New Jerusalem is Pure Gold, God’s Nature
Revelation 21:18b declares that New Jerusalem as seen by John, the author of Revelation, “was pure gold, like clear glass.” Revelation is a
book full of spiritual signs. The pure gold signifies God’s nature, unmixed with anything else.
Peter tells us that we have received a portion of God’s nature, a portion of spiritual gold. “He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
Before we were saved, everything in us was of the flesh, everything was natural; there was nothing whatever of a spiritual nature. But when we received the Lord, God imparted His life to us. This is the gold which He has given us. Within us there is a portion of gold; there is something which is truly of God. It is regrettable, however, that although we have this gold in us, it is mixed with many other things; it is an alloy. We have God’s nature, but at the same time, we also have many things in us which are completely different from God.*
In Matthew 5:8 the Lord said “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This certainly points toward New Jerusalem. At that time we will be pure in heart and we will see God.
But we should not passively wait; we need the Lord’s purifying now. Many verses speak of being pure during our current Christian life (e.g. 2 Cor. 6:6, 11:2; Phil. 1:10). And our Savior Jesus Christ “gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify to Himself a particular people as His unique possession” (Titus 2:13b-14).
Thank Him for this promise! May we experience much of His purifying on our way to 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.
Posted by Don on June 17, 2022
