items, submitting to the throne, walking on the street, and being supplied by the river and the tree. Once we experience these matters, the seeing, serving, and reigning will be spontaneous. Seeing God equals gaining and entering into God. God as the reality of the temple is our dwelling place (Psa. 90:1; Rev. 21:22), and it is in God that we serve Him. Serving God is simply eating and drinking Him (John 4:24; 6:55; 7:37-39). God can do everything, but He cannot eat, drink, and partake of Himself. We need to experience Him in these ways so that we can be the ones to fulfill His desire to be partaken of. This is the true service to God. We enter into and gain God by seeing Him, and in Him we serve Him by eating and drinking Him. Then we reign with Him. The leaves of the tree being for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:2) shows that by our enjoying the tree of life, our conduct (symbolized by the leaves) will regulate and govern the unregenerated nations that they may live forever. This can be our experience today. We can turn our heart to the Lord to behold Him with an unveiled face (2 Cor. 3:18). We enter into God through our organic union with Him by believing and being baptized (John 3:16; Matt. 28:19) and we remain in Him by abiding in Him (John 15:4). We reign with Christ, experiencing His authority even today (Rom. 5:17; 1 Cor. 4:8). As we experience these things today, we proceed toward the goal of our Christian living and work, the full experience of these things as the New Jerusalem in eternity future.
We are a little New Jerusalem today, a miniature of the full experience of the New Jerusalem in eternity future. We have the throne of God in the middle of our being, just as the throne of God is the center of the holy city which is the aggregate of all God’s chosen and redeemed ones. As we submit to the throne, we walk by the divine nature symbolized by the golden street of the New Jerusalem. In this submitting and walk is the flowing river of water of life and the tree of life. We experience the consummated Spirit as our flowing supply and the crucified and resurrected Christ as our life supply today. By enjoying all these aspects of the New Jerusalem we see God, we serve God, and we reign with God. All of these are our portion in eternity future, but we need to experience them today to bring about their consummation. This mainly starts with the throne, which is the center and source. The best way to submit to this throne is to start every morning by giving ourselves to the Lord to be under His throne and headship. As we submit to the throne in every aspect of our daily life, we experience the other items of the New Jerusalem and live a life in the center of God’s economy which will consummate in the New Jerusalem for the fulfillment of His eternal heart’s desire.
The vision of the throne in Revelation 22 contains several important themes. These themes are the throne itself, the golden street, the river of water of life, the tree of life, seeing God, serving God, and reigning with God. In order for these to be our experience in eternity future, we need to experience them today. It is by our experience of these seven items that we experience being a little New Jerusalem today, and become the consummate New Jerusalem in eternity future.
The first and most significant item in Revelation 22 is the throne of God and of the Lamb (v. 1). The fact that God and the Lamb are on this throne is very significant. This indicates that not only the creating God is on the throne (signified by God; Gen. 1:1; John 1:3), but also the redeeming God is on the throne (signified by the Lamb; John 1:29; Rev. 5:6). This shows that God is not only the Source and Creator, but He is also the Redeemer, redeeming His creation so that they may partake of Him (Eph. 1:7-9). This throne is also the source (Eph. 4:6). Every other item in Revelation 22 issues out from the throne. We need to practically experience this throne of God in order to experience the other items in this chapter. The simple way to experience this throne is to tell the Lord that we submit to Him, that we enthrone Him in our being. We are not here for ourselves, but we are here for God. By taking Him as the Head and Authority in our life, we allow Him to carry out His purpose in us. This can be applied in any situation from shopping to living with our spouse or roommate. If we are under the throne of God, we will experience the other items in this chapter. But if we throw the throne away we will be dried up and it will be difficult for God to have His way in us.
The next item related to the throne is the golden street of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1). The street being gold signifies that it represents the divine nature of the Father. We are partakers of the divine nature to be constituted the New Jerusalem (2 Pet. 1:4) and the divine nature is the governing factor of our living and walk. There is only one way—one street—in the New Jerusalem and it is according to the divine nature. If we submit to the throne, we will be in the position to walk on this golden street, to walk by the divine nature. Walking by the divine nature of God is seen in Ephesians where Paul tells the believers to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8; cf. 1 John 1:5), to walk in love (Eph. 5:2; cf. 1 John 4:8, 16), and to be filled in spirit (Eph. 5:18; cf. John 4:24). The nature of God’s being is Spirit, the nature of His essence is love, and the nature of His expression is light. We walk by these three things, therefore we walk by the divine nature. This is the practical experience of the street once we submit to the throne.
In the middle of the street is the river of water of life. This is the sweetest and most experiential part of the vision in Revelation 22. If we submit to the throne, taking God as our Head, and walk on the street, walk by the divine nature, we will spontaneously have the flow of God as the consummated Spirit in our being (John 4:14; 7:39). This is what is signified by the river of water of life. This flow is the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19) and this flow supplies us and waters us. When we are dry, not in the flow, we need to turn back to the Lord to submit ourselves to Him and walk by His divine nature, then we will have the flow in our being again. Everything we do should be done by this flow and not by our own effort.
With the flow of the Spirit as the river of water of life comes the tree of life as our life supply (Rev. 22:2). This tree of life with its twelve fruits, yielding them each month, signifies the crucified and resurrected Christ in all His riches as our fresh and inexhaustible supply (Eph. 3:8; Col. 3:4; John 6:57). As we experience the throne, the street, and the river, spontaneously Christ as the tree of life will supply our being. Even today, when we turn to the Lord and touch his word in a living way with our spirit, we can eat of Him as our life supply (John 6:63).
Finally, there are the matters contained in Revelation 22:3-5 concerning our seeing, serving, and reigning with God. The prerequisites to these are the previous items, submitting to the throne, walking on the street, and being supplied by the river and the tree. Once we experience these matters, the seeing, serving, and reigning will be spontaneous. Seeing God equals gaining and entering into God. God as the reality of the temple is our dwelling place (Psa. 90:1; Rev. 21:22), and it is in God that we serve Him. Serving God is simply eating and drinking Him (John 4:24; 6:55; 7:37-39). God can do everything, but He cannot eat, drink, and partake of Himself. We need to experience Him in these ways so that we can be the ones to fulfill His desire to be partaken of. This is the true service to God. We enter into and gain God by seeing Him, and in Him we serve Him by eating and drinking Him. Then we reign with Him. The leaves of the tree being for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:2) shows that by our enjoying the tree of life, our conduct (symbolized by the leaves) will regulate and govern the unregenerated nations that they may live forever. This can be our experience today. We can turn our heart to the Lord to behold Him with an unveiled face (2 Cor. 3:18). We enter into God through our organic union with Him by believing and being baptized (John 3:16; Matt. 28:19) and we remain in Him by abiding in Him (John 15:4). We reign with Christ, experiencing His authority even today (Rom. 5:17; 1 Cor. 4:8). As we experience these things today, we proceed toward the goal of our Christian living and work, the full experience of these things as the New Jerusalem in eternity future.
We are a little New Jerusalem today, a miniature of the full experience of the New Jerusalem in eternity future. We have the throne of God in the middle of our being, just as the throne of God is the center of the holy city which is the aggregate of all God’s chosen and redeemed ones. As we submit to the throne, we walk by the divine nature symbolized by the golden street of the New Jerusalem. In this submitting and walk is the flowing river of water of life and the tree of life. We experience the consummated Spirit as our flowing supply and the crucified and resurrected Christ as our life supply today. By enjoying all these aspects of the New Jerusalem we see God, we serve God, and we reign with God. All of these are our portion in eternity future, but we need to experience them today to bring about their consummation. This mainly starts with the throne, which is the center and source. The best way to submit to this throne is to start every morning by giving ourselves to the Lord to be under His throne and headship. As we submit to the throne in every aspect of our daily life, we experience the other items of the New Jerusalem and live a life in the center of God’s economy which will consummate in the New Jerusalem for the fulfillment of His eternal heart’s desire.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Prolegomenon
I write about the Bible because I was fortunate enough to attend the Full-time Training in Anaheim (FTTA) for two years as a young adult, after finishing my undergraduate education. During these two years, I studied God's Word, learned Greek, fellowshipped with other seeking believers in Christ, took care of children and college students, and cultivated a proper human living (i.e. one according to the Bible). It has since been my opinion that the years from 20-24 define one's life like no other, and I am indescribably grateful to the Lord, and to the other believers in Christ, who made it possible for me to spend two of these critical years in Anaheim.
Instead of describing the diverse experiences I had while attending school in Anaheim, I felt that
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