THE CITY
Both Ezekiel and Revelation end with a city, Jerusalem. Only one city in the whole Bible has twelve gates with twelve names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and that is the city of Jerusalem. We must apply the things mentioned in Ezekiel to ourselves because eventually we will be that city. We should not regard all the words of Ezekiel as merely a prophecy. It does contain prophecies, but primarily we must apply the record to ourselves. Do not apply the points in Ezekiel merely to the future, but also to the present.
A MINGLING OF GOD AND MAN
With this city there is the number twelve which is composed, not of six times two, but of three times four. It is three times four because there are three gates on four sides making a total of twelve gates. Please remember that four is the number of the creature and three is the number of the Triune God. Twelve signifies the mingling of the Triune God with the creatures.
This city eventually is not only a mingling, but also a perfect government with a complete administration. Twelve in the Bible also indicates a perfect government and administration in completion. It is not just a mingling of divinity with humanity, but also a perfect government which comes out of this mingling. Thus, it is a city. As a city it is a government which exercises full authority for God’s complete administration. God’s government and God’s administration come from the mingling of God with His creatures. This mingling is for eternity.
The church must be like this. The church must be just the mingling of God with man. Out of such a mingling there will be the church government for God’s administration on the earth and for the whole universe. All this is very meaningful.
CAUSING ALL WHO ENTER TO BE ONE
The city has four sides with three gates on each side. This indicates that no matter from which side we enter the city, we will be in the same city. No matter which gate we enter, we all will be one. In that city we can never be divided. We are one because we are in one city. The New Jerusalem has only one street. Regardless of which direction you come from, and regardless of which gate you enter through, you will be on the same street. On that same street there is the one flow, the one river, with the one drink and the one tree of life. All are the same, all are one. There is one city, one street, one river, one flow, one drink, one tree of life. We all have to be impressed—one! one! one! we all are one!
(The Visions of Ezekiel, Chapter 24, by Witness Lee)
