In the New Jerusalem the base is first as the basic factor. On this basic factor the gates are built. After this, the wall with its foundations is built. With the building of the wall, the entire structure of the New Jerusalem is completed.
The New Testament believers, signified by the precious stones, consummated by God the Spirit in His transforming and building work, are the wall of the New Jerusalem and its foundations (Rev. 21:12a, 14, 15b, 17-20). The wall and its foundations are built with twelve different kinds of precious stones (vv. 18-20). The first layer of the twelve foundations is jasper. This layer is continued by the wall itself, which also is jasper. Therefore, the foundations consist of eleven kinds of precious stones plus jasper, and the wall also is jasper.
In the previous chapter I said that the twelve gates of pearl were produced by God the Son through His redeeming and life-releasing death and His life-dispensing resurrection. There I used the word produced because this word refers to Christ’s creating work on the cross. In Ephesians 2:15 we are told that on the cross Christ created the Jews and the Gentiles in Himself into one new man. On the cross the Lord accomplished His redeeming and life-releasing death. The Lord’s resurrection continued His death to dispense the divine life released through His death on the cross. The releasing of life through Christ’s death and the dispensing of life through Christ’s resurrection were a creating work. Hence, Christ’s work on the cross was a work of creation. It is through this creating work that the pearls are produced for the gates of the New Jerusalem. However, the precious stones that constitute the wall of the New Jerusalem and its foundations are not created but consummated by God the Spirit’s transforming and building work.
Some may ask why we say that the Old Testament saints are the gates and the New Testament believers are the walls and the foundations. First, the twelve gates have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on them (Rev. 21:12). Surely the twelve tribes here refer to the genuine Israelites, who represent all the Old Testament saints. On the wall’s twelve foundations the twelve names of the apostles are inscribed, the twelve apostles representing the New Testament believers. The wall is the main part of the city. When we see the city, we see the wall first. Then we look for the gates, which are needed for entering into the city. First we enter into the city; then we are built into the wall. This signifies that the genuine Israelites of the twelve tribes were the first ones who entered into God’s New Testament economy. They were the first ones to participate in God’s grace. In other words, they were the first ones who entered into Christ. Thus, they became the child-conductors to conduct others into Christ (Gal. 3:24), and then they became the entrance. In this intrinsic sense, the Old Testament saints are the gates for others to enter into Christ. Through the transforming work of the Spirit, those who have entered into Christ through the gates become precious stones to build up the wall.
Formerly in my ministry I did not say that the pearls signify the Old Testament saints as the entrance for people to enter into God’s New Testament economy, and I did not say that the precious stones signify the New Testament believers as the majority for the main structure of the city. I received this light very recently.
To interpret the Bible is not an easy thing. This does not mean that those who are the pearls have only the experience of the pearl, that is, that they have only the experience of Christ’s death and resurrection and do not need to have the experience of the Spirit’s transformation. Neither does it mean that those who are the precious stones and have the experience of the Spirit’s transformation do not need to have the experience of Christ’s death and resurrection. We need to realize that the Old Testament saints and the New Testament believers are one entity. As one entity, they pass through Christ’s death and resurrection, and then they go on to pass through the Spirit’s transformation.
The entire New Testament teaches us that we, the people of God who are the God-men, need to be redeemed and to have the divine life that was released through Christ’s death imparted into us in His resurrection. Then we need to go on to experience the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, through which we become the precious materials. In 1 Corinthians 3:12 Paul spoke of both silver (corresponding to the pearls in Revelation 21:21) and precious stones, but he did not designate some believers as silver (pearls) and others as precious stones. In other words, on the one hand, we are pearls; on the other hand, we are precious stones. Thus, the Old Testament saints can claim that they are pearls as well as precious stones, and the New Testament believers can claim that they are precious stones as well as pearls.
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