The basic element of the city proper is gold. The city itself is gold (Rev. 21:18). As we have pointed out, this city is a mountain of gold. Gold signifies the divine nature. The fact that the New Jerusalem is a golden city signifies that the entire city is constituted with the nature of God. Likewise, the basic element of the church today is the nature of God. The church is constituted with the divine nature.
The twelve gates of New Jerusalem are twelve pearls (Rev. 21:21). The fact that the twelve gates of the holy city are twelve pearls signifies that regeneration through the death-overcoming and life-secreting Christ is the entrance into the city. In John 3:3 and 5 the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that unless a man was born again he could not enter into the kingdom of God. Regeneration is the entrance into the kingdom, the entrance into this city. We all have been regenerated and have passed through this gate into the city. Our regeneration was our entrance.
After entering in through the gates, we find ourselves on the golden street (Rev. 21:21). This signifies that our way, our street, is God’s golden nature. Everything we do must correspond to the divine nature. If the sisters ask me what color and style of clothing they should wear, I would say that the color and style of their clothing must be according to the nature of God. The divine nature is their way, their street. If you ask me what your hair style should be, I would also say that it must be according to the golden street, according to God’s nature. After we have been regenerated, we walk on the golden street, that is, we walk according to God’s nature.
New Jerusalem is a composition of precious stones (Rev. 21:19). Precious stones are the result of transformation, and they are produced by heat and pressure. Through intense heat and great pressure a natural substance becomes a precious stone. After we are regenerated, we begin to be burned and pressed. This heat and pressure will eventually transform us into precious stones. At present, some are not yet very precious; they still have some dust on them. But we all are in the process of transformation. I am fully assured that when we enter into the New Jerusalem, there will no longer be any dust or clay, only precious stones.
Pearls signify regeneration, and precious stones signify transformation. After we have been regenerated, we must undergo the process of transformation. Praise the Lord that we have been regenerated and have passed through the pearl gate! Praise the Lord that we are also becoming precious stones! Many are still somewhat muddy. In a previous message I pointed out that some of you are wafers and that, because you are wafers, I dare not touch you. Pouring water on a wafer causes it to disintegrate. I know whether or not I can touch you and how much water I can pour on you. If you are muddy and I pour water upon you, you will be all the more muddy. But if you are a precious stone and I pour water on you, you will not be affected at all. One day we shall no longer be muddy; rather, we shall be jasper. Through transformation we shall become precious stones.
The precious stones in New Jerusalem are not piled one upon another; instead, they are built together. Hence, the precious stones in this city signify not only transformation, but also building. In the church life today we are daily being transformed and built together. A few years ago there was little of the building in Germany. But in Stuttgart today there is some amount of building. You have not been only transformed, but also built together. Thus, the precious stones constituting the wall of the New Jerusalem signify both transformation and building.
Revelation 21:11 says, “Her light was like a most precious stone, as a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” Jasper signifies the appearance of God. In Revelation 4:3 we see that the One sitting on the throne has the appearance of jasper. Now in chapter twenty-one we see that the appearance of the whole city is the appearance of jasper. This means that the entire city bears the appearance of God. Therefore, the precious stones built together signify three things: transformation, building, and the appearance of God. In both the Old Testament and New Testament, we have transformation, building, and the appearance of God. Ultimately, these three positive things will be found in New Jerusalem.
In the New Jerusalem we have transformation, building, and the appearance of God. We also have the walk of holiness signified by the golden street. As we have seen, after we enter in through the gate, we walk along the golden street. This walk along the golden street is a holy walk, a walk of holiness. Therefore, we have regeneration, the holy walk, building, and the expression of God.