Ⅵ
In Ephesians 3:21 Paul declares, “To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen”:
A
We are being strengthened into our inner man according to the riches of God’s glory; this implies that the glory of God can be wrought into the saints—v. 16; 2 Cor. 3:18.
B
In Ephesians 3:21 to Him be the glory implies that the glory of God, which has been wrought into the saints, returns to God.
C
This glory comes to us with God and, after being worked into us, will return to God with us; this is the way in which God is glorified in the church—vv. 16-21.
D
By means of this two-way traffic the church, as the first-fruits in the universe (James 1:18), takes the lead to give glory to God:
１
God’s glory is wrought into the church, and He is expressed in the church—Eph. 1:22-23; 2:21-22; 3:16-17, 19b.
２
To God is the glory in the church; that is, God is glorified in the church—v. 21.
３
God will be glorified not only in this age, the age of the church, but also in the coming age, the age of the kingdom, and in the age of the ages, which is eternity—Matt. 6:13, 29; Rom. 16:27; Rev. 5:13; 21:10-11.
４
For God to be glorified in all the ages, from the present age through eternity, He must be glorified in the church and in Christ—Eph. 3:21.
Ⅶ
An outstanding feature of the New Jerusalem is that it has the glory of God, His expression—Rev. 21:11, 23:
A
The New Jerusalem, as the corporate expression of God in eternity, bears the appearance of God, expressing God’s image in His glory—vv. 10-11; 4:3.
B
The entire city of New Jerusalem bears the glory of God, which is God Himself shining out through the city—21:11a:
１
The glory of God is the content of the New Jerusalem, for the city is completely filled with His glory; this indicates that the New Jerusalem is a vessel to contain God and express Him.
２
The glory of God is actually God Himself being manifested; thus, for the holy city to be full of God’s glory means that God is manifested in this city.
C
The glory of God, God expressed, illumines the New Jerusalem, shining through the jasper wall—vv. 23, 18a:
１
The light of the New Jerusalem is like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal—v. 11b.
２
The glory of God shines in Christ the Lamb as the lamp through the wall of the holy city—vv. 23, 18a.
D
God is the New Jerusalem, and to glorify God is to take Him as the New Jerusalem and give all the glory to Him—v. 22; Rom. 15:5-7:
１
To glorify God is to participate in the New Jerusalem—Rev. 3:12; 21:11.
２
It is only when we express God in the New Jerusalem that He is truly glorified in the universe—Rom. 16:27; 1 Cor. 10:31.
E
As the New Jerusalem, we will be to the praise of God’s glory—Eph. 1:12:
１
In eternity all the sons of God will be fully saturated with God and will express God—Heb. 2:10.
２
God will be expressed through His glorified sons, and this expressed God is glory—Rev. 21:7.
３
All the angels and positive things in the universe will praise the expressed God; thus, we, the glorified sons of God, will be to the praise of His glory—Eph. 1:12.
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 3:16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man.21 To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen.
Rev. 21:11 Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone...
An outstanding feature of the New Jerusalem is that it has the glory of God (Rev. 21:11), His expression. The entire city of New Jerusalem will bear the glory of God, which is God Himself shining out through the city. Actually, the glory of God will be the content of the New Jerusalem, for this city will be completely filled with His glory. This indicates that the city is a vessel to contain God and express Him. The glory of God is actually God Himself being manifested. The fact that the New Jerusalem is full of God’s glory means that God is manifested in this city. The church life today should also have God’s glory, manifesting and expressing Him in this marvelous divine attribute. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 112)
Today’s Reading
In his prayer Paul asked that the Father would strengthen the saints according to the riches of His glory [Eph. 3:16]. This implies that the glory of God is wrought into the saints. In the doxology Paul said, “To Him be the glory” (v. 21). This implies that the glory of God returns to God after it has been wrought into the saints... As an illustration, Isaac’s wealth was firstly given to Rebekah for her beautification; then when Rebekah came to Isaac, all the wealth came back to Isaac with Rebekah for his glorification (Gen. 24:47, 53, 61-67). The apostle prayed that God would strengthen the saints according to His glory, but eventually God’s glory, after being wrought into them, returns to Him along with the strengthened saints. This is the way God is glorified in the church.To be strengthened according to glory [cf. Eph. 3:16] is to have the glory of God worked into our being. This is the only way to be strengthened according to God’s glory... To be strengthened into the inner man according to the Father’s glory means to have His glory wrought into our being... When the glory comes into our being, we are filled and strengthened. When it returns to God, He is glorified in the church.
In verses 20 and 21 it seems that Paul was saying, “Now that the church has come into existence as the fullness of God, God can be glorified in the church. Before this time it was impossible for the glory to return to God. But because the church has become the fullness of God in a practical way, this is now possible.”
The church is the glory of God coming to us with God and going back to God with us. In such a church there is two-way traffic between God and us, and between us and God. By means of this two-way traffic, God’s glory is wrought into us and God is glorified in us. This traffic is signified by the little word “but.”
Verse 21 says, “To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen.” God’s glory is wrought into the church, and He is expressed in the church. Hence, the glory in the church is to God; that is, God is glorified in the church.
As the household of the believers, the church, we take the lead to give the glory to God the Father by having God’s glory wrought into our being. In order for the glory of God to be wrought into us, we need to be strengthened into our inner man according to the riches of God’s glory. Then this glory will come to us with God and, after being worked into us, will return to God with us. By means of this two-way traffic the church takes the lead to give the glory to God. In this universe, as the believers, we are the firstfruit. If we take the lead to give glory to God, all the other families both in heaven and on earth will follow us to glorify Him. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 300-301, 303-304)
Further Reading: Life-study of Revelation, msg. 64