Regarding the heavenly Jerusalem, it is not righteousness maintained in power, but grace that will be its characteristic. There is nothing more instructive than taking that which is to be the character of the heavenly Jerusalem and comparing it with that of the church now. We ought to be now anticipating what we shall become actually in the day when the Lord gives us glory. Nothing that defiles was to enter into that heavenly city: The leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. This should be the character of the church now — purity, love and grace towards the world. Our place is that of drawing down now the character of grace that will be displayed in the glory. We do not see in the heavenly Jerusalem the security of righteousness exhibiting itself in power against others, but in grace. Paradise in the Garden of Eden knew nothing of grace; innocent man might live in it, but there was no tree of life there for those who had failed. In the New Jerusalem, we read that “the street of the city was pure gold.” Gold is that of which the mercy-seat and girdle were made. Righteousness is the very walking place of the saints there. Instead of its defiling us, as the world does now, and making our feet need the washing of our High Priest, the very place on which they walk will be the righteousness of God. “Transparent glass” denotes true holiness. The character of the divine purity is aimed at in the laver, ministering death and resurrection. Then, the place of our conversation — that on which we stand and walk — will be righteousness and true holiness. In us the world will see that glory which we shall see immediately. “Every several gate was of one pearl.” They will discern in us then the beauty and comeliness which Jesus will have put on us.
The Character of the Goodly Pearl
We read of the church under the character of a goodly pearl, which when the merchantman found, sold all that he had for it. Its comely beauty is thus exhibited, and its desirableness to the merchantman, which made him willing to sell all that he had for it. Christ, for that loveliness with which God clothed the church, did the same. The doorway of the city has the character of grace in the flowing forth in the river of the water of life. Here are no plagues and curses. It is most profitable to bring the light of the glory of the coming dispensation to the circumstances in which they are, so that the character of that light may be expressed in these circumstances. The case of the Jews who walked in the light of the coming dispensation — those who had faith and hope in that which was not present and who thus obtained a good report through faith (Heb. 11) — brought the energy of the divine thoughts into their circumstances, though walking obediently to the dispensation they were in.
The Earthly, Millennial Kingdom
I would refer to a passage in Psalm 145, speaking of the blessing of that day, where we have brought before us the blessing of the saints on earth when Messiah takes His place in the kingdom. It is a conversation between Messiah and the Jewish saints in that day, stating what their happiness will be. The deliverance of Israel and God’s dealings with them will make them competent to declare His acts to the people which shall be born. Messiah and His saints speak of these things together, and they tell the nations what their God is (Psa. 145:11-12); then we have the character of the kingdom. Israel’s business will be that of learning the character of God, to make it known to the Gentiles, and this should be the business of the saints now. The world cannot know God, but we are called to be the “epistle of Christ, known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:2). The church has to be Christ’s letter of recommendation to the world. The church, being made a partaker of grace, can rise above all law demands. Innocence could not do this. There was no healing tree in the garden of Eden, but the church being made a partaker of grace now, the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
The Love Between Christ and the Church
The greatest part of the church’s blessing consists in being united with the Lord Himself. It is not merely that it is glorified and loved, but that the Father loves us as He loves Jesus. The best proof of this love is that He has given Jesus for us. That love which is brought out through the glory associates the church with the Son: He comes in the glory, and the glory which it will have is consequent on love. The source of the glory which will be displayed is more blessed even than the manifestation of it. It is blessed to be manifested in favor, and why? Because the favor of the person is precious to me. In John 17:23 the Lord prays that the world may know that “Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me.” While the Lord has obtained all for us, yet, when He comes to give His bride her glory, He does not say that it is a proof that He has loved her. Rather, in the blessed self-hiding of love, He says that it is the Father’s love: “Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me.” This is exceedingly blessed and beautiful. The Lord gives witness before the world, not that He loves her, for this was shown in His meeting her need, in the necessity of her sinfulness. There is nothing more precious than the love between the church and Himself, but to the world He exhibits the church as loved by the Father, which gives it honor, not in connection with sin and shame. We see the same principle brought out in the history of the prodigal son. However touching that love may be between the ruined sinner and the Father, which causes Him to fall on his neck and kiss him, yet before the servants He takes him home in honor, with the best robe on and the ring on his hand.
We have to understand the depth of the love of Christ in meeting the sinner. This brings out the costliness of His love, but there is something besides this. When He loved the church before the world, it is as the Father’s giving her glory and taking delight in her. The love of our Lord Jesus is perfectly blessed, touching, and considerate towards us; there the heart’s affections learn to delight in Him. I would now merely refer to one passage, Ephesians 5:27: “That He might present unto Himself a glorious church.” As God took Eve and presented her to Adam, so the last Adam will present the church unto Himself. There will be all the divine delight in doing it. The church is called the Lamb’s wife, because He suffered for her. It is impossible without suffering to bring out the fullness and savor of love.
The Divine Source
The heavenly Jerusalem is shown (in Rev. 21) to be really of divine source, “descending out of heaven ... having the glory of God.” When we think about sin, without reference to the glory of God, we come short of a right estimate of it. The moment we have tasted of the “glory of God,” compared with this everything is sin. The blessing of the church must not come short of this glory. The Father has loved the church and given it to the Son. The bride is taken out of Christ and has the “glory of God.” Man, having got the knowledge of good and evil, must either be miserable in using knowledge against God, or by faith rise above the evil as God is above it. Hence it is this which is the place of the church in union with Christ, and grace is wrought into glory. We see that “the glory of God did lighten it” and that the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it, not the Father. While God unfolds Himself in His various characters, in His wisdom, in different dispensations, the very place of the worship of the church is that which is the whole display of God’s wisdom and power. “The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” In Ephesians 3:21 we read, “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.” This seems to raise the church as the crown of all dispensations, set up as over, and the link of God with, all dispensations. The glory will then be His: “To Him be glory in the church,” according to the power which works in us.
J. N. Darby (adapted)