New Jerusalem is New with God’s Newness (1)
New Jerusalem as the consummation of all the spiritual, divine, and heavenly items in Bible. This includes the mingling of God and man, the spiritual reality of the Old Testament symbols, the consummation of the lampstands, and the completion of God’s building.
Now we look at the designations of New Jerusalem beginning with the name New Jerusalem.
The Bible reveals to us two creations—the old creation and the new creation. There is nothing of God’s nature involved with [constituted into] any item in the old creation….In everything of the new creation, however, God’s divine nature is in it….Everything that is designated new in the New Testament indicates or implies that God has been wrought into these items.*
The new man is a clear example of this divine newness. On the cross Christ not only died for our redemption. He also took away the enmity between Jews and Gentiles and abolished the law of commandments in ordinances. Then positively He created “the two in Himself into one new man” (Eph. 2:14-15).
The new man is new because he is in Christ. Furthermore, in the new man “Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:10-11). The new man is in Christ and Christ is in the new man. This is the essence of new. Anything apart from Christ is old.
New Jerusalem is the expansion of the new man; it is a city in Christ and Christ is all within this city. Therefore it is the NEW Jerusalem.
* From chapter 27, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.
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Posted by Don on October 26, 2022
