E. C., Guelph. —Does the expression, “linked with Christ,” convey the truth taught in John 14:20?
A. —If union with Christ is meant by the phrase, the word “linked” does not express it; for while the portions of a chain are linked together, and the chain is one, still it is a unity composed of many separate links, which are not united the one to the other.
The thought in John 14:20, is not exactly union, while it approximates closely to it in many ways. Paul alone teaches the union of the members to Christ in one body by the Holy Ghost. John treats more of nature and relationship to the Father, and in the passage alluded to I believe it is oneness of nature and life which is the Lord’s thought. The Holy Ghost would be given in answer to His prayer to the Father (v. 16), and when He came He would give the consciousness of v. 20. They would know, in the oneness of nature and life with Him who had gone away, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was in the Father, they in Him and He in them. It is a consciousness produced by the Holy Ghost acting in the life they possessed in the Son. I do not believe it goes as far as the unity of the body, to which the Lord never alluded; it was only taught by Paul.
Union with Christ as a member of His body is a very real thing. It is not faith which unites to Him. Faith is the first principle of the new nature bestowed when the sinner is born of God. The Word of God has reached his conscience by the Holy Ghost’s application, and he is convicted of sin. Many exercises of heart may have to be learned until forgiveness of sins is known, and peace, but the life has been there. As a rule the Spirit of God seals the soul who has believed in Christ for remission of sins. It has set to its seal that God is true—this is what faith does, and God has set His seal on the soul that has believed. The Holy Ghost thus dwelling in the believer unites him to Christ in the heavenly places. This is as real as the union of a human body with its head (if not more so, for it is divine), all being vitalized by the same blood and soul. It does not depend on any amount of inward experiences, but on having received the Holy Ghost. This latter is a consequence on believing in Christ for remission of sins.
Typically, you find that the pillar of cloud and fire descended and took its place to lead Israel after the blood of the paschal lamb had been shed, and the question of sins and their judgment had been settled, and before they were out of Egypt by the redemption of the Red Sea (Ex. 13) historically, you find that forgiveness of sins would be followed by the gift of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2:38. Such came to pass in Acts 10:43,44. The moment the words “remission of sins” passed Peter’s lips, the Holy Ghost fell on those who heard. Acts 11:17, shows that it was the gift of the Holy Ghost-in contradistinction to the gifts or signs which then and frequently accompanied it. He was given to believers-not to sinners to make them believers: “Forasmuch, then, as God gave them the like gift, as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.” &c.
Doctrinally, you find in Rom. 3-5, that after remission of sins is known (4:6), and peace (c. v. 1), we find the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost given unto us (c. v. 5), and this even perhaps before deliverance from a state is experimentally learned (chs. 6, 7.)
I may be sure that if I have received remission of my sins by believing in Christ, I have, as a consequence, received the Holy Ghost. This being so, I need no further experience to know that I am united to Christ, for it is the Holy Ghost dwelling in me who affects this. The experience will follow the consciousness of relationship, and will be enjoyed in the cultivation of the things suited to it.
Put the thickness of a gold leaf between the body and the head and it is a corpse; and such is the union with Christ and His Church, that it is as real as that subsisting between the human body and its head! This union is by the Spirit of God. He unites living members in one body to Christ. “Linking” is a poor word, though a right thing may be meant.
“G.” —Has the first part of the seventieth week of Dan. 9:24.27 had any fulfillment?
A. The Seventy weeks are divided as follow. They refer to the period which was to elapse—taking the weeks as weeks of years i.e, 490 years=7 x 70 —from the time noted in the prophecy until the full blessing of the people of Israel, at the close of their striking and eventful history, in which they have been (as in time to come they will be), the display of the Divine Government of God on earth.
From the decree to rebuild Jerusalem by Artaxerxes, in the twentieth year of his reign, and embracing the troublous times in which the wall was re-building (7 x 7 weeks), 49 years. From the building of the wall until Messiah (7 X 62 weeks), 434. Total number of years accomplished, 483.
This leaves one week (seven years) still to come. But in. v. 26 we read: “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, and shall have nothing” (marg.).
This leaves the moment of His cutting off vague i.e., it does not confine it to the moment of the conclusion of the sixty-ninth week (i.e., 62 + 7) of years, but “after” it. This being so, the Lord’s ministry of about three and a half years, when He gathered a remnant of the people to Himself, ran on and was counted for those who received Him; while the nation refused Him, and thus the cutting off would have been for the former the middle of the seventieth week, leaving only half the week to come; but all is left vague, and purposely so. I believe that, for the remnant who were gathered, the first half of the seventieth week has gone by, while for the apostate Jews it has yet to come. Consequently, it has a double fulfillment. Just as John Baptist. was Elijah for those who had faith for it, yet Elijah has yet to come for fact (see Matt. 17:10-13; Mal. 4); so the first half for faith was fulfilled, while in fact it would still have to come.
All comes to this. The “cutting off” is left vague, so that it may be at the end of the half of the seventieth week, or not. But when you come to counting out of days, in Scripture, only the last half of the seventieth week is ever named.
The Lord’s coming for the saints may happen at any moment; and, the first half-week being, thus left vague, any period necessary (longer or shorter, as the case may be) for what has to be accomplished, may take place between the rapture of the saints and the commencement of the final events of the period of tribulation, during the three and a half years or last half-week; at its close the Lord will appear for the deliverance of His people.
The passages of Scripture where it is counted are Dan. 7:25;12. 7; Rev. 11:2,3,14;12. 6; 13:5, 11.
When Messiah was out off at the Cross and got no kingdom, sixty-nine and a-half weeks were gone for the true saints, Sixty-nine weeks only for the apostates. Then comes in the great heavenly Church parenthesis, when all time has ceased to be counted; because the Jews are set aside, and God is gathering a heavenly Church—the body of Christ—to which times and seasons do not belong. When that is accomplished He turns again to time, the earth, and the Jew. Half a week only then has to come, the last of the seventieth, for those who had received Him; a whole week for those who did not. The conclusion of it will bring in the full blessing of Israel.