Third, as we have seen already, in this ultimate consummation the divine life in its threefoldness is the very enjoyment of God’s redeemed in eternity forever. The divine life is the river for God’s redeemed to drink of (Rev. 22:1, 17), the divine life is the tree for God’s redeemed to feed on for their living and for their enjoyment (Rev. 22:2a, 14, 19), and the divine life is the light for God’s redeemed to live in (Rev. 21:23, 11). This is another aspect of the ultimate consummation of the Triune God as the divine life for the enjoyment and living of His redeemed ones. The gospel of John also shows us that the Triune God in this age is our enjoyment in a threefold way. He is our living water (John 7:37-39; 4:10, 13-14), He is our bread (John 6:48), and He is our light (John 8:12). These three items are in John for our present enjoyment and living, and this will consummate in the New Jerusalem as the divine river satisfying us, the divine tree feeding us, and the divine light enlightening us. This is the ultimate consummation of the divine life of the Triune God for His redeemed people’s enjoyment and living forever.
Fourth, in the entire city there is only one street (Rev. 22:1). The street of gold (21:21) signifies that the Father’s nature is our way, our street, our route for our traffic, for our fellowship, and for our move. The Father’s nature is the golden street for His people to travel, to fellowship. The river of water of life proceeds in the middle of this street and the tree of life grows on the two sides of the river (22:1-2). The Son is the tree of life so the tree of life signifies the Son’s being, which is the food of God’s redeemed people. The river of water of life is the Spirit’s flowing and this flowing is the reaching application. Thus, in the holy city we see the Father’s nature, the Son’s being, and the Spirit’s application. We walk in the Father’s nature, we feed on the Son’s being, and we drink of the Spirit’s availability. This is another aspect of the ultimate consummation of the Trinity.
Let us go on to consider the fifth aspect of the ultimate consummation of the Trinity. In Revelation 22 we see the throne on which God and the Lamb is sitting (vv. 1, 3). I do not use the predicate are, but I use the verb is purposely because God and the Lamb are not two but one. The Lamb is the lamp and God is the light within Him (21:23; 22:5). Proceeding out of the throne is the river of water of life. God signifies the Creator and the Lamb signifies the Redeemer sitting on the throne. Out of the very God and the very Lamb who sit on the throne flows the river of water of life which signifies the Spirit as the Regenerator. God created, the Lamb redeemed, and the flowing Spirit regenerates.
We have seen that the Trinity has consummated Himself to the uttermost in this consummation—the New Jerusalem. This picture shows us much more than what is recorded in the New Testament. The New Testament gives us a longer record, but what is recorded there is not as bountiful as it is consummated here in the ultimate consummation. What is here is not just a sketch or an extract but a development. Without this ultimate consummation it would be hard for us to realize that in the New Testament the Trinity is five-fold for our entrance, our constitution, our living, our enjoyment, which is fellowship, feeding, and satisfaction, and for our existence for us to participate in the Creator, in the Redeemer, and in the Regenerator. Without such a view I do not think we would be able to realize that in the New Testament the Triune God is so much to us. Such a five-fold Triune God is the temple to us (Rev. 21:22). He is our eternal abode in which we will dwell forever. Our eternal abode, our “heavenly mansion,” will not be common or ordinary but very particular, very special. It will be an extraordinary dwelling place, not an ordinary dwelling place people can live in. Only the particular, extraordinary people with a high rank have the right to live in the temple. Who are these particular, high ranked people? They are the sons of God. Revelation 21:7 indicates that the sons of God will inherit this. Now we can see how much the Triune God has been consummated in this ultimate consummation. You young brothers need to be diligent to get into these things. You should not follow the tradition and remain under its influence. You have read Revelation 21 and 22 again and again in a superficial way, which is the general practice of many Christians. You need to spend more time to dig into it. These points I have shared with you did not come to me by accident. I have studied these two chapters for many, many years.