The New Jerusalem - its dimension, its temple, and its light
Its Dimension (Rev. 21:15-16) - We have seen that twelve is the number of the New Jerusalem (e.g. twelve gates, twelve foundations) and the height of the wall is one hundred forty-four cubits which is twelve times twelve. Revelation 21:16 tells us that the length, breadth, and height of the city are twelve thousand stadia. Twelve thousand of course, is one thousand times twelve. The number one thousand is a complete unit, because it is a hundred fold of ten. Since twelve signifies absolute perfection and eternal completion in God’s administration, twelve thousand signifies a thousand times this. The measurement of the New Jerusalem shows as that it is a cube with three equal dimensions. This means that the entire New Jerusalem is straight, perfect, and complete, without any defect, bias, and crookedness. In God’s eternal administration, however, there is nothing but perfection and completion. The dimensions of the Holy of Holies, both in the tabernacle and the temple, are equal in length, breadth, and height (Exo. 26:2-8; I Kings 6:20). Hence, the length, the breadth, and the height of the New Jerusalem are equal signify that the entire New Jerusalem will be the Holy of Holies. The city is also measured with a golden reed. The reed is for measuring and measuring signifies to take possession (Ezek. 40:5: Zech. 2:1-2; Rev. 11:1). Since gold signifies the divine nature. Anything that does not match the divine nature of God does not belong to the New Jerusalem.
Its Temple - In Rev. 21:22 John says, "And I saw no temple in it, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb." The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb indicate the redeeming Triune God. The temple is not something physical or material, but the temple is a Person and this Person is the Triune God. The Greek word for temple in this verse "naos" denotes the inner temple, the Holy of Holies. The whole city will be the Holy of Holies . On the one hand, the New Jerusalem, which is composed of all the redeemed saints, as the habitation of God, is the tabernacle (Rev. 21:3), on the other hand, the New Jerusalem which is constituted of the processed Triune God, as the dwelling place of all the redeemed saints, is the temple. Thus, the New Jerusalem is the mutual dwelling of both the redeeming God and His redeemed. The New Jerusalem is the fulfillment of the mutual abode in John 15:4 "Abide in Me and I in you." By this mutual abode divinity and humanity becomes one entity - An enlarged universal, divine - human incorporation. To be an incorporation means that we are completely one with God in life, in nature, and His person.
Its Light - The New Jerusalem has no need of the sun nor of the moon, neither the light of the lamp (Rev. 21:23; 22:5). The glory of God, the Lord God Himself, illumines the city. He is both the light within and the glory without. He is the inner light and the outer expression of the light, the glory. Such a light needs a lamp and the Lamb is the lamp of the city. Every electrical light needs a holder or a bulb. Without the bulb, your touching of the electricity may kill you. In like manner without the Lamb being the lamp, God’s direct shining over us would kill all of us because God dwells in an unapproachable light (I Tim. 6:16). Thus, this light (God) in the lamp (Christ) has become so lovable and touchable and we even walk in this light (I John 1:7). Revelations 21:24 says, "And the nations shall walk by its light." The nations will not need to walk in the sunlight nor in the moonlight, for they will walk in the shining of the New Jerusalem. The church should be such a shining light today, and all our neighbors should walk in the light of our shining.
The New Jerusalem - its throne, its supply, its appearance
Its Throne - the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1) denotes that in eternity, the very God who sits on the throne is our redeeming God. Every nation has a center. This throne on the top of the golden mountain is the center of the New Jerusalem to carry out God’s plan through Christ’s redemption.
Its Supply - the throne is the very source from which the river of water of life flows, and it flows with the tree of life growing in it (Rev. 22:1-2). In the flow of the river is the water of life with the tree of life as a vine growing on the two sides of the river. The water of life signifies the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2) as the spiritual drink (Rev. 21:6), and the tree of life signifies Christ as the spiritual food (Rev. 22:14), to supply the entire New Jerusalem , which is composed of all the saints, the sons of God, that they may be nourished and sustained forever. The river of the water of life with the tree of life growing in it comes out of the throne of God’s administration and flows in the middle of the golden street. This indicates that the divine supply for the New Jerusalem is related to authority (throne) and nature (gold) of God. Thus when we do not accept or recognize the Lordship, the headship, and the authority of the Triune God in the very center of our being and do not walk according to God’s divine nature the flow from the throne stops, then we are dried up and starved to death. We must therefore realize that the New Jerusalem is not merely something objective in the future but it should be experienced by us today in a very personal way.
Its Appearance - Rev. 21:11 says, "having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stones, as jasper stone clear as crystal." The glory of God is the expression of God, God expressed. The word light in Greek means luminary or light bearer. Today the believers as children of light (Eph. 5:8) are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14) and eventually, the New Jerusalem as a composition of all the saints will be the light-bearer shining forth God as light over the nations around her. As part of the New Jerusalem, we must be transformed into precious stones with God wrought in our being as the shining light that we may be light-bearer to shine as God’s expression. The appearance of the city is "as jasper stone, clear as crystal." Jasper is the ultimate consummation of God becoming man that man may become God in life, in nature, and in appearance but not in the Godhead as an object of worship. Only God on the throne is to be worshipped! The New Jerusalem as the corporate man becoming the corporate god through God’s complete salvation (judicial and organic salvation) will only stand to shine and express the glory of God. By receiving and enjoying the flow of supply from the Triune God on the throne we will all be transformed and glorified to become the New Jerusalem, exactly like Him in life, nature, and appearance to eternally express Him. Hallelujah! Amen!