Have you noticed that the book of Revelation closes with a promise and a call? The promise is in Revelation 22:14. “Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” The call is in Revelation 22:17. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The promise is to eat the tree of life, and the call is to drink of the water of life. By eating Jesus as the tree of life and by drinking the Spirit we will be strong to deal with the enemy of God. By eating Jesus and drinking of the Spirit we will grow to reach maturity. By eating Jesus and drinking of the Spirit we will prepare ourselves as the Bride dressed in fine linen. It is also by eating Jesus and drinking of the Spirit that we will be adorned with the precious materials of gold, pearl, and precious stones that we might be built up together as the tabernacle of God. This is really wonderful! Hallelujah for such a promise and call!
Now we must see something more about the New Jerusalem. We have already seen that it is the total mingling of divinity with humanity. The New Jerusalem’s number is twelve. Twelve is composed by multiplying three times four. There are four walls with four sides, and three gates on each side. This is three times four. It is multiplication, not addition. Multiplication is really a mingling. Four is the number signifying God’s creatures. There are four living creatures before the throne of God (Rev. 4:6). Three is the number which signifies the Triune God. By multiplying three times four we get twelve. The creature mingled with the Triune God makes the New Jerusalem. This is a total mingling of divinity with humanity. In the beginning of the book of Revelation, the number of the church is seven. Seven is composed of three plus four. This is addition, not multiplication. In the beginning, God is only added to us, but eventually we will be fully mingled with Him. Before we were saved we were just number four. Then at the time we were saved, the number three was added unto us. We then became number seven. This is the beginning. But God wants to mingle Himself with us more and more until we become number twelve. Fifty years ago my number was seven, but today my number is twelve. Hallelujah! At the beginning I was in addition, but now I am in multiplication. Originally it was God added to me, but now God is multiplied with me. This is the mingling. The height of the wall is 144 cubits. This number is composed of twelve multiplied by twelve. This is the mingling multiplied by the mingling.
Why are there three gates on each side in the New Jerusalem? This is the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. In Luke 15, there are three parables. There is a shepherd who lost one of his sheep. There is a woman that lost a coin. Finally, there is a father whose son left home. The father is the Father, the shepherd is the Son, and the woman is the Spirit. These are the three gates to bring people in. Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father” (Gk.). Through the Son we have access in the one Spirit unto the Father. These are the three gates to the New Jerusalem. The Triune God is our entry, our entrance. If there were only God the Father, there would be no entrance. It must be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
At the center of the city is God in the Lamb, sitting on the throne. We have seen that now God is not merely God, but the Lamb-God. Out of the Lamb-God flows the river of water of life. This flow is not in a straight line, but in a spiral course. The New Jerusalem is a mountain with the throne at the top. The flow of living water within the one street starts at the top and spirals downward around the mountain until the final spiral at the bottom covers all twelve gates. In this way, the flow reaches every gate.
In this city there is only one flow and one street. We can never get lost. Regardless from what gate we enter—America, China, Europe, or Canada—we are in the flow. There is only one street, and the flow is in the midst of the street. “In the midst of the street of it...” (Rev. 22:2). The one street is on the two sides of the river of life, and the tree of life is growing in the river. This means that on the two sides of the street, the tree of life is growing. Here the tree of life is not like a tall tree, but as a vine, stretching all the way down the street in the flow of living water. Where there is the street, there is the river; and where the river is, the tree of life is growing. Once we enter the gate, we have three things before us: a unique street to walk on, a unique river to drink of, and a unique tree to eat of. Hallelujah!
This entire New Jerusalem is a picture of the proper church life. The church life is just like this. Once we get in, we are in the flow, and we will never be lost. There is only one street or one way. Where the street is, there is the flow for our drinking. In the flow, there is the tree of life for our eating. By following this one street we will be brought upward to God on the throne. At the same time we will be nourished to grow that we might be strong to deal with God’s enemy. This is the way to be ripened, to be ready as the Bride, and to be adorned as the New Jerusalem. There is no need for any mere teachings or regulations. What we need is the proper eating and drinking that comes in the flow in the one street that leads to the throne of God. This produces the gold, pearl, and precious stones for the building up of God’s eternal habitation.