The Church as the House of God

"House of God" is an
expression often used by people to denote a church building. However, the
following verses show us that the house of God is not a structure of wood,
brick, and stone, but a building whose "stones" are people.

"You also, as living stones,
are built up a spiritual house" (1 Pet. 2:5).

"Do you not know that you are
the temple of God?" (1 Cor. 3:16).

"You … are builded together
for a habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22).

"The house of God … is the
Church of the living God" (1 Tim. 3:15). The Church, as we have noted
previously, is a body of people, namely, all who have received Christ as
Saviour and Lord (Acts 2:47).

This temple or building or house
of God does not simply grow by the addition of new members, that is, new
converts to Christ. But like a living organism, all parts of it grow. As the
individual "living stones" grow spiritually and mature in the faith
(Eph. 4:12-16; Col. 1:10; 2:19; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18), the entire house
grows.

The house of God is the dwelling
place of God. In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the holy of holies, the inner
sanctuary of the tabernacle or temple of Israel. Access to that inner room was
guarded by a heavy curtain or veil (Exod. 26:33). Only one person—the high
priest—was permitted into that most holy place, and only once a year on the Day
of Atonement (Lev. 16:2,29; Heb. 9:7).

One of the wonderful things that
happened when Christ died on the cross was that "the veil of the temple
was rent in two from the top to the bottom" (Matt. 27:51). This miraculous
event signified a new order for God’s people, who now have "boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way …
through the veil, that is to say, His flesh" (Heb. 10:20).

But there is a blessing that seems
to go beyond even that just described of boldness to enter into the holiest.
The members of the Church, the body of Christ, in a sense actually form
the most holy place, "the temple of God," the dwelling place of God
in the Person of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). This is awesome and most
humbling! No wonder the Church is exhorted so often to be holy (Rom. 6:11,19;
12:1; 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 5:26; 1 Thess. 4:3,4,7; 1 Tim. 2:15; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2:21;
Heb. 12:10,14; 1 Pet. 1:15,16)! "The temple of God is holy, which temple
you are" (1 Cor. 3:17).

 

A different emphasis is placed on
the house of God in 1 Tim. 3:15:"The house of God … is … the pillar
and ground of the truth." Let us understand clearly that the house of God
or the Church is not the source of the truth. Jesus declared, "I
am .. the truth," "Thy Word is truth," and "The Spirit
of truth … will guide you into all truth" (John 14:6; 17:17; 16:13). The
house of God is, first of all, the "pillar" on which the truth is
inscribed and proclaimed before the world. Telephone and power poles are
frequently used today to post notices about yard sales, lost cats, and upcoming
events. So pillars were used in olden days for the same purpose. God intends
that His house serve as a means by which the truth of His Word and the
revelation of His own character be proclaimed—both by words and by deeds. The
Lord Jesus hinted at this when He said, "By this shall all men know that
you are My disciples, if you have love one to another," and also when He
prayed for all believers "that they also may be one in Us, that the world
may believe that Thou hast sent Me" (John 13:35; 17:21).

God’s house is also the
"ground [or support] of the truth," or that which holds the truth
firmly and steadfastly and defends it against the attacks of the enemy.

Note that these responsibilities
concerning "the truth" are not given to individuals but to "the
house of God." There are Christian "free-lancers" in the world
today who proclaim God’s Word with varying degrees of faithfulness, without
accountability to other "stones" in God’s house. Ministers of God’s
Word need to give opportunity to other gifted and knowledgeable believers to
listen to their teaching and bring correction if necessary. This will result in
faithful, true, and united testimony of the Word of God by the house of God.

The truth of the Church as the
house or temple of God is linked with a number of important aspects of the
Church:

1. The house of God is made up of
both Jewish "stones" and Gentile "stones." "The middle
wall of partition" between these has been broken down, and through Christ
"both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now [they] are … fellow
citizens … of the household of God" (Eph. 2:12-22). (This aspect was
discussed in the March-April 1998 issue.)

2. The truth that we—the
Church—"are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in
[us]" (1 Cor. 3:16) links closely with the words of Christ:"Where
two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of
them" (Matt. 18:20).

3. The believers making up the
house of God are not only building blocks in the house but holy priests within
the house. "You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5).

4. The house of God, as already
mentioned, is connected with ministry of the Word of God:"The house of
God … is … the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).

 

5. The house of God is linked with
order imposed upon each local assembly by means of the service of elders and
deacons. After giving qualifications of elders and deacons, the apostle Paul
writes, "These things write I unto you … that you may know how you ought
to behave yourself in the house of God" (1 Tim. 3:1-15).

6. The temple of God is holy:"All the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the
Lord" (Eph. 2:21). As a holy temple, discipline must be carried out in
order to purge out unholy elements. "Judgment must begin at the house of
God" (1 Pet. 4:17); "purge out therefore the old leaven" (1 Cor.
5:7); "put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1 Cor.
5:13).

In future issues, we shall
consider these various features related to the house of God:(1) gathered
together unto the name of Christ with Himself in the midst; (2) the priesthood
of all believers; (3) the responsibility of all believers for ministry
and service in the assembly; (4) the role of overseers and deacons in the local
assembly; and (5) the carrying out assembly discipline.

              
The Church as the Bride of Christ

"I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor.
11:2). "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church,
and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25). "Alleluia:for the Lord God
omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him:for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready" (Rev.
19:6,7).

The Church is presented in
Scripture in three aspects:(1) its unity as the body of Christ; (2) its
order and ministry as the house and temple of God indwelt by the Holy Spirit; and (3) its future hope as the bride of Christ.
Presently, the Church is seen as engaged to be married to Christ. When the
Church is caught up to heaven at the coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1
Thess. 4:13-18), she will become the bride of the Lamb, Her precious Lord and
Saviour. While a number of insights into what heaven will be like are given in
Scripture, no details concerning this heavenly relationship between the bride
and the Bridegroom are divulged. However, the Holy Spirit uses imagery of what
many people have experienced as the most happy, joyful, pleasurable
relationship known on earth to describe the eternal, heavenly relationship of
Christ and the Church. Just as an engaged couple eagerly count the weeks and
days (and maybe even the hours and minutes) until their wedding day, so the
Church eagerly anticipates the marriage union with her heavenly Bridegroom.

Though the Church has been formed
and actively functions on earth, it has a heavenly character and a heavenly
hope. We see this in the following ways:

 

1. The Church has a heavenly
Head, One who came down from heaven (John 3:13,31; 6:33,38,41,50,51,58; Eph.
4:9); who even on earth was "in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18);
who returned to heaven (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9,10; 3:21;
Eph. 4:10; Heb. 4:14; 1 Pet. 3:22); is "crowned with glory and honor"
at "the right hand of God" (John 17:1-5,24; Acts 7:56; Heb. 1:3,13;
2:9; 9:24; 10:12; 12:2; Rev. 4,5;19:11,16; 21:22,23; 22:3); and is coming again
from heaven (Matt. 24:30; Mark 14:62; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7).

2. Early members of the Church,
including the disciples gathered in Jerusalem on the birthday of the Church,
Stephen, and the apostles Peter, Paul, and John, received heavenly
visions (Acts 2:2; 7:55,56; 9:3-5; 10:10-16; 11:9; 26:19; 2 Cor. 12:1-4; Rev.
1,4,5,19-22).

3. The members of the Church are heavenly
citizens with heavenly blessings (Rom. 6:4,5; Eph. 1:3; 2:6; 6:12; Phil.
3:10,14,20; Col. 3:1-3).

4. The Church has a heavenly
hope (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:42-54; 2 Cor. 5:1-8; Col. 1:5; 1 Thess. 1:10;
4:13-18; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:1-22:5).

As a side-note, what a precious
pattern the relationship of Christ and His bride provides for human
husband-wife relationships. May we Christian husbands learn more and more to
model our behavior toward our wives after the loving, self-sacrificing behavior
of Christ toward His Church (Eph. 5:25). And may you Christian wives learn more
and more to model your behavior toward your husbands after the submission of
the Church to the lordship of her heavenly Head (Eph. 5:24).

In the next issue, Lord willing,
we shall study the meetings and gatherings of the early Church, including types
of meetings, and the frequency and conduct of these meetings.

 

(Luke 9:28-36)

 

Let us look a little at this
scripture as showing what our joy in the glory will consist of. We have the
warrant of 2 Pet. 1:16 for saying that the scene represents to us the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is what we wait for. Our souls are
not in a healthy state unless we are waiting for God’s Son from heaven. The
Church is not regulated in its hopes by the Word and Spirit of God unless it is
looking for Him as Saviour from heaven (Phil. 3:20,21). This passage in Luke,
as disclosing to us especially what will be our portion when He comes, is
important to us in this respect.

"And it came to pass about
eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James, and went up
into a mountain to pray. And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was
altered, and His raiment was white and glistening" (Luke 9:28,29). It was
when Jesus was in the acknowledgment of dependence—"as He
prayed"—that this change took place. This, then, is the first thing we
have here—a change such as will pass upon the living saints when Jesus comes.

"And behold, there talked
with Him two men, who were Moses and Elias" (verse 30). They were with
Him. And this will be our joy—we shall be with Jesus. "So shall
we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17). But in this passage
there is not only the being with Christ, but there is also familiar
conversation with Him. "There talked with Him two men." It is not
that He talked with them, though that was no doubt true; but that might have
been, and they be at a distance. But when we read that they talked with Him,
we get the idea of the most free and familiar conversation. Peter and the
others knew what it was to have such communication with Jesus in humiliation;
and what joy must it have been to have this proof that such communication with
Him would be enjoyed in glory as well!

Then we are told that Moses,
Elias, and Christ "appeared in glory" (verse 31). Moses and Elias
shared in the same glory as that in which Christ was manifested. And so as to
us:"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear
with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4). "The glory that Thou gavest Me, I have
given them; that they may be one, even as We are one:I in them, and Thou in
Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou
hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me" (John 17:22,23).

But there is another thing still.
We are not only told that they were with Him, that they talked with Him, and
appeared in glory with Him, but we are also privileged to know the subject of
their conversation. They "spoke of His decease that He should accomplish
at Jerusalem" (verse 31). It was the cross that was the theme of their
conversation in the glory—the sufferings of Christ that He had to accomplish at
Jerusalem. And surely this will be our joy throughout eternity when in glory
with Christ—to dwell upon this theme of His decease accomplished at Jerusalem.

"While He thus spoke, there
came a cloud and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered into the
cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son:
hear Him" (verses 34,35). Peter tells us that this voice came "from
the excellent glory" (2 Pet. 1:17). Now Peter and the others had entered
into the cloud; and thus we get this wonderful fact that in the glory, from
which the voice comes, saints are privileged to stand, and there, in that
glory, share the delight of the Father in His beloved Son. Not only are we
called to the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ; we are called to have
fellowship with the Father. We are admitted of God the Father to partake
of His satisfaction in His beloved Son.

"And when the voice was past,
Jesus was found alone" (verse 36). The vision was all gone—the cloud, the
voice, the glory, Moses and Elias—but Jesus was left, and they were left to go
on their way with Jesus, knowing Him now in the light of those scenes of glory
that they had beheld. And this is the use to us of those vivid apprehensions of
spiritual things that we may sometimes realize. It is not that we can be always
enjoying them and nothing else. But when for the season they have passed away,
like this vision on the holy mount, they leave us alone with Jesus to pursue
the path of our pilgrimage with Him in spirit now, and with Him in the light
and power of that deepened acquaintance with Him, and fellowship of the
Father’s joy in Him, that we have got on the mount. Thus we wait for the
moment of His return when all this, and more than our hearts can think of,
shall be fulfilled to us for ever.

(From Help and Food, Vol.
26.)

 

Upon a first reading of the Bible,
it may seem that very little information is given about heaven. But as we
become familiar with all of Scripture, we begin to find little nuggets about
what heaven is like in a number of different places in the Bible.

There is singing in heaven.
In three Psalms with extensive prophecies of the sufferings of Christ, we find
the resurrected Christ singing and praising God. "In the midst of the
congregation will I praise Thee" (Psa. 22:22,25; Heb. 2:12). "He has
put a new song in My mouth, even praise unto our God" (Psa. 40:3). "O
God, set Me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will
magnify Him with thanksgiving" (Psa. 69:30).

The curtain of heaven is rolled
back briefly in Revelation 5 and we find the saved ones (represented by the 24
elders) singing "a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seals thereof:for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation"
(verses 8,9; see also 14:3 and 15:3).

There will be variety in heaven.
"The foundations of the wall of the [heavenly] city were garnished with
all manner of precious stones," representing many different colors (Rev.
21:19,20). "The tree of life … bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded
her fruit every month" (22:2).

There will be knowledge in
heaven. "Now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face;
now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Cor.
13:12). We will be with our all-knowing Creator and Saviour throughout
eternity. There we will be able to learn everything there is to know about the
created Universe, and there we will undoubtedly learn much more about the Man
Christ Jesus, especially His love and grace and sufferings for us. However,
there may still be knowledge about the Trinity that is beyond man’s
comprehension (1 Tim. 6:15,16).

There will be work in heaven.
"They who … have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb … are … before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in
His temple" (Rev. 7:15). "The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be
in it, and His servants shall serve Him" (22:3). One aspect of this
service is that "the saints shall judge the world" (during the
thousand-year reign of Christ) and "we shall judge angels" (1 Cor.
6:2,3).

 

It is well to notice here that,
contrary to the thought of worshipers of leisure time, work is not a curse of
God upon man. God gave Adam work to do in the garden (Gen. 2:15,19,20). As a
result of sin, work became more difficult and complicated (Gen. 3:17-19), and thus,
no doubt, less enjoyable and fulfilling. But in heaven, where sin will not be
found, enjoyable work will again abound.

There will be enjoyment of
God’s creation by those in heaven. There are at least hints and intimations
of such activity in several passages (1 Cor. 3:22; Eph. 1:10,11,21-23; Rev.
4:10,11; 21:7).

There will be no more tears,
death, sorrow, crying, pain, or night in heaven (Rev. 21:4,25).

We will have a new kind of body
in heaven. When "our earthly house … [is] dissolved, we have a building
of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we
groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from
heaven…. Not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality
might be swallowed up of life" (2 Cor. 5:1-4). The apostle Paul looked
forward, not just to being released from the trials, labors, and pain of his
earthly life, but to being clothed upon with his new body that would perfectly
fit him for heaven. The relationship between our present "natural
body" and our future, "spiritual body" is likened to that
between a seed that is sown and the plant or bush or tree that grows from that
seed (1 Cor. 15:35-44). In other words, our present bodies are like a seed and
our future bodies will be like the full-grown plant.

This suggests powers and
capabilities that go far beyond those of our present bodies. With our new
bodies we may be able to sing with perfect pitch and harmony and rhythm, and
perhaps with a much wider range than our voices are capable of presently.
Similarly, we may have keener hearing and vision and be able to see a much
wider spectrum of color and discern more subtle differences among colors.

Our new bodies, if like Christ’s resurrection
body, will be capable of eating (Luke 24:43; John 21:13; see also Rev. 22:2;
however 1 Cor. 6:13 suggests the contrary thought). If we will eat in heaven,
we can well imagine having taste buds that are sensitive to a far greater range
of taste experiences than at present. But if it turns out that there is no
eating in heaven, not to worry! We can be certain that the Lord has prepared
other pleasures so wonderful that they will cause us to forget we used to eat
(Psa. 16:11).

There will be no sin in heaven.
While heaven will be a happy place, it is first and foremost a holy place (Isa.
6:3; Rev. 4:8), dominated by a holy God, His sinless Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We have been predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son (Rom. 8:29),
and "when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as
He is" (1 John 3:2). Just think of it! In heaven there will be no pride,
no offenses, no hard feelings, no selfishness, no cliques, no put downs, no
hypocrisy or pretending, no disappointment. Every individual will be totally
righteous, good, loving, giving, friendly, helpful, patient, kind, meek, and
humble.

 

There will be reconciliation
and unity in heaven. "And you who were sometime alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled in the body of His
flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His
sight" (Col. 1:21,22; also John 17:20-23).

There will be a very close
relationship with Christ in heaven. Far above all the other blessings of
heaven mentioned above, we shall "be present with the Lord" (2 Cor.
5:8; also Luke 23:43; John 17:24; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:16,17; Rev. 20:4); we
shall see His face (1 John 3:2; Rev. 1:13-16; 5:6-8), hear His voice (2 Cor.
12:4; Rev. 1:17-20), and be united with Christ as bride with Bridegroom (John
3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7-9).

                   
How Shall We Then Live?

Are you looking forward to going
to heaven, as the apostle Paul was (2 Cor. 5:2,4,8; Phil. 1:23)? Would you be
happy if the Lord came today (1 Thess. 4:17,18)? Do you believe that "in
[God’s] presence is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand there are
pleasures for evermore" (Psa. 16:11)? Do you truly believe that heaven
will be at least a million times more enjoyable than your present life on
earth?

If your answer to each of these
questions is "yes," then you will be interested in beginning to enjoy
the pleasures of heaven even now. Here are a few suggestions as starters:

1. Singing hymns of redemption
with other believers in Christ (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

2. Gaining as much knowledge as
possible of the Bible, of God and His attributes, and of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18).

3. Serving the Lord (Psa. 100:2;
Rom. 1:9; 14:18; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 9:14).

4. Not sinning, being holy (Rom.
6:11; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Thess. 4:3,4; 2 Tim. 2:21; Heb. 12:10; 1 Pet. 1:16;
2:21-23; 1 John 2:1).

5. Being reconciled with persons
from whom we are estranged (Matt. 5:23,24; 6:14; 1 Cor. 7:11; Jas. 5:16).

6. Beholding, communing with, and
meditating upon Christ (John 15:4; 2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:1-3).

May "the Lord direct your
hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ" (2
Thess. 3:5; 1 Thess. 1:10). Let us "earnestly desire to be clothed upon
with our house that is from heaven" (2 Cor. 5:2).

 

(All scripture references in this
article are from the JND translation.)

 

’Tis the treasure we’ve found in His love

That has made us now pilgrims below.

                              Hymns for the Little
Flock, #139

 

Where are our hearts, beloved? As
we travel homeward, our feet treading the wilderness, with whom and with what
are our hearts engaged?

The path of our blessed Lord
Jesus, when in this scene, led Him to the cross. "Having made [by Himself]
the purification of sins" (Heb. 1:3), He "has passed throu­gh the
heavens" (Heb. 4:14) where He has ascended to His Father and His God (John
20:17). Have our hearts followed Him there?

Again the question, beloved:where
are our hearts? Are they so saturated with things of this world that,
practically, we have forgotten we possess a Treasure in the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, Heaven’s beloved One (Eph. 1:6,11)? Are our hearts and
minds on the things that are above (Col. 3:2)? "For where your treasure
is, there also will your heart be" (Luke 12:34).

The apostle John was found leaning
on the breast of Jesus (John 13:25). This is the normal dwelling place for the
heart of every believer while passing through this scene. Am I occupying this
place of nearness to the Lord Jesus? Leaning! How it betokens no confidence in
self. It is in this place, leaning on the bosom of Jesus, that secrets are
unfolded (John 13:23-26). Would you know more of His great love? Would you lay
claim to the fulfillment of God’s many precious promises, thereby enlarging
your border (Deut. 12:20)? Oh, take yourself and hide there on His breast.

Two things that rob the heart of
occupation with its rightful Treasure, even Christ, are fear and care.
Several times in that chapter that tells us, "Where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be" (Luke 12:34), we hear the Lord Jesus
saying, "Fear not," and "Be not careful" (verses 4,7,11,22,32).
These are words of balm to a troubled and careful heart. Do we hear the words
with sufficient intimacy of heart so that their power is felt? Once freed from
fear and care, the heart is at liberty to be engaged with its Treasure.

Deliverance from our fears is
brought about by the fear of God, or the fear of the Lord. To a child of God,
the fear of the Lord is a sweet expression of reverential trust. He is not One
of whom to be afraid. How simply we should trust Him and rest in Him!

As to the believer’s anxious care,
there is only one place for this:"Having cast all your care upon Him, for
He cares about you" (1 Pet. 5:7). Does this not call for the exercise of
prayer? We are told, "Be vigilant, watch" (1 Pet. 5:8). "Be
sober therefore, and be watchful unto prayers" (1 Pet. 4:7). This is the
way to have the heart kept. Our adversary, the devil, is ever seeking to
interpose some object between ourselves and Christ. If he succeeds, we are not
truly leaning on our Beloved.

 

He taught me how to watch and pray,

And live rejoicing every day.

                                 Hymns of Grace and
Truth #260

 

It is heaven begun to enjoy the
presence of the Beloved. Our blessed Lord Jesus would here and now have us
enter into the enjoyment of Himself. Does He not fill all heaven? He wants to
fill the hearts of His beloved people now.

From this place of leaning on the
breast of Jesus we enjoy life eternal, knowing the true God, our Father, and
Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3). Here, too, we receive that grace and
peace so freely bestowed upon us in fellowship with God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, yes, even multiplied to us (1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2).

We have often sung in blest
anticipation of eternity, when we will have entered our heavenly home:

 

And with Him shall our rest be on high,

When in holiness bright we sit down,

In the joy of His love ever nigh,

In the peace that His presence shall crown.

                               Hymns for the Little
Flock #139

 

Beloved, His presence now
crowns our life with love, joy, and peace. It is entered into by faith.  How
much are our souls letting in heaven’s rays?

The Lord Jesus, before departing
to be with His Father, told His own, "I leave peace with you; I give My
peace to you:not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart
be troubled, neither let it fear" (John 14:27). "Abide in my love"
(John 15:9). "I have spoken these things to you that my joy may be
in you, and your joy be full" (John 15:11).

Heaven is the presence of the
beloved One. It is enjoyed by faith even now, as we look forward to the day
when these bodies of ours shall be glorified.

Beloved, are we so yielding
ourselves to Him that our souls may expand in love, joy, and peace—the fruit of
the Holy Spirit? Where are our hearts, beloved? Are they resting in His
presence? If so, we can say with the poet:

 

Jesus so fills my glad heart
with his love

That I’m living in heaven
today.

 

 

"And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders,
stood a Lamb as it had been slain…. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders:and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power,
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And
every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and
such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and
honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him who sits upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb for ever and ever" (Rev. 5:6-14).

In the midst of the heavenly scene
stood a Lamb as slain. The wound prints that the disciples beheld in His
resurrected body (John 20:20,25,27) are now seen by John in His glorified body.
The memories of Calvary are treasured in heaven. John the Baptist first points
out Jesus on earth as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29-36); John the
apostle now beholds Him in that same character on high. But how different the
position! There, He was wounded and slain (Isa. 53); here, the
center of heaven’s strength and glory, yet bearing in His person the marks and
scars of the cross.

In the previous chapter Jehovah in
the greatness and eternity of His Being, as also in His relation to all
creation as its Lord, Sustainer, and Creator, evokes the profound worship of
the living ones and elders. No angels are mentioned as taking part in the
worship. But here we have as the center of heaven’s worship the slain Lamb,
and accordingly all creation is stirred to its depths. There are additional
features of heart interest, added grounds and reasons of worship, not
found when Jehovah, as such, is in view. The slain Lamb brings before us the
holy Sufferer of earth given up to insult and wrong, rejected and crucified,
uttering no word of reproach, nor exercising power on His own behalf save the
passive might to suffer. Now all is blessedly changed. The Lamb once stood in
the midst of the ribald band (Matt. 27:27-31), silent, meek, unresisting, alone
in holiness, in calm dignity, enduring to the utmost the mean and cruel
contempt of the ferocious men around Him. These men rained their blows on His
defenseless head, bowed before Him the mocking knee, covered Him with their
disgusting spittle, crowned and pierced Him with the prickly thorn, thrust a
reed into His bound hands, stripped Him, and with blow and taunt indulged their
vile and depraved nature. Silent and patient in His agony He stood in the
midst. Now the selfsame Lamb bearing in His Person the marks of His suffering
is here seen as the object of heaven’s worship. No voice is, nor can be, silent
when the slain Lamb appears.

 

"Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof (verse 9). It is remarkable how the
introduction of the Lamb shuts out all else. In that character which presents
Him as slain He absorbs the attention of heaven. Where is the Lion of the tribe
of Judah? The Lion gives place to the Lamb. Under the former title, which is
one of might and power, He will defend the cause of His oppressed people of Israel, and in His career of victory He does not rest till the triumph of that people is
secured. But that title of assertive power is meantime in abeyance, and
the Lamb is all the glory in heaven and earth. Of course the power of the Lion
and grace of the Lamb center in Jesus. Here the Lamb is personally addressed in
song. His worthiness to disclose and to execute the counsels of God are
celebrated. Next, the ground of the Lamb’s worthiness to carry out the purposes
of God into full and glorious result is stated.

"For Thou wast slain, and
hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation." As the Lion of the tribe of Judah He acts in power,
but as the Lamb He was slain. Here the accomplishment of God’s counsels of
grace and glory is traced to the cross as the basis. Without the cross, Christ
would have entered into spheres of glory alone; without it there could
have been no redemption for sinners. The cross is the grandest counsel of
eternity and the grandest fact of time. It is the immovable basis on which
rests the blessing of Israel and creation, as also the glory of the Church and
of saints in the heavens.

"And I beheld, and I heard
the voice of many angels round about the throne." The introduction of
angels into the heavenly scene and the place that they occupy is of profound
interest. They announced the birth of Jesus and praise God in words of
never-dying fame (Luke 2:8-14); an angel ministered to Him in the gloomy garden
as the dark shadow of the cross and agony rested on His spirit (Luke 22:43);
two angels witnessed to His resurrection (John 20:12,13); and two also
testified of His ascension (Acts 1:10,11). The whole system of Christianity is
a matter of inquiry and interest to the heavenly hosts (1 Pet. 1:12). They
delight to serve the heirs of salvation now (Heb. 1:14), even as it will be
their joy to serve them in glory (Rev. 21:12).

 

In the center stands the slain
Lamb, around the throne the living ones and the redeemed, while the outer
circle is formed of angels whose numbers are beyond human computation (see Dan.
7:10). In the response of the angelic hosts to the song of the redeemed they say,
whereas the elders sing. There is more than a verbal difference in this,
for while angels know the Lamb they cannot say, "He was slain for
us." We know Him in a deeper, fuller, more personal way than do angels. He
died for us, not for them; hence the difference, we sing, they say.
Angels are never said to sing. Observe, too, that the elders in their song
directly address the Lamb, whereas the angels, in keeping with their place and
service, adopt a more distant form of address. The former sing to Him,
the latter speak of Him. The full burst of praise from the angelic hosts
is grand. The symphony is not marred by one discordant note.

They ascribe to Him the perfect
number (seven) of attributes. "Power" is first named because the
circumstances call for its immediate exercise. Power in its widest and most
comprehensive character is ascribed to Him. "Riches," the wealth of
the universe, physical and moral, is His due. "Wisdom" as seen in all

         
(Continued on page 50)

(Continued from page 72)

the ways and works of God next follows in the list.
"Strength" is the quality that enables one to execute what the will
determines to be done. "Honor" implies that every mark of public
distinction is worthy to be conferred on the Lamb. "Glory" refers to
public and moral display, of which the Lamb is deemed alone worthy.
"Blessing," every form and character of blessedness or happiness, is
here ascribed to the Lamb.

But the full tide of praise is not
yet exhausted. It rolls on, gathering force and volume, till the whole universe
is embraced. "Every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and
under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them"
takes in the vast universe of God in all its parts. Jehovah on His throne and
the Lamb are the objects of universal adoration. The fourfold ascription of praise—"blessing,
and honor, and glory, and power"—marks the universality of this
spontaneous burst of worship. The praise is never ceasing—"for ever and
ever."

(From Exposition of the
Revelation of Jesus Christ.)

 

A scriptural study of heaven and
hell is a study of immense contrasts.

                             * * *

Hell:Weeping and gnashing
of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 24:51).

Heaven:Singing (Rev. 5:9;
14:3; 15:3).

                             * * *

Hell:Outer darkness (Matt.
8:12; 22:13).

Heaven:No night (Rev.
21:25); the Lamb is the light (Rev. 21:23); variety of color (Rev. 21:19-21).

                             * * *

Hell:Lake of fire (Rev.
19:20; 20:10,14,15; Luke 16:24).

Heaven:Lamps of fire (Rev.
4:5); pure river of water of life (Rev. 22:3).

                             * * *

Hell:Intense thirst (Luke
16:24).

Heaven:Water of life (Rev.
22:17); twelve kinds of fruit (Rev. 22:2).

                             * * *

Hell:Naked (2 Cor. 5:3).

Heaven:Clothed upon with a
spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44), our house that is from heaven (2 Cor. 5:1,2,4).

                             * * *

Hell:Preceded by supper of
the great God, with birds of prey doing the feasting (Rev. 19:17,18).

Heaven:Initiated by
marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

                             * * *

Hell:Companionship of
Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the abominable, murderers, fornicators,
sorcerers, idolaters, liars (Rev. 19:20; 20:10; 21:8; 22:15).

Heaven:Companionship of
God (Matt. 5:8; John 14:2; Rev. 4:2); of Christ (1 Thess. 4:17; John 14:3); of
angels (Rev. 5:11,12); of fellow believers who comprise a holy, glorious
Church, without sin, spot, wrinkle, or blemish (Eph. 5:27; Rev. 21:27).

                             * * *

Which is more appealing to you?
Weeping or singing? absolute darkness or great light? a lake of fire or a river
of life? intense thirst or a variety of fresh fruit? being naked or being
clothed with a new body fit for heaven? being feasted upon by vultures or
partaking of a marriage supper? having the company of all that is abominable or
the company of Christ?

 

In this two-part series of
articles, we are taking examples from both Old and New Testament men and women
of faith, and exploring the antecedents and causes of their failures. From
these lessons of failure, perhaps we can learn how to avoid some of the
failures in our own Christian lives.

                    Failure Resulting from

                        Selfish Desires

1. Wanting our own way. The
LORD had told Rebekah, "Two nations are in your womb … and the elder
shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). In spite of this clear promise of
God, Rebekah and her younger twin son, Jacob, conspired to lie to the father,
Isaac, to obtain the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau (Gen. 27:1-40).
Jacob paid a heavy price for lying and cheating, receiving the same from his
Uncle Laban (Gen. 29:15-25; 31:7), and from his own sons (Gen. 37:32-34).

It is interesting to notice that
what Jacob wanted was exactly what the LORD wanted for him, namely, the
blessing of the firstborn. But because Jacob took matters into his own hands,
rather than letting the LORD work out His will in His way, Jacob lived a rather
miserable life. Not until the very end of his life did Jacob begin to manifest
that faith and trust in the LORD that gained for him a place in the "Hall
of Fame of Faith" in Hebrews 11 (Gen. 48:8-15).

The life of Samson has a number of
parallels with that of Jacob. During most of his life Samson was noted for
wanting his own way (Judg. 14:1-3; 16:1-20). This willfulness was the
underlying cause of Samson’s loss of strength and blindness. Like Jacob, not
until the very end of his life did Samson really depend upon the LORD for his
strength (Judg. 16:28).

2. Satisfying fleshly lusts.
David exhibited much faith and dependence upon the LORD in his lifetime (1 Sam.
17:37,45-47; 23:2,4,; 30:8; 2 Sam. 2:1; 5:19,23). However, he failed to submit
his fleshly desires to the LORD and sinned greatly in the matter of Bathsheba
(2 Sam. 11).

3. Desiring Vengeance. Saul
gave his daughter Michal in marriage to David (1 Sam. 17:25; 18:17-28), but
gave her to another man when David fled to escape Saul’s wrath (1 Sam. 25:44).
When David became king, the house of Saul warred against him (2 Sam. 3:1). As a
show of power and vengeance, David demanded that Michal be returned to him,
even though he broke up a happy marriage in doing so (2 Sam. 3:15,16) and never
gained Michal’s love and respect (2 Sam. 6:20).

4. Wanting glory for self.
Gideon, the divinely-appointed captain of Israel, gained a stunning victory
over the Midianites with his tiny band of 300 men with their trumpets and
pitchers (Judg. 6:14; 7:16-25). He resisted the request by the men of Israel to become their ruler, saying, "The LORD shall rule over you" (Judg.
8:22,23).

But Gideon had second thoughts. He
didn’t want to be king, but he wanted to be remembered more as a priest. After
all, the angel of the LORD had appeared unto him and revealed God’s mind
to him and not to the appointed high priest of Israel. Gideon had been treated by God almost like a priest, and he desired to be
commemorated in that way. So he made a golden ephod (simulating a high-priestly
garment), "which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house"
(Judg. 8:24-27).

The twelve disciples, who had been
so privileged to have such close fellowship with the Lord Jesus and to serve
Him, got into an argument over which of them should be accounted the greatest
(Luke 22:24). James and his brother John may have been ringleaders in this
(Matt. 20:20-24).

When God sees fit to use any of
us, His blood-bought children, in His service, and we faithfully carry out that
service with good results, let us be careful to give God all the glory,
keeping none for ourselves.

                  Failure Resulting from Zeal

"It is good to be zealously
affected always in a good thing" (Gal. 4:18). "Our Saviour Jesus
Christ … gave Himself for us, that He might … purify unto Himself a
peculiar [or special] people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:14).

As good and profitable zeal may be
when properly directed, wrongly-directed zeal led to failure in three pillars
of faith.

When the children of Israel came to the desert of Zin, they found no water there, so they grumbled and complained against
Moses and against the LORD. Moses and Aaron brought the matter before the LORD
and the LORD told Moses to speak unto the rock and water would come out of the
rock for the people and their animals to drink. But Moses was angry with the
people. They had no right to complain against God. God was letting them off too
easy. So Moses spoke angrily to the people and struck the rock with his rod
instead of speaking to it. Water came out sufficient for the whole
congregation, but Moses was severely punished for his disobedience and
misrepresentation of God. Moses represented God before the people as being
angry with them, whereas God desired to manifest His grace and longsuffering
toward His people on that occasion. So carried away was Moses in his zeal for
the LORD that he failed to listen to the LORD and thus failed "to sanctify
[the LORD] in the eyes of the children of Israel" (Num. 20:1-13).

Simon Peter confidently exclaimed,
"Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison and to death"
(Luke 22:33). The Lord had just told Peter, "I have prayed for you that
your faith fail not." Peter didn’t pick up the hint. He did not honor the
wisdom of His Master. He essentially replied, "Not to worry Lord, you
don’t need to bother praying for me!" A while later the Lord found Peter
and two other disciples sleeping after He had told them, "Pray that you
enter not into temptation" (verses 40,45,46). We all know what happened after
that (verses 54-62). Peter’s zeal for the Lord, and confidence in that zeal,
led to his not taking the Lord seriously and not praying, resulting in his
sinning terribly against His Lord.

The apostle Paul’s "heart’s
desire and prayer to God for Israel [was] that they might be saved" (Rom.
10:1). But his strong desire for the salvation of the Jewish people led him to
disregard prophetic warnings not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-14). His zeal
and desire for Israel also led to his unwise involvement in a Jewish religious
ceremony that compromised the truth of the gospel (verses 23-27).

The apostle Peter writes that we
all need to have virtue, that is, courage applied in a good and right way. And
lest this virtue get out of balance and become misdirected (such as bombing an
abortion clinic), our virtue needs to be balanced by knowledge of God’s Word,
God’s will, and the example provided by Christ when here on earth (2 Pet.
1:5,6).

                God’s Restoration and Blessing

                      of Those Who Failed

"Will the Lord cast off for
ever? … Thou art the God who does wonders" (Psa. 77:7,14).

Yes, "the God of all
grace" (1 Pet. 5:10) delights to work the wonders of restoration in souls
of His children of faith who have failed. Notice how Scripture speaks of
different men and women after they had failed and sinned and been restored to
the Lord:

1. Abraham. "In
blessing I will bless Thee, and in multiplying I will multiply Thy seed as the
stars of the heaven and as the sand that is upon the seashore" (Gen.
22:17).

2. Jacob. "By faith
Jacob … worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff" (Heb. 11:21).

3. Moses and Elijah.
"Moses went … to the top of Pisgah … and the LORD showed him all the
land" (Deut. 34:1). Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Ki.
2:11). Jesus "went up into a mountain to pray … and behold, there talked
with him … Moses and Elijah" (Luke 9:28-30).

4. David. "I have
found David … a man after Mine own heart…. Of [David’s] seed has God …
raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus" (Acts 13:22,23).

5. Peter. "Jesus said to
Simon Peter … Feed My lambs … feed My sheep" (John 21:15-19). Fearful
Peter became a bold witness for the risen Christ (Acts 2:14-36; 3:12-26) and
wrote two epistles.

6. Paul. The apostle Paul
preached the Word of God before governors and kings and wrote his prison
epistles after having failed out of zeal for Israel (Acts 23-28; Phil. 1:12,13;
4:22).

                             * * *

Brothers and sisters, men and
women of faith:do not rest upon your laurels, your successes, and your
victories of faith. Be alert to the various causes of failure, even in those
characterized by faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And should you have
occasion to fail, do not despair! The Lord is ready and eager to lead you to
confession and true repentance and to restore you to full fellowship with
Himself (Psa. 51:12).