The second point I desire to bring before you is, that Christ, as man in glory, is thus “Head over all things”; is Head, not over, but “to the assembly.” You will mark strongly that He is never said to be Head over the church, but to it. We will look at it in its other aspect, as “His body,” again.
Now I may surprise some (who have grasped the truth of the church being the body of Christ, formed by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven at Pentecost), by saying that the thought of the “assembly” was well known in the Old Testament scriptures, and familiar to the order of things in Israel. Thus we find the word where it has perplexed some, in learning that the church, as we know it now from scripture, began its existence after the ascension of Christ and descent of the Holy Spirit. I refer to the passage in Acts 7, “The church [assembly] in the wilderness,” referring to Israel in their Journey from Egypt to Canaan. The whole congregation of Israel as they came out of Egypt, in its corporate unity, as well as its gathering together, is treated as the assembly. In Exodus 22 we read of “the whole assembly of the congregation.” In the expression “the tabernacle of the congregation,” it is another word in the original, and should be rendered “tabernacle [or “tent”] of meeting,” and signifies the place where they met Jehovah. I need hardly say that, comparatively, there were but few true saints of God amongst that great congregation.
But in its corporate unity as a nation come out of Egypt, and the assemblage of the people it was termed and treated as the “assembly” of Jehovah. You know how they defiled His dwelling-place; for He had brought them out of Egypt that He “might dwell among them” (Ex. 29:45-46), so that finally He removed His glory or presence from their midst (Ezek. 8-11).
Let us carry the thought with us that Israel, as a nation, was the “assembly” of Jehovah. They corrupt themselves wholly in this position, and God has two great controversies with them in His dealings by-and-by, when He takes them up again.
Isaiah 40-48 gives His first great controversy with them (especially Israel) for idolatry, ending with the words, “There is no peace, saith Jehovah, unto the wicked.” The second is more specially with the Jews, than with Israel as a nation. It is from Isaiah 49 to 57, and ends with the somewhat similar words, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” This is for the yet deeper guilt of the rejection of Jehovah-Messiah, come into their midst in grace. The general testimony of Isaiah, as of the other prophets, is that a remnant only would be spared and saved, when God would turn His hand to deal with them once more.
I may here mention, what has been noted, that the book of Isaiah, exclusive of the historic interlude in Isaish 35-38, is divided into two great portions, chapters 1-34, giving their external history in the midst of, and with relation to, the nations with whom they have to do (outside of those embraced in the Gentile empires, to whom the throne of the world was given, when God removed the glory from the earth; these we find in the book of Daniel). Then, after their external history (chs. 1-34), and the historic interlude, of parabolic significance (chs. 35-39), we get their internal or moral history discussed (chs. 40-66).
If we examine Isaiah 8:12-18, we find only a remnant attached to Christ, who becomes a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel. In Isaiah 5 Jehovah looks back on the nation as to how they answered to the culture bestowed upon them; they “brought forth wild grapes.” In Isaiah 6 He looks forward, and they are proved to be unfit for the glory of the Lord of Hosts: they are “undone”; Isaiah here representing the people before Jehovah.
What is now to be the remedy? Jehovah of Hosts will become a man! This was now the resource. The virgin would bear a Son (Isaiah 7:14) and Jehovah of Sabaoth becomes Emmanuel-God with us! In Isaiah 8:12-18, He becomes a stumbling-stones and rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, and historically He was in the Gospels (compare Matt. 21:42-44), but a sanctuary to the remnant who attach themselves to Him. “He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offense, to both the houses of Israel: for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him” (vss. 14-17).
Thus, we find that Christ became a stumbling stone to Israel, but a small remnant of the people attached themselves to Him — who were “for signs and wonders” in Israel. (Compare Heb. 2:13.)
I will now trace shortly the history of this remnant, while Jehovah hides His face from Israel. You find it distinctly in Matthew’s gospel. In Matthew 4 He goes out in Galilee, and calls around Him Peter and Andrew his brother; then James and John, and so the company of His disciples. Mark what Isaiah 8:16 says, “Bind up the testimony, and seal the law amongst my disciples.” He began to do that in the Sermon on the Mount; but when we go on to Matthew 16 Peter confesses Him “Son of the living God,” and Jesus says, “On this rock I will build My assembly.” Israel having nationally failed as the assembly of the Lord, He now unfolds that He would replace it by an assembly which He was about to build; which still was a future thing.
Now turn with me to Psalm 22 and you will find definitely the position in which this remnant is placed by redemption. You have there the great question of good and evil solved by Christ on the cross. All the evil that is in man’s heart brought out; all the cup of divine and righteous wrath against sin poured out upon the devoted head of Jesus! The cross of Christ surpasses in moral glory all that this universe will ever behold! It is a necessity, because of a holy and righteous God, that sin must be judged. But what necessity was there that the holy, spotless Son of God should be treated as sin, and left to endure the judgment of God due to it? None, but that of His own sovereign grace “He who knew no sin was made sin for us.” This the cross reveals. God whose holy nature cannot allow sin to remain unjudged, to spare the sinner, and give expression to all that was in His heart, did not spare His Son. He was left to be forsaken of God, as we learn from that solemn cry bursting forth from His heart at that surpassing “hour,” “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” There the great question of good and evil has found its eternal solution. Where man was, in evil at its culminating point and sin receives its righteous judgment, there all that God was in goodness lies found its infinite revelation in Him who devoted Himself for this to His glory at all cost to Himself. The turning point is reached in verse 21, “Yea, thou hast heard Me from the horns of the unicorns.” Then His first thought is, “I will declare thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the assembly [compare Heb. 2:12] will I praise thee.”
Israel, as we saw, was originally the assembly of Jehovah. The whole thing fails, on the one hand sinking back into idolatry; on the other, rejecting Jehovah-Messiah, come in lowly grace. The remnant, which was to form the nucleus of the new assembly, is delivered and attached to Christ, and instructed by Him. It did not get the name “assembly” until His resurrection, save in the announcement of His yet future purpose to Peter; but when the Lord had passed through the judgment of the cross, as described in Psalm 22 and He is heard from the horns of the unicorns — a figure of the transpiercing judgment of God — His first thought is to declare the name of His deliverer-God to His brethren, now owned thus for the first time; for divine love was free now, so to speak, to act according to its own dictates.
Historically this was fulfilled in John 20. The judgment of the cross was passed in John 6 and in John 20. He is standing forth in resurrection. The whole question of sin has been gone into and settled — not a shadow of it left on our souls, who believe. The first man’s history is closed under God’s judgment fully executed. I thank God, every Christian here can say, and should without hesitation be able to say, there is not the weight of the smallest cloud on my soul, that Christ has not removed. The second Man is able to associate us with Himself in all the place He enters into as risen from the dead.
He turns to Mary (vs. 17) saying, “Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and unto My God, and your God.” That is, the Son of God places the disciples on the same platform as Himself by redemption: He is not ashamed to call them “brethren.” The finest message that ever passed through mortal lips is sent to them through a woman, who, ignorant if you please, could break her heart for Christ! The Son of God is not ashamed to call them brethren.” — now named such for the His time — because they stand in all His own acceptance before the Father! His Father is their Father; His God is their God! He thus declares His name, and pronounces “peace” twice; and breathes on them “life more abundantly,” as the last Adam — a “quickening spirit.” “The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” In life He had declared His Father to them: in resurrection He presents, them to His Father as sons!
Thus, you have the “assembly,” now definitely in its place for the first time — composed of the same remnant of Israel, and Christ in their midst — proclaiming peace and declaring His Father’s name.
Now mark, all this is on earth, and Christ is still there. Psalm 22 goes no further than resurrection. So that as yet we have no Holy Spirit come down from heaven, and consequently the “body of Christ” not yet formed.
Now, if we turn to Acts 1, another truth comes out. They were to remain in Jerusalem until they should be baptized with the Holy Spirit, “not many days hence.” His earthly work of the cross was over; all its fruits will be accomplished in due time. His heavenly work of baptizing with the Holy Spirit — so frequently spoken of in the Gospels — was yet to come. He says, “For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” That of “fire” is omitted, because it is yet to come. The fire of judgment will yet cleanse His kingdom of every stumbling-block and them which do iniquity. It has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit’s appearance in tongues of fine on the day of Pentecost.
This baptism was to change the relationship of this “assembly” into one not yet revealed or accomplished. They are the “assembly,” but not yet “His body.” I wish to keep these two thoughts distinct in your mind, before they become interchangeable by the subsequent descent of the Holy Spirit, as in Ephesians 1:22-23.
In verse 9 the Lord ascends to heaven, and a cloud receives Him out of their sight. In Acts 2 The Holy Spirit personally descends from heaven, and they were all baptized of Him. He sat upon each of them, and filled all the house — dwelling thus “in them,” personally, and “with them,” collectively. This assembly is now God’s habitation through the Spirit. The one hundred and twenty disciples — thus baptized — are technically named the “assembly” from that moment (Acts 2:47). The Holy Spirit now dwells on earth for the first time, and consequent on redemption. He had wrought before He came to dwell, as in Old Testament days.
It is the unfolding of the actions of a divine Person on earth in company with the disciples.
In 1 Peter 1:11-13 we find three steps of much moment, marking the presence of the Holy Spirit, sent down from heaven as the special truth of Christianity. The Spirit of Christ in the prophets, prophesied of things not yet come, but to be ministered to us (vs. 11). The glad tidings of the accomplishment of these things — Christ having suffered and gone on high — were preached to us by the Holy Spirit, sent down from heaven, a mediate thing between the sufferings and the glories that were to come (vs. 12); and then these things were to be brought in at the revelation of Jesus Christ, now hidden in the heavens.)
The “temple” in Jerusalem was an empty house, and Israel an “untoward generation.” The assembly was now the “city of refuge” for the “slayer of blood,” where those who bowed to the guilt of their Messiah’s blood could flee.
It was an analogous state of things, as in 2 Samuel 5-6, when the ark was in delivering grace on mount Zion with David; and the tabernacle at Gibeon, with no ark or presence of Jehovah. Analogous, too, to the pitching of the tent outside the camp by Moses (Ex. 33), and every one that sought the Lord went out to it.
Now, to this “assembly” the Lord added such as were being saved from the destructions about to fall on the nation of Israel. This is the force of Acts 2:47. It does not raise the question of their ultimate salvation; nor is it a description of their state as “saved ones,” but is rather the characteristic or technical name for a class of persons (the three thousand, for instance, on that day) which were being saved from the judgments about to fall on the nation. They were all Jews. See also Luke 13:22-23.
In Acts 3 Peter proposes that Christ would return and bring in all the blessings of the kingdom, as spoken of by the prophets, and thus all the kindreds of the earth — the Gentiles — would be blessed.
In Acts 4 you get the answer of Israel to the proposal. It was wholly refused! They put the two apostles, Peter and John, in prison, and in Acts 5 the whole twelve. Then Stephen (Acts 6-7) sums up their whole history in responsibility, from Abraham’s call till that moment. Despised promises, a broken law, slain prophets, a murdered Christ, and a resisted Spirit is the terrible tale! (Acts 7:51-53). Stephen seals his testimony with his blood, and commits his spirit to the Lord, and all is over.
The “assembly” is scattered to the four winds; and Saul of Tarsus, the most determined of opponents, “made havoc of the assembly, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison.” The whole external thing is dispersed, and Saul heads the persecution that brings it about.
The blessing goes down to Samaria in Acts 8. But in Acts 9 the man who was the most terrible opponent and leader in wasting the assembly, is converted. Called out by the mighty power of God — apart from all earthly intervention, apart from the twelve apostles — a heavenly light appears to him, “above the brightness of the sun”; and the first sentence spoken to him by the Lord of glory conveys the truth of the union of these scattered saints with Him in glory, as not now merely His “brethren,” but “me!” “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” They are united by one Spirit to Christ in glory, and He owns it!
This bitter foe is taken up of God, and made the minister of the gospel to every creature which is under heaven, and of the “assembly” which he had wasted — to fill up the word of God! (See, for the double character of Paul’s ministry, Eph. 3:8-9 and Col. 1:23-26.)
This leads us now to the third point which I desire to bring before you, that is, The body of Christ.