In the Bible there are two lines: the line of life and the line of death. These two lines come from the two sources that exist in the universe. One of these sources is God, and the other is the Devil, Satan. Furthermore, each of these lines will have a particular issue, result. The line of life begins with the tree of life and ends with the New Jerusalem. The line of death begins from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and, passing through the great Babylon, ends with the lake of fire. Oneness is on the line of life, originates with God, and issues in the New Jerusalem. Division, on the contrary, is on the line of death, originates with Satan, and issues in the great Babylon and, ultimately, the lake of fire. If we would see the great truth of oneness in the Bible, we need to be clear about these two sources, lines, and results. Then we shall know where oneness and division belong.
Many Christians are careless about division because they do not see the seriousness of these two lines. Never regard division as an insignificant matter. Division is extremely serious, a matter of life or death. To be in oneness is to be in life, but to be in division is to be in death. In the previous chapter we pointed out that the essence of oneness is life and light. In this chapter we shall go on to see that the issue of division is firstly Babel, then Babylon, and eventually the great Babylon.
God's four great acts are related to creation, election, the new creation, and the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. Apart from God, the only proper source in the universe, there is another source, Satan, with another element and issue. By the time of the New Jerusalem, this source, element, and issue will all be cast into the lake of fire. Therefore, in the new heaven and new earth God will be the unique source, and only His element and issue will remain. For this reason, in the new universe there will be no division. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain, and no more darkness. We can go on to say that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no more sin, worldliness, flesh, self, or Satan. There will be no negative things whatever. This means that there will be no more division.
Division is all-inclusive. It comprises such negative things as Satan, sin, worldliness, the flesh, the self, the old man, and evil temper. If we are enlightened concerning the nature of division, we shall see that it includes every negative thing. Do not think that division stands by itself and that it is not related to such things as the flesh, the self, and worldliness. Division is not only related to all negative things; it includes all negative things.
Just as division is all-inclusive, so, in the same principle, oneness is all-inclusive. It includes God, Christ, and the Spirit. Ephesians 4:3-6 indicates this. In the oneness revealed in these verses, we have God the Father, Christ the Lord, and the Spirit as the giver of life. This oneness includes such positive things as our regenerated spirit and our transformed and renewed mind. Everything positive is included in the proper oneness.
The New Jerusalem will be the ultimate consummation of oneness and of all the positive things included in it. But the lake of fire will be the ultimate reservoir of division and all the negative things included in it. We may say that the lake of fire will be the eternal dead sea containing every negative thing in the universe. The lake of fire will be the ultimate and universal trash container. The New Jerusalem, on the contrary, will be the ultimate consummation and expression of oneness. This city will be characterized by one throne, one river, one tree, and one street. In the street will flow the river of the water of life, and on either side of the river there will be the tree of life. Hence, we may properly call the one street of the New Jerusalem the street of life. This unique street will make division impossible. Division with all the negative things related to it will be found only in the lake of fire.