From “Feast of Tabernacles,” Chapter 12- Tabernacles – The Feast of Glory- The Events of the Seventh Month Blend Into One, continued
And all this brings us up to the Appearing of Christ in Israel, and to the second Appearing of Christ now at the ends of the ages. Just as Israel’s temple was abandoned and left unto them utterly “desolate” because of their disobedience, and a new temple was brought into being by Incarnation; so now Protestantism has been left “desolate” because of her disobedience, and a new Temple is being born by the Spirit of God,–even the Temple of the living God, the Body of Christ. As the days drew nigh when Christ was to go to Gethsemane and the Cross, He prophesied to the people, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn. 2:19). They thought He meant the temple of Herod which took forty and six years to build; but no, He referred to the Temple which He was, the Temple of His body. So once again, in this hour of His second Appearing, the prophecy goes forth that He will raise up His Temple, that the Body of Christ shall be brought together to form a holy Temple of the Lord. Many have thought that He referred to the resurrection of a dying religious system; but no, He is referring to the spiritual resurrection of a spiritual Body, made One by the power of the Holy Spirit, motivated and energized by the presence and power of Christ Himself in the midst of His people.
What we should notice particularly, however, throughout this whole pattern, is that the culmination of the old order is the beginning of the new. When the veil of the old religious order was rent in twain, a new way of access was opened up into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus; and within three days a New Man, a New Temple, came into being in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So now once again, with the veil of the old religious order being rent asunder, a new way is being opened up into the Holy of Holies, even the way of the Melchizedek priesthood–and it will not be long ere a New Temple springs into being by the resurrection of the Body of Jesus Christ, this time a spiritual resurrection. For this is the day and hour of His Appearing, the hour of His spiritual visitation within His saints. It is the day and hour when Christ shall be “formed within” His people. It is the “out-resurrection from among the dead.” It is Christ “the resurrection and the life” standing in our midst. It is the seed breaking forth into the blade, the blade into the ear, the ear into the full corn. It is the caterpillar being transformed into the butterfly, and breaking forth from the cocoon of death into the glorious liberty of the atmosphere above. It is the day and hour of the manifestation of the Sons of God, when the Son Himself shall be unveiled in the hearts and lives of His many brethren. GHW
Brothers and sisters, can you see what lies ahead of us? We keep watching and praying for the second coming of Christ to the earth. Yes, we are commanded to watch and pray, that is true. But if we can but grasp a little more in the Spirit, we will see that Christ’s second coming to earth must be preceded by Christ’s second incarnation in the hearts and lives of the saints. The body of Christ must grow into the Head in all things. It goes beyond social justice. It goes beyond racial reconciliation. It goes beyond global evangelism. It goes beyond “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20a). Those things are right and true. But it begins with “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (v.18), and finishes with “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (v20b).
How is Christ’s authority on the earth to be carried out? It will not be by human power or earthly might. It will be by the Spirit of God fully indwelling the saints unto the end of the age.
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