Christ's beauty will be displayed to us before He comes forth and takes His great power into His hand to smite the things of the world. He will come forth then to perfect victory. He is now sitting in heaven with all power about Him and in Him, but He does not exercise it now.
He has put us in the place He stood in on the earth-as sheep for the slaughter. What a place to be in, kept by Him! We have a risen, ascended Lord who has made good His word, so that we can have a place; and He has so kept things on earth that, in spite of men and Satan, He has ever enabled a people to confess His name and to stand a few together in testimony, whilst He directs their service. He took Paul's especially into His own hands. In regard to the candlesticks also, He took all into His own hands. And so now He maintains communion with His people, and sets them moving in service. The limbs cannot move except the head acts in them. Satan himself cannot move a tongue without God's permission-God, as Ruler of everything. If God be for us, who then can be against us? Immense comfort is in that thought. It is no lack of power that keeps Christ back. He can come if He will before Satan is cast down, and set up His kingdom. Israel's not being ready would not prevent His rising up from the Father's throne and coming forth. He is the One for whom God has planned everything, and we ought to connect everything with this blessed One. He is the Adonai. He can say, " The time will come when I shall deal with Satan." But now He waits, and says to one and to another," I have set you in testimony-let the waters flow out where all is against you, and I will help you." I can look up and say, " I am one spirit with Him." If He was the Lamb, I must be a sheep. I can look up to Him to shelter me all the way through.
The One who comes in mighty power with all the angels, comes as One who was a pilgrim and a stranger. He can turn to Israel in the latter days and say, "I went through all that you are going through." And to us he says, "I have a heart to sympathize with all your sorrow." That is just what one knows of Christ as One who looks down, saying, " If you are a member, I am the Head; do not think of your weakness, but of My strength."
Who understood the wilderness as He did? Who was ever such a thorough pilgrim, drinking of the brook in the way? " The Man of sorrows " knows well how to lift up your head. How the power of His sympathy in our hearts lifts up His people's heads! He won't forget His backsliding people on earth either.
The heart of God is, with Christ, occupied with a people down here, having all power in heaven and earth to keep them standing in His strength. The Holy Ghost is down here; we have access to His heart; He has associated us with Himself and' with what He is going to do in a way immeasurably deeper than Israel.
If you take the world with Christ, it will not destroy the foundation, but it will be the destruction of all your joy and service. You will be " saved as by fire."