We cannot live in darkness. We can live only in the light. The New Jerusalem will have a particular kind of light—the redeeming and shining God (Rev. 21:23). The redeeming God shines as the shining God. The illuminating glory of God is the light within Christ, and the redeeming Christ is the lamp containing the light. God is always contained in Christ. Christ is the unique container of God. God’s glory is the light of the city, and God is contained by Christ as the content, shining out through Christ.
Also, the entire city of the New Jerusalem is the diffuser, diffusing the divine light over the nations outside the city (v. 24a). We are the diffusers to spread the light. God has spent at least six thousand years to build up a city, and this city needs the light. Without the light, the city is in darkness. The illuminating light is God Himself in His glory contained in Christ as the lamp. This lamp is in a diffuser. Today this diffuser to spread the divine light is the Body of Christ. Eventually, the entire New Jerusalem will be the diffuser of the divine light. All the nations around the city will be under this diffusing with God as the light of glory and Christ as the containing lamp.
The light of the holy city is the unique eternal divine light in which the redeemed elect live and move within the city, needing not the natural light, the sun and the moon, created by God, nor the artificial light made by man (Rev. 21:23, 25; 22:5a). In the whole universe there are only three kinds of light. First, there is the natural light, the sun and the moon, created by God. Then there is the artificial light made by man. Third, there is the real light, the genuine light, which is God Himself. Revelation tells us that in the New Jerusalem we do not need the natural light of the moon and the sun or the artificial light. This is because we have the first-class light, which is the source of all the light. This light is God, shining within Christ, diffused over all the nations.
The three furnishings of the New Jerusalem are the throne as the center, the temple as the palace to hold the many kings who will be the reign in the new heaven and new earth, and the lamp with God as the shining light in which all can live and move. Now let us consider how to apply these furnishings. First, we have to apply the throne of God with its administration to our daily life. Every day you have to realize that you are a person who is under the divine throne and who is also in the divine administration. Just remember this one thing. This is to apply the throne and the administration. If you can remember that you are a person under the divine throne and in the divine administration, this will change your daily life. With this realization you cannot be loose and uncontrolled. Dear saints, every morning you have to apply this. You should remember: “I am a God-man under the throne of God and in the administration of God. I cannot be free. I am fully ruled, governed, by the Lord.”
Also, you have to remember that you are a member of the royal family. You are one of many kings of the kingly family. Even when you are at a restaurant, you should remember that you are a king eating there. You are not just an American. You are a heavenly-born king. You should never sell your royal status. If you consider that you are a king, you would not act lightly, talk loosely, or behave meanly. You can even preach the gospel with this in view. You may tell someone that you are not merely an American but a king. Then you can start your preaching of the gospel by saying, “The Bible tells me that as a child of God I am a king.” There are many ways to preach the gospel. We need this kind of vital preaching of the gospel.
We also have God in Christ as our light. Our natural knowledge, our natural ability in understanding and realizing things, is like the light of the sun and the moon. Furthermore, we have received many “lamps” from the teachers in high schools and universities. These are the artificial “lamps.” In the church life, we do not need our understanding by our natural ability or our school-taught knowledge. Instead, we have our God shining within us through His word.
Psalm 119:130 says that the entrance of God’s word gives light. Day after day we have to enter into the holy word; then we will see light. We will not be in darkness but in the light which is God Himself through His word. Therefore, we should not realize or do anything according to our natural ability or according to all of the education we have received. The more degrees we have, the more artificial light we have. Here in the church life, we do not need this. We have God as our unique light to apply to our life.
Today’s Christians are divided by many kinds of natural and artificial light. We must be controlled by the unique, genuine, top, first-class light. This light is our redeeming and shining God. We must apply this light to our daily walk. Many of the saints exercise their natural ability too much, even in the church life. This is why there are murmurings and reasonings in the church life. We do not need the natural and the artificial light. For the building up of the Body of Christ, we walk and live under the divine, redeeming, and shining light through the word of God.
(The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)