All posts tagged Ephesians 5

Verses in this chapter used in these posts.

Light Constitutes Us into New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:11 tells us that New Jerusalem has the glory of God, and “Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.” New Jerusalem is the eternal lampstand shining to the whole universe.

God is the unique eternal light. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5). God in Christ is the light among men. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4). When we believe into Christ we have Him as our light of life and we become sons of light (John 12:36).

New JerusalemWe become light, as in Philippians 2:15, because we have The Light in us to shine through us. To have this shining we need to forsake all activities in darkness, to “cast off the works of darkness” (Rom. 13:12), and “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).

By walking as children of light who have the light inwardly, we are further constituted with light. In God “is no darkness at all”. The more we let Him shine in us, the more the dark parts of our being will be enlightened and the darkness eliminated.

Eventually we will be full of God as light and have no dark parts. We will be “clear” and “transparent” to match the nature of New Jerusalem.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

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by Don on February 12, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on February 12, 2024

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/light-constitutes-us-into-new-jerusalem/

The Ultimate Consummation of the Divine Revelation

We have already pointed out that the New Jerusalem is the greatest allegory in the Bible since it is the ultimate consummation of the divine revelation in the entire Scripture. In order to interpret the significance of this allegory, we need the proper understanding of the spiritual revelation in the entire Bible and also the experience of all the crucial points of God’s revelation in the New and Old Testaments.*

New JerusalemRevelation is a book of spiritual signs. Examples: the lampstands in chapter 1 are not physical but symbols of the churches and the Lamb in chapters 5 and 21-22 is not an animal but a depiction of Christ the Redeemer. Likewise New Jerusalem is not a physical city but a portrait of God and what He has accomplished in His people.

In this age Jesus Christ is building His church and preparing His bride. They are two aspects of His corporate work by His life in all His believers. He will display His multifarious wisdom through the church (Eph. 3:10) and present the bride to Himself glorious, holy, and without blemish (Eph. 5:27).

Surely He will not drop these marvelous accomplishments and live in a material city. Much more, New Jerusalem will be an expansion and enrichment of the church and the bride. New Jerusalem  (Rev. 21:2, 9) will be “the wife of the Lamb” for an eternal married life of God and his people.

* From chapter 39, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.

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by Don on July 5, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on July 5, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/07/05/the-ultimate-consummation-of-the-divine-revelation/

God Shines in Christ the Lamp

New JerusalemRevelation 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.”
First John 1:7 speaks in this way, “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.”

God is our light both now and in New Jerusalem.

We need to ask why God, being the light, needs a lamp. Every electrical light needs a holder or a bulb. Without the bulb, our touching of the electricity may electrify and kill us. In like manner, without the Lamb being the lamp, God’s shining over us would “kill” all of us. However, the divine light shines through our Redeemer. This light has become so lovable and touchable, and we even walk in this light (1 John 1:7)….The Lamb as the lamp expresses the light in a very approachable and lovable way.*

Ephesians 5:8 encourages us to “walk as children of light.” This is to walk by God’s life because we are God’s children. If we walk by our natural life we are in darkness. Second and third John have verses about walking in the truth and walking according to His commandments.

The light, the truth, and the commandments are not three separate things. All are aspects of God in Christ who has come to us as the shining one, the reality, and the living word. This walk is the present inward realization of what will be so much stronger in New Jerusalem.

* From chapter 37, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.

Photo courtesy of unsplash.com.

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by Don on May 15, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 15, 2023

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The Church Grows to become New Jerusalem

The first couple presented in the Bible is Adam and Eve in Genesis 2. This record, and more through the Bible, are figures/shadows of the real marriage of New Jerusalem and Jesus Christ the Lamb. The New Testament also has the church as the developing reality of New Jerusalem.

Christ and the church as Husband and wife are in Ephesians 5. The church today will grow and develop to become New Jerusalem in eternity. This is like a girl who grows up then gets married.

The church in Ephesians 5 is like that little girl who is ten years old, and the New Jerusalem will be the consummated bride. The bride in Revelation 21 can never be improved. She will live forever, but she will not grow. The wife in Ephesians 5, however, is still growing. The church in Ephesians 5 still has wrinkles and spots, but the bride in Revelation 21 has no wrinkles or spots. The New Jerusalem is the consummation of the wife in Ephesians 5. The Lord is still working in the church to cause her to grow.*

New JerusalemToday we might say that the church is not glorious but rather has many defects. But the washing of the water in the Lord’s word (Eph. 5:26-27) gradually removes the negatives and imparts the divine element of glory. This causes the wife to grow from the church stage to the New Jerusalem stage.

The washing word** is not merely the printed word in the Bible but is the living word of the Spirit applying the Bible to our condition and situation. The Lord told us about this in John 6:63, “the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” Words of spirit and life cause us to grow unto the glory New Jerusalem.

* From chapter 28, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.

** Two Greek words in the NT are translated “word.” One (logos) is the constant word, the other (rhema) is the living word; the latter appears in John 6:63 and Ephesians 5:26.

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by Don on December 12, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on December 12, 2022

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New Jerusalem is the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb

New JerusalemNew Jerusalem is the consummation of the Bible. Prior posts have covered three designations of this city: New Jerusalem, the holy city, and the tabernacle of God. Each post includes a quote from the book God’s New Testament Economy (see footnote).

New Jerusalem is also the bride, the wife of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. An angel said to John, “Come here; I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in spirit…and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:9-10).

The first wife in the whole universe was Eve. In Ezekiel 23 the children of Israel are referred to as the wife of Jehovah (vv. 1-4). In John 3 all the regenerated believers are the bride of Christ to be His increase, His enlargement (vv. 29-30). In Ephesians 5 there is the church as the wife of Christ, and in 2 Corinthians 11:2 the believers have been engaged or betrothed to Christ as their Husband. Revelation 19:7-9 unveils a universal wedding day, the marriage of the Lamb. Finally, in the last two chapters of the Bible we see the wife of the Lamb….The Bible concludes and consummates with a divine couple living a married life in eternity.

The church as the wife of Christ is neither different nor separate from New Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb. They are the same except that the church in this age is at an earlier stage of development.

Ephesians 5:26-27 says that Christ is cleansing the church “by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.” The church in this age is gaining the glory and having all the spots and blemishes washed away to become New Jerusalem, the holy city-bride.

* From chapter 28, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.

Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The text of this Bible is at text.recoveryversion.bible; this too is © by LSM.

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by Don on December 2, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on December 2, 2022

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The Fulfillment of God’s Eternal Purpose (2)

New JerusalemGod purposed in eternity, then created in time. Satan rebelled and corrupted man. As a result, since man was the leading part of creation, “the creation was made subject to vanity” (Rom. 8:20).

God could have destroyed Satan directly but chose not to do this to one of His creatures. Instead, God prepared another creature, man, to remove the rebellious creature Satan. The removal was completed by the beginning of the new earth and, in New Jerusalem, Revelation 22:5 says specifically that God’s people “will reign forever and ever.”

God wanted man to have dominion over the earth and to destroy Satan. Now man is reigning, and Satan has been cast into the lake of fire. God’s purpose for the man He created has been attained. On the one hand, God wanted man to be like Himself, and on the other hand, God’s appointed work for man was that he should rule. Now we have seen a bride—golden, glorious, and beautiful—with all kinds of treasure within her….She is truly clothed with glory.*

New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the Lamb, having the glory of God (Rev. 21:9-11). This is the consummation of the Lord’s work described in Ephesians 5, “that He might present the church to Himself glorious.”

* 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.

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by Don on September 9, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on September 9, 2022

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The Preparation and Presentation of the Bride

In Revelation 21:2 John says, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

This is the fulfillment of Ephesians 5:26-27. Christ loved the church and died for her “that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”

What we fail to see today will be fully seen in that day [the day of Rev. 21:2]. Today we may say that God’s standard for the church is high and ask how the church will ever attain to such a condition. We may not know how God will do it, but we do know that the church will attain to that position at the time of the new heaven and new earth….At the time of the new heaven and new earth, there will not be just a group of saints who are perfected, but all the saints, the whole Body, from all the nations throughout all the ages. They will all be together before God and glorified in His presence.*

New JerusalemSeveral verses comfort us that our Lord will perfect us. These include John 17:23; Hebrews 13:21; and 1 Peter 5:10. But other verses indicate thaat we need to be involved, cooperating with the Lord’s operation, including Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 7:1, 13:11; and 1 John 4:12.

Hebrews 12:1-2 presents both aspects—we put away every encumbrance and run the race, looking away to Jesus, who is the Perfecter of our faith. Let us take this exhortation and move onwards to New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:2.

* 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.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

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by Don on May 6, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 6, 2022

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The Glorious Church

This post begins a series from the English translation of The Glorious Church by Watchman Nee, messages given in Shanghai in 1939 to 1942.

These were times of spiritual revelations and heavenly visions concerning “the deep things of God.” The stress was primarily on the triumphant church, the glorious Body of Christ, the full expression of Him who fills all in all. In these messages tremendous light was poured upon the four significant women in the Scriptures: Eve in Genesis 2, the wife in Ephesians 5, the woman in Revelation 12, and the Bride in Revelation 21 and 22. Their record gives us a full scope of the glorious church in God’s eternal plan, the church that satisfies His desire.*

New JerusalemThe chapter titles are
1. God’s Plan and God’s Rest
2. The Type of Eve
3. The Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ
4. The Woman Brought Forth a Man-Child
5. The Holy City, New Jerusalem
Appendix: The Overcomers and God’s Dispensational Moves

The four women in chapters 2 to 5 are all related to one another. Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam is a type of Christ, so Eve, his wife, is a type of the church. Because Eve was created with what God took out of Adam, the church is created solely by what comes out of Christ.

The Body of Christ in chapter 3 is a relationship in life between Christ and all the believers. The bride of Christ is a relationship in love.

Chapter 4 begins with several pages that help us identify the woman and the man-child. The man-child is caught up to heaven and Satan is cast down. Soon after this is the wonderful declaration at the seventh angel’s trumpeting in Revelation 11:15-18. Then comes the kingdom age after which New Jerusalem descends out of the new heaven to rest on the new earth.

*From the Forward of the English translation, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, available at www.ministrybooks.org/ and www.livingstream.com/en/the-church/8012401-glorious-church-the.html.

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by Don on April 13, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on April 13, 2022

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Jesus the Bridegroom, New Jerusalem the Bride (2)

In Revelation 21:2 John tells us, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The preparation of New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ began during the Lord’s ministry on earth.

Ephesians 5:25-27 describes three steps of this preparation. “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”

New JerusalemFirst, in verse 25, Christ “gave Himself up” on the cross to redeem the church as His wife. Following this, in His resurrection He regenerated all the members of the church (1 Peter 1:3) so that He as the eternal life could be in each one.

By this inner life the second step of preparation is now taking place. Verse 26 says that “He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word.” This is an inward, experiential sanctification by the washing away of our old, fallen nature and the flowing in of His new nature.

Third, verse 27 says that Christ will “present the church to Himself glorious…holy and without blemish.” The church today is being sanctified and will be glorified at the Lord’s return to be consummated as the holy city New Jerusalem, “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:9-10).

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by Don on January 7, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on January 7, 2022

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Three Stages of Sanctification to the Holy City, New Jerusalem (3)

New Jerusalem is “the holy city” (Rev. 21:2, 10). To be part of this city we need to be separated from our fallen natural being and to be saturated with the divine nature. This is to be sanctified*, to be New Jerusalemmade holy*.

The first stage of sanctification brings us to obedience to the gospel. The second stage make us holy in position. The third stage constitutes us with God’s holiness; this is dispositional sanctification.

In this third stage our inner being is washed by the Spirit. Hebrews 2:11 and 10:14 both speak of “those who are being sanctified,” those who are in the lifelong process of inward sanctification.

Ephesians 5:25-26 tells us that Christ gave Himself for the church “that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word.” The washing removes the spots, wrinkles, and blemishes mentioned in verse 27; this is not a physical washing but an inward spiritual washing.

The washing is by the water, symbolizing the flow of eternal life, in the word. When we come to the written word, the Bible, with an open heart and prayer, the Lord can speak to us personally. This living speaking is the word in verse 26.

The goal of the washing is that Christ “might present the church to Himself glorious…holy and without blemish” (v. 27). For us to be glorious and holy is to match New Jerusalem.

*The words holy and holiness seem very different from sanctify, sanctification, and saint. The first group has its root in old English; the latter group has its root in Latin; but, in the New Testament, all translate a few closely related Greek words.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

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by Don on June 21, 2021  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on June 21, 2021

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2021/06/21/three-stages-of-sanctification-to-the-holy-city-new-jerusalem-3/

How We All Grow into New Jerusalem

As the consummation of all God’s work throughout the ages, New Jerusalem is not only complete but also full-grown and perfect. To match New Jerusalem we all need to be full grown in our Christian life.

Our first step in growth is to take God’s word as as milk for our spiritual nourishment. This is 1 Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation.” The Bible is not merely for education; it is for food, for life supply, as New Jerusalemindicated by milk for growth in 1 Peter.

Also, the Lord Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” This life supply comes through the Bible and from the Spirit. “The Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6).

Hebrews 5:13-14 contrasts milk for infants and “solid food is for the full-grown, who because of practice have their faculties exercised…” Here practice and exercise in spiritual matters are emphasized. The exercise can be praying with God’s word, praising Him, giving thanks, rejoicing, singing, and more. To me practice indicates steadfast continuation.

The exercise is mutual among believers: “be filled in spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” and with the Lord: “singing and psalming with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks at all times…to our God and Father” (Eph. 5:18-20). All of these actions help us grow to maturity for New Jerusalem.

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, is at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is © by LSM.

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.

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by Don on June 2, 2021  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on June 2, 2021

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2021/06/02/how-we-all-grow-into-new-jerusalem/

New Jerusalem: Dwelling Place and Bride

New JerusalemRevelation 21:2, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The city is the bride and the Husband is Jesus Christ. This is the culmination of His redeeming and sanctifying the church “that He might present the church to Himself glorious” (Eph. 5:25-27).

The glorious church, the predecessor of New Jerusalem as the bride, is purified by the divine life that she be without “spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”

One side of the Lord’s sanctifying, renewing, and transforming work in us is that all the natural elements (e.g. spots, wrinkles) are removed. The other side is that the divine life and nature fills us and transforms us to be golden and precious. This produces New Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God and the bride of Christ.

When we come to Revelation 21, a city of pure gold appears, and a wall of precious stones is manifested. The street of this city is pure gold, and the outward wall is composed of precious stones. This city is a sign with a twofold significance. On one hand, this city signifies a place, because it is a city. On the other hand, it signifies a person, because it is a bride, the wife of the Lamb. In other words, this city is the dwelling place of God and all the saints, and it is also the issue of God’s work in man throughout the ages. This city is a man of glory.*

* The Way for a Christian to Mature in Life, chapter 3, Witness Lee, © LSM.

Graphic courtesy of pixabay.com.

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by Don on June 22, 2020  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on June 22, 2020

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

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