All posts tagged Revelation 5–11

Topics in these chapters related to New Jerusalem.

No Levitical Service in New Jerusalem

In Exodus and Leviticus both the priestly service and the Levitical service were established. The first was for ministering directly to God, the second for practical support.

New JerusalemIn the New Testament a local church has both elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-7, 8-13). The elders oversee and guide the church; they also minister the Word of God (as do others who are not elders). The deacons help with practical service (e.g. Acts 6:1-3).

In New Jerusalem, everyone of God’s people will be priests, ministering directly to God and being directly supplied by Him. Revelation 22:3b says, “His slaves will serve Him.” The Greek word translated serve means to serve as a priest. In eternity there will be no need for practical service by Levites or deacons.

But don’t wait for New Jerusalem. Revelation 1:5-6 and 5:9-10 both say clearly that all who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb are a kingdom and “priests to our God.” We are all priests to worship God, sing and speak praises to Him, proclaim His worth and accomplishments, and release thanksgivings to Him.

First Peter 2:5 says we all (even babes in Christ, v. 2) “are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices.” Verse 9 adds that we are a royal priesthood to “tell out the virtues of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

The priesthood today is our foretaste of and our preparation for New Jerusalem. Let’s all participate!

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by Don on February 16, 2024  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on February 16, 2024

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2024/02/16/no-levitical-service-in-new-jerusalem/

Revelation is a Book of Praise

New JerusalemRevelation is a book of praise, including verses 5:8-14, 7:9-12, 14:1-3, 15:2-4, and 19:1-7. This praising includes both loud voices and singing.

“Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them, I heard saying, To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.” (5:13)
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” (19:6)

“Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” This is Revelation 19:7 which is a praise related to New Jerusalem, “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (21:9).

Surely this praising of God and the Lamb will continue in New Jerusalem. But let’s not wait! We can speak, shout, or sing praises today to have current experience of New Jerusalem. Here is a song with the praises of Revelation 5:12-13. Worthy is the Lamb!

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.

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by Don on December 13, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on December 13, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/12/13/revelation-is-a-book-of-praise/

Revelation is a Book of Eternal Life

Revelation is a book of life, the eternal life. In Revelation 1:17-18 the Lord Jesus proclaims, “I am the First and the Last and the living One; and I became dead, and behold, I am living forever and ever.” Chapters 4, 10, and 15 show “Him who lives forever and ever.”

New JerusalemIn chapter 2 is the tree of life and the crown of life. In chapters 3, 17, 20, 21 is the book of life, in chapter 7 are the living God and the water of life, and in chapter 11 the Spirit of life. In chapter 20 the overcomers are living and reigning. In chapter 22 are the river of water of life twice and the tree of life three times.

This is the life which is Christ, who has become our life. To experience Christ as our life is to experience the life of New Jerusalem. We have received Him as our life and now daily we have Him as our life supply. This supply is the Spirit, portrayed by the river of water of life in New Jerusalem.

The Spirit is somewhat abstract but the Lord told us in John 6:63 that the words He speaks to us are Spirit and are life. We come to the written word and open to the Lord, praying something like this: Lord, speak to me through these verses with words that are Spirit and life. I desire to experience You as my life today and thus have a foretaste of New Jerusalem.

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by Don on December 11, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on December 11, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/revelation-is-a-book-of-life-not-gnte/

Rich Supply to All Who Call on the Lord Jesus

New JerusalemRomans 10:12-13 proclaims, “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; for ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” In Christ’s redemption humans “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” were purchased for God (Rev. 5:9).

There is no distinction among us in Christ. We are all members of the one Body of Christ and will all be constituents of New Jerusalem. The Lord is rich to all, to each one of us, if we will call on His name. Such calling is not only for our initial salvation but also for His rich supply for our daily living with Him.

The Lord Jesus is our daily life supply, and every day we must call upon His name to enjoy this supply (Rom. 10:12). Day after day we need to be those who call upon the name of the Lord again and again. When we call “O Lord,” this is very good, but it is not as sweet as when we call “O Lord Jesus.”…If we would come to the Lord and call upon His dear name, praising and worshipping Him for who He is and for what He has done, our enjoyment and fellowship with Him would be quite rich.*

Learn to call on the Lord Jesus now and expect to be calling on and praising His name in New Jerusalem.

* From chapter 42, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986

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by Don on October 16, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on October 16, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/10/16/rich-supply-to-all-who-call-on-the-lord-jesus-42-2-4/

Come to Jesus for the Water of Life and Tree of Life

Revelation 22:2 says about New Jerusalem, “on this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month.”

New JerusalemThe water of life flows out of the throne, and the tree of life grows in the water of life and on the two sides of the river of water of life as a vine producing timely fruits for the food of God’s redeemed for eternity. Both the water of life and the tree of life are the issue of the throne. If there were no throne in you, what would be the issue? Many Christians are dried up, starved to death, and there is no growth in life because the throne is put away to the heavens and is not in their experience.*

John 6:35 and 7:37 record these words of the Lord Jesus, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger” and “if anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” In the Lord’s speaking in John 6 to come is to believe; in John 1:12 to believe is to receive.

We come to the Lord by turning our heart to Him and by speaking to Him, declaring that our being is open to receive His nourishing and thirst quenching. Then we partake of the blessing described in Revelation 7, which includes “they will not hunger anymore, neither will they thirst anymore.” This is our present experience of New Jerusalem.

Revelation 7 and New Jerusalem

2 Corinthians 3:16-17: “Whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

* From chapter 38, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.

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by Don on June 12, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on June 12, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/06/12/come-to-jesus-for-the-water-of-life-and-tree-of-life/

We Serve God in the Temple; that is, in God Himself

The Old Testament had a physical tabernacle and temple as shadows of the New Testament reality. In the NT time Christ is the reality.

Today we do not have a physical temple, but our temple is our triune, processed, redeeming God, reaching us as the Spirit. Such a Spirit is our temple. We worship and serve God in this temple, and day and night God is our dwelling place. When I was traveling in a plane, I told the Lord, “This plane is not my dwelling place. You are my dwelling place. I am not actually in this plane, but I am in You.”*

New JerusalemIn Revelation 7 John was shown a multitude who “are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple” (v. 15). These believers serve God “in His temple” and in verse 21:22 we are told that “the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are [New Jerusalem’s] temple.” Thus, to serve in the temple is to serve in God.

To be in God is the reality both now and in New Jerusalem. To realize this, we need to “seek the things which are above” and “set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth” (Col. 3:1, 2). This connects us to the present spiritual reality of New Jerusalem.

* From chapter 37, 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.

Photo courtesy of pdphoto.org.

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by Don on May 1, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 1, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/05/01/we-serve-god-in-the-temple-that-is-in-god-himself/

The Kingdom’s Inward Reality Becomes Manifest

“The kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Today the Spirit in us is the inward reality of the usually invisible kingdom of God. When the Lord Jesus returns to earth visibly His kingdom will be clearly visible to the whole earth. Then in New Jerusalem the kingdom’s manifestation will be much greater.

In Matthew 16:28 the Lord told the disciples “There are some of those standing here who shall by no means taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Then the Lord took three of them up a mountain “And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as the light.”

New JerusalemThis was a short-term preview of the Lord’s coming to establish His kingdom over the whole earth. At His coming, people “will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).

The kingdom’s manifestation begins at the announcement in Revelation 11:15, “the seventh angel trumpeted; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

This portion of God’s eternal kingdom, without the presence of Satan, will last a thousand years, as presented in Revelation 20:2-7. It will be followed by God’s last judgments. Then New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven “and He will reign forever and ever”!

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by Don on March 25, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 25, 2022

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2022/03/25/the-kingdoms-inward-reality-becomes-manifest/

The Testimony of Jesus

In Revelation 19:10 an angel said to John, “I am your fellow slave and a fellow slave of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy.” The last part of this indicates that the testimony of Jesus is the substance, the focus, of the prophecy contained in Revelation.

New JerusalemRevelation is about the testimony of Jesus. Apparently unrelated things are included, such as beasts and judgments. However, the other things are merely the conclusion and clearing away of the old creation to allow the new creation to come forth.

Revelation begins with Jesus Christ Himself in chapter 1 and the seven churches as His testimony in chapters 2 and 3. The great multitude in the second half of chapter 7 is also the testimony of Jesus. These are not merely testimonies about Jesus but are people builded into a corporate expression of Jesus. Their living displays Him.

Revelation concludes with the new creation. The center of the new creation is New Jerusalem. And the center of New Jerusalem is “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1, 3). This too is the testimony of Jesus. God in Christ is the light of the city (Rev. 21:23). This light of glory radiates through the city to the whole universe because the pure, clear, transparent New Jerusalem “has the glory of God.”

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by Don on February 10, 2021  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on February 10, 2021

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2021/02/10/the-testimony-of-jesus/

Serve God as Priests and Reign with Him

Revelation 5:9-10 is part of a praise sung to God and the Lamb. “You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.”

New JerusalemToday we are priests to God and in New Jerusalem we will also reign as kings. First Peter 2:5 ties our serving as priests to God’s building work. “You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Both the building and the priesthood consummate in New Jerusalem. In Luke 19:17, 19 the Lord rewards His faithful servants by having them rule over ten or five cities. And Revelation 20:6 promises, “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

Revelation 22:3, 5 say in part about our lives in New Jerusalem, “His slaves will serve Him” in priestly service, and “they will reign forever and ever.” This is the ultimate step of the earlier serving and reigning.

In that city we shall serve God as priests. In eternity we will have nothing to do but to serve God.*

We shall reign as kings over the nations. We will be the priests of God, and we will be the kings of the people. We will have a God to serve and a people to rule.*

Thank the Lord for the wonderful blessings in New Jerusalem.

* Excerpt from The Vision of God’s Building by Witness Lee, chapter 19, © LSM.

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by Don on January 29, 2021  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on January 29, 2021

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/serve-god-as-priests-and-reign-with-him/

Our Priesthood, Now & New Jerusalem (4)

Jesus Christ has made us priests to serve His God and Father today and in New Jerusalem (Rev. 1:5-6; 7:15; 22:3). We praise Him for this and we also should come forward to learn how to serve now.

Hebrews 12:28 encourages us, “let us have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly with piety and fear.” This grace came to us in the incarnation (John 1:14, 16-17). It is not some outward blessing but is Christ as our supply in our spirit, the center of our being. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers” (Gal. 6:18, New Jerusalemlikewise in Phil. 4:23).

Because grace is something of Christ Himself, it is eternal. It is our supply to serve as priests now and to serve in New Jerusalem.

Hebrews 4 encourages us to receive grace. We have a great High Priest who has passed through death, resurrection, and ascension, and who can “be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses” (4:14-15). Therefore, “Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help (4:16).

In ourselves we are not able to serve. Because of this we must put aside self-confidence and come forward to the throne to “receive mercy.” Then, with a little time at the throne we will “find grace.” The more grace we lay hold of, the more we are able to serve God as His priests.Let’s not wait for New Jerusalem but “come forward with boldness” now.

Prior posts on our priesthood: (1), (2), (3)

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by Don on August 21, 2020  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on August 21, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/08/21/our-priesthood-now-new-jerusalem-4/

The Gates of New Jerusalem Face Every Direction

Revelation 21:12-13, describing New Jerusalem, says, “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: On the east three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.”

Each of the four sides of the city has three gates. The gates on any one side are exactly the same as the gates on the other three sides. This indicates that the Triune God is available to people in all four corners of the earth. Whether you come from the east, north, south or west, there is an entrance into the holy city. What an entrance this city has!*

New JerusalemNew Jerusalem has three gates facing every direction. This matches Revelation 5:9-10, where a praise to the Lord declares, “You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.”

The gates are for people out of “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” The result of coming in through the gates is that we become “a kingdom and priests to our God.” This result applies to New Jerusalem for Revelation 22:3 says that in the city we will serve God as priests and 22:5 says that we will reign.

* The Triune God—The Triune God and the Person and Work of Christ, chapter 11, by Witness Lee

Continuing from last month, the posts in this month will include quotes from Excerpts from Books by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee by Living Stream Ministry. Each post will identify the source for the quotation in that post.

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by Don on February 5, 2020  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on February 5, 2020

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2020/02/05/the-gates-of-new-jerusalem-face-every-direction/

We Serve God as Priests in New Jerusalem

New JerusalemRevelation 22:3 promises that in New Jerusalem, “And there will no longer be a curse. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him.” All the promises are tied together by and. They are not separate but various aspects of the one Triune God as our eternal blessing.

In human society slavery is not good. But in the divine economy slavery is good because God is the best Master, with the best care for His slaves. The Lord often spoke of His Old Testament and New Testament people as His slaves; for example, in Matthew 18, 21, 22, 24, 25.

The believers in Jerusalem, while praying, referred to themselves as the Lord’s slaves (Acts 4:29). Paul, James, and Peter began epistles stating that they were slaves of Christ Jesus.

Revelation 22:3 says that we will serve. The Greek word means to serve as priests. This is the culmination of what the Lord accomplished and applied to us through His death and resurrection. Initially:
• “To Him [Jesus Christ] who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev. 1:5-6)
• The Lamb “made them a kingdom and priests to our God.” (Rev. 5:10)

Revelation 1 says the Lord made us priests and couples this with “the glory and the might forever and ever.” Our priestly status and service is for this age (next post) and forever in New Jerusalem.

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by Don on July 3, 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on July 3, 2019

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/we-serve-god-as-priests-in-new-jerusalem/

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