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Scripture Reading: Rev. 21:1-3, 9-26; 22:1-2
I would like to call your attention to a few things from the portions of the Word that are listed above. (1) In Revelation 21:11 we see that the glory in the holy city, New Jerusalem, is the glory of God and that the light of the city is like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone. (2) In Revelation 21 jasper is mentioned three times: the first time is in verse 11, which says that the light of the city is like a jasper stone; the second time is in verse 18, which says that the building work of the wall of the city is jasper; and the third time is in verse 19, which says that among the twelve foundations of the wall, the first foundation is jasper. This shows that jasper is very important. (3) The twelve foundations (v. 14) with twelve precious stones in different colors (vv. 19-20) give the appearance of a rainbow. (4) In verse 15 we see that the city is of three parts: the city proper, its gates, and its wall. Then verse 21 mentions “the street of the city.” Street is in singular number in the original language, showing that there is only one street in the city. (5) Verse 22 says, “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” In the Old Testament there was a temple in the city of Jerusalem; in the New Jerusalem, however, there is no temple, because God and the Lamb are the temple. (6) Verse 23 especially refers to the matter of illumination. (7) In Revelation 22:1 we see that street is still in singular number, showing again that there is only one street. In the middle of the street is a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. This shows that in the city there is a throne of God and of the Lamb. In Greek, throne is also singular. Because God and the Lamb are one, the throne is one. (8) Revelation 22:2 mentions the tree of life. At the very beginning of the Bible the tree of life was mentioned with reference to man’s relationship with God. Here in Revelation 22 the Bible concludes with the tree of life. The Scriptures begin with the tree of life and also end with the tree of life. God is the Alpha and the Omega; He is the Beginning and the End (v. 13). God finishes in the same way that He began.
In this chapter we will look at the building of God in a more detailed way. I believe that we already have been deeply impressed with the fact that God’s intention is to obtain a building in the universe. God does not intend to obtain individual persons but a group of people who are built together with Him. Therefore, in this universe God is not merely edifying individual people but building all the saved ones into Himself to be one entity. In other words, God’s goal is not the edification of individuals but the building up of the church. God has no intention to edify us in order to make us proper individuals; rather, God’s intention is to build all of us into a house. God’s desire is not to produce individual vessels by edification; rather, His desire is to produce a corporate vessel by building.
We must let the Lord shine this vision into us. If we read the Scriptures from the beginning to the end, we will see that this vision runs through the entire Bible. If we read only a certain portion, a certain verse, or a certain sentence, it seems that we may be able to find some basis to say that God’s intention is to edify individuals. However, if we read the entire Bible from the beginning to the end, we will see that the ultimate consummation of God’s work in the universe is not many scattered persons but a city, the New Jerusalem. When the word city is mentioned, we know that it denotes a building. A building is not something with many individual stones piled together, scattered around, or displayed neatly in rows; rather, it is an entity with many stones built together through a process of construction.
If we look at this city, the New Jerusalem, we can see that inscribed on its gates are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, while on the foundations of its wall are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (21:14). This implies that all the redeemed saints of the Old Testament age, represented by the twelve tribes, and all the redeemed saints of the New Testament age, represented by the twelve apostles, are in this city. You see then that all these redeemed ones are not scattered but have been completely built together. Peter as a stone, John as a stone, and James as a stone are all built together there. They are not scattered individual stones. This shows that what God wants to gain throughout the ages is not a crowd of separated, scattered individuals. What God wants to gain is a corporate entity, a city built up with all the redeemed ones. This is an exceedingly great and important principle.
I would like to make note of one thing. In the Old Testament we cannot see the tabernacle of God in any one individual, neither can we see the temple of God in any one home. Only in the midst of all the children of Israel can we see the tabernacle and the temple. This also shows that God does not take individuals as His goal; rather, God takes a corporate Body as His goal. God’s intention is not to gain many separate temples but to obtain one builded temple. Just as in the Old Testament the temple was neither in any single person nor in any single house, so in the New Testament the church is also neither in any individual person nor in any individual house. An individual saint can never become the church. The church is a corporate entity built with all the saints in each locality.
Time does not allow us to say too much here. However, I beg you to be impressed that God does not want scattered individuals; God wants a building that is built up with all the saints. God does not want individual stones carved separately into objects for appreciation; rather, God wants many stones built together into a city for a habitation. Therefore, there is no room for either individual spirituality or personal beauty. We must be coordinated and built together with others.
Even the twelve apostles were not individualistic. As the foundations of the New Jerusalem, they are not individualistic but are joined to one another. Not only so, in their work they always joined all the saints to themselves for the building of the church. I am concerned that today some co-workers are doing an individualistic work. You may be quite successful in your work yet not be joined to anyone else. If this is the case, then it is as if you are the foundation all by yourself. Others not only cannot be connected to you; they cannot even continue your work after you. After you have worked in a certain place for a period of time, others will have no way to work there anymore. You have laid an individualistic foundation, and you are doing an individualistic work. Your work may look beautiful, and it may also appear spiritual, but you have to admit that there is a serious problem with it. Brothers and sisters, I repeat that regardless of how much we work on the stones to make each one look pretty, God does not want individual stones; God only wants a city. God’s only desire is to have a builded city, a city which has been constructed. This picture should be very clear to us. If we still have not seen it, then we really need the mercy of God.
We should not think that as long as we are spiritual and as long as we pursue God individually, we will be all right. This is not right. We need to see that we must be built together with the brothers and sisters; we must be builded stones. Regardless of where we are, we must not be single stones; rather, we must be built together with at least two or three brothers and sisters. In the church we must be harmonious, united, and joined with others.
I have seen some brothers and sisters who are humble and gentle. They are truly lovable, just like beautifully carved precious stones. Nonetheless, someone who is like this may not be built together with others. Individually, he may not hurt, harm, offend, or stumble others. On the contrary, he may conduct himself properly in all things. He may be really good. But if we observe his relationship with others, we will notice that he is not connected to anyone. When someone mentions another brother to him, although he does not say anything outwardly, he shakes his head inwardly. When someone mentions a certain sister, he gives no opinion outwardly, but inwardly it is another story. He is altogether a self-centered person who is not attached to anyone. He is truly like a marble that nothing can stick to. This kind of condition is very abnormal. Such a brother or sister is useless in the church.
Such a believer may be likened to a childless old woman. People who are very old and have no children are often very neat. Please forgive me for saying that in particular, old, single females are often so neat that they become peculiar. They can be neat to the extent that they are not attached to anyone; no one dares to be attached to them. The self-centered brothers and sisters are also the same. They care only about being clean and without a speck of dust before God; they do not care whether others live or die. Therefore, spiritually, they are old people who do not have spiritual descendants. There is no blessing of God upon them.
However, there is often another group of people in the church. These ones seemingly are not very spiritual. They are common in every way, without anything special. Yet you can see that there is building among them and that they can be attached to anyone, including the weak and the backsliding ones. They are full of the blessings of God, and many are helped and supplied by them. Therefore, what matters is building. If there is building, there is usefulness; if there is building, there is blessing.
We must see that what God ultimately will obtain is a city, not many scattered stones. This city, this building, is on the one hand, the dwelling place, the house of God, and on the other hand, the bride of the Lamb and the counterpart of Christ. Being a counterpart is more advanced than being a dwelling place. We know that everyone needs a home, but in order to have a proper home, there is the need of a spouse. If there is no spouse, there cannot be a proper home. Therefore, the Chinese refer to marriage as the establishing of a home. If a man is not married, he does not have a home. After a man is married and has a spouse, then he has a home. The Scriptures show that God and man are counterparts to each other. God is the Husband, and man is the wife. Without man, God is single; without God, man is alone. Both are without a home. Only when the two, God and man, are united will there be a universal home in which man has a place to dwell, and God has a place of rest.
As both a dwelling place and a counterpart, the church is corporate. God’s counterpart is not an individual believer but the church corporately. I hope that God will enable us to see this. No matter how spiritual we are, as long as we are individualistic, we damage the dwelling place of God, the house of God, as well as the counterpart of God. Therefore, Christians should by no means be individualistic. They must be built together with the brothers and sisters in the church.
Now we will go on to see how we can know that a church has been built up. In other words, what is the condition of a built-up church? I would like to point out several things from the last two chapters of Revelation.
First, a built-up church has God’s presence. Revelation 21:22 says that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem, for God and the Lamb are its temple. We know that during the Old Testament times the temple was the center of Jerusalem. Therefore, that God and the Lamb are the temple means that God and the Lamb themselves become the center of the city. In other words, God is with the city, and the city has the presence of God.
This shows that where there is building, there is the presence of God. God’s presence follows His building. Does not our experience also tell us that whenever we are built together with all the saints, we have God’s presence, and whenever we are individualistic, we immediately lose the sense of God’s presence? In the previous chapter I used an illustration of three persons who were discussing when to have a gospel meeting. One of them suggested having it in the evening, another one suggested having it in the afternoon, and the third one suggested having it in the morning. Eventually, they came to a deadlock. I believe many of us would ask, since there are three different opinions, which one should be accepted? At which of the suggested times should the gospel be preached? My reply is that the gospel should be preached at the time when there is God’s presence. This means that when three people are discussing such a matter, the first one should ask, “While I am insisting on having the meeting at 7:30 p.m., do I have God’s presence?” The second one should also ask, “While I am fighting to have the meeting at 4:30 P.M. in the afternoon, do I have the presence of God?” And the third one should also ask, “While I am suggesting 6:30 a.m., do I have God’s presence?” Therefore, the time of the meeting should be decided altogether according to God’s presence. If there is the presence of God, then any time is proper, regardless of whether it is in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening. But if there is not the presence of God, then no time is suitable.
If we know this principle and live in it, we will never contend with the brothers and sisters while we are serving God in the church. We know that whenever we argue with them, the presence of God is lost. God’s presence is like a dove that cannot stand any disturbance. Once we argue, it will fly away. Recently while I was abroad, in many places, whether it was in the park or even on the street, I saw many doves flying around. These doves were not afraid of people. While we were sitting in the park, a group of doves came in front of us. If we talked loudly, they would all fly away, but if we just sat there and talked gently, one by one the doves would come near us again. Brothers and sisters, it is the same with the presence of God when we are serving the Lord together. Perhaps your reasoning is right, and your suggestion is the best, but because we argue, the Holy Spirit as a dove flies away.
Therefore, we must hold on to this principle: God’s presence is the criterion for every matter. Regardless of what we do, we must pay attention to whether or not we have God’s presence. Do we have God’s presence while we are expressing our opinions? Do we have God’s presence while we are saying certain things or taking a certain attitude? Is God’s presence in our suggestion or proposal? If we touch the presence of God in all things, we will see that God will be there as the temple, and the building of God will be with us. When we argue with each other, we all may be for the Lord, and our insisting may be quite justifiable. However, due to our arguing we do not have God as the temple — the presence of God. Instead, we have torn down the city.
One thing that grieves me very much is that in all the places that I visit it is rare not to hear the brothers and sisters judging and criticizing one another. In nearly every place I visit, I meet some brothers and sisters who speak to me with words of criticism and judgment. If they are not unhappy with the responsible ones, then they are blaming the workers, or they are dissatisfied with the church. One thing is certain: the brothers and sisters who criticize are the first ones to lose the presence of God, regardless of whether they are right or wrong in their criticism or judgment. They do not have God’s presence, and they do not have God as the temple. Among these ones there is no building.
We must see that in the church reasoning does not matter. What matters is the presence of God. The church is not a law court where it is advantageous to present your reasons adequately. This is not the case. In the church the more you reason, the more God stays away from you. Even if your reasoning is one hundred percent correct and all the good reasons are on your side, the more you argue, the further away from God you will be.
Let me tell you more about doves. Doves do not care whether or not your arguments are convincing. They care only whether or not you have a loud voice and whether or not you have a fierce look. You cannot deceive them. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Scriptures say that the doves’ eyes are the fairest. Through careful observation I have found that a dove’s eyes are its keenest part. Humans cannot cheat them. That day while I was in the park, I tried various ways to lure one of the doves to come to me. However, when my hand moved, even just a little, the dove quickly ran away. When I rested my hand, it came back again. Brothers and sisters, the presence of the Holy Spirit within us is also like this. The Spirit does not care about how right you are. He cares only about your attitude, your intention, and your condition. In the law court the louder a person argues, the greater his advantage is. In the church, however, the louder a person argues, the greater his loss is. The more we reason, the more we lose God’s presence. Please remember that the temple in the New Jerusalem is God Himself. God’s presence is the center of the city. Therefore, in the church we must have the presence of God; we must have God as the temple. Then we will be built up to have the condition of the New Jerusalem.
Second, if the church is built up, it will have the throne of God, the ruling of God. In the New Jerusalem there is the throne of God. This throne is not only a matter of God’s presence but also a matter of God’s ruling. In this building there is the presence of God, and there is also the dominion of God. Because the throne of God is established, God can exercise His authority. If we want to know whether a certain church is being built up, we need to see whether there is God’s throne and God’s dominion among them.
Sometimes when you go to a certain place and meet some brothers and sisters there, you can sense that among them there is not the throne of God but the throne of man. When you attend their service meeting, you notice they speak as if they are sitting on a throne. Whoever speaks is on the throne. Before one finishes speaking, another one speaks over him. He seems to be saying, “Come down from the throne now and let me get up onto it.” Although he does not say this plainly, this is the impression he gives by his attitude and demeanor. After this one finishes, another sister would say, “Brother So-and-so, what you have said is not correct.” While she speaks, her voice may sound very gentle, but the impression is the same: “Come down from the throne.” This is not my imagination. Many times while I was sitting together with God’s children, I saw this kind of situation. This means that the throne of God, the dominion of God, is not there. Rather, everyone is sitting on his own throne. Please remember that once there is such a situation, the presence of the Holy Spirit is definitely not there. This proves that in such a place God’s children have not yet been built up.
Although there are numerous Christian groups today, where is the throne of God? In many places you cannot see any building. On the contrary, you see human skills and organization everywhere. People use all kinds of ways to facilitate communication among church members and to win believers over. We have to admit that this kind of communication and winning over is not building; instead, it is man’s organizing work. Therefore, there is no presence of God, and even more there is no throne of God. I hope that we all will remember that wherever we are, if we also depend on these ways of facilitating communication and winning people over, then the building of God no longer will be among us. The church cannot depend on these ways; the church has to be built up in God.
In the New Jerusalem, God Himself is the temple, and the throne of God is there. Therefore, if we want to know whether a certain church has been built up, we have to see whether the presence of God, the throne of God, and the dominion of God are among them. This is the condition of a built-up church. Let me tell you a real story. A brother once gave me his testimony. He said, “Brother Lee, I was saved two or three years ago, and I was meeting with the brothers in the church. However, when the brothers came together, they were very cold. This was especially the case with the responsible brothers. They did not greet people before the meeting, neither did they go to the door to shake hands with people after the meeting. Therefore, I was unhappy inwardly. At that time a certain pastor came to visit me. He was very warm toward me and showed great concern for me. This really touched me. Hence, I decided to go to his place for Sunday worship. When I went, as soon as I reached the entrance to the chapel, the pastor came forward to greet me and to shake hands with me. After the service the pastor went quickly to the door and shook hands with every attendant. I really felt that this was very good. Therefore, I decided to go there regularly. But one thing was very strange. After I went to this place for a period of time, although I did not know why, I felt that I had lost God’s presence within me. Although I felt very comfortable outwardly, inwardly I felt as if I had lost something. Therefore, subsequently, I went back to be among the brothers. Strangely, when I went back, the presence of God, which I had lost, was recovered immediately. Another amazing thing is that when I am in any other Christian gathering, it seems that I can speak things loosely, but when I am with the brothers, although they do not prohibit me from doing so, there is something within me that restrains me and does not allow me to utter anything loosely.”
This shows the experience of God’s presence and of God’s ruling. Therefore, to determine whether or not a church has been built up, we should not look at whether they have communication and warmth among them; instead, we should see whether or not they have God’s presence and God’s throne among them.
Third, a builded church has the flow and supply of life. The Scriptures show us that there is a river of water of life proceeding out of the throne, and on both sides of the river there is the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, and yielding its fruits each month (Rev. 22:1-2). This indicates that in God’s presence and God’s reigning there is the flow of life. Here there is the water of life which quenches people’s thirst and causes people to be watered. Here there are also the fruits of the tree of life which enable the hungry people to be satisfied. Everyone who comes here can obtain the supply he needs.
A church which has truly been built up surely has this kind of condition. In a built up church you will touch the flow as well as the moving of God’s life. Whoever goes there will receive the supply. I believe that we all have this kind of experience. In some places the brothers and sisters who rise up to serve the Lord do not know many doctrines, but they are one and harmonious in the Lord. When you go to their meeting, you can sense the presence of the Lord, the authority of the Lord, and the moving of the water of life. When a brother rises up to speak a few words, you sense the watering of the living water which quenches your thirst. When another brother gives a testimony, or a sister offers a short prayer, you also sense that the testimony and prayer are spiritual food which bring you satisfaction. In this place you see a church which has been built up.
After a period of time, however, two able preachers are raised up among them. Both of them are eloquent, and both seem to have much light and to be quite gifted. However, due to the raising up of these two brothers, the church is filled with death because these two brothers are in discord and against each other. If one of them gives a message on the Lord’s Day morning, the following Lord’s Day when it is the other brother’s turn to speak, he gives a message to refute the other one’s message. Then the following Lord’s Day morning the first brother speaks again and gives a message against the other brother. Their voices are loud and clear, their words are flowing, their utterances are excellent, and their stories, illustrations, and quotations from the Scriptures are very suitable and proper. Their messages are truly appealing, but the pitiful thing is that there is neither living water nor living food. All those who have consciousness in their spirit will tell you that neither the presence of God nor the blessing of God is there. This is because there is no building there.
If a church has experienced the building and there is harmony among the saints, then surely that place will have the flow of the water of life as well as the supply of the food of life. When people go into the midst of these believers, they may not hear a good message, but surely they will touch the living water and food, and they will also sense God’s presence and God’s ruling. They will be watered, they will be satisfied, and they will have rest.
Fourth, a builded church has light. In the New Jerusalem there is light (Rev. 21:23). This light is not natural light, neither is it the light of the sun or of the moon; this light is God Himself. God is the light while Christ is the lamp. God shines forth His glory in Christ, and this glory is the light of the city. That the city has no need of the sun or of the moon means that in this building there is no need of natural light. The God who is manifested in their midst in Christ is the light. Or we may say that God in Christ expressed through them is the light. Therefore, when you go into the midst of a group of people like this, you feel that it is bright there. This is just like the situation in a meeting hall filled with light. The electricity that shines forth is expressed through fluorescent lamps to become light. Hence, when you walk into a room like this, everything is clear: you can see chairs, people sitting down, the entrance, and the hallway. You can see everything clearly.
Very often when you are in the midst of a builded church, you also will sense that there is light and that it is bright there. You may have some private problems that you do not know how to deal with although you have prayed, read the Scriptures, and sought the will of God. But when you go to a meeting of a built up church and sit among them, you will feel enlightened. Sometimes just by listening to a prayer you are filled with light within. Sometimes by their singing a hymn, or by someone standing up to read a verse from the Scriptures, or even just by the atmosphere of their meeting, you become clear and enlightened. This is because there is light there, and the glory of God is expressed. This kind of situation tells us that that church has been built up.
The manifestation of God is altogether due to the presence of God, and God’s presence is altogether due to the oneness and harmony among the saints. This oneness and harmony are the building. If among the brothers and sisters there is friction, opinion, disharmony, and discord, then when you go into their midst, you will sense darkness instead of light. Their messages might be very good, and their prayers might be very loud, but you cannot sense any light there. This is because there is no building of God among them.
If a church has been built up, that church surely will have these four conditions: first, it will have God as the temple — God’s presence; second, it will have God’s throne — God’s ruling; third, it will have the flow and supply of God’s life; and fourth, it will have God’s light. If we have these conditions, this proves that we have been built up because only in the building can we have all these blessings of God.
