The Church and Prophecy: August 2006

A shout!
A glorious presence in the azure sky
A gasp!
A thrill of joy
And we are with Him in the twinkling of an eye!

A glance!
An upward look!
Caught up to be with Christ forevermore!
The dead alive!
The living glorified!
Fulfilled are all His promises that came before!

His face!
His joy supreme!
Our souls find rapture at His feet!
Blameless!
Without a spot!
We enter into heaven’s joy complete!

Strike harps!
Oh, sound His praise —
We know Him as we never knew before!
God’s love!
God’s matchless grace!
’Twill take eternity to tell while we adore!

“The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Little children live for the present moment: Given a promise of something future, they expect it immediately. Many adults in the present world live for the immediate gratification of their desires, saying, “Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we [shall] die.”

While some are concerned about the long-term future of planet earth, the majority are only worried about current events like storms and wars that personally affect them or their loved ones. Sadly, what comes after this life is often of little concern, and the thought that God’s Son may return in their lifetime to execute judgment on them is, to them, not worth thinking about.

The Christian is given, by the Lord, a present and blessed hope concerning the future, which even death cannot take away. He is taught of God to live the present in view of the future. To warn, to encourage and to direct our present lives, God has told us about future events. He has shared with us His plans for the glory of His Son. He has taught us to turn “to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to await His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from among the dead, Jesus, our deliverer from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:9-10 JND).

The scriptural use of the term “prophecy” is in no way confined to foretelling events, nor is that its primary significance. It includes any communication which God saw fit to make either to His own people or to any of the nations. God said to Abimelech concerning Abraham, “He is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee” (Gen. 20:7). Aaron was called the prophet of Moses (Ex. 7:1). God’s power came at times upon individuals who were not recognized as prophets, and they prophesied, as, for instance, Saul in 1 Samuel 10:1011. Prophecy became in Israel the means, through mercy, of God’s communication to the people when the priesthood with Urim and Thummim had utterly broken down. It came in by Samuel. Elijah and Elisha prophesied in the midst of apostate Israel. Nathan and John the Baptist were also prophets.

New Testament Prophets

In the New Testament we read that Philip had four virgin daughters who “prophesied,” and Agabus foretold that Paul would be bound at Jerusalem and be delivered to the Gentiles (Acts 21:9-11). Prophesying is, however, in the New Testament also used in a different sense. The word means “to speak forth,” and a prophet may, therefore, be described as a spokesman of God. Prophecy of this kind is a gift in the church for the edifying of the saints, bringing God’s Word with power upon their consciences and hearts (1 Cor. 14:15).

The Lord Jesus was emphatically the prophet of God. When on earth He said that the works which He did and the words that He spoke were not from Himself but were what He had seen and heard of His Father. He was the perfect exponent of God’s mind to the Jews and the proclaimer of God’s grace to a guilty world.

Prophetic Scripture

Prophecy usually implied a ruined state of things among God’s people, calling for His intervention. Some of the prophecies are appeals, reminding the people of what God had done for them and declaring how willing and ready He was to bless them if they would be faithful to Him, though interwoven with this are constant predictions of that which will be for the blessing of Israel in the future, after they have for the time been set aside. Others strictly allude to events which were then or are still future.

In Romans 16:26 the writings of the New Testament are spoken of as “prophetic scriptures,” and the assembly is built on the foundation laid by the apostles and New Testament prophets (Eph. 2:20), that is, the truth taught by them. To the Old Testament prophecies may be added those in the Gospels, the Epistles and the Revelation, which illuminate the judgments of God upon apostate Christendom and the nations generally, the final overthrow of Satan, and universal blessing, ending with the judgment of the dead and a glorious outlook into the eternal state.

The Scope of Prophecy

The scope of all prophecy takes us on to the day of the Lord, during which time we have the judgment of the nations and of the wicked in Israel, the establishment of the kingdom, and the reunion of Israel and Judah under the Lord their righteousness. The nations are regarded more or less according to their relations with the twelve tribes. This recovery and blessing by God of His earthly people, in their Messiah, may be said to be a golden thread running through all the prophets. It was ever before God and shines out everywhere. Beyond and above all, there is God’s universal government, in which everything in heaven and on earth will be made subject to the Son of Man, who reigns in power and glory.

The Church

It is of the greatest importance, both for the right understanding of these scriptures and for a true appreciation of what Christianity is, to see that the church has no place in the prophets. In the church there is neither Jew nor Gentile, and the prophets recognize both, while carefully maintaining the distinction between them. Prophecy treats of the earth and of the government of God and its issue, while the Christian belongs to heaven, and he will reign with Christ in the kingdom.

Adapted from the Concise Bible Dictionary 

During the past 150 years there has been a renewed interest in the study of prophecy. If the result of this is to awaken the church to a sense of her own proper glory, we may expect that His saints will have an increased understanding of their hope. However, there are some difficulties that come in and some dangers that present themselves in the study of prophecy. We do well to be aware of these, in order to be on guard against them, and if possible to avoid them.

The Mind at Work

First of all, because of the natural curiosity of men’s hearts, prophecy presents itself as a field for the exercise of human learning. Because it is connected with antiquity, history and chronology, it may become merely an intellectual study. When this happens, there will be no deep tone of spirituality, and there will be nothing to establish or feed the souls of the poor of the flock. The mind tends to be at work in the truth of God, instead of being subject to it. We must remember that it is the Holy Spirit who is to “guide .  .  . into all truth” and to “show .  .  . things to come” (John 16:13). He always does this as the One who glorifies Jesus. He never diverts the soul from the person and work of the Lord. He presents things to come as vivid realities, whether blessings or judgments. But all is given in order to feed our souls and to enable us to interpret the present in the light of the future. When considering prophecy, may we always have true subjection to the patient and safe guidance of the Holy Spirit, for this will be our safeguard against the speculating habit of our natural minds.

Private Interpretation

Another danger is that of “private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). When the value of prophecy is insisted upon in Scripture (“a light that shineth in a dark place”), the caution is also given: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21). Some seek to solve the present aspect of political events by the study of prophecy. However, it is the Holy Spirit who inspired, and it is He alone who can interpret. His interpretation will not be an isolated fact, but that which connects things with the glory of Christ. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). This is a principle of the deepest importance. Man seeks to interpret prophecy in the light of passing events, but he who is led of the Spirit connects everything with the revealed purposes of God. God is steadily pursuing His course towards His gathering “together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth” (Eph. 1:10). Private interpretation is the regarding of any event marked in prophecy apart from its connection with the counsel of God. In such a case, the event itself will take on more significance than the counsel of God in the event. Let us have God’s purposes in view, and then prophecy will have its proper effect on us.

God’s Present Purposes

There is a third danger in the study of prophecy, namely, the improper understanding of the present purposes of God concerning the church. The recognition of the present special relationship of the Holy Spirit to the church is a preliminary necessary to prophetic study, and the lack of this recognition may account for much of the difficulty and danger in that study. Surely the Holy Spirit had testified beforehand the suffering of Christ and the glories to follow, but until the purpose of God as to the church was distinctly revealed, He could not guide into all truth. Now He is not only able to show us “things to come,” but He is also able to make them a present reality to the soul. If we have only a vague understanding of what the church is — its calling, its privileges, its destiny — we will find ourselves unable to appreciate the scope of prophecy.

The church is the great subject of the Holy Spirit today, but this does not interfere with, nullify or supersede the announced purposes of God. Rather, it affirms them. Thus it is of all importance to look out at the future from a church position. We must understand that while prophecy is for the church, it is not about the church. Prophecy deals with God’s purposes for the earth and always concerns the earth. The church is a heavenly company, and thus the period during which she is on earth is not reckoned in prophetic time. This explains why prophecy often takes events that are to take place after the church is called home and places them directly following events that occur up to the beginning of the church period. The church is to expect the Lord’s coming at any moment, and thus her time on earth is not the subject of prophecy. It is as if God “stopped the clock” of prophetic time when the church was formed, and then He starts it again after the Lord takes it home. Unless this is clearly understood, great confusion may result.

If the higher truth of the church is not apprehended, the very truth of God will become disproportioned and disjointed and will tend to unsettle rather than establish the soul. To look at the future may be deeply interesting, but it must be done by those to whom the riches of God’s grace have already been made known by the Holy Spirit. When the heart has been established with grace, the understanding of glory will not be accompanied with that amazement that tends to unsettle the soul. When the church looks at the future from her own proper position, danger and difficulty are removed, and she can unselfishly connect everything with her own risen Head.

The Right Spirit

Finally, there is the danger of our not having our minds disciplined, so as to enter on the study of prophecy in the right spirit — the spirit of Him who wept over Jerusalem. The closure of this present age is fearfully portrayed in Scripture, and to consider this requires preparation of soul. Focusing on the final development of evil tends to self-complacency, harshness of judgment and legality. Scripture shows us that the great professing body of Christendom is to be cut off, because they have not continued in the goodness of God. The safeguard of Christians, then, is continuance in the goodness of God. Then they will discern that nothing is manifested at the close of the age that was not already working in the beginning, when there was apostolic power to discern the evil and provide the safeguard.

When Paul opens to Timothy the perils of the last days, he solemnly charges him to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2) and to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). When Peter closes his exposure of the awful ungodliness of the last days, he gives this safeguard, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). When Jude testifies of the terrible evil that is coming, he thus guards the saints: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20-21). Even in the Old Testament, many of the prophets had to endure painful discipline to train them to study the future in a right way. By such training the conscience is exercised before God. Then, however awful may be the evil spoken of, the soul exercised before God can see in itself roots which, if unrestrained, would lead to the same evil. This causes the soul to become more rooted in grace and to experience more what a debtor it is to grace. Thus the firmest protest against evil becomes linked with personal lowliness. This in turn produces self-judgment, along with sympathy and intercession for those who may for the moment be helping on the evil. The way of God in these last days, to enable us to meet the growing evil, is practically to unfold to us the deeper resources of His grace, for the study of evil by itself is most injurious to the soul. The recognition of the faithfulness of God will lead us outside of the evil around us, while being a testimony to it of the grace of God. In addition, from this vantage point, we will be found surveying more and more the graces and glories of Christ.

G. V. Wigram, adapted from

The Present Testimony, Vol. 1, pp. 197-214

If we regard Christ as God regards Him, prophecy becomes sanctifying to the soul. If we regard prophecy apart from Christ’s glory, the mind is filled with unwholesome speculation.

J. N. Darby, Keys to Prophecy 

The addresses to the seven churches have an unusual character that is in keeping with the church’s testimony down here. They relate to the history of the church on earth, not in heaven, and have to do with its responsibility before the Lord as a witness on the earth. Because it subsists on earth as owned of God, certain things connected with it are predicted. In His wisdom God selects seven churches in Asia which afforded the moral character of the states into which the church would successively fall and gives His moral judgment of these states. There is no mention of its relationship to God as Father and no mention of God’s grace in meeting the saints in their need and failure — all that is left for other scriptures. Rather, we see the Lord as judge in respect of that which professes to bear His name.

A Heavenly Calling

The church has a heavenly calling, and her hopes are all centered in heaven. Her home is there, and her character in this world is that of a pilgrim and a stranger. More than this, her affections are focused on Christ who is in heaven, and as His bride she ardently waits for Him to come and take her to Himself. Prophecy, on the other hand, is for the earth and deals with God’s purposes on earth. For these reasons, the church is not the subject of prophecy, and her time in this world is not reckoned in prophetic time. The church is not viewed in connection with the earth until she is displayed with Christ and takes part in the government of the earth. This will not take place until the marriage of the Lamb has taken place, the millennial kingdom is established, and the church is seen as “the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:10).

However, we must remember that while the church is not the subject of prophecy, it is vital to view prophecy from an understanding of the truth of the church. Paul could say to Timothy, “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (2 Tim. 2:7). An understanding of the church and its peculiar position in the purposes of God is crucial to an understanding of prophecy, and indeed of all the ways of God. Thus the Book of Revelation is written for the church, even if it is not mainly about the church. Although the book mainly concerns “things which must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1), John was told to “write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 1:19). These are the three parts of the book. The things which John had seen are found in the first chapter, for Jesus Christ has already been “the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:5). He has already “washed us from our sins in His own blood” and has “made us kings and priests unto God and His Father” (Rev. 1:56). In chapters 23 we have the “things which are” — the Lord’s judgment of the church in responsibility as a testimony. Then, beginning with chapter 4, we have “things which shall be hereafter.”

It is fitting that God speaks to the church both at the beginning and at the end of the book, for it is to her that the book is mainly addressed. At the beginning, she is addressed in responsibility, while at the end she is reminded of her blessed relationship with her bridegroom. At the beginning the Lord takes His place as judge, for “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17), while at the end He takes His place as “Jesus  .  .  .  the bright and morning star” (Rev. 22:16). As to the addresses to the seven churches in chapters 23, there is a twofold message in them.

A Twofold Message

First of all, these were seven actual assemblies going on in Asia at the time that John wrote. Certain conditions existed in each of the assemblies addressed which the Lord saw and caused John to write to them for their benefit. Similar conditions can exist in any assembly of believers, at any time. God intends us to take this to heart, for declension may come in very easily. The church is left on earth to be a testimony for God. Here in these remarks to the seven churches, the Lord is acting as judge and giving His estimate of the state of each assembly that professed to be His testimony. In Laodicea we have what is false, yet still takes the place of God’s testimony in the earth; it is obnoxious to the Lord and is spued out of His mouth. This will not, of course, take place until after all true believers have been taken up at the Lord’s coming. When the false church has been judged, God will bring Israel back into blessing again and once more establish them as His testimony on the earth.

A Panoramic View

However, there is another message for us in what is said to these assemblies. It is evident that the seven churches, taken in the order in which they are given, are a panoramic view of the various epochs in the church’s history. It was not intended to give the church a “preview” of her history, but rather to speak to her heart and conscience about her state throughout her history. The church is always to have the present hope of the Lord’s coming for His saints at any moment. We, who live, can always and rightly speak of ourselves as “we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord.” It is only at the end of this dispensation that God has allowed us to see the whole prophetic significance of these addresses. Now, when the church period is almost finished, God has permitted us to see how He foresaw all that would happen in the church testimony during its history and has given His evaluation of it.

The Church’s Prophetic History

Ephesus gives us the state of the church right after the apostles had been taken home — a carefulness to do everything right, but leaving their first love. Love is the basis of our relationship with the Lord in Christianity and must be maintained. This early departure paved the way for every other evil that came along later. Smyrna pictures the period of savage persecution that took place under the Roman Empire during the second and third centuries A.D. There were ten distinct periods of persecution, and many were “faithful unto death” during this time. But then Constantine became emperor in 325 A.D., and he professed to be a Christian. He made Christianity the official religion of the empire and constrained many to be baptized as Christians. This state of things is typified in Pergamos. Although the persecution ceased, it was the beginning of a downward course for the church, for she became allied with the world. This condition of things eventually degenerated further into Roman Catholicism, with its hierarchies of officials, bad doctrine and awful persecution of all who did not submit to its dictates. The church was not only part of the world, but actually ruled the world. This condition of things is described in the address to Thyatira — a condition which continued almost unchallenged until approximately 1500 A.D. Surely the Lord had His own faithful ones during this time, often referred to as the Dark Ages, but for the most part Rome held sway over Europe. When the condition of the testimony had degenerated to this point, there was no hope of full recovery, and thus the various conditions described in Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea coexist until the Lord’s return.

Sardis brings before us, not the Reformation, but that which came out of the Reformation. No doubt the Reformation was of God, but Protestantism, or quiet settlement in the world, has a name to live, but is dead. The restoration of the precious truth of the gospel in the Reformation was succeeded by deadness and formalism. But early in the nineteenth century God graciously interposed Philadelphia, a people conscious of what the church is and what it means to Christ. Before the Lord they are willing to keep His Word and not deny His name. The Lord has a special message for them, and perhaps there is no greater word of encouragement in the entire Word of God than that which is found in Revelation 3:12.

Finally, there is Laodicea, where lukewarmness is combined with worldliness, pride and self-satisfaction. God’s assessment is different, for He discerns only poverty, blindness, misery and nakedness. The end result is that it is spued out of Christ’s mouth, no doubt a reference to the awful end of the false church that seeks to take the place of that which is true.

The Blessed Hope

The knowledge of the course of events that the church has passed through and succeeding judgments from the Lord is helpful in understanding the end of things on earth. But they have no bearing on the blessed hope of being called to be with Christ in glory. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. Our place is to respond in kind. Affection for Him is everything.

In Revelation 1:9 (JND), John describes himself as being “your brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and patience, in Jesus.” It is this character of walk that was forgotten by the church, as evidenced in at least six, if not all, of the seven churches. The church has been called to share Christ’s glory, but that calling is never apart from suffering down here. We must be willing to be a partaker in the kingdom and patience of Jesus, while waiting for Him to be manifested in glory, and we with Him. May we take to heart what God has said and apply it faithfully in our own lives.

W. J. Prost

The relationship of the church with Christ causes the Holy Spirit to remain in it and communicate the needed light on its position, while waiting for the Lord. Although it is not the subject of prophecy, yet in one respect, while subsisting as owned of God, certain things connected with it are predicted. For instance, its decay and corruption is described as a present moral warning, but this passes into mere apostate wickedness, as a distinct object of judgment.

J. N. Darby, Keys to Prophecy 

The movement entitled “Messianic Judaism” has been around since the middle of the nineteenth century, although some of its adherents claim that it began with believing Jews in the first century A.D. Among some there has been increasing interest in the movement during the past forty years, while others wonder why it exists and what it stands for.

As God began to work among believers in the nineteenth century to restore the truth of the church, interest in prophecy increased. An examination of prophecy gave rise to an interest in Israel and how its future would fit into the picture. It became clear that God was going to bring His ancient people back into their land again at some point and bless them during Christ’s glorious kingdom reign called the millennium. As a result of the preaching of the gospel at this time, a number of Jews believed in the Lord Jesus. However, while they clearly recognized that Jesus was the true Messiah, some did not want to abandon their Jewish heritage, beliefs, customs and religious rituals. Thus, various groups were formed that sought to ally belief in Jesus with Judaism and ultimately to bring Judaism and Christianity together.

Their Practices and Beliefs

Today there are quite a number of these groups, with a wide range of practices and beliefs. Some embrace practically all of the same truths as evangelical Christians, while believing that God wants the Jewish people to remain distinct. Others emphasize Jewish customs more and follow at least some parts of Jewish law. However, all of these groups have some beliefs in common.

They all believe that Jesus was the true Messiah and Saviour. However, they do not believe that Jesus came to begin “another religion,” but rather simply to fulfill the Old Testament promises to Israel. They believe in the new covenant which will bring Israel into blessing on earth. They believe that God now allows Gentiles to trust in Him and that such Gentiles can be “grafted into Israel” (see Rom. 11:17) by that same new covenant. They even refer to these saved Jews and Gentiles as “the church” or “called out” ones, but all within the framework of a better Israel.

Most Messianic Jews do not use the “Christian” label, but rather label themselves in a manner that reflects their Jewish identity. They call their places of worship congregations or synagogues, and they call their leaders rabbis. Worship services are usually held on Saturday, in keeping with the Jewish belief in the Sabbath. They typically display Menorahs and Stars of David as symbols, and they often use the Hebrew Torah scrolls in their services. They wear traditional Jewish clothing, recite traditional Jewish prayers, and celebrate Jewish holidays and feasts such as the Passover. (Some celebrate a so-called “Christian” version of the Passover, where Jesus is the main focus.) Many continue to observe the Jewish dietary laws and practice circumcision of male children.

The Orthodox Jews

As might be expected, the Messianic Jewish movement is not accepted by the Orthodox Jewish community, which refers to them as “former Jews.” Orthodox Jews do not recognize Jesus as the true Messiah and continue to expect Him to come. Also, the Messianic Jewish movement is not generally accepted by Jews who have converted to Christianity. Jews who have become Christians generally refer to themselves as Christians. They are connected with Christian places of worship and are assimilated into the Christian mainstream.

Distinguishing Judaism From Christianity

What does the Word of God say about such a movement? Before commenting on it from Scripture, we must point out with sadness that failure among Gentile Christians has tended to foster a desire to return to Judaism and its principles. Instead of displaying the proper character and heavenly calling of the church, many believers today have settled down in this world. A large number of Christian groups have adopted practices of worship and service that have a Jewish flavor, such as a ritualistic form of service, beautiful buildings, instrumental music and a priesthood distinct from that which encompasses all believers. Thus, it is not surprising that Jewish believers pick up on this and carry it a step further. Even more serious is an attitude of anti-Semitism that continues to exist even among some Christians, making it difficult for Jewish believers to be assimilated into the Christian community. Many Jewish believers feel that Gentile believers have misunderstood and even ignored Israel’s position before God and that they have not spent much time in the Old Testament. Indeed, one Messianic Jew commented:

“Most of our Jewish people only read and learn from the writings of the Torah. The church mostly spends time in the Brit Hadasha (New Covenant). Through correlating these books, Messianic Judaism presents more depth in understanding and knowledge.”

Thus, those who subscribe to Messianic Judaism feel that God is working through them to bring believing Jews and Gentiles together to have a common hope. This hope is based, however, on identification with the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

If we look into the Word of God, we see that some of the thoughts connected with Messianic Judaism are true. It is true that God is working today among both Jews and Gentiles, for He has “made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Eph. 2:14). It is true that much of the church has ignored God’s promises to Israel and that the church often does not understand the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning Israel. As a result, Old Testament prophecies of blessing are applied to the church when they do, in fact, apply to Israel. So there is much misunderstanding on this subject, even among true believers.

However, we have to point out that there is no room in the purposes of God, as revealed in the New Testament, for a movement such as Messianic Judaism. This movement would seek to separate what was taught by those like Peter and James in the early days of the church from what was later taught by Paul. But we know that Paul was given a special revelation of the truth of the church, and the other apostles recognized this. Paul could say of himself, “I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill [complete] the word of God” (Col. 1:25). Peter could speak of “our beloved brother Paul,” but also mentions that “in all his epistles  .  .  .  are some things hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:1516). While it is true that the church began with Jewish Christians, the Jewish nation in general rejected the preaching of the gospel. Concerning the Lord Jesus, they “sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). This prophecy was fulfilled at the stoning of Stephen. As a result, God turned His attention mainly to the Gentiles. So Paul and Barnabas could say to the Jews, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). Paul continued to preach to the Jews as well as the Gentiles, but the main blessing in this dispensation has been among Gentiles, for God has said, “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25).

The New Covenant

It is not correct to say, as some Messianic Jews affirm, that the new covenant does not replace the old covenant. Rather, we read in Hebrews that “He taketh away the first [covenant], that He may establish the second” (Heb. 10:9). Also, we read in Hebrews 8:13, “In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” The old covenant was based on what man might do to gain God’s favor, and there could be no blessing under it, for all had failed, whether Jew or Gentile. All blessing, whether in heaven or in earth, must be on the ground of the new covenant — what Christ has done.

In speaking of the new covenant, we must remember that a covenant in Scripture is always for the earth and for an earthly people. Thus, the new covenant is properly with Israel, for they had failed under the old one. God is going to fulfill His promises to Abraham, but it will be done in grace on the ground of what Christ has done. However, we must be clear that the church is not in covenant relationship with God; it is a heavenly company. The church comes into the good of the new covenant, for all blessing, whether in heaven or on earth, flows from the work of Christ. That is why Paul could speak of himself as “one born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8). As a Jew he would naturally look for future blessing on earth, but as belonging to the church, he came into the blessing of the new covenant before the nation of Israel experienced it. The church is the body and bride of Christ and is not in covenant relationship with God.

The Heavenly Calling

Messianic Judaism ignores the heavenly calling of the church and places little or no emphasis on heavenly blessings. Its hopes are earthly, for they look for a reformed and regenerated Israel on earth. The church’s hope, on the other hand, is heavenly, for “our commonwealth has its existence in the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour” (Phil. 3:20 JND). Messianic Judaism places little or no importance on the Lord’s return to take us home, but rather places a great deal of emphasis on His later return to set up His kingdom.

It is clear from Scripture that God is not working today among any particular nation, tribe, language or ethnic group, but He is gathering from every nation to form His church. “In every nation; he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him” (Acts 10:35). Nor is God gathering His church on the ground of Jewish hopes and their future restoration, but rather He is gathering it for heavenly blessings. There is no doubt that once the church has been taken home to be with Christ, God will again begin to take up the cause of His earthly people Israel and will bring them back into blessing in their land. Eventually He will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him” (Eph. 1:10). For now, God recognizes unbelieving Gentiles and unbelieving Jews. However, among believers, He recognizes only the church of God. Paul could say, “Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32). If a Jew believes in Christ today, he is part of the church. As such, God wants him to enjoy all the blessings of the “heavenly calling” spoken of in Hebrews 3:1. God wants him to look forward, not to earthly blessings, but to the “heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22). May we not allow anything to dim the blessed relationship between Christ and the church, and may we not turn back again to those things which were only the “shadow of good things to come” (Heb. 10:1). W. J. Prost

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

A “more sure word of prophecy” is literally “the word of prophecy confirmed,” that is, they had seen Christ in the glory, and that confirmed the prophetic word. And, he says, ye do well to take heed unto it, “as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,” which shows what all around us is going on to.

The importance of giving heed to the prophetic word bears two characters, not only as regarding things to come, but we find also there is such a thing as the daystar arising in your hearts. Now Peter had seen the glory, and this was not the result of statements of prophecy. The first thing that we must do is to look at the day itself, to fix our eyes on the glory itself; this at once reaches all prophecy and fixes it on the heart. Peter had beheld the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory, and that was the thing that occupied his heart. The power of prophecy is the laying bare of the things that are carrying on according to the course of this world and takes them into judgment. If I know the judgment is coming and that the tares are to be burned, I shall not have anything to do with the tares. We find our Lord referring to Isaiah’s vision of the glory in John 12. When Isaiah had seen the glory, evil was brought out, and he exclaimed, “Woe is me! for .  .  .  I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). And when the unbelief and hardness of heart in the Jews is spoken of, we read in John 12:41, “These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him.” The effect of beholding the glory is to bring us to a consciousness of our position, and thus we should bring the glory of Christ to bear on our circumstances.

The grand moral importance of giving heed to the prophetic word is in separating us from this present evil world. Prophecy is a light which God holds up to the saints, that they may not only see the things which are, but see them as God sees them. Prophecy teaches us that God will judge the world in power, and it is for us now, knowing this, to judge morally what God will judge judicially.

The spirit in which we should come to the prophetic word, I should say, is in order to be better taught about the Lord Himself, than by speaking much about it. Judgment cannot be the subject for my affections to rest upon.

But there is one thing connected with the coming of Christ, and this present evil world, which may give me joy, and that is the stream of love and mercy flowing in to stop the tide of misery and wretchedness that exists.

J. N. Darby