The Ark of the Covenant, from The Coming Day of Redemption
The Ark of the Covenant, from The Coming Day of Redemption
The Ark of the Covenant typifies Christ—Head and Body. In order to be a mature member of the Body of Christ we have to be born of God; purified from all sin and self-will; have Christ formed in us; and then have God in His Fullness dwell eternally in that which has been formed in us.</p>
We are to live by the body and blood of Christ, just as He lives by the Father. Thus we always are doing God's will.
Such are the members of the Royal Priesthood.
Every time we obey Christ, that particular obedience is carved in our mind and heart as an eternal law. What a reward for being obedient—to be transformed into the Word of God!
In our heart is being created the iron righteousness of God, the hidden manna (the body and blood of Christ), and arising from our death our eternal role as a member of the Royal Priesthood.
When we become the Ark of the Covenant, we are covered without and within by the Divine Nature, and overshadowed by the Cherubim of Glory.
Because we are being created the Ark of the Covenant, we always are in motion, We always are being formed in the image of God, because His Seed has been planted in us.
The Ark of the Covenant is to be planted in the earth; and no demon can remain in its Presence.
Like Aaron's rod, the sons of God are "dead." When they abide in the Most Holy Place, abide in Christ, the Nature of God is as fruit coming forth from their character.
The Ark of the Covenant is seen momentarily at the time the kingdom of the world becomes the Kingdom of God and of His Christ. Then the Royal Priesthood shall possess the saved nations.
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The Ark of the Covenant at one time was the Throne of God in the earth, being a replica of the Throne of God in Heaven. But it is God's will that man be His Throne. This is a reaction against the rebellion of the angels.
The Ark of the Covenant no longer is the Throne of God. The Throne of God now is Christ and the members of His Body.
And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
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. (Jeremiah 3:16,17)
"At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord."
Now notice:
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. (Revelation 22:3)
The Throne of God is in the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem is the glorified Christian Church. The new Jerusalem is the heavenly Zion, the Church of the Firstborn that is to come to remain on the earth as the eternal Tabernacle of God. It is the government of the Kingdom of God.
Today the spirits of righteous people who abide in Christ, whether they are in Heaven or living on the earth, may be found in the heavenly Zion.
All nations on the new earth shall come to it, bringing their wealth. God then will be dwelling in His Fullness in the Royal Priesthood. Through them God shall bless, govern, guide, and heal the saved people of the nations.
These saved people are our inheritance.
The new Jerusalem is the restored Tabernacle of David. The Ark of God then will be available to mankind in the form of Christ, Head and Body.
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this. (Amos 9:11:12)
That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. (Acts 15:17)
There were three items in the Ark of the Covenant: the Ten Commandments, from which the Ark was named; the memorial jar of manna; and Aaron's rod that budded.
If we are to be part of the Ark of the Covenant, these three items must have been formed in us: the iron righteousness of God, the hidden manna (the body and blood of Christ), and arising from our death our eternal role as a member of the Royal Priesthood.
The Ark is the Ark of the Covenant. The Covenant is the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments represent the eternal moral Law of God.
Under the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments, which are an abridged form of the eternal moral law, were written on granite by the Finger of God.
The new covenant is infinitely superior to the Law of Moses, and infinitely more demanding. This is how it works.
As we are obedient to the Spirit of God we are brought to decision after decision. Every time we decide to do the will of Christ, that particular righteous decision is written in our mind and heart as a law.
Let's say we are tempted to lie. We call upon the body and blood of Christ to strengthen us so we do not lie. As soon as that decision is made, the law against lying is written in our mind and heart by that same Finger of God.
In actuality we have been confronted with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is Christ. We have embraced the good and rejected the evil. This law is inserted in our mind and heart.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
As our life continues, and we keep choosing Christ instead of evil, we ourselves become changed into the Word of God. We are the flesh being made the Word. This is an absolutely necessary transformation of us if we are to be part of the Body of Christ, part of the Royal Priesthood, the eternal Throne of God.
The eternal moral law of God is the most important aspect of whoever would be a member of the new Jerusalem.
Also in the Ark was the memorial jar of manna.
Christ repeated the commandment that man is to live by the Words of God continually being addressed to him. As we choose to live by the body and blood of Christ, and not by our own thoughts, plans, desires, words, and actions, we become conscious of that which is being spoken to us.
God's continuing will expressed to us is our "food." We are not to live by material food alone but by every Word of God spoken to us.
Again, this is a necessary characteristic of him or her who would be a part of the Throne of God, of the Royal Priesthood.
Aaron's Rod also was placed in the Ark.
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram decided that God loved them just as much as He did Moses and Aaron. Korah was a Kohathite Levite, a member of the priestly order. All three were leaders of the congregation. Along with them were 250 men of renown.
But they were not chosen to lead Israel, as was Moses; or to be the High Priest, as was true of Aaron.
We know the story how the heads of the twelve tribes placed their rod near the Ark. Aaron's rod represented the tribe of Levi.
The next day Aaron's rod produced buds, blossoms, and almonds.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. (Leviticus 17:10)
Now, what does this tell us?
The roles in the Kingdom of God are not determined by human choice. It is God who appoints one to a certain role, and another to a different role.
Korah and his accomplices, all of whom died, were envious. Just plain envious. Perhaps they were fine gentlemen in other respects.
(It is true also that Pilate understood that the elders called for Christ's blood because of their envy.)
But Korah and his friends were usurpers. They wished to take to themselves the prestige that God had given to Moses and Aaron.
The spirit of envy and usurpation cost them their lives!
Usurpation is the original sin. Satan wanted to usurp the role of God. Absalom wanted to usurp the role that God had given David. Adonijah attempted to usurp the role that God had given to Solomon. The elders of Israel sought to usurp the Divine Glory given to Christ.
We must be careful lest we be envious of what God has given to another. Our envy may lead us to attempt to take that individual's God-given place.
So if we would be part of the Ark of the Covenant we must behave righteously at all times. We must live by the Words of God coming to us and not just by material food. We must remain in the role God has assigned to us, whether exalted or humble.
God is impressed with our obedience. He is not impressed with our achievements.
I have said that when we become the Ark of the Covenant, we are covered without and within by the Divine Nature, and overshadowed by the Cherubim of Glory. This may sound extreme to the reader, but let's bring it down to practical terms.
The Ark was constructed from acacia wood. The wood was overlaid within and without with pure gold. Wood represents humanity. Gold represents Divinity. Isn't it true that the Apostle Peter spoke of our being partakers of the Divine Nature?
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (II Peter 1:4)
The Divine Nature is being formed within us as Christ is formed in us.
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. (Galatians 4:19)
Now, isn't it true that if Christ is formed in us the Divine Nature is formed in us? Thus the "wood" is covered on the inside.
As far as the wood of the Ark being covered on the outside:
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I Corinthians 15:53)
I think we can say if our mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the Divine Nature has covered our body on the outside.
I have said that when we become the Ark of the Covenant, we are covered without and within by the Divine Nature, and overshadowed by the Cherubim of Glory.
Why would we be overshadowed by the Cherubim of Glory? Because we are seated in the Throne of Christ, who in turn is seated in the Throne of His Father. This is true provided we are living a victorious Christian life.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Galatians 3:21)
Isn't it true, then, if we are sitting with Christ in His Throne that we are seated on the Throne of God? It seems to me this is what the Scripture is stating. Then of necessity we would be under the wings of the Cherubim of Glory.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:20)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 91:1)
I have stated that because we are being created the Ark of the Covenant, we always are in motion, We always are being formed in the image of God, because His Seed has been planted in us.
Just think! We have been born of God. We know from nature that a seed brings forth precisely what is true of the organism from which it came.
This is true of the sons of God. We use the term "born again." Perhaps in many cases it is a conception rather than a birth. After birth comes growth to maturity. How long will it be before we bring forth the characteristics of our Father in Heaven? A million years of earth time, and then only beginning to be formed?
Perhaps this is why the staves by which the Ark was carried were never removed from the Ark. This was not true of the other furnishings of the Tabernacle.
The true Christian life is one of constant growth in the Lord. If we are basically the same person from year to year, then we are not living by His body and blood. We are a dead religious person, placing our belief in theologic facts rather than living by faith by a grasp upon God's faithfulness. This is easy enough to do, and I think it may be true of many of those who profess faith in Christ.
I have said that the Ark of the Covenant is to be planted in the earth and no demon can remain in its Presence.
I often have wondered at what point the Gospel of the Kingdom became the gospel of Heaven. The Lord Jesus and John the Baptist placed no emphasis upon our going to Heaven. They preached and taught the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, presented some of the laws of the Kingdom. The parables of Jesus were about the Kingdom of God, not about eternal residence in Heaven.
I think that lately I have come to understand how Heaven became the goal of our redemption.
You see, the Gospel has been preached as the forgiveness of sin. For two thousand years the Gospel has been that Christ came to take away the guilt of our sin.
However, forgiving our sin does not make us in the image of God; nor does it provide a home and place of rest for God. God's needs and purpose are not satisfied when our sins are forgiven.
The story of the Prodigal Son is not about the Father forgiving his son but about the son returning to his father. Isn't that so?
Therefore in the Divine redemption we can expect not only forgiveness of sin but also the removal of the presence and power of sin. Does that seem reasonable to you?
Well, the New Testament informs us that at the end of the age, God will remove sin from His Kingdom.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:40-43)
Perhaps it is true that the belief that our redemption ceases with forgiveness is responsible for our looking to eternal residence in Heaven, a place where there is no sin nor self-will, as being the goal of our salvation.
But when we realize that sin and self-will are not to be removed from us by going to Heaven but by an act of God at the end of the age, we turn our focus from going to live eternally in Heaven to the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. Does that make sense to you?
For how long have we prayed, "Your Kingdom Come. Your will be done on the earth as it is in Heaven"?
But how does God plan to bring about the doing of His will on the earth as it is in Heaven.
Next Part The plan is as follows: