God is the Light and Glory of New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:23 tells us, “the city [New Jerusalem] 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.”
The New Jerusalem has no need of the sun or of the moon, neither of the light of a lamp (Rev. 21:23a; 22:5a). The fact that there is no need of the sun or of the moon indicates that in the New Jerusalem there is no natural light, and the fact that there is no need of the light of a lamp means that there is no man-made light. God Himself, the very divine person, is the light. The glory of God, the Lord God Himself, illumines the city (21:23b; 22:5b). God is both the light within and the glory without. He is the inner light and the outer expression of the light, the glory.*
The Lord Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” and He is “the light of life” (John 8:12). Today we still have need of natural light and man-made light, but the Lord is within us as our real light. For our Christian walk today He is the light; otherwise, as He said, we are in darkness.
Today we are learning to walk in His light, to live according to the leading of the Spirit within (Rom. 8:14). This is our learning for New Jerusalem. When the city appears in fullness we will be mature, having no more need of natural or man-made light but will be entirely in the light of life.
* From chapter 37, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.
Posted by Don on May 12, 2023
