All posts for the month March, 2013

Repent and Give Glory to God

Repentance for New JerusalemRevelation speaks about many judgements and disasters. After these, our God will fulfill His promises for “the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21) and “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13). Why have these promises not yet come to pass? It seems that the answer is in 2 Peter 3:7-9

The heavens and the earth now, by the same word [of God], have been stored up for fire, being kept unto the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men….The Lord does not delay regarding the promise, as some count delay, but is long-suffering toward you, not intending that any perish but that all advance to repentance.

There will come a day for “destruction of ungodly men” but God’s desire is for repentance rather than destruction. Although He does not “delay,” He is “long-suffering” so that everyone may have an opportunity to “advance to repentance.”

A loud voice in Revelation 14:7 declares, “fear God and give Him glory because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who has made heaven and earth and the sea and the springs of waters.” Those not killed by the earthquake in 11:13 are like this; they “became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” Thank Him for this result.

Unfortunately, many will not repent. Refusals to repent are recorded in 9:20-21 and 16:9-11. This sad response should move us to beseech the Lord to cause many to advance to repentance now. When we see news about a disaster or an accident or a shooting, it should remind us to “look away to Jesus” and to ask the Lord to use the trouble to bring more people to repentance.
Repentance Puts Us on the Path to New Jerusalem
Repentance Is Needed to Keep Us on the Path to New Jerusalem

Photo of crops in Kansas, courtesy of NASA.

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by Don on March 29, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 29, 2013

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Look Away unto Jesus

New JerusalemHebrews 12:1-2 says, “let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us, looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.” Our Christian life is a race for us to run. The way to run effectively is to “look away unto Jesus.”

The prior post mentioned God’s many judgements recorded in Revelation. It is tempting to read about these and then to compare them to current disasters—earthquakes, storms, or the recent meteor in Russia.

Despite our curiosity about natural events, they are not the course of our Christian race. The supply for our daily living comes not from natural events; our reality and our supply are Jesus Himself. Excerpts from notes* on “looking away” and “Jesus” in Hebrews 12 say,

The Greek word translated looking away unto denotes looking with undivided attention by turning away from every other object.

The wonderful Jesus, who is enthroned in heaven and crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9), is the greatest attraction in the universe. He is like an immense magnet, drawing all His seekers to Him. It is by being attracted by His charming beauty that we look away from all things other than Him. Without such a charming object, how could we look away from so many distracting things on this earth?

We can pray, Lord, attract me to Yourself. Draw me to look away from everything else to You. To me, “looking away unto Jesus” is “looking away toward New Jerusalem.”

* in The NT Recovery Version Online, © 1997-2012 by LSM

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

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by Don on March 27, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 27, 2013

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The Goal of God’s Judgements in Revelation

New JerusalemRevelation records many judgements on the earth and its inhabitants. These judgements include natural calamities and others which will be worse than any in past human history.

There are judgements in Revelation 6 resulting from the opening of the seven seals. More judgements are announced by the seven trumpets in chapters 8, 9 and 11. Still more in chapters 15–16 are due to the pouring out of God’s wrath with the seven bowls. Babylon is judged in Revelation 17–18 and the armies of antichrist are judged at Armageddon in the second half of chapter 19.

Among these judgements is the pleasant scene in Revelation 7. Here the Israelites are sealed for their preservation. In addition a great multitude (7:9-17) is standing before the throne and before the Lamb. This multitude is under the loving care of God and the Lamb.

Several aspects of this scene match New Jerusalem: the throne of God and the Lamb, God’s temple and tabernacle, the multitude serving God, the waters of life, and no more tears (because death and the related sicknesses and pains are no more).

These characteristics of the scene in Revelation 7 point toward New Jerusalem. This holy city, the focal point of new heaven and new earth, is the goal of everything in the Bible. The city is the goal of all God’s judgements. The judgements clean up the universe so that no Satan, no death, no rebellion, no unrighteousness, and no unholiness remain.

Yet, God’s goal is not to remove all the negative things. The goal of the Triune God is to be fully one with His chosen, redeemed, and glorified people. This oneness reaches its peak in Revelation 21, “the bride, the wife of the Lamb….the holy city, Jerusalem…having the glory of God.”

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by Don on March 25, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 25, 2013

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Fine Linen for the Bride and the Army

This post continues the excerpts from Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ. Details about this book are here.

New Jerusalem

Revelation 19:7-8 says, “Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. It was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.”

Revelation 19:11-13 describes the Lord coming to fight against God’s enemies. Verse 14 continues, “And the armies which are in heaven followed Him on white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” Both the corporate bride and the army are dressed in fine linen.

Just as in Ephesians 5 and 6 we see the church as the bride and as the warrior, in Revelation 19 we also have these two aspects of the church. As the church, we are the bride and the warrior.

According to Revelation 19, the church is both the bride who is presented to Christ and the warrior who fights with Him against God’s enemy. As the bride, we must be beautiful, without spot or wrinkle, and be clothed in fine linen. As the warrior, we must be equipped to fight against God’s enemy.

In Ephesians 5:25-27 Christ gave Himself for the church that He might sanctify her by the washing of the water in His word. This is so that the church will be glorious, without spot, wrinkle, or blemish.

The bride’s wedding garment will be the uniform that she wears as God’s army to fight against His enemy. As we have seen, this garment is Christ lived out of us to be our daily righteousness. Even today, we are fighting by Christ as our garment. Ephesians 6 indicates that the whole armor of God is Christ.

In Revelation 19 we see both the bride and the army, prepared by applying Christ in many ways. This preparation will carry us onwards to New Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

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by Don on March 23, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 23, 2013

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Christ Our Righteousness and Righteousnesses

This post continues the excerpts from Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ. Details about this book are here.

New Jerusalem

Romans 5:19 tells us, “through the obedience of the One [Christ] the many will be constituted righteous.” Christ Himself, received by us, constitutes us righteous. God made Him righteousness to us (1 Corinthians 1:30), and this is called “the free gift,” “the gracious gift is out of many offenses unto justification” (Romans 5:16).

Revelation 19:7-8 says, “Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. It was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.”

The righteousness that is Christ Himself is sufficient for us to be justified and saved; this righteousness is singular in number. The use of righteousnesses in Revelation 19:8 is in the plural, however, and proves that what is mentioned in this verse is not Christ as our righteousness for us to be justified. Rather, it is righteous deeds, the daily walk, the Christian living, which Christ as our life works out through us. This outworking of the inner life is the white linen with which we are clothed.

Righteous deeds are our living out of Christ. In Philippians 1:21 Paul says, “to me to live is Christ.” This could be paraphrased “to me to act righteously is Christ.”

The bride in Revelation 19 will wear white linen, which is the righteousnesses of the saints. We produce such a garment of righteousness by walking daily according to the Spirit of life and by having a life that is a life of the Spirit. If we prepare our wedding garment day by day, month by month, and year by year by living such a life in the Spirit, we will not be found naked when the Lord comes. Instead, at His coming, we will be wearing a bright and clean, or pure, wedding garment (3:18).

Walking according to the Spirit to live Christ as our righteousnesses is our path to New Jerusalem.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

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by Don on March 21, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 21, 2013

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Applying the Lord’s Rich Supply for the Preparation of the Bride (4)

New JerusalemThe Lord begins each letter in Revelation 2–3 by describing Himself. He presents Himself as the solution to all the problems in the churches. The Lord ends each letter by telling us to hear what the Spirit says to all the churches, both then and now. We open to Him to cooperate with Him for the preparation of His bride. This post concludes this review of Revelation 2-3.

• The One who has the key of David (3:7):  Our Lord is the real David, the greater David. As man He is the Son of David and as God He is the Lord of David (Matt 22:41-46). The keys are in His hands, not ours.

• The One who opens and no one will shut, and shuts and no one opens (3:7):  We should not try in ourselves to open or shut a door for the gospel, for our human future, or for anything else. We open to our Lord Jesus, submit to Him, and give Him thanks for His opening and shutting.

• The Amen, the faithful and true Witness (3:14):  “Amen” means faithful and true. Our Lord Jesus is the only person who is always faithful and always true. We desire to be but we often fail. He is the Witness, the Testimony, of God perfectly lived through a human being. Now He is our life to be faithful and true in us. The first two lines of a hymn* can be our prayer, Live Thyself, Lord Jesus, through me, For my very life art Thou.

• The beginning of the creation of God (3:14):  In Christ “all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him” (Colossians 1:16). He is the beginning of creation and the whole creation is “unto Him.” We need not worry about what is happening to creation but rather “set our mind on the things which are above” while awaiting the time “Christ our life is manifested” when we also “will be manifested with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:2-4).

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

* Hymn written by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879). Complete words plus music here.

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by Don on March 17, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 17, 2013

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Applying the Lord’s Rich Supply for the Preparation of the Bride (3)

The Lord begins each letter in Revelation 2–3 by describing Himself. The Lord ends each letter by telling us to hear what the Spirit says to all the churches, both then and now. By praying according to what the Lord reveals, we cooperate with Him for the preparation of His bride. This continues the prior post.

New Jerusalem

• His feet are like shining bronze (2:18):  “Feet signify the walk. In typology bronze signifies divine judgment (Exo. 27:1-6). The feet of Christ are like shining bronze, as mentioned also in Dan. 10:6, signifying that His perfect and bright walk qualifies Him to exercise divine judgment.” (from here, © LSM)
When the Lord returns, He will judge the world. Prior to that, there are attitudes and actions in us that need His judging, so that we may confess and be forgiven (1 John 1:9).

• He who has the seven Spirits of God (3:1):  The seven Spirits are not seven separate Spirits because at the end of each letter in Revelation 2–3 “the Spirit” (singular) speaks to the churches. Therefore, “seven” indicates seven-fold intensification. The age around us is dark but we can tap into this intensified supply. We can pray, Lord, intensify us with the intensified Spirit.

• [He who has] the seven stars (3:1, as in 2:1):  The Lord, who holds the stars in His hand desires that every believer be shining (Philippians 2:12-16). Responding to Philippians, we can pray, Lord, grant me the cooperation with Your inner operation so that I may shine You forth.

• The Holy One (3:7):  He is the Holy One and He has become our holiness, our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). As He lives through us, we “are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Lord, live through me today.

• The true One (3:7):  A life without Christ is a life of vanity (Ephesians 4:17) because He is the true One, the reality (John 14:6). Lord, fill me with Yourself and become the reality of my life.

May the Lord have more freedom to operate in each of us for the preparation of His bride on His and our path to New Jerusalem.

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

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by Don on March 17, 2013  •  Permalink
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The Counterpart of Christ

New JerusalemThis post continues the excerpts from Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ. Details about this book are here.

Genesis 2:18 tells us that, speaking about Adam, “Jehovah God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart.” Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam is a type, a pattern, a symbol, of Christ. For Adam to need a counterpart is a picture of Christ desiring a counterpart.

God in the beginning was merely God. He was alone. But it is not good for God to be alone (Gen. 2:18). He desires a counterpart. Jesus came not merely to be the Redeemer but to be the Bridegroom, and as such He needs a bride (John 3:29). Paul says that he had betrothed the Corinthian believers as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2). Ephesians 5 reveals that the church is the wife of Christ, and Christ is the Husband. Then in the book of Revelation we are told that the wife has made herself ready and that the marriage of the Lamb has come (19:7). From that time God will never be alone. Our God will be a married God. He will marry the holy city, the New Jerusalem, as His bride. At the beginning of the Bible, God is looking for a counterpart. At the end of the Bible, He is no longer alone; He is with His bride. This is God’s eternal purpose.

In Revelation 21:9-10 an angel says, “I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” At the end of the Bible, Christ, the Lamb, has gained His counterpart, the New Jerusalem. Because of this Revelation 19:7 says, “Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come.”

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

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by Don on March 15, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 15, 2013

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Applying the Lord’s Rich Supply for the Preparation of the Bride (2)

New JerusalemThe Lord begins each letter in Revelation 2–3 by describing who and what He is. The Lord ends each letter by telling us to hear what the Spirit says to all the churches, both then and now. By receiving and applying what the Lord is, we cooperate with Him for the preparation of His bride. This continues the prior post.

• [He] “who became dead and lived again” (2:8):  The Lord is the resurrection (John 11:25) and death cannot hold Him (Acts 2:24). Through death, He destroyed the power of death and released us who were enslaved in the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Lord, keep us daily in Your victory over death.

• “He who has the sharp two-edged sword” (2:12):  This sword is His word (Hebrews 4:12), which is “living and operative” and “piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit” and “able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Lord, may Your living word operate in me every day to divide and to discern that I may grow in You.

• “The Son of God” (2:18):  Our Lord Jesus is the God-man. As the Son of God, His divinity transcends all human limitations. He is unsearchable, immeasurable (Ephesians 3:8). There is so much more of Him for us to see, experience, and live out. Lord, bring us into fresh aspects of Your unlimitedness. Never leave us content with what we have already seen and tasted.

• “He who has eyes like a flame of fire” (2:18):  The Lord’s eyes are for looking into everything, including us. When He sees something that does not match His nature, the flame of fire will consume it to purify us. Then He will supply us with more of Himself. Lord, I open to Your searching. Purify me!

Through praying to apply what the Lord has revealed about Himself, He operates in us to prepare us for the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7, a marriage that continues eternally in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2, 9-10).

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by Don on March 13, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 13, 2013

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Applying the Lord’s Rich Supply for the Preparation of the Bride (1)

New JerusalemRevelation 19:7 says, “Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
This post continues from
Preparation of the Bride in the Churches.

Revelation chapters 2–3 record the Lord’s speaking to the seven churches. For each church, the Lord begins the letter by describing what He is. The Lord ends each letter by telling us to hear what the Spirit says to all the churches, both then and now. By receiving and applying what the Lord is, we are cooperating with Him for the preparation of His bride. In this post I begin looking at what the Lord says about Himself to meet our need.

• He who holds the seven stars in His right hand (2:1):  The Lord holds the shining messengers of the churches in His hand. He also desires that every believer be shining (Philippians 2:12-16). Responding to Philippians, we can pray, Lord, grant me the cooperation with Your inner operation so that I may shine You forth.

• He who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (2:1):  The Lord is in the heavens interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25) and on earth walking among the churches. Thank Him for His care for us. Lord, keep us with the churches among which You walk.

• [He who is] the First and the Last (2:8):  Our Lord is First and Last. Nothing is outside His control. Despite all the changes and turmoil in the world, nothing is beyond Him. He is the universal limit to everything. Because of what He is and has done, we have an anchor of hope (Hebrews 6:18-20). Praise Him!

Through our praying and receiving all that the Lord is, He operates in us to prepare the bride for the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7, a marriage that continues eternally in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2, 9-10).

Photo of Ireland by Toby Shelton.

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by Don on March 11, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 11, 2013

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Preparation of the Bride Now and When the Lord Jesus Returns

New JerusalemRevelation 21:2 says, “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” This preparation is carried out by our cooperation with God’s operation; see:
New Jerusalem is Prepared by Our Cooperation with Christ Dwelling in Us.

When does the preparation occur? First Corinthians 15:52 tells us, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.” This is a sudden change, at the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). This change is the transfiguration of our mortal bodies, which will take place when the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from the heavens (Philippians 3:20-21). Our transfiguration is part of the preparation of the bride.

Multiple verses, including 1 Corinthians 3:6-7; Colossians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:2; and 2 Peter 3:18 have “grow” or “growth.” Growth is a process, not “in the twinkling of an eye.”  Our growth includes “being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14), “being transformed” (2 Corinthians 3:18) and “being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Our being renewed, sanctified, and transformed in our soul is part of the preparation of the bride.

Both the transfiguration of our body and the renewing, sanctification, and transformation of our soul follow the regeneration of our spirit. Thus, regeneration is also part of the preparation of the bride.

“We ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption [transfiguration] of our body” (Romans 8:23). While we are eagerly waiting this final step of preparation, we are also cooperating with the Spirit in the current on-going preparation. In Romans 8 our cooperation includes “walking according to the spirit” (v. 4), “minding the things of the Spirit” (v. 5), “putting to death, by the Spirit, the practices of the body” (v. 13), and being led by the Spirit (v. 14).

Related Posts:
Preparing the Bride by Washing (1) (and the following posts in this series)

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by Don on March 9, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 9, 2013

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Preparation of the Bride in the Churches

New Jerusalem is the wife of the LambRevelation chapters 2–3 contain letters to the seven churches in Asia, a province of the ancient Roman Empire and now the western part of Turkey. These letters record the Lord’s speaking to each church. The Lord begins each letter by describing Himself. His description indicates what He is to meet the need of each church.

The primary need of the seven churches is Christ Himself. God’s desire is that Christ be formed in us (Galatians 4:19) and make His home in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17) so that  we may be full grown in Christ (Colossians 1:28). For this the apostle Paul labored intensively, struggling in oneness with Christ’s operation in Paul (Colossians 1:29).

What does the Lord’s speaking to seven first-century churches have to do with us and with New Jerusalem? Regarding us, each of the seven letters has an identical end: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” What the Lord speaks to one church is for all of us.*

Regarding New Jerusalem, the relationship between Christ and the church is portrayed by husband and wife in Ephesians 5. The preparation of New Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb is taking place today in the universal church composed of many local churches. Today, Christ being formed in us, making home in our hearts, and our full growth in Christ is the preparation of the bride.

The Lord was fully sufficient to meet the needs of the first century churches and He is equally sufficient to meet our needs today. We can open ourselves in prayer to what He reveals about Himself in Revelation 2–3 and thank Him for all that He is to us. In the following posts I will touch briefly what He is to us in these seven letters. Lord, work in us today in the preparation of Your bride.

* The application of these seven letters to us is the subject of the book The Orthodoxy of the Church by Watchman Nee. It is available for online reading in the list here. A brief description by the publisher here says, “In The Orthodoxy of the Church, Watchman Nee progressively unfolds the history of the church from the time of the Lord’s ascension to the time of His coming back by expounding the prophetic significances of the seven churches in the book of Revelation. His exposition includes historical details about the development of the church and spiritual insight into the true condition of the church.”

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

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by Don on March 7, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on March 7, 2013

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