In this chapter we will continue the line of God’s fullness in order to see the ultimate manifestation of the fullness of God. The sixty-six books of the Bible contain many items, and in the last two chapters of the Bible the New Jerusalem appears as the conclusion of the development of these items. The structure of the New Jerusalem is simple because it has only three materials: gold, pearl, and precious stones. The city itself is a mountain of gold; the entire city is gold. The city has four sides, and each side has three gates. The twelve gates are twelve pearls (Rev. 21:21). The wall of the city is precious stone, and the twelve foundations of the wall are adorned with twelve precious stones (vv. 18-20). Hence, the city has only three kinds of materials: pure gold, pearl, and precious stones.
Throughout the last two thousand years, since the completion of the New Testament, many Bible students and scholars have spent much time and effort to study the New Jerusalem. There are many different views and opinions concerning this city, and there have been endless arguments and diverging opinions. During the past decades we thoroughly studied most of the different teachings concerning the New Jerusalem, and we have seen that the New Jerusalem is not a physical city.
The entire Bible contains the divine revelation and reveals God’s economy, His eternal plan. The Bible also reveals God’s person, showing that God is triune—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Furthermore, it reveals the process and the goal of redemption. After unveiling these precious things, the Bible concludes with a city in Revelation 21 and 22. This city of pure gold has a wall of precious stones and gates that are pearls. In addition, the length, breadth, and height of the city are equal; hence, it is a cube. How can the consummation of the divine revelation in the Bible be a physical city? If the New Jerusalem were a physical city, it would not bear much significance.
The book of Revelation is a book of signs (1:1). Signs are used to express deep thoughts that cannot be described in words. The first sign in this book is the golden lampstands (v. 12). These are not physical golden lampstands. They are a sign that illustrates the nature and function of the church. The church should be of gold, completely divine, and it should shine brightly in the dark. Therefore, the golden lampstands are a sign. Another sign is the Lion-Lamb (5:5-6). This refers to the Lord Jesus. As the Lamb, He is our Redeemer, and as the Lion, He fights against the enemy. In the eyes of God, Christ is the Lamb of God for our redemption, and He is the overcoming Lion to defeat God’s enemy and bring in God’s kingdom.
There are more than ten signs in the book of Revelation, and the last sign is the New Jerusalem. Revelation 1:1 says, “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show to His slaves the things that must quickly take place; and He made it known by signs, sending it by His angel to His slave John.” What is presented in this book is mainly in signs rather than plain words. In chapter 1 the seven churches are not spoken of in plain words; instead, seven golden lampstands are used to show the condition of the seven churches. When we see the golden lampstands, we understand the condition of the churches, because a picture is better than a thousand words. It is simple to describe something with a picture. It is difficult to give an accurate description of a person by describing his appearance, features, and demeanor, no matter how many words we use. The simplest and clearest way to give an accurate description is to present a picture.
The book of Revelation mainly uses signs to present its revelation, not plain words. According to this principle, the New Jerusalem cannot be a physical city; it must be a sign. The revelation in the Scriptures is mysterious. The ultimate issue of this revelation appears at the end of the Bible. If this ultimate issue was presented in plain words, thousands of words would not be adequate. God is very wise and uses one great sign, a city, to show the ultimate consummation of the divine revelation.