I would like to call your attention to a few things from the portions of the Word that are listed above. (1) In Revelation 21:11 we see that the glory in the holy city, New Jerusalem, is the glory of God and that the light of the city is like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone. (2) In Revelation 21 jasper is mentioned three times: the first time is in verse 11, which says that the light of the city is like a jasper stone; the second time is in verse 18, which says that the building work of the wall of the city is jasper; and the third time is in verse 19, which says that among the twelve foundations of the wall, the first foundation is jasper. This shows that jasper is very important. (3) The twelve foundations (v. 14) with twelve precious stones in different colors (vv. 19-20) give the appearance of a rainbow. (4) In verse 15 we see that the city is of three parts: the city proper, its gates, and its wall. Then verse 21 mentions “the street of the city.” Street is in singular number in the original language, showing that there is only one street in the city. (5) Verse 22 says, “And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” In the Old Testament there was a temple in the city of Jerusalem; in the New Jerusalem, however, there is no temple, because God and the Lamb are the temple. (6) Verse 23 especially refers to the matter of illumination. (7) In Revelation 22:1 we see that street is still in singular number, showing again that there is only one street. In the middle of the street is a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. This shows us that in the city there is a throne of God and of the Lamb. In Greek, throne is also singular. Because God and the Lamb are one, the throne is one. (8) Revelation 22:2 mentions the tree of life. At the very beginning of the Bible, the tree of life was mentioned with reference to man’s relationship with God. Here in Revelation 22 the Bible concludes also with the tree of life. The Scriptures begin with the tree of life and end also with the tree of life. God is the Alpha and the Omega; He is the Beginning and the End (v. 13). God finishes in the same way that He began.
In this chapter we will look at the building of God in a more detailed way. I believe that we already have been deeply impressed with the fact that God’s intention is to obtain a building in the universe. God does not intend to obtain individual persons but a group of people who are built together with Him. Therefore, in this universe God is not merely edifying individual people but building all the saved ones into Himself to be one entity. In other words, God’s goal is not the edification of individuals but the building up of the church. God has no intention to edify us in order to make us proper individuals; rather, God’s intention is to build all of us into a house. God’s desire is not to produce individual vessels by edification; rather, His desire is to produce a corporate vessel by building.
We must let the Lord shine this vision into us. If we read the Scriptures from the beginning to the end, we will see that this vision runs through the entire Bible. If we read only a certain portion, a certain verse, or a certain sentence, it seems that we may be able to find some basis to say that God’s intention is to edify individuals. However, if we read the entire Bible from the beginning to the end, we will see that the ultimate consummation of God’s work in the universe is not many scattered persons but a city, the New Jerusalem. When the word city is mentioned, we know that it denotes a building. A building is not something with many individual stones piled together, scattered around, or displayed neatly in rows; rather, it is an entity with many stones built together through a process of construction.
If we look at this city, the New Jerusalem, we can see that inscribed on its gates are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, while on the foundations of its wall are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (21:14). This implies that all the redeemed saints of the Old Testament age, represented by the twelve tribes, and all the redeemed saints of the New Testament age, represented by the twelve apostles, are in this city. You see then that all these redeemed ones are not scattered but have been completely built together. Peter as a stone, John as a stone, and James as a stone are all built together there. They are not scattered individual stones. This shows us that what God wants to gain throughout the ages is not a crowd of separated, scattered individuals. What God wants to gain is a corporate entity, a city built up with all the redeemed ones. This is an exceedingly great and important principle.
I would like to make note of one thing. In the Old Testament we cannot see the tabernacle of God in any one individual, neither can we see the temple of God in any one home. Only in the midst of all the children of Israel can we see the tabernacle and the temple. This also shows us that God does not take individuals as His goal; rather, God takes a corporate Body as His goal. God’s intention is not to gain many separate temples but to obtain one builded temple. Just as in the Old Testament the temple was neither in any single person nor in any single house, so in the New Testament the church is also neither in any individual person nor in any individual house. An individual saint can never become the church. The church is a corporate entity built with all the saints in each locality.
Time does not allow us to say too much here. However, I beg you to be impressed that God does not want scattered individuals; God wants a building that is built up with all the saints. God does not want individual stones carved separately into objects for appreciation; rather, God wants many stones built together into a city for habitation. Therefore, there is no room for either individual spirituality or personal beauty. We must be coordinated and built together with others.
Even the twelve apostles were not individualistic. As the foundations of the New Jerusalem, they are not individualistic but are joined to one another. Not only so, in their work they always joined all the saints to themselves for the building of the church. I am concerned that today some co-workers are doing an individualistic work. You may be quite successful in your work yet not be joined to anyone else. If this is the case, then it is as if you are the foundation all by yourself. Others not only cannot be connected to you; they cannot even continue your work after you. After you have worked in a certain place for a period of time, others will have no way to work there anymore. You have laid an individualistic foundation, and you are doing an individualistic work. Your work may look beautiful, and it may also appear spiritual, but you have to admit there is a serious problem with it. Brothers and sisters, I repeat that regardless of how much we work on the stones to make each one look pretty, God does not want individual stones; God only wants a city. God’s only desire is to have a builded city, a city which has been constructed. This picture should be very clear to us. If we still have not seen it, then we really need the mercy of God.
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