The Key to Prophecy
The glory of God is the object and end of all God’s dealings with men.
All God’s counsels in respect to His glory are known in Christ and find their display in the various ways His glory is revealed.
Whatever the Holy Spirit communicates has but one object: the glory of Christ.
Whatever phase of truth the Holy Spirit brings under our notice only derives its importance from its bearing on Christ’s glory, and what concerns Christ’s glory calls forth the affections of those who love Him.
The glory of Christ is the only proper subject to exercise the spiritual intelligence of His own.
All prophecy has for its object the glory of Christ, except so far as it relates to His sufferings.
The right understanding of what is due to Christ’s glory unlocks prophecy.
Prophecy has to do with Israel rather than with the church. The church is a revelation from God, kept secret while Israel was owned as God’s people. The calling of Israel was with a view of showing forth Christ’s glory on earth.
The calling of the church was to show forth Christ’s glory in the heavens. Both the church and Israel are to exhibit divine government coupled with divine affections. Both the church and Israel have failed utterly to do this hitherto.
The Jews and the Gentiles are subjects of prophecy, but not the object of it. Christ is the object. The various subjects become important as they radiate to or from Him, the center.
The church is not a subject of prophecy.
The church’s relation to Christ and Israel’s relation to Christ open out different spheres of Christ’s glory. To confound them is to falsify both and to nullify Christ’s glory in each.
Where the affections to Christ are right, the understanding of what is due to Him becomes clear.
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.
Prophecy is the revelation of God’s ways for accomplishing His glory in Christ.
Christ is the Head of creation, which includes angels. But the three great spheres in which Christ’s glory is displayed are the church, the Jews and the Gentiles.
Excerpts from Keys to Prophecy