Why is it important for us to come "from glory to glory"; from the first to the second glory, that Glory that never fades, that Glory which Christ is? Because we (the Church) are the Body of His Glory. Most Christians are waiting for the day when they die, and then will get a glorified body – in their resurrection. But we are HIS Glorified Body NOW, and He (Who is THE Resurrection) is the only One raised up. We are raised IN HIM. We have been given HIS Life, and are to manifest that Resurrection, that Life. But it is not I, but CHRIST!

How else is the earth supposed to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God (Habakkuk 2:14) except it be BY US; His Body manifesting His Glory? If we fail to understand that and manifest Him as His Body, we have failed to come to the fulness of God’s plan of Salvation. It is not finished with ‘us going to heaven when we die’, but that God would have expression in the earth. That’s why we have to come from the Testimony to the Witness – of Him.

And in doing that we must bring the "all things" of the Testimony into the Lord. Jesus said that in Matthew 11:27 – All things are delivered unto Me. He would – by The Cross, by His death, burial and resurrection complete and fulfil them and bring them to the greater Glory – the Witness of HIM.

So let’s start with creation. The Bible speaks of two creations: an old and a new; a first and a second. * We need to settle this issue in our hearts!

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creation; old things ARE passed away; behold all things ARE become new. *This is the REALITY of our Salvation – IN CHRIST we ARE a NEW creation. We are NOT an old creation man waiting for the old to pass when we die, and then we will get a "new body". That’s how many preach it, and that’s how we live our lives – as the old man – on our way to heaven, on our way to glory. But IN CHRIST that is not so. HE has caused the old things to pass away, and HE has brought forth a New Creation in which all things are New – because they are all of Him and in Him – in Newness of Life. If we are to be a true Witness of Him, we have to come to this understanding – all of the old is gone; and only He, the New remains.

In the first creation God set forth a type and pattern of the creation that The Son would ultimately bring forth. In Genesis 1 we read that God said, Let there be… and it was so, and He created ALL things. MUCH MORE than just in the natural, first creation, this is true in the New, spiritual creation. Colossians 1:16 – All things were created by him and for him. *Somehow we can believe that God made the universe and the natural things of this earth, but we fail to believe He is the creator of the New Creation in Christ, of which we have been given Life. Creation is delivered to The Son.

In the first creation God established an order. Genesis 1:24,25 – Everything of the earth would bring forth after his kind. The fulfillment of this is seen in the New Creation by The Son. 1 Peter 1:23 – We are born again, NOT of corruptible seed (that belongs to the first creation) but of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God, which liveth forever. (vs. 24-25 – all flesh (first) is as grass; and the glory of man falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.) What will the Incorruptible Seed bring forth in the New Creation? HIS increase, HIS Life – not corruptible, but incorruptible Life. 1 Corinthians 15:23 – Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. *Bringing forth a creation after its kind has been delivered to The Son, and in Him there are those born of Him, with His Life.

Next in creation God made MAN. Genesis 1:26 says God made man in his image and likeness, but those words mean ‘a representation, an illusion, a shadow, with no substance, not an exact duplicate.’ This man will represent God in this creation and the whole creation was to be ruled by this man. Romans 5:14 says that Adam was a figure of him that was to come. *God always had another creation and another MAN in mind. God’s plan was never to be completed in Adam, the first, the natural; but in His Son, Who would fulfil God’s plan for man. The question is asked in Hebrews 2:6-8 – What is man that thou art mindful of him? Thou has put all things in subjection under his feet, but we don’t see all things under him. **Vs.9-10 – But we see JESUS… You don’t see God’s plan fulfilled in the first, natural man – Adam, but in seeing Jesus, you see what God planned for man; that by Christ’s death, He would taste death for every man, and bring many sons unto glory. All of God’s plan for man was delivered to The Son, and He fulfilled that plan. Let’s see how He did that.

1 Corinthians 15:45-47 – The first man Adam was made a living soul (with a flesh body and awareness of the earth and of God, but without LIFE); the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit. **The Son became the LAST Adam, and in Himself He would bring mankind as the first creation to an end, and afterward bring forth a Spiritual, Eternal Creation – in Himself. First is earthy; second is The Lord from heaven. The Son becomes the Man by which God brings Salvation and Eternal Life.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 – Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. *This doesn’t say all men shall live in resurrection – only those IN CHRIST.

All things of man, sin, death, righteousness and Life were delivered to The Son. Romans 5:15 – If through the offence of one (Adam), many be dead, MUCH MORE by the grace of God, which is by one man, Jesus Christ has abounded unto many. Vs. 17,19 – As by one man’s (Adam) disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous. This whole issue – of sin and death was delivered to Him. But what was His obedience? He was obedient unto DEATH, even the death of The Cross. (Philippians 2:8)

John 12:31,32 – Now is the judgment of this world… if I be lifted up (on the Cross) I will draw ALL MEN unto me… this he said signifying what DEATH He should die. So what happened when He died? 2 Corinthians 5:14,15 – If one died for all, then were all dead. Now we which live – by Him, as the New Creation no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Him. Mankind was delivered unto Him; and in Him the first creation died and a New Man came forth – IN CHRIST.

Judgment of the World

In our study of coming from glory to glory, we are looking now at all things being delivered to the Son, in Whom we find the fulfillment of all that God planned and purposed. And I pray that we are coming to see the Truth as it is in Jesus. ** Our Salvation is not primarily about "me" – but it’s all about HIM, and we are looking at this in regard to the first creation and the New Creation; the first man and the second – which is Christ. We must determine which creation, which man we now live in – in Adam or in Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4 – Paul here sets forth the reality of our Salvation: If ye then BE (not "going to be" – someday) risen with Christ (as One with Him, in His resurrection) seek those things which are above (greater than the earth realm, higher than natural life)… not on earth. Why? For ye are DEAD and your life is hid with Christ in God. (In our last lesson we saw that Jesus drew all men unto Himself when He died, so when One died – all were made to be dead. All of Adam is now dead; that means separated from God, having only temporal, soul life). BUT – when Christ who is your life shall appear (shall make Himself known – as Life – IN you), then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. (You will find Him to be your Life, and you see your union with Him; you live in Him. And this is Glory – Eternal Glory!)

Vs. 5-11 – Put to death in your bodies the acts of Adam. You walked in those when you "lived" in Adam. But NOW (in Christ)… lie not one to another (speak the Truth as it is in Jesus) seeing that ye have put off the old man and his deeds, and have put on the New Man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him. (*Adam in the first creation was a shadow, a representation of God, but the New Man that Christ brings forth by His death, burial and resurrection is the exactness that God desired.) Here there is no Greek or Jew… but CHRIST is all and in all.

• God’s plan was never fulfilled in Adam, but only in Christ, and in the New Creation that He has brought forth. We come from the fading glory of man to the Eternal Glory of Christ by reckoning the first man dead and putting off his deeds, and being renewed in the knowledge of Christ Who we have put on. Remember in the garden Adam was naked? But we now are clothed upon with CHRIST. He is our covering and our glory, and the nakedness of our flesh is not seen in God’s presence because of Christ in us – as our Life. In Christ we have come from the fading glory of man to Eternal Oneness with God; from glory to Glory.

We also need to understand what DEATH is in the Bible. We think death is when something stops breathing, but scripturally God speaks of death as being separated from God. In Genesis 2:17 God told Adam that in the day he would eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would surely die. When Adam did, he didn’t stop breathing, but in Genesis 3:23 and 24 God sent him forth from the garden. Adam was sent out from the presence of God and cut off from Him – to live in the earth realm, but unable to come to God. That is death; and that sure death that God promised Adam would be fulfilled at the Cross when Christ became the last Adam and that judgement was finally executed. (see Hebrews 9:27,28 – appointed to die… So Christ was once offered…) The death of Adam was delivered unto the Son and He fulfilled that by His Cross. But remember in Genesis 3 that the way of the tree of life was kept. Christ is The Way!

So we are considering the first creation as distinct from the second creation. We looked at "man", and now we must bring in the word "WORLD". Jesus said in John 12:31-33 – NOW is the judgment of this world… **We always must see the word "NOW" is the Work of Christ and The Cross. *The judgment of the world would take place by The Cross, and by this Work the prince of this world would be cast out (Satan, devil). This word "world" doesn’t just mean the physical planet; but it is an orderly arrangement which includes the inhabitants. So in God’s mind He sees the world of the first creation and Adam as one, and at the Cross God would execute His judgment on that. A judgment means separating the living from the dead. At the Cross the whole first creation – including man would be reckoned dead, as separated from God; and He would bring forth another creation – not like the first, not natural, with another man that was alive to God, and in which God could live. *The natural world and mankind continues to exist, but this is NOT the creation that is alive to God; only the New is.

We see this judgment in type in Genesis 6-8 with Noah and the flood. (We have looked at these scriptures in earlier lessons, but it is beneficial to look at them again in light of this judgment.) This was a type of the judgment of man and the earth world that Christ would fulfil by His Cross – all things delivered to The Son!

Genesis 6:5-7 - God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (That’s man – no good in him!) It repented the Lord that He made man on the earth. I will destroy man. **Vs. 11-12 The earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence because ALL flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Can you see that Adam as the head of this creation, this world, defined it, and caused it to grieve God? Much more, Christ as the Head of the New Creation, the New World fills and defines it, and therefore makes the New Creation acceptable to God – all things to the Son!

Vs. 13 - ** The end of all flesh is come before me. Earth is filled with violence through man. I will destroy them with the earth. The whole first creation world is judged! BUT… Vs. 8 – Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Make an ark (this is a type of our Salvation in Christ.) Vs. 14 – "pitch" = atonement; kept by blood. Vs. 17,18 – I do bring a flood on earth to destroy ALL flesh; everything shall die. BUT with thee will I establish My covenant. ** God only establishes His Covenant with the second. In the type all of the first world did die.

Genesis 7:21-23 – And Noah ONLY remained alive, and they that were WITH HIM IN THE ARK. Only One lived, and only those who were with him in God’s provision. This is what came forth from God’s judgment.

Genesis 9:1,2 – Noah and his sons were blessed and were to be fruitful and replenish the earth – fill up the NEW creation that came forth. We see here the type of God’s judgment on mankind as Adam and the earth realm. That was all delivered to the Son and He fulfilled this judgment at The Cross.

Now, how can we be dead to the world, the first creation, man and self?

Galatians 6:14 – Glory in the CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

All things were delivered to The Son, and fulfilled by His Cross!

Judgment

We are continuing to look at the all things being delivered to the Son, and these are the all things of the Testimony. Jesus said that the scriptures testified of HIM. (John 5:39) When He came to earth these "all things" were delivered to Him – to fulfil and bring to their conclusion, and by this He would make the Father known. (Matthew 11:27) And we are seeing that this was done by The Cross – His death, burial and resurrection; so as we read the Old Testament it is important that we understand that these are not just Bible stories, but ALL of that was the Testimony of what Christ would do. HE makes them all known.

Ephesians 1:9,10 – This is set forth in the middle of Paul’s declaration that God HATH (past tense) blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. This is NOT what He is going to do, but what He has done. * He has made known unto us the mystery of His Will according to His purpose. This can only be done by HIS SON. That in the administration ("dispensation" is NOT a time element, but the ‘stewardship of a household’, it is the orderly taking care of the business of a house) of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both in heaven and earth; even IN HIM. * The question we have to answer here is: when is the fulness of times? Is it future, or has it come? When did time come to its fulness?

Galatians 4:4 tells us that when the fulness of the time WAS COME… This is NOT in the future, and it is defined by God sent forth His Son. * The fulness of times came when Jesus came – born of a woman – TO DIE. The time – days, natural events ruled by man and the earth came to its fulness, and when it did – God sent forth His Son. And in the administration of this fulness of time (the handling of it; making it work) God would gather all things together in Christ. Everything now would find its fulness and completion in HIM and HE would now be the substance of them all. Now He fills up all time, and all things, and we should be finding all things in Him. Types and shadows, prophecies, promises – all gathered in Him.

And there is a Work of the Holy Spirit in us – teaching us, by bringing all things into Christ, and showing us their fulfillment in Him. John 16:13-15 – The Spirit will guide you into all truth; he shall receive of mine and shew it (reveal) to you. All things that the Father has are mine – all things in Him! *It is by this Work of the Spirit bringing us from the glory of the first – natural, types, the old; to the greater glory of the second – Spirit, Truth, New, Eternal. But remember – The Spirit could only come and do this AFTER the Cross! (See John 7:39) Jesus had told them it will be BETTER for them when He goes away. (John 16:7) Now he brings in a New Time, a New Day, an Eternal Day – that is NOW IN CHRIST.

In our last lesson we started to look at the JUDGMENT of the first creation, and that Jesus came to bring about the judgment of the world. Judgment means a decision for or against; and we want to look at this as part of the "all things delivered to The Son." And as we do this, we know that this judgment was carried out at The Cross. (John 12:31-33) And the challenge to us is: are we living and abiding by THAT judgment? By The Cross Jesus separated the living from the dead; the decision was made for and against. Is that judgment continually affecting us?

*God’s Eternal Plan and Purpose would be gathered up and the decision concerning everything would be by HIS SON. The Old Covenant spoke of this – spoke of ONE that was to come. And that ONE has come!!

Psalm 98 – This is a prophecy of what Christ would do – a NEW song, the victory by His right hand and holy arm. The Lord hath made known HIS Salvation; His righteousness hath he openly shewed to the heathen… all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Sing praise… (vs. 9) for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity (fairness). Can you see how this was all delivered to The Son and that He would accomplish this by The Cross?

John 9:39 – For judgment I am come into this world. And here He is telling the Pharisees they are blind because they won’t acknowledge Him. He came to bring them to a decision – would they see Him to be The One they were looking for; The One that the Law and prophets (The Old Covenant) promised would come? He now would separate those who would live in Him, and those who would remain dead in their old religion.

John 5:19-27 – The Son does what the Father does, and reveals all things through the Son. Vs. 22 – For the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. This was all done when the Son came into this world. He that honors not the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. ** You can NOT worship God except by His Son – that’s how God planned it. He that hears my word and believes on Him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. The hour is coming, and NOW IS when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. The question is: is this a time coming? No, Jesus said the hour NOW IS – that hour came at The Cross. Those who were under the Law were accounted as dead to God, but if they would hear HIM – they would live. Can you see that He is the judgment; believing on Him brings you everlasting Life – no condemnation – you pass from death unto Life. Vs. 26,27 – The Father hath life in Himself, and has given the Son to have life in Himself, and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. The Father has delivered all judgment to the Son – He decides death and Life – all in Him. (Son of Man is His name in relation to man by the Work of The Cross.)

So, are we living by this judgment, and are we manifesting this judgment in the earth – that we HAVE passed from death unto Life; from glory to glory?

Acts 17:31 – God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness – how? By THAT MAN He hath ordained. And "that man" is CHRIST. And the assurance is that He hath raised Him from the dead.

All things delivered to The Son!

End of World – New Day

If we are to be coming from the glory of the first to the glory of the second, we are going to have to gather all things of the first into Christ and find the end of them there. Only then can we find the fulfillment and fulness of all things in Christ, Who is the second, the greater glory. The whole realm of the first – in all its aspects and things must be gathered into Christ, and He now not only fulfills them, but He is the fulness and substance of them – The I AM.

So much of the old – even the old glory can be summed up in the Temple, and Jesus was preparing His disciples for coming from glory to glory in Matthew 24. * * This is all in preparation of THE CROSS. Matthew 24:1-3 – His own people, the Jews rejected Him, and even though He declared Himself to them in the Temple as the fulfillment of the scripture, they refused Him. Jesus went out and departed from the Temple. The Temple was the center of their religious life, where God was supposed to meet them: it was their whole WORLD. But NOW the real Temple had come that would replace the type. (See John 2:19-21 – Destroy this temple and I will raise it up… He spake of His body.) And all of it would be destroyed – not one stone left on another. ** Verse 3 – They saw this as the end of the world; and we must understand that it was! It was the end of the Old Covenant world.

• "world" here means "an age" or a Jewish period, not the physical earth. It is the Old Covenant age, the Old Testimony period, the Age of the Testimony.
• "end" here means the entire completion, the consummation of a dispensation. All of the old would come to its full completion at The Cross, and that age would come to its end. And that means that all things of the old world, old age, Old Testament would come to its completion, and then in Christ – in the power of His Resurrection, He would bring forth the NEW.

** You can not come from glory to glory until you see the end, the completion of the first, the old; and no longer hold on to it, but give it up to the greater glory of The New. And now, the world changes, the realm changes, and now you are in the world without end – the Eternal, in Spirit – IN CHRIST! This is the realm that we are now in – in heavenly places, in Christ, but most of us are not experiencing that because to us that first world has not come to an end. We are still looking at this natural world and finding our life there, rather than in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – Paul here talks about an outward man who perishes and an inward man who is renewed (in the knowledge of Christ); what happens in this natural realm is but for a moment, working in us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look at things not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The greater glory is NOT seen in the natural, and for us to come into that the temporal life must end for us. That doesn’t mean when we physically die, but when we see all the temporal days gathered up and completed in Christ at The Cross, and then He brings us into His ETERNAL DAY, His Eternal Kingdom, His New World, and we live there. This "day" is different from the natural creation, temporal days.

We see God setting forth the TYPE of this in Genesis 1 in the first creation. He used six days to complete that creation. And each day was defined by "and the evening and the morning were the ____ day." (Verses 5,8,13,19,23,31) These days had darkness and light, a beginning and an end. And the number SIX in the Bible is associated with man and this whole first creation. Notice also: many dayS (plural)

But then in Genesis 2:1-3 God establishes not just another day, but a different day – when the heavens and earth were finished and God ended His work and rested on the Sabbath day. He blessed it and sanctified it (set it apart for Himself) because in it He had rested from all His work. **Notice: this "day" is NOT described as the others – no evening and morning. It is a different kind of day. (It is interesting that the word "Sabbath" in Hebrew comes from a word meaning "rest, interruption, to cease, sit still, loss of time".) God was speaking of a day of His rest, Work finished, no time.

In the Old Testament this was observed as another temporal day, but all of those days must be gathered up into Christ, and HE must be seen as the END and FULFILLMENT of those days. Observing the Sabbath as a temporal, natural day had a glory to it, but that glory fades. Finding CHRIST to be the fulfillment of that day brings in The Eternal Glory of that day for you, and you now rest in His Finished Work, and cease from your own labors – in Christ.

All these "days" must be gathered up in Christ. Isaiah spoke of this in Isaiah 66. God is looking for the place of HIS REST. Isaiah 66:1,2 – Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool, where is the house man will build for God. Where is the place of my rest? All those things my hand has made, and have been, but to THIS MAN will I look… The place of God’s Rest is HIS SON – everything He desires is gathered into Christ. ** If this is where God looks for His Rest and satisfaction, why would we look any other place? We must turn from the first, temporal, natural realm and find everything in Him, and He now is the place where we now dwell.

Our whole frame of reference now changes, and we are not dictated by the days and times of the natural world. We see the type of this with Israel when God brought them out from Egypt. Exodus 12:2 – This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; the first month of the year to you. (This in the Jewish religious calendar was April, not January like our "New Year". The Jewish secular calendar begins in September, when the early rains came for plowing.) Israel now, when they came out from Egypt began a whole new calendar – their own time, a new beginning, a new day! And what identified this? THE PASSOVER – the killing of the lamb! That’s what brought them out of the world, the old; and to go into the New. And that’s what does it for us. All things gathered INTO CHRIST.

Transition

What is the major difference between the first glory and the second glory; between the Testimony and the Witness? How do we know if we are walking in the understanding of the Old Covenant or the New? The Testimony says: One is coming; The Witness says: He has come. The Testimony says: There is a day coming; The New Covenant says: that Day is NOW come. The first glory is filled with many promises; the second glory is The Promised One – and all the promises and prophesies of God fulfilled by Him and in Him – by The Cross.

In this lesson we will be talking about the transition of coming from glory to glory by gathering the "all things" of the scripture into Christ. John the Baptist epitomized this transition – of bringing a people from the one to the other.

• Luke 16:16 – The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. What was John the Baptist’s ministry? Luke 3:4 – (fulfilling prophecy in Isaiah) – Prepare ye the way of the Lord. *Vs. 16 – I indeed baptize you with water (according to the ritual Jewish washing under the law for sin); but one mightier than I cometh… he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

John was announcing The Greater One, and when John baptized Jesus he declared Him to be the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) Notice: in Luke it says that since that time the Kingdom of God IS preached – not that it was "going to come"; but John declared it HAD COME! The Lamb brought the Kingdom. He now would rule!!

?? How can we today still be preaching that the Kingdom of God "will come some day"? We say He is the "soon coming King" – but that’s the Old Covenant understanding! If He’s not ruling today – who is?

John brought them from the Old Covenant right to the New by declaring Christ as The One they were looking for. And with that, John’s ministry ENDED. John 3:28-30 – I am NOT the Christ, but I am sent before Him; my joy is fulfilled because He has come. HE must increase, but I must decrease. * Recognizing Jesus as The One God promised, and allowing Him to become everything while we become nothing brings us from the glory of the first to the glory of the second.

Remember, all of the first, the old, the Law and the prophets spoke of Him, and were all in effect until He came, but then He became the fulfillment of them. Matthew 5:17,18 – Jesus said I am not come to destroy the law or prophets, but to FULFIL them. Till heaven and earth pass, no jot or tittle of the law shall pass till ALL be fulfilled. And it was by His death, burial and resurrection that all of the Law and prophets would be fulfilled, for that is what they spoke of. And then (at His death) the old heaven and earth did pass away, and He brought forth the New heaven and New earth in His resurrection! He fulfills all of it.

In order for us to make this transition, we must gather every jot and tittle of the Old Testament into Christ, and see HIM to be the fulfillment of them. In this lesson we will look at some scriptures regarding men in the Old Testament, and gather all that they spoke of into Christ.

• Romans 5:14 – (Adam) was a figure of him that was to come. Adam was the head of the first creation, but was only a shadow of that Man Who would come. Christ would bring Adam to an end, and bring forth the New Creation, created by God of which He is Head and fulness.
• Matthew 24:37-39 – But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Son of man is Jesus in the flesh coming to die for mankind.) The flood was God’s judgment upon the first creation, but God’s provision of the Ark saved some. This is all likened to the coming of the Son of man – and was fulfilled by His death at The Cross.
• Matthew 12:38-41 – Jesus spoke to the Pharisees of His day, and they asked Him for a sign. He answered they were an evil and adulterous generation (they had the Law, but went after other gods) and the ONLY sign they would get was the sign of the prophet Jonah. *For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. He spoke of the judgement of The Cross. Jonah is gathered up and fulfilled in the greater than Jonah who is here. ** Vs. 42 – And a greater than Solomon is here also. Notice: the declaring of "IS HERE" – not ‘going to come’. He fulfilled the Testimony.

That was the problem with the Jews – they refused to see HIM as the fulfillment of the people and things in the Law and the prophets: the Testimony.

John 5:46 – Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me. He fulfilled the Law and prophets.

Acts 3:17-26 – What God showed before by all his prophets, Christ has fulfilled. Moses said God will raise up a prophet unto you like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things, and every soul that does not hear Him shall be destroyed: all the prophets have foretold of these days. You are the children of the prophets and the Covenant to Abraham. God sent His Son Jesus first to you. ALL of this is fulfilled in Christ!

God has gathered up all things in Christ, and we must also. He is the Greater One!

John 8:56-58 – Before Abraham was – I AM!!

May we see Him as He is!

What God Hath Done in Christ

I am praying that the Lord is using these lessons to awaken us to the fulness, the greatness, the NOWNESS of our Salvation. The REALITY of our Salvation is exceedingly, abundantly above any thing that we could ask for or think of, and surpasses all of the types and shadows of the Testimony. What God hath done in Christ: may we truly come to know that.

Ephesians 1:3 – He HATH blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN CHRIST. What can be more glorious than that? The only thing that could be more glorious than what Christ has done is that we would come to know that, and to live and walk in the Truth of that – as the Witness of that Finished Work. This was Paul’s prayer for the Church. Ephesians 1:17-23 – That God would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of HIM (that’s the knowledge we need): the eyes of your understanding being enlightened (take off the veil of darkness, flesh) that ye may KNOW the hope of HIS calling, and the riches of the glory of HIS inheritance in the saints, the exceeding greatness of HIS power to usward, according to HIS mighty power wrought in Christ when he raised HIM from the dead… (all by The Cross) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to The Church, His body.

• This is the greater glory – the knowing, the comprehending, the manifesting of what God has done in Christ. This is NOW made known in and by The Church. And until God opens our eyes (as we turn our hearts to see Him), we remain in the darkness of the Testimony – fabricating what we think God will do ‘someday’. But in His appearing, in His Light, we see The Witness, we see what He has done, and we become that Witness in the earth. But we must see HIM for this to be so.

And in this regard we are considering the "all things" that have been gathered into Christ, and the "all things" that He is Head over now to The Church. In Christ and by The Cross, the "all things" of The Testimony become the "all things" of the Witness – only, all – IN HIM.

In considering the "all things" that were delivered to Him, the Lord has stressed to me that we need to see this from the "negative" side as well as from the "positive" side. The greatness of the Work of The Cross is its ALLNESS – that Work dealt with ALL THINGS. Consider what Jesus became, and by that, the greatness of what He accomplished.

• SIN - An issue with the first man was sin, and because of Adam’s sin, all men are in sin and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Romans 5:12 – By one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men. But look at the "much more"ness of Christ: Vs. 15,17 – by the offence of one – many be dead, but the gift of grace by one man, Jesus Christ has abounded unto many. If death reigned by one, much more they that receive abundance of grace and righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ. Vs. 19,21 - many made sinners by one man’s disobedience; by the obedience of One many shall be made righteous. As sin reigned unto death, grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life BY Jesus Christ. *Sin, death and disobedience were all gathered up in Jesus!

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For God HATH made HIM to be sin for us who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him **HE was made sin, He became that sin, that man of sin – and put sin and death to an end by His obedience unto death, even the death of The Cross. Jesus brought the type of that right into Himself.

John 3:14-15 – As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, EVENSO must the Son of man be lifted up, that who believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. *This was in the Testimony! Numbers 21:5-9 – In the wilderness, Israel spoke against God, and God sent serpents among them to bite them and they died. They realized their sin and prayed that the serpents be taken away. But God said make a serpent and put it on a pole, and when they were bitten and looked at the serpent on the pole – they lived. ** This represented their sin. They had to see that sin on the pole, on The Cross, and by seeing that serpent of brass there, they lived. Brass = judgment. *God’s judgment of sin – at The Cross, by The Cross, by that death brings LIFE.

• A Curse – Mankind was cursed; sin brought separation from God, and even the Law could not change the nature that was not acceptable to God. We were under that curse, but Jesus became a curse for us. Galatians 3:13,14 – Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree (The Testimony said that). This spoke of The Cross. Why? THAT the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. *This was God’s plan – all delivered to His Son to fulfil by His Cross.
• Death – This was the consequence of sin – separation from God and even death was delivered to Jesus. Hebrews 2:9,10 – Jesus was made a little lower than the angels (we must "see" this) for the suffering of death, that He should taste death for every man; For it became him, for whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory (oneness with His Father and Himself) … through sufferings. VS.14,15 – He became flesh and blood so that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, the devil, And deliver them who through fear of death were subject to bondage. *Jesus conquered death and the power of death BY HIS DEATH on The Cross, and now by His Resurrection, He has raised His Body – in Life that is no longer subject to death.

All these "negative" things were delivered to The Lord Jesus, and He became these things and fulfilled them – for us, and has now brought us to His Glory. May we live in the greatness of what HE HAS DONE!

Words Gathered into The Word

As we are gathering all things in Christ so that we may come from the glory of the Testimony to the glory of the Witness, let us be reminded again of what is said in Hebrews 1:1,2 – God, who at sundry timeS and in divers mannerS spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath at the end of these days spoken IN SON. In the dayS (plural) before the Cross, God had many words and ways He spoke, but this was all the TESTIMONY of what would come. These words and days were all brought to an end when the fulfillment of them came – HIS SON, The Eternal Word. Now He perfectly expresses God’s plan and purpose, and completes all of the types and shadows of the Testimony. If Jesus didn’t do that, then God would be a liar! But the words of the Testimony were fulfilled in The Word, The Truth – His Son. We must see Christ in this way – as The Eternal Word summing up and fulfilling all that God has said. This is coming from glory to glory, and this is The Witness.

Isaiah 55:8-10 – My thoughts and ways are not yours – they are higher ( in a spiritual realm. In the Testimony things were in the natural, but they always spoke of a higher thought, a spiritual Truth of God.) As the rain comes from heaven and waters the earth and brings forth seed and bread so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall ACCOMPLISH that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it. **Notice here – "my word" – This is singular, the thought of God expressed – out from heaven to the earth, to bring life, and accomplish (finish, perfect) all of God’s Will. This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled IN CHRIST – Who is The Word of God! (John 1:1 – In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and was God. Vs. 14 – And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory…) full of grace and Truth.) The wordS (plural) of the Testimony didn’t accomplish what God desired – they set it forth, but never fulfilled it.

But Jesus, by His Cross, fulfilled all God’s plan, and then He was raised from the dead and returned unto heaven – glorified, and was accepted back of the Father, and brought back with Him the Church: bringing many sons unto glory (Hebrews 2:10), into a relationship of oneness with The Father that He desired from the beginning. We now are living by that Finished Work, and that Living Word now lives in us, continuing to accomplish what God sent Him forth to do. And that can only be done in us as Christ is revealed in us, and as we are gathering all of the things of the Testimony (the wordS) into Him.

Luke 24 – This is after the crucifixion and resurrection. Two disciples were discussing what had happened and Jesus appeared. *Vs. 16 - - But their eyes were holden that they should not know Him. They were only seeing things in the natural – His death. Vs. 20 – The priests crucified him. Vs. 21 – We trusted that it had been He who would redeem Israel. Vs. 23 – His body was gone and angels said He was alive. ** This was ALL done according to the Testimony – prophecy and God’s words were all fulfilled by His death, burial and resurrection, but they didn’t understand that! They thought somebody had killed their hope! **Vs. 25-27 – "Notice "all" – O fools and slow of heart to believe ALL the prophets spoke, that Christ would suffer these things and enter into his glory (that was hidden in the Testimony). And beginning at Moses and ALL the prophets He expounded unto them in ALL the scriptures the things concerning HIMSELF. *They all spoke of Him, but until HE APPEARED they did not understand. Vs. 30.31.35 – He broke the bread (symbolizing His death) and their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and He vanished out of their sight.

THE LIVING WORD APPEARED IN THE WRITTEN WORDS, and by His death made Himself know; opening eyes to see HIM, but then He vanished – no longer to be known in the flesh, but now by The Spirit. The revealing of The Word fulfilling all the scripture was bringing them from glory to glory: from the Testimony to the Witness; from the Old Covenant to the New; from knowing Him in the flesh to knowing Him by The Spirit. And this is the way it is still done today – seeing all things of the old delivered to Him, gathered up and fulfilled in Him, and now seeing none but Him. May the Spirit of God open our eyes that we can see Him this way!

To finish this lesson I just want to make some comparisons of what we HAVE come to IN CHRIST – from first to second, from the Testimony to the Witness. May God make these distinctions real to us.

We have come from:

• The dead letter TO The Living Word – not just more wordS of religion. And this Living Word now lives in us, giving us a New heart, New Life. But this Living Word is the very Person of Christ! May we live by THAT Word!
• Prophecies TO The more sure Word of Prophecy – the prophets made more sure. (2 Peter 1:19) This is all in Christ; the prophets all spoke of Him. Revelation 19:10 – The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. God’s prophecy is of HIM – not us!
• The Promised Son TO The Son of Promise – The Testimony spoke of This Son. But now we have come to The Son in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen. (2 Corinthians 1:20) We can find all that God promised IN HIM. The promise of God is fulfilled in the very Person of Christ. And these promises are NOT primarily for us, but HIM, and we have received all HE has received!
• The One to Come TO HE WHO IS COME – The Testimony always spoke of One to come; a day to come, something to come. But HE has come! And in His coming all of those prophecies and promises were fulfilled – some to utter destruction, and some to Newness of Life, but all come IN HIM. And He is The Ever Coming One, and as He appears and makes Himself known in us, and in this earth, He continues to fulfill all that was spoken of Him. All is delivered to Him, and fulfilled by Him.
• Types and shadows TO Evidence and substance – That is what He is!

May we truly gather all things up in Christ, and see Him as the fulfillment of all God’s Words – He fulfilled and accomplished The Father’s Will. Christ, The Living Word returns all this back to His Father – FINISHED!!

Three Days

In this lesson we are going to look at coming from the glory of the "days" of the Old Covenant to the glory of the "DAY" of the New Covenant. Now we know that the first is always natural, and the second is Spiritual, and so we will gather the "days" up into Christ, and find them all fulfilled in the greater DAY which CHRIST IS! This is The Day we are living in!

One of the characteristics of the Old Covenant and the types and shadows was that everything of God was hidden, and not made known. But in the New Covenant, things are known – made manifest, understood. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for The Cross He spoke of this "day" and the greater glory it would bring. John 14:20 – In THAT DAY you will know I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. ** This is the understanding of the "day" of the New Covenant. The glory is this relationship of Oneness that we have been brought into. The "dayS" of the Old Covenant spoke of this glory, but never accomplished it, but Jesus did. We now can know – understand and experience and manifest this. John 8:31-32 - Jesus spoke to the Jews who believed on Him. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the TRUTH, and the Truth shall make you free. Free from what? The old, the first, bondage of religion, of the law of sin and death. *And it is still the same today – knowing Christ and The Truth that is in Him, and that HE IS (I am The Truth…) makes us free – to walk in the greater glory.

Jesus told them how it would be done. John 2:13-22 – Jesus goes to the Temple at Jerusalem (which summed up Israel’s spiritual life). He gathers that all up in Himself, cleanses the Temple of everything but Himself (for it all spoke of Him) and when they asked Him for a sign giving Him the authority to do this, He replies, "Destroy THIS Temple, and in THREE DAYS I will raise it up. He was not speaking of three natural days as of the Old Covenant, but the fulfillment of those days; and those days spoke of His death, burial and resurrection (all things delivered to Him). By those three days, He would bring forth a GREATER Temple, a GREATER glory, a GREATER knowledge – Truth, a GREATER day. He would fulfill God’s plan by those THREE DAYS.

So let us look at "three" and the "three days" as set forth in the scripture, and see them all gathered up and fulfilled by Christ and His Cross. How will WE come from glory to glory? By these three days, by CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.

First of all we must realize that in the scripture three denotes fulness and completion. Over and over we see a threefold work, and by this God is showing fulness: something that accomplishes something, a finished work. Israel was very familiar with "three days"; we see it throughout their history.

Exodus 3:18 – Getting out of Egypt – let us go three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. What gets us out of the bondage of the world? A THREE DAY journey! (Galatians 6:14 – By The Cross I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified unto me.)

Exodus 10:21-23 – Deliverance by Moses’ hand (type of Christ the deliverer). There was thick darkness in Egypt three days, but Israel had light.

Exodus 15:22-25 – Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea into the wilderness three days and they found no water. The Lord showed him a tree which made the waters sweet when cut down. God proved them. The Tree speaks of The Cross.

Exodus 19:10-11 – Sanctify the people today and tomorrow, and be ready against the third day; the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. God would make Himself known in the third day.

Exodus 23:14-17 – Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. The seven feasts of Israel were summed up in three feasts – Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. (Deuteronomy 16:16 – Three times a year all males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which He shall choose.) ** You can ONLY appear in the place God chooses, and you appear before Him IN His death, burial and resurrection. "You" just can’t appear as "you" – but you appear IN His feasts – In Christ.

Numbers 10:33 – They departed from the mount of the Lord three days journey with the Ark of the Covenant before them to search out a resting place for them. ** You can only come to His rest by The Finished Work of The Cross!

Joshua – Moses is dead, and now they come into the land with Joshua as leader.

Joshua 1:11 – Within three days ye shall pass over THIS Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord gives you to possess it. (Without this three day preparation we cannot possess the land.)

Joshua 3:1-2 – Israel lodged at Jordan three days before they passed over. (Jordan signifies a realization of New Life). AFTER three days they saw the Ark of the Covenant and priests bearing it, then they left their place and went after it.

1 Chronicles 12:38-39 – Israel comes to David as King. Men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David King. And there they were with David (in the cave at Ziklag) three days eating and drinking. *We must partake of His death, burial and resurrection; then only HE is exalted.

Ezra 8 – When they return to Jerusalem to lay the foundation of the Temple. Vs.15 – They gathered at the river and abode in tents three days. Vs. 32 – We came to Jerusalem and abode there three days.

Hosea 6:1-3 – Speaking of restoration. Let us return to the Lord. He has torn and He will heal us. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. The third day brings resurrection, Life.

Matthew 12:40 – Jesus bringing the three days of Jonah into Himself. The Son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth – The Cross!

Matthew 17:4 – This is not three days here, but the three Tabernacles – now, all summed up and fulfilled in a greater One – MY SON, hear Him only!

Luke 2:46 – Jesus with his parents in Jerusalem. They left him but after three days they found him in the Temple.

Acts 9:9,17-18 – At the conversion of Saul – He was three days without sight or food or water. But then Ananias laid hands on him and he received his sight, was filled with the Holy Spirit, arose and was baptized. Those THREE DAYS brought him from the Old Covenant days to the New Covenant DAY – in Christ, The New Day! And it is those same three days that will bring us there also.

Abraham Gathered Up in Christ

So we are looking to bring the glorious words of the Testimony into the fulfillment in that greater glory, THE LIVING WORD, which is Christ. Jesus said in John 5:39 that the scriptures (Old Testament) are they which testify of Me. So we will be taking the words of the Testimony and looking for HIM, and how they would all be fulfilled by The Work of The Cross.

In previous lessons we looked at the first creation man – Adam. And in the Testimony in Genesis chapters 1-11 God sets forth His thoughts of this creation, and ultimately His judgment against it. He does this through Noah and the flood, and then brings forth another creation, which is to fill the earth. Now, all of the aspects of this – Noah, a man who was just before God, the corrupt world, the flood destroying all flesh, the Ark that kept its inhabitants alive – all of these spoke of Christ and The Work of His Cross. And by that Work He became Adam, He became that corrupt flesh, and brought it all to an end by His death and burial. And then in His resurrection He brought forth a New Creation. All of the first creation was delivered to Him, and He fulfilled God’s judgment against it. That Testimony was awesome but we now must come to the TRUTH of that IN CHRIST to come to the greater glory of the Witness.

2 Corinthians 5:14 – We thus judge; if one died for all (for all mankind) then were all made to be dead. Since he died for all, now those that live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him, who died and rose. *Vs. 17 – Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. Vs. 18 – All things are of God – in this New Creation.

** This is the Witness, the fulfillment, the greater glory – a NEW creation; the MAN Christ brought forth – dead to sin, alive unto God – NOT the old creation! This is what the judgment of The Cross HAS done, and for us to live as that New Creation that judgment must take place IN US. None of the old – only New. We are NOT by The Work of The Cross an old creation ‘on our way to glory, to heaven’; but have already been brought there by Christ. But we’ve got to understand that the Testimony of the judgment has been delivered to Christ and He has executed it! Now we are to be the Witness of it, even as He was the Witness of it.

So Christ has summed up and dealt with that first creation, and then in the Testimony God begins to deal with a man and makes promises to him. And that man is Abraham. Genesis 12. So we want to start to look at some of the aspects of God’s dealings with Abraham and bring them all into Christ. We start first with:

• THE CALL – Genesis 12:1 – Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee OUT of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, UNTO a land that I will shew thee. Note first of all – GOD calls – this is not what we decide to do, but what God has purposed.

Now in the Testimony we know that "the land" was a natural land, a physical place; but that was speaking of a greater land; and not just a spiritual "land", but of

Being IN CHRIST. This is NOT speaking of us ‘going to heaven’ but of a people coming to a relationship – IN CHRIST. It is a different realm, not just a different place, and it is all summed up in The Son. Romans 8:29,30 – Whom he foreknew, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son… whom he did predestinate, them he also called; whom he called, he justified; whom he justified, he also glorified. ** God called us into His Son, to be conformed to His image, and His Work is toward this end. Vs. 28 – all things work together for this good – for the called.

And we must come to understand a two old aspect of this land. They were not only to "come into this land", but this land was to "come into them". They were to POSSESS the land, so they became what this land is. Coming into this land – IN CHRIST changes you; you partake of Him and are changed into His image – what He is. ** And what Abram learned, and what we must learn is that in "this land" you don’t live your own life: of yourself, by yourself, unto yourself, but unto HIM. And all of the good of that land (which is Christ) is there for you.

• Another aspect of this call is: get thee OUT, and then UNTO. God’s plan was never just to get us out, but always to bring us into, and that means into His Son. Colossians 1:12-14 – The Father has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance (God promised an inheritance to Abram) of the saints in light (He is Light) ,Who hath delivered us FROM the power of darkness (world, death, old, first) and hath translated us INTO the kingdom of his dear Son. ( This is His rule, His dominion, not a physical place.) In Whom we have redemption through his blood… This tells us what Christ has done – fulfilling the call of Abram. How? By The Cross!

The "getting out" means from all of the first creation and world, and even as Abram could not fully enjoy the land because he was disobedient in bringing the old with him (Lot, his own ideas and resources) even so we suffer loss in Christ. **It was only AFTER Lot was separated that God could show Abram the land (Genesis 13:14) But this is not just something that we can mentally do. This "getting out" aspect was delivered to Jesus and He accomplished this at The Cross. And it is by that working of The Cross in us whereby we are separated from the world, from our first birth, flesh – me; and now we can be filled by all that He is, and live in Him and by Him. NOT I – but CHRIST!

• One more aspect now: How did Abram know that he was in the land? Genesis 12:5 – They came into the land. ** Vs. 7 – And THE LORD appeared unto Abram. The Lord had told Abram that He would shew him the land. That word "shew" means ‘reveal’. The natural eye can’t see this "land", but God reveals it. And how does He do that? HE APPEARS! He makes Himself known to you! He reveals Who He is, and brings you into Himself, that you may live in THIS LAND. May God show us HIMSELF! He is the greater glory!

The Seed

As we are bringing all of the parts of the Testimony into Christ, I pray we are seeing the greatness of our Salvation, and that it is all about HIM. We have been brought into this, but God’s glorious plan of Salvation is focused on His Son, and not us. And I pray that when we read the Testimony, we read it looking for HIM.

We have started to look at Abraham and bringing that Testimony into Christ, and in our last lesson we looked at the call and the land. To Abraham, in the Testimony that was natural, but look at the fulfillment for us IN CHRIST. 1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. *We are not called to go to a place, but to a relationship; and notice this is not just fellowship WITH The Son, but THE fellowship OF THE SON. We now enjoy His relationship with His Father: we are accepted in the beloved, and the Father knows us in His Son, as One Son. That is GLORY!

*This is the "land" that the Father reveals, shows us, as He Himself appears to us and in us, fulfilling that promise to Abraham. And we saw that in order to go into the land you have to leave all of the first realm, and we see this fulfilled by The Work of The Cross. Colossians 3:9-11 – Put off old man, and put on new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Neither… nor… but Christ is all and in all. He defined the land, the New Creation, and we now are to be that manifest witness of Him – as we live in Him and He lives in us.

We want to go on now and look at another aspect of the Testimony set forth in Abraham. And that is SEED. Genesis 12:2,3 – God told Abraham I will make of thee a great nation, and bless thee, and make thy name great, I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee; and in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. This was a great promise! **Vs. 7 – The Lord appeared to Abram and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land. Notice the promise was made to Abraham and his seed.

Now we know that for many years Abraham remained childless, but he believed God; but God was speaking of a greater Seed, and the Testimony sets this forth. Genesis 15:2-6 – I have no seed; will the servant be my heir? God told him to look toward the heavens and see the stars: so shall thy seed be. *This wasn’t just that the seed would be "many", but measured by the heavens. Vs. 6 – And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.

** This was the "faith" of Abraham, but I want us to see that this faith was connected with THE SEED; not just with things. Abraham knew that the promises and the land were all dependent upon this seed – that would come forth out of his bowels. Now we know why Abraham was so anxious to produce this seed "for God", even though both he and Sarah resorted to Hagar the Egyptian to accomplish this. ( Genesis 16:1-4) But this was NOT The Seed! We know that the boy that resulted from this was Ishmael, and thirteen years later (13 is the number of disobedience) God comes back and talks to Abraham about establishing His Covenant with the Seed. (Genesis 17:1-8)

All this time Abraham thought Ishmael was the Seed, but God would NOT accept the product of the flesh, and He would bless Sarah and bring forth THIS SEED through her. (Genesis 17:15-19) Abraham and Sarah could not produce this seed of themselves, but they believed God for the Seed, and at the "set time" of God, Isaac was born.

There are many aspects to this story – what the flesh can produce for God through the ways of the world; but what I want us to see here is that God would only establish His Covenant with this Seed. There was a time when there were two boys in Abraham’s house, but only one was The Seed, The Heir, and the other one had to be put out! (Genesis 21:9,10) And we see the ramifications of these two natural sons of Abraham today in the struggles in the Middle East over the "land given to our fathers". They are seeing the land as the dirt, the earth, but have not seen The True Land that God promised.

But I want to bring the issue of The Seed into Christ, and see this fulfilled in Him.

Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to SEEDS, as of many, but as of one. And to thy seed, which is CHRIST. The natural lineage of Abraham through Isaac and the whole nation of Israel would eventually produce Jesus Christ – THE SEED OF PROMISE. Note that God only saw ONE SEED – Christ.

Vs. 19 – The law was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. ** All that God promised to Abraham was fulfilled in Christ and by Christ, and we now in Him, can be brought into this land, this relationship, into this fellowship, this greater glory.

*Vs. 29 – And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. *Abraham’s seed is gathered up IN CHRIST!

Why is this important for us to understand? Because we have a lot of Christians running around claiming God’s promises – for themselves, looking for them in the earth realm, and demanding that God make covenant with them, and give them what they want. And you will do this – and base it on scripture until you see The True Seed – and that there is only One, and that Seed is CHRIST! It is with THIS Seed that God has established His Covenant with, and God remains faithful to His Son. But this is not the Old Covenant of the types and shadows, but the New Covenant which is established in His Blood.

The flesh man does NOT inherit the land and the promises. The type is set forth in the Testimony. Genesis 25:5-6 – Abraham gave all he had unto Isaac. The sons of concubines got gifts and were sent away from his Son. This is fulfilled in Christ, God’s Son whom He hath appointed heir of all things. (Hebrews 1:2)

THE SEED IS FULFILLED IN CHRIST!

The Works of Abraham

As we are bringing all of the types and shadows of the Old Covenant into Christ, we must understand that this was God’s plan. Ephesians 3:8-12 – Paul preached the unsearchable riches of Christ. *Preachers today are preaching ‘how to get rich’, but CHRIST was the riches that Paul preached. This mystery was hid (in creation, in the scriptures) but NOW The Church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s Eternal purpose was and is IN CHRIST, and in Christ He has brought a people unto Himself. Vs. 12 – In whom we have boldness and access with confidence – how? By the faith of HIM.

The Old Covenant spoke of this – God’s purpose made known in and by a people He called unto Himself, and they were to receive this by FAITH. The chapter of Hebrews 11 documents the faith of the Old Covenant saints, but we must see the difference between them and us: the first glory and the second glory; the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Vs. 13 – These all died in faith NOT having received the promises: they saw them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, so they didn’t find their life here on this earth. Vs. 39-40 – These all, having obtained a good report through faith received NOT the promise: God having provided some better things for us; that they without us should not be made perfect. ** The Old Covenant never brought to perfection or the fulfillment of promises, but their faith is now fulfilled IN CHRIST, for He was The One God promised, and all of the faith in the Old Covenant must be gathered up in Him, Who completed God’s purpose for a people. Faith in Christ brings us from the faith of the Old Covenant to the faith of the New; from the faith of something to come to the faith of the One Who has come.

We are presently looking at this in the life of Abraham, and God’s dealings with him, and we are seeing this regarding THE SEED. This is The Seed that God would give Abraham, the one with whom God would make His Covenant with. This is NOT the seed of flesh, and was not fulfilled by the natural children birthed by Abraham. The type is very specific in Genesis, and Romans 9 clarifies this Truth for us. Vs. 1-9 – (vs. 1-3) Paul had a burden for his own people, Israel to come to know Christ. Vs. 4,5 – Sonship, and glory, the commandments, the law and promises were all given to the fathers, and out from Israel in the flesh Christ came, Who is overall. ** But they are not all Israel which are OF Israel. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. They which are the children of the flesh, these are NOT the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. *Vs. 9 – This is the word of promise, At this time will I COME and Sarah shall have a son. ** It is THIS SON, This Seed that God recognizes – not the children of the flesh.

This is The Son, The Seed that Abraham believed God for in type. But this faith in This Seed is also necessary for us. Romans 4:18-25 – against hope Abraham believed in hope for this Seed. Vs. 19-21 – He didn’t consider the deadness of his body; but believed God for this seed, giving glory to God; that God was able to do this. The righteousness imputed to Abraham by this faith is also for us: if we believe on him that raised up Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead.

This all has to be gathered into Christ, and fulfilled in Him by His Cross – He was delivered for our offenses and raised again (anew) for our justification – Life out of death. THIS IS THE MYSTERY OF THE SEED.

Israel was the nation that came forth out of Abraham, and God brought forth His Seed, His Promised Son from them, but when Jesus came and declared Himself as the fulfillment of those promises, most of Israel refused to accept Him and come from the old glory to the New glory. They could only see themselves as the seed of Abraham in the flesh and clung to that. They would not do the works of Abraham – faith for The Seed.

John 8 – In this setting Jesus is declaring Himself to be the light of the world, and speaks of His relationship with His Father. Vs. 19 – Where is thy father? Jesus said ye neither know me, nor my Father; if ye had known Me, ye should also know My Father. (He’s talking to the scribes and Pharisees in the Temple! Ouch!) Vs. 23-24 – Ye are from beneath, I am from above. You shall die in your sins if you believe not THAT I AM HE. ** Their sin was refusing HIM! Vs. 28 – When you have lifted up the Son of man (on the Cross) then shall ye know that I am He. ** Christ would be made known by The Cross!!

Vs. 32,33 – The Truth shall make you free. We be Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man. ** Vs. 37 and 39 – I know you are Abraham’s SEED, (the natural posterity – in the flesh) you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. Abraham is our father. Jesus said if you were Abraham’s children you would do the works of Abraham. "Children" here means the spiritual posterity of Abraham’s faith, the seed of promise. But here’s the question: what were the "works of Abraham"? He believed God for this Seed; he trusted God to bring this seed to life, even when God required Abraham to sacrifice this Son, this Seed, Abraham obeyed, believing that God was able to raise him from the dead. (see Hebrews 11:17-19) The "works of Abraham" all relate to the SEED – it’s not just "faith"; but faith for and in THIS SEED.

(Look at John – bring "works" into Christ.) John 6:28-29 – What can we do, that we might work the works of God? This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. It’s not just "faith"; it’s faith IN CHRIST. We’ve got to gather everything into Him, and let Him fulfill everything!

The Jews still refused to come to Abraham’s faith and have it fulfilled by Christ. They clung to the Abraham of the old. John 8;53 – Are you GREATER than our father Abraham who is dead, and the prophets who are dead? Who do you make yourself? Jesus was declaring to them that He was The Greater One who fulfilled all they spoke of. Vs. 56-58 – Abraham rejoiced to see my day. (Abraham saw The Seed, and received HIM BY FAITH.) Before Abraham was, I am!

God’s Eternal purpose was all according to His Son. He brings us from the old understanding to the light of the New – a New Day IN HIM!

Covenant/Sign of Covenant

In coming from glory to glory, we are coming from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, and remember there is NOT a third glory or a third Covenant – someday. The New Covenant is NOW IN CHRIST. A Covenant is an understanding between at least two parties, and they are able to deal with each other according to this understanding.

Amos 3:3 – Can two walk together, except they be agreed? And God speaks this to Israel (vs. 1,2) – the whole family that He brought up out of Egypt. You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for your iniquities. ** God had made Covenant with Israel, but they refused to walk in His Covenant with them, and they suffered His judgment and wrath.

• This is important for us to understand, because if we today, who are partakers of the New Covenant, fail to walk with God in accordance with that Covenant, should we not also suffer His judgment? Hebrews 2:1-4 – How shall we escape (His judgment) if we neglect (fail to continually heed and walk in) so GREAT Salvation? The New Covenant is SO GREAT SALVATION! And in order for us to "walk with God" we need to come into understanding of that Covenant. If we don’t how can we have fellowship with God? Note: That it is GOD Who is the One who initiates Covenant, and not man. We think "we" can make deals or contracts with Him; but HE sets forth Covenant.

Let’s look at the first mention of "Covenant" in the Bible. And ‘first mentions’ in the Bible are very significant – it sets forth God’s intention. Very important – The word "Covenant" is NOT used with Adam. God dealt with Adam and visited him, but eventually put him out from the garden and God’s presence, and then He raises up Noah. It is to Noah that "Covenant" is first mentioned. Genesis 6 – God saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and He would destroy all flesh with the earth (the first creation). But Noah was told to build an Ark that would save them from the flood that would destroy all flesh (vs. 13,14) We know this is setting forth a picture of the judgment of The Cross. *Vs. 17-9,22 – But with thee ( The ONE that found grace in God’s sight, the ONE in the Ark) will I establish My Covenant… to keep them alive… Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. Noah came into agreement with God, and in Genesis 7:23- Every living substance was destroyed from the earth and Noah ONLY remained alive, and they that were with him in the Ark. *It is to this man that God will establish HIS Covenant. Genesis 9:7-11 – God’s Covenant is with all that go out of the Ark. (This is foreshadowing those IN CHRIST who have come by way of The Cross; God’s judgment of this world.) This is The NEW Creation that is to multiply and bring forth fruit abundantly in the earth. THEY were to walk in Covenant with God.

** But notice Vs. 12-17 – God gives a token (a sign) of the Covenant that He makes with Noah and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations. The sign here is the bow in the cloud. That bow is a remembrance of this Covenant, that waters will no more destroy all flesh. This speaks of the judgment of The Cross – it would be once and for all, but life would be to those in Covenant with God. (We must bring everything of the Testimony into Christ and the Work of The Cross.)

We know that Noah’s family filled up the earth, but those generations did NOT walk in Covenant with God, and ended up trying to build the tower of Babel to get to heaven! (Genesis 11:4-8) So God scattered them, and eventually called Abram out unto Himself. And here we have the next mention of COVENANT. God called Abram out, to come into a land God would show him, and this was all focused upon THE SEED, and it was with this Seed that God will make Covenant, and this Seed will inherit the land.

Genesis 15:5-8 – God spoke to Abram about the heavenly Seed and he believed the Lord for the Seed, and he counted it to him for righteousness. Then (vs. 8) Abram asks God how shall I KNOW that I shall inherit it? Vs. 9-18 – God goes about making Covenant with Abram here, and it is important for us to see this. "Covenant" comes from a Hebrew word that means "to cut down", and a Covenant is a compact or an agreement that is in effect because it is made by passing between pieces of flesh. ** This is NOT some informal agreement that is taken lightly: something is cut, something dies, and the agreement is sealed passing through that flesh. – Notice in verses 12-16 Abram goes into a deep sleep and sees a horror of great darkness – his seed would go into a stranger’s land and be afflicted for 400 years. That nation would be judged, but the seed would come out with substance. ?? Wasn’t that what happened to Israel in Egypt, and isn’t that ultimately fulfilled by the judgment of The Cross? (Bring all things of the Testimony to Christ.)

The next time God speaks to Abram about Covenant is in Genesis 17 – after Ishmael was 13 years old, and Abram now is to walk before God and be perfect (come to maturity as to God’s plan) Vs. 1-5 – Abram’s name is changed, from "high father" to "father of many nations", and God speaks of establishing His Covenant with Abraham and his seed (vs. 6-8) Vs. 9-14 - ** God gives him a sign of this Covenant between Him and Abraham and his seed: every man child among you shall be CIRCUMCISED. The foreskin must be cut off (Covenant means to cut down) as a token of this Covenant. *Vs. 13 – My Covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant; who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from my people; he hath broken the Covenant.

What is this foreshadowing? The Cross – the cutting off of one humanity. Covenant with God is only established this way. We must agree with this "cutting off" – we must bear this, if we are to walk in Covenant with God.

Circumcision

We are talking about Covenant, and in our last lesson we saw that GOD establishes HIS Covenant with His people. And they are to walk, to live in agreement with that understanding. Now the Bible sets forth two Covenants: an Old Covenant in types and shadows, and a New Covenant that is the fulfillment and substance of the old. And we must decide which Covenant we are walking in: an old understanding, or the New – in Christ Jesus.

But I want us to see that God is faithful to His Covenant: He is a Covenant God.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 – It is a faithful saying: If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him (as One)… if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. God is wrapped up in His Covenant: it is not separate from Himself, and He remains faithful to what His Covenant establishes.

Hebrews 6:13 – When God made promises to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself. God Himself was the surety of the promise.

The Old Covenant was a way of God making Himself known to a people through many different ways, types and shadows, and God was faithful to that, and demanded that His people make Covenant with Him in that understanding. If they didn’t abide by that Covenant, their soul was cut off from God’s people and from Him. And much more so now, God is faithful to the New Covenant, but here God makes Himself known only in and by HIS SON, and those that are to make Covenant with him must do so in THAT understanding. And God now works all things according to the New Covenant – in Christ.

We saw that God gave a sign of the Covenant. To Noah it was the bow in the cloud, and to Abraham it was circumcision. And every male born in, or living in Abraham’s house had to bear that sign in his flesh, other wise he would be cut off because He broke God’s covenant. Genesis 17:13,14.

But bearing this sign was also an assurance to God’s people – that He would be faithful to The Covenant He made with them. Do you remember when the Philistines gathered together against Israel in the days of Saul? Now even though Saul was not God’s choice for King and he was disobedient, God remained faithful to His Covenant with Israel. When Goliath stood against Israel for 40 days, David stood up against Goliath in an understanding of The Covenant! 1 Samuel 17:26 – Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the Living God? David knew Goliath wasn’t in Covenant with God, but Israel was! *Vs. 45-48 – David didn’t come with a sword or spear, but in the name of the Lord of hosts… THE LORD will deliver thee into my hand and I will take thine head from thee… that all the earth may know that there IS a God IN Israel. And God honored His Covenant with Israel through David, who walked in Covenant understanding with His God. This was God’s choice of King!

Now we know that everything under the Old Covenant was in the flesh realm, and so it was with circumcision. And the Old Covenant was "in part" and never unto perfection and complete. The circumcision of the Old Covenant was a partial cutting away of the flesh, but the man remained, and that ritual circumcision never made that man perfect. Now the New Covenant has a greater, a better circumcision, and this is NOT the cutting away of a part of the flesh, but in this Covenant, the whole man is cut off. Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 2:11-13 – They were in time past Gentiles in the flesh, uncircumcision (not circumcised by hands), and at that time they were aliens from Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. ** If you didn’t come under the Old Covenant and bear the sign of circumcision, you were outside God’s promises – no hope! **BUT NOW IN CHRIST you who were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. What happened? Vs. 14-18 – Christ by His Cross made Jew and Gentile One, and reconciled both unto God in one body by The Cross. JESUS CUT OFF THE OLD MAN. Then He came and preached peace, and through him we both have access by One Spirit to the Father.

The New Covenant demands not a partial cutting away of some flesh, but the total putting away of the old man. He is reckoned dead, and removed, never to live again. We are brought to a challenge today regarding "circumcision", and many of us are living in an Old Covenant understanding: we will allow the Lord to "cut away" certain parts of our flesh. For example – we don’t wear jewelry, or make up, or pants, or we don’t go to the movies, etc. * But this is all outward, and it is only partial, and it causes us to be deceived into believing this is righteousness and holiness, but this is still the old man trying to "be like Jesus", trying to make changes in the flesh. But this profits us NOTHING! The greater circumcision is the Work of The Cross whereby we come to understand it is NOT I, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME, and I now live only by Him, and He is my righteousness, holiness, truth, sanctification…. Etc. He is now all things unto me!

This is the New Covenant understanding. A NEW Covenant, which is a greater Covenant demands a NEW and GREATER circumcision, and this is the Covenant Jesus established BY HIS BLOOD, by Him cutting off the old man. Paul realized the circumcision just of the flesh belonged to the Old Covenant, but now those who would walk in Covenant with God, in a New Covenant, had to come to a greater circumcision – that of the HEART.

Romans 2:28,29 – He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, or of an outward circumcision in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

So I challenge us – which circumcision are we experiencing? An outward one of the flesh, or an inward one of the heart and spirit? May He cut off ALL of the old man in us, so that we walk only in The New – IN CHRIST as One with The Father, in New Covenant relationship. This is coming from glory to Glory, and that’s our Salvation NOW.

More on Covenant and Circumcision

As we continue in our study I want us to see God’s heart toward COVENANT and His people who are to walk in Covenant with Him.

Ezekiel 16 – The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel to cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. Vs. 1-8 – He relates their birth, when none cared for them and they were polluted, but God saw them and said to them LIVE. He looked on her IN LOVE, spread his skirt over her, and entered into a covenant with her, and she became HIS. Vs. 9-15 – God washed and anointed her with oil, clothes her and gave her jewels so that she was beautiful, and Verse 14 – her beauty was renown among the heathen (They were God’s Testimony) because of the beauty which The Lord put on them. ** BUT Verse 15 – They trusted in their own beauty and played the harlot with everyone that passed by.

This chapter goes on telling how they took God’s gifts and made images and set up idols and altars, and God would bring judgment upon them, and use other nations to punish them. ** Vs. 38-39 – Judgment will be as women that break wedlock (break covenant). Why will He do this? Vs. 59 – I will deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the COVENANT. ( I urge you to read the prophets again, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, and see that God was speaking to His people because they had left His Covenant. He tells them of judgment because they refused Him, and had other gods. The prophets were calling them back to HIM.)

** But God remains faithful to Covenant. Vs. 60-63 – Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant. And thou shalt know that I AM The Lord. (This phrase is used over and over in the prophets. Why does God do things? That you may know that I AM The Lord.

The Old Covenant, even with Abraham always had the promise of an EVERLASTING Covenant, but we know that was only established by CHRIST. We read in the Old Testament that even though God’s people were under Covenant, they were unable to walk perfectly before God, so God needed ANOTHER Covenant. And even in His judgments against Israel, He always spoke of this.

Hebrews 8:7-13 – If the first covenant had been faultless, a second one would not have been needed. But God has said the days come when HE would make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel NOT like the first one (We have to realize the difference!) when they did not continue in His covenant. The New Covenant will be after those days, and God would put His laws in their mind, and write them in their hearts, and He would be to them a God, and they would be to Him a people, ( That is COVENANT relationship) and they would all know Him. * In that He saith a NEW Covenant, He has made the first old, and it decays and is ready to vanish away. The nature of the New Covenant now is all inward, and the old is NO LONGER NEEDED.

Now to Israel in the Old Testament, this was spoken of as what was to come, and we know that at the Last Passover when Jesus broke the bread and took the cup He said this is the NEW TESTAMENT in My blood which is shed for you. (Luke 22:19,20) So this day HAS COME, and by His death, burial and resurrection, He has established The New Covenant; the greater Covenant that would be established IN God’s people, and enable them to live and walk according to Covenant.

And since the New Covenant HAS COME, the old became old, and was to vanish away. Its ineffectiveness was seen, and now needed to give way to the New. We must see that this was the basis of Paul’s writings – to bring people from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant; seeing it all fulfilled in Christ; and therefore the Old is no longer needed.

Look at Paul’s heart: Philippians 3:10-14 – That I may know Him… I haven’t already attained, but I follow after… this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are BEHIND, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God IN CHRIST JESUS.

What was Paul "forgetting that was behind"? It wasn’t smoking and drinking; it was the LAW, The Old Covenant, his righteousness in his Jewish flesh. (verses 4-6) But what things were gain to me (following the Law, religious zeal) I counted loss for CHRIST. Vs. 7-9 – He suffered the loss of the Old Covenant and counted that all as dung that he may WIN CHRIST and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness under the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.

*Paul had come from the glory of the first Covenant to the glory of the second, New Covenant, and he knew it required putting OFF the old, and walking only in the New. Here it would not be in the types and the shadows, but in the fulfillment – IN CHRIST. Here it is not "I doing"; but Christ living in me. And Paul centers this understanding in The Cross. ** Galatians 2:21 – I do not frustrate the grace of God (Paul recognized God established the New Covenant in Christ by The Cross); for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. And if we – in our hearts – are seeking to revert back to the Law, then we are making His death VAIN!

Paul realized that the sign of the Covenant was now no longer an outward cutting away of a part of the flesh as in Old Covenant circumcision, but now the total cutting away of the old man, and now finding Life and living only in The New Man – IN CHRIST. His letters speak of this. Galatians 6:12-15 – There were those requiring believers in the early Church to be circumcised in the flesh, so they could glory. But Paul only gloried in THE CROSS. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails, nor uncircumcision, but a NEW CREATURE.

This is the New Covenant - Not I – but Christ. God establishes His Everlasting Covenant with HIM!

Coming to Perfection

If we are to be growing up in Christ, we have to come from the Old Covenant understanding of types and shadows to the New Covenant understanding of the Truth in Christ. We know that the Old Covenant was only in part, and God’s plan was not fulfilled by that, and the scripture speaks of the Old Covenant understanding as that of being a CHILD.

Galatians 4:1-3 – The heir as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, is under tutors and governors (that’s the Law – the outward commandments, keeping them unto the coming of Christ – see Galatians 3:23,24) This is called bondage (verse 3) BUT – Vs. 4-7 – God sent HIS SON to redeem them that were under the law, that we might become sons. God sent the spirit of His Son into your hearts (not outside as in the Old Covenant, but now inside. That’s the New Covenant). Now NO MORE a servant, but a son; heir of God through Christ.

Ephesians 4:14-15 – Ministry is given for the perfecting of the saints, that we be no more children tossed to and fro; but speaking the truth in love (that’s Christ and The Cross) may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.

• The Law, the Old Covenant understanding did NOT bring to maturity, no perfection.

Hebrews 10:1 – The Law had a shadow of good things to come ("shadow" and "to come" apply to the Old Covenant), can NEVER make the comers thereunto perfect. NEVER!! (We need to get a hold of that – never!!!)

Hebrews 7:19 – The Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope DID, by the which we draw nigh unto God. That "hope" is Christ!

• God’s perfect, complete understanding, which can bring to fulness and maturity was NOT in the Old Covenant, but in the New. We may not be walking perfectly in that understanding, but we need to be walking in the ONLY Covenant that can bring perfection, and that is the NEW. But we saw a term that we must come to for this to take place – NO MORE. The old needs to be put off so that the new can come.

1 Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child (under the Law, in bondage, without true understanding) I spoke, understood, thought as a child. BUT when I became a man (come to maturity, complete understanding) I put away childish things. *We must understand that speaks of the Law, the Old Covenant, the "in part" understanding. Vs. 9,10 – We know in part, prophesy in part. ** But when that which is perfect IS COME, then that which is in part shall be done away = no more. "That which is perfect" is the New Covenant, that the better hope (Christ) brought, for He is the perfect One, and God says everything perfectly IN HIM. When He came He brought God’s perfect understanding; He made all of God’s Will known.

Now – with His Coming, the Old is done away with ALL of the "in part" pieces. They are all fulfilled in Him. The reality of that happened when Jesus came and died and rose again, but it is His coming IN US (His being revealed in us) that works this IN US. Then we are no more children, no more in bondage, no more tossed to and fro. We come to maturity – to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. We come to and live in New Covenant understanding, which is – Not I, but Christ.

We have been looking at one of the "in part" understandings that was under the Old Covenant, and that is circumcision of the flesh. It was the sign of the Covenant of the old understanding, and even though it was necessary it could NOT bring you to perfection. The Apostle Paul understood this, and as he ministered to the Church he was bringing them from the Old Covenant understanding to the New Covenant Truth in Christ, and the issue of circumcision was something he had to deal with.

Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is NOT justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ…for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. (At this time people were trying to force new Christians into Jewish circumcision.)

Galatians 3:1-3 – O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey THE TRUTH (that’s The Cross – Christ crucified), Jesus was set before you crucified. Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect (that’s the issue: coming to fulness, maturity) by the flesh?

• Paul then in chapters 3 and 4 compares the Law and faith in Christ, and sums it up talking about the two sons of Abraham: (Galatians 4:22-31) one born of the bondmaid and the other of a free woman as two covenants. *Vs. 25-26 – One answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children (that’s the Old). But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. BUT the bond woman and her son have to be cast out (no more) for we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free.

Galatians 5:1-10 - ** Stand fast in the LIBERTY wherewith Christ has made you free, and be NOT entangled again with the yoke of bondage (that’s the Law) * If you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. If a man is circumcised, he is a debtor to do the whole law, Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever is justified by the law: ye are fallen from grace. *The issue here is Law vs. Grace. Who did hinder you that ye did not obey THE TRUTH? Paul was calling them to walk in the reality of The Cross. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. ** You can’t "mix" part of the Law into the reality of Christ – ALL of the first must be done away!

Paul had come to the New Covenant understanding of Circumcision, and he has found its full definition in Christ (all things delivered to Him). He still knew this was the sign of Covenant, but now there was a GREATER circumcision.

Colossians 2:8 – Beware lest any MAN spoil you through philosophy, vain deceit, after the tradition of men, the rudiments of the word, and not after CHRIST.

** Vs. 11 – In Christ ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting OFF the body of the sins of the flesh BY the circumcision OF CHRIST (that’s The Cross.) Now it is not the partial cutting away, but the TOTAL death of the old man. This is the sign of the New Covenant. This is what we are to bear in our flesh – daily. 2 Corinthians 4:10,11 – ALWAYS (not just on Sunday) bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

It is THIS circumcision that brings us to perfection, for this brings us to not I, but CHRIST! That’s New Covenant understanding – coming from glory to GLORY!

Circumcision Made Without Hands

I pray that through these lessons we are seeing the correlation of circumcision to Covenant, but as with everything in the Old Covenant, we are bringing circumcision into Christ, and finding its fulfillment in Him. We now under the New Covenant need to undergo circumcision, but this is by the circumcision of Christ; and that is THE CROSS. We looked at Colossians 2:11: Ye are (if you are in Christ) circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. * We can try to clean ourselves up, and change our habits, and vow not to sin, but the ONLY way this can truly be done is by putting off the old man, the body of sin, of flesh. And that can only be done by The Cross.

• What is the difference between the two circumcisions: one made with hands, and the other not made with hands? The first is outward, and it leaves me. The second is inward, of the heart, and it leaves not I, but Christ! The Cross of Christ is sharp and divides the soul and the spirit, and puts away the flesh. This is painful to the flesh, but we must have confidence that God will honor this circumcision and bring forth New Life out of that death. And He will honor His Covenant!

Let’s look at something in the Testimony regarding the need for a greater circumcision. In Genesis we know that God gave circumcision as the sign of the Covenant to Abraham, and he and Ishmael and Isaac were all circumcised. But Ishmael (Genesis 17:24,25) was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. (Notice "in the flesh") But Isaac was born after the Covenant was established, and the wording here is different. Genesis 21:4 – Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old as God had commanded him. Notice "his son" and "8 days" (# of New Creation), and there is no mention of in the flesh of the foreskin.

Now we know that Isaac was the Promised Seed, and eventually Ishmael was put out of the house, and Isaac remained as the only son, heir of the land and all the promises. He was circumcised in the flesh, but God called Abraham and Isaac to a greater circumcision! Genesis 22:1,2 – Take thy son, thy only son Isaac whom you love, go to Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering. (Abraham knew that was unto death, total consumption.) This was the Promised Son, this was the Son with the sign of the Covenant in his flesh, upon whom all God’s promises rested! But God was setting forth here His understanding of Covenant, and the true circumcision He required – that which is NOT by man. Vs. 4,5 – On the third day (Speaking of The Finished Work of The Cross) Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off (Abraham saw my day, and rejoiced! John 8:56) * I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. This was WORSHIP, not a burden, and Abraham obediently went to do what God required, but he believed they would come again.

(Remember we said that Abraham believed God for The Seed? Hebrews 11:17-19 says BY FAITH Abraham offered up his only begotten son knowing that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. This is speaking of the resurrection: that God would be faithful to His Covenant.)

Genesis 22:9-12 – Abraham took Isaac to slay him (and in his heart agreed to this death – no kicking and screaming to prevent it). But Isaac was not touched because Abraham had feared God and not withheld his only son from God. Vs. 13 – Then Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the ram caught in the thicket and the ram was offered instead of his son. *Vs. 14 – God provided the sacrifice, and in the mount of the Lord it was seen what God sees. (Jehovah-Jireh = Jehovah will see (to it)) He sees the greater circumcision. He sees the OBEDIENT death of The Son, and He honors that obedience unto death.

• This is how the Covenant was confirmed. The circumcision of the flesh of the foreskin was not enough; but the obedience of the son unto death was what established God’s promises with Abraham. Genesis 22:15-18 – The Angel called unto Abraham out of heaven a second time (second is always spiritual): for because thou hast done this thing and has not withheld thy only son, I will bless and multiply thy seed… because thou hast obeyed my voice. * This was obedience unto DEATH.

Now let’s bring this Testimony over into Christ. And I want us to see the necessity of the greater circumcision to God’s Covenant, and that the circumcision of the flesh did not fulfil God’s plan. This is the mystery of The Seed. We know that Jesus was The Promised Son, who was begotten of The Father, fulfilling all of the type of Isaac in the Testimony. He was born under the law, and Luke 2:21 – circumcised at eight days, the circumcision of the son, accomplishing the Law. But this flesh circumcision was NOT enough to accomplish and complete God’s New Covenant: this seed had to DIE.

John 12:23,24 – The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. EXCEPT a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone; but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. ** This Son had to face the greater cutting away. He had to obediently go to The Cross, lay down His life so that The Life that was in Him could be multiplied and bring forth an increase of Himself. Can we not see here the fulfillment of the sacrifice of Isaac? And because of the obedience unto death, God was able to bless and to multiply the Seed. And this obedience is not just a partial cutting away of a part of the flesh, but the total putting away of that whole man, that whole first creation.

But then, God brings forth a totally New Creation; life out of death; and this creation is circumcised in the heart and bears the marks of the death of The Son! May we be obedient to this death, and the increase will be not I, but CHRIST. That’s The New Covenant Son!

The Bride – For The Seed

As we are coming from the glory of the types and shadows of the Old Covenant to the glory of the Truth and substance of the New Covenant, we must keep in mind that all of the Testimony spoke of CHRIST. Hebrews 10:1 says the Law had a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things. *This is what differentiates the two Covenants, and the two understandings we can be walking in: the shadow of what is to come, or the very reality of what God planned – NOW come. Comprehending all things in Christ now come by The Finished Work of The Cross brings us from the glory of the first to the glory of the second. Jesus’ coming into the world to die brought about that transition.

Hebrews 10:5-9 – When He comes into the world (born of Mary) He said, You had no pleasure in sacrifices for sin, but the Father prepared a body for Him (to die). *Vs.7 – Lo, I come, (in the volume of the book it is written of ME) to do thy will, O God. Lo, I come to do thy will. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second. ** It is His coming – under the old, as the first, and then taking it away by fulfilling it – by The Cross, that enables Him to establish the second. And HE is the second! All things of the book, of the first – people, places and things were written OF HIM. and are all fulfilled BY HIM, so we must look FOR HIM in the all things of the Testimony, and find HIM to be the substance of them.

It is interesting to note that these words in Hebrews 10 are from Psalm 40:6-8 – a psalm of David, who is a type of Christ. The whole of the Testimony speaks of Christ, and we must read the Old Testament that way – to see Him. And secondly, it is also important to note that this passage in Hebrews speaks of His coming to die: that His sacrifice – for sin, once, for all, was better than the priests of the Old Covenant. *Everything of His coming must be seen by The Cross.

So as we are bringing the all things of the Old Covenant into Christ, we are looking at Isaac, who was the Promised Son, the Seed, and we saw in our last lesson that he was the Seed that God required Abraham to sacrifice, and by that God could establish the Covenant, and multiply The Seed. Paul brings all of that Testimony into Christ. Galatians 3:16 – To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. Not to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is CHRIST. He fulfilled all that as The Obedient Seed. Philippians 2:6-11 – He made Himself of no reputation, was found as a man and humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of The Cross (that was always God’s plan). Wherefore God also hath highly exalted HIM, and given HIM a name above every name, that all should bow to Him, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ** The Cross fulfilled God’s Plan.

And we saw that by this death The Seed would be multiplied (John 12:24), and I want us to look at the type of how God would accomplish this. So in Genesis, we see that after the offering of Isaac, Abraham seeks a bride for Isaac. Isaac is a type of Christ the bridegroom, and the bride is a type of the Church, and it will be out from that union that the increase of the seed shall come. Remember – it’s all about The SEED.

Genesis 24 – Sarah has died and Abraham is old, and the Lord has blessed him. Vs. 2-4 – The father desires a wife for his son – for the seed, and sends forth his servant to accomplish this. *Notice this is the father’s will and plan, and this wife is not to be of the Canaanites of the land, but of his own country and kindred. The "servant" here is a type of the Holy Spirit. He is unnamed: he doesn’t speak of himself, but does the will of the Father regarding the Son. (See John 16:13,14)

Vs. 5-8 – The woman must come willingly unto this land (speaking of a relationship; leaving one land/life to come into another) but the son will NOT go into that land again. * Jesus’ coming to the earth and His death accomplished the Father’s plan. He does not have to come again to do it!

Vs. 9 – The servant sware to the master concerning that matter. * The Holy Spirit’s work remains faithful to this matter – calling out a people to union with Christ.

Vs. 10-27 – The servant prayed that God would prosper his trip and make known the bride that God has appointed for Isaac. This all takes place at a well of water. (speaking of Salvation – where the Water of Life is received.)

Vs. 22 – The servant gives gifts to the bride from his master, which will be evidence of his intentions, and comes from the abundance of his lord.

Vs. 33 – The servant will not eat until he tells of his errand – his purpose is to acquire a wife for the son from his master’s family. (** There are many workings of the Holy Spirit, but how many Christians have known Him this way – in bringing us into marital union with our Lord – as one – to produce His increase?)

Vs. 50-53 – Laban and Bethuel acknowledge this is of the Lord and Rebekah may go to the son. Then jewels of gold, silver and raiment are given. These are types of divine Life, redemption, being clothed upon with Him – all things that pertain unto Life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) – by our union with Christ.

Vs. 55-60 – Should she abide or go? Rebekah declares I WILL GO – the bride leaves her household to go to her bridegroom, and they pray for THE SEED – to be multiplied.

Vs. 61-67 – Rebekah followed the servant. Isaac was in the field looking for the servant with his bride. She didn’t know him, but lifted her eyes and went to him. The servant revealed her master and she covered herself – in submission to him. *Isaac took her into his tent, she became his wife and he loved her.

What a glorious "story", but how much more glorious this is when we see its fulfillment in Christ and His Church! May this be done in us – bringing us to the glory of our union with Christ. Why? For the increase of The Seed!

Walking in Truth

During these lessons we are bringing all of the "true things" of the Testimony into the "Truth of Christ"; into the reality of what He has done by The Cross. The Truth is not of what He has done, but Who He is (I AM The Truth); and we should be walking and living daily IN TRUTH if we are in Christ. The Apostle John wrote to the Church concerning The Truth of Christ.

2 John 1-4 – He loves the church IN TRUTH, THE TRUTH dwells in us and shall be for ever… I rejoiced greatly that I found the children walking IN THE TRUTH.

3 John 1-4 – He loves the church IN TRUTH, the brethren testified of THE TRUTH that is IN THEE, as thou walkest in THE TRUTH (notice "the" truth). I have no greater joy than to hear that my children WALK IN TRUTH. ** This must be our desire – to walk in Truth; not in man’s doctrines and religious fantasies, but The Truth that Christ brought and is. ** This is growing up in Christ, coming to perfection, coming from glory to glory.

1 John 2:3-8 – If we keep His Word (not in letter but in Spirit), the love of God is perfected. Hereby we KNOW we are IN HIM. (This is all a matter of "knowing".) He that says he abides in Christ, ought to also walk as He walked (lived). The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. (The old spoke OF HIM, and must be "kept" in the fulfillment of Christ.) … But now there is a NEW commandment (everything in Christ is new – and He makes all things new); which is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light NOW shineth.

*Can you see here that something is past, and NOW – what is the true is made manifest? That is what was done at The Cross. "Darkness" means obscurity, what was veiled and not seen clearly; the first, the old. But NOW – IN CHRIST, the true light shines – manifesting what was hidden, and bringing the Truth. *Notice – "the TRUE light". Jesus said He was the true bread, the true door, the true way, etc. Everything before Him was not THE true: it spoke of Him, but He is THE TRUE, and in His coming the darkness and shadows pass, and He remains as The True EVERYTHING! And as we continue to know The Truth that He is, and that Truth is working IN US, darkness will pass from us so we can walk in the light of the Truth that He is.

So this is the reason we have to bring the "all things" of the Testimony into Christ, and see them not in darkness, but in the true light. And we will continue now looking at The Seed, and God’s Work fulfilling His promises to Abraham. In our last lesson we saw that Abraham sent for a bride for Isaac, and she came to him and he loved her, and it was out of this union that the Seed to whom the promises were made would come; the inheritance. Now we know that Ishmael was Abraham’s first son, born of the flesh, and even though he was out of the house, he produced seed easily. (See Genesis 25:16 – he has twelve sons) But Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, who God had chosen was barren (Genesis 25:21) and she only conceived when the Lord was intreated.

** This is so essential for us to understand. Just as Sarah, his mother was barren and unable to conceive without the Lord’s intervention, so was Rebekah. God is establishing here a principle: this is NOT a work of the flesh. We see this again with Rachel, and even Isaiah spoke about the barren rejoicing (Isaiah 54:1), and that out from the barren will come the more children. When God intervenes, conception occurs, and life comes forth and we can see this totally fulfilled in the birth of Christ – born of a virgin who NO MAN had touched! The Seed in the Old Covenant came forth out of the barrenness of the flesh, but the Lord bringing Life; and Christ fulfilled that, and we now are born of Him – not by flesh or the works of man, but that incorruptible Seed – the TRUE SEED to whom all the promises were made.

But look at what was in Rebekah. Genesis 25:22,23 – Two nations, and two manner of people, but one shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. So we see here in type that God was setting forth a first and a second, and that the second would ultimately rule the first. Paul came to understand this in Christ. Romans 9:10-13 – For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. And we know this is what happened. The first twin was red like the dirt and lives as a man of the field. (Vs. 24-34) Even though he was the firstborn he despises his birthright. *He was the one in line to receive all the promises made to Abraham, but he cared only about his flesh life, and sold the birthright to Jacob, the younger, and he never got the blessing he sought. (Genesis 27)

God is setting forth an understanding here that Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:45-48 – The first man was a living soul (Living in the flesh, for the flesh). The first was not spiritual but afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth – earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven.

And we see this truth worked out again even in Jacob’s life as Rachel (whom he loved) had trouble conceiving, and Jacob had sons with Leah and the handmaids before God opened Rachel’s womb (Genesis 30:22,23), and she conceived and GOD took away her reproach and she had Joseph. And Joseph had a very wonderful history that we will look at in our next lesson, since he is a glorious type of Christ, but let us consider Jacob further. Jacob functioned for many years by his wit and deceit, and prospered greatly in the flesh, but the day came when he would return to his own country and his brother, and he feared for his life. But God dealt with him concerning THE SEED and God’s promises (Genesis 28), and he believed that God would fulfil His Word. But that required Jacob to be changed, and after a night of wrestling (Genesis 32:24-32) his thigh was put out of joint, and his name was NO MORE Jacob, but ISRAEL – a prince that has power with God and man. The natural Jacob now gives way to the Spiritual Israel, and God continues to differentiate the natural from the Spiritual even in us today. That is The Work of The Cross!

According to His Purpose

As we are reading the Testimony in the Old Testament, we are seeing that God has called a people unto Himself, and is dealing with that people according to HIS purpose. Often times things seem strange to us – (example: the barrenness of the woman, or the failures within the people), but nevertheless, God continues His Work, and everything set forth in the Testimony will be, and has been fulfilled IN CHRIST. Seeing things from that perspective helps us understand God’s dealings with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then Israel as a people.

Ephesians 1:3,4 - God has chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world. So it is in this understanding, and toward this end that God works.

Romans 8:28-30 – All things work together for good (For GOD’s purpose) to them that love God and are called according to His purpose… He predestinated to be conformed to the image of HIS SON: Whom He predestinated, He called, He justified, He glorified.

And all of this is being set forth in the Testimony to be fulfilled by Christ in a people on this earth. So what we read about Israel we must bring over into Christ and the Church. Peter summed this all up this way: 1 Peter 2:9,10 – Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people: that ye should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light, which in time past were not a people; but are now the people of God: had not obtained mercy, but now have mercy. *These are all of the aspects that we have been looking at in our study "from glory to glory". And we have been bringing the glory of the Old Testament "stories" into the REALITY, which is more glorious, of what is NOW IN CHRIST.

So in our study we have come to Jacob becoming Israel, and the Seed that he produced. And we will look in this lesson at Joseph, whose "history" is a marvelous type of Christ, and that God’s dealings are all according to HIS purpose.

We remember that Jacob loved Rachel, but she was barren, and it was only after God remembered Rachel that she conceived and had Joseph. Genesis 37:3 – Israel loved Joseph (notice the use of the name "Israel" here – speaking of the Spiritual, not the natural) more than all his children; he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors. *This love of the Father to the Son was perfected in Christ; and Vs. 4 – because of the Father’s love his brethren hated Joseph. Bring this into Christ: the Jews were willing to accept Jesus as a prophet, but when He started talking about "His Father" and their oneness, they hated Him and determined to kill Him. (See John 10:30-33)

Vs. 5-11 – Joseph told his brothers his dreams – that he would be exalted and they would bow down to him. And they hated him for this and conspired against him to slay him. (Vs. 18-20) Vs. 21-27 – Rather than killing him they cast him in a pit, but then sold him to Ishmaelites going into Egypt for 20 pieces of silver. They thought they were rid of their hated brother, but God was working all things according to His plan!

Genesis 39:1-6 – Joseph was in Potiphar’s house, but the Lord was with him, and he prospered, and he became overseer over the house and all that was in it. The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Vs. 7,12-18 – Potiphar’s wife tempts Joseph, who refuses her advances, and then falsely accuses him, and he is put into prison (vs. 20). BUT – Vs. 21-23 – The Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and he was elevated over all in prison. (He took sin upon himself and the punishment, but God exalted him- this is all fulfilled in Christ.)

Genesis 41 – Pharaoh dreamed a dream (vs. 18-24) which none could interpret but Joseph, and he tells of an impending famine. Vs. 32 – The thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. ** Only Christ can correctly interpret the Word and Vision of God, and He is The One that will execute God’s plan – for His purpose. Joseph is the type of this. So Joseph is exalted over all Egypt. (Vs. 39-44) And note the number 7: something will be done in fulness. Vs. 45 – Joseph takes a Gentile wife in Egypt (speaks of Gentiles coming to Christ when Jews reject Him). So in the years of plenty Joseph stored food and Vs. 57 – ALL countries came into Egypt TO JOSEPH to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all lands.

Genesis 42 – So Jacob sends the ten sons to Egypt to buy feed. (Vs. 2-9) Joseph’s dream was being fulfilled, but the brothers did not recognize Joseph. He gives them the corn but Simeon stays behind and Joseph wants his brother Benjamin to be brought to him. Since the famine continues and they need to come for more corn, Benjamin is brought, but all this time Joseph keeps his identity concealed from them (Vs. 43,44) And when Benjamin is accused of stealing the silver cup (Genesis 44:11,12) and would be kept in Egypt as a bondservant, the love of the father, Jacob is expressed for these his last sons, and Joseph reveals himself.

*Genesis 445:4-8 – I AM…there is always a revealing of The "I AM". Don’t be angry that you sold me: for God did send me before you to preserve life. ** All Of Egypt and the world was a place of death, but Joseph provided the means TO LIFE. ** LIFE is the issue – but you must come to HIM, since He ONLY has Life! He is the provider and sustainer of Life, and God desires to make Himself known as such. It is all in the Son who is beloved of His Father. Joseph says God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Isn’t that THE CROSS?

So Joseph’s brethren are blessed (Vs. 20) and bring Israel to Joseph. *Notice – they had to go to HIM: He didn’t go to them. They prosper there, and when Israel dies he gives his blessing, but he blesses Joseph’s sons in reverse order. (Remember first and second, and second shall be greater?) Well, here we see it in type again. Genesis 48:18-20 – Then Jacob dies and the brothers are worried that Joseph will hate them and punish them, and they seek forgiveness. (Genesis 50:15-18) Truly they bowed before him to be his servants. Vs. 19-21 – Joseph forgives them, saying the evil they thought against him, God meant for good , to bring to pass, as it is this day: to save much people alive. This is all fulfilled IN CHRIST!

Out of Egypt

I believe that we are seeing that the glorious Old Testament "stories" are the Testimony of Christ, and that God’s plan for everything was fulfilled in His Son, who is The Much More Glorious One. And we are seeing that all things work towards this end. Paul calls it "THE ETERNAL PURPOSE".

Ephesians 3:8-12 – Paul preached the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery which had been hidden, but now would be made known by the church (the witness of what Christ has done, and Who He is) according to THE ETERNAL PURPOSE which He purposed in Christ Jesus. *This is why everything has to be brought into Christ.

Colossians 1:9-19 – Paul desired the brethren be filled with the knowledge of His will (My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6) in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (not natural), that ye might walk worthy of the Lord… HE has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance; HE has translated us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His Son… for BY HIM were all things created, and FOR HIM, and all things are held together BY HIM. *HE gives definition and Life to the "all things" of God. He is the Head (source, strength) of the Body, that in all (things) HE might have the preeminence (not me!). For it pleased the Father that IN HIM should all fulness dwell.

So our coming "from glory to glory" is coming from the shadows that fade to the fulness that remains and brings meaning and Life – all in Christ, and that is God’s Eternal Plan. And the Old Testament is the Testimony of God calling out a people and bringing them into a land, to an inheritance, to fulness, to Life. This is all speaking of being IN CHRIST. And we know that one important aspect of this is "going out" and "coming in", for God promised His blessings would be for this people when they came into the land. (See Genesis 12:1-3)

In our last lesson we saw that in God’s dealings with a people, He used Joseph to save a people from death, and his family prospered greatly and were blessed, but my question is – where did all of this take place? This was all in EGYPT, and this was NOT the land that God had spoken to Abraham of and promised as the inheritance. (Remember Genesis 12:1 – Get out to a land that I will show thee. This "land" God would reveal to them. HE appeared and that defined the land!

** I pray that God will help us to see that Egypt is a type of the world, of the natural, of bondage, and it is the place of DEATH. We may think that we prosper in this world, and obtain the possessions of this world, but this is NOT "the land" God has for us, and His "spiritual blessings" are NOT in Egypt. In order to obtain them we must leave that world and come into the place God purposed for His people – and this is NOW IN CHRIST.

Look at the understanding that is set forth in the Testimony.

Genesis 50:22,24-26 – Joseph and his brethren dwelt in Egypt, but when he died, he said God will surely visit you (that is characteristic of the Old Covenant) and bring you out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. Carry my bones from here. Joseph didn’t want to be buried in Egypt, but brought back to Canaan. His father Jacob was also brought back and buried there. (see Verse 5)

And we must keep that in remembrance as we continue our study in Exodus. "Exodus" means" getting out, and this is the "story" of God’s people – those He has called unto Himself, who have come into Egypt, but will need to be delivered and redeemed, to come into the place God promised them. What I want us to see was Egypt was NOT the place for them.

Exodus 1:1 – The children of Israel came into Egypt (verse 5 – 70 of them). **Vs. 7 – And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased and became mighty, and the land was filled with them. They prospered and their seed multiplied; so you might say that this was what God planned for them. But their "increase" was the cause of their new problem! Vs. 8-10 – A new King arose who didn’t know Joseph, and saw the number and strength of the children of Israel to be a threat, so he determined to subdue them. Vs. 11 – So the King set taskmasters over the children of Israel and they came under the bondage of Pharaoh, building cities for him.

Now we may think – why would God allow this? These are His people, but this is NOT the land He promised them, and He is still working all things together for His good, and in all of this He will begin to make Himself known to Israel. BUT – Vs. 12 – The more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew. Vs. 13-14 – The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour, but they continued to thrive so the King of Egypt tells the midwives to kill every son as they are being born of the Hebrew women. *This was to eliminate THE SEED (vs. 15,16). BUT… (you keep seeing God’s mighty hand!) Vs. 17-20- The midwives feared God and didn’t obey the King, but saved the male children alive, and the people multiplied and grew mighty. So Pharaoh seeing the threat, charged (vs. 22) that every Hebrew son that is born shall be cast into the river. And we know that it was out from that river that MOSES was saved, and God would use him to be the deliverer of His people.

But let us bring all of this into Christ. Matthew 2:13-15 – After he was born Joseph was warned in a dream to flee into Egypt because Herod would seek to destroy the child. *Vs. 15 – Thus prophecy was fulfilled – Out of Egypt have I called MY SON. (Hosea 11:1) Then Herod sends to kill all the children in Bethlehem (vs. 16) 2 years and younger. This fulfils Jeremiah’s prophecy (vs. 17,18) But when Herod was dead they came into the land of Israel! (Vs. 21) God’s plan prevails – fulfilled IN CHRIST, all according to His Eternal Plan in Christ Jesus!

Interpreting The Testimony in Christ

We are seeking to come to the Truth of the glorious Salvation which is ours NOW IN CHRIST JESUS so we may walk daily in it; that we be the Witness of Christ.

2 Timothy 1:9,10 – He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, NOT according to our works, BUT according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

And as we have been saying, all of God’s plan and fulness for our Salvation finds its completion IN CHRIST by The Work of The Cross. And I hope we are seeing the NECESSITY of interpreting the Old Covenant, the Testimony in and by Christ; and interpreting Christ in and by the Testimony. *Because we don’t know the Testimony and fail to gather it all up into Christ, we fail to see the greatness of our Salvation in Him. For example: we talk about the sacrifice of Christ – for sin; but do we know that under the Law there were five types of sacrifice offerings? He fulfilled ALL of those – not just the sin offering. But do we know Him as and in those sacrifices? This is why we must bring everything of the Testimony into Christ to see the glory of the Truth of our Salvation, and learn CHRIST to be our Salvation.

This is what happened in the early Church. After Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection Christ was declared in and by the Testimony – as the FULFILLMENT of what the Law and prophets had spoken of and promised.

Acts 3:13-26 – Peter starts off declaring (vs. 13) that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified His Son, whom they delivered up and denied. They denied The Holy One and The Just (this was The Messiah they had been looking for!) Vs. 17,18 - I know you did it through ignorance, but those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Vs. 19-21 – Repent and be converted (to believing in this Christ)…CHRIST was preached before unto you (in the Testimony)... which God had spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began. Vs. 22-26 – Moses said to the fathers (he was a testimony of Christ), A prophet shall God raise up like unto me; him shall ye hear. And every soul that will not hear that prophet (Christ) shall be destroyed from the people. (So many aspects of the Testimony say that: if you don’t, you will be cut off) **Vs. 24 – All the prophets from Samuel have likewise foretold of these days. (They spoke of "days to come". Those days have now come in Christ. Vs. 25-26 – You are the children of the prophets and Covenant with Abraham about the Seed, so unto you first (The Jew) God having raised up His Son, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.

Peter was interpreting the Testimony, the scripture by Christ: that Moses and the prophets spoke of HIM; and that they now should come to Christ that they might be saved.

Acts 6 – When Stephen began to do wonders in Jerusalem (all confirming the fact of Jesus’ resurrection) the Jews disputed Stephen. (Vs. 7,8) Vs. 10,11 – They were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake. (That was The Spirit of Christ!) So they had men lie and say Stephen spoke blasphemous words against Moses and God. Vs. 13-15 – The false witnesses said Jesus said He shall destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered us. ** Now this was what Jesus ultimately would do, and the religious Jews wanted to stop this. They did not understand that all of the old was only a Testimony of Christ. They wanted to keep THEIR religious traditions rather than letting them all be gathered up into Christ and be fulfilled in Him. And isn’t this true today? We have "our" religious activities, and we don’t want to give them up! The Jews thought that if they could destroy Stephen and others they could destroy ‘this faith’ that was contrary to Moses, but God was just working all things according to His plan and purpose in Christ!

So how does Stephen answer these charges? How does he declare Christ? From the TESTIMONY! Acts 7:2 – The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham… And in Acts 7 he takes them through the promise of The Seed, circumcision, the patriarchs in Egypt, Moses being born and becoming a ruler and a deliverer bringing them out into the wilderness, and then into David and then the house built by Solomon.

And Stephen concluded his message by bringing all of this into CHRIST. Vs. 51-53 – You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears (the old circumcision in the flesh would have to give way to the circumcision of Christ; The New Covenant circumcision is the inward one of the heart.) You resist the Holy Ghost (He brings you all Truth: The Truth of Christ!) Your fathers have slain the prophets which shewed before the coming of The Just One; OF whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers. He told them – you have murdered Christ, The Just One, The One we have been waiting for and believing God for! The Testimony declared HIM! Vs. 54 – When they heard these things – relating Christ to the Testimony – they were cut to the heart and stoned Stephen (vs. 59) But he (Vs. 55,56) being full of the Holy Ghost had the heavens opened and saw the glory of God and Jesus on the right hand of God.

** Stephen saw Christ in the REALITY, in the FULFILLMENT of ALL that the Testimony had spoken of, and in that Truth – he rested. And with the Spirit of Christ that was in him, Stephen forgave those that stoned him, and he fell asleep!

And Stephen then became the witness of Christ and the Truth of The Testimony fulfilled – to Saul (Acts 8:1); and out from this great persecution against the Church, they were scattered abroad. And what did they declare? THE TRUTH OF CHRIST – That The Testimony has been fulfilled IN HIM! God is always at Work! And He is working all things according to His Plan and Purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord! Even as the early Church declared the fulfillment of the Testimony in Christ, so today we must find all things IN CHRIST, and find HIM to be the fulfillment of ALL THINGS. HE brings us from glory to glory!

*** These lessons will be continued in volume 2. ***