New Jerusalem Matches God’s Divine, Golden Nature
The angel showing New Jerusalem to John “had a golden reed as a measure that he might measure the city and its gates and its wall….And he measured the city with the reed.” (Rev. 21:16-17)
Since gold signifies the divine nature of God, the golden reed signifies that the measuring of the city, its gates and its wall, is according to God’s divine nature. Anything that does not match the divine nature of God does not belong to the New Jerusalem. The whole city, with its gates and wall, can pass the measuring and testing of the divine nature of God; hence, it is fitting for God’s possession. A reed is not that strong, but the nature of the measuring reed for the New Jerusalem is golden. The holy city is not measured according to man’s concept, idea, philosophy, or qualification, but according to God’s divine nature.*
God’s nature, His desire, His leading, and His enabling all come to us by the Spirit. Therefore, we “walk in newness of life” (the life that is Christ in us), “serve in newness of spirit,” “walk according to the spirit,” and “by the Spirit put to death” our old habits to be “led by the Spirit of God,” (Rom. 6:4; 7:6; 8:4, 13-14).
In these verses it is hard for translators to decide whether to write Spirit or spirit because our human spirit, born of the divine Spirit (John 3:6), “is one spirit” with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). This is a wonderful togetherness which becomes clearer and richer as we approach the fullness of New Jerusalem.
* From chapter 37, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.
Graphic courtesy of pixabay.com.
Posted by Don on April 19, 2023
