The New Jerusalem is a city of foundations (Heb. 11:10). These are the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:14), each of whom is signified by a precious stone. Peter, the first of the twelve apostles, was originally named Simon. When Simon was brought to the Lord, the Lord changed his name to Peter, meaning “a stone” (John 1:42). Later the Lord called him by that name when He spoke concerning the building of His church (Matt. 16:18). Precious stones are not created but are produced by the transforming of things created. All the apostles were created as clay, but they were regenerated and were transformed into precious stones for God’s eternal building. Every believer needs to be regenerated and transformed so that he may be a part of the New Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem is built of three kinds of precious materials, signifying that she is built with the Triune God. First, the city proper, with its street, is of pure gold (Rev. 21:18, 21). Gold, the symbol of the nature of God, signifies the Father as the source, from whom the element for the substantial existence of the city is produced. Second, the twelve gates of the city are pearls, which signify the Son’s overcoming death and life-imparting resurrection, through which entrance to the city is gained. Third, the wall of the city and its foundation are built of precious stones, signifying the Spirit’s work of transforming the redeemed and regenerated saints into precious stones for the building of God’s eternal habitation that they may express God corporately in His all-permeating glory. In the garden of Eden these three kinds of treasures merely existed as materials (Gen. 2:11-12), whereas in the city of New Jerusalem these precious materials become a builded city for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose, which is to have a corporate expression.
We all appreciate Peter, John, and the other disciples, but we may not realize how much pressure they experienced. They were no longer clay—they became precious stones. They were transformed through intense heat and pressure. If we consider the histories of Peter and John, we will see the sufferings through which they passed. They were pressed and burned until they became strong and precious. On the day of Pentecost Peter and John were no longer clay; rather, they had become stones, so strong and precious. Eventually, we must also become precious stones through the transformation work of the Spirit. All the members of Christ’s Body must be transformed in order that God may have the foundation and the wall of the holy city.
The twelve foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem with the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb show that the particular characteristics of the twelve apostles remain. The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every precious stone (Rev. 21:19). Although the light that shines forth from them is the same expression of God, their colors are different. These different colors are their personalities, and these personalities reflect the mingling of God with man.
The mingling of God and man does not mean that our person has been fully annulled. Even though Paul did say, “I am crucified with Christ,” he went on to say, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith” (Gal. 2:20). “I” is still here; it has not been annulled.
In God’s eyes it is beautiful for Peter to have the element of God within him. However, it would not be beautiful if Peter was annulled and only the element of God remained. Peter’s Epistles show that he was not annulled. In reading his Epistles we can immediately recognize that they were written by Peter. The same is true with Paul’s and John’s Epistles. Peter, Paul, and John were not annulled; their particular characteristics were retained. In the New Jerusalem their characteristics will not be annulled; their names will still be there (Rev. 21:14). Salvation would not be very meaningful if our characteristics were annulled. We must realize that our flavor will be with us even when we enter into the New Jerusalem. Even in the New Jerusalem, we will not lose our personal identity and flavor.
God’s salvation is to mingle Himself with our person. Every apostle had a strong character and was very capable. Yet they all shared one characteristic—they were mingled with God. We should never think that our personality has been annulled because we are mingled with God.
The wall and its foundations of precious stones signify the transforming and building work of the Holy Spirit. The foundations of the wall of the city are of twelve layers. The number twelve shows the completion in God’s eternal administration. The first layer is jasper, indicating that the likeness of God is the predominant appearance. The first layer of the wall’s foundation, as well as the entire wall of the New Jerusalem, is built with jasper. This indicates that the main material in the building of the holy city is jasper. Since jasper signifies God expressed in His communicable glory, the main function of the holy city is to express God in bearing His glory (v. 11).
We must now consider a very important matter regarding the twelve foundations. Although the entire wall is jasper, the twelve foundations are different stones with various colors. Each layer is different from the others. The reason for this is that the apostles had different ministries. Paul’s ministry was different from Peter’s, and Peter’s was different from John’s. However, these twelve foundations are not laid side by side; rather, they are laid one on top of another. The top layer, the layer that met the bottom of the wall, is jasper, the same color as the wall. Thus, all the work of the apostles issued in the same appearance, jasper. All twelve layers lead to and support the unique testimony in the unique expression.
The work of many so-called Christian workers leads to an individualistic appearance. But the work of the apostles led to one appearance. Today’s Christian workers not only have different colors, but instead of being one on top of another, they are side by side. Thus, they have an individualistic expression, often striving against one another in competition. The work of the apostles, on the contrary, was layer upon layer and led to the unique appearance of jasper, the appearance of God in Christ.
If we examine the ministries of the apostles in the New Testament, we will see that each ministry was upon the top of another, not side by side. Peter, a fisherman, brought in the fish, the material. Paul, a tent maker, built up the tent with the materials brought in by Peter. Eventually, after the tent had been torn, the apostle John came in to mend it. Thus, Peter’s ministry was a fishing ministry, Paul’s was a building ministry, and John’s was a mending ministry. These three apostles worked one on top of the other. Paul’s work was upon Peter’s, and John’s work was upon Paul’s. As a result, they produced one building, not three distinct houses. Unlike Peter, Paul, and John, many of today’s Christian workers build up their own houses, each with its own design, shape, color, and expression. Therefore, in Christianity there are thousands of different houses. But in the entire universe there will only be the unique New Jerusalem, built upon the foundation of many ministries laid one on top of the other. May this matter become crystal clear to us.
We must realize that in the Lord’s recovery it is absolutely wrong to have another side-by-side work. Our work must be a layer laid upon the present layer, and it must produce the same appearance. We do not believe that the Lord will raise up any side-by-side work. Although there will be different ministries, they will be layer upon layer, and they will lead to the one appearance of God in Christ. No matter how many ministries we may have in the recovery, we will have the same mind, the same concept, and the same opinion, and we will all speak the same thing. However, this does not mean that all the ministries must be the same. We need different ministries, yet they must be layer upon layer. All the ministries must lead to one appearance—the appearance of today’s church and of the coming New Jerusalem.
All the ministries support and bear the same unique testimony. We are for the unique expression of the Triune God, not for any specific practices or particular doctrines. Although our ministries may differ, our expression, our testimony, is just one. We are not building side by side; we are building one on top of another to bring forth the unique testimony of God in the universe.