In the last picture of the Bible there is a city foursquare with three gates on every side (Rev. 21:16, 12-13). Each of the twelve gates is a pearl (v. 21), and upon them are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This gives us a picture, telling us that all these gates are persons. They are pearls, but they all have personal names. Verse 14 speaks of the twelve foundations. The twelve foundations are precious stones, and on them are the names of the twelve apostles. All the foundations are persons. Peter is a foundation, and John is a foundation. Furthermore, the wall of the city is built with precious stones (v. 18). We are not the foundations, but we are the precious stones.
In the midst of the city is a throne (22:1). Do not think that the city of New Jerusalem is flat. It is a mountain. The height of the wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, but the height of the city itself is twelve thousand stadia (21:16). The city itself is much higher than the wall. This proves that the city must be a mountain. At the foot of the mountain the wall is built, and on the top of the mountain there is the throne of God and the Lamb. There are not two thrones but one throne for God and the Lamb. Upon the throne is the Lamb, the Lamb is the lamp, and God is the light within the lamp (v. 23). One throne for both God and the Lamb signifies that God and the Lamb are one. The Lamb is the lamp and God is the light within Him. From this throne flows out the river of the water of life winding as a spiral down the mountain. Eventually, it passes through all the twelve gates. On either side of the river grows the tree of life (22:2). Genesis 2 tells us that the tree of life is good for food (v. 9), and Revelation 7:17, 21:6, and 22:17 tell us that the water of life is good for drink. Within the city are the water of life to drink and the tree of life to eat.
The flow of life with the tree of life as the supply transformed Peter into a precious stone. Originally, Peter was a man of clay, but now, in the New Jerusalem, Peter becomes a precious stone. How could Peter as a man of clay be changed into precious stone? The very God in the Lamb as the Redeemer was received by Peter. Then out of this Lamb the water of life flowed carrying the tree of life as the supply. Day by day, Peter ate of the tree of life and drank of the water of life. Day by day, he enjoyed the Triune God. By this enjoyment he was transformed into a precious stone for God’s building.
The Father is in the New Jerusalem as the source, the light. The Son is the lamp and the tree of life. Then the Spirit is the river of water of life (John 7:37-39). God the Father as the light is the source. In God the Son, He comes as the Lamb to redeem us. After we receive God the Son, the Lamb, as our Redeemer, the water of life, the Spirit, starts to move and flow within us. Within this flow of the Spirit, is the Son, Christ as the tree of life, for us to enjoy. First, the Son as the Lamb is for us to receive as our Redeemer. After we receive Him, the flow of the Spirit will move within us, and in this flow, Christ is the tree of life as the life supply. In this way we have the three of the Triune God for our enjoyment. Now the tree of life is no longer outside of us but within us. The Lamb has been received by us, and the Triune God has been wrought into us. In Genesis 2 the tree and the flow of the water are outside of man. But in Revelation 22 the tree of life and the water of life are both in the city. Now the tree of life with the water of life have both been wrought into man.
After the tree of life and the water of life have been wrought into us, they become not only our nourishment but also the element to transform us. The more we enjoy the flow of living water within us, flowing with the tree of life as the supply, the more we will be transformed. Men of clay will be transformed into precious stones. Eventually, in the New Jerusalem, in the holy city, there will be no more clay. The entire city proper is a mountain of gold (Rev. 21:18). The entire wall is jasper, a precious stone, and all the foundations of the wall are precious stones (vv. 18-20). Furthermore, all the gates are pearls (v. 21). There are only three materials in the New Jerusalem—gold, pearl, and precious stones. By this time, all have been transformed.
In the four Gospels, is the story of Simon Peter. Many times he was shown that he was merely a man of clay. He often spoke nonsensically or acted foolishly. On the night when the Lord was betrayed, the Lord told the disciples that He would be smitten and that they would be scattered. Peter said, “If all shall be stumbled in You, I will never be stumbled” (Matt. 26:33). He spoke foolishly. Not long after that the Lord was arrested and was brought to the court of the high priest. Peter followed the Lord afar off and also entered into the courtyard of the high priest. While he sat outside in the courtyard, a maid, not a big soldier, came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean” (v. 69). Three times Peter denied the Lord, even with an oath. At that time Peter was certainly a mere man of clay.
However, in Acts 2—5, Peter was a transformed, shining, strong, and transparent precious stone. In these chapters he was not opaque but clear as crystal and transparent. He was precious and absolutely changed. He was not merely changed or sanctified in position, but changed in disposition. He was changed in the metabolic way. A divine “chemical element” had been put into him which caused a chemical reaction. God in the Lamb had been received by Peter, and the Spirit as the living water started to flow into him. This flow supplied him with Christ, the all-inclusive One, as the tree of life. Day by day Peter feasted on this Christ, and day by day he drank of this living water. Some heavenly chemical element was flowing into him causing a metabolic change in his very being. He became changed not only in position or form, but also in nature, disposition, and character. By this he became one of the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem. Mere teaching or gifts cannot transform us. Only the inner life, the Triune God Himself, can transform us.
The Father is the source as the light, and the Son is the Redeemer for us to receive. If we would confess all our sins and admit and recognize that He died on the cross for our sins, right away there would be a flow within us. This is the Spirit, and within this flow is the tree of life growing in us as the life supply for us to feed upon day by day. The river of life with the tree of life are within us for us to simply drink and eat. Day by day we can receive the heavenly nourishment and all the spiritual “vitamins” can be brought into us. This will metabolically transform us. This transforming life is also a life of building. This life within not only supplies and not only transforms, but also builds us together with others.
The New Jerusalem unveils the redeeming Lamb, the flow of life, the supply of life, the transformation of life, and the building up in life. This is a picture of today’s church life. The church life is composed of a group of people who realize that they are sinful and admit that God, as the source of life, loves them. In His Son He accomplished redemption, and the Son is presented to us, the sinners, as the Lamb. We confess all our sins to Him, and we admit and recognize that He is our Redeemer, the Lamb of God, who died for us to take away our sin. When we do this, right away the Spirit becomes the flow of life within us. With this flow of life, Christ is not only the Lamb but also the tree of life for us to enjoy. He is the water of life for us to drink and the tree of life for us to eat day by day. By our eating and drinking Him, the heavenly element, the divine essence and substance, is carried into us, and we are metabolically transformed to be built up with others in oneness. This building today in this age is the church and in eternity is the holy city, New Jerusalem.
This holy city is God’s tabernacle, God’s dwelling place. Revelation 7:15 says that we will serve God in the temple. The temple is a place not only for God to dwell in, but also for those who serve God to dwell in. Revelation 21:22 says, “And I saw no temple in it, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” This means that we will serve God in God as the temple. All the redeemed ones are the tabernacle to God for God to dwell in, and God Himself is the temple to us for us to dwell in. Eventually, God will dwell in us, and we will dwell in God. This is a mutual dwelling, a mutual habitation. While He is dwelling in us, we are dwelling in Him. This is the mingling of the Triune God with His chosen and redeemed people.
This mingling depends on the enjoyment of the Lord. We have to enjoy Him all day long by feasting on Him as the tree of life and drinking of Him as the water of life. If we are going to be transformed, built up, and mingled with the Triune God, we have to feed on Christ as the tree of life and drink of Him as the water of life day by day. May the Lord bring us into the enjoyment of Himself. May we realize that He is within us as the tree of life, supplying us all the time by the flowing of the Holy Spirit within us. We must learn how to feed on Him and how to drink of Him. Then all that He is, His element, His substance, and His essence, will be conveyed and transmitted into us. We will be transformed, built up, and mingled with the Triune God.