We See God in the Lamb, Christ Jesus
Revelation 21:23 says, “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon that they should shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Jesus Christ is the Lamb, as first announced by John the Baptist in John 1:29, “he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The Lamb came to bring God to us. In John 14:8 the disciple Philip asked “Lord, show us the Father.” Part of Jesus answer was, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how is it that you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?” (v. 9-10).
The mutual indwelling of God and Jesus was revealed here and continues into New Jerusalem. The indwelling is seen in in Revelation 21:23—God the light is in Christ the Lamp. It is also seen in 22:1, 3 where the two share one throne.
God as the light will shine through the Lamb as the lamp. This is not a reference to redemption but an indication to us that no one can know God directly. If anyone wants to know God, he must know Him through the Lamb—this remains true, even in eternity. Only through Christ can man know God. Apart from the lamp we cannot see the light; likewise, without Christ we cannot see God. Regardless of the environment, God still dwells in unapproachable light. Only when we are in Christ can we see Him.*
How blessed we are to have Jesus Christ the Lamb as the one who brings God to us and us to God both now and in New Jerusalem.
* From chapter 5 of The Glorious Church by Watchman Nee, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, available at www.ministrybooks.org/ and www.livingstream.com/en/the-church/8012401-glorious-church-the.html.
Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, is at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is © by LSM.
Posted by Don on August 3, 2022
