Question: What do the three appearings in John 20 and 21st chapters signify?
Answer: The Lord appearing to Mary Magdalene, and the message she carried to the brethren down to verse 23, refer to the present time, the church period.
The Lord appearing with Thomas present, refers to Israel who will not believe till they see Him coming in glory. (See such passages as Zech. 12:1010And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10), and Psa. 73:2424Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. (Psalm 73:24) read “after the glory receive me”). “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed” primarily refers to those who are saved in the tribulation period, that is, before Christ comes in glory.
The Lord appearing to the disciples when they take the great haul of fishes in the 21st chapter points to the Millennial gathering, when the nets are not broken.
Question: How does the consecration of the priests in Israel apply to us?
Answer: Read Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8.
First, they were all washed with water—that answers to having a new life or being born again.
Aaron, when seen alone, clothed with the garments of glory and beauty is the type of Christ our great High Priest (verses 7-9). The oil poured upon his head without shedding of blood (Lev. 8:1212And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. (Leviticus 8:12)), points to Jesus sealed with the Holy Spirit as the only one who did not need redemption, Himself the Redeemer.
The blood put on the tip of their right ear, on their right thumb, and on the great toe of their right foot, tells us that our whole person is consecrated to this holy service of Christ—our minds, our works, our walk, are for Him and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 10:2222Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22), alludes to our priestly consecration as born of God, and sprinkled or cleansed by the blood. Each of us, as Christians, is a consecrated priest, our hands filled with Christ to present to God. But notice, there is no hindrance on God’s part to our worshiping in the holiest of all, but there may be on ours—a cold, worldly or careless walk, will shut us out. It also says,
Answer: “All” not “every” that is, all sorts and conditions, Jew and Gentile, the latter being expressly in His thoughts, it being the presence of the pious Greeks that called forth these words.
Question: In what sense did Christ “bear our sicknesses”?
Answer: The Scripture is spoken of as being fulfilled in Matthew 8:1717That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17), by which we learn definitely that the “bearing” does not refer to the cross, but does refer to His bearing in spirit every sickness that He healed, with the perfect sympathy that entered into every sorrow He took away.
Question: Is it right for believers to say they have received a clean heart?
Answer: If by that they mean a new nature or source of action, it is. But if they mean they have no sin, they deceive themselves.
Question: What is the meaning of Philippians 3:1111If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:11), “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead”?
Answer: The joy before him was so great that the way he reached it mattered not—by martyrdom, by crucifixion, or by any other way. The passage does not express a doubt of attaining it, but his indifference as to the path, so long as he attained the goal.