New Jerusalem: No Natural Distinctions

The description of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:12, 14:
“It had a great and high wall and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel:”
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

The names of the twelve tribes represent all the Old Testament saints….The names of the twelve apostles represent all the New Testament saints. Therefore, the New Jerusalem is a composition of the Old Testament saints, represented by Israel, and the New Testament saints, represented by the apostles.*

New Jerusalem, as the conclusion of the Bible, includes all God’s people throughout the ages. Although we are separated in various centuries and far apart outwardly in different continents, yet inwardly we are one in Christ. His death terminated all the natural distinctions and His resurrection brought forth one new man.

Ephesians 2:14-15 declares, “For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both [Jews and non-Jews] one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.”

The one new man is the present expression of New Jerusalem, in which we are all one.

---

* Life-Study of the New Testament, Conclusion Messages: The Church, the Kingdom, and the New Jerusalem, message 255, p. 2678, by Witness Lee. Published 1998 and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California.

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.

Posted by Don on October 4, 2024

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2024/10/04/new-jerusalem-no-natural-distinctions/