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Above and heavenly men by birth, who once were but the citizens of earth. As pilgrims here we seek a heavenly home. Our portion in the ages yet to come to 12.
No.
Where would you start?
Eight or 99 have.
And has a wonderful subject, the administration of the dispensation of the fullness of time. We haven't said anything about that. That's coming.
Ephesians chapter 8 or chapter one rather.
And we'll start with verse 8, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.
Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself.
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together and want all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the council of His own will.
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom He also trusted. After that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
In whom also after that she believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of our purchased possession of the purchased possession under the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of Him.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling.
And what the richest of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints? And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward, who believe according to the working of His mighty power?
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.
Are above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And that put all things under his feet, and gave him to be ahead the head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him, that Philip All in all.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and God hasn't forgotten about that. And he had it in view the man that was going to reign in those places.
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And associate that's going to be with him for getting all this in this chapter.
Well, it's wonderful that Christianity is marked by intelligence because if you notice in the verse, we began with the eighth verse where He has abounded toward us in all wisdom. And if you notice Mr. Darby's translation and intelligence, and that's what marks Christianity. We sit here this afternoon and if we're taught by the Spirit of God from the Word of God, we can be more intelligent as to what's happening in this world. Intelligent, more intelligent than all the wise, worldly statesman.
Who are trying to figure out where things are heading, who recognize they're dealing with an interplay of economic and political and social forces that are beyond their control. They're trying to arrange everything on the world stage. But David said I have more understanding than all my teachers because I keep thy precepts. We can sit here and as taught by the Spirit of God from the Word, we can be intelligent as to God's purposes, his counsels.
Concerning the Church, concerning his Son, concerning that which is yet future prophetically His earthly people, and so on.
And it's a contrast between what you have in Christianity and in the Old Testament.
Because not only are we intelligent, has He given U.S. intelligence in these things, but He's abounded in in these things. Because in the Old Testament they did have to some degree intelligence as to the mind of God, but they really didn't understand many things. If you had stopped by and asked a priest in the Old Testament who was conducting the service of the Tabernacle, why they did certain things, why when you offer certain sacrifices, do you have to do certain things?
And why do you not do certain things in the worship of God? And what does this mean? And what does that mean? Well, all he could really tell you was, well, this is the way it's been established. And if we don't carry it out as to the mind of God, there's very stiff penalties connected with it. But it really wasn't an intelligence service. We see with Nadab and Abayu, they offered strange fire and God slew them. That was why they did what they did, out of fear mostly.
There were those whose hearts responded. I don't mean that, but it was. It was done because it was required.
Not because there was real understanding, but is that the way it is in Christianity?
No, He's abounded to us in all wisdom and intelligence. So we can sit here with the Word of God before us and we can be intelligent. We don't have to wonder as to the purposes of God. We don't have to wonder, brethren, as to our position and Our Calling and what's ahead for us.
We don't even have to wonder what's ahead for this world. The newspapers may make all kinds of speculations.
And wonder what's going to happen. We see it all clearly revealed from the mind of God to us, and He's given us the capacity to take it in. He's given us the Spirit of God to make it good to our souls. And He wants us to be intelligent as to our standing, as to our position, and as to His counsels regarding His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That relates to every believer in the Lord Jesus. He's abounded toward us in all wisdom and intelligence. It's not something for just certain brethren and others don't have it. There may be a gift to give out the Scriptures, but there's never a gift in the way. It is a gift to teach. There's never a gift to learn. And it's interesting because I found off times.
There are sisters that are very intelligent in the ways of God.
Because they take time to meditate the Word of God. The lack is not on God's part, brethren. Lack is in our part. Do we take time to read, To meditate the Word of God? He's abounded toward us in all wisdom and intelligence. Does that not mean anything? Oh, brethren, the privilege of sharing God's thoughts about the world we are passing through.
What a privilege it is. And we look over in the Middle East and we see Israel and the struggle to try to come to some agreement with the Palestinians. We know from Scripture there cannot be any agreement or cessation of bloodshed until Jesus comes again to reign supreme. God has a controversy with those Palestinian people.
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As a controversy with the Jewish people for the awful crime they committed. And it will not end until the Lord Jesus comes back again. Isn't it wonderful that we can have God's thoughts about it and see how things are going through this world?
We could forgive me for breaking in.
In fact, when you referred us to the first verse of the Bible in the beginning.
God created the heavens and the earth.
And isn't that wonderful to think that he speaks about? The first he mentions is the heavens and then the earth.
It was ever in the mind of God that the heaven should reign over the earth. And you follow the Scriptures all the way through from beginning to the end, and the thought of God, thought of the mind of God, is carried out. We find it in in the closing chapters of Scripture. We find the heavenly scene for you.
The heavenly scene in the beginning, God created the heavens and your well, you and I by grace, we're going to be in that heavenly, we're going to be up there with Christ. How wonderful. I'm glad you brought us back or Clem said, because that is there's we see that in mystery form now looking back, but with intelligence. And you'll notice in the first verse that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But look at the fourth verse.
It was on the 4th day that the sun was made to rule the day and the moon was made to rule the night.
And so the revelation of the source of that sun, when he was in the world, he was the light of the world. That's why John said this is the true light that coming into the world lighteth every man. It was there from eternity, but it was revealed now with the source of that light was the person of the sun. And then the moon, the councils of God, as with respect to the Church, was revealed after 4000 years in the world history. And so we see that God has a purpose.
As our brothers brought out heavenly purpose and an earthly blessing and we miss that if we don't see Christ in the Scriptures, all the scriptures.
And I just want to take us back to what our brother Doug was saying about seemeth to have. When we start looking in scriptures to prove things, Faith doesn't need things proved to us. We learn from scripture. But if I believe the creation record because I pick up some science book and it proves it to me, I have not received it in a right way, I will seem to have it. I may believe the same as you, but if you've received something by faith and I believe something because it's been proven to me, I seem to have the same thing you do, but it'll be taken away.
There's a second caution there in connection with that verse. Take heed what you hear. For him that hast shall more be given, and to him that hath not shall be taken away, even that which he doesn't seem to have, but what he has. And if we read that which is not consistent with the truth of God, we read campus ministry, we will lose what we have. But I just wanted to point that out in connection with the beginning here, because now in Christianity it is revealed at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into this world.
If he had not come, he had not had sinned. The fact that man was really a Sinner was not really fully revealed until the Son of God came into the world.
Councils of God in connection with the church were not revealed until the Son of God came into the world and they were made known, and now they've been made known to us.
Christianity is we know, we know. Let's just read the next to the last verse of first John.
520 It's a wonderful verse. It tells us many of the things that have been said here.
Well, I'll read the last two verses. You can read 3 if you want to, but I'll read the two. And we know that we are of God.
That's born again.
And the whole world lies in the wicked one.
And we know. KNOW is what Doctor Brown used to say. We know.
That the Son of God is come. Isn't that a strange form of the verb? Is this present and come is right to us and it's still true. We know that the Son of God is come. He knows the next thing and have given us an understanding. We've been talking about understanding intelligence. Where did it come from? God gave it. It's revealed in this word.
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And.
We know him, that is true.
We know him, that is true. Only one of those persons.
And we are in him that is true. That's in Christ. We've been enjoying so much in our epistle, for in him that is true.
Even in his son Jesus Christ, it's confirmed there.
This is the true God. This is the only true God.
Now little children, keep yourselves from idols. Don't get any other focus.
Over what you said, I say Amen to it. But would you go over again about little children? Keep yourselves from idols?
About 10 words, but if you want to use 30 and say it again, it'll be all right. When did I say that? Just now. Just now, But you should remember that.
Well, I'll put it in my words. I remember a very invigorating.
Meeting that a brother had who's now with the Lord, that brought out a practical aspect of keeping from the idols of this world, and I said Amen.
But I don't say Amen as far as what this verse means. This verse.
Means that there are so many idols that would supplace.
Supplant the person of Christ, the true God, and if we want the practical aspects.
Of idols, let's go elsewhere, but not in this verse.
Find where it says, having made known unto us the mystery of His will.
We have had a number of times, in fact we started this morning in our prayer meeting. Have I an object? Lord below and just like to make the comment that unlike us, God is totally sufficient in Himself.
He does not have to have anything.
He's completely and totally complete within himself without the need of anything outside of himself. But we are not. God has made us in such a way that we must have something outside of ourselves that we focus on, and that's what we call an object.
But blessed be God, he has chosen to form objects for his own pleasure.
That exist outside of himself. And he created us and he set his love upon us. And he said of all the things that I created. We talk about the heavens and the earth and the animals and the land and the sea and even the angels, which are objects too of his interest. But in a particular and special sense, God has said man is to be the object that I'm going to focus on.
And I'm going to set my love upon.
But then, even before this world began, God realized in his foreknowledge.
That there would be sin come into the creation.
And so God in his love for the objects that he was going to create.
Says I'll send my son.
That he might come into the creation to meet the need of the objects of my love.
Because I love them and I'm going to bless them and I'm going to bring them into a relationship with myself that will satisfy me.
And will satisfy them.
And so, God having sent his beloved Son into the world, he.
Meets the need of the objects of His love, which in their sinful condition, and in order to do it, He goes all the way to death.
And we see it in chapter one here that he dies in this world and sheds his precious blood, the blood of redemption. And then he raises his son from the dead and sets him at his own right hand in the glory, his beloved son. He's so pleased with him in all that he's done. He says, all the objects of my love I'm going to bring into blessing in association with my beloved son.
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And that's what this chapter is much about.
The fact that we, the objects of the love of God, are brought, how could God bring us into relationship even though he loved us?
In His great grace and in the riches of that grace, he reaches out and he says, through my son, through my son, I can bring you in, my beloved one, into nearness to myself and in the enjoyment of myself, and I can give you an object that you can enjoy. As I enjoy the same. We can enjoy the one same object together for eternity. And that's my son. And He brings us into that blessing and it totally satisfies. And we talk about the present day and staying out of the world and this and that and the other.
Well, how does God present it to us here? He says, well, my son's in heaven, and he's the delight of my heart. And by implication, of course, peace of delight to your heart too. And so why aren't you taking up with the world all the object of your loves in heaven?
We know what that's like in natural things. A young man, he gets in love with a girl and he says you ask him a question and the next thing you know, he's talking about the one he loves. Where is she? And he tells you where she is. And that's where his interest is, and that's where his heart is. And that's what he thinks about. And God says, I put Christ in your hearts and where is he? Well, he's in my presence. And in fact, I can't leave you on the earth because that's not where he is.
So I'm going to take you right where he is so that we can enjoy him together in his present place.
And now your heart can be occupied with Him. And one thing that really touches my heart, brethren, that we're not going to get there in this reading. And so I'm just going to reach ahead to share it with you. In chapter 2. It starts out the objects of His love. And when He sets His love upon us, what's our condition, Dad?
Man, how can you start with a dead object? What can you do with something that's dead? If you set your life and your heart on something that's dead, what good is it? Absolutely none, because you have no power to change it. You can't affect life out of death, but that's where man is.
God starts with, as it were, those who are dead, and he says, well, I've got to do something about it.
And what does he do?
He took his own son, who came in Redemption's work and enters into death.
And he says, I'm not going to leave him in death. And so he quickens his Son as a man. That's what quickening really means. It's not the same as new birth in John 3. Quickening is to take something that is dead and bring it back to life. And so God takes his Son, the Lord Jesus, and he brings them back to life and he takes them to the glory to honor him in all that he's done. And now he says, I want you there too. And so it says in chapter 2.
And this is what really touches my heart in verse five. We were dead in sins. He hath quickened us.
Together with Christ, that is, He says, I'll raise you too from this state of death into which you are, that I might take you where he is. And so in that second chapter he raises us up, and we sit down together in heavenly places in Christ, no longer dead in trespasses and sins, but now seated with our beloved, His beloved, our object, His object for eternity.
And he says, I know in body and in life you're still on earth, but in spirit and in the enjoyment of it, in my heart, in my purposes, you're right there and you can enjoy it with me. Now don't wait. And all, brethren, don't wait.
Well, I remember your grandfather-in-law.
Saying to us God is sufficient.
In himself, except for objects upon which to display his love.
In some way he was sufficient for that because he so he made them. And so we read in first Corinthians 15 the 1St man is of the earth earthy, the 2nd man is the Lord from heaven.
The first man was made a living soul, the second one a quickening spirit. That's what you're telling us, Don. And it's true. What a wonderful thing, God, it seems to me now this is just my own thoughts, that God always had his Son, the 2nd man, in his thoughts, in his presence, He always did.
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And yet, in order to be a second man, there had to be a first.
So Adam's race was made, and we're still part of that.
But God has taken over and done all that you have said. That's really lovely.
So the Bible we have is the story of these two men.
And it begins with the story of two places we've enjoyed so much.
The truth of the Church.
Quicken raised up to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
So rich and so full, but.
We get down to the eighth verse and we have another thought of God.
The dispensation of the fullness of times. He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. You know this is coming.
What would you say about that, Stan? What is the difference? Ask a question. Tell us when that's going to be.
Well, the current is the events of of prophecy before the day of eternity.
Well, it mentioned dispensation in a simple way. We've been taught that there are seven of them there. There may be seven, there may be more, but there are periods of time when God deals with the race in a certain way.
If you want to call innocence a dispensation, it's a short one.
But it was one test of man, the first one.
And of those two boys?
When we come to the dispensation of the fullness of time.
That is it not. It's the millennial, it's the millennial glory when God is. You're going to put everything under Christ in the millennial scene.
And we're going to share it with them.
That is the inheritance we're going to he's going to share the inheritance with us. Mr. Darby is very clear. He says it's not the eternal state. It's not eternal. It's not the eternal state, it's the Kingdom, isn't it? Yes, the millennial glory of Christ God has put is going to bring everything together. In fact, right from the beginning, the scriptures all look forward to that coming to that looks forward to that coming day. Everything is going to be put under Christ and we're but he's not going to take it until he has you and me with him.
We're all good. He's going to have us all there with him in that day, and he's going to share it with us. He's going to share the inheritance with you and I. Oh, the wonder of his love. Oh, how wonderful. Yeah, well, I remember an old hymn we used to say we'd love to sing it. There are treasures, I'm told, in that city of gold.
But what will it be to see Jesus? What will it be?
The procedures well thanks be under which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
You talk about death, God could do something about that, and we've been reading about that.
We've had the 19th verse and enjoyed it so much. What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us? Word who believed according to the working of His mighty power, which He brought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at his heavenly places in Christ. We're set there.
We've enjoyed that so much. You can't. It's going to run on forever, but there's going to be.
A dispensation for the Earth.
That's the millennial Kingdom.
When Christ will come back and take his rightful place on earth.
Unrighteousness.
When righteousness reigns, it'll dwell in the eternal state, but it'll reign in the Kingdom, period.
But he won't take it. He has us there with him. Certainly won't. He won't. When God created man, He first created the heavens and the earth and so on. And then he said he creates the animals and so on, and he places them on the earth. And then he says, I'm going to have somebody in charge. And he creates man and he places man on the earth in his image and his likeness.
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And says to man, you're responsible. All of this is under your dominion.
And so man as God created and places him in dominion over the earth, and then Satan comes along and Satan acts and he causes, he entices man. Man acts in rebellion and unbelief against God, and he sins. And as it were at that point, Satan could mock God and say, what's man? What's this one you put in creation? Look what a mess that you've made of your work, and it's all spoiled.
And so God is dishonored and you might say, now what can God do? He's dishonored in his own creation by his own head man, that he's put over everything. And so the question could truly be asked, what's man that you're mindful of him? Why don't you just destroy that which you made that you spoiled that that is that your head over it all has spoiled for you and messed it up, but all the councils and purposes of God.
God, knowing all things ahead of time and before all this happened, could say, I have a man. I have a man. And in man that you say has dishonored and spoiled it all in my man, I'm going to honor myself. And so the sun comes into the creation, and he says, here am I, I come to do thy will, Oh my God.
And we see that perfect life of man manifested in the sun, and it goes all the way to the cross. And at the cross, the whole basis that all of mankind could be blessed is worked out in that work at the cross. And God is so highly honored in a man. He says he's not just going to be over the earth in the my purposes and counsels. He's going to be over everything that I've ever created.
Not just earth, but the things over the earth, the heavens.
The earth, the things under the earth, this man is worthy of everything. Satan is defeated with the great defeat and, and God is honored with great honor. And now in this man, God says, I'm going to head up everything. And that's the dispensation of the fullness of times with respect to the created everything. And so he says, I'm putting this man over heaven, I'm putting this man over earth. I'm putting this man over the things that are under the earth.
And he does so, and in that we see it displayed. I think that's the moral intent of it all. We see the display of it in the Millennium because at that time, in the sequence of time, that's when we see this man on the earth, we ourselves are going to be with him in the heavenly glory over which He presides. His earthly creature, his earthly portion of his manhood creation is going to be here on the earth, and he's going to reign over everything.
In heaven and in earth, and we are going to be, as our brother Clem already mentioned, twice. He wouldn't be satisfied except those who are part of his heavenly glory will be there with him, and that is ourselves in His blessed presence.
And what the Lord said, Jesus said.
To Nathaniel in the last verse of John One.
It's the most excellent verse.
The last verse of John One. It's very brief.
And he said unto him, Jesus said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you.
Then there's hereafter. That's a big word hereafter.
Ye shall see heaven open.
And the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. God gave the full victory in the Son of Man. And he set up, as you've just said, over everything, heaven and earth, angels over everything. God is the victor. Satan is defeated, cast out before we get on in, catching with what our brother Don has said.
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In Billets book on the moral glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, if I remember it may be on the first page he makes this statement which I think is a quote from someone else.
Man is more to God through the fall and the work of Christ.
Than they would have been through an eternity of Adam innocency.
That's AI don't know where he got it. I searched the Darby disk and maybe others know where where it's still true. Man is going more to God through the fall and the work of Christ than he would have been through an eternity of Adam innocency and and what Don has said I simply add Amen Amen offering trespass offering and if something was taken a fifth part was to be added to it.
And he said, then restored I that which I took not away, and what he restored, what the Lord restored to God.
Was more than what Adam took away and I enjoyed the way that it was phrased because the Millennium is not a test of man, but it's a display of God.
The test of man was over at the cross when man said away with this man. We will not have this man to reign over us. And God says, I'm going to display what things are going to be like in this world. The trees are going to clap their hands for joy. The animals are going to rejoice. They groan and wait for the manifestation of the Son of God.
And it's really the thought of propitiation is that he has satisfied God.
With respect to the entire sin question is that God is satisfied and God is honored and God is glorified.
In connection with the entire sin question, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin, not the sins, but the sin of the whole world.
We've never known Jesus as our Savior if sin hadn't come in.
Never known God as our Father.
God has in the most marvelous way he's rocked. I was thinking about how another comment Mr. Bellat, he says when when man sinned and lost everything, his right to live here on this earth. Death has come in the day that they'll eat us around. Thou shalt surely die and which is only too true, but.
The Lord has What does God do?
When man has sinned and lost everything, he opens up heaven to him. He opens up heaven and that's where you and I are going to spend eternity with that, with that blessed One and our as new creation and new creation. It's not going to be the first man made over. It's going to be Christ. We're going to have bodies just like, just like the Lord Jesus, just like that blessed life.
We're going to be like him. We're going to be, we're going to be like him. We're going to be with him or we shall see him as he is.
Well, it's all going to be on the grounds of redemption. We spoke of redemption this morning in connection with our redemption, how that we through that blood, we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins. But there's a day coming, brethren, too, when he's going to come, who's right? It is. And it's going to be not just his right as to being Creator. That's true. That's Revelation 4, his right and title to reign as Creator.
But there's something even deeper and fuller, and that's Revelation 5. It's his right and title as to redemption.
It was mentioned when John the Baptist saw him walking, he said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And that hasn't happened yet. He's purchased the the world, but he hasn't taken it in redemption because to redeem is more than to buy. We sometimes say to redeem is to buy back, but really it's more than that. To redeem is to buy something back, to set it, set it free.
And that hasn't happened regards this world yet. The whole creation growneth and travaileth in pain, waiting for that time when there will be a setting free. Then this world is going to feel in a coming, is not going to feel in a coming day the effects of the curse and of sin the way it does now. It's true. It won't be an absolute perfect state of things. Righteousness will not dwell, it will only rain. The serpent will still eat dust.
Sin will be judged every morning. But what I want to say, brethren, is that the heart of God will never be satisfied until His Son has His rightful place, not just in heaven, but on this earth. Because the one that honored God here as a man in this world was dishonored by his creature. And at the end of it all, they took him and rewarded him with a crown of thorns and beat it into his blessed brow. And the last glimpse this world got of God's beloved Son.
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God's man was hanging on a cross of shame, awarded with that which was a result of the curse, a crown of thorns. But just take a moment and go over to Revelation 19 and see the next glimpse this world is going to get of God's man, Revelation 19.
And verse 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a White Horse.
And he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew, but He himself. And so when the heavens open up to reveal the Lord Jesus again to this world, they're not going to see him coming in loneliness and grace. They're not going to see Him as the man of.
With the crown of thorns, they're going to see him, brethren, crowned with many crowns, or if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, many diadems. The word that's used here is only used three times in Scripture and it's used three times in Revelation. And we won't go into it. It's suffice it to say that the thought in the original is that which is worn by right entitle as by royal birth. You know, the Queen of England wears a crown not because she earned it, but because she was born into the British royal family.
And so the Lord Jesus is coming whose right it is, and he's going to be wearing many diadems. That is, no one will question in that day his right to take up every aspect of the work that is yet future. That is the work of executing righteous judgment, because all judgment has been committed to the Son. And I say God's heart will never be satisfied till His Son is fully vindicated on this globe where he was spit on.
And crowned with a crown of thorns. And we see not yet all things put under him. He does not have his rightful place yet. He's still the song of the drunkard. He's still on the lips of the cursor. He does not have his rightful place. And let's be careful, brethren, that there is no thought even in corners of our hearts as to this being the reigning time now. It's not. We're following David, a rejected Christ. That's what the life of David brings before us. This is not the Solomon character of Christ yet when He takes the throne of His glory.
But oh, what a day it's going to be. The heart of God, brethren, is going to rejoice when His Son has his rightful place and is vindicated. Not just have his rightful place in heaven, but on earth. And it ought to rejoice our hearts, and we ought to love his appearing.
Brother Clem, you mentioned about John's Gospel chapter one, the last verse here after so you see the Son of God.
Angels of God ascending and descending.
That was.
His answer to Nathaniel's query.
Is there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And this was God's answer. Is there any good thing come out of Nazareth and the Lord? And the Lord's answer is here. After you shall see the heavens open, and the angels of God, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. It succeeds this in Revelation 19. There are actually four times in Scripture when it speaks of heaven opened.
And the first one is in Matthew 3 when Jesus as.
Man came up out of the waters of baptism.
And heaven opened to look down there and see that man in whom heaven?
Was well pleased. The next time was when?
Stephen was murdered.
And he went up to heaven, and heaven was opened to receive.
Him and his remark was I.
See Jesus in the glory.
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Now he's waiting to take the possession, and that's the 19th chapter of Revelation. But the display of it is back to Nathaniel. Hereafter he shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending in perfect reproach upon a man, the Son of Man. Everything has been put down by then.
That's where man in God's purpose ends up. That's Jesus, the Son of Man.
That shows that there will be communication far more open away in the millennial day between heaven and earth than there is today. Who of us have seen an Angel? I don't know. We can any of us say. But in that day there will be free communication between heaven and earth.
Yes, in Psalm 2 There's a verse I'd like to read in connection with our verses here in Ephesians. One, that's what the Lord is told.
By Jehovah Psalm one verse seven, I will declare the decree, the Lord. That's Jehovah, that said unto me, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee.
This is incarnation. Then he says, Ask of Maine, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. So here we have the.
Inheritance spoken of and it's mainly here in connection with the Earth which was in view.
In Israel.
But it's something that he asks.
And receives from God his Father. And to bring that over now to Ephesians chapter one and verse 10 and 11. I would think that we could say in verse 10 we have the widest view of the inheritance in the whole of Scripture. In verse 10, every created thing in heaven and on earth.
Every created thing is part of His inheritance. And then it goes on to say, and this is something to enjoy, brethren, in whom also verse 11 we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the council of His own will.
So this inheritance is not exactly the same as the blessings that are ours.
Because the blessings that are ours are ours right now and will be ours forever.
They are spiritual, but here we are dealing with heaven and earth, material things as well.
They are going to be brought under the direct control of the Lord Jesus Christ and we will have a place in that inheritance with Christ. And I think if we can learn to enjoy this, brethren, every created thing is part of our inheritance, it will free us from the materialism of the day in which we live. Why in the world am I going to struggle?
To make a big bank account and accumulate things down here when I'm going just in a few short years to inherit every created thing together with Christ. All we need is a little to pass through this light, brethren, We don't really need that much. I have to confess I'm an awful pack rat and I'm ashamed that how much stuff.
I've accumulated. But oh brethren, to get a glimpse of what's ahead. Every created thing is part of that inheritance that we are going to enjoy together with Christ. One other thing.
And it is. We are called joint heirs with Christ. That means that we're not going to separate it out and say, Jim, there's your part and mine's over here.
No, we're going to enjoy it all together. That's what the thought is in joint airs. Every created thing. Oh, brethren, this is something that's still future. Because as Jim mentioned.
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The creation is under the ******* of corruption now it's groaning. That's not the way God's going to give that inheritance to his son.
It's going to be purged by judgment and there will be a.
Creation that will be completely freed from the ******* of corruption.
That's the creation we will. That's the inheritance we will enjoy with Christ, and we're going to enjoy it because of our relationship to the Lord Jesus, to Christ. There's a person in the White House today, today, who's there not because they were elected to office, but because of their relationship to the president of the United States. And that person, of course, is his wife. And what would you think of a president being elected?
To office and moving into the White House and his wife didn't move in with him. No, he doesn't take office. He doesn't go move into the White House without his wife at his side. And what would you think too, as he took office and began to perform the official duties of the country? And you never saw, as his picture splashed across the American press, you never saw his wife at his side or having an apart in the administration at least some of the time.
Think of it, He's going to take it and He's going to reign supreme, and He's going to have his rightful place, but He's not going to do it without His bride at his side. We're going to come forth with him again. We won't go back to it. But in Revelation 19, as the heavens open up, not only does He come forth, but He comes forth with his own. And brethren, we are going to reign with Christ. Why do we want to reign now without Christ? Do we want to, so to speak, reign without the King?
That was the rebuke to the Corinthians. Let's go back to the illustration of the president and his wife. What would you think of a president-elect whose wife tried to take possession of the White House before her husband took office, tried to move in while her husband was still home in whatever town or city they came from? What you'd say that's out of order? She can't do that. She's only there because of the relationship to her husband and brethren. Are we trying to reign now? Are we trying to take possession of the inheritance now?
Without the Lord Jesus, that's what a lot of people are doing. I'm going to be very blunt. A lot of Christians will tell you this is the reigning time now, and we need to get out and take possession of these things. Oh, brethren, let's just go on quietly following a rejected Christ. You think of those who associated with David in The Cave of Adalam and as he fled as a bird to the mountain. Was it conditions that were conducive to their liking or what they were perhaps used to? No. Why did they do it?
Oh, they said, if we sleep with David in The Cave of Abdullah.
Stand with him in the palace. They were looking forward to the time when David, as the Lord's anointed, would take the Kingdom, and they would be associated with them. But you don't read of those men marching into Jerusalem and trying to take the possession of the Kingdom before the time. No, they were content by faith to follow David in his rejection, Looking forward to the time when David would reign. Brethren, that ought to be our attitude and our position now as to this world.
Let's be content to go on following a rejected Christ, knowing that when He takes possession of the inheritance and has His rightful place in every eye sees him. He's coming to be glorified in His Saints and admired in all them that are about Him in that day. They'll look on and they'll see us there, and they'll see a perfect reflection of Christ in every St. in that day.
Wonder if you would have liberty before we go on to you made the comment Jacob's ladder, and there were some heads nodding. It's a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus, I think. Would you have liberty or brother to just for a moment expand on that in relation to what the Lord told Nathaniel in John chapter one, which has already been referred to. Perhaps it would be good for us.
Reminded younger ones here too about that beautiful Old Testament picture.
My memory as to the specific chapter 28, Genesis chapter 28 and starting probably in verse 11 or 12.
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And I don't mean to be humorous. Just because someone can mention a certain portion doesn't mean that they're qualified to say anything more about it than just that. But in the chapter 28.
Jacob went out from Beersheba and went towards Heron, and lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. And he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending upon it.
And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac the land worm, the Elias. To thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the West, and to the east, and to the north and to the South, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.
And it will bring thee again into this land, For I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of at this juncture.
In God's dealings with Jacob, he gives him following the the latter episode, which is clearly.
Access forward and backwards and then he gives him the the assurance.
Of all of the land. But it shows Jacob's spirit down in the 21St that even though God had so plainly stated the case, if God will be with me and will keep me so that I come again to my father's house. So it shows that even though there was an experience in Jacob's life, experience of first the vision and then of the direct Speaking of God to him, it would require much further development.
In his life, for him to be at ease about what God was doing in his life, you may expected something more, but that's that's all I have to say at the moment.
To the second Psalm that Brother Bob referred to because the sun is mentioned twice. It's interesting. I think it's Bella that points this out, but kissed his son lest he be angry with either word. Son, there is Chaldean. Chaldean because it's universal there. Every man is going to be brought under the dominion of the Son of Man.
And when it says thou art my son this day have begotten me as Hebrew, and we get the only reason I mention that is because we are coming into the Jew and the Gentile. But the Jews pre trusting in Christ in our chapter and the thought of the universal dominion of the Son of man, We won't turn to it, but in Revelation 11, the remnant of men that have that are on the earth, they give glory to the God of heaven.
But when it is announced that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, the nations became angry and the lonum is the God of heaven, but they won't own him as the God of earth. And so he's going to be given his rightful place to run a rule over the heavens and the earth.
Well, he's working things after the council of his own will, and I think it was already mentioned in passing in these meetings. But again, I believe it's something good to get a hold of in our souls because it gives us real peace and confidence to go on in a world where everything seems out of control. And isn't that the way it sometimes seems? Everything seems out of control. But brethren, God is working everything up to in view of this purpose.
This in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he's going to gather all things in one, even in Christ.
And everything that's happening on the world stage, everything that's happening regards to this world today, God is looking forward to that time. And God's purposes, as have already been mentioned, will never be frustrated. I've often had my purposes frustrated. Sometimes I purpose to go to a Bible conference like this and something came in and I never got to that Bible conference. Sometimes perhaps we have some purpose in connection with our family and our household.
But maybe that purpose never comes to fruition. Circumstances come in to frustrate our purposes and our councils. But brethren, everything that man does, he's just a puppet in God's hand. Isn't that a comfort? Men on the world stage today all they may think that through their cleverness and their peace packs and their summits and their negotiations, they may think they're working it all out and arranging it by their own devices and their own intellect.
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In the final analysis, they can only go as far as God allows them to go to accomplish His purposes. But not only does He have a purpose, the purpose of which we've been speaking, but it's a purpose of blessing because we might have a purpose.
I might have some purpose in connection with my family, but in the long run it might be just to get something for myself. It might really be a, a selfish motive, maybe not really for the good of my, my family. But his purposes, brethren are not only purposes, but their purposes of blessing. And everything is going to be blessed in the coming day. He's going to come forth. God's man is going to come forth. And is there going to be blessing for this earth?
Indeed there is. Just read the 4th chapter of Revelation before the judgments fall.
What do you find? You find God looking on to the end result because even in judgment, His purposes are for blessing. And there's a rainbow around the throne like unto an emerald that thrills my soul before the judgments are poured out. It's just as if He says I'm looking beyond the judgments and I'm looking to the ultimate blessing, the fulfillment of my purposes, when my son will have His rightful place and everything will be brought in to blessing and conformity.
And gathered around his son, brethren, his son is going to be the center of everything. And Jerusalem is going to be the capital, the metropolis of the world. Not Washington DC, not Ottawa, Canada, not Paris or London or any of the great celebrated capitals of this world today. No, His son is going to be the center of everything. Jerusalem is going to be the metropolis of the world. And all, as we said earlier, God's heart will finally be satisfied. But all I just say, let's get a hold of this in our souls now.
He's working all things after the counsel of his own will, and nothing can frustrate or change that counselor purpose.
That are saved now they're pre trusting in Christ because the nation will be born in a day and our brother correctly distinguished between new birth and quick thing. We were dead in our trespasses and sins without hope and without God in this world. There were a people in relationship to God, but they needed to be born anew and that's why he said art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things got it, but help us generally to know where you got that pre trusted.
Well, it's it's in our chapter here first trusted. It's from Mr. Darby's translation.
12 First, they first trusted in pre, trusted in Christ, because the nation, we've got a beautiful picture there in Isaiah, the last chapter of Isaiah, it says there's a noise in the city. Who's ever heard of such a thing that a woman has labor pains, but the child is already born?
Now any woman that's had labor pains knows what they're like and after the child is born.
The labor pains passed, but Israel is going to have labor pains 2000 years after the birth of the child.
That's Isaiah and what is going to happen. There's going to be a nation born in a day. The whole all of Israel is going to according to God is going to be born. They were in a relationship to God, but he came onto his own and his own received him not. They needed new life. We were Gentiles without hope and without God in this world.
And he quickened us because we were dead in our trespasses and sins. But it's a beautiful thing where you see there what is going to happen to Israel in that day. But there are Jews who have pre trusted before.
The revival of Israel there are Jews that have pre trusted like the apostle Paul and that's why he said we.
And you, because the you is us Gentiles, and the we are Jews. If you're a Jew here today and you've trusted in Christ, you've trusted before your nation.
Mr. Darby says in Hebrew, end of enter in terms of that word pretrusted. He says if I he himself is not in it wasn't in the English language, but he himself sort of brought that in there in order to make him here. The question that was brought up here a little bit ago, will there be just by way of a few excuse me, will there be a, a better controversy, a better?
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What Jimmy's saying you have better intercourse between the heavenly scene and the earthly scene in the coming day.
Mr. Hale used to like to speak about that very thing in the millennial if we turn to the book of Hosea, just the book of Hosea and.
Jose, Chapter one.
Before we get Daniel Hosea chapter one.
And 21St verse well, he's speaking about the blessing that he's going to bring his people to Israel into twenty 20th worst. He says, I will even be through thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord.
Oh, I'm sorry, Chapter 2. I'm sorry. Yes, and it shall come to pass in that day. I will hear, saith the Lord. I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth.
And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil, And they shall hear Jezreel, And I will soar unto me in the earth. Well, those, the corn and the wine and the oil, they speak of earthly blessing. That's probably a bit better than e-mail.
Oh my.
What I'd like to go back to the heavenly sightings for a moment, because I think it's quite important in the Ephesians, and that is.
What was particularly on the heart of the apostle of all the blessings in the heavenly places in Christ?
Is the fact that that is particularly our blessing is heavenly in character and so we're raised up together with him in the heavenlies in Christ in chapter 2, and as a result of that the enemy.
Our present enemy to the enjoyment of these things in Ephesians is not the world, it is not the flesh. It's the one who has access to heaven. Who?
Is at war with God to keep God's Son from having his place in heaven as well as we dwelled on quite a bit his place on earth and that is in Ephesians chapter 6 when it brings before us the present armor that is needed for us to enjoy these things. There's nothing about the flesh. There's nothing that's the problem with the flesh is taken up in Romans and the war with it's there in Colossians we have the earth.
Or the world, if you will, and the conflict in with the world is given to us in Colossians.
But here in Ephesians, where it's our heavenly blessing in Christ and our heavenly portion in Him, the enemy of our souls is Satan.
In chapter 6, just to read a verse, we're not going to get there in these readings, but in chapter 6 and where we put on the whole armor of God, it says that He may be able to stand against the Wiles of the world of the flesh. No, of the devil and the primary effort of the devil.
To keep us from the enjoyment of these things is, in one way or another, to attack our faith.
It's already been said we enjoy these things by faith, and Satan attacks us on the point of faith.
To rob us of the present enjoyment of them and a comment about the dispensation of the fullness of times, we've gone to Revelation 19. But when you see this side of it, you go to Revelation 12 and there's Satan in heaven at war with God to prevent the sun from having the fullness of times, of having the heavens and the earth, and actually the first business of the day of the Lord.
In which these things take place and are accomplished to bring us to the millennial glory. The first act in the war in heaven is to cast out Satan, and that's chapter 12 of Revelation. And so Satan is then seen on earth as the last stand that he has. And so he raises up as his last battleground the beast and the false prophet on the earth. And he, the beast, the false prophet, stand on earth in opposition.
Because now heaven, if you will, the man crowned with glory and honor that we see now by faith is also, you might say, in possession of the heavens where we're seated at that point in time. But still there's the earth to be submitted to. And so you have in the chapters which follow the last effort of Satan to to withstand God taking possession of the earth through his Son, and he takes it, and then we have the Lord coming out of heaven.
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Satan, the peace, the false prophet are put down all the armies that oppose him, and the Lord then reigns in righteousness and so on. But just the importance, brethren, of making sure we lay hold of the heavenly side of it and the conflict that is now taking place against us to keep us from enjoying these things is Satan and the issue of faith. That's important because our wicked man, that he is Osama bin Laden.
Is not our enemy now.
I mean, the wicked man that he is, art, that which opposes us is Satan attacking us and the worst that man can do to us. That's why you wrestle not against flesh and blood. I knew a cab driver and a friend of his was also a cab driver in London and he got a seat, jumped into the car and held a knife to his neck to slit his throat. And he said, go ahead, slit my throat and send me straight to heaven.
And Mr. Darby was once asked if he would go to war, and he said that wouldn't be fair. He said if I shoot my enemy, he goes straight to hell, and if he shoots me, I go straight to heaven. Our conflict is not with men, our conflict against spiritual wickedness. And so Satan is attacking the person of the person and work of Christ. That is why when Peter savored the things that were of men and not of God, he turned and rebuked Peter after his wonderful confessions that get thee behind me, Satan.
And so when you have that which is introduced that attacks the person work of Christ, his origin is Satan. And where there is that which attacks the Lord's authority, it is a work of Satan. The Lord is in the midst of His people now acting, and Satan would seek to undermine the rightful place that Christ has in the assembly. And it's a direct work of the devil to do that, and we ought to own it for what it is, and he may use the spirit of indifference to the Lord's authority.
Laodicea and substitute man's authority, but it's attacking his person and his work at his present authority.
Is the work of the devil and that is what we're to war against. It's not against individuals, flesh and blood.
Because the worst that they can do to us is speed our trip home.
We get to the end, and I know what you mean, Don, but the flesh and the world are very real enemies today, aren't they? But it's the perspective we have here in Ephesians, where we are looked at in heavenly places, that the devil is the enemy.
That is, that opposes our enjoyment of these things here and now. And I'd like to say this before we finish, is what will strengthen us, brethren, for the battle in this area is feeding on Christ as the old corn of the land. Remember in Egypt the food was the Passover lamb.
And that's a picture of the world. In the desert, the food was the manna. That's Christ in his humiliation. Down here and there in the desert, the enemy was the flesh. But when they crossed over into Canaan, the enemy is looked at as Satan, who opposes our enjoyment, taking practical possession of the things that are already ours.
And you remember when Joshua went into the land of Canaan to take it, one of the first things that happened was.
He met a man with a drawn sword in his hand and he goes up and he says, are you for us or for our enemies? And the man answered nay, but as captain of the Lords host semi now come, there was one who was supreme in that position. And oh brother, and that's what we get in the end of this first chapter is the supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As a man raised from the dead and at the very pinnacle of all authority, let's just read it because it just thrills the heart to realize you and I are intimately connected with a man in the glory of God.
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Notice in verse 19, What is the exceeding greatness of his power to us? Word, who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead?
And he didn't quit raising him. It says he set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.
Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
There's our man, brethren. There's the one we are intimately connected to. And you and I have a connection, a direct connection to a higher authority than President Bush or any other.
Earthly Potentate, we have a direct connection to the man that is on the throne above. Even now he is. And it's interesting the way it reads here. Brethren, notice it carefully.
He is, He's given to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth All in all. In the 4th chapter we have Him as head of the body.
But it's a little different here. It's not merely head of the body, it's head over all things to the body. In other words, he controls every facet and every detail of every circumstance of your life and mine. He's in full control. He's head over all things to the church, which is his body.
Well, he's up there, He is sent down the Holy Spirit, and he said to those disciples, greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world. And that's still true. Every Christian has something greater, someone greater in him than Satan. We are never told to fear Satan, resist the devil. Just make a comment about that.
Greater is he that is in you and also the verse that says Christ who is our life. I want to go back to something for a moment. I know our time is to the end but.
It was said earlier that in the work of Christ we are more than we were before man sinned. Man it God to make us. It says He breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul. That's what it cost God to make us. He breathed into our nostrils when we became living souls. But now what does it cost God to make us as we now are?
Redemption. It cost God his Son. We are far more expensive, if you will, to God, and in that way more precious.
To him than we were in Adam, as we now are in Christ.
In Adam, man was innocent.
What is he now? He's holy. He partakes of the very life and nature of Christ.
In Adam it was not so. But the point I want to end in this thought with is that the very food of Adam's life that sustained him was the natural food of the earth, the food that sustains the life which we now live in. Christ is Christ Himself, the old corn of the land, and the manna, and every other form that he is. But, brethren, if we don't.
Feed on it.
As at where we starve, we say, is this day, this afternoon important? Yes it is. It's essential. It's the food of our souls. It's that that sustains the very life that we have in Christ. Eternal life is sustained by feeding on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we more precious to God now? Absolutely. Where everything that he has done.
And his object toward us.
And his son?
210.
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210.
Thank you.