In Revelation 21:9 we get a most magnificent description, in figurative language, of the glory of the church during this period. She is spoken of as “the Bride, the Lamb’s wife,” but viewed as a beautiful city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, and having the glory of God. All manner of precious stones, pearls, and gold, the most valuable objects in the eyes of men, are used to convey its glory to our minds; the wall, denoting security and salvation, being a prominent feature. It contains no temple; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Neither does it need the sun or moon; they are eclipsed by the glory of God, and the Lamb is the light (or lamp) thereof. The earth is radiant with its glory, the nations walking in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into (to) it. And the gates are always open; there is no night there. The glory and honor of the nations shall also be brought into (to) it. All evil is forever excluded, and only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life enter its glorious precincts.
A heavenly river of water of life, clear as crystal, shall flow out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life, with twelve kinds of fruits, yielding monthly, and leaves for the healing of the nations, will be found there also (Rev. 22:1-2).
His servants shall serve Him, shall see His face — blessed, blessed portion! — and His name shall be in their foreheads, and they shall reign to the age of ages (Rev. 22:3-5); they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light.
In this coming day of glory and blessing, Israel, who are now scattered, but will then, as we have seen, have been gathered back to their own land, will have the first place among the nations, and Jerusalem become the metropolis of the whole earth.
One of the first acts of the reign, of Christ will be the erection of a magnificent temple; “Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD (or Jehovah); even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne” (Zech. 6:12-3). From the Ezekiel 40 to Ezekiel 42, we have a full description of this glorious building, and its measurements, and it shall be “called an house of prayer for all people” (Isa. 56:7).
One remarkable feature connected with this will be the restoration of the Jewish sacrifices and worship by the ordinance of God. A number of details are given in Ezekiel 45-46, and both the burnt, meat, drink, sin and peace offerings expressly mentioned. And “in those days ... . David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before Me to offer burnt-offerings, and to kindle meat-offerings, and to do sacrifice continually” (Jer. 33:16-18). “And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meat-offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord” (Jer. 17:26). “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him ... . their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine-altar” (Isa. 56:6-7).
These in no way deny or detract from the one perfect offering of the Lamb of God, and the infinite value of His precious blood, which cleanseth us from all sin (Heb. 10:10-14; 1 John 1:7), but will point back to that offering as those of old pointed forwards. Men, biased by system, early teaching, and so on, are often slow to accept the truth of this; but there it is in the Word of God, and what the Lord has spoken He will surely perform.
(Continued and to be continued)