The title the holy city, New Jerusalem implies that it is not only holy but also new (Rev. 21:2). It is holy because it is separated and sanctified unto God as something belonging to God according to His holy nature. It is new because it, as the main part of God’s new creation, has God’s nature of newness (2 Cor. 5:17).
The holy city New Jerusalem is the ultimate consummation of the work for God’s new creation out of God’s old creation through all the four ages of man’s history (the age before the law, the age of law, the age of grace, and the age of the kingdom), from God’s making the spirit for man and putting man in front of the tree of life to the accomplishment of this city for the good pleasure of His will, which is the intent of His eternal economy. God’s new creation is made out of the old creation through four ages. This work began from God’s creating man with a spirit and putting him before the tree of life and ends with the New Jerusalem.
The one city is the unique constitution of the processed and consummated Triune God with His redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified people chosen by Him in eternity past.
In its humanity it is the tabernacle of God (the dwelling place of God among men who is the unique King reigning over the entire new heaven and new earth), and in its divinity it is the temple of God (the dwelling place of God’s redeemed people serving Him as a royal priestly family who are the kings reigning over the nations around the New Jerusalem in eternity). In its humanity, the New Jerusalem is God’s tabernacle with man as God’s dwelling place. In its divinity, the New Jerusalem is the temple with God as man’s dwelling place.
Now we want to see the materials of the structure of the one city. Its base is gold, signifying the nature of God (Rev. 21:18b), its gates are pearls, signifying the issue of Christ’s redeeming death and life-dispensing resurrection (21:21a), and its wall with its foundations is precious stones, signifying the product of the transforming Spirit (21:18a, 19-20). So the three main materials of the city are God the Father as the base, God the Son as the gates, and God the Spirit as the wall with its foundations.
The city’s street upon its golden base joining to its throne is gold, signifying God’s nature, and is uniquely one, spiraling from the top of its base to reach all its twelve gates (21:21b).
Its glory is the most excellent glory of God shining in Christ throughout the entire city (21:11).
Its light is God shining in Christ the Lamb as the lamp (21:23).
Its throne is the throne of the Lamb-God upon its golden base joining with its golden street as its center for its government (22:1b). We have to pay attention to the fact that the throne is joined with the base and joined with the golden street spiraling to reach all the twelve gates.
(The Ten Great Critical 'Ones' for the Building Up of the Body of Christ, Chapter 6, by Witness Lee)