Grasping New Jerusalem

In the Lord's and my continual battle against all that takes away from Christ being preeminent (surpassing and above all others), it's important to have at least a basic understanding of what New Jerusalem stands for, as it's much more foundational and important than being relegated to some type of focus of the end times.

It goes infinitely beyond so-called end times teaching, although it does relate in the sense of a growing of Jesus Christ in His people in history, which is really what New Jerusalem is all about.

Strangely and wrongly, there are a large number of those professing Christ who consider the earth as their mother, and not New Jerusalem. We only have one mother according to the Bible, and that is identified as New Jerusalem. So it's important that we comprehend what New Jerusalem is, in order to know whether or not we've been birthed from her.

I'm just going to focus on several elements revealed in New Jerusalem in the revelation of Jesus Christ.

First, New Jerusalem is identified as the bride of Christ coming down out of heaven. This points to the fact that the bride of Christ is based upon that which is coming out of heaven.

Keep in mind that much of the mystery of the Bible is culminated in the revelation of Christ residing in people; individually and corporately. That is in truth what a Christian is, and there are fewer of them than supposed, as that is determined by much more than someone repeating a so-called sinner's prayer.

So there is a wall with precious stones, a throne, the Lamb, a tree, a river and a street. At least those are the major parts of the bride of the Lamp, although there are other important parts of her to consider.

Note that all of what is identified in Revelation 21 and 22 as the bride of the Lamb, is located within the walls, other than those precious stones which were the people being seen from the outside.

But what made the stones precious was what on the inside of her, not what was viewed from the outside.

The most important thing to understand is New Jerusalem is something heavenly working within the true people of Christ. People born from above, which through time grows increasingly into the image of Jesus Himself, which is what the eternal purpose is all about, and what the reason for the creation of mankind was for.

Within this heavenly bride is a throne, tree, river and path or street. These are what she is supposed to be predominately made up of. This means of course that Jesus Christ is to rule and reign within her, which is represented by the throne. Then you have the tree, which is of course Jesus Christ the tree of life, which produces fruit from Christ. Then the river of the Holy Spirit flowing through the city and out into the world, is the sharing of Christ with one another, and the living of Christ by His people before the world, which is represented by the Spirit flowing from out innermost beings. The street of gold reveals this is the path that we are all to walk, and one which is walked by Jesus Christ within us by the Spirit.

All of this could be talked and written about forever, and it will be, but what's most important to see, is this is what Paul was talking about when he mentions we are a letter read by all men. This is the letter that we are supposed to represent, Jesus Christ being seen in a people. That is the end result of the eternal purpose of God, planned by the Godhead before time began.

But we have those who attempt to bring the earth touch to all of this, and even imply the earth is our mother, and express it through vain attempts to worship her and the environmentalism that follows.

We are to be a heavenly people, and those truly born again from above, will find themselves ever gravitating beyond the pull of this world to the Christ which dwells in heaven.

This of course is far beyond simple geographics, and refers to the higher life expressed in the person of Jesus Christ. His life lives in true believers, and that is what New Jerusalem really means. It's eternal and ever moving forward, not just something that will somehow become real at the end of this age. It's breaking forth in His true people now!