Old Testament Scriptures:
Types of the Believer Being In Christ
I. Why Go To the Old Testament?
Why go to the Old Testament for examples of the believer being in Christ? After studying in the New Testament and the weight its writers give to this relationship of union, the reader should begin to realize that the Lord relates this way because He is this way – He is the Trinity, Three Persons In One. If this is so, then the whole of the Scriptures together will declare this reality of being in Christ, of being one with Him.
The New Testament is replete with passages and verses that declare God’s revealing of Himself in the Old Testament. Listed below are a good many of them:
1. Before His Death
a. Fulfilling the Law
Matt. 5:17-18
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Jesus fulfilled all the law and the prophets. He did this in his death, burial, and resurrection. In the resurrection there came forth a new creation, with a new heaven and a new earth.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:17, and Rev. 21:1-3.
b. Persuaded by Resurrection
Lk. 16:31
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
The law and the prophets speak of one being raised from the dead. If the resurrection does not persuade a person of this reality, then neither will the Scriptures.
c. The Scriptures Testify of Christ
Jn. 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
When Jesus spoke these words, the New Testament had not been written yet. The only Scriptures available were what we call the Old Testament. This was the only Bible that Jesus, the twelve apostles, Paul, and the early church had. If they were going to see Christ revealed, it would be while reading Genesis through Malachi.
2. In Speaking of His Death
What we are presenting is that when Jesus went to the Cross, we died with Him, so all that was accomplished and fulfilled includes God’s relationship with those who are in Christ.
a. All Things Were to Be Accomplished
Lk. 18:31-34
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
b. The Scriptures Fulfilled in Christ’s Death
Matt. 26:45, 51-56
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners…And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
3. After His Resurrection
Lk. 24:25-27
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Lk. 24:44-48
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.
B. The Church’s Realization that All the Scriptures Spoke of Christ
1. Peter
a.
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
b.
Acts 10:43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
2. Stephen
Acts 7:51-53
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
3. Philip
Acts 8:30-31, 34-35
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him… And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
4. Paul
Acts 28:23
And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
C. The Epistles
1. Paul
a. The (Old Testament) Scriptures Gave Witness to the Righteousness of God
Rom. 3:21-22
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
The law and prophets gave witness to a righteousness that did not come by works or personal effort. In other words, the Old Testament spoke of a righteousness that is imputed by grace. We know from our New Testament study that righteousness is ours in Christ. Paul is saying that the Scriptures give witness to the Christ in whom we are.
Refer to 1 Cor. 1:30, and 2 Cor. 5:21.
b. The Purpose of the (Old Testament) Scriptures Is to Teach Us Christ
i. Written for Our Learning
Rom. 15:4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
The Greek meaning of "hope" is "expectation", in contrast to the English meaning, "wish". According to Paul’s epistles, Christ in us is the hope of glory. So the Scriptures teach us to have the Christ in whom we are to manifest as our expectation.
Refer to Rom. 4:18, Eph. 1:18-20, and Col. 1:27.
ii. Israel’s History Is an Example for Us
1 Cor. 10:1-6, 11
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted…Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Israel’s relationship with God, the law, and their history are all a type of relating to God in Christ. Because of this, the Old Testament provides valuable insight into what it means to be in Christ.
iii. Use of the Scriptures Is for Wisdom
2 Tim. 3:15-17
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The Scriptures tell us what happened to us upon receiving Christ. As we are taught in Scriptures by the Holy Spirit, our daily lives will change, for we will begin to manifest Christ.
c. The (Old Testament) Scriptures Declare to the Nations the Mystery of One New Man in Christ.
Rom. 16:25-26
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
Refer to Eph. 3:6.
d. It is possible to not see what the (Old Testament) Scriptures are really saying.
2 Cor. 3:14-4:3
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord… But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost…
There is a veil over the understanding of those who read the Scriptures with a natural understanding. The veil is taken away in our experience when our heart turns to the Lord.
However, Paul also says that the veil is already done away in Christ. He is saying that it is necessary for our experience to conform to reality, and that it does so by revelation.
Paul says that he does not handle the Word of God deceitfully. He is claiming that the Scripture reveals this Christ in whom we are, and that he, Paul, won’t try to make the Scriptures say anything other than that.
2. Peter
a. Prophecy Testifies of Christ
1 Pet. 1:10-12
Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Prophecy testifies to every aspect of the Cross, and how completely the Cross affects us as believers.
b. Scripture Must Be Interpreted by the Spirit
2 Pet. 1:19-21
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We must understand not what the Old Testament means to us, but what it means to Him who wrote it. This is the only proper interpretation of Scripture.
II. Genesis and the Law
A. God Always Deals with a Federal Head
1. Adam
Gen. 2:21-24
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
The relationship between Adam and Eve is a type of the relationship between Christ and His bride. She came out of him at the Cross, and therefore has no history before the resurrection.
Refer to Eph. 5:25-32, 1 Jn. 5:6-8, and Rev. 21:9-11.
Gen 3:17-19
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
God dealt with Adam concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but the effects of his disobedience fell upon the entire human race.
Refer to Rom. 5:12-14, and 1 Cor. 15:22.
2. Noah and the Ark
a. Raised Up In the Ark
Gen. 7:11-17
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.
Noah and his family are saved from the judgment of God by being borne up above the creation that is under judgment of death. Since Jesus Christ brought the entire Adamic creation into death, the only One raised up out of the grave is Christ.
Refer to Eph. 2:6, and 2 Pet. 3:5-13.
b. A New Creation
Gen. 9:12-17
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
The Ark is also their passage into the new creation. In this way, we passed through judgment at the Cross and were ushered into a new creation where there will never again be such a judgment. That judgment was final, and God will never again need to render such a judgment. This is an element of His covenant with His risen Son.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:17, 2 Pet. 3:13, and Rev. 21:1.
3. Abraham
a. Blessed in Abraham
Gen. 12:1-3
Now the LORD had 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: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 13:14-17
And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Deut. 4:37-38
.And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.
Deut. 7:8
But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God always deals with a federal head, so that whatever is true of the head is true of those under his domain. His covenant with Abraham remained steadfast, long past Abraham’s death and regardless of the behavior of his descendants. Under the new covenant, God relates to Christ, and so however He relates to Christ, He is relating to us.
Refer to Gal. 3:8-9, 16, 28-29, Heb. 2:9-18, and Heb. 7:1-10.
b. The Land and the Seed
i. Christ is the Land
Gen. 12:7
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
Abraham was beholding the Lord, who was telling him that this was the Land. Christ was the Land in whom Abraham was to dwell. The geographical location of Canaan was a type of this spiritual reality.
Refer to Jn. 8:56-58, Heb. 11:9-10 (Abraham dwelt in tents to show that the Land of Promise, Canaan, was NOT his final resting place. Christ himself was.)
ii. Isaac Is a Type of the One Seed, One Son
a. Called In Isaac
Gen. 21:10-12
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
God only recognized Isaac as Abraham’s son and heir. God has only one Son. If we are in Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Refer to Rom. 9:6-8, and Gal. 3:16 & 28-29, Jn. 1:12-13.
b. Isaac Dead and Raised
Gen. 22:1-13
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham… And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of… And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
In this situation, Isaac is a type of Christ, the Son, going through death and resurrection. In Christ, the seed, we were put to death and raised up in Him.
Refer to Heb. 11:17-19, Rom. 6:4-5, Rom. 7:4, 1 Cor. 15:35-36 & 42, Col. 2:12
c. Covenant between Father and Son
Gen. 15:1-18
…And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir… And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not… And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance… And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates…
This passage is a little more subtle; however, here we have a smoking furnace and a burning lamp making a covenant while Abraham is in a deep sleep. He is not actively participating in the ceremony, and yet he is included as a recipient of the covenant’s benefits. The Father and the Son covenanted that there should be a Land and a Seed, and yet we are those who enter into the Land, and in whom the Seed lives. This is the Father relating to Christ, and relating to us by Christ. God’s covenant with Abraham was based on the covenant between the Father and the Son, so that how God would deal with Abraham’s natural seed by covenant with Abraham would depict how God would deal with Christ and all those in Him.
Refer to John 1:12-13, Acts 2:23, Gal. 3:17, Heb. 6:13-18.
B. Dealing With a Nation
1. Israel a Type of the Corporate, Risen Son
Ex. 4:22
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn.
Deut. 1:31
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.
Salvation is for a people, not for individuals. The Lord always deals with one Son. One Son was delivered out of Egypt, by the blood of the Lamb and by passing through the Red Sea.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:47-48, Eph. 4:13 & 24, and Col. 3:10-11.
a. Through the Passover, God Is Dealing with His Son
Hos. 11:1
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
We are not called out of Egypt as individuals, but in Israel, the Son.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:21-22 & 47, Eph. 4:13, and Revelation 1:13
b. One Lamb, One House
Ex. 12:3-8, 12-13, 22-23
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it… For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt…And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Those who remained in the house both communed at the Lord’s table (eating his flesh and drinking his blood – see Jn. 6:53-57) and were safe from the judgment of death.
Refer to Jn. 2:19-22 (we are his body), 2 Cor. 5:1-5, Eph. 2:19-22, Heb. 3:6.
a. Moses’ Song
Ex. 15:3
The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
This passage is referring to our Lord in His resurrected form. We are His body in the resurrection; it is the only way that we can be in the resurrection. Israel passing through the Red Sea is a type of the New Man coming forth in resurrection.
Refer to 1 Cor. 12:13 and 15:47.
b. An Expression of the Man
Ex. 15:17
Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Deut. 6:23
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
The Lord’s intention for His people to dwell in a land, in a mountain (city), and in a sanctuary (house, temple) that are made by His hands is illustrated throughout the historical books. Each of these places refers to an aspect of dwelling in Christ, for our relationship with God by Christ was not a relationship made with hands, but a relationship that was wrought by the Cross.
Refer to Eph. 1:3-7, Heb. 3: 4, Heb. 11:16, Heb. 12:22.
c. God’s Full Purpose
i. To Dwell Among His People
Exod. 25:8-9
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Upon being delivered out of Egypt through the Red Sea, the Lord commands Israel to build Him a house to dwell in. This house, of course, is a type of the house that the Lord built in the resurrection.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:1-5, Eph. 2:19-22, Heb. 8:1-2 & 5, and Rev. 21:3.
ii. The Tabernacle In Christ
Exod. 27:9-15
And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side: And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits. The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
The tabernacle was completely enclosed within a curtain of linen. Even so, the house that we are is found in Christ, who is our righteousness.
Refer to 1 Cor. 1:30 and 2 Cor. 5:21.
4. Seeing Israel through God’s Eyes
God related to Israel as His son, and His viewpoint does not change on this matter. Let us understand that the Lord always judges us after His Son, and not on an individual basis.
a. Balaam’s Blessing
Num. 23:19-21
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
The fact that Israel had already sinned and failed their purpose as a nation is evident from their worshipping the golden calf, despising the manna, and refusing to enter the Land. Had the Lord been relating to Israel as anything other than his Son (Ex. 4:22), he would have had to curse them for their sins. Nevertheless, Balaam refers to Israel in the singular – "…God is with him." Balaam could not curse Israel because the Lord viewed Israel as the New Man, not as individuals. Balaam was seeing in type as the Lord saw: Israel is in Christ!
Refer to Rom. 9:6-7, and Gal 6:16.
b. Old Individual Man – New Corporate Man
Josh. 14:14
Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
Josh. 15:13
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
Caleb was a Kennezite, a clan of the nation of Edom (Gen. 36:10-11), and listed among the inhabitants of the Land that were to be dispossessed (Gen. 15:19). These nations were enemies of Israel, so how did one of their people become acceptable to God, so much so that he had a sizeable inheritance in the Land? He identified in Israel, this new man, and in so doing rejected all ties to earthly nations.
Refer to 1 Cor. 12:12-13, Gal. 3:28, and Col. 3:11.
There are many elements in the Mosaic law that point to the Lord’s people having been raised up in Christ. Here are just a few examples.
1. The Sabbath
Ex. 16:29
See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Ex. 31:13-17
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
To abide in is equated with rest. To go out is equated with works. In Christ, we cease from our own works, because He finished His work. The Sabbath is a sign of the old covenant because it pointed to the finished work in Christ, where we rest in Christ and Christ lives in us.
Refer to Jn. 15:4 ("abide in"), and Heb. 4:3-11 ("enter into").
2. God Relates to Israel In the Firstborn.
Exod 13:2
Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
Exod 13:15
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
Num. 3:11-13
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
Israel was redeemed out of Egypt by the death of the firstborn, the Lamb. In memory of this, the firstborn belonged to the Lord. But the Lord accepted the tribe of Levi in place of Israel’s firstborn sons to minister before Him. In this way, the Lord continued to relate to Israel in the firstborn throughout their history, just as the Father relates to us by Christ, the firstborn from the dead.
Refer to Rom. 8:29, 1 Cor. 15:20-23, Col. 1:13-20, and Heb. 12:22-24.
2. The High Priest
a. Israel in the High Priest
Ex. 28:12, 15-21
And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial… And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work… And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones… And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
The name of the 12 tribes of Israel engraved upon the shoulder plates and breastplate signify that we are carried on Christ’s shoulders and in His heart.
Refer to Jn. 1:18, Jn. 15:9, Rom. 15:1-3, and Gal. 6:2.
b. In the Holy of Holies
Lev. 16:15
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat…
Israel’s high priest entered into the Holy of holies, in his priestly attire, including the breastplate and shoulder plates. Our high priest entered into heaven itself, before the face of God, and we in him.
Refer to Heb. 6:19-20, Heb. 9:24, Heb. 10:19-22, and Eph. 2:6.
3. Sacrifices and Offerings
a. Dying with the Offering
Lev. 1:4
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
Lev. 3:2
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Lev. 3:8
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.
The offerer laying his hand upon the head of the sacrificial animal identified the offerer with the sacrifice. In the same way, we take Christ’s death to be our own; in his death, we died.
Refer to Rom. 6:1-8, 2 Cor. 5:14, Gal. 2:20, and Col. 2:20.
b. Death the Foundation for Relationship
Exod. 29:42-45
This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Exod. 40:6
And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
Lev. 1:5
And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
We enter into Christ initially through his death, and our relationship with God in Christ is maintained by the effects of his death. We never leave the Cross as the basis for being in Christ. Now that we are in Christ, we are holy because He is holy.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:14-17, and Eph. 2:15-22, Heb. 2:11, and 1 Pet. 1:16.
4. The New Man Our Meeting Place with God
Ex. 33:9, 11
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses… And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
1 Sam. 3:21
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
God meets us in Christ. We can see Him face to face and relate to Him without hindrance.
Refer to Rom. 8:1-2, 2 Cor. 3:18, Eph. 1:6.
Num. 35:9-12, 25
.And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment… And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
Josh. 20:2-6
Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
As we abide in Christ, we are safe from accusation and condemnation. Our judgment is as the Cross, where we are judged to be dead in Christ. As long as we dwell in Christ, we do not need to bear the penalty for our offence because we are dead. We can live in Christ since we died in Him.
Refer to Rom. 7:6, 24-25
III. Historical Books
A. Living In the Land
The land of promise is one of the strongest types of dwelling in Christ that there is in the Scriptures. Again, this is not an exhaustive list of how this type holds true, but some study points that should help the Scripture searcher to understand his relationship with God in Christ.
1. The Land: Our Inheritance
Ex. 32:13
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
Deut. 4:20
But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
The Land is a type of our inheritance in Christ.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:47-50, Eph. 1:11, Heb. 9:15, 1 Pet. 1:3-4.
2. The Land: No Work, No Lack
Deut. 6:23
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
Deut. 6:10-11
And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full…
Deut. 8:7-9
For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
Deut. 11:11-12
But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
God loves His Son. If we live in the object of the Father’s love, we are loved, too. In Christ, God’s fullness has been deposited, and we are partakers of it as we live there, without striving.
Refer to Eph. 1:3 & 6, Col. 1:12, 19.
3. The Land: The Only Acceptable Altar
Ex. 20:25
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Deut. 27:5-6
And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones…
In the Land, only altars that were made without hands were permitted. In Christ, sacrifice is only offered by the eternal Spirit, not by the works of the flesh because it is His death that brought such an inheritance into being to begin with.
Refer to Rom. 11:36-12:1 (We are living sacrifices because we are in Christ, not because of what we do.), Heb. 9:14, 23-28.
4. The Land: The Law
Deut. 4:5
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Deut 5:31-33
But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it. Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
The law could only be lived in the Land. Christ’s life can only be lived in Christ because that is where the law of the Spirit of life resides.
Refer to Jn. 15:4, and Rom. 8:2
5. Taking the Land
Josh. 3:10-11
And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
Josh. 4:10-11
For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
The description given of Israel passing over the Jordan, was that The Ark was to go first, and remain in the riverbed until all of the people were on the other side. In order, then, the presence of the Lord went before and behind Israel, surrounding them in their passage over Jordan. Israel made their passage in the presence of the Lord, pointing to our burial with Christ by baptism into death, that according to his resurrection we might walk in newness of Life.
Refer to Rom. 6:4, 2 Cor. 5:2-4, and Col. 2:12.
B. Joshua and Judges
The historical books are replete with types of the believer dwelling in Christ.
1. Conquest of the Land
Deut. 1:38
But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Josh. 11:23
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
The Lord related to Israel through Joshua (whose name means salvation), and so Israel inherited the Land that Joshua took. It is true that all of Israel fought to possess it, but only because the Lord dealt with them in Joshua. Their inheritance came through Joshua, just as ours comes through Christ.
Refer to Lk. 1:31, Lk. 2:30, Heb. 2:10-11
2. Samson
Jud. 16:23-30
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars… Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there… And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me… And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
The Philistine died when Samson died; they died in his death. Even so, we died with Christ.
Refer to Rom. 5:6-10, 2 Cor. 5:14, and Eph. 2:16.
a. Israel Victorious through One Man’s Victory
1 Sam. 17:45-52
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
David won the battle, and the Israelites expedited the victory. Jesus finished the work, and because we are in Him, we can walk in the finished work.
Refer to Rom. 5:18, 2 Cor. 2:14, Eph. 2:10, and 1 Jn. 5:4.
i. In the Wilderness
1 Sam. 22:1
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
1 Sam. 23:14
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
1 Sam. 23:25
Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
1 Sam. 23:29
And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
1 Sam. 25:1
And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
1 Sam. 26:1
And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
David hid from Saul in the rocky regions of Israel, where there were mountains, caves, and natural strongholds. It was here that David learned that the Lord was his rock and his fortress, not the geographical formations. In type, we see a man hiding from his enemies by abiding in Christ.
Refer to Ps. 18:1-2, Ps. 62:2, Eph. 3:9, and Col. 3:3.
ii. As a Place of Government
2 Sam. 5:7-9
Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
David’s first recorded act as king of Israel was to take Jerusalem and dwell in the fort. He named it the city of David because he had learned to dwell in God his fortress while running from Saul in the wilderness. It was from this fortress that he governed Israel. Because Israel had identified in David (2 Sam. 5:1), he was dwelling in the fortress on behalf of all of Israel. In type, all of Israel had found God as their fortress.
Refer to the Psalms David wrote in caves: Ps. 18, Ps. 57, and Ps. 142, as well as the section of this outline on the Psalms.
c. One Heart Under David
1 Chr. 12:38
All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
The only place where we will not have divided motivations and be governed by self-interest is in Christ. There we all partake of one mind, one heart. When we begin to partake of that one mind, Christ is able to rule us by His life in us.
Refer to Rom. 15:5-7, Eph. 6:4:1-6, Phil. 1:27, and Phil. 2:1-8.
d. Identified and Accepted In David
i. Israel Joined to David
2 Sam. 5:1
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
Israel acknowledged that they were after David’s kind. In so doing, they were brought into David’s relationship with God. As we acknowledge that we are born of God, and therefore of the one seed which is Christ, we enter into Christ’s relationship with the Father.
Refer to Gal. 3:28-29, Eph. 1:6, Eph. 5:29-30, and Col. 1:13.
ii. Israel Accepted In David
2 Sam. 6:17-18
And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
David offered sacrifices in what was essentially the Holy of holies, and those offerings were accepted. Israel was accepted and blessed in David in much the same way as if the high priest had entered the Holy of holies on the Day of Atonement.
Refer to 2 Cor. 3:14-18, Heb. 6:13-20, and Heb. 10:16-20.
e. Partaking of the Covenant between David and Jonathon
1 Sam. 18:3
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
2 Sam. 9:1, 6-7, 13
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? …Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually… So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.
A covenant was made between David and Jonathan before Mephibosheth was born, and yet he was a partaker of it. He was blessed in Jonathan. Nothing was required of him but to be born into Jonathan’s family.
Refer to Acts 2:23, 2 Cor. 2:20, Eph. 1:4-5.
f. Israel Bringing Up the Ark
1 Chron. 15:1-3, 25, 28
And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it…So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy…Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
Only the Levites, David, the elders, and captains brought the Ark to Jerusalem while the remainder of Israel stayed behind. Yet God counts all of Israel to have brought up the Ark, not just the few leaders who actually did so. Even so, in Christ, what is true of the Head is counted to the whole.
Refer to Rom. 5:18, Eph. 1:19-22, Col. 1:18.
g. Union the Answer to Rebellion, Strife, and Confusion
2 Sam. 19:8-15
Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent. And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel… And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying… Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh… And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.
Absalom had been killed after taking the kingdom, and it was left in disarray. Some people were ashamed of what they had done to David, and others did not know what to do next. Everyone who had participated in the unlawful uprising was guilty, but David did not relate to Israel based on their sin. He related to them based on their union with him. When they responded to David in the same way, order and peace was restored to the kingdom. The Father does not react to any sinful action or selfish motivation. His answer to rebellion is not to condemn or correct the rebellion. Instead, he continues to relate to us the way He always does – that we are bone of Christ’s bone. As He continues to wash us with this reality of relationship, our hearts will yield to it, thus bringing us into a walk of union that will restore the proper government and peace to us that were always ours in Christ.
Refer to Rom. 8:1-2, Eph. 5:25-30, and 1 Jn. 3:20-21.
4. Solomon: The Beloved Son
a. God Was His Father
2 Sam. 7:12-15
I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom… I will be his father, and he shall be my son…
1 Chron. 29:10
Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
God was Israel’s father through Solomon, the son. God is our Father through Christ, the beloved Son.
Refer to 2 Cor. 1:2-3, Gal. 4:6-7, and Eph. 1:3-5.
b. Rest and Peace in the Son
1 Chron. 22:9
Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
I King 4:24-25
… and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
In Christ, there are no more battles. Christ is all and in all, and we partake of that peace. We rest because He is at rest, having sat down at the right hand of the Father.
Refer to Rom. 16:20, Eph. 2:6, & 14, Heb. 1:2-4, and Rev. 20:15-21:8
c. The Son Builds the House
1 Chron. 28:6
And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
Solomon being a type of God’s Son gave him the responsibility of building the house. The house made without hands that was brought forth in the resurrection of Christ is intimately tied to the Father/Son relationship. We have been brought into this relationship by Christ, and one aspect of that relationship is that we are His house.
Refer to 2 Cor. 6:16-18, Eph. 2:19-21, Heb. 3:3-6.
5. The Temple
a. God’s Dwelling Place
Deut. 12:5-14
.But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD: And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you. Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
Deut. 16:6-7, 11, 15
But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents…And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there…Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
That there be a dwelling place for the Lord was part of God’s plan for Israel from the beginning. And so it is for us. The Lord has chosen to live in a house, which house we are. To relate to Him, we must come to that house, which has been built in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 1:4, Eph. 2:18-22, Heb. 3:4 & 6, and 1 Pet. 2:5-6.
b. God Is the Source of the Temple
1 Chron. 29:11-16
Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
The context of this passage is Israel giving freewill offerings for the building of the temple. In Christ, He is our source, and what we contribute to His purposes has its source in him.
Refer to Rom. 11:33-36, 1 Cor. 8:6, Eph. 1:3, & 22, Eph. 4:4-6, and Col. 1:18-19.
c. The Temple Is In the Mount
2 Chron. 3:1
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
The temple is in the mountain, just as we, the house of God, are in Christ.
Refer to Ex. 15:17, Eph. 2:21, and Heb. 12:22.
d. God’s Glory Fills the Temple
2 Chron, 5:13
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
God’s glory dwells in His habitation. We are one in Christ, and there we are God’s habitation.
Refer to 2 Cor. 3:14, 4:17–5:1, Rev. 7:15, and Rev. 21:2-3.
e. Vessels of the Temple
2 Chron. 4:19
And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;
2 Chron. 5:1
Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.
Vessels of the temple were used in the temple, for purposes concerning the temple. We contain the Life of Christ because we are in Christ, and our service, then is according to the purposes of God’s habitation in Christ.
Refer to Rom. 8:2, 2 Cor. 4:5-5:1 (Paul, as a vessel of Christ, is laboring in God’s house, that they might come to see who and what they are.), Eph. 2:10, Eph. 3:20-21.
f. Identifying in the Temple
2 Chron. 7:12-16
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
(See also 2 Chron. 6:12-42)
The Lord dealt with Israel insofar as they identified themselves with his dwelling place. Forgiveness, victory, healing, inheritance, harvest, and restoration would come to those who identified with the house. These things are spiritual realities found only in Christ. Those who find themselves in Christ will have access to these things for they are all a result of our relationship with God in Christ.
Refer to Rom. 3:24, 1 Cor. 15:57, Eph. 1:3-7, Col. 1:12-14, 1 Tim. 3:15, and 1 Pet. 2:24
6. Elisha
a. Identification with the Dead
II Ki. 4:32-35
And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
Before Jesus took us to the Cross, we were dead to God. Jesus joined himself to us in our state of death that we might live in Him.
Refer to Rom. 7:24-8:1, Eph. 2:5, and Col. 2:13
b. Life Comes Out of Death
II Ki. 13:20-21
And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
Elisha lying dead in his grave is a type of Christ. When we who were dead in our sins are buried with him by baptism into the death that Christ died before us, we walk in the newness of life resulting from Christ being raised up from the dead. On a more experiential and subjective note, Paul said that he carried the dying of the Lord Jesus in his body for the sake of life flowing in the church.
Refer to Rom. 6:4, 2 Cor. 4:7-12, 2 Cor. 5:14-15, and Col. 1:24.
D. Recovery and Restoration
1. Ezra: Building the House
a. Raised Up In Christ
Ezra 1:1-7
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods.
Whoever it was whose spirit God had raised to build the house of the Lord, rose up to build the house of the Lord. Jesus Christ is the resurrection, and whoever is in Him is raised in him.
Refer to Jn. 11:25, Eph. 2:6, Eph. 4:1-6, 1 Cor. 15:35-36 (that Israel was raised up points to first having been dead. They had been dead in their captivity.), and 1 Cor. 15:42-44.
b. The Order of the Building
i. One New Man
Ezra 3:1
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
In Christ, there is only one man.
Refer to Rom. 5:17, 1 Cor. 15:47, Eph. 2:15.
ii. Identified Above
Ezra 3:2-5
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.
The feast of tabernacles speaks of identifying not in natural surroundings and circumstances, but in the heavenly Son who was called out of Egypt.
Refer to Lev. 23:33-44, and Heb. 11:13-16.
iii. Always Begin with Death
Ezra 3:6
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.
Just as the death of a sacrifice was necessary to enter into the house of the Lord, the death of a sacrifice was necessary to the foundation of the temple. There would be no living habitation for God to dwell in had not Christ been first handed over to death, for the house is a result of the resurrection. The spiritual temple came into being because we were raised up in Christ.
Refer to Jn. 2:18-22, and 2 Cor. 5:14-18.
iv. Come and Then Build
Ezra 3:8
Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.
First, we come to the house. Then we can work on the house. In other words, we must first understand what the Lord has already accomplished in Christ by the Cross before we can put our hands to bringing the increase of it.
Refer to Eph. 2:10.
v. The Foundation of the House
Ezra 3:10
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
Christ is the foundation of the house, and the rest is built upon the foundation. The completion of the house is found in the foundation. Israel could rejoice in completion even though it was not yet manifested because Everything works out from the foundation.
Refer to 1 Cor. 3:11, Eph. 2:20, 1 Pet. 2:4-7
c. Fastened In God’s Holy Place
Ezra 9:8-9
And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
In Judah’s return to the Land, the Lord had given them a nail to afix them in the holy place, the Lord’s sanctuary, for the purpose of invigorating them with life (which is the meaning of the phrase "lighten our eyes". The purpose of this resurrection was to build the Lord’s house. In Christ, we are raised up and given His life as our only life. Our purpose, then is found only in Christ, which is to be the house that God made us to be and to work towards bringing other believers up into that understanding.
Refer to Heb. 6:19.
2. Nehemiah: Restoring the Wall
Neh. 8:1-3, 9-12
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law… And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
The law cannot be kept by individuals, but it is fulfilled in Christ, the new man.
Refer to Matt. 5:17, Rom. 7:18, Rom. 8:3-4.
IV. Poetical Books
The poetical books speak more of a personal relating to the Lord than a corporate relationship. Nevertheless, the Psalms are full of how we relate in Christ, and some of the other books contain passages to be included in our study.
A. Job
Job 40:11-14
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
The only way to remove pride and wickedness is to bring them down to the grave. Jesus died for us, as us, and hid us in the dust of his burial.
Refer to Rom. 6:2-4, and Col. 2:11-12.
B. Psalms
1. God’s Dwelling Place
In the passages relating to Zion, Jerusalem, and God’s dwelling place, notice that some verses refer to us dwelling there, and others refer to God’s dwelling there. Both are true, for God is in Christ, and we are in Christ.
Refer to Jn. 14:10 and 2 Cor. 5:19.
It is also important to understand that we abide in Christ, and Christ in us. These are two sides of one relationship and are therefore inseparable.
Refer to Jn. 15:4 and Rom. 8:2.
As we abide in Christ, we are a suitable habitation for him.
Refer to Eph. 2:20-22 and Rev. 21:10, 23.
a. The House of the Lord
Ps. 90:1
LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
The Lord’s relationship with his house is an eternal, heavenly one, not to be confused with going to a building to meet with Him.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:1-5, and Eph. 2:18-22.
i. Riches In the House
a. God’s Way
Ps. 77:13
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
God’s way, his methods, his means, are found in His sanctuary.
Refer to Jn. 14:6, and Col. 2:3.
b. God’s Qualities
Ps. 96:6
Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
To draw from his strength and behold his beauty, we must be where He is – in his sanctuary.
Refer to Eph. 1:3, Col. 1:19, Col. 2:9, and Rev. 4:2 with 5:12.
ii. Relationship Based on Death
Everything about our relationship with God by Christ is based first upon His death. We cannot begin to relate to the Lord in resurrection until we first identify in his death.
a. Entering In by the death of Another
Ps. 66:13
I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows…
The relationship with the Lord in the house is always on the basis of our death with Christ.
Refer to Rom. 6:3, 2 Cor. 5:14-15, and Col. 3:3.
b. We Have Nothing Else to Offer
Ps. 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
We do not enter in by the works of our own hands, but with thanksgiving born of the understanding that the work is finished so that "of God are ye in Christ".
Refer to Jn. 14:6, 1 Cor. 1:30-31, Gal. 2:16, and Heb. 13:15.
c. Glory Is In the House
Ps. 96:8
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
To give the Lord the glory that is his, we must enter into the house by way of the cross.
Refer to Rom. 6:4-5, 1 Cor. 15:40, 2 Cor. 3:11 & 18, and Eph. 1:18-20.
iii. Satisfied In the House
a. Living In the House Satisfies the Believer
Ps. 65:4
Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
Those who approach God to dwell in his courts find a goodness not found anywhere but in His house.
b. Living In the House is Better than Dwelling In the Old Creation
Ps. 84:10
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
iv. Dwelling In the House
a. Remaining There Forever
Ps. 84:4
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
We never need leave God’s house. Since we ARE the house, we can dwell there forever.
Refer to Jn. 15:4, and Rev. 3:12.
b. Planted In the House
Ps. 52:8
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
We are planted in Christ, and we bring forth fruit unto God.
Refer to Rom. 6:5, Rom. 11:17 & 24, and Col. 2:7.
c. Palm Trees
Ps. 92:12-15
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Here the believer who dwells in Christ is compared to a palm tree in the house of God. It is interesting to note that palm trees were carved into the walls of the holy place and Holy of holies of Solomon’s temple. Palm trees can grow in the desert because their one taproot finds hidden streams of water deep down. Even so, the believer who dwells in Christ is sustained by rivers of living water that are hidden to the natural eye. In Christ, God dwells among His palm trees!
Refer to 1 Ki. 6:29-35; see also Eze. 41:18-26.
b. Zion: Found Only In Christ
Zion defines God’s highest thought for His new creation in Christ. Those who dwell in Zion are those who live in and are and expression of the highest thought of God concerning his Son and those who live as one with Him.
Refer to Eph. 2:10.
i. Where Is Zion?
Ps. 125:1-2
They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
This passage defines Zion as God’s people in Christ – the New Jerusalem.
ii. Where God Dwells
a. Chosen
Ps. 78:68
But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
God has chosen Christ. Those who are found in Christ are chosen because He is chosen.
Refer to Jn. 5:20, and Eph. 1:4 & 6
b. God’s Dwelling Place
Ps. 76:2
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
Again, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us.
Refer to Jn. 15:4, and Rev. 21:10 & 22.
c. God’s Rest
Ps. 132:8, 13-14
Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength…For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
Zion is God’s house and God’s rest. Let us enter into His rest!!
Refer to Heb. 3:6 with 4:11 (God’s rest is associated with His house.). Refer also to Eph. 1:3-11 in reference to His pleasure and His will.
d. God Shines Out
Ps. 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
The Lord lives in His habitation and manifests through it.
Refer to Jn. 15:4, Rom. 8:10-11 and Rev. 21:21-23.
e. Established
Ps. 48:1-2, 8-9, 12-13
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King…As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple…Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
This is the city that cannot be shaken. Once we have entered into this spiritual relationship, we can see that which we had only heard of before that time.
Refer to Heb. 12:22-27, and Eph. 1:17.
f. Zion Meets with Resistance
Ps. 68:16-17
Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
The Lord doesn’t live just anywhere. There is a specific hill that He desires to dwell in. Why would we resist him in this?
Refer to Phil. 2:12-13.
iii. We Dwell in Zion
Ps. 69:35-36
For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
God’s purpose for delivering Zion is so that He might dwell there. The seed that inherits Zion is Christ.
Refer to Rom. 8:28-30, Eph. 1:7-11, and 2 Tim. 1:9.
a. Led Into Zion
Ps. 107:4-7
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Wandering in our own, self-centered way has no purpose and only brings us to spiritual starvation. Those who are in Christ are meant to live in Zion. The Lord will lead us there if we permit him.
Refer to Jn. 16:13-14, Heb. 13:20-21, and 1 Pet. 2:25.
b. Born In Zion
Ps. 87:2, 5-7
The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob…And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.
The Jerusalem which is above, in Christ, is our mother. We were born there.
Refer to Jn. 3:6-7, Gal. 4:26, Col. 3:3-4, and 2 Cor. 5:17
c. Life In Zion
Ps. 46:4-5
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
In Christ, we are the city of God, a corporate relationship in which He dwells. The river of living water nourishes that city, and the Lord has established her.
Refer to Heb. 11:10, and Rev. 22:1-2.
d. Those In Zion Know God’s Ways
Ps. 84:5-7
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
Those who dwell in Zion have known the Lord in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. They have found life in the place of death. These appear before God because they are in Christ.
Refer to 2 Cor. 4:10, Phil. 3:10, and 2 Tim. 2:11.
e. God’s Blessing In Zion
Ps. 102:11-21
My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem…
This passage contrasts the psalmist meager life with the favor that is bestowed only upon Zion. If we want to know the blessing of God, where He puts his favor and where He invests his thought and energy, we must, like this psalmist, look to Zion. Read the entire psalm for context.
Refer to Gal. 3:7-14, Eph. 1:6, and Col. 1:13.
c. Jerusalem
Ps. 122:1-9
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
Jerusalem is the house of the Lord, and it is to be entered into.
It is a city compact together. The word "compact" denotes both joining and mystery. It is the mystery of us being made one with Christ in a corporate relationship.
Refer to Gal. 4:26, Eph. 2:21-22, and Heb. 11:15-16 (Refer to Eph. 1:9-10, Eph. 3:3-6, and Col. 1:26-27 for "mystery").
2. Beholding the Lord
Beholding the Lord is a common theme throughout the Psalms, and it is the rightful experience of those who are in Christ.
a. Beholding the Lord In His House
i. We Must First Enter In to See the Lord
Ps. 27:4
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
Dwelling where the Lord dwells gives opportunity for seeing him.
Refer to 2 Cor. 3:13-18, and Rev. 1:12-13.
ii. Entering Into the House Gives Proper View, God’s View
Ps. 73:16-23
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Understanding is found in God’s sanctuary. To see the way God sees, to understand from His point of view, we must go into His sanctuary.
Refer to Rom. 11:33-12:2, 1 Cor. 1:30, 2 Cor. 4:4 & 6, and Col. 2:3
b. Beholding the Lord In the Resurrection
Ps. 41:10-12
But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
Resurrection is the prerequisite for seeing the Lord in this psalm. We are only raised up in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 1:17-23, and Eph. 2:6-7.
c. Changed Into His Image
Ps. 17:15
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Christ is our righteousness. In Him, we behold the Lord’s face and are changed into His image.
Refer to 1 Cor. 1:30, 2 Cor. 3:18, 2 Cor. 5:21 1 Jn. 3:1-2.
d. Walking In Light
Ps. 89:15-16
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
Those who walk in light of his face live in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 5:8 & 14, and 1 Jn. 1:5-7.
e. Possessing Our Inheritance
Ps. 44:3
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
According to this verse and many others in the Psalms, seeing the Lord’s face is a benefit of being in his favor. We are highly favored (original meaning of "accepted") in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6)! Because we are in Christ, we can see his face without obstacle, and without fear of him turning it from us. Furthermore, the face of God causes us to possess our inheritance.
Refer to 2 Cor. 4:6, Eph. 1:6, Eph. 1:11-17.
3. Hidden in Christ
a. God Is Our Refuge
There are more references to God being our refuge than can be listed here. These are just a few:
Ps. 18:2
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Ps. 40:2
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
Ps. 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Ps. 59:16
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
Ps. 61:3
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
Ps. 62:7-8
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Ps. 71:3-4
Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
Ps. 94:22
But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
In these passages, the Lord is depicted as a place of safety, salvation, and deliverance for all those who enter into Him.
Refer to Rom. 5:9-10, Eph. 2:5, Col 1:13, Col. 3:3
b. God’s Secret Place
Ps. 27:5
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Ps. 31:20
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Ps. 32:7
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Ps. 83:3
They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
Ps. 91:1-2
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Ps. 119:114
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
The term "secret place" or "hiding place" is associated with the term "mystery" in the New Testament writings, all the references of which have to do with the eternal plan of God in Christ.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:47-51, Eph. 1:9-10, and Eph. 3:3-6.
c. The Lord Surrounding His People
Ps. 34:7
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Ps. 125:1-2
They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Ps. 139:5-13
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
In Christ, we are near to God at all times, regardless of circumstance or location.
Refer to Rom. 8:35-39, and Eph. 2:13-17.
d. Under the Shadow of God’s Wings
Ps. 36:7-9
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Ps. 57:1
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
As chicks seek refuge under the wings of their mother, so we can seek refuge and care in the Lord. Or perhaps this image is referring to communing with the Lord between the wings of the cherubim.
Refer to Matt. 23:37.
4. The Land
a. Living In the Land
Ps. 37:29-31
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
Ps. 37:34
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
Ps. 68:9-10
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Refer to the section on the land in the historical books.
b. The Land of the Living
Ps. 27:13
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Ps. 116:3-9
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
Ps. 142:4-5
I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
The land of the living is not an earthly location but Christ himself.
Refer to Gen. 12:7, 1 Cor. 15:22, Eph. 2:1-5, Col. 2:13, Heb. 9:15, and 1 Pet. 1:3-4.
5. Relationship to What Is Not Christ
Ps. 8:6
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Ps. 44:4-5
Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
Ps. 47:3
He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
Ps. 60:12
Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Ps. 144:2
My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
Everything that is not Christ being placed under our feet is a relationship only made real in Christ, according to the epistles.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:25-28, Eph. 1:22, and Heb. 2:5-11.
6. Solomon
a. Blessed In Solomon
Ps 72:17 "A Psalm for Solomon"
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
As Israel was blessed in Solomon, so we are blessed in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 1:3.
b. The Son that Builds the House
Ps. 127:1-5 "A Song of degrees for Solomon"
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
i. Built in Rest
It is a house made without hands; therefore we are to enter into the rest of the beloved. Solomon’s other name was Jedidiah – "beloved of the Lord" (2 Sam. 12:24-25).
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:1, and Heb. 3:4.
ii. Father-Son Relationship
The son’s (presumably Solomon, a type of Christ) relationship to his father (David) is equated with an arrow hitting the mark. The father has a plan, a purpose, and the son executes that plan. In this way, the Son is in the Father, knowing his mind, and the Father is in the Son, doing not his own works, but the works of the Father. According to Hebrews 3:1-6 shows that God’s son built the house. As those who are in Christ, it is vain to build with hands what is built by the Son. Instead, we enter into his rest, and when necessary, expedite the works already laid before us in Christ.
Refer to Heb. 3:1-6, Eph. 2:10.
7. Gathered and Built
Ps. 50:5
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Ps. 102:16
When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
Ps. 106:47
Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
Ps. 107:3
And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
Ps. 127:1
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Ps. 147:2
The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
The Lord builds and gathers in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 1:9-10, Eph. 2:21-22.
8. Raised and Quickened
Ps. 71:20-24
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.
Ps. 80:17-19
Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Ps. 119:25
My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
Ps. 119:37
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
Ps. 119:40
Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
Ps. 138:7
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
Ps. 143:9-12
Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
Our relationship with God in Christ includes his Life living through us. Because of this, we manifest His death and resurrection, to the glory of God and to bring an increase of Christ.
Refer to Jn. 6:39-40 & 57, Jn. 11:25, Jn. 14:19, Rom. 6:8, Eph. 2:5-6, Rom. 8:11, and Phil. 3:10.
9. In God
Ps. 56:4, 10
In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me…In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
Ps. 89:15-17
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
10. In One Man
a. One High Priest
Ps. 133:1-3
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
i. Unity In One Man
Dwelling together in unity is only possible by virtue of one new man, an anointed high priest, of which Jesus is the head. Unity with one another is the result of our identifying in our high priest.
Refer to Eph. 4:1-6, and Col. 3:14-15.
ii. One Life
The Lord has commanded the blessing of eternal life to Zion. We are in Christ, Christ is in us as our life.
Refer to Rom. 5:21, and Col. 3:1-4
b. One Body Fashioned In Christ
Ps. 139:14-16
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
This passage refers to how the body of Christ was fashioned by death, burial, and resurrection. We were created in Christ as a body for his expression.
Refer to 1 Cor. 10:16-17 & 24, 1 Cor. 12:12, 1 Cor. 15:44-45, and Eph. 2:10.
C. Song of Songs
Song 6:8-9
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her.
There is only one bride, because there is only one who came out of Christ. In Christ, there is only one bride, not many. We have a corporate relationship with him.
Refer to Gen. 2:21-22, Eph. 5:30-32, and Rev. 19:7-8.
V. The Prophets
Heb. 1:1-2
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb. 10:7-10
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
1 Pet. 1:10-12
Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Through the above Scriptures, a most glorious reality is revealed that being that the prophets as a whole and individual stood not only in direct reference to, but also as the very person of The One of whom and as whom they all spoke. In them we see Jesus Christ Himself giving the testimony of all things concerning "His coming", both as the suffering servant of Israel and the ruling King of Israel. First testifying that He should suffer and die, securing the reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal redemption for all men. Secondly, that He would be raised up from among the dead, coming "again" in the glory and power of His Father through His Resurrection to restore the temple and city of God, to establish the eternal kingdom, to bring in everlasting righteousness and to fill the house of God with glory.
In each of these prophets our Lord gives testimony of the coming destruction and restoration of Israel. Although some of these prophets speak primarily of the Babylonian captivity and consequent recovery of an obedient remnant, ALL of them find ultimate fulfillment through Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, where "He taketh away the first, that He might establish the second" as a new creation in Christ.
As you read these references, please be aware that it is not merely men speaking, but "The Spirit of Christ in them" testifying of all things which God hath summed up in His Son, even in Christ. All of the prophets of Israel come to their fulfillment in the Person of the Lord Jesus. In Him, they have their final voice (Heb. 1:1-2).
In large measure, the prophets’ ministry functioned within the context of Israel’s apostasy, captivity, and restoration, which gives this period in Israel’s history great weight as to understanding how the Lord deals with his people, whether natural or spiritual. As previously established in section II of this outline, we must continue to view the Lord’s relationship with Israel as one Son. In proceeding through the prophets, we must take into consideration both the historical framework of the prophets’ discourses, as well as Israel’s purpose being to declare God’s relationship with man in Christ. In this light, the prophets have much to say concerning our being in Christ within the history of Israel’s captivity and restoration.
Isaiah finds his fulfillment in the Person of the Resurrected and Glorified Christ who sits upon the throne of His eternal kingdom. Isaiah begins with this view of Christ and his glory filling the earth and then relates the fulfillment of this vision to Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection through which the prophet sees the old heaven and earth of natural Israel pass away and the new heaven and earth taking their place – a new creation in Christ Jesus.
The remnant is a theme consistent throughout all of the prophets. Historically, it speaks of the people of Israel and Judah who come out of captivity and return to dwell in their land and rebuild the temple. The spiritual significance of the remnant is that it speaks of those who are in Christ and therefore are of the resurrection.
a. The Remnant Is the Seed
Isa. 1:9
Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
The Septuagint, which is quoted by Paul in Rom. 9:29, translates "remnant" as "seed". What remains after captivity is the remnant, just as what comes out of the grave after death is Christ, the Resurrection. To be found in Christ, then, is to be counted as the seed.
Refer to Rom. 9:29, and Gal. 3:27-29. See also the section in this outline on Zech. 8:12.
b. The Remnant Is Saved
Isa. 10:22
For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
Paul against quotes the Septuagint, which translates "shall return" as "shall be saved". This equates the Lord’s people coming out of captivity with resurrection. Salvation is found in resurrection, in Christ.
Refer to Rom. 9:27.
a. The Chosen and the Seed
Isaiah’s description of the Servant is one of the most striking examples in the Scriptures of how a corporate body is viewed, judged, and related to by the One.
i. The Servant Is One
Isa. 41:8
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
The Servant is the seed. There is only one seed of Abraham, and that seed is Christ.
The Servant is chosen, the elect. Anyone in the Seed is chosen on the basis of the chosen Servant.
Refer to Gal. 3:16, 27-29, Eph. 1:4, and 1 Pet. 1:2.
ii. The Servant Is Many
Isa 43:10
Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen…
The chosen is One. The witnesses are many. Those who are in the chosen servant are witnesses. The servant is one Son, but this Son has a many-membered body.
Refer to Rom. 12:1-2 & 5, Col. 3:12, and 1 Pet. 2:9.
b. An Apparent Contradiction
Isa. 42:1-20
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law… I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them… I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them…Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
This passage contains an apparent contradiction concerning the Lord’s Servant. First is described a Servant who will do the will of the Lord. At the end of the passage, the Servant is blind and deaf, and therefore unable to fulfill his purpose in the earth. The first is God’s Son, who always does those things that please the Father. The negative description of God’s Servant refers to earthly Israel, who have failed to be a testimony of God in the earth. National Israel being a type of the corporate Servant, He must be brought back into relationship with that which Israel is. God will not give His glory to another (v. 8). He will not permit a false conclusion to be drawn that the idols worshipped by national Israel are to have glory. He created his Servant for the purpose of glory, and glory He shall have. To bring national Israel back into union with the Servant that they are, the Servant in whom they are, the seed, will lead them, the blind and deaf, back by paths that they have not known (v. 16). This is further explained in the Lord’s role as the Kinsman-Redeemer of Israel.
Refer to Jn. 8:29, and Rom. 7:12-14, 21-25.
3. Kinsman-Redeemer: The Reality of Being In Christ Is the Reality of Redemption
Ex. 6:6
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments…
The Lord being Israel’s kinsman-redeemer is a prominent theme in Isaiah. It points to the fact that Israel was His seed. According to Mosaic Law, the next of kin was to be responsible for buying back anyone who had sold his land or himself into slavery to pay off debt. This ordinance typified how the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt as his Kinsman-Redeemer.
Refer to Lev. 25, and the book of Ruth.
The Lord redeemed Israel in type to point to the redemption of His Son. If we are in Christ, then we, too, are redeemed, for God is then our Father. Redemption, then is a relationship of resurrection. To be redeemed is to be taken out of the grave. In Christ, we are raised, for we are in the Resurrection Himself.
Refer to Jn. 11:25, 1 Cor. 1:30, Gal. 3:13, Eph. 1:7-10,
a. Israel Redeemed out of Egypt
i. Through the Red Sea
Isa. 43:14-21
Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
God’s role as kinsman-redeemer is based upon the blood of the lamb and Israel’s passage through the Red Sea. In type, Israel was God’s Son, which made the Lord responsible for Israel’s well-being. He was obligated to bring them out of slavery. The new thing that the Lord will do is bring them out of their captivity in Babylon. He will function once more as Israel’s kinsman-redeemer, for He always relates to them as His Son.
This passage points out that Israel’s initial redemption from Egypt is the basis for Judah’s redemption from Babylon.
ii. Identified in Israel’s Afflictions
Isa. 63:9
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.(See context.)
Again, the context refers to Israel being redeemed out of Egypt. The "he" who was afflicted is the Lord Himself. As the Son, Jesus was afflicted with our afflictions, and in so doing, paid the redemption price with His death. What was redeemed was the corporate, risen Son.
Refer to Rom. 15:3-4, 2 Cor. 5:21. See also Psalm 69 (Read this psalm in light of the fact that it is Christ who is speaking, the Son in need of redemption.)
b. Israel Redeemed out of Babylon
Isa. 43:1-7
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
The Lord has redeemed Israel, and is about to do it again. Who is He redeeming? A created, formed Son. Out of what is He redeeming this Son? Historically, the Lord redeems Israel out of the death of their captivity.
This creating and forming speaks of something beyond the physical universe. He created and formed in the Resurrection. Passing through waters and fire speaks of passing through death into resurrection. The purpose for which this Son was made and formed was for God’s glory. Bringing back the sons and daughters is the manifestation of redemption.
Refer to Eph. 2:10, and Col. 1:14-16.
i. The Servant Is Redeemed
We will now tie the Lord’s Servant to the Lord as Kinsman-Redeemer
a. Redeemed out of Failure
Isa. 41:8-14
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness…For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
The Lord causes his Servant to leave his present state of failure in his purpose by redemption.
b. Redeemed unto Purpose
i. Upright in the Blameless Servant
Isa. 44:1-8
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen…Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God… Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
The Lord calls Israel "Jeshurun", which means "upright one". He is relating to Israel, failure though they may be, in the seed, Christ. How does national Israel the Servant become the Lord’s witness? Through the redeemed Son, who goes into death and comes forth in resurrection.
Refer to Rom. 8:31-34
ii. Purpose Fulfilled in Redemption
Isa. 44:21-23
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
National Israel fulfilled his purpose as God’s Servant insomuch as the Lord was to be glorified in him through Redemption. Even Israel’s failure turned to His glory, for it gave the Lord opportunity to display how His Son is redeemed.
iii. All Redeemed in the Servant
Isa. 49:1-7
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
In this passage it is obvious that it is Christ who is speaking, and He is called Israel. Again we have the corporate found in the One. It is the One who redeems the corporate, both failed Israel and the ignorant Gentiles. Because the one perfect Son is redeemed, the corporate who is found in that Son is redeemed. Remember, the kinsman-redeemer only redeems a relative. In type, national Israel is redeemed because they are in the Seed, who is Christ, thus pointing to the reality of our redemption being found in the Son who is redeemed.
It would be beneficial to also read Isa. 52:13-53:12 in the redeemed Servant-Son being the redemption for the failed Servant-Israel.
ii. Zion is Redeemed
Isa. 51:10-11
Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Isa. 1:27
Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
Isa. 59:20
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
The nation of Israel had been redeemed out of Egypt; now Zion was being redeemed out of Babylon by the Lord, who is her Kinsman-Redeemer. We see in type every aspect of our relationship with God in Christ must be redeemed, because the type must acknowledge the fullness that is in the Son. Therefore we see what looks like many different "redemptions" in Israel’s history, and yet they all speak of one redeemed Son and our different relationships in Him.
c. Summary
The One Servant is blameless; the national Servant is blameworthy, having failed in the purpose for which they were created. Redeeming the Servant would declare the glory of the Blameless, thus fulfilling the purpose of God’s servant by making him a witness of God’s glory while simultaneously removing the failure of the blameworthy national Israel. Thus their purpose as God’s Servant was redeemed.
We are in Christ the Son of God who is the Seed of Abraham. We are bone of his bone, and we are His body that came forth in resurrection. This makes us the New Jerusalem, Zion, the bride that was taken out of his side. All of this makes God our Kinsman-Redeemer, who paid for us by the death of Jesus Christ. The redeemed, then, speaks not of the sinner, but of the Son.
4. Married to the Lord
Isa. 54:4-8
Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Isa. 62:4-5
Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (my delight is in her), and thy land Beulah (married): for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
Marriage demonstrates the church’s union with the Lord. We saw in section I that Eve was taken out of Adam’s side. Israel was joined to the Lord in type, pointing to the relationship that the church has in Christ, the wife of the Lamb.
Refer to Eph. 5:30-32, and Rev. 21:9-10.
5. Resurrection of Israel
The following examples drawn from the book of Isaiah are to be understood within the context of the captivity and the dispersed returning to their Land. All of these aspects of relationship with the Lord point to the believer’s relationship with God in Christ our Resurrection.
Isa. 26:19
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
In type, the Lord dealt with all the men of Israel in the one body of His Son, who "died" at the time of Israel’s exile, and was raised up at their restoration to the Land. In Christ, the believer is dead and buried; he is then also raised with Christ that he might walk in newness of life.
Refer to Rom. 6:4, and 1 Cor. 15:45.
a. Gathered in Christ
Isa. 11:12
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isa. 27:12-13
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Israel was gathered into their land from their captivity. The Lord gathers in Christ that which is of Himself.
Refer to Matt. 3:12, and Eph. 1:9-10.
b. Zion
Ever since the time of David, Zion had been the object of the Lord’s love and devotion. After her redemption from captivity, Zion became a type of the New Jerusalem, who in the resurrection of her head and husband partakes of that unchangeable relationship between the Father and the Son, never again to be handed over to death. She would forever be counted as one with Christ, that she might be forever understood as a partaker of the qualities of nature and benefits provided for the Beloved Son.
i. Zion in the Lord and the Lord in Zion
Isa. 4:3-6
And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Isa. 12:6
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Isa. 60:18-19
Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
a. Holy In Zion
Whoever dwells in Zion is holy. The city is defended by the Lord himself, and those who live there are untouched by either attack or natural elements.
Refer to Rom. 8:35-39.
b. Union Relationship
Zion is in Christ, Christ is in her.
Refer to Jn. 15:4, Rom. 8:2, 2 Tim. 2:10, and Rev. 21:23-25.
ii. New Covenant Relationship
Isa. 25:6-10
And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
A lot of things happen in Zion. It is important to understand that these experiences are exclusively for Zion-dwellers. There is feasting at the Lord’s table, the removal of the veil that restricts our view of the Lord and obstructs union relationship with him, the swallowing up of death, and the removal of grief and condemnation. All of these qualities of life in Zion inarguable point to the New Covenant relationship that is ours in Christ right now.
Refer to Rom. 8:1, 1 Cor. 15:54, 2 Cor. 3:14, 2 Cor. 5:1-5, and Rev. 19:9
iii. Corporate Salvation
Isa. 26:1-2
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
The Lord saves his city, not individual Jews, so that those who inhabit Zion are saved. Salvation is in Christ, and whoever is found in him is saved.
Refer to Heb. 11:16, and Heb. 12:22-24.
iv. Zion-dwellers Live by Life, Not Commandments
Isa. 30:19-22
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
Dwelling in Zion results in relationship, understanding, being taught of God, and the voluntary rejection of idols.
Refer to Rom. 8:1-11, and Heb. 8:8-12.
v. Life Preempts Sin
Isa. 33:14-17
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
A sinner, an individual who relates to God by his works, is offended at and intimidated by the "devouring fire". They know that they will never rise to such a high standard of sinlessness to dwell with the Lord. But those who find themselves in Christ find that Christ is their righteousness, as well as the Life that lives righteously. In Christ, there is no sin, and we abide there. This one dwells on high, etc. Those who live in this man see the king in his beauty.
Refer to Rom. 8:3-4, 2 Cor. 2:14-16, and 1 Jn. 3:5-6.
vi. Zion Established Forever
Isa. 33:20-21
Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
The Lord is Zion’s place. This is why it is established forever.
Refer to Heb. 9:5-13, and Heb. 10:9-10.
vii. Near To the Lord
Isa. 46:13
I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
In Christ, we are brought near to God, and He is brought near to us.
Refer to Eph. 2:13-15, Eph. 3:6, and Heb. 12:22-24.
c. Land
The return to their Land was the type of the resurrection of the Son, once more alive unto God.
Isa. 14:1
For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
The Lord has caused two to dwell in one place.
Refer to Jn. 10:16, Rom. 11:16, Eph. 2:13-17.
d. The New Man
i. Life and Rest in This Man
Isa. 32:2, 15-18
And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land…Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…
We are in this man who is a hiding place, and who is like a river of water. The Spirit is poured upon this man, so that life, habitation, peace, and rest are the result.
Refer to Rev. 22:1, Jn. 7:38, 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 2 Cor. 5:1 & 4
ii. Zion Related To through a Man
Isa. 51:1-3
Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
God made a covenant with Abraham, and honors the covenant for all those who are in Abraham. The Lord cares for Zion because of His covenant with Abraham. Likewise, the Lord cares for the body of Christ because of the covenant the Father made with the Son. We have been made partakers of a covenant for which we were not present, but if we are found in Christ, we experience the benefits of the covenant as those who are one with Him.
Refer to Jn. 17-:1-5 & 21-24, Rom. 9:7-8, Eph. 1:3-7, and 2 Pet. 1:3-4.
iii. Joined to This Man
Isa. 56:1-8
Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
He who is joined to the Lord one with Christ, in Christ. He is a new creation in Christ. He is not what he once was. He is now a part of a corporate, risen man.
Refer to 1 Cor. 6:17, 2 Cor. 5:17, and Gal. 6:15.
e. The Lord of Glory Is Our Sanctuary
i. Entering Into the Sanctuary
Isa. 8:14
And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The Lord is our sanctuary, and we enter into Him.
Refer to Rev. 21:22.
ii. The Lord a Refuge
Isa. 25:4
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
Living in Christ hides us from natural occurrences.
Refer to Rom. 8:35-39, Phil. 4:11-13, and Heb. 6:18-20.
iii. Salvation Is In Christ
Isa. 45:17
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
We are saved individually because we were in Christ when He was raised from the dead.
Refer to Eph. 2:5-8, and Rom. 11:11 & 17.
iv. Riches In Christ
Isa. 45:24-25
Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
In Christ, we find Him as our source.
Refer to 1 Cor. 1:24 & 30, and Eph. 1:3 & 19-20.
v. Clothed With Christ
Isa. 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
We have been clothed with Christ, and we are to put on Christ.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:1-4, Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:21-24, Col. 3:10-11, and Rev. 19:8.
f. New Creation
Isa. 65:17-23
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
In Christ, we are made new and brought into a new relationship with God.
Refer to 2 Cor. 5:17, and Rev. 21:1-7.
Jeremiah’s person, prophecies, and lamentations find their expression and fulfillment in the Person of Jesus during his 3 ½ years of pleading with Israel, most particularly as recorded in Matthew chapters 23-25.
1. Evidences of Union
Jeremiah, consistent with the Scriptures thus far, continues to show God relating to Israel as One Son.
i. The Son Going into Death
a. The Servant Is the Son
Jer. 46:27
But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Ties the servant of Israel to captivity being a type of death of the son. Being in rest refers to finding their purpose in God’s end for them, which is Solomon, the son who built the house.
The Lord is dealing with His people as One Son. Whatever he does with them, then, is tied up with Christ. The Lord will not deal with their sins apart from this One Son, and so Israel must be found in him in his death, burial, and resurrection.
Refer to Ps. 80:12-18.
b. The Son, Not Individual Sinners, Goes into Death
Jer. 6:26
O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
Even though mourning for an only son is a simile in this passage, its use is all the more forceful for the reality of Israel having been a type of the corporate Son. The loss of a son was the loss of one’s posterity, one’s hope for the future. The mourning of the nation, then, was over the loss of God’s Son, for it was not only a sinful nation that was being put to death, but the innocent, holy seed of God.
ii. The Son Coming Up in Resurrection
a. Always the One Son
Jer. 31:9
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
God has always related to Israel on the basis of One Son, regardless of their actions.
Refer to Jn. 1:12-13.
b. The Lord Always Raises Up His Son
Jer. 31:20
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
The Lord will not permit his holy seed to see corruption.
Refer to Acts 13:35-37.
c. Being In the One Son Results in Personal Change
Jer. 3:19
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
The Lord’s answer to Israel’s tendency toward apostasy which is an inherent trait is to cause them to be born of God. This will effect a change of nature, which will in turn change their tendency toward idolatry and forsaking the Lord for remaining where He has planted them and always doing those things that please the Father.
Refer to Jn. 8:29, and 1 Jn. 2:17.
b. Israel Married to the Lord
Union with the Lord by marriage is a different aspect of relationship with Him than being in the Son, but it shows Israel relating with the Lord as a corporate whole rather than as individuals.
Jer. 3:1
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
Jer. 3:14
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion…
Jer. 31:32
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
The marriage relationship aptly illustrates Israel’s union with the Lord, which is the basis for His relationship with his people. This illustration clearly points to the union with have with Christ Jesus.
Refer to 1 Cor. 6:17, and Eph 5:30-32.
2. Death and Resurrection in Christ
a. Death and Resurrection Inseparable
Jer. 1:10
See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jer. 27:22
They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Jer. 31:28
And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.
In Christ, there is no death without resurrection. They are two sides of the same reality.
Refer to Phil. 3:10, and 2 Tim. 2:11.
b. Expectation In the Seed
Jer. 31:15-17, 20
Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
Christ is the resurrection and the posterity for which there is expectation.
Refer to Jn. 11:25, Eph. 4:4-6, , and Heb. 6:18-20.
3. Captivity is a Type of Death
a. Israel "Was Not"
To "not be" is to be dead.
Refer to Gal. 2:20.
i. As Defined by Other Writers
a. Moses
Deut. 28:63
And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
The captivity is described as "bringing to nought".
Refer to Phil. 2:5-9.
b. Psalms
Ps. 44:12
Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
The Lord sold his people for nothing to show that they were nothing.
ii. As Defined by Jeremiah
Jer. 31:15
Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
Jer. 10:20
My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
b. Israel Was Scattered
i. As Defined by Other Writers
The captivity and dispersion were foretold previous writers. Their definitions of these events point to their being a type of death.
a. Moses
Lev. 26:32-34
And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
The captivity is described as "scattering".
b. The Psalms
Ps. 44:11, 22
Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen… Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
The captivity is described as being "counted as sheep for the slaughter".
Refer to Rom. 8:28-29, 35-37.
c. Jesus
Matt. 26:31
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
The Lord Jesus declared that "scattering" was the result of his death, and it manifested in his disciples at the crucifixion.
ii. As Foretold by Jeremiah
a. An Issue of Life and Death
Jer. 18:17
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
Seeing the Lord’s face is equated with living and dwelling in the land, and not seeing His face is equated with death.
Refer to Ps. 44:3.
b. Israel’s Scattering Is the End of Posterity
Jer. 10:19-21
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
c. Bringing Wickedness to an End
Jer. 13:23-24
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
Death is the only answer for inherent wickedness.
Refer to Rom. 6:6-7, and Col. 2:11.
We will now explore how Israel returning to their Land is a type of the believer being raised up in Christ. Jeremiah reveals several different elements of resurrection.
Jer. 32:6-15
And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. And I charged Baruch before them, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.
The Lord had every intention of redeeming Israel, and foreshadowed that fact in Jeremiah functioning as kinsman-redeemer. If the Lord did not plan on raising up Israel, there would have been no point in Jeremiah redeeming his cousin’s land.
a. Captivity Turned
Jer. 29:10-14
For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
There are many passages in Jeremiah that speak of the captivity returned. Here are only a few references.
i. Captivity Turned Is For the Seed
Jer. 30:10
Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
There are several points to be noted here. First, the Lord is speaking to his Servant, a relationship that has already been explored in the outline on Isaiah. Next, the Seed is saved out of captivity, not individual people. Christ is the Seed that is saved. Finally, those who return will be in rest, which speaks of the reinstitution of the kingdom under Solomon, the Beloved Son.
Refer to Gal. 3:16 & 28-29.
ii. Captivity Turned Brings Cleansing
Jer. 33:6-8
Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
There was an inherent change in Israel upon returning to their Land. They had been cleansed from their iniquity, for they had passed through death, and their wickedness remained in the grave. Only Christ remains in resurrection.
Refer to Jn. 11:25, Rom. 6:10-11, Gal. 2:20, and Phil. 1:21.
iii. Captivity Turned Is Based on Covenant
Jer. 33:25-26
Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
The generation who were brought out of Babylon were not permitted to return based on their own good works; in fact it had nothing to do with them at all as individuals whether they were good or bad. Their return was based upon God’s covenant with the seed. They walked out – or manifested – the reality of the covenant between the Lord and the seed. Again, God’s relationship toward the believer in Christ is based on the covenant between the Father and the Son.
Refer to Gal. 3:16-17, and Heb. 6:13-20.
b. Israel Gathered
Jer. 3:17-18
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Refer to Eph. 1:9-11
i. Gathering Those Who Are In the Son
Jer. 31:8-12
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth… a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Gathering is based upon the redemption of the firstborn son.
Refer to study on redemption in Isaiah.
ii. Gathering Unto One
Jer. 32:36-40
And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
As we are gathered in Christ, we all partake of one spirit, one nature, and one mind.
Refer to 1 Cor. 1:10, 1 Cor. 3:3, Eph. 4:1-6, and Phil. 2:1-8.
c. Built and Planted
Jer. 24:6-7
For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Jer. 31:4
Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Jer. 32:41
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Having brought Israel back to the Land, the Lord planted them so that they would remain forever. We are planted and built in Christ in a relationship that will remain unchanged, because the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ brought a finality that will remain unchallenged.
Refer to Rom. 6:5, Eph. 3:17, Col. 2:7, and Rev. 21:1-4.
Resurrection for Israel means death for his captors. There is one judgment, but the outcome for each of us depends upon where we are found.
Jer. 50:33-34
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
Jer. 51:49
As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.
Christ brought into death with him anything that is not him. Death is swallowed up in victory.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:23-27 & 54-57, 2 Cor. 2:14-16, and Eph. 4:8.
Jer. 23:3
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
It doesn’t matter how small the seed or remnant is. The Life inherent in the seed always brings increase.
Refer to Jn. 3:30, 1 Cor. 3:6-7, Eph. 4:13-16, And Col. 2:18-19.
Jer. 31:7
For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
The remnant is saved, not the entire nation. Only those who come up in the Resurrection are saved.
Refer to Rom. 9:6-7.
From the beginning of Israel’s history, the Lord intended to use that nation to typify how He relates to us by Christ. His different dealings with Israel bring out different elements of our relationship with God in Christ.
a. Old Covenant
Deut 30:3-5, 15, 19-20
That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers… See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil… I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
That Israel would be dispersed and go into captivity was known by the Lord even before His people entered the Land the first time. He had already decided to incorporate it into His plan of using Israel to declare His glory, in that it would foreshadow the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and we in him.
b. New Covenant
Eph. 4:7-16
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Christ made the descent into death and ascent into resurrection, and we in him. The word "edify" means "to be built together". By the work of the cross we are made that perfect man in Christ, and we are built into it by coming to the knowledge of it.
C. Ezekiel
Ezekiel’s heavenly vision is about a man in Glory. The Glory of the Lord and the Lord of Glory are both presented in the first chapter where Christ is seen as seated upon His throne in the midst of Hew new creation, which bears His likeness. This is Jesus, the Son of man coming in the power and glory of the resurrection, and the same that John saw standing in the midst of the churches (see Rev. 1:13-18). In Ezekiel 1:26-28, we see the word "appearance" used frequently. Where the Lord of Glory appears (is revealed), the Glory of the Lord abounds, but where the Lord of Glory is not appearing, the Glory of the Lord is not seen. Glory is not a thing or a feeling but an expressed, an outshining, a manifested relationship with the Lord. When Christ is revealed in us, His glory is expressed through us.
The story of Ezekiel is one of loss and restoration. Old Covenant Israel forsakes the Lord of Glory and the Glory of the Lord departs, never to return to that temple under that covenant. Ezekiel promises a new and living temple in which the Lord of Glory would dwell (Eze. 43:2-7, esp. v. 7), restoring the Glory of the Lord to the true temple of God which is in the midst of the city whose name is "the Lord is there" (Eze. 48:35).
In Ezekiel, the heavens are opened, and God’s plan is revealed in One Man, His Man of Glory. "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even I him" (Eph. 1:10). His dealings with Israel are seen to be toward this very end – to have One Man in Glory who is the express image of Himself. In the light of this heavenly Man, two different things happen to Israel. He is first judged, brought down into death, ruin, and destruction, and then brought into union with, as one with, this same Man (this same Jesus), reconciled, raised up from the dead, fully restored as one body, one house, and one city. Even so, in Christ there is one new creation Man – one man in the Glory of the Father. "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:4-6).
Who is this Lord of Glory (Ps. 24), this one man, this heavenly man by whom, through whom, and in whom God hath made all things new? He is the only begotten from among the dead, the firstborn Son, the Lord of Glory. He is Christ and the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who filleth all.
In Israel, the testimony of God was lost. In Christ, the testimony of God is fulfilled, completely fulfilled. Throughout the Scripture, we see the testimony of God, which was established before the foundation of the world. Scripture indicates that God "saw" that is determined or purposed to have a Man in Glory. This whole plan which we call salvation was formulated in the heart of God according to His good pleasure and the end was always "a Man in Glory". Ezekiel presents glory as a corporate man, the Head, substance, and fullness of which is Christ.
Ezekiel begins with and "open heaven" and ends with the Lord of Glory filling His house with the fullness of Himself. The ministry of Christ began with an open heaven, the revealing of the Son, and ends or finds completion with Christ filling His body the church with the fullness of Himself (Eph. 1:20-23).
1. The Lord Dealing with One
a. God’s Glory Is Found in One Man
Eze. 1:1, 4-5, 26-28
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God…And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man…And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
The glory of the Lord in the view of God had the appearance of a man.
Refer to Matt. 16:27, 1 Cor. 15:21-23 & 45-47, Eph. 2:15, Eph. 4:13, Heb. 2:9-11, and Rev. 1:12-13.
b. One Vine
Eze. 15:1-8
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.
The only purpose and use for a vine is to bear fruit. In Christ, that is our purpose. Jesus further develops the vine-branch relationship with his disciples. We are in the vine as branches.
Refer to Jn. 15:1-7, and Rom. 11:16-17.
c. One Wife
Eze. 16:6-14
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Israel’s life, beauty, and gifts were derived from being in union with the Lord, not from herself. Her union to Him, therefore, defined who she was and what her purpose was. In Christ, it is exactly the same. Being joined to the Lord means we have His life in us, share His name, and are clothed upon with His garments. We have an entirely new identity finds its source in Christ.
Refer to 1 Cor. 6:17, Eph. 5:22-31, Rev. 19:7-8, and Rev. 21:9-11
2. The Son of Man Is a Sign
There were occasions when Ezekiel was commanded to act out the prophecies given to him. These actions, coupled with his God-given title, "Son of Man", point to a thought in God’s mind far greater than an individual whose prophetic style called for dramatic illustrations. As Son of man, Ezekiel, the prophet and the priest, took the Lord’s place in Israel’s eyes, identifying himself with dead and buried Israel in much the same way that Jesus would identify with material Israel on the Cross. As such, his acted prophecies reveal that even in captivity, God was still dealing with Israel as one man.
a. One Man Bears the Iniquity
Eze. 4:1-17
Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about. Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days… Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it. And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege. Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink. And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them… and consume away for their iniquity.
Ezekiel was a sign to the captives of the earlier deportations that the one son, the one man that Israel was to the Lord would bear their iniquity. Although the children of Israel were bearing the consequences of their own sin, God was still using them as a testimony of His only begotten Son, who would bear the iniquity of Jew and Gentile alike. Ezekiel was a representation of the true Son of Man, who joined himself to the Adamic race to bring them into death while bearing their iniquity.
Refer to Rom. 5:12-19, 1 Pet. 2:24, 1 Pet. 3:18, and 1 Pet. 4:1.
b. One Man Goes into Captivity
Eze. 12:1-15
The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby. In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel. And I did so as I was commanded… And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity. And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.
The prince, who was supposed to be a figure of Christ, was to be brought into Babylon as a blind man, and die there. Israel could not see because they would not see, the purpose in their captivity, which was the death of that which had lost its purpose for existence. The prince was the head of the nation, and so the nation was summed up in him. If he was going to die a blind captive in Babylon, then the nation would die with him, blind to their purpose and therefore rejected of God as a testimony. But even in their rejection, the Lord was still using them as a testimony of His Son, who would gather up into Himself the whole Adamic race, including the houses of Israel and Judah, and put to death that which had lost its purpose for existence. In Christ, the Adamic race, which has willfully blinded and deafened itself to Him who brought them into existence for His purposes, has been put to death. In Christ, a new man comes forth in resurrection that will fulfill all the purpose of God in being His habitation, one that permits His expression and increase. But this cannot be before the death of the first race. Ezekiel is a sign to Israel of this one man, the Son of man, who would suffer the Lord’s rejection of that which had lost its purpose.
Refer to Matt. 27:46 (see also Ps. 22:1 & 3), Rom. 8:3, and 1 Cor. 15:36 & 42.
c. The Son Loses His Glory
Eze. 24:15-24
Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel losing his wife was typical of the Son losing His glory, His sanctuary. Since the Son would have no expression, Israel would have no life, because in type, Israel lived by the glory they were to express even as believers live in Christ, whom they manifest.
Refer to Rom. 7:7-10, and Rom. 8:2
3. One Man Raised Up in Recovery
a. Buried with Christ
Eze. 11:16-20
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
For Israel, there is always sanctuary in the Lord because the Land and the temple were never His final goal but a type. When the temple was destroyed and the land made desolate, Israel could still enter into the sanctuary of Christ and therefore live, even when not in their own land. However, their gathering again in Israel does point to the spiritual reality of having only one mind and one life in Christ, which is true for the believer.
Refer to Eph. 4:1-6, Phil. 2:5, and Col. 3:1-4.
b. Judgment Before God’s Face
Eze. 20:33-41
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
Ezekiel compares Israel’s recovery from captivity with how the Lord brought them out of Egypt – by covenant and by the blood of the Lamb. In Christ, the Lord always deals with us after the cross. His method for purging us and releasing us into an understanding of resurrection never changes. No matter how the Lord’s people might stray from their purpose, there is still only one place where He will accept us – in the Beloved, and He will bring us there in our understanding.
Refer to Rom. 11:33-12:1, Phil. 3:9-10, and Heb. 9:23-28.
c. The Good Shepherd Gathers Into Christ
Eze. 34:12-16
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Gathering into Christ includes recovering that which was lost. The Word of the Lord was never lost to the Lord, but the people who are of this purpose have lost their understanding and are lost to their purpose in Christ. This means that the Lord’s people are lost, not sinners.
Refer to Matt. 10:6-7, Matt. 18:11, Lk. 15:11-24 (note the son was dead and then alive, and that being dead and then alive is equated with being lost and then found.), and 2 Cor. 3:4.
d. Restoration Is Resurrection
Ezek. 37:1-14
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
As long as Israel was in the land of promise, they were "alive", but when exiled into captivity, they were "dead". The land of their captivity constituted their grave. When brought out of their captivity back to the land, they were resurrected out of their grave into life in the land, where God could inhabit them.
Refer to Luke 15:24, Rom. 6:10-11, Rom. 14:9, and Rev. 1:18
e. Two Made One
Eze. 37:16-28
Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
In Christ, the far and near are made one, and the nature of that new man is Christ, so that there will be no more idol worship. It is in this man that the Lord places His habitation. The Lord can make two one because He puts to death all that causes strife. There is only one man that is raised up out of the grave, and that is Christ.
Refer to Rom. 13:12-14, 1 Cor. 3:3-9, Gal. 5:13-16, and Eph. 2:15-21.
Daniel finds his fulfillment in the Person of the Lord Jesus who when offered the kingdoms of this world said, "Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God (the one true God), and Him only shalt thou serve."
Daniel’s prophecy of the end finds its reality in the Cross of Christ, where the old world ends and a new creation in Christ is ushered in by the Resurrection.
Note: This author makes no difference in the Resurrection and the Person of the Resurrection. "I am the resurrection and the Life" (Jn. 11:25). Daniel’s eternal kingdom is the kingdom of God in Christ and is made manifest by the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who filleth all in all.
1. Everlasting Kingdom
a. The Kingdom Is a Mountain
Dan. 2:34-35
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Dan. 2:44-45
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
This rock cut without hands that grows into a mountain speaks of the kingdom of God and its increase.
Refer to Eph. 2:20-22, Eph. 4:16, Col. 1:13, Heb. 12:22, 1 Pet. 2:4-10, Rev. 14:1, and Rev. 21:10.
2. The Kingdom Is Summed Up In a Man
Dan. 7:13-14
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man was joined to us, to bring us into His death, burial, and resurrection. Because of this, we are members of the New Man, the Lord from heaven. It is His kingdom of which we are a part.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:23-28 & 36-37 & 42-28, Col. 1:13, and Heb. 12:28.
2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Dan. 3:23-25, 27-28
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God… And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Instead of just waiting out their captivity, these men had entered into death with Christ. Nebuchadnezzar could not kill what was already dead! But because they were made conformable to Christ’s death in the captivity, Christ was manifested in their midst.
Refer to Isa. 43:1-2 (See the section in Isaiah on Israel being redeemed out of Babylon), Rom. 6:8-9, Rom. 8:35-39, and Gal. 6:14-15.
3. Daniel In the Lions Den
a. Identified In the Temple
Dan. 6:10
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Daniel identified in the temple at Jerusalem, regardless of his geographical location. As far as he was concerned, the Lord still inhabited him. He would identify there regardless of the cost to himself because he was dead to himself.
Refer to 1 Ki. 8:22-53, 1 Ki. 9:3, 2 Cor. 5:1-4, 2 Cor. 5:21-6:10, Phil. 1:20-21, and Col. 1:24.
b. Handed Over to Death
Dan. 6:16
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
Daniel was handed over to death, innocent though he was. Christ, too, was handed over to death, and because we are in Him, His life is in us. Therefore the same things happen to us that have happened to Him.
Refer to Matt. 10:24-25, Phil. 3:9-10, 1 Pet. 2:20-25, and 1 Pet. 3:14-18.
c. Raised Up
Dan. 6:20-23
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
Daniel was innocent and just, and therefore raised up out of death. When we are handed over to death, and we enter into Christ’s death instead of bearing it on our own, we, too, are just and therefore manifest the Resurrection.
Refer to Rom. 8:17-25, 1 Cor. 15:31-32, and 2 Cor. 4:10-14.
d. An Increase of Christ
Dan. 6:25-27
Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
Because Daniel is obedient unto death, the Lord is revealed to the nations, which glorifies God and brings increase.
Refer to Ps. 16:10, Acts 13:35-37, 2 Cor. 4:6-5:4, Phil. 3:10, and 1 Pet. 3:18.
4. A View of the Son of Man
Dan. 10:5-8
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
This is a view of the Son of man, and his description is very similar to that of the Son of man who walks among his churches. John had a similar reaction when he saw the Lord.
Refer to Rev. 1:12-18.
5. Resurrection Declared
Dan. 12:2-3
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
This passage describes our resurrection in Christ. In Him, we awake unto everlasting life. Our brightness is Christ shining out from within.
Refer to Jn. 5:25-29, 2 Cor. 4:6, Heb. 11:8-13, and Rev. 21:23.
E. The Minor Prophets
Because of their brevity, the minor prophets have been grouped together as one section.
1. Hosea
a. Death and Resurrection in Christ
i. Not My People
Hos. 1:9-10
Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
Israel was judged in Christ’s death, and therefore no longer the Lord’s people, and created anew in Christ’s resurrection, which made them the Lord’s people.
Refer to Rom. 9:6-8, 22-33
ii. One Head
Hos. 1:4, 11
And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel…Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
All who are raised up in Christ are gathered under one head.
Refer to Eph. 1:22, and Col. 1:18.
Hos. 6:1-2
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
This is a reference to Christ’s death and resurrection and our participation in them. In Christ, the Father put to death all that was under judgment, and on the third day, raised up a new man that lives before Him.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:3-4 & 22, 2 Cor. 2:17, 1 Thess. 2:19, and Heb. 9:24
iii. One Son
Hos. 11:1
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
See section titled, "Dealing with a Nation".
iv. Dead and Alive
Hos. 13:1, 9
When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
We are dead apart from Christ. But in Christ, we were made alive unto God.
Refer to Rom. 6:9-10, Rom. 7:9, 1 Cor. 15:19-21, Eph. 2:1-7, and Col. 2:13-17.
v. Death Defeated
Hos. 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
In His death, Jesus took dominion away from death, and those who are in Him have eternal life.
Refer to 1 Cor. 15:47-57, 2 Cor. 5:1-4, Rev. 1:18, and Rev. 21:1-4.
b. Married to the Lord
i. From Master to Husband
Hos. 2:16
And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
"My master" (Baali) is an old covenant relationship, where the master gives commandments and the servants do what they are told. "My husband" is a new covenant relationship, for in marriage two are made one. In Christ, we have a union relationship with him, not a commandment and works based relationship.
ii. Mercy and Life in Resurrection
Hos. 2:23
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
Where else did this first happen but in Christ, the one seed that fell into the ground and died? Any of spiritual Israel who are sown in the earth are only manifesting the spiritual reality that is first found in Christ Jesus.
Refer to Jn. 12:24.
2. Joel
a. Baptized into One Body
Joel 2:27-29
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
The Spirit is poured out upon the body of Christ, and the Lord lives in His body.
Refer to 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 1 Cor. 15:44, and Eph. 4:4.
b. One Judgment – Two Outcomes
i. Deliverance In Zion – Judgment In the Valley
Joel 2:30-3:2
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
There is judgment occurring at the same time as the corporate, heavenly Zion is being delivered. Both of this happened at the same time in the body of Christ as his death.
Refer to 2 Cor. 2:14-16.
ii. Where the Lord Dwells Is the Difference Between Wickedness and Hope
Joel 3:11-18
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
In this passage, there are two things occurring simultaneously. The nations are being judged, or cut off, and at the same time Judah flows with rivers of living water. In Christ, that which is deserving of death is under the judment of the cutting away of the Cross, while a new creation emerges in resurrection, full of life, flowing out of the Lord’s house through the land.
Refer to 2 Cor. 2:14-16, and Col. 2:11.
c. The Remnant Is Zion
Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This verse equates the remnant with Zion, the corporate, heavenly reality of our relationship with God in Christ. Here is deliverance. It is only as being in Zion, in the remnant, that we truly have salvation.
Refer to Acts 2:14-21, Rom. 10:13, and Heb. 1:1-2 & 2:1-4.
3. Amos
a. Israel Is Dead – Life Is In the Lord
Amos 5:2-4
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.
National Israel is past help, and the Lord is determined to remove her by putting her to death. The Lord will never raise up a natural Israel. The only hope for the people, then is to find a different relationship with the Lord, to cease to identify in an earthly nation and begin to identify in who will be raised up – Christ.
Refer to Heb. 9:28, and 1 Pet. 2:24.
b. The Only Son Dies
Amos 8:9-10
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
The Lord made it as the mourning of an only son because in type, Israel was the Lord’s only son, and he was going to his death.
Refer to Jn. 1:14, Jn. 3:16, and 1 Jn. 4:9.
4. Jonah
Jonah 2:1-10
Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
As Solomon had prayed at the dedication of the temple, Jonah chose to be identified in the temple that the Lord might hear his prayer. We are in relationship with God by Christ, and He hears – responds to – the prayers of those who find their identification in Christ.
Refer to I Ki. 8:22-53, 1 Ki. 9:3, 2 Cor. 5:19-21, and Heb. 5:7-9.
5. Micah
The remnant is addressed in this book.
a. The Remnant Is Gathered
Micah 2:12
I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
The remnant is gathered in one, in Christ. This is resurrection.
Refer to Eph. 1:9-10.
Micah 4:7
And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
The dramatic change from being lame to being that which is raised up, from that which is thrown away to being a strong nation, occurs in Christ. He gathered our lameness into Himself and took it to the grave. He is the seed that is raised up, and in Him we are a remnant and a strong nation.
Refer to Rom. 9:25-26, 2 Cor. 5:21, and Gal. 3:13-16.
6. Habakkuk
Hab. 3:17-19
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls,Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
In Christ, we live above the earth and its circumstances have no hold on us. In Christ, the greater reality is Christ, not what is happening to us.
Refer to Rom. 8:35-39, and Phil. 4:11-13.
7. Zephaniah
a. The Guilty Made Pure
Zeph. 3:8-9
Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
The nations are gathered to be judged, and then changed so that they may serve the Lord with one consent. In Christ, the many are gathered and condemned to death, and one new man is raised up in Christ that has only one life, one heart, and one language.
Refer to Rom. 5:15-19, Heb. 9:28, 1 Cor. 1:10, Eph. 4:1-6, and Phil. 2:2-5.
b. The Remnant Has A Change in Nature
Zeph. 3:13
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
The remnant has a different nature than the nation of Israel before the captivity. This is because only Christ comes forth in resurrection, and for those in Christ the Life found in Christ replaces the life of Adam that was taken to the grave.
Refer to Rom. 8:1-4, Gal. 2:20, Gal. 3:21, Col. 3:3-4, and 1 Jn. 5:11.
c. The Change A Result of Resurrection
Zeph. 3:14-20
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
There is no evil, no sin, no judgment in Zion, because she has been raised in Christ.
Refer to Rom. 8:1-2, Heb. 12:22-24, 1 Jn. 3:5, and Rev. 21:1-5.
8. Haggai
a. The House
i. Caring For the Lord’s House
Hag. 1:3-9
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
Haggai contrasts taking care of our own houses with caring for the Lord’s house. When living for ourselves, we sow much and bring in little. But if we build the Lord’s house, then the Lord is pleased, because it has to do with His beloved Son.
Refer to Eph. 1:6, Col. 1:13, Eph. 2:19-22, 1 Cor. 1:9, Col. 1:24-29, and Heb. 4:11.
ii. The Glory of the Latter House
Hag. 2:3-5, 9
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not…The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
The earthy eyes, the glory of the latter house is nothing, because it is a spiritual house in Christ and therefore can only be perceived with spiritual eyes.
Refer to Jn. 3:3 & 5-6, 1 Cor. 2:9-13, 2 Cor. 3:14-18, 2 Cor. 4:17-2 Cor. 5:1, and Eph. 1:17-21.
iii. Judge to Be Blessed From the Cornerstone
Hag. 2:12-19
If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD: Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD. Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
The law always brought a curse, and the material temple was never blessed because that which is natural is always prone to corruption. But God judges the believer in Christ based on the foundation of the house, which is Christ. In Christ, then, is where the believer is blessed, not in possessions, actions, or circumstances.
Refer to Rom. 7:1-6, Gal. 3:10-13, 1 Cor. 3:11, Eph. 2:20, Eph. 1:3, Col. 1:13, 1 Pet. 1:18-19 & 23, and 1 Pet. 2:4-6.
b. The Remnant
Hag. 1:12-14
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD. Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
All of the remnant obeyed the Lord and worked on the house, rather than just a few of the more dedicated or spiritual individuals. Those who did not have the Lord’s Life in them were put away by death. This is a forceful testimony to the power of the resurrection.
Refer to Rom. 8:1-2, I Cor. 15:10, Eph. 4:7-13, and Col. 1:29.
9. Zechariah
a. Chosen In Christ
i. Chosen In Resurrection
Zech. 1:17
Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
The Father chose Christ, and we are chosen in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 1:4-5, 2 Thess. 2:13, and 1 Pet. 2:4 & 9
ii. Chosen For an Inheritance
Zech. 2:10-13
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
a. Joined and Therefore Chosen
To be joined to the Lord is to be in Christ, and the habitation of God. The word "join" in this passage can also be translated, "cleave", "abide", or "unite". Please note this for the following references.
Refer to Jn. 15:4, 1 Cor. 6:17, Eph. 4:15-16, and Eph. 5:30-31
b. Inheritance In the Resurrection
The Lord’s inheritance is in the saints who are raised up in Christ.
Refer to Eph. 1:18-20, and Ps. 2:7-8.
iii. A Change of Raiment
Zech. 3:1-4
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
In the earth, Israel had defiled themselves, and we do, too. But in Christ, The Lord changes our raiment. We are undefiled in Christ.
Refer to Jn. 13:2-10, 1 Cor. 15:53, and Gal. 3:27.
iv. The Seed and the Remnant Are One
Zech. 8:12
For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
The margin reads, "For the seed of peace, the vine…" This rendering would equate the seed in the first part of the verse with the remnant in the last part of the verse. The seed is the remnant, and all the wealth of the land is for the seed to possess.
Refer to Gen. 12:7, 1 Cor. 15:47-50, Eph. 1:3-7, and Rev. 21:7.
v. Jerusalem Chosen – Those Not Chosen Gather
Zech. 8:20-23
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
a. What Is Not Christ Is Removed
Those who are not of national Israel will enter into Jerusalem. We enter into Christ, into this resurrection relationship, and we are received there because the Cross removed all that God rejected.
Refer to Rom. 9:25-26, and Rom. 11:24.
b.
A New Creation In CHristIn Christ, we are a new creation, and there is no sin there, nor is there consciousness of sins. The new creation is a new man whose history begins in the resurrection.
Refer to Heb. 10:1-2, 10, 17, 1 Jn. 3:5, and Eph. 4:24.
vi. A Man Is Chosen
Zech. 10:6-8
And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.
Again, a man is redeemed.
Refer to the section on redemption in Isaiah.
b. The Lord Surrounds His People
Zech. 2:4-5
And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
Zech. 9:8
And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.
In Christ, we are surrounded by the Lord. We are always in Him, never out of him.
Refer to Ps. 139:1-12, and 1 Cor. 1:30.
c. By the Lord’s Spirit
Zech. 4:6
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
It is by the Spirit that the Lord’s house is built, not by any strength found in the material realm. The Spirit is in Christ, where we are built as God’s habitation. The body, which is in Christ, is baptized into one Spirit. And the law of the Spirit of life is found in Christ Jesus.
Refer to Rom. 8:2, 1 Cor. 12:12-13, and Eph. 2:20-22.
d. God’s Name Reveals His Character
Zech. 14:9
And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
The Lord’s name is One. This is who He is, and this is why He relates to us by union in Christ, and not as individuals.
Refer to Rom. 5:11-19, 1 Cor. 6:17, 1 Cor. 8:6, 1 Cor. 10:17, Gal. 3:16, 20, 28, Eph. 2:15, Eph. 4:4-6, and Eph. 5:30-32.
10. Malachi
a. How the Lord Relates to Israel
i. In Jacob
Mal. 1:2
I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob…
The Lord loves the nation of Israel in their forefather, Jacob.
Refer to Rom. 9:13, and Heb. 11:9.
ii. As One Son
Mal. 1:6
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
The Lord had a father – son relationship with national Israel through the tribe of Levi.
Refer to Jn. 3:35, and Heb. 1:5.
b. How Israel Ought to Relate
i. To One Another
Mal. 2:10
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
In Christ, the Body is the new creation. All the members in the body possess the same life. Why, then, do we deal treacherously with one another?
Refer to Rom. 12:1-5, 1 Cor. 1:10-13, 1 Cor. 12:23-27, and Gal. 5:13-16.
ii. To the Lord
Mal. 2:15
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Malachi is addressing the practice in Israel of divorcing their Jewish wives and marrying foreigners, but this was only a manifestation of a spiritual problem. Through the Scriptures the Lord has shown marriage as a type of union between Christ and his church. Adam and Eve are one example, in that the woman union with Adam was taken out of his side, just as we are in Christ and therefore proceed out from him. Abraham and Sarah are another example of union, but with the purpose of producing one seed, who was to be a type of Christ. The Lord made us one with him so that there might be an increase of Christ. As we partake of Christ, his life flows through us and we manifest Christ, the godly seed. This is the purpose for being in Christ.
Refer to Rom. 7:4, Eph. 5:30-33, 2 Cor. 11:2, Gal. 4:19-26, Col. 2:19, and 1 Pet. 1:23.
c. The Lord’s Appearing Cause Us to Live In Christ
Mal. 3:1-3
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
His appearing removes our corruption, because we are in him as a new creation. When we see ourselves as God has made us in Christ, we begin to live in that relationship, and Christ manifests through us.
Refer to 2 Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:1-4, and 1 Jn. 3:1-2.
VI. Come and Enter In
The Lord has placed us in Christ. It is our responsibility to dwell there. The following passages describe our response to our union with Christ.
A. Who Will Dwell with the Lord?
Ps. 101:2,6
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me.
The Lord desires that we be with him where He is, instead of him having to leave His place of abode to relate to us after a carnal view.
Refer to Matt. 11:27-28, John. 14:3, and Jn. 17:24.
B. The Basis for Identification
2 Sam. 5:1
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
David had been anointed king by Samuel many years before (see 1 Sam. 6:12-13); however, Israel had to identify in him before David’s kingdom was realized. We are now in Christ, bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh. We can act on what the Lord has done; we can go up to Hebron, the seat of association, and associate ourselves with Christ on the basis of the union that is already so.
Refer to Eph. 5:30.
C. Clothed With Christ
Esth. 5:1-2
Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
Here we have a picture of the bride of Christ taking her place as one with the King. The subjects of the Persian kingdom feared going into the presence of the king uninvited, for if the king did not show favor, they would be put to death for their forwardness. But Esther clothed herself in her royal garments that were given her upon marriage to the king, showing that she was one with the king, after his kind, and entered into his presence. That she did this on the third day is a type of the resurrection. Because Esther was the king’s wife, he received her with favor.
The world may be afraid of the king of the universe, but He is not that to us. To those in Christ, He is our Head, our Husband. We are free to enter into His presence, His dwelling place without fear, provided that we do so on the third day, having put on the garments of our union. To us, He is more husband than king, and it pleases him to find one who would relate to him on such basis. He shows favor to all who relate by union.
Refer to Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:24, Col. 3:9-14, Rev.19:7.
D. Yield Yourselves
2 Chron. 30:8
Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
Judah had the privilege of God dwelling in His temple in their midst, but they still had to yield themselves unto the Lord and enter into his sanctuary. Even though we are in Christ, we must yield ourselves and enter in, or we live as if we weren’t in Christ at all.
Refer to Jn. 15:4-8, and 2 Cor. 3:14-18.
E. Awake!
Isa. 52:1-3, 9-12
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money…Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.
In one sense we must go up to Zion. In another sense, we are Zion and only have to awake to it. When we awake and realize that we are Zion, we will go up to dwell there. The Lord says that Zion must shake herself from the dust. We are no longer of the earth, earthy. We are in the Second Man, the Lord from heaven. Let us shake off the dust and bear the image of the heavenly, arise to our relationship with God in Christ, seated in Him. The Lord tells us to touch not the unclean thing, not because it is wrong to do so, but because in Christ we are clean. He does not want us to associate ourselves with that which we are not.
Refer to Rom. 13:11-14, Eph. 5:8 & 14, I Cor. 15:47-49, and Eph. 2:6.
F. Come, Let Us Go Up!
Isa. 2:3
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
We can choose to go up to where He dwells, and in that place we walk with him and learn of him. To do this requires a heart that desires to know the Lord for His own sake. Let us go up to this mountain of the Lord, that we may know how He relates, that we might walk in the paths wherein He walks. When we do, we will see Christ expressed through His body both in action and in word.
Refer to 2 Cor. 3:16, Heb. 12:22-24, and Rev. 21:10-11 & 21-24.