We have seen that the New Jerusalem is the ultimate consummation of all the divine, spiritual things in the Bible. We need to have a thorough study of the New Jerusalem since it has never been thoroughly studied and properly interpreted. One point concerning the New Jerusalem which we will be unable to touch or to cover is the twelve foundation stones. To study these stones there is the need of much scholarship. My hope is that the younger generation would continue to study these twelve stones. In order for us to understand the real significance of the New Jerusalem we have to get into the real significance of its designations. According to my study of the Scriptures, there are five designations: the New Jerusalem, the holy city, the tabernacle of God, the wife of the Lamb, and the mother of the believers.
We need to consider what the designation “New Jerusalem” means. We believers have a bad habit of taking the Bible for granted. Why does the Spirit use the word “new” in the designation “New Jerusalem”? The Bible reveals to us two creations—the old creation and the new creation. There is nothing of God’s nature involved with any item in the old creation. In other words, God is not in the old creation. In everything of the new creation, however, God’s divine nature is in it. The old man has nothing of God in it, but the new man is not only born of God but also created and constituted with God. None of the new items in the New Testament refer to anything material or physical. Our new heart is something of God (Ezek. 36:26). For our mind to be renewed means that God has been wrought into our mind (Eph. 4:23). Everything that is designated new in the New Testament indicates or implies that God has been wrought into these items. If you do not have God, you do not have a new heart. The new wineskins, the new wine, the new garment, and the New Testament all are designated new because God is in them. The Old Testament was something of the dead letters, but the New Testament has God in it. The New Testament is altogether something of God. It is a testament not only of life, but of God. God is revealed in the New Testament and the New Testament conveys God to us.
By this principle we can see that the old Jerusalem was a physical city. In its constituents there was nothing of God’s nature. However, the New Jerusalem, just like the new man, has God wrought into it. It is new because God has been added in. Anything that is without God is old, but anything in which God is added is new. A piece of furniture is old because it does not have God, but as a believer you are new because you have God wrought into you. Those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus are old because they do not have God. God is newness and newness is God. Oldness is the old creation, the old I, the old you. When you have God, however, you have the newness. You become new and you become newness. All the new items in the New Testament such as the new heart, the new mind, the new man, and the new creation are new because God has been wrought into these items.
The New Jerusalem as a new creation has God in Christ, possessing the divine nature and the divine life. We cannot have God outside of Christ. Also, Revelation 21 and 22 provide us with many indications that the New Jerusalem possesses the divine nature and the divine life. In the New Jerusalem there are the tree of life and the river of water of life. Besides the divine life, the New Jerusalem does not display any other life. Also, the city itself and the street of the New Jerusalem are pure gold like transparent glass (Rev. 21:18b, 21b). In typology gold signifies the divine nature. Thus, the New Jerusalem possesses the divine nature and the divine life.
Also, the New Jerusalem is created in Christ as the new creation with the divine element (2 Cor. 5:17). Some may think that the new creation refers to us believers and not the New Jerusalem. To say this, though, indicates that we do not have the sight to see that the New Jerusalem is a living composition of all of God’s redeemed people, including the New Testament believers and the Old Testament saints. All the redeemed ones composed together are a new creation in Christ, and this new creation has the divine element. The divine element has been wrought into the new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, they have become new.” It would be helpful if we could spend some time to pray-read this verse. To say that all things have become new means that they have become divine. Furthermore, to say that all things have become new means that all things have become God since God is new and since God is newness.