New Jerusalem - the Consummation

by Don on June 22, 2020 • Permalink

Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Old Testament pictures

Tagged Christ our Bridegroom, Christ our sanctification, Eph. 5, glorious, God's dwelling place, preparation of the bride, pure gold

Posted by Don on June 22, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/new-jerusalem-dwelling-place-and-bride/

Three Mysteries Point to New Jerusalem

The New Testament presents three outstanding mysteries which together culminate in New Jerusalem.

Colossians 2:2 speaks of “the mystery of God, Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 2:1 Paul came to the Corinthians “announcing to you the mystery of God.” To do this he determined to know nothing except “Jesus Christ, and this One crucified.” This is the first mystery.

In Ephesians 3:4 Paul speaks of “the mystery of Christ.” Verse 6 opens this mystery: “in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the Body and fellow partakers of the promise through the gospel.”

Paul was graced by God (v. 7) to announce “the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel” (v. 8) and “to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is” (v. 9). Then verse 10 is about the church, which is according to God’s eternal purpose (v. 11). This is the second mystery.

The latter part of Ephesians 5 is about husband and wife as a picture of Christ and the church. Verse 32: “This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.” This great mystery is the forerunner of Christ and New Jerusalem as Husband and wife.

Ephesians presents many aspects of the church—the Body and fullness of Christ, the one new man, the kingdom and household of God, the dwelling place of God, the bride, and the corporate warrior. New Jerusalem is the consummation of all of these aspects of Christ and the church as the great mystery.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

by Don on March 25, 2020 • Permalink

Tagged Christ, Christ our Bridegroom, church of the living God, divine mystery, Eph. 3, Eph. 5

Posted by Don on March 25, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/three-mysteries-point-to-new-jerusalem/

New Jerusalem: Satisfaction in Love and Rest in Expression

New Jerusalem is “the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” Jesus Christ, and also “the tabernacle of God” (Rev. 21:2-3). These characteristics are not new at the conclusion of the Bible; they occur often throughout the Bible.

In both the Old and the New Testaments God likens His chosen people to a spouse (Isa. 54:6; Jer. 3:1; Ezek. 16:8; Hosea 2:19; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:31-32) and a dwelling place for Himself (Exo. 29:45-46; Num. 5:3; Ezek. 43:7-9; Psa. 68:18; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Tim. 3:15). The spouse is for His satisfaction in love, and the dwelling place is for His rest in expression. Both aspects will be ultimately consummated in the New Jerusalem. In her, God will have the fullest satisfaction in love and the uttermost rest in expression for eternity.*

The love between God and His people is important throughout the Bible. The books of Moses are, on one hand, filled with laws, commands, and ordinances. On the other hand, they often speak about our heart and our loving God. The Lord Jesus repeated this in John 14:21, 23, coupling loving Him and keeping His commandments. Second John 6 says the same.

In Ephesians 3:17 we are “being rooted and grounded in love.” And 4:16 has “the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.” The building up of the Body of Christ in love is the preparation of New Jerusalem to be His loving bride. Likewise in Colossians 2:2 we are “knit together in love.”

Lord, increase our loving You daily. Make us those who “who have loved Your appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). Bring us onward to New Jerusalem

* Conclusion of the New Testament, The, chapter 13, by Witness Lee

Photo courtesy of NASA.

by Don on March 18, 2020 • Permalink

Tagged Christ our Bridegroom, Colossians, corporate expression of God, Eph. 4, God's dwelling place, John, love the Lord, Rev. 21:1-2, Rev. 21:3-8

Posted by Don on March 18, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/03/18/new-jerusalem-satisfaction-in-love-and-rest-in-expression/

New Jerusalem: Bride and Tabernacle

John the apostle tells us in Revelation 21:2-3a, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice out of the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them.”

The New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth is the bride, the wife (Rev. 21:9) of the Lamb Christ as His counterpart (John 3:29) and the tabernacle of God as His habitation (Rev. 21:3). Christ and God are one. They are one God, but triune. And the tabernacle is one entity with two aspects to meet the different needs of its Triune God. To Christ, the Lamb, the Redeemer, the New Jerusalem is His bride as His counterpart for His satisfaction. To God, the Originator, the Creator, the New Jerusalem is His tabernacle as His habitation for His rest.*

The Bridegroom and bride are spoken about in John 3:29. In 3:30 the bride is the increase of Christ. How can Christ increase? By spreading into many human beings and then growing in us to saturate us with Himself. His spreading begins with His terminating the serpent’s deadly poison, as alluded to in 3:14, so that we can be cleansed to receive eternal life.

This eternal life is the life of New Jerusalem. After being born again, this life, Christ Himself, grows in us. This growth, presented in many of the epistles, brings us to maturity and builds us together. This is our path to New Jerusalem.

* Conclusion of the New Testament, The, chapter 13, by Witness Lee

Photo courtesy of NASA.

by Don on March 16, 2020 • Permalink

Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem

Tagged born again, Christ our Bridegroom, growth, John, Lamb of God, life and building, Rev. 21:1-2, tabernacle of God, wife of the Lamb

Posted by Don on March 16, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/03/16/new-jerusalem-bride-and-tabernacle/

Jesus Christ is the Reality Today and in New Jerusalem

In John 1:29 and 3:29 John the Baptist identified the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Bridegroom. In New Jerusalem the Lord is the Lamb on the throne and the Bridegroom.

The New Jerusalem is the ultimate conclusion of the entire Scriptures. In the Gospel of John we see the Lord Jesus as many items. He was recommended by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God and as the Bridegroom. He is also the light, the life, the way, and everything. The New Jerusalem is the all-inclusive embodiment of Christ as everything. In the New Jerusalem Christ is the Lamb, and He is the Bridegroom to marry the New Jerusalem as the bride. In the New Jerusalem Christ is also the light, the life, the way, and the truth, the reality. The New Jerusalem is the embodiment of all that Christ is.*

Jesus Christ is our “light of life” (John 8:12) both now and eternally in New Jerusalem. Everything He is in the gospels, He is in eternity. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke He is the new wine for us to drink. Although wine is not mentioned in the description of New Jerusalem, He is the new wine eternally in the new creation.

In John 6 Jesus is the bread of life to nourish us with Himself as “the life.” In New Jerusalem He is the tree of life to continue nourishing us eternally.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, even forever” (Heb. 13:8). This verse assures us that everything spoken about what the Lord is in the gospels and epistles is also true in New Jerusalem eternally.

* The Building of God, chapter 4, by Witness Lee.

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.

by Don on January 22, 2020 • Permalink

Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem

Tagged bread of life, Christ our Bridegroom, Christ our life, Christ the reality, Hebrews, John, light of life, redeeming & enthroned Lamb, tree of life

Posted by Don on January 22, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/01/22/jesus-christ-is-the-reality-today-and-in-new-jerusalem/

The Garden of Eden and New Jerusalem in Song (9-10)

Eight verses of a song link features of the garden of Eden with characteristics of New Jerusalem. The last two verses of this song focus entirely on New Jerusalem.

The city is God’s building work replete,
A composition of the justified;
A habitation it affords to God
And is to Christ His own beloved bride.

’Tis God’s expression, ultimate and full,
Corporate and universal, marvelous;
God’s glory it completely manifests,
And is Christ’s counterpart most glorious.

The precious materials in the garden portray the Triune God’s work in all the believers. By this work, we have been built together to become the city as God’s dwelling place.

This habitation, New Jerusalem, is also the beloved bride of Christ. All of this is revealed in Revelation 21:2 to 22:5. The city “has the glory of God” (21:11). It is the ultimate city which cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14), to be God’s full and eternal expression.

New Jerusalem is a corporate and universal entity, composed of all God’s people throughout the ages. As the habitation and the expression, New Jerusalem satisfies God the Father. And as the bride, the city satisfies Christ the Son.

by Don on September 13, 2019 • Permalink

Tagged Christ our Bridegroom, God's dwelling place, life and building, preparation of the bride, Rev. 21–22, universal couple

Posted by Don on September 13, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/09/13/the-garden-of-eden-and-new-jerusalem-in-song-9-10/

The Garden of Eden and New Jerusalem in Song (8.2)

We looked at eight verses of a song which couples the garden of Eden with New Jerusalem. Eve in the garden as the wife of Adam is a picture of New Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Rev. 21:9-10).

A line in that song, about Christ’s deep long for His bride led us to another song (words and music) which amplifies this longing. This inserted song emphasizes God’s eternal purpose hidden in His heart through the ages, creation, Satan’s deception of man, and Christ’s continued seeking of His bride.

Next: “His life laid down, an offering whose fragrance yet ascends.” He died to gain His bride. Ephesians 5:25, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

More: “And now in resurrection to her He draws most near.” On one hand Christ is in heaven and not visible to our eyes. On the other hand, He is in us and enlivens us (Rom. 8:10). Soon, Christ “In glory does appear.” He will return to earth visibly in glory.

The inserted song concludes, “As she beholds her Bridegroom, His glory floods her heart, ’til she, His Bride, is raptured, His longed-for counterpart.” We look away to Jesus now and will behold Him in glory at His return.

“He comes to be glorified in His saints” (2 Thes. 1:10) and He will be further glorified in and through His bride, New Jerusalem, the city “having the glory of God” (Rev. 21:11).

Graphic courtesy of pixabay.com.

by Don on September 11, 2019 • Permalink

Posted in New Jerusalem is a Marriage, Old Testament pictures

Tagged Christ glorified in us, Christ in us, Christ our Bridegroom, come Lord Jesus, garden of Eden, Genesis, preparation of the bride, Rev. 21:9-11, universal couple

Posted by Don on September 11, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/the-garden-of-eden-and-new-jerusalem-in-song-8-2/

The Bride, the Wife, New Jerusalem

In Revelation 21:9 an angel spoke with John “saying, Come here; I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Then (v. 10), John tells us that the angel “carried me away in spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem.”

In this record, the bride, the wife of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, equals the holy city, Jerusalem. Jesus Christ will not take a physical city as His wife. The holy city is a living person! It is composed of all God’s people, chosen, redeemed, and matured in life.

This city, the wife of the Lamb, is the outcome of John 3. In 3:3-6 the Lord Jesus speaks of being born again, our human spirit born of the Spirit. In 3:14-17 all who believe are saved from the death brought in by the serpent, Satan, and receive eternal life. In 3:26-30 the people coming to Jesus, the Bridegroom, and believing into Him are the bride. Verses 31-36 confirm that Jesus came and that those who believe into Him have eternal life.

The bride, composed of all the born again people, who all have eternal life, is the Lord’s bride, His increase!

That the city, Jerusalem, is the bride, the wife of Jesus Christ, is also seen with the church presented to Christ in Ephesians 5:25-27. This presentation is in the context of human marriage, which is a picture of the eternal marriage of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and the city, Jerusalem.

More about the eternal marriage, in both Old and New Testaments, is in
The Divine-Human Romance thru the Bible

by Don on April 3, 2019 • Permalink

John Saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem
New Jerusalem is Holy with God’s Holiness
New Jerusalem is the City of the Great King
New Jerusalem is Divinely New
New Jerusalem is the Foundation of Peace
New Jerusalem is on Earth from God
New Jerusalem is Heavenly, On Earth
New Jerusalem Comes Down, Prepared
New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ
New Jerusalem is Adorned with Christ
New Jerusalem is the Bride, Jesus Christ is the Husband

Tagged born of the Spirit, Christ our Bridegroom, eternal life, eternal marriage, holy city, John, Lamb of God, Rev. 21:9-11, wife of the Lamb

Posted by Don on April 3, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/the-bride-the-wife-new-jerusalem/

New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:1-8

This is a summary of the recent posts on Revelation 21:1-8, which review life on the new earth emphasizing the details about New Jerusalem. Each verse is followed by the title with a link to related posts.

Verse 1: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.”

New Heaven and New Earth

Verse 2: “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Verses 3-4: “And I heard a loud voice out of the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death will be no more, nor will there be sorrow or crying or pain anymore; for the former things have passed away.”

A Loud Voice out of the Throne
Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men
Life on New Earth around New Jerusalem

Verses 5-6: “And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true. And He said to me, They have come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give to him who thirsts from the spring of the water of life freely.”

The Throne and All Things New
The Faithful and True Words of God
The Water of Life, Now and New Jerusalem

Verses 7-8: “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be God to him, and he will be a son to Me. But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all the false, their part will be in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Overcome to Inherit God’s Blessings
God is Leading Many Sons into Glory

by Don on March 29, 2019 • Permalink

Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem

Tagged Christ our Bridegroom, coming down out of heaven from God, God has prepared, holy city, I saw, living water, many sons into glory, new earth, new heaven, overcome, Rev. 21:1-2, Rev. 21:3-8, summaries, tabernacle of God

Posted by Don on March 29, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/03/29/new-jerusalem-in-revelation-211-8/

New Jerusalem is the Bride, Jesus Christ is the Husband

New Jerusalem is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2). “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7). The entire city is the bride and the Husband is the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:25-26 speaks of the Lord’s work to prepare the bride “that He might present the church to Himself glorious” (v. 27) at His second coming, His coming in glory.

John the Baptist spoke of the Lord Jesus as the Bridegroom with all the believers as His increase (John 3:28-30). And in Mark 2:19-20 the Lord Jesus described Himself as a Bridegroom. These words point toward the Husband of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21.

Jesus Christ as the Husband of the church in Ephesians 5 and of New Jerusalem is also prophesied in the Old Testament. Isaiah 54:5, “For your Maker is your Husband; Jehovah of hosts is His name. And the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.” The Lord Jesus is our Redeemer so that He can impart eternal life into us to constitute us to be His bride so that He can be our Husband.

Hosea 2 speaks of Jehovah’s reclaiming Israel from idol worship. Verse 16: “And in that day, declares Jehovah, You will call Me My Husband.”

New Jerusalem as a bride for Jesus Christ the Husband is not a new idea in Revelation; rather, it is the consummation of what is presented to us throughout the Bible.

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.

by Don on March 8, 2019 • Permalink

Tagged Christ our Bridegroom, Eph. 5, God our Husband, Isaiah, John, Lamb of God, Matthew, preparation of the bride, redemption for life, Rev. 21:1-2, wife of the Lamb

Posted by Don on March 8, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/03/08/the-bride-the-husband/

New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ, Adorned with Christ

in Revelation 21:2 New Jerusalem is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ is a corporate person, composed of all the believers.

This bride is adorned, not with physical jewels and fancy clothing, but with the virtues of Christ lived out through the believers. An example is 1 Timothy 2:9, “women adorn themselves in proper clothing with modesty and sobriety, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly clothing.” Our real modesty and sobriety come from Christ living in us.

Similarly Titus 2:10 speaks of “all good faithfulness” adorning “the teaching of our Savior God.” And 1 Peter 3:3-4 says that adorning should not be outward things but “the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, which is very costly in the sight of God.”

Peter also tells us that even gold and silver are corruptible in the eyes of God. Jesus Christ is longing for a bride adorned with incorruptible beauty which can only come from Himself.

Revelation 21:19 records “The foundations of the wall of the city [New Jerusalem] were adorned with every precious stone.” In 1 Peter 2:4-7 Christ Himself is the living Stone who is precious to God. The wall of the city (which is not physical because it is a living bride) is not adorned with physical jewels but with the precious Christ wrought into us through transformation.

The adorning of New Jerusalem as the bride is Christ Himself lived out through all His members. This is the highest beauty in the universe.

by Don on March 6, 2019 • Permalink

Tagged adorned, Christ our Bridegroom, Christ our life, precious stones, preparation of the bride, Rev. 21:1-2, saturated with His beauty, wife of the Lamb

Posted by Don on March 6, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/new-jerusalem-is-the-bride-of-christ-adorned-with-christ/

New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ

Revelation 21:2, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:9-10, “the bride, the wife of the Lamb….the holy city, Jerusalem.”

New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. This is a very important statement in Revelation 21. It declares that New Jerusalem is not a physical city but a corporate living person!

Revelation is a book of spiritual signs. New Jerusalem described as a city shows that it is God’s kingdom built up. New Jerusalem as a bride shows it is a corporate person as the consummation of the church as the Body of Christ, the one new man, and the wife (all three of which are presented in Ephesians).

Ephesians 5:25-27 announces that (1) “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” through His death to redeem her, (2) He is now sanctifying her to match the purity of New Jerusalem, “cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word,” and (3) at His second coming He will “present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”

In Ephesians 5 the church is described in the human context of husband and wife. This church will be the glorious bride, New Jerusalem, which Christ will present to Himself.

Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, footnotes, and cross-references, is at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is © by LSM.

by Don on March 4, 2019 • Permalink