Reading 4—Monday afternoon
A.J.G. The holy city as John gives it in Revelation 21 presents the masterpiece of divine workmanship. The world to come is the answer to all that has come in, to all the questions that have been raised in the world of sin. God allows evil to reach its climax. He allows man in his independence from God to fulfil his course. This only brings in misery and confusion. But then God gives His own answer to this on the earth, and the world to come will be the display of this. The heavenly city has its influence that is altogether from God. It is an influence that goes out entirely from God, wrought out in men, in creatures. This is a great triumph of God’s, that He secures this practically in men. It has often been said that the holy city represents the perfection of creation. She is not totally infinite, she is immense although measured, yet she is perfect. Of course, it is all the work of God, it is all new creation. Yet there is perfection in what is created.
F.Sh. Would this include all believers from Pentecost until today?
A.J.G. Yes, it is the Lamb’s wife that will be seen as the bride. That is why it is the whole assembly, from Pentecost until the rapture. She is viewed as coming down out of heaven from God to spread the light of God. The great subject of this section is seen in administration. This is of great importance at the present time. When we see what the assembly in its administration will be in a future day, then we can also understand what the Lord works out in her at the present time. What will be there in the day to come should already be seen now, of course necessarily in great limitations and smallness. So it says that she has the glory of God. It does not say she is displaying it, but rather she has it as something that belongs to her. This shows that we will be all formed very much in the divine nature, because the glory of God is expressed in love.
A.L.B. You said this morning that it is not indicated in the first section that she has the glory of God, referring to the eternal day. What was your thought?
A.J.G. I thought of how the assembly in the millennium is seen in contrast to all that existed on the earth before. Until the coming of the Lord, this world is the environment for the glory of man. Human pride and the human self will have had an active part in it, with all its misery and confusion. In the millennium the assembly comes down from heaven having the glory of God.
Rem. It is a heavenly administration, that is why the glory of God must be connected with it.
A.J.G. As God is expressed in it, she has the glory of God. But it is divine glory that is expressed in men who are united in love. That is why the number twelve is prominent in this chapter, as is often said: twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve foundations, twelve names, twelve apostles, one hundred forty-four cubits, twelve stadia. The number twelve in scripture is always linked with working out things in love as it is a number that is easily divided. Eleven or thirteen cannot be divided, but in twelve we have twelve ones, six twos, four threes, three fours, two sixes. This shows among other things that you can quickly take it in your hand and divide it up. It is the great token of love amongst the brethren, that you can work easily. Everything can easily be done when love reigns amongst the brethren. That is why the number twelve is taken for administration. That shows that everything must be taken up in love, because God is love. He takes up the saints in the number twelve, in view of expressing all in love, towards the whole universe.
A.L.B. Is the number twelve the same here in administration as what we have in Ephesians 4: 16 in connection with the body, where it says, “the increase of the body to its self-building up in love”?
A.J.G. Yes, but the body would express more what underlies this; it is the living organism, so to speak what is not seen, whereas the administration is seen here, as we see in 1 Corinthians, which is the great administration epistle, where the apostle says, “Let all things ye do be done in love”, chap 16: 14.
F.Sh. Is there a special thought in that it says in verse 10, “He carried me away in the Spirit, and set me on a great and high mountain, and shewed me the holy city, Jerusalem”?
A.J.G. I believe the holy city is a very great thought. It shows that we must be elevated in the Spirit in view of getting a right view of it. But it is important to see that, although it is in the future when the holy city comes down, yet it gives us now a picture of divine administration. That is why every local company should take on features that are seen in the holy city.
P.v.d.B. Do the twelve gates show that something is worked out locally?
A.J.G. Yes, and all the gates are the same, they are all marked by the same features, which means that whatever local meetings we visit we should see the same, so that in 1 Corinthians, which is the most important letter of assembly administration, there is such a verse as this, “thus I ordain in all the assemblies”, chap 7: 17. We have two or three similar verses in 1 Corinthians. That is the result of each gate coming from the same pearl.
Rem. That shows the unity in the city and in the body.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. That is the great end that God strives towards. This thought of unity cannot be overestimated, because God is One. If the vessel is marked by inconsistency, it is a dishonour to the one God. That is why it is necessary that each should judge himself and his self-will, because when he looks after himself, it leads to disunity and it dishonours God.
A.L.B. I believe it shows that the assemblies everywhere should follow the same principles. And does this not also show that we should follow the same customs and habits in every place?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. There are twelve gates and they are all the same, and anyone coming to one sees the very same as he had seen at the other gates.
F.Sh. That would be consistency as well as unity.
A.J.G. Yes.
Rem. I thought of John 17: 22 where it says: “And the glory which thou hast given me I have given them, that they may be one as we are one”.
A.J.G. Yes, that supports what we are just saying. The Lord calls it glory. The same unity that exists between the Father and the Son should also be in character amongst the believers.
A.d.M. Would you think the glory shines out of unity?
A.J.G. Yes, the glory that shines out is the glory of God, and God is One.
P.v.d.B. The fact that the gates come out of one pearl also shows unity. I thought there are not 12 different pearls, but rather all of one pearl.
A.J.G. I believe the beauty the Lord sees in the assembly is the pearl. This shows she is only for one Man, as it is only one pearl. That is the unique character the assembly is marked by. Paul writes to the Corinthians: “I have espoused you unto one man”, 2 Cor 11: 2.
M.v.R. What does it mean, that the names of the twelve apostles are written on the foundations?
A.J.G. The apostles laid the foundation of the assembly. The great dignity of the apostles was that they were witnesses of the resurrection of Christ. That means God had refused every other man. He had raised one Man, Jesus Christ, and thereby He only recognised this Man. This foundation must be formed in the souls of believers. What is said at first is that her shining was like a most precious stone, as a crystal-like jasper stone. Then jasper is mentioned again in verse 18, and in verse 19 the first foundation of the city is adorned with jasper. Transparency is especially emphasised. We should be totally transparent like the jasper.
A.L.B. Is this reached in what John writes: “if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another”, 1 John 1: 7?
A.J.G. Yes, I am glad you draw attention to that. I think it is most striking that John says in the beginning of his first epistle: “And this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you, that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all”, chap 1: 5. It was a distinct message that John received from the Lord, in view of telling it to the believers, before he goes on to write about other things, as if he would say that with God everything is transparent. This should also mark conditions among ourselves.
A.d.M. Is the transparency only for divine Persons?
A.J.G. No, it should also mark our relations with one another. It should also be seen in others. Satan brings in darkness. God is light, and there is no darkness in Him. That is why the Lord says in another scripture to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”, Luke 12: 1. Hypocrisy is when you show something that is not existing. The Lord speaks to us as His friends when He says, I say unto you my friends, beware of this leaven.
A.L.B. Did He not say of Himself: “Altogether that which I also say to you”, John 8: 25?
A.J.G. Yes.
Rem. This question of transparency arises often in our mutual relationships, does it not? I believe that when the apostle Paul concludes 1 Corinthians with, “Salute one another with a holy kiss” (chap 16: 20), he wants us to be transparent with one another.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. When we walk in the light as God is in the light, then we are able to walk in His light in our relations amongst ourselves, having all things right.
W.T. That is why the city has no more need of light, as it says, she has no more need of the sun or the moon.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right, for the glory of God has enlightened it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb. All the light of God shines in Christ upon us. In the millennium and in eternity this will be the case.
Fd.M. Is it of significance that the Lamb is referred to here? It says in the beginning, “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”.
A.J.G. The Lamb is referred to throughout Revelation apart from the first three chapters; there the Lord Jesus is the Son of Man.
Fd.M. I thought especially that the mind of the Lamb is necessary for administration in the assembly.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. The holy city is in no way independent of Christ. She stands in the most intimate connection with Christ, she is the Lamb’s wife. She is seen in her perfect beauty as the bride. The Lamb is referred to in this chapter, yet It is not in the foreground. That is why the Spirit of God is showing forth the work of God that He has wrought is us.
W.T. We can see in chapter 21: 22 another distinct thought, it says: “And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb”.
A.J.G. It shows the immediate closeness of God and of Christ; “I saw no temple in it”. If a temple had been in there, then the presence of God would have been known only in this little temple. But it says the Lord God Almighty is its temple and the Lamb. In earlier days the temple of glory was in Jerusalem. But now the glory is in the assembly, in the fact that God and the Lamb are there in immediate nearness.
A.W. We have the presence of God everywhere in the holy city.
H.P. It says in verse 12: “having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels”. Would that tell us that nothing unsuitable can be brought in?
A.J.G. That is right. It is important to see there are three things that are measured. The city itself is the first to be measured, then the gates are measured, then also the wall is measured. The measure involves everything corresponding to the divine standard. The wall is a very important feature as it speaks of the holiness that has been brought about in the saints. It excludes all evil and admits only what is good. We see that for example in Acts 5: 13. After what had preceded in power of evil with Ananias and Sapphira, it is said, “but of the rest durst no man joined them”. At that moment there was such a holiness in the assembly, that none in whom there was no work of God dared to join them. This shows us the true thought of the wall, it is great and high.
A.W. It is striking that even in the eternal setting the city is still called holy, “the holy city”, Rev 21: 2?
A.J.G. She will have this character eternally, she is the holy city. The wall is measured and it measures one hundred and forty-four cubits, a man’s measure, that is the angel’s.
A.L.B. Why is it called a man’s measure?
A.J.G. That is the measure that comes to light in man. It is for us to reach the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ. It is a man’s measure, it is presented in a man.
P.v.d.B. Does this show our ability to understand this at all?
A.J.G. It also relates to our ability to accept it, not only to understand it, but also to correspond to it.
E.E.P. The measuring is carried out by someone else.
A.J.G. It says: “And he that spoke with me had a golden reed”. That means that God insists that the city should meet His own requirements.
W.R. What can be said about the wall: in verse 18 it says about it that it was made of jasper?
A.J.G. The wall was built of jasper, which means it was transparent. Our separation from everything must be completely transparent.
H.D. We have various conditions amongst the saints here on earth. They are very different, looking at all the saints. I am thinking of Paul and of the malefactor on the cross, and yet the city, the assembly, the new Jerusalem, will be marked by glory.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right, she is most glorious. When confusion is so awful, God brings in an answer in Christ. When He is able to secure an answer in a little place, that will be a great triumph for God. Where the truth of the assembly finds a place in the hearts of the saints, God wants believers to mature to this measure.
F.Sh. This shining was like a most precious stone as a crystal-like jasper stone. I would like to ask if this has an application for us now: should we already be in the good of this?
A.J.G. Yes, it is something great when we have Christ Himself before us. He is the One in whom God has fully come into expression. There are conditions that come to light in the Lamb’s wife. The thought, that we should be more in accord with Christ and more like Him, does also draw us towards one another. We cannot put the world right, though we can keep ourselves right. That is why it speaks of the woman of worth in Proverbs 31, the entrance of her house, and her children; she surveyed the ways of her household.
E.B. Could you say something about the different precious stones?
A.J.G. They beautify the foundation of the wall of the city. I do not believe I can give you details about these precious stones.
E.E.P. Is the great lesson in connection with John in Revelation, that God shows us how we should see things; not in the way we would see them, but rather how God sees them? Then we can see the precious stones in a spiritual way and see what God has in mind to say to us.
A.J.G. Yes, that is surely right. They beautify the foundations of the wall of the city. They present something which cannot be seen. I believe they are linked with the hidden exercises when we build the wall.
E.E.P. Maybe it could be what the apostle Paul kept for fourteen years, special impressions.
A.J.G. It is not quite clear to me that that is the thought in mind here.
E.B. Is there a connection with 1 Corinthians 3: 11; “For other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones …”.
A.J.G. That is mentioned in order to show that what is built can stand the fire. However, here it is plainly a beauty on the foundations of the wall, and the foundations of the wall cannot be seen. These precious stones are mostly found in the depth of the earth, and they are the result of pressure. I believe they present something from our souls that does not come out visibly, through pressure we go through, and difficulties we are in, which yield a result, that holiness in our souls should be built up, just like the wall. Christ is the Holy and True, but first the Holy. And He is to be appreciated in this light, in order that holiness should be built up in our souls. That presents the wall: it is holiness built up in the hearts of the saints.
A.d.M. Would 1 Peter be of help in connection with these stones?
A.J.G. Peter presents in his letter living stones that would fit into the divine building, the house. But that is not the thought here in the precious stones, although there is a work of God in them. That is why they are also precious stones. The stones in a building can be seen, but the foundation of a wall cannot be seen.
H.M. The number twelve is referred to here. Can we assume that the number twelve means perfection?
A.J.G. It is a complete thought.
M.v.R. Can we say that what comes into expression here is the thought of God as to a city?
A.J.G. Yes, I believe that.
F.Sh. As to these precious stones, we do not simply get holiness through great light?
A.J.G. Certainly. Holiness is the result of deep exercises as well as chastening. In Hebrews 12, it says we are chastened in order to be partakers of His holiness. We are also asked to perfect holiness in the fear of God. But the expression of holiness is Christ Himself. Peter says in John 6: 68, 69; “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal; and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God”. So I think that these twelve precious stones signify what comes out in the souls of different saints through pressure and difficulties; it is preciousness in Christ that brings us to holiness.
E.E.P. Would you say that characteristics from such stones are seen in Romans 16 in the many persons mentioned?
A.J.G. What comes out there is different features of the work of God in brothers and sisters. That would be features that can be seen. But here it is what is totally out of sight.
A.L.B. Do you not think we should be preserved from hardness in assembly matters, when we go through these pressures and difficulties and carry these precious stones in us?
A.J.G. Yes, that is most important. It is most important to see how the figure “twelve” runs through the whole chapter. That is love amongst the brethren. Love is in fact the regulating factor that no element of darkness is allowed to be there.
Ques. Could we say that we must be on the mountain like John, to see the spiritual level of the city?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right.
Ques. Do we find here the thought of completion, it says “every precious stone”?
A.J.G. Yes, that is most interesting, “every precious stone”, and then no precious feature will be missed. I believe we can see the glory of the city when we consider it. We remarked previously that, if all things were written that Jesus said and did, not even the world itself, as John says, would contain the books written if they were all written down one by one; because all that Jesus did was precious, John 21: 25. The heavenly city is the expression of this. It is a great vessel that is altogether an outshining of what Jesus is. We can be assured that all that Jesus did will have an answer in the holy city.
A.S. Do we not see in these twelve precious stones, the foundation of this city, the mystery of Christ seen in Ephesians?
A.J.G. Yes, it is the display of it, of what now is brought forward in the mystery. The present time is the time of the mystery, but we should be able by the Spirit to understand it now. But this is the development of what God has done in a mystery.
E.E.P. It was no longer a mystery for John.
A.J.G. Later on, it will be no mystery for the world.
E.B. Is there not a precious thought in verse 25: “And its gates shall not be shut at all by day, for night shall not be there”?
A.J.G. Yes, it shows that there is no feature of darkness any more. God named the light Day and the darkness He named Night. It says here “its gates shall not be shut at all by day, for night shall not be there”.
A.d.M. What do you think about verse 26: “And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations to it”?
A.J.G. This will be an actuality in the day to come. Then God will take care that the city will be honoured in a way that the nations give their honour and glory to it.
A.d.M. You mean in the kingdom?
A.J.G. Yes, but we see now how this should be developed in our localities.
F.Sh. Do you not think, although this is a future thought, that it should be seen in our localities and also have an individual application? The more these precious stones get a place in us, the more influence we have in our locality.
A.J.G. I am sure that is right.
W.R. Could you say something about the city built of pure gold as transparent glass?
A.J.G. The pure gold as transparent glass shows it is all from God. It also shows how everything is transparent. We can see how God indicates transparency at every juncture; because illusions and deceit mark Satan’s world. There is more of this in our hearts than we know. If we really want to see how much of this is in us we must go into the presence of God. It says the city is of pure gold like transparent glass. And at the end of verse 21, it says that even the street was of gold as transparent glass. The street presents the movements of the saints. Apparently, there is only one street in the city, so the saints are moving together in one direction.
J.A.H. Is it right to say that there are no restrictions for us in the city, as there is no temple? The whole city is the temple, and we are in it having no restrictions as we approach God.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right.
Rem. We have noticed that the city has no need for the sun or the moon that they should shine for it. Amongst other things it says here in verse 23: “for the glory of God has enlightened it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb”.
A.J.G. The city is marked by having light from God, and her lamp is the Lamb, as it says further. That means that the glory of God shines in Christ; that is why we do not need any other light. These are, of course, all spiritual thoughts.
Ques. Do we not find a scene where the question of evil is solved, and everything is pure? Should we not always keep this in mind in our administration questions?
A.J.G. Yes, it is the same city we see in eternity. When the Lord takes us to Himself, then the work in the believer is completed and, as you said, every moral question solved. The work of God in us goes on now in view of this. That is why it is important to see why these features are mentioned here. Because these are the features that God will bring to light.
Rem. I believe we will only work out what contributes to the glory of God in the city.
A.J.G. Yes, then we do not only have the city and its wall and its gates and its foundations and its street, but also a river, a current of water of life, bright as crystal going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. That indicates that the supremacy of God and the Lamb is fully acknowledged. What is there does not hinder the water of life flowing out of the river. Of course, this presents the Spirit who constantly flows out and gives us spiritual support.
E.E.P. Do we see here the completion of what we have in John 4; where the Lord Himself spoke to the woman?
A.J.G. Did He not have in mind more there the fountain that springs up to eternal life? But here we have a river that flows out; which is more connected with John 7.
A.L.B. Would the thought you brought in about the street continue in the river that is moving.
A.J.G. Yes, the river presents a lasting freshness that the Spirit brings in.
Ques. Why is verse 27 brought in here: “And nothing common, nor that maketh an abomination and a lie, shall at all enter into it; but those only who are written in the book of life of the Lamb”?
A.J.G. That is in view of amplifying the holiness of the city. We have the application of it in the present time in chapter 22: 14: “Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city”. We show we have a right to enter into the city, when we wash our robes.
A.d.M. Is the river here the same as the river mentioned in Ezekiel that came out of the sanctuary?
A.J.G. Yes, but here it flows out from the throne of God and the Lamb, it means it deals more with the keeping of the rights of God and the rights of Christ. If in any of our meetings things are dead or are not in movement, then we should ask ourselves, if either the rights of God or the rights of Christ are not acknowledged. If so, that means that the river of water of life bright like crystal cannot flow in us. The Spirit is here with us, and there are always enough resources available in the Spirit. The Spirit is here, and He flows out from the throne of God and the Lamb.
P.v.d.B. Is it a river that constantly flows?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. It is most encouraging that the river is referred to, because a river is not anything fixed. And what is lastly said about the city is that a river is in it. It says in Psalm 65: 9, “The river of God is full of water”. That is why we should always aim that our meetings should be marked by freshness.
A.L.B. Would you say that the link between the throne and the river brings two principles together? It seems to suggest that we can only rejoice in liberty and freshness in our movements, to the extent we acknowledge divine authority.
A.J.G. Yes, that is a very important principle.
W.T. Do you consider the leaves that are for the healing of the nations to be what goes out of Christ to heal the nations, that is the cross?
A.J.G. That will come into expression in the future. Maybe we could now speak about the present application of the river.
J.M. Should the fruits of the tree of life emerge, when we have freshness and liberty in the Spirit?
A.J.G. Yes, I believe so. It is remarkable that the month is referred to. Every month yielding its fruit, fruit freshly marked every month as a result of the free-flowing river emerging again. The tree of life is the real pattern here, it is Christ. We read in the prophet; “From me is thy fruit found”, Hos 14: 8. But this thought of constant freshness and fruitfulness is most interesting.
J.M. Does this refer to Joseph’s blessing in Deuteronomy 33?
A.J.G. There also the months are mentioned, by the precious fruits of the sun, and by the precious things put forth by the months, v 14. Thus, there is definite mature fruit available, when the care meetings are maintained every month. The month should be completed, in order that what the month brings could be taken up. We see when the thought of the river is taken up, we are always newly corrected and rectified. This is a token of life.
A.d.M. Does the emerging of the river out of the throne of God and the Lamb show us that the way to God is open?
A.J.G. Yes, that is definitely true, that our way to God is open.
A.d.M. Does the purity and holiness of the river point to the Spirit?
A.J.G. It does have a most sanctifying effect on us, when we allow this river to work in us in view of approaching God. It sets us in liberty to approach God. But here it conveys that the Spirit of God always brings fresh thoughts about the throne of God. I believe this is the reason why in recent years the exercise has been taken up to give a larger place to the Spirit. One proof of the presence of the Spirit in the assembly is that freshness is available. When freshness is there, then fruitfulness will be there.
P.v.d.B. Do you think we should have the care meeting when the month is ended?
A.J.G. Yes, the most suitable day would be the Saturday before the first Lord’s day in the month. Then the previous month is ended.
Ques. Does the tree of life refer to Christ? Would that mean the tree of life in the garden of Eden points to Him?
E.E.P. We have in the garden of Eden one river, that divides into four rivers; here in Revelation also is one river. Is there a connection?
A.J.G. Yes, it is remarkable what similarity there is between Genesis and the end of Revelation. Yet there is a feature here that is very important, for there is a general thought of administration in chapter 22: 3-4: “and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name is on their foreheads”. The term servants here is the same as slaves. That shows that the thought of a bondman goes through. But the service here involves priestly service. Alongside all administration we always have to maintain the priestly thought, those that prove themselves as servants who maintain His holiness, those that are close and can see His face, of course in Christ, His name will be on their foreheads. That is connected with the overcomer in Philadelphia that we considered yesterday.
A.d.M. Is this priestly service linked with our great High Priest?
A.J.G. Yes, in the priesthood there is always holiness. When we are with Christ in glory, it is no longer necessary to emphasise holiness because everything is holy then and nothing unholy is present. Holiness is emphasised now in the present time. It is important for us to provide holy conditions in this scene, when we are priests.
A.d.M. I was thinking of the order of the high priest Melchisidec.
A.J.G. That means it will never perish.
Ques. Does the name on the forehead indicate glory?
A.J.G. Yes, and also understanding, the person is marked by it because he is in accordance with it.
E.E.P. What would you say about the last part: “they shall reign to the ages of ages”, v 5?
A.J.G. That shows it is pleasing to God to honour believers. They are the result of His own work. That is why He can honour them with eternal dominion.
P.v.d.B. JT said that the believers constituting the city belong to the ruling class1.
A.J.G. Quite so.
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