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Scripture Reading: Rev. 4:2-3; 22:1-2, 5; 21:11
God’s work in the universe is to use the fullness expressed in His Son to build up the church as the Body of His Son, which is the fullness of Christ. The result of this work is the mingling of God with man through which God gains an expression. Therefore, the normal condition of a local church is that it mingles with God and expresses God. If we know the church, we will see that the church is the place where God is mingled with man and where man expresses God. A local church is not the church of God if it does not express God. The church of God is the Body of Christ, the fullness of the One who fills all in all (Eph. 1:22-23). The church can express God only when it is filled with God.
The New Jerusalem revealed in the book of Revelation is the ultimate expression of the church, the manifestation of the church at the fullness of the times. The New Jerusalem shows the proper condition of a local church. In Revelation 21 the universe is in a new condition. The New Jerusalem is the aggregate of all the believers throughout the generations, the corporate body of all the believers throughout the generations in the new universe. Everything of God is in this corporate body, and through this new corporate body God’s splendor and glory are expressed. The content of the city is God Himself, the fullness of God; the expression of the city is also God Himself, the glory of God. Therefore, we can clearly see in the light of the Holy Spirit that the content of the New Jerusalem is the fullness of God and that the appearance of the New Jerusalem is the glory of God. Inwardly, the city is filled with God Himself, and outwardly, it expresses God Himself. This is a picture of what a local church should be.
In a normal situation a church will reach the state of being the fullness of the New Jerusalem. A local church should be as new as the New Jerusalem. The entire old creation will pass away and become new in God. Hence, there is the mingling of God with man, the mingling of the Creator with the creatures. The fullness of the Creator becomes the content of the creatures, and the glory of the Creator becomes the expression of the creatures. Whether we look at the church outwardly or touch it inwardly, what we see and touch is God Himself. This should be the condition of a church. Regardless of how we speak concerning the church, we must see that the church is the mingling of God with man.
From Genesis 1 until the end of Revelation, God has been working and revealing Himself continually, and what He desires to gain ultimately is the New Jerusalem. The church is a miniature of the New Jerusalem. In order to know the church, we need to know the meaning of the New Jerusalem. The church is altogether a new thing created in God. The content of the church is the fullness of God, and the expression of the church is the glory of God. In the New Jerusalem we see the mingling of man with God, and we see that God can express Himself from within man. This is marvelous. The Creator and the created — God and man — are inseparable in experience. In the New Jerusalem who can say what part is man and what part is God? This is because God and man are one: God is in man, and man is in God. God becomes man’s content, and man becomes God’s expression.
How can God be mingled with the church and expressed through the church? In order to clearly see the mingling of God with man, we must look at Revelation 22. Revelation 21 does not clearly show the mingling of God with man. In chapter 22 the throne of God is the center of the city, a river of water of life proceeds out of the throne, and on both sides of the river of water of life is the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month (vv. 1-3). Hence, the throne is the factor of God’s mingling with man. The main factor of God’s mingling with man is God’s authority; God’s throne is His authority. Wherever God’s throne is, there is God’s authority. God can be mingled with man in the church because God’s throne with His authority is in the church.
All the problems in the universe are due to opposition to God’s authority. All of God’s children should see that this is the basic problem in the universe. Satan rebelled to overthrow God’s throne and authority. In his evil intention Satan led man to rebel against God and His authority. Mankind fell to the extent of collectively building the tower of Babel to make a name for themselves, openly and shamelessly pushing God aside to establish their own throne (Gen. 11:3-4). This was man’s ultimate rebellion against God and man’s negating of God’s authority to the uttermost. Throughout human history man’s denial of God’s authority, his setting of God’s authority aside, offends God to the uttermost. As a result of their rebellion, mankind entered into a long period of darkness and chaos, lost God’s blessing, produced every form of corruption, and brought in suffering, death, and disaster.
The Lord Jesus came to the earth to accomplish the work of redemption. His life on earth was absolutely submissive to God’s authority. Jesus the Nazarene lived and moved on earth fully under God’s authority. His every word and action were under God’s rule, and He fully recognized God’s authority. He was a man with more than perfect behavior; He was a person completely under God’s rule. In the Gospels we see His absolute submission to God’s authority. Submitting to God’s restriction and rule, He passed through death and resurrection to save a group of people who became the church. On the day of Pentecost He caused these ones to submit to God’s authority, just as He had. This established God’s throne among them. God’s presence was fully in their midst as they acknowledged His throne.
At the tower of Babel mankind completely pushed God aside and negated God’s authority. However, at Pentecost some received God into them and fully recognized God’s authority. At Pentecost God’s throne and authority were established in the church. When God’s authority is in the church, the church is full of light, not darkness; full of life, not death; and full of God’s blessing, not cursing.
A church should be the place where God rules among men so that His throne can be established. In 1 Corinthians 11 the apostle Paul showed that the meaning of the sisters’ head covering in the church is to declare that God is the Head of the universe. God is the Head in the universe, and He has His authority in the universe. Verse 3 says, “Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Head covering is not an outward form; it is a real sign of our declaring that by God’s grace we recognize God’s authority and submit to His authority and to the establishing of His throne among us. This is the reason that the church is blessed. The main reason that the church can be mingled with God and can express God is because the church allows God to sit on the throne and rule within the church. This is an unchangeable principle.
If a local church does not have God’s throne, His authority, we cannot see His fullness, His mingling, or His expression. Even if we see liveliness and excitement in a local church, God’s authority will be absent. The young ones may not submit to the elderly ones, and the elderly ones have not learned to submit to God’s authority. The result is that everyone serves in his excitement and fervency. Although we can touch liveliness and enthusiasm, we cannot touch Christ and God because they do not have God’s throne and God’s authority among them. Their love for one another is in the emotion, not in God’s authority, and their fervent service is of the will, not of God’s authority. However, there are some local churches that have truly been blessed. They have been dealt with by God; hence, they have God’s leading, and they submit to God’s authority. Their love for one another is under God’s restriction, ruling, and authority. Even their enthusiasm and diligence are under God’s authority, being restricted and ruled by God.
We often see brothers and sisters loving with a love that is fervent but wild. Their love is neither restricted nor controlled; instead of being under God’s authority, it is like a wild horse. They fear nothing and care about nothing when they love others in this way. When we try to help them, they may respond, “What is wrong with loving the brothers and sisters?” Hence, we need to show them that their love is wild, that it does not have God’s authority. In the same principle, we cannot conduct ourselves like unrestrained and unruly wild horses in our service, whether we are preaching the gospel, visiting people, or even cleaning the hall. The service we render by our natural man is the flesh. This service is of Ishmael — it is wild like an ass (Gen. 16:12); it is not of Isaac, not of grace. Although such service is eager, it does not have authority; it is unrestrained and unruly. In the matter of material offerings we should also submit ourselves to God’s throne and authority.
Suppose there is an educated, wealthy sister, holding a high position, who employs servants at home. But when she hears the announcement about cleaning the meeting hall, she comes to clean the hall because she loves the Lord very much. Although this is good, we need to see whether she has God’s authority. If she is a person who is restricted by God and knows authority, she can accept any arrangement the responsible brother assigns to her when she comes to clean. If she is not like this, when the responsible brother for the cleaning tells her to wipe the windows a certain way, she will become upset and murmur within: “I came here to wipe the windows because I really love the Lord, and I want to show that I am quite good. Why are you criticizing the way I wipe the windows?” Maybe her inward reluctance is not expressed initially, but when the responsible brother points out her mistakes more sternly, she will be unable to take it and will not come back to serve.
On the one hand, all the elders and responsible brothers should allow the saints to serve the Lord freely; on the other hand, all the serving ones should realize that service is a matter of authority, not of right and wrong. It is an uncomely sight when a person fervently loves the Lord yet is unwilling to submit to God’s authority. The most comely sight in the house of God is to see God’s throne and God’s rule. The sisters cleaning the windows should be under God’s throne, and the elders taking the lead should also be under God’s throne. A local church is not for elders to make decisions but for God to exercise His authority; it is not a matter of the elders’ position but a matter of God’s throne.
In all that we do and in all our service we should ask ourselves, “Is God’s throne really in this? Do I recognize God’s authority? Is this according to my opinion or according to God’s authority? Am I enthroning God or myself?” The church is the fullness of Christ, having Christ as the content to express God. The central key to the church being the fullness of Christ is the presence of God’s throne. Wherever there is God’s throne, there is God’s content and expression. Only God’s throne and authority are eternal. Man’s enthusiasm, excitement, piety, and diligence will pass away; ultimately, everything is vanity.
Certain brothers and sisters are seemingly of one mind, praying together and saying Amen to each other when they come together; they seem quite joyful. However, they are full of leaven or honey, as spoken of in the Old Testament; they do not have God’s authority. Without God’s authority, only human excitement and liveliness can be expressed. When one prays, sooner or later another will shake his head in disagreement, and when one sings in praise to the Lord, sooner or later another will purse his lips in displeasure. Some “cultured” brothers and sisters neither shake their heads nor purse their lips; instead, they simply remain silent to show their inner displeasure. Thus, the initial atmosphere of one accord among them will disappear. Therefore, we need to know whether our being of the same mind and our having the same taste are according to God’s throne. Whatever is not according to God’s throne requires only time to be exposed.
Sometimes two sisters are especially close to each other, which causes another sister to become jealous. A fourth sister may sympathize with the jealous sister and take sides with her. This forms two parties that are against each other. This is an issue of enthusiasm and service without God’s throne and authority. In preaching the gospel and in the meetings of the church, we must not merely have activity and discussion without God’s throne and authority. The main factor that causes God’s fullness to decrease among us is the absence of God’s throne. If we desire to bring in the fullness of God, the unique key is the throne of God.
Revelation 22 shows the throne of God as the center of the New Jerusalem. Out of this throne proceeds the river of water of life with the function of watering, refreshing, and thirst quenching. The river of water of life flowing out of the throne signifies the flow of life. This means that where God’s throne is, there is the flow of life; where God’s authority is, there is the flow of life. When the river of water of life flows, it issues in the watering, refreshing, and thirst quenching of life. “On this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month” (v. 2).
From this we can see that every local church should be a place where people are fed, nourished, watered, and satisfied. However, this is not the situation in many local churches, because of the absence of God’s throne in that locality. When God’s throne is established in a church, life flows. As soon as life flows, there is watering, refreshing, and thirst quenching. When people touch such a church, they touch living water and life, and they are spontaneously satisfied.
The tree of life grows on both sides of the river of water of life, producing twelve fruits each year as its fullness and abundance. The fullness and abundance in a church depend on God’s throne and His authority. Only when God is enthroned and rules in a local church can the fullness of God be brought in; enthusiasm and diligence cannot bring in the fullness of God. God’s authority brings in life, and life brings in the fullness. If God’s throne is absent, the river of water of life will be absent as well. Without the river of water of life, the tree of life is absent, and the abundance of life is also absent. When a local church is full of the fruits of life, producing new fruit every month, the abundance of life will be fully manifested. The abundance of life flows out from the throne.
Furthermore, there is only one river and one street in the entire New Jerusalem; both river and street are singular. This unique street, this unique way, runs through the twelve gates, spiraling upward to reach the throne. This is a symbol of the oneness of the church. If there are twelve elders in a local church who do not have the throne of God in their elders’ meeting, they will have twelve thrones, twelve opinions, and twelve ways. This will be very difficult for the church and will create confusion among the saints. Although there are twelve gates in the New Jerusalem, there is only one street because there is only one throne. The street not only reaches the throne, but it actually comes out from the throne.
Based on this principle, there should be only one throne in a church. All the elders should submit to God’s throne and move as one man, one elder. There should not be any personal ideas, opinions, or views, and no one should care for his own idea. Rather, there should be only one way and one authority, God’s authority. Such elders do not need to exercise tolerance or to swallow their pride and try to accommodate others, because they are under God’s throne and authority, allowing the Holy Spirit to rule among them. These elders can say that all their decisions are made under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, everyone in that locality will have a clear way; no one will ever be lost and feel uncertain as to what he should do. There is no need to lead others on this street, because the street is the leading. As long as we are on this street, we are under God’s throne.
The street and the river of water of life are blended as one. In the middle of the street is the river of water of life, and the tree of life is on both sides of the river (vv. 1-2). Here we have the way to walk, the river of water of life to drink, and the fruit of the tree of life to eat; these three are very rich. This should be the normal condition of a church. People who do not have a way to walk find the way and the leading when they come into the church. People find living water on this street, richly enjoy the fruit of the tree of life, are refreshed and satisfied, and their thirst is quenched. Therefore, all of man’s supply and living depend on God’s throne.
For this reason we should ask ourselves, “Is God’s throne among us and among the responsible brothers? Are we under God’s authority? Is there a street with a river of life and a tree of life among God’s people?” A local church that does not have this condition is not in the principle of the New Jerusalem. There is a throne in the New Jerusalem, and a street proceeds out of this throne; in the middle of the street is a river, and the tree of life grows on both sides of the river, producing twelve fruits. This is a beautiful picture. Therefore, the key to the church life depends entirely on God’s throne, God’s authority. Although there are many brothers and sisters serving among us, there is only one throne. It is not that you submit to my authority, or that I submit to your authority. It is not that I obey you or that you obey me; rather, the throne, the authority of God, is among us. If there is no throne among the brothers and sisters, it is the same as not having a center. Without a center everything loses its support and balance, and everything disintegrates and collapses.
The expression of the holy city depends on the throne, the street, the river, and the growth of the tree of life. The condition of the New Jerusalem depends on the throne. If the throne is lost, the entire New Jerusalem will be obliterated. The manifestation of the New Jerusalem has God’s throne within and God’s glory without. This means that God’s authority and God’s image are being expressed. In Revelation 4 we see God’s throne and God’s image; the One sitting on the throne is like a jasper stone in appearance (v. 3). Only when there is the throne can there be the image, and only then can God exercise His authority and be expressed. All blessings are with the throne.
Since the throne is in the New Jerusalem, there will be no more night, only brightness; there will be no more death, only life. The saints will reign in the city forever and ever. We should all realize that the normal condition of a church depends on God’s authority. It does not depend on our methods or ideas nor on our enthusiasm or diligence; rather, it depends entirely on God’s throne, His authority. May we have God’s throne with God’s authority among us.
