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See what manner of behavior does with this hope Agree. And in the prayers this morning those things that would bring before us the coming of the Lord.
My own soul, I believe that that's at any moment, uh, just as a doctrine, but as a reality. And I would like to suggest that we take off in connection with the thought of the Lord's coming. There are many different places where it could be taken off, but I would suggest it be taken up in Revelation chapter 21, where we have the description of the bride, the Lamb's wife. If I could put it this way, I suggest that we have a little dress rehearsal.
That we look at that a bride who is about to be married often goes to the mirror and looks at herself as she hopes she's going to be to her bridegroom. And I believe we have something of that character in Revelation 21. Beginning verses start with the eternity coming, and perhaps to be consistent we should begin there, but the emphasis really begins from verse 9.
I think that's a very, very good Don and excellent portion for us.
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Revelation chapter 21.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the 1St heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.
And God himself shall be with them and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, right, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done, I am alpha and Omega.
The beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
And he that over cometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and ************ and sorcerers and idolaters.
And all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone.
Which is the second death? And there came unto me one of the seven angels.
Which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues. And talked with me, saying, Come, hit her, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone.
Clear as crystal, and had a wall great and high, and had 12 gates, and at the gates 12 angels and names written thereon, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel.
On the east 3 gates, on the north 3 gates, on the South 3 gates, and on the West 3 gates. And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and in them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the city.
And the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
And the city lieth 4 square, and the length is as large as the bridge. And he measured the city with the Reed 12,000 furlongs, and the length in the breadth, and the heights of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof and 140 and four cubits.
According to the measure of a man, that is of the Angel.
And the building of the wall of it was Jasper. And the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper.
The second Sapphire, the third a Caledonian, the 4th in Emerald, the 5th of Sardonic, and the 6th Sardis, the 7th Chrysolite, the 8th Barrel, the 9th of Topaz, the 10th of Christopresses, the 11Th adjacent the 12Th and Amethyst, and the 12 gates were 12 Pearls, every several gate was of 1 Pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw in the temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth to bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defile it, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
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1St 8 verses of this chapter.
Are one of the few places in Scripture that give to us a view of what's coming and what we call the eternal state, the day of God.
And after that, in verse nine, at the end of the chapter and into the 22nd chapter, we have a description of the bride, the Lamb's wife, in her display of millennial glory as associated with the Lamb when he reigns over all the earth and.
It's we lose a tremendous amount if we simply say, oh, we're in the Revelation, we're in prophecy and so on, rather than this is the description of us.
This is we who are part of the body of Christ are being described here, and I believe as well for us to look at the description and then ask ourselves the question in connection with it. Is my present daily life in the anticipated enjoyment of what I'm being brought into as part of as well as is my present daily life consistent with this expectation and hope? And it's really a thrilling hope for the soul if we lie in on it, so I'm not.
Before me so much the prophetic side of things, but rather the that which is described to us here for our blessing and benefit that will affect our outlook and our attitude as we go through our daily lives and anticipation. But before we really get to the ninth verse, we can spend a little time, I think profitably in the 1St 8 verses which presents the coming eternity to us in God's view of it for us.
We might well ask ourselves then, why, before He takes up the Church in her millennial glory, reigning with Christ over the earth, does he take up the eternal state? That's not in chronological order. We know that the chronological order will be just the reverse, but I suggest that we have at least part of the answer by backing up to the end of the 19th, the 20th chapter, where at the end of the 20th chapter he has taken up the great White Throne judgment.
And if we could put it this way, the Great White Throne Judgment is the last great act of time and the first great act of eternity. It's what really bridges time and eternity. And so having taken up that, then he goes on to describe in a few words, because there really is no human description to describe something that is beyond our grasp for comprehension now. But he goes on in a few verses then to take up the eternal state. Then he goes back and as you say, he fills in some details.
Concerning the millennial range of the Church with Christ. But there really is no human language to give a description of that which is beyond us now. Because we are governed by physical limitations, we find ourselves mercifully in the sphere of time. God is very graciously placed us in time and with physical limitations to operate.
Here on this planet Earth now. But think of it, brethren. There's a day coming when the things that affect us now are going to be completely done away. The Millennium on Earth is not going to be a perfect state of things as we know from the Old Testament. But there is a day coming when both for the heavenly sphere and the earthly sphere, all that affects us now, affects the creation now, is going to be done away.
And that's why when he sees the city coming down out of heaven as a bride, he it speaks about there being a new heaven and A and a new earth. There's no more sea. In other words, there's no more death, no more distance. CC no distance. Now, I believe season Scripture also speak of restlessness and sorrow. Jeremiah speaks, I think it's in the 49th chapter of the book of Jeremiah about sorrow on the sea.
All these things are denoted in the thought of a sea. But there's going to be no more sorrow. There's going to be no more restlessness of humanity which the sea often brings before us. There's going to be our distance is not going to be measured in the same way in which it is now. But I think what is overall helpful to see is that eternity is not a melting pot. The heavenly and the earthly company do not meld together. They remain distinct.
00:15:18
For all eternity and of the heavenly company, the bride remains distinct too, not beautiful. And to think, brother, that we are going to remain the bride of all of Christ for all eternity and not just his wife as we get later on in connection with her function in the Millennium and so on. But the bride, those brought that bridal affection and that bridal beauty is never going to fade. You know, we were going through some old pictures recently of my parents and.
Different ones that we've known in the past. And a lot of wedding pictures, you know, as we look at those pictures, we realize time brings in its changes and its differences. But there's a day coming when time isn't going to affect that scene. And no, nothing is going to change. And the Lord Jesus is the bridegroom going to shower his love on the bride for all eternity. And she's never going to lose that place of beauty and affection to his heart. And if that doesn't thrill our hearts and cause us to walk in a way.
That is in view of that now breathing and we need to get down on our knees and examine our stated goal.
Everything connected with time changes. Everything connection with eternity is fixed.
And I suggest another reason perhaps Jim, that we have the eternal state first is because.
God's eternal purpose was this.
What we see in the 1St 8 verses and this is what will be for all eternity.
That relationship is purposeless.
A companion for his son, and there she is not a bride.
Prepared for her husband for all eternity. The freshness because there is no passing time, there is no change.
Wonderful.
And someone has said and I've enjoyed the comment.
The Millennium is necessary for the public vindication of God's holy character.
His glory was dragged in the dust for 6000 years.
His beloved Son came into this world and was crucified and had no rights for himself. God says, I will vindicate myself. I will vindicate my beloved Son right in the very world where he was cast out and crucified. But that is a finite time, isn't it? That is a finite period of 1000 years.
But then the eternal state is, you might say, for the everlasting satisfaction of God's heart. And as we've remarked, that never changes. There is a scene which.
God can rest in for all eternity, and of course ultimately you and I will rest with Him too. But the primary thought is we've had brought before us is that God will rest in that wonderful scene for all eternity, and you and I will enjoy that rest.
It's beautiful in that connection to see that and I know it's anticipating a little, but.
When the bride is mentioned here.
It mentions the city as well and.
And in verse 9, which takes up as we've had brought before us the glory of the Church, as pictured as the heavenly city during the Millennium, we also.
Get the bride mentioned and in verse 10 referred to as the city but.
I've enjoyed it this way and I'm indebted to others for this thought, but it's beautiful to see.
When it's millennial glory.
The bride is viewed as a city because there there is government, there is administration, there is, if you like, a perfect government, the first one that this world will ever have seen.
But in the eternal state, it's reversed. The city is viewed as a bride. The city is viewed as a bride. Why? Because in the eternal state, the emphasis is not on government, not on administration.
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But rather on relationship. And that's what you were bringing out, Jim. And I love that the eternal state will be relationship for all eternity, because it will be the everlasting satisfaction of God's heart and the honor and glory of his beloved Son and in the blessing of those whom he has chosen to be with them, whether in heaven or on earth.
I say be with them. Maybe that is that could be more accurately displayed.
Or, accurately stated, those who have been chosen to be with him in heaven and those who have been brought into blessing on earth.
In order to be to the eternal satisfaction of God's heart, everything has to be made new.
So we have the history of Adam's rice brought before us in scripture, and the conclusion of the history of the first creation in Adam is in First Corinthians 15. It says in Adam all die, and the moment that Adam sinned, and also Satan's fall.
God couldn't rest, He couldn't have a satisfaction for his heart in the condition in which things were. And he looked at his creation and, uh, on the 7th day in preparation for man here, it says he rested after he created man and placed him here. But from the moment that Adam and Eve sinned, God hasn't rested. He says my father worketh hitherto and I work but.
In Adam, all die. There's no future for Adam's creation. There's no future for anything connected with it. The heavens, the earth, and everything connected that is spoiled by sin has no future. There's not a single thing you can lay your eyes on in this room in its present condition that will last nothing.
We will last, but we have to be changed to have bodies of glory, and in that way there is something visible here that will remain, but it has to be changed to remain.
So as part of God's work, he starts anew in Christ. In Adam, all die. In Christ all shall be made alive, and all of us who belong to the Lord Jesus have been brought into a new creation, as we have in 2nd Corinthians 5, and through Christ's death and resurrection.
And so it's by death that we leave the old creation.
In in Christ and in his resurrection, we participate in that life that is eternal and we enjoy it. Here we have the actual physical creation finally removed from the sight of God. I make a new heaven and a new earth. Behold, I make all things new, he says in verse five. And when this work is done, then all sin.
And all the first creation will have been removed from the sight of God. And then he can look upon that which is new, that which is founded on the work of the Lamb, his Son. And he can rest in the satisfaction of his own heart. He can just say, now it's done. In fact, the Lord in this the Lamb says it is finished in this book. And when it's all finished and it's all done, then God says.
Now we're gonna be, we're gonna remain together in this relationship forever and rather than that's our future, we can enjoy it today in anticipation. But that's what's ahead of us, to have God resting in his satisfaction of his own heart. Inconsistency too with his nature of light and love. It's explained a little further too, isn't it in Second Peter chapter 3.
Where he tells us that at the end of the millennial reign and of time, the elements are going to melt with fervent heat. That is as you say, everything that has been tainted with sin is going to be completely dissolved and done away. Because the Millennium from an earthly perspective will show that the whole creation is painted with sin. And while righteousness will reign in the Millennium, it will not dwell until the eternal state. And Peter brings that out, that then there will be a day where where in righteousness will dwell.
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Not just simply rain, but not only is this planet tainted with sin, but all creation. Satan was cast out of the presence of God. He's the Prince of the power of the air. Man has sent his junk and his probes up into outer space. Everything that the enemy Satan and man has touched has become tainted and polluted. And so God will do it completely away or do it completely away with it. And then it's just as if he says.
I'm inviting you to a scene now where sin will never come. Sin penetrated the first creation.
And man fell, and the whole creation, not just man, but the whole creation growneth and travaileth in pain and came under the effects of sin as a result. But I do want to, in connection with what Bill said a little earlier, just read another portion in First Corinthians 15, because there's something else very beautiful in connection with the ushering in of the eternal state. As was said, we have very, very little said about it.
But I have enjoyed in this connection some verses here in the resurrection chapter, verse 26 of First Corinthians 15. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 3 hath put all things under his feet. But when he Seth, all things are put under him. It is manifest that he is expected which did put all things under him. And I want you to notice this. And when all things shall be subdued unto him.
Then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all in a beautiful brethren. To think that the Lord Jesus, after he has taken up the work of judgment that is committed to Him, and all things are set straight, straight, all things are set right, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death. What does he do? He delivers up the Kingdom to the Father.
So that as a man he can devote eternity to his bride. Does that throw your heart and mind as he's going to be God for all eternity, but he is going to remain a man so that he can spend eternity with you and with me as his bride. And as was pointed out in Revelation, the bride remains distinct. She doesn't just melt into the heavenly company as as a as a big part of it, A hodgepodge, so to speak, No.
Distinct in her bridal affection, her nearness and relationship to the man Christ Jesus for all eternity. And He delivers up the Kingdom to the Father. Because there's nothing else to be ruled over. There's nothing else to be suppressed or held in check. A Kingdom or rule gives the thought of something that needs to be held in check or suppress ruled over. That is not going to be necessary any longer, however.
It does say they shall reign forever and ever. What is established in the Millennium is going to go into the eternal state, but without anything needing to be put down or kept in check. But he's going to deliver up the Kingdom brethren, to the Father that he might spend eternity with us. And that's why when it's the eternal state, it's God. God shall be All in all. It's the day of God in second Peter and here in our chapter, it's God that tabernacles are dwells with man.
And just along that same line, I know you'd agree with this, Jim, that it's really beyond our understanding because the Lord Jesus remains a man for all eternity to enjoy his bride. But when it's God, that's All in all, it's God and Trinity, isn't it? It's not merely God the Father, if we could say it reverently. It's God in Trinity. He never leaves his place in the Godhead.
So he is All in all in that sense too. And yet in in another sense, he says I will remain a man for all eternity. I will be a servant forever, as we get in Exodus 21.
It's Emmanuel, isn't it, Bill? God with us, and this will be the ultimate fulfillment of that.
When we see something in verse 2, that's.
Precious, it says I John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God, coming down from God.
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The Holy City, the Lamb's Wife, is heavenly in origin and character.
That's very important for us to recognize that.
The Church's calling is from heaven. The formation of it is association with the one who is in heaven.
He went on high, He took a place in in proper for him as a man in the glory. And then the Church is formed on the day of Pentecost, so that the moment of its formation is connected from the very moment of its creation with heaven.
It comes down here from God. It's not something that has an earthly origin. There are things that do have an earthly origin and proper with God. Israel is one of them.
Israel has an earthly origin and they're well in the Millennium, Christ as King is associated with her as a wife in that kind of a relationship, and that's earthly. But this New Jerusalem, we brethren, as part of it, the origin of it is from God and it's from heaven. And in that way, it's important for us to.
She comes from that, her source, from God himself, and if we lose sight of that, we lose a lot in connection with her glory and God's glory in the formation of her.
She's also holy and new. There are really four things that describe her in this burst, aren't there? She's wholly new from God and from heaven.
You know, it's, it's remarkable when you look at the history of the church from its formation on the day of Pentecost until the time when we're reading up here, when you look at her in her beginnings, what a beautiful thing it is. We see great power and great grace and there was outward practical unity and testimony and so on. But you know, things came in very quickly. You know, we look around and what we see outwardly today isn't such a great picture.
It's not so beautiful outwardly, but brother, he's going to present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. You say, how can he do it? Well, God can do it. The Lord Jesus can do it. And so to look around today at the testimony and as to the Church of God, not a very pretty picture. We have to hang our head and admit we're part of the failure, part of the outward ruin that has come in the brethren. Isn't it beautiful to go on then and look at her in her ending?
At the end of the story, so to speak, hold your finger in the book you're reading and turn over and see how the story ends. That gives us confidence to go on now in spite of failure, not to be indifferent to it, but in spite of what has come in and what we have to admit in our own souls as being part of it. But I say to read the last chapter. The story gives us confidence to press on, knowing that this is the scene that you and I are going to be part of in a coming day.
Like was mentioned before, this is.
Perhaps we can say the full development of what we have in 2nd Corinthians 5. If any man be in Christ, there is a new creation. This is the full development of new creation. And I enjoy that we're new in that it is characteristically new. It will never be anything but new. We're just so used to and the creation we live in now things.
Being new at one time and wearing out.
But it will never be anything else but new. We're all eternity.
Another thing I've enjoyed here, brethren, is there, as has been mentioned already, it's a new heaven and a new earth.
The promise of blessing to Abraham was.
The heavenly and the earthly spheres, the stars of heaven.
The sand by the seashore and multitude there would be blessings, and here we have it. But.
There is no distance here, it says.
00:35:03
Coming down from God out of heaven and in verse three, the Tabernacle of God is with men.
And it's interesting to think that God is a God of relationship.
Even God, in the very first chapter of Genesis, speaks in the plural. Let us make man in our image and likeness who is speaking God in the fullness of his being, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is a communicating God. God is a God of relationships. And so there's gonna be relationships in that eternal day, and even between the heavenly and the earthly. It's interesting to go back in.
Time to the time of Abraham and Abraham got a heavenly visitor. Actually 3. Two were angels and one was the Lord himself. It doesn't seem to be a rare occasion for Abraham.
And I wonder how many times it may have happened, but there was that in the Old Testament that God came down and communicated.
I've seen this progress in the world that we are part of. Those kind of things are rarer and rarer. We don't see them very rare. Do you hear of something that might relate to reality? But in the future day there will be again that communication between the heavenly and the earthly.
And we see in Jacob's dream that he saw.
Heaven and the ladder between heaven and earth, and the angels of God ascending and descending.
And the same you see in John chapter one where the Lord Jesus speaks of what is millennial and he says thou shalt see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. So there will be communication between heaven and earth in a fresh way.
It's interesting when you go to the last part of the chapter.
Uh, in connection with the Millennial Day.
It says in. I'm gonna read it in Mr. Darby's translation.
That in verse 24 And the nations shall walk by its light, that is the heavenly city, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory to it.
It's not into it. It's true it because there's still sin in the earth during the millennial day. It will be perhaps a very rare thing, but still there is. And so sin brings in distance and nothing can ever enter that holy city that will defile. But there will be somewhat of a distance in the millennial day. Somebody has said that.
The heavenly city will be visible.
From the earth during the Millennium. But here in the first part of the chapter, there is no distance comes down of heaven from God. It always maintains that heavenly character like Dan Don brought out, and I think that's important. But there will be no distance in connection with the relationships between heaven and earth. Beautiful to think about.
I'd like to make a, to me important general comment too about the character of what's described to us here, to go back to John's Gospel chapter 17 for a verse.
That, I believe, has to do with what's described in our chapter.
Uh, in John chapter 17.
And verse.
20 The Lord, speaking to his Father, says, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.
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And that they also may be one in US. This is the words to remember, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me, and the glory which Thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one, and I, and them, and Thou and me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know.
That thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.
That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me now before comment toward Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians chapter 5.
And verse 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Annotations Chapter 5 We have the love of the Sun.
For his bride to church.
And there will be in a coming day in heaven, the enjoyment of himself in his love for his bride. A little bit in contrast to that in Revelation chapter 21. The emphasis is not on that.
The emphasis is on God presenting to the world.
The bride which he has prepared for his Son. And in that public display he is displaying that he has loved her as he has loved his Son. You can't get beyond that in the sense of God's love. So in Ephesians 5 is the Son's love. It's more heavenly in his character. It's more intimate.
It goes beyond the public display. The world isn't going to see all of that. That's between himself and his bride in the home, if you will. We all who are husbands or wives know what it is to have a relationship with our bride that is very personal to us, and we don't share it completely with the world. We keep it between ourselves. It's wholly and precious to us in that personal inner circle of what we.
We have with our bride, but God has purposed that the whole world in the millennial day and in the eternal day as well. It's introduced when he's talking about eternity. He wants the whole world to know that I have loved her as I have loved my Son. I have chosen her for my son and I want to display her in a glory that.
Demonstrates that love that I have for her, and it's a wonderful thing, brethren, to realize that.
Not only do we have this relationship with the Lord Jesus, but with our God, and the relationship with our God is such that he says you can have this love between yourself and the Son. But I also want to demonstrate my love for you and Distremas demonstrate it as that the world may know that thou has loved them as thou hast loved me. And in the Revelation you don't have the Ephesians five side of it very much.
It's rather the Lamb doing the work that the Father's heart might be satisfied. And that includes what we have in the 21St chapter. And the Lamb is seen as the line. That's the Lamb of God in John, one who bears away the sin of the world. The Lamb in Revelation is first seen as slain because everyone who is going to be brought into blessing is brought into blessing through His death, which included his rejection. We know.
But then the Lamb is seen in the revelation, in his power hide us from the wrath of the Lamb. It says He is called the King of kings and Lord of Lords. He is called the one who comes out of heaven in power. He has the seven horns as a Lamb, and so on. So he's seen in both sides of his character both as the one who suffered and was slain. But in the revelation he's also seen as the one who in power delivers the creation from sin.
00:45:09
And presents it then to the Father. And so even in this chapter, he's seen as the one who is doing a work to his Father's glory.
Revelation 32. Church of Philadelphia. Revelation 3.
Where can.
That start diverse.
Yes, it is, and that's millennial when he will demonstrate that.
In the public display, they kept it during the word of his patients and so when he reigns then he will demonstrate what they were to him in that period of time and to show that they were so loved.
So would you take it down that there will be?
No special distinction between Israel and other people's in the eternal state, but simply.
One people on earth, is that what one thing we would gather from verse three? Again, not to get in, as you said, into intricacies of prophecy, but rather into the enjoyment of it, but is that what will happen in that day? I don't know of any scripture that tells us that there will be a distinction with Israel. And in fact the no more sea and God dwelling with man, I believe is to show us that there will be no more nations.
Hmm, but it's God dwelling with man. He has an earthly people. But there is in the third verse, I think what Jim has already said. There will be an eternal identity of the church that will never be lost. That's an eternity and there may be, maybe someone else has a thought as to it, but it from my own heart, it's God is All in all. And uh, the fact that God shall dwell with man means that on earth he won't keep those distinctions.
Well, I agree 100% with that. And of course, on the heavenly side, as Jim brought out, there's no question but that the Church will have her unique place for all eternity. But it seems on earth there will be just one people on earth. There will be no longer a distinct nation of Israel that will occupy a place that will be in that sense.
Prominent and distinct from others, but rather there will be one people on earth, the nations, for that from that point on.
Lose their distinction after all nations themselves who are a result of God's curse pronounced at the Tower of Babel, and thus the resultant dispersion of peoples around this world. And it seems that anything that has any reference to that will be forever removed. Just a couple of comments in that regard too, from the heavenly perspective and connection with the church remaining distinct. It is instructive when you go through the Book of Revelation.
Define that up until the marriage supper of the Lamb, the heavenly company is viewed as a whole, figuratively spoken of as the four and 20 elders when the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place, and it does not take place until the false church on earth is completely judged. But when it takes place, then the four and 20 elders are never mentioned again. The church, the bride, the wife, the city, it always remains distinct.
Time to I think it's helpful to understand from an earthly perspective that in the Old Testament you never really have the eternal statement. I know that sometimes it seems like it might be, but you have to notice the context. We spoke of why it's God in the eternal state. And I'm going to suggest another reason, and that is there's no need for an intermediary in the eternal state. But in the Millennium, there still will be. They'll still be the priest, they'll still be the sacrifices.
They'll be the man of God's counsels that sits on the throne, the Prince that sits on the throne of Israel, while the Lord Jesus reigns over the earth from the heaven and heavens and so on. And I just say that because I know sometimes young people have asked me concerning the 65th and the 66th chapters of the book of Isaiah, the last two chapters of Isaiah, because they're similar language used there to describe what we have. What's here. He speaks there of a new heaven and a new earth.
00:50:20
But it can't be the eternal state because when you read the context, there's still the priesthood, there's still Israel as a distinct nation, which I don't believe has been said that you will have that in the eternal state. There's still sin and the need for a sacrifice, and there's still death, and the carcasses of those that are judged are left in the street for an abhorrent all flesh and so on. So I just say that I think it's helpful to keep that in mind when you go through the Old Testament. So the language may seem to indicate it at times.
It is the Millennium that is referred to because of the context. But here where we have the new heaven and the new earth, we find that these things are done away. And then we find as we go on here he says in verse four, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. Now often we take this verse and we apply it.
In connection with ourselves in the coming day. And that's certainly true. This verse will certainly be true of us, but not only of us. It will be true on the new earth as well. There will be no more of these things. The eyes, someone has said, is the fountain of sorrow. It's going to be dried up for eternity. They'll never be. Sorrow penetrate the that wonderful sphere on the new earth again.
And so, yes, we can read this at a funeral, we can think of it in a future day in connection with us as the heavenly company. But let's remember this first supplies universally and in the context perhaps even more particularly to that state of things that will be so that will dwell on the new earth.
I'd like to make a comment too on, uh, verse three and six of the Tabernacle of God.
Umm, remember a number of years ago we had this chapter at a conference in Denver and the comment was made that I really enjoyed it was that the root word for Tabernacle is the same as you have in John chapter one and verse 14?
Just to read that verse, it's a well known verse, but it says the Word was made flesh and dwelt among them, and we beheld his glory, glory his only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
When it says dwell among us, it could be translated Tabernacle of the commandments, of course, that is.
In connection with the Lord Jesus and his incarnation. But the thought has been expressed in verse three of our chapter. The Tabernacle of God is the Lord Jesus and his people united together forever is the Tabernacle of God that is with men, and He will dwell with them. I must say I enjoyed that time.
Also want to say that the Tabernacle is originally set up really was that which maintained the separation.
God was going to take the children of Israel from Egypt to the land of Canaan. And the issue that was a question was, was God going to go with them? And Moses, when they failed, he says, well, if you don't go, we don't go, you have to go with us, we can't go. And he said yes. And and the the Tabernacle was sent up in such a way as we see in Hebrews and throughout the Old Testament.
The people didn't dare enter into it the way into the holiest. The high priest went in with fear and trembling once a year, but that was to maintain a holy separation between a sinful people and God. And yet he loved them and he wanted to go with them. And then at one point the Tabernacle had to be set outside the very camp itself because of sin, but still he goes with them. This is a statement of God is, if you will. That's all done.
I didn't want it that way. That's not my heart. That was necessary because of my holiness. My desire is there be no separation of that character. I want to dwell with man, my creature, and now I can, because everything that separated was connected with sin, and all sin has been removed and all the effects of sin have been removed. Where does crying come from? Where does pain come from? They're all consequences of sin.
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But when the new creation and sin is forever removed from before God, then there's absolutely nothing that would separate him. And in fact, the basis of it is seen on the day of his, the Lord's crucifixion. Because we have recorded in the Gospel that immediately upon the death of the Lord Jesus, or while he's on the cross, the veil of the temper, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. What was that? God was making an announcement that the death of my son.
Is the foundation on which this separation is going to be forever removed. And I will Tabernacle with men. There will no longer be something that a curtain that has to separate us, a holy place that has to separate us. No, my heart is going to find its satisfaction in that. I may dwell with men.
I'd like to ask a question or two if I got a chance.
Uh, in the third of revelation in the reward.
Who where this year? The one that speaks says in the the 14th verse of the third of Revelation.
Middle of earth, when it speaks, says these things, saith the Amen, the faithful, and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Now I have fought with it, that John.
Five and other verses 2 but John 5.
27 John 5.
27.
There's a because there.
John, 527.
Says 4/3/26 and 27 for the father.
Half life in himself, so has he given to have to the Son of life to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judges because he is the Son of man. That just seems to me that God gave me the victory where he looked like he could 50 feet by Satan when sin came in.
To the world, but the Son of Man, God gave us a victory over Satan as the Son of Man. What about these two verses?
Ultimately, if anything is left up to man, it's going to end up in failure. So God always has to retreat into His own power and sovereignty to act, and the only man through which He can act to fulfill His purposes is His Son.
Both to give life and to judge righteously, to fulfill as you have in John 5, his purposes. And so I think what you say is true, Clem. That. And it's seen in the sense that the only way that God can bring about what he wants in his own heart that we have is he can't do it through the faithfulness of man, but he can do it through His Son. Yeah. And so he does do it through this time.
There's a reason for saying that because he is the Son of man. That's Jesus. He, God, has gained the victory in the Son of Man. He lost it in the first Adam. He gained it in the last, and there'd never be another one.
In Revelation 3, the verse I think particularly connects itself with the fact that in the history of the church as a witness for God on earth.
It ultimately reaches the condition in which the Lord Himself is seen on the outside, and the only way that a continued testimony for God can be given in the earth, as if He retreats, if you will, to that position of testimony that He gives in creation. Because Laodicea, the Lord, is seen not inside with a bunch of corruption as some of the previous states of it, but the Lord has seen on the outside of it, completely knocking on the door. Will you let me in?
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So how can a testimony to the earth be given in such a condition? Well, God has never left Himself without testimony to man. From the beginning of creation, He has always been able to speak to man. As the 19th Psalm tells us, the glory declares His. His speaks to man even though there's not a physical voice. Every man who has ever lived has had the testimony of God in creation and will have to answer to it.
If he had no other, or if man and responsibility failed in his testimony, still God has a right and will act because He since He created man, He's never been without testimony to man. In the darkest of man's history, there's always been a testimony from God.
Can I ask a question regarding your school and verse 9? Just wondering why the difference is there.
The great city, the holy City, Jerusalem. I believe that the Holy City Jerusalem is coming down 1000 years later in the second year at the holding city New Jersey.
New Jerusalem and college translator.
I'm going to give a general remark. It's not a full answer to your question, but it came up recently at home.
The easiest way to get confused about the Book of Revelation is to try to force the sequence.
There are many things in the Book of Revelation in which God describes something and then he tells us how he arrives at it.
So you can't properly understand, you can't understand the songs either. Very often in the songs, in the first verse or two of the songs, God describes something and then he tells us how through the rest of the song, how we arrive at that. I'm going to call it conclusion or result. And the revelation is not properly seen by starting in chapter one and going to chapter 2 and try to make it all look right on a sequential timeline.
There are multiple. In fact it goes to Chapter 11 and starts over in a sense.
In the end of Chapter 11, to give us a certain view of things with specific things that God has to deal with, and sometimes, for example, He will tell us like in Chapter 7, how He is going to preserve His elect.
As things pass through the verses which follow or the chapters which follow. And so I just as a general remark, to enjoy the revelation, I think you have to be very careful not to force the timeline on it, even though there are definite things that are stated to us in a sequential order.
And for myself, verse two of this chapter is telling us something that will still be seen in eternity even as it's seen in the Millennium. It's to show us that that which is to be described later in the chapter will also be there when eternity comes.
We don't understand.
Where there is no time. And I think part of our problem sometimes stems from the fact that we try to understand eternity from our vantage point in time.
And I have had to say that I've been challenged on that. And I realize I don't really understand eternity that much, but it is where there is no time. What is eternity?
As Isaiah 57.
High and.
Lofty one who inhabits eternity, God inhabits eternity. Habitation of God.
01:05:09
I suggest too, she's described as new in the eternal state. Well, for one reason he makes all things new if he sums it up. But not only that, but not new in the sense of it being something different or something new introduced.
But new in the sense of there being no deterioration. And so we look at something, it might be 20 years old, but we say, boy, that's been well preserved. It looks like brand new. Well, the, the bride and the eternal state should just be brand new and shall they'll never be any deterioration there. And so I suggest that's one reason why that she's referred to as being new, not made over, not, not something new introduced, but new in her.
Her bridal beauty and affection to the heart of Christ. That's why I like to say sometimes it's characteristic. Yeah, yeah. That's what's characteristic of that creation. Before we close, I know our time is gone unless we miss it by going on next reading meeting. I just want to make a comment about the seventh verse. I know it's jumping ahead a little bit, but I know Don's exercise was to take up the later verses. Particularly. It says he that overcometh shall inherit. If you notice Mr. Darby's translation, it's these things.
When you go back to the second and third chapters of Revelation, you find that there's an overcomer in each of the seven assemblies that John writes to. And when John writes to the overcomer there, it's overcoming in connection with some specific situation in each assembly, and a specific promise given to each overcomer in relationship to the difficulty in the situation that had come in to each assembly. But here is, I believe, something a little more general.
What are these things? Well, the things we've been Speaking of, brethren, we're going to be part of this scene. We're going to inherit these things. And what is the overcoming here? I just want to make this little suggestion that it's not so much something specific, it's more just the daily grind of life. I know there are brethren here, and you just get weary with life, don't you? You see things deteriorating down here. We see the condition in the world.
We see the condition amongst the people of God and you just say how can we go on with the daily grind of life personally in the family, often in the assembly. He says if you keep this in peace and you will overcome. This is what is ahead and rather that's why we need to keep these things ahead. We're going on to a day where there'll be no daily grind of life anymore. There's not going to be the problems and the difficulty.
It's not going to be the things that send us home from the meeting in tears because of some situation amongst the people of God. There's going to be no more separation through death and so on. And if we can keep the glory in view and what is ahead and what it's going to mean to His heart to have us there and to share that glory and display us in that coming day, rather than that's what's going to give us the courage to overcome so that we might inherit these things.
Could we sing #48?
#48 high in the Father's house above. And then verse 3. All taint of sin shall be removed, all evil done away #48.
In the Father's house forward nights and day.
Umm.
Flexible pride and.
01:10:04
Our new life.
Let's give thanks.
Gracious God our Father, we thank Thee for this. Start reading meetings in this meeting. The new heaven and the new earth.
Oh, what a subject it is.