" The Church of the Living God " 2 Tim. 3:15)
The testimony in which the faithful are called to walk in the last days, has a two-fold character: first, a witness to the unity of the body of Christ, formed by the Holy Ghost sent down at Pentecost; secondly, the whole church having failed, the character of a remnant in maintaining this testimony, and this too in the midst of a great Baptized House, the responsible body here on earth, commonly called "Christendom." This testimony can never aim to be more than one to the failure of the Church of God as set up by Him. The more true to Christ the remnant of His people are, the more will they be a witness to the present state of the Church of God and not to its state as first displayed.
Now there is found in the Word of God, for example and comfort, a faith which counts upon Him and His divine intervention in the face of man's failure: a faith that finds itself sustained by God according to the power and blessings of the dispensation, and according to the first thoughts of His heart when He set up all in primary power. He connects that power and the Lord's own presence with the faith of the few who act on the truth provided for the present moment, even though the administration of the whole is not in operation according to the order which God set up at the beginning.
For example, the blessing of Asher in Deut. 33:24-2524And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. 25Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. (Deuteronomy 33:24‑25), ends with these lovely words: " As thy days, so shall thy strength be "; and all went to ruin, as the history of Israel unfolds. Yet, at the first coming of Christ, when the godly pious remnant of the people were " waiting for the consolation of Israel," we find one of that same tribe, " Anna a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser [Asher], a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day," in the enjoyment and power of that blessing of Moses; " so shall thy strength be." And the Lord Christ Himself became identified with that obscure remnant, of which she was one, a remnant who were ready to receive Him when first He came.
The returned remnant of Judah, too, in all the weakness of those who could pretend to nothing but the occupation of the divine platform of God's earthly people; to them we find these comforting words addressed, " I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not." Their faith is recalled to that mighty day of power, when Jehovah " bore them on eagles' wings and brought them to Himself " and removed their shoulders from the burdens of Egyptian bondage. Undimmed in power, He was with them, just the same, for faith to claim and use. No outward displays were theirs; but His Word and Spirit, which proved His presence to faith, wrought in that feeble few: to them is revealed the shaking of all things (Heb. 12. 27) and the coming of Him who would make the " latter glory " of His house greater than the " former." They are thus the link between the Temple of the palmy days of Solomon and that of the day of coming glory, when He shall sit " a Priest upon His throne," and the counsel of peace shall be between Jehovah and Him, and He shall bear the glory. (Zech. 6:12, 1312And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, 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: 13Even 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: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:12‑13); Hag. 2:7-97And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. 9The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:7‑9)).
He will shake the heavens and the earth and overthrow the throne of kingdoms (Hag. 2:21-2321Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; 22And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:21‑23)), thus identifying all His power with the small remnant of His people who walk in company with His mind. He will make all to come and worship before their feet and know that He has loved them.
Thus, too, those who answer to the calling which suits His mind, as seen in Philadelphia (Rev. 3); who are true to that which, though not a perfect state of things, is suited to the state of failure which 116 contemplates; He makes them the link, the silver cord, between the Church of the past as set up at Pentecost (Acts 2) and the Church of the glory (Rev. 21:99And 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 hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9)). The over-comer will be made " a pillar in the temple of His God," in the " new Jerusalem " on high.
Let me here remark that there never was, and never can be, a moment when that which answers to this calling, will cease till the Lord comes. In the moral picture presented in these two chapters (Rev. 2 and 3), we find all the seven features together at any moment, as they were when He sent the messages, and remaining so. In the dark ages and those of more light in later days, and now at the end before He comes, all everywhere who answer with perfect heart to the measure of truth which He has given them; such are morally Philadelphia. Others may have more light, but the true heart that walks with Christ in what it knows, is known of Him and is what is contemplated in Philadelphia. Historically there is an unfolding in the state of each of the seven Churches, each larger feature coming into prominence and presenting the salient characteristics of the professing Church, till the Church becomes a remnant in the message to Thyatira and develops into those which follow. But morally Philadelphia represents those who answer to Christ's heart at all times and in all circumstances since the Lord gave those messages, till His threat-" I will spew thee out of my mouth "-is finally executed. In the historical view, Philadelphia comes in after Sardis and is exhorted to " hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown "; but as long as His voice is heard by faithful souls, such, wherever found, form the link between the Church at Pentecost and the Bride, the Lamb's wife in the day of the glory. Every moral state in all the seven messages remains from the beginning to the very end. There are at this moment, as at the beginning, those who have left their first love; and those who suffer for Christ: and those who are faithful where Satan's seat is, and so on to the conclusion of the whole.
Besides all this, we should never forget that John is watching over the decay of that which Paul unfolded, and telling us what Christ will do with that which bears His Name. For our own path we get no directions but to listen, and " hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches" for we do not find church ground unfolded here. It is not John's province to treat of this. John never gives us corporate things, but individual, and never instructs us as to the Church of God, although fully recognizing its existence. When we are therefore grounded and settled in that which never fails-the one Body of Christ, formed and maintained by the Spirit of God on earth, as taught by Paul, we may turn with deep profit to John and these messages, and learn what Christ will do with all that bears His Name. But from Paul alone can I learn what I am to do in the midst of such a scene, and how I am to be an " overcomer " according to the mind of the Lord, which never can be by abandoning that which His Spirit maintains on earth.
How important therefore to be thoroughly grounded in the truths of the Church of God, which remains as long as God's Spirit remains and His Word abides: " till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:1313Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:13))
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