____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For we must all be made manifest before the Bema (the
judgment seat) of
Christ to receive the things done in (through, Gr.) the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good
or bad (2 Cor.
5: 10). This is the believers judgment, if
course. For we must all stand before the Bema
(the judgment seat) of God (
This
Bema has been said for a generation or longer, to be but for the adjudicating of Rewards. The usage cited, out of the eleven times the
word is employed, indicates otherwise - and for us,
New Testament usage determines its meaning.
For example, Pilate sat on the Bema - did he reward Christ, or condemn him? (Matt. 27: 19; John 19: 13). Herod sat upon a Bema, trying both criminals and good men (Acts
12: 21). Gallio heard accusations against the Apostle
Paul (Acts 18: 12,
16, 17,
used twice). Festus sat on the Bema
which Paul said was also Caesars Bema (Acts
25: 4-19,
used twice).
This Bema
(translated judgment
seat) is to dispense not
only happy rewards but also the opposite.
This word itself means - a step, or foot-room; then a platform, or
raised place; then it became the word for tribune or place where judgment was administered. It is used but twice in its ordinary, secular way (as in Acts 7: 5), not so much as to
set his foot on. Thus we
have what the New Testament itself yields and settles for us its meaning. By this we stand.
- From book cover.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Believers
SHARING or FORFEITING
Christs
Glorious Reign!
The day shall declare it - at the judgment seat
of Christ ... whether good or bad.
-------
Page 1
Sharing Christs Reign - or Forfeiting It?
For we must all be made manifest before the Bema (the
judgment seat) of Christ to receive the things done in
(through, Gr.) the body,
according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Cor. 5: 10). This
is the believers judgment, of course. For we must all stand before the Bema (the
judgment seat) of God (
This Bema has been said for a generation or longer, to be but for the
adjudication of Rewards. The usage
cited, out of the eleven times the word is employed,
indicates otherwise - and for us, New Testament usage determines its
meaning. For example, Pilate sat on the Bema - did he reward
Christ, or condemn him? (Matt. 27: 19; John 19: 13). Herod sat upon a Bema, trying both criminals
and good men (Acts 12: 21). Gallio
heard accusations against the Apostle Paul (Acts 18:
12, 16, 17, used twice).
Festus sat on the Bema which Paul
said was also Caesars Bema (Acts 25: 4-19, used twice).
This Bema (translated judgment seat) is to dispense not only happy rewards
but also the opposite. The
word itself means - a step, or foot-room; then a platform, or raised place;
then it became the word for tribune or place where judgment was
administered. It is used but twice in its ordinary, secular way (as in Acts 7: 5), not so much as to set
his foot on. Thus we have what the New Testament
itself yields and settles for us its meaning.
By this we stand.
Now let us study afresh this not
mean question of the Believer at the Judgment Seat. It would seems that all over this continent
there is the growing feeling that we need a new appraisal of values as they
will appear before the All-seeing and All-searching eyes of our Mighty Lord. One feels we have too long chosen the easy. lackadaisical way of a sealed - signed - and - delivered
believer, smug, self-satisfied, satiated with Gods good
things, and have forgotten the other side of Divine truth - that
Christs way is a hard way, the way of self-denial, of
self-immolation. As he said, Strait is the gate
and tribulations is the way, and
the Lord Jesus Himself was our Great Exemplar. Thus let us approach
this study with minds and hearts in the attitude of learner, of obedience, of
subjection to His Word and light. Maybe
the revival that hosts pray for will come the way of
the Cross, and not that of great, Hurrah
meetings for the unsaved, lost ones. God make us responsive to His truth.
* * *
Page 2
I
REIGNING DETERMINED IN
BY BEING THE
FIRSTBORN!
The types of the
Old testament are as accurate as mathematics, it has been truly said.
In old
This law penetrated other
avenues as well. For example,
Inter-tribally this law pertained. The
tribe of Levi, however, was set apart by God to do the priestly work of the
nation - instead of the naturally firstborn. Instead of the
firstborn ... the Levites shall be Mine ... hallowed unto Me.
(Num. 11:
11-13). And this setting
apart became a law in
Administratively, the princes of the congregation, the heads
of the house were the nobles, who were
the firstborn ones (Num. 7: 2; 21: 17).
Productively, in vegetable life
and food, this principle of the first-fruits
held equally good as with human rank and order.
The first things were ever Gods. See the great Leviticus
23rd chapter - in what order did they gather their
harvest? And ever remember that this
order became ...
THE LAW OF THE RESURRECTION
For all
the days across the centuries - even now. In what order did the Israelite gather his
harvest? In three instalments:
(1)
The wave-sheaf FIRST-FRUITS (of
pure grain), ripe and waved before the Lord. See Lev. 23: 10.
Page 3
(2) Two wave-loaves made of ripe
grain, pounded into meal, baked into two cakes with a little leaven, and waved before the Lord. See Lev. 23: 17.
(3) The HARVEST as a whole, the former two instalments being sample and pledge of
the later, full harvest. See Lev. 23: 22, 39ff.
The types fulfilment thus far -
that is today - is partial, (1)
Christ, the firstfruits. (2)
The next partial instalment will be
the two-wave loaves (Will the reader stand by
his type, despite the overlooking of it by so many teachers?). Jesus taught this (Matt.
13) in the Treasure and
Now let us throw the light of
this firstborn teaching upon the passages in
the Gospels and elsewhere that deal with the kingdom. For
example, What must I do that I may inherit the kingdom? See
Luke 18: 18-30. Did those who asked this know about the priority of
Page 4
FAILURES in acquiring the inheritance
are cited by the historian, repeatedly so. Some missed the privilege and term of dignity
and endearment, and it fell to others. Isaac
was preferred to Ishmael. Jacob
inherited the kingly-priestly function that should
have fallen to Esau because Esau was the firstborn. That irrevocable choice of
Esau was sin - like that of Reuben who defiled his fathers bed, and lost his firstborn rights. David displaced his older brothers, and
Solomon (not Adonijah) went up into the place of reigning. Thus one may be a
potential heir in line for inheriting but
while a son, never become the inheritor! That no man take thy crown.
Put this down in your Bible knowledge for holy remembrance. It throws light upon questions that many
Bible students have missed.
* *
*
II
SOME
FAIL TO INHERIT BECAUE OF
UNDISCIPILNED, PERSONAL LIVING!
I
browbeat my body, and bring it into bondslavery, lest that by
any means, after I have preached to others
(think of it, this is the Apostle Paul), I myself
should be a disapproved one
(1 Cor. 9: 27 Gr.) The figure is that of a boxer at the Grecian
games, one who has failed in self-discipline, failed to abstain from
indulgences that will weaken and defeat him in his boxing contest. Definitely it is the
knockout blow that lays him prostrate at his winning opponents feet - who now
may throw the limp body over his shoulder carrying him away to be his bondslave
forever! Thus
there may be the rejoicing victor, or the bitterly disappointed loser! As
with the runner and the wrestler here (vv. 24-26), but one receiveth
the prize. Others will lose it! Does it need our emphasis, that the victor
must exercise self control in all things? If not, then the laurel-wreath crown for the overcomer will to him
be lost. The proving (1 Pet. 1: 7) for the believer in Christ is NEVER finished until the Lord, the righteous judge
places the imperishable reward upon his head in that
day when he is approved (2 Tim. 4: 8; 2: 15). Which for us - crowned or crownless? This crown is an earned reward by way of
toil, sweat, sacrifice, self-renunciation, keen
discipline!
There is no ending here (in 1
Cor. 9: 27) to the Apostles argument. He continues (10:
1ff): For
(not moreover - he is now exemplifying his
case, not moving on to another theme) - I would not have you ignorant
concerning the fathers of
By way of types (tupos, Gr.) or examples, the above happened to these disobedient ones
- they Were written
for our learning. We are to live on the opposite, the
higher plane - to overcome just wherein they failed ... failed ... failed. Solemnly let us hear the searching word - Let him that thinketh he
standeth, take heed lest he fall!
The irrevocable loss to these
Old Testament believers was temporal, not only in the dreary funeral dirge
along the wilderness way (Heb. 3: 17), but
more so - by failing to get into their (mark
it well) promised inheritance! The type holds good here likewise - is it not written to
other Christians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Corinthians, They which practice such things shall not inherit the
The REWARD of the
inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ (Col.
3: 24).
The glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1: 18) - these very faithful ones
make up His inheritance
who have won the prize.
To be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light
(Col. 1: 12).
The earnest of our inheritance ... taken as an inheritance (Eph.
1: 14-18).
There
are fifty references in our New
Testament as to the future
inheritance and the
[Page 6]
He that overcometh shall inherit all things (Rev. 21: 7).
* * *
III
MANY
FAIL BECAUSE OF THEIR CARNAL
CHARACTER AND FIGHTINGS!
What a varied complex the expressions,
in the Galatian Epistle, make of the inner, carnal life - others are added in the Ephesians and
Corinthian Epistles. In Gal. 5: 16-21 Paul
cites - what a category:- (1) SEXUAL DEBASEMENT, fornication, impurity, debauchery; (2) FALSE WORSHIP, idolatry, sorcery (pharmakeia, Gr.); (3) BESTIAL LIFE, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like; and (4) BITTER FIGHTINGS and their AFTERMATH within the churches,
enmities, quarrels, jealousies, resentments, altercations ... envyings, and
thus factions and sects (see Rom. 16: 17; Titus 3: 10).
They add to 15 words plus.
Ephesians 5: 3-5 yield a word for unbridled lust, besides
indecency, foolish talking, loose jesting and unbecoming things.
In 1 Corinthians 6:
9, 10 the
words of unjust, adulterers, effeminates, sodomites, thieves, covetous,
revellers, extortioners (besides the 11 times that fornication and incest - one
word - is cited in chapter 5).
The awfulness of the foregoing
is that Paul predicates this unspeakable catalogue, not of the pagan, Roman
world - but of [regenerate] believers! These conditions are the outcroppings of
the carnal nature -
WORKS OF THE FLESH
If all is of grace, as we so glibly say, why then are
not all His children overcomers? This defeated, contra-witnessing living is assuredly not the will of God for us, collective, nor individual -
but here these godless manifestations were
in these primitive churches! Literally
every aspect of evil is here - and no doubt, believing followers of Christ have
thus acted out of character at some time in
every age (God forgive us [and restore us, (Acts 5: 32)]).
Shall all the foregoing not come
into review before the Bema Judge in
that day? It will! The verdict is written specifically in these very passages if we were
not mixing clearly separated facts.
Again, it is not a matter of the covenanted eternal
life of a believer - but rather that we must ALL be made manifest before the Judgment
Seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body ...
whether it be good or (the above) BAD (2 Cor. 5: 10). How almost unbelievably BAD it is! Hear the Divine pronouncement - 1 Cor. 5: 10, The unjust, of God the
Ephesians 5: 3-5 further
establishes the exclusion of a believer from the Kingdom reign in words like
those to the Corinthian church - For this ye know of a surety (do we?), and
that no fornicator ... nor ... nor ... hath any inheritance in the
Galatians 5: 19-21 further
confirms this truth - Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication,
uncleanness ... of which
I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you
(how often for us?), that they who practice such things shall
not inherit the
Let us not forget the
unquestioned application of this to present, everyday life. Does the church faction-maker, who splits a loyal company of Gods people so that defeat for years is written over their
joint testimony - does he escape this debarring from the kingdom-reign? Does the preacher who leaves church after
church full of ill-will and bitter feelings, with no
pastorate over a few years because of his domineering spirit - does he escape
without rectification, the exclusion verdict at the Bema?
Does the
cleric who trails the slime of his sexual philandering into the holiest of
places and relationships get away with it at
the Bema? Does the
slanderer of some woman, or of the easy, unprincipled, loose talk concerning
others, expect acceptance by our truth-demanding Lord in that day? Does the plainly dishonest preacher or layman
who mishandles funds, puts through crooked deals, or carelessly owes everybody, large or small, expect
His welcoming word - instead of rejection
in that day (cf. Lev. 6: 1-7)? All the
differentiated sins, vilenesses, pollutions, and even
respectable, guilty things of these preceding
paragraphs will come up for review before
the All-seeing, All-searching, All-knowing eyes and understanding of this Just
Judge at the Judgment Seat where believers will face
them out! This is His Word, not ours - nor is it to be lightly set aside because no other [false prophetical or apostate]
teacher has ever told us before!
Better follow His true, [Page 8] unchanging, holy word, the Word
that is forever settled in heaven. God
help the writer [editor] and the
reader to conform to Gods standards!
* * *
IV
MANY WILL FAIL BECAUSE OF DEFECTION
FROM THE WORD OF TRUTH
Give diligence (an overplus word, note it) to present thyself (as a vassal to a sovereign) APPROVED
unto God, hewing to the
line with the Word of Truth (2 Tim. 2: 15, Gr.).
Fearlessly, faithfully His ministers are to declare Gods eternal
verities to men, irrespective of their favour or their disapproval. A host of them have been
swept along by the tide of current thought instead of standing
foursquare against such popular opinion. Some have gone out into fundamental
error, into sheer apostasy - faces
and names of earlier friends come before the mind as we write. The Apostle speaks of apostatizing.
Like the front of a hundred-feet-high cliff
this cannot fall away without having been a
sharer in its rock mass. Thus preachers and others have broken away from earlier moorings to be fighters [and deniers] against Gods holy truth now. We know such today. Now they are restless, barren, sterile - gone out into cold, unsatisfying Unitarianism, and
the like.
Sometimes men add to the Word of Truth by warped, non-balanced,
contradictory interpretations. Others take from His message by diluting stringent,
searching, sometimes searing, words of Holy Writ. Before us here is
the Statement of ---- Missionary Council from which have been eliminated
sixteen foundation doctrines! Thus they eviscerate the entire, necessary, doctrinal
standard to make themselves a Christian group. And this is expected to appeal to all the Protestant
denominations for acceptance!
Such are the currents of dominating, theological thought on this
continent today.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY is to hew to the
line unafraid of personal consequences.
Let us - even in our over-popular, respectable, Fundamentalist ranks - not water down
our message, for pressure is too often brought upon keen,
zealous servants of God who declare His Truth fearlessly. We must GUARD the Word! I have guarded the
faith, wrote Paul - and he enjoins us to guard
the good deposit (2 Tim. 4: 6, 7; 1: 13, 14). And one of the qualifications for [the selective] Rapture
at His Coming is, Because thou didst guard the Word of
My patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial (Rev.
3: 10). PROCLAIM the Word (2 Tim. 4: 1-5) is a
further responsibility - make disciples ... baptizing them ... teaching
them (Matt. 28:
18-20). All
of which is not optional but obligatory.
We have nought to do but give blessed and joyful obedience.
The X-RAY SEARCHLIGHT upon this ministering the Word is that of 1 Corinthians 3:
1-15. While one servant of His plants, another waters,
and God keeps on giving the increase, there
are far-reaching responsibilities to the man whom God has called to carry on
for Him. Let
each man take heed how he [Page 9] buildeth thereon. The foundation is secure - it is the Lord
Jesus Himself. But
we must carry out the Divinely- given plans.
God is the Architect, the Master Builder - we are His workmen. No deviations, no side-stepping,
no wanderings near or far will the Divine Spirit agree to concerning His
specifications. Yet these very
deflectings are predicted to take place within the
ranks of Christs professed followers. The day shall
manifest it, because it will be revealed in fire, and the fire shall PROVE
(compare approve and disapprove
in the Greek) each mans work of what sort it is (1 Cor. 3: 13). While not concerned as to how it is a fact
that in failing a hundred feet ones entire life has been
revealed by some secret, stored-up, inner repository - how easily then
can the Divine Searcher of hearts disclose all the content hid away within the
breast of any human. With infinite ease the Great Judge in a flash will sweep through all
lifes story, and adjudicate - our acceptance! or our failure! Which?
Gold, silver,
precious stones, things costly beyond all price! Or, worthless, perishable, wood,
hay, stubble? This is His
appraisal. The eternal life
promised by God is secure enough, saved yet so as
through fire. But
will it be only cold, gray, unrewarded ASHES at the end of our so-called Bible ministry?
If so, we shall be ashamed before Him at His
Coming!
But, WHY THE LOSS? What did Paul have in mind as to this
teaching? For the context shows it is the ministry of the Word he was discussing. (1)
It could have been the ever astray wisdom of the
age-spirit (1 Cor. 1: 18-29) that men follow, instead of the wisdom of God.
Paul declares that we are to be delivered out
of this present, evil age-spirit (or zeitgeist),
Gal. 1: 4. (2) The preachers message may be voided
by parading personal glory (1 Cor. 1: 31) the Holy Spirit sent
down from heaven being no factor in such ministering. (3)
But sectarian ends that divide the body of
Christ (1 Cor. 3: 4; 1: 11-13). (4) An orthodox but defeatist message by a perpetually defeated man may
be void of any result (Rom. 7: 24 compare 8: 14). Preaching to accomplish must have the Surrender message of Romans
12: 1, 2
and Gal. 5:
16-24,
that provides ground for victory all along the line. Yet shockingly whole denominations
today withhold the Deeper Life message from their followers. (5)
God can scarcely honour a minister who forever fears the frown of some overhead official - especially if he preaches the
soon-coming Lord from heaven. No, he
wants promotion, publicity, (fictitious) prosperity - when formerly he preached
blessed Advent messages that cheered Gods own people. Today he is nought but a
pitiable short-comer! (6) And this yet: the once Gospel
preacher has become a world-betterer
dabbling in political, legislative matters, calling
down qualified statesmen (Divinely appointed
also to thus function!
[Page 10]
Thus attendants upon our
ministry will not then go away feeling they had received a stone when they had expected bread. Well, absolutely ALL our professed ministering will
be made
manifest at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Do we
believe this? God help the preacher
who knew Gods saving grace, yet deflects from his high and holy business to
dabble in the worlds affairs! Preach the preaching that I bid you may yet ring in our dull ears - if
need be, may the Holy Spirit awaken us to see our peril and change our ways.
* * *
V
FAILURE
BECAUSE OF UNFULFILLED STEWARDSHIP VIA UNYIELDED
MEMBERS - DENYING GOD HIS
RIGHTS
IN HIS REDEEMED ONES!
God bestows His Spiritual
endowments upon those who pay the price for
them - refusal to pay that cost leaves the mass of His children
poverty-stricken! What is the
price? YIELD yourselves
to God ... and your members as instruments of righteousness (not to the flesh but) unto God (Rom. 6: 13). Again using the same word yield, Paul says, I beseech
you, brethren ... to YIELD your bodies a living
sacrifice (the holocaust offering of Lev.
1), holy acceptable unto God which is your
reasonable service. Then follows
non-conformity to the zeitgeist and Spiritual transforming, thus testing out
our place in the perfect will of God.
Logically this precedes what
Paul puts next (in Rom. 12: 1, 2ff), the
varied gifts as members in the body. For even as we have many members ... and all the members have not the same office ... differing according to the grace that was given to us
... prophecy ... ministering
... teaching ... Thus God engifts those, and only those,
who give themselves in unreserved
surrender, with any of the
supernatural bestowments that He Himself chooses. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul deals with spirituals (the things, not of the babyhood, nor
carnal states, but of the Romans 12 degree)
- the pneumatika, the things of
the Spirit. There are two
categories in the chapter, the psychological and the ecclesiastical. Faith - Some believe these have passed away-
or never were! Well,
has a Spirit-filled man no longer such a gift
as faith to achieve mighty things
for God? We are convinced George Mueller and J. Hudson Taylor and Sister
Eva of Friedenshort and Chas. E. Fuller (who today receives over $1,000,000 a year for
Gospel broadcasting), and many a humble worker for God still has this
supernaturally given faith. Nor
is the gift of wisdom
and knowledge absent from Gods
yielded hearts, whatever we may think of tongues and their interpretation. So is it with the ecclesiastical listing (1
Cor. 12: 28). Save a
foreseeing prophetic gift, all may today be found in the churches where the Lord is yet
walking amongst His lampstands (praise God!).
But, what of the Judgment Seat of Christ
regarding the gifts?
It is our conviction what the
Stewardship God asks His children to exercise is not that of time, education, talents, and so on. We did not need His salvation for [Page 11] these, for all unregenerate
worldlings have them. In Pauls great
renunciation passage (Phil. 3: 4-11) he writes of all the natural and ritualistic qualifications
that men boast about; but these he now valuates as only dung. So low down does he put
them! What does he glory in after his
surrender? In the matters that
have to do with the Holy Spirits enabling. And hence into this supernatural category the New
Testament puts the constant emphasis.
PARABLE OF THE POUNDS
Christ refers to what the Lord bestows upon His servants of these days. He gave ten pounds
to each of ten servants to trade with. Returning from the far country, having received the
kingdom, he now requires
an accounting of their stewardship. One
had gained by trading double his bestowment;
another had secured half that increase.
To both he gave his commendation, Well, done! But the third had merely hid his entrusted gift, leaving it
idle (even chiding his lord for hardness); him the master (note it well) strips of all ministry, designating him a wicked servant.
He got no share, in what is assumed here, in
his coming, kingdom-rule! The others are rewarded
by authority over ten, or five cities.
Note that they were ALL bond-slaves
(doulos, Gr.),
bought and owned by their master - the third class here, the citizens, outsiders were not his stewards, and were slain because they refused
his right to reign over them. How perfectly all this fits into the whole
plan of Divinely-bestowed stewardship. This ever-recurring going to Rome to be
invested there with the Imperial authority to rule a Roman province with its
vivid incidents so familiar to the Palestinians, Jesus uses to picture His
disciples ministering for Him in His absence until His crowning day had come, and then the time
of bestowal of rulership-rewards in His glorious reign. Hence, the necessary
adjudication at His Bema (as that of
the Roman governors) of the awards for days ahead. We shall be excluded
from all reigning with Him because we left our gift
only unused! Behold I come quickly;
hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown (Rev. 3: 11).
The bought and owned bondslaves are employed again by the Lord Jesus to
point to the same truth in His ...
PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
(Matt.
25: 14-30). Five ... two ... one are the bestowments made each according to his several ability. Straightway the first
gained another five; the second another two - the third (as in the Pounds) left
his unemployed and made no
increase. To the former were given authority alike, over
many things, and beyond these, the thrilling, Well
done, good
and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord! It
was at His return, after a long time. To the wicked and slothful bondservant there came total loss of his bestowment and no sharing of His Masters future
service. And further,
without explanation (and we accept stringent words from Christs lips - for we
are believers) the Lord of all [Page 12] our ministry says, And cast ye the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Even earlier (in Matt.
8: 12), Christ
had said the potential sons of the kingdom shall be
cast forth ... Apparently, in plainest language possible (despite present-day theologians), there
will be deep, sad regrets and sorrows to un-serving,
dilly-dallying children of God.
May he stir us up into zealous ministry once more, until He come!
PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS
(Matt.
25: 1-13) the Lord teaches again the possibility of
failure to those who, professing to watch,
carelessly get into an unprepared
condition! Purity of life - virgins and the Spirits fullness - the
oil - are the essentials for preparedness here. Let those deny who will what a simple
concordance study will show any seeker (Lev. 8: 10-12; 21: 12; 1 Sam. 10: 1, 6; Rev. 14: 1-5), that the oil is
ever emblematic of the Holy Ghost - both
of these groups of five had the lamps and the oil. ALL
were virgins.
ALL had oil. ALL waited to
go forth to meet the Bridegroom.
The wise while waiting professedly, slumbered and slept, but were safeguarded by the oil in their lamps - the foolish were not ready, for the cry, Our
lamps are going out! Not that
they were never lit!
They were alight before!
Manifestly their [true and faithful]
testimony had ebbed until [the Holy Spirit left (Acts 5: 32, and] it
faded out - and
now the Bridegroom was at hand! With going out
lamps it was too
late to be ready and none was there to
help. How true to experience - from the
first days of this century we have know numbers who - while definitely witness-bearers
once, are today sadly failing; once full of joy of the Spirits fullness they
are today outwardly dead and fruitless. They could truly say, Our lamps are going out! We believe many prophecy
students have lapsed in holy living, in sacrifice, in giving, in prayer
life, and what not. And
they will be amongst those for whom the door was shut. For when the Bridegroom came ... they that were ready went in with Him to the wedding feast. And the foolish
shouted, Lord, Lord,
open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I
say unto you, I know (oida, Gr.) you not. This last phrase presents no
difficulty for this is not [initial or eternal] salvation truth, but
refers strictly to the subject of SHARING
IN THE
KINGDOM JOYS! It is absolutely different
from the case of the false teachers of Matt.
7: 21-23 - deluded ones to whom Jesus says, I never knew
(egnon, Gr.) you;
depart from Me, ye
workers of lawlessness. In Matt. 25: 1ff the virgins are
prospective, potential members of the reigning personnel of the [Lords]
kingdom-reign. No error, nor departure
from Gods truth, is in sight - they fail because of
unguarded and ill-prepared watchfulness, and thus are the sorrowful subjects of
an exclusion Judgment when the Lord
returns. Watch
therefore, Christ concludes. And He never says this to the [unregenerate now living in the] unsaved
world - why should He?
[Page 13]
PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST
Of Matt.
22: 1-14 is not a Gospel message portion, but one
where the kingdom of the heavens is likened unto
coming events at the Judgment Seat. To
Jesus listeners it would be a familiar picture. The king, his son, the
slaves (doulos, Gr.), his subjects - and the sons marriage. There may be a
historical reference here in the consecutive calls
to the kingdom joys: (1) by John the
Baptist; (2) by Christ and His
Apostles, all declaring, The kingdom of the heavens is
at hand. Hearers of these
initial invitations sullenly or ignorantly rejected them. The destruction of
* * *
VI
SOME
FAIL AT THE BEMA BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN
A NEARLY
BANKRUPT PRAYER LIFE
Has that Scripture long stared
one in the face and reproved him - namely, Watch ye therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS that ye may be accounted worthy to escape these (tribulation) things, and to stand in the
presence of the Son of man? (Luke 21:
36).
Here there is a three-fold requirement;
watching, praying ever, and thus an experimental worthiness to stand
in the Lords presence at His Coming.
There are 318 times that the five words for
prayer are used in the New Testament (one of them 124 times). What prominence is thus
given to this basic matter in the
Christians life and service, yet how few, feeble, formal, futile [Page
14] our prayers are! Thinking of this our Lord gave us the
Importunate Widow parable (Luke 18: 1-8). Men ought always to pray and not to faint,
he said. This judge was without fear of
God and had no regard of men. But this widow demanded justice from him - she came ... came
... came! So insistent was she that he
said, Because this widow troubleth me I will avenge
her, lest she blacken my eyes (hupiapadzo, Gr.,
a boxers term) by her continual coming. To this Jesus pointed and
said, And shall not God avenge His elect that cry to
Him day and night ... I say unto you, that He will avenge them speedily. Then the sorrowful prediction, Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find [the] faith (just this non-letting-up, persevering,
no-quitting faith that keeps on believing until it gets its request from heaven - hallelujah!) in the earth.
One of the present marks of a not-far-away Advent is the break-down
of the intercessory ministry of such a multitude of Gods people. Let us bestir ourselves by returning to
victorious prayer again.
Thy prayers and
thine aims are gone up for a memorial before
God (Acts 10: 1ff), was said of the earnest, believing
proselyte, Cornelius, even under the Old Testament regime. Apparently they had registered, and were remembered in heaven! Do ours? As to the future, they have to do with
bringing in the golden bowls full of incense which are
the prayers of the saints
stored up as a might factor to hasten the day when the
Worthy Lamb shall sit upon the throne.
Again (in 8: 1ff)
opening the Trumpets section, Much incense is
given the angel that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the
golden altar which was before the throne. Thus poverty of prayer life slows up, it would seem, the kingdoms glorious coming.
An interesting and profitable
meditation is the place of prayer in the primitive churches - God help the church that has no praying season and seasons. Ten days prayer-meeting,
even though linked with a type (Lev. 23), on the human side brought the Pentecostal
outpouring. Why have we theologized this and made it other than a sample season for the saints to
follow in every generation? Moody called
this a sample for any revival. This we fully accept as correct. And chapter after
chapter in Acts follows with specific
mention of prayer as the normal life of
Christs true assemblies - without this they are but religious clubs, genteel,
respectable, sociable, but dead, and we fear, with the Lords action as
promised to follow such Laodicean condition.
God forgive us! Earnest hearts
ask - is this generation of Christians not challenged to really share Christs
intercessory ministry? Let the Apostle answer, God is faithful, through Whom you were called
into the partnership of His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1: 9). And Jesus supreme
task in these days is, He ever liveth to make intercession. Are we prayer-partners of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Some years ago as two
missionaries were waling down the street in
The weary had rest, the sad had joy
That day, and wondered how?
A ploughman singing at his work had prayed,
Lord help them now!
Away in foreign lands, they wondered how
Their simple words had power?
At home, the gleaners, two or three, had met
To pray an hour.
* * *
VII
FAILURE BECAUSE OF NOT POSSESSING THE
ESSENTIAL,
EXPERIMENTAL ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS COMING
ADVENT
A study of the elements that
make up the ESSENTIAL ATTITUDE OF OUR
HEARTS toward the Lord Jesus and his Return in the New Testament, actually
number thirteen. By no chance could all
this admonition and example be a casual matter - for there are scores of
references with their contexts to Christs Coming for His faithful ones!
We cite these:
1. WAIT FOR - Heb.
9: 28, Unto them that wait for Him shall He appear a second time,
apart from sin, unto salvation. 1 Cor. 1: 7, Waiting for the
revelation of the Lord. Also Rom.
8: 19, 23, 25; Gal. 5: 5; Phil. 3: 20; also 1 Thess. 1: 10.
2. GIVE DILIGENCE (an over-plus word)
- 2 Tim. 2: 15, Give diligence to
present thyself approved unto God.
Heb. 4: 11.
3. WORKING (both ergon and poieo, Gr.) - Col.
4: 11, Fellow-workers unto the
4. AWAKE - Rom. 3: 11-13, That now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation (end-time [selective (Lk.
21: 34-36. cf. Rev.
3: 10)] rapture) nearer
... the night is far spent, the day is at hand. - Eph. 5: 5ff.
5. WATCH Luke
21: 36, Watch
ye therefore ... (thus) accounted worth to escape
(in rapture). Mark 13: 35; Matt. 24: 43; Rev. 16: 15. Used 15 times.
6. PRAY - Luke 21: 36, And pray always ... escape.
Escape used 13 times.
7. LOOK FOR - Titus 2: 13, Looking for that blessed hope. Jude 21, etc. Used 14 times.
8. HASTING UNTO - 2 Pet. 3: 12, Hasting unto the day
of God. Used 3 times.
9. ENDURANCE - Jas. 1: 12, Blessed is the man
that endureth (hupomeno, Gr.) temptation ... approved ...
the crown. Heb.
12: 1; Matt. 24: 31; Mark 13: 13. 12 times, and another great word (makrothumia,
Gr.), 3 times, Jas. 5: 7, 8, Be patient therefore
unto the coming; Heb. 6: 12.
10. LOVE - 2 Tim. 4: 8, Unto them that have
loved His appearing.
Contrast Demas (v. 10; Jas. 4: 4). Matt. 24: 12. The overcomers
(Rev. 12:
11) loved not their
lives unto the death. The word is hagios, the deeper word for love.
11. Be ye HOLY - 2 Peter 3: 11, Seeing ... what manner
... in all holy living and godliness. Cf. 1
John 3: lff;
1 Thess. 5: 23, 24; 2 Pet. 3: 14; Rev. 22: 11. 20 times!
12. READY - Matt.
24: 44, Therefore, be ye also ready ... the Son of man cometh. Luke
12: 40. This word is used fully 10 times re preparedness. All things are now
ready! Are we?
13. ABIDE - 1 John 2:
28, And now little
children, abide in Him; that if He shall be manifested, we may have BOLDNESS,
and NOT BE
ASHAMED before Him at His presence?
1 John 2: 17, He that doeth the will of God, ABIDETH FOREVER. 1 Cor. 3: 14, If any mans work ABIDE
... 5 times.
Page 17
SUMMARY - Thus there are 122 references to
ones deep, innate attitude toward our Lords Return. The worldling, the apostate, the agnostic,
the cleric minus the evangelical message (1 Cor. 15: 1-4), the
all-absorbed world-betterer without the blessed hope - these and multitudes everywhere of
indifferent, self-pleasing believers will
be shortcomers in that day - not overcomers as the foregoing Scriptures reveal these
to be! It is His standard - not
ours! Do we love His appearing?
* * *
VIII
BELIEVERS WILL FAIL BECAUSE PRESENT-DAY SUFFERING
AN ESSENTIAL PREPARATION TO FUTURE REIGNING
Christs words are plain in
their meaning - Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousnesssake: for (here
is the issue) theirs
is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5: 11).
Believing followers of His must, in the nature of their life and
testimony, have suffering, persecution - the world hates them since they hated
Him, and so persecuted they the prophets before you
(v. 12).
Great is your reward in the heavens He assures
them. Too many are ambitious for kingdom
honours, to sit the one on Thy right hand, and one on Thy left hand, in
Thy kingdom - as requested the mother of Zebedees children. And Jesus reply
was, Are ye
able to drink the cup that I am about to
drink? It was the cup of suffering and death! Like those today they said, We are able.
And the Lord answered solemnly, My cup indeed
ye shall drink; but to sit on My right hand,
and on My left hand, is
not Mine to give; but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared of My
Father (Matt. 20: 20-28). No,
said the Master, rule in the [coming Messianic] kingdom is for, not those who would
lord-it-over others, as the Gentiles do - but for the humble, ministering ones
even as our Lord gave Himself for others.
The Apostles word in the matter
is the same, Faithful is the saying: for if we died with
Him, we shall also live with Him: if we endure, we shall also
reign with Him (2 Tim. 2: 10-13). Preceding this he has just said, I endure all things for the elects sakes (he is
thinking of the future kingdom here), that they also
may obtain the salvation (future tense, 1
Peter 1: 5) which
is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. And James has a pointed word (1: 12), Blessed is the man that endureth trial; for having become
approved (Greek tense, a
prolonged testing time), he shall receive the crown of life. No clearer statement of the
matter could be made than this - it agrees with all else said in Holy
Writ. If we know Daniels prophecy, he
also said concerning this coming testing-time for Gods saints - Many purify themselves and make themselves white, and be refined ... they that
are wise shall understand (Dan. 12: 10,
RV). And this
refers to the coming end-time when the Lord shall return from heaven. Peter makes definite testimony like all the
foregoing (1 Peter 4: 13) -
But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when His glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Page 18
The
ministry of the broken Heart demands the ministry of bleeding hearts. What a host of examples of this exalted, Christian type foreign
missionary work brings before us.
Here is David Brainerd - By day and by night he prayed ... Riding through the
interminable solitudes of the forests he prayed. On his bed of straw
he prayed. Retiring to the dense and
lonely forests he prayed. Hour by hour, day by day, early morn and late
at night, he was praying and fasting, pouring out his soul interceding,
communing with God. Do we need
to wonder then that under his ministry deep, radical revivals broke out amongst
the stolid red men such as no other
O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them, the victors crown of gold.
Hallelujah!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Hallelujah!
But lo! There breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory marches on His way.
Hallelujah!
* * *
Page 19
IX
SOME WILL HAVE FAILED IN THE FAITHFUL
STEWARDSHIP OF TEMPORAL POSSESSIONS
If therefore we have not
been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (riches) who will commit to
your trust the true riches? So spake our Lord in Luke 16: 11. Yet this is what is not assumed by nearly all
and sundry. Your trustworthiness now is
both ground and assurance of entrustment in the days of the reign of Christ! Do
not forget it. The opposite is equally
true - keep what God has allowed to you now to send His Gospel to the blessing
of all, and you will find it poor, filthy lucre
in the future. What we GIVE we keep - what we SAVE we lose. In the face of the overnight loss of vast
estates in
Let us observe clearly that we
are not preaching saving truth now, as in Eph. 2: 8, For by grace have ye been saved through faith ... the gift of God not of works. This we have preached for decades, and will
now. We are dealing here with the rewards
of the believer, rewards for giving to
God and not keeping for oneself ...
May the Spirit of truth be our Teacher!
Let us give that story (in Luke 18: 18-30 and Mark 10:
17-31)
its proper setting, of the rich young enquirer who came to Jesus. He was very rich,
and he asked, What must I do to inherit (future,
of course) eternal life? He was an obedient Jewish believer who had
kept the law from his youth up; apparently
sincere; facing the message of the kingdom which Jesus
proclaimed, The kingdom of the heavens is at hand! It was a
prophesied reign (see Isaiah 35; 9: 2-7, etc.). Now what must
he do to inherit this coming glory? That was realistic enough - and Jesus loved him. But oh, the price was too high to pay! It was, of course, to be
taken literally in full - taken in simple plainness; this rich young
ruler clearly understood what Christ meant, and the Lord meant it just as it
was taken. May the Spirit help us to
shelve our prejudices also. And if that was a possible, special
generation in which these words and their demands were made - is this present generation not in all
likelihood heading up for the glorious kingdoms Advent? We would not dare to say, No, to this question.
The New Testament has seven
words that have to do with money and riches - 75 times these refer to material riches! The characterization of earthly [Page 20] possessions and treasures is
not a pleasing one to those who retain them for self-advantage. They are said to be corrupted,
uncertain, ensnaring, bring high-mindedness, are oppressive, unjust, make men boastful and callous - there is a Scripture for each of
these descriptive words.
Christ places His prohibition
upon retaining ones wealth if we would
reign (no doubt not a few will resent our saying
such a thing - we cannot discuss fully the
matter of the personnel of His reigning company without pointing out the message of this chapter. The reader is dealing with the Lord Jesus, not with us). LAY NOT UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES UPON THE EARTH
(Matt. 6:
19).
Does this prohibit? BUT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN (Matt. 6: 20). Is
this a literal command of the Lord Jesus
Christ? The ancient had a precious jewel casket in which his valuables were kept. Having no
safety deposit boxes they buried them in secret. To this Christ
refers in His parable of the Treasure in Matt. 13. It was the thesaurus (now an English
word, as is ploutos, now in plutocrat). Thus He says, Lay up your thesaurus
in heaven, not upon the
earth. Preserve it there - there
no moth (in garments) nor rust (in metallic vessels) harm;
there are no thieves in heaven - what a safe, sure immune place to store your
savings, and have them awaiting you
yonder! What about
our needs now? Be not anxious
... you Father knoweth ... Look at the birds ... See the
lilies. Provision,
raiment, and what not! If he can
feed the birds He can also feed the bairns - what
marvellous, far-flung resources He has (Lam.
3: 22, 23), as His children all across the ages do
emphatically testify. Do we belong to
these Divinely fed and shod and covered ones? When Cherith dries up and the ravens there
fail, the Lord has someone at Zarephath to minister to His thirsty, weary,
hungry servant. And he arrives at the exact hour when this ministering widow
is at hand; hes not too early, not too late.
Ye have heaped up TREASURE FOR THE LAST DAYS (James 5: 3). Instead of a
treasure in the heavens that faileth not, these have stored up their
thesaurus down here in earthly vaults! Better we read again that picture of the very last things
before Christs open Advent from heaven in the Sixth Seal (Rev. 6: 12-17). It shows political, social,
governmental, religious chaos - and these must of necessity
involve the financial world. Then read
the terrific Overthrow-of-Babylon picture in Rev.
18: lff. - here come
upon the scene the ship owners and the merchants and the mariners, and the great city with its sin, shame, and sodden life,
its minstrels, and players and trumpeters, and then the utter overthrow of the iniquitous world-system.
The holy ones in the midst of all this are recognized too - and in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth. And this is in vivid
fashion showing the end and glory of
heaped up treasure
for the last days.
John Wesley must have seen all the foregoing, for he said, Count me a thief and robber if I leave behind at
death more than ten pounds ($50)! Let our hoarders [Page 21] read his Journals upon
the question of Giving. George Mueller said God judges what we GIVE by what we KEEP! And John Ruskin
shrewdly observed, Examine the work of your spiritual
teachers, and you will find the statistical law respecting them is the less pay the better work!
Dedication of all to God for His use is an absolutely essential
qualification for actually inheriting the kingdom - Jesus said
this, not we. So believed and understood
Peter also; listen to him, 1o, we have left our own (home) and FOLLOWED Thee ... What then shall we have? And Jesus answered,
Verily I say unto you, that
ye who have FOLLOWED Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the
throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of
* * *
X
FAILURE TO WIN OUT ACCORDING TO SOME
GREAT EPISTLE PASSAGES
Pauls autobiography has been
left us, happily so, in Phil. 3: 4-15. Some will
tell us that the foregoing pictures of failing to make the kingdom are Jewish - though how a scholar
can circumvent the overwhelming warnings to Gentile churches cited thus far, is beyond our understanding! This chapter will discuss messages to various
churches.
PAULS IF BY ANY MEANS ATTAINMENT
In this great passage (of Phil. 3)
the Apostle cites his gains before knowing
Christ. These were his confidence in the
flesh. (1) He was a 8th day Israelite, not a later-circumcised
proselyte. (2) Of
Israelite stock. (3)
No son of a handmaid, but of Rachel. (4) A pure, Hebrew-speaking Hebrew,
though born in a Greek city. (5) A strictest-sect Pharisee.
(6) A church
persecutor, exceedingly zealous. (7) Blameless as to
ceremonial righteousness. Yet all of these his gains, up until he met Christ on the
THE HOPE ... THE INHERITANCE ... THE POWER
That great prayer of the Apostle, in Eph.
1: 15ff,
like all his prayers in the Epistles, is for the richer, fuller life of
Christs people. These Ephesians already knew the initial faith in the Lord Jesus (1:
15), and possessed love
unto all the saints, a love beyond that of a fractional group - thus
they had advanced some degrees in Christian life and witness. For this much Paul gives
God thanks.
But he prays for them that which lay beyond
these - he wants a three-fold attainment, to which blessed end he asks for them
the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of
Him, having the eyes of your heart (the
entire inner being) enlightened. To us this
clearly takes a surrendered heart and the Holy Spirits definite, supernatural
illumination to see and grasp this knowing! The first (1) is added to the calling of
every true Christian - that ye may know what is the HOPE of His
calling. This may not be resolved into mere knowledge of the fact of Christs Coming (though
many of Gods children are untaught in this).
It includes assuredly the
separation that ought to follow some teaching upon this theme (which, we
regret, does not always follow). And does Paul not pray for their future sharing in the out-resurrection that he so
eagerly, earnestly aspires to in Phil. 3: 10, 11ff - that then
they may know this super-exalting
experience. (2) Next, Paul prays that they may KNOW what is
the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. This is a surpassing conception, not only
surrendered believers inheritance in Christ -
but greater yet, HIS INHERITANCE in
poor, humble, redeemed folk like us!
Wonder of all wonders! We accept
Christs complementary parable of the Treasure and the
THE COMING HEBREWS REMNANT
The culmination of the
Forward-looking Faith of the HEBREWS
EPISTLE has its message for all of Gods people as well as for believing
The APPLICATION of the Hebrews teaching is in chapter
11: 39 to 12:
29. The writer emphasizes the following:
1. Let
us RUN WITH PATIENCE (ongoing
and unflagging) the race that is set before us. This involves the laying aside of every
encumbrance, the questionable, unnecessary impediments of a winning
runner. It means again, discipline,
self-denial, fortitude. Sin which is in good-standing-around (so frightfully
common, everybodys doing it) is no alibi
here. Probably this sin is waking-by-sight - to be a believer it is not necessary to walk where all is understood and seen! Jesus
is the Ideal and Inspirer of such victorious running. He is the Beginner and
End-time consummator of our faith.
2. FOLLOWING THE WAY OF THE CROSS is a part of the victors habit of
life. Our Forerunner endured the cross,
disregarded the shame, bore opposition from sinners even unto death, why not we if we follow Him?
Are we wearied? Have we resisted
unto blood? Have we endured a great conflict of sufferings ... taken joyfully the despoiling of our goods? (Heb. 10: 32, 34). Like Paul can we say, Now I fill up on my part that which is lacking of the
afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His bodys sake, which is the church? (Col.
1: 24). Four times endurance
is cited in this challenge of Heb.
12: 2-4.
3. WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT
PATERNAL DISCIPLINE is here too (vv. 5-13). Seven times is discipline or chastening (paideia, Gr.)
pressed home upon us (vv. 5, 7-11), while in verse 6
scourgeth (mastigoi, Gr.) is mentioned. We may
respond: (1) by despising it, which many do.
They take it but in the natural course of
events without reference to Divine overshadowing or controlling. (2) We may faint
under it, letting it crush us, making our testimony valueless. (3) One may endure the experience stoically, as just that much more to bear. Or (4) one may be
exercised by the trial. This word is our English
gymnasium (gegumasmenois, Gr.). We must develop spiritual muscle from it. So turn it this way and that, asking what our
Divine instructor would have us get out of this overturning of our plans and
hopes of expectation. If we have no
discipline we are not sons but born out of
wedlock - are we children at all?
4. A SANCTIFICATION, or holiness (vv. 14-17), that makes us follow
peace with all men, is a requirement, recognizing that God hath called
us to peace. God
is not the author of Confusion but of peace.
Remember the awful marks of the manifestation of the
flesh discussed elsewhere (Gal. 5: 19ff; Eph. 4: 22; Col. 3: 8). Some
Fundamentalist circles have not yet learned
this A.B.C. lesson of a Christians walk. These
out-of-character church splits and influential group divisions;
and bitternesses,
how they witness against us.
lest some root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and the many be defiled. It is better to suffer wrong
than to fight - is this not forever true? The sanctified heart says, Yea!
The grace of God will empower everyone to do this if he lets God be His defence!
5. ESAU becomes the Holy Spirits great example of ONE WHO FAILS to attain his place amongst Gods inheritors. The profannum was the
unhallowed spot outside the fane, or temple, trodden by all and sundry - it was
common. The Greek word here (hebeelos). Thayer says [it] means the same thing and
is set over against the holy. It is a negative idea, yet just this attitude
of heart and life cost Esau, Isaacs firstborn naturally, his place as king-priest of the household
and clan. Who
for one mess of meat sold his firstborn rights. Read the story in Gen.
25: 27-34. And while he sought carefully to avert the consequences, the
mischief was done - and never undone. The
possible heir failed to be the inheritor. Thus
may we despise our potential rights to the kingdom
rule and [coming (Isaiah 40: 5, 10; Habakkuk 2:
14, R.V.] glory - how? By
indulging one day beyond the lawful when
God says, it is enough! Eleventh hour conversions,
yes, most certainly - but no sharing in
the heritance rights of the [messianic] kingdom; vastly more is essential for this
holy entrustment. Note that Jacob
himself went through a transforming experience at the ford Jabbok where he
became, not the supplanter but,
Page 26
GODS TYPE OF THE RESURRECTION
Instalment No. I
The
Type:
Lev. 23: 9 - Bring the Sheaf of your Firstfruits of your Harvest.
In Prophetic Time:
At end of 69th week
of Daniel 9: 24-26 at the historic Cross.
Already Fulfilled:
CHRIST now risen the Firstfruits
of them that are asleep (1
Cor. 15: 20).
CHRIST the Firstborn out of the dead ones (Rev.
1: 5).
Instalment No. II
The Type:
Lev. 23: 17 - Two Wave Loaves ... for
Firstfruits (Christs treasure and pearl (Matt. 13: 44, 45),
In Prophetic Time:
At midst
of (70th ) week
of Daniel 9: 27,
but three and one half years after
Next in Fulfilment:
Pre-Tribulation
A Firstfruit Christ (Christ
and His co-regents, jointly). 1 Cor. 15: 23ff., Greek and
Instalment
No. III
The Type:
Lev. 23: 22 - Reap the Harvest of
your land.
In Prophetic Time:
At end
of Daniels 70th week (3 1/2 years after firstfruits Rapture).
Fulfilment Completed:
Post-Tribulation
Afterward
they that are Christs at His coming (1 Cor, 15: 23 ff.),
Reap
... for the Harvest of the earth is ripe (Rev. 14: 15), Cf. Time is
The Church of the Firstborn ones (Heb. 12: 23).
Esau yet a son, failed to secure his potential, firstborn rights (vv. 16, 17; Gen. 25: 27-34).
The martyred, white-robed throng
resting
until the quota of martyrs is fulfilled (Rev.
6: 9-11; 2: 8-10).
The great
multitude palms-bearing, Harvest group (Lev.
23: 40)
comes up out of the tribulation, the great one (Rev.
7: 9-17).
Page 27
The GLORIOUS CONSUMMATION of the tried and true sons of God in Hebrews is found in the outstanding picture of chapter 12: 18-29. Ye are not come as the ancient Israelites, to
Thus end the argument of Hebrews - it deals not so much with salvation in
its initial stages, but with that of THE KINGDOM qualifications, and the dangers of
forfeiting the rights of true believers by unfaithfulness, laxity, refusal to endure
sacrifice and suffering, and thus
forego Gods highest joys and honour after the trials and hardships are over. God keep us with faces set like flint to follow ... follow ... follow all the
way!
* *
*
XI
MANY WILL FAIL BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT
TRIUMPHED
OVER THE SUBTLE, DECEPTIVE, PERMEATING AGE-SPIRIT
That He might
deliver us OUT of the present, evil AGE-SPIRIT (Gal. 1: 4, Gr.). What we translate age-spirit is aion (Gr.) - in A.V., world. Another
word, world in translation, is kosmos
(Gr.), the Apostle Johns word, used over 100 times by him. The former is a time-word,
the latter is a space-word. We are
concerned here with aion. As with the
English, so with the Greeks - their time-period [Page 28] came to mean not only time as such, but
time plus its ethics in a given
time-period. We say, the times are
out-of-joint, meaning thereby the ethical conditions as well as
chronology merely. Thus Paul used his aion
word: it came to signify all which exists in the
world under the conditions of time,
namely, all that floating mass of thoughts, opinions,
maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses ... current
in the world ... moral or immoral ... the atmosphere we inhale ... exhale
(Trench). Similarly we have
our zeitgeist, our age-spirit, and this according to Gal.
1: 4, we
who believe are required to be delivered out of.
Just this will be the standard at Christs Judgment Seat - the standard
for the Overcomers splendid
triumphing.
THE ELEMENTS in this present age-spirit frame up into a terrific
complex. We have watched them change again and again over the past four decades. There was the pre-Great War period; then a
post-war condition; then a prosperity-period; again, a depression complex; now
a prosperity-in-war phase; already we prognosticate
(how correctly?) another post-war world! Note that for all of these the Divine
injunction is that we be delivered out of them
as Christs followers. Briefly, one may
summarize the distinctive world-matters, followed by those that for the
Christian attach to the more personal aspect.
The former are such as these:
I. The
unspeakable (1) crime wave that is
everywhere costing more for protection and for detection of the criminals than
for our educational or church maintenance. (2) The colossal immorality of these degenerate days, such as the
venereal disease plague. (3)
The bane of easy money and its attendant
trail of *****. At other times there are the denials of economic depression. (4) Astray philosophies
such as Fascism, Naziism, Socialistic state (that
always forgets human nature, etc.). (5) Governmental
corruption - pre-war, inter-war, and post-war. (6) The colossal war psychology and
mounting, ever-mounting war expenditures. (7) The worlds natural longing for
personal, domestic, economic, anti-war certainty.
II. Beyond these distinctive
world-affairs, there are those that may be differentiated, namely, our
personal, domestic, and church world.
Let us suggest the following that believers must be delivered out of (1) The social whirl, the
unsatisfying round of empty, wearing, quite
aimless doings of the social circle, that supplant the ministries of value that
many a delivered heart realizes when the
better way has been entered upon. (2) The inanities of modern jazz and song
- the utterly imbecile things that remind the writer of what he used to hear at
midnight in
III. We feel strongly that there are
veerings from the clear-cut New Testament standards by our Fundamentalist
churches and brethren (and we write this with sorrow and trepidation). To us it is a sinful thing. With an open
New Testament we cannot accept as right the highly-financed Conference and
Preaching Missions of our continent. We
have come to look upon it as sin. Where
in Holy Writ is there any warrant whatever for the charge made by our leading Fundamentalist preachers and
Bible teachers? Here are a few of many examples: (1) Required an
expense account (40 miles from home) of $25
per day, plus a love offering (plus this
pastors $125 per week home salary) - or $375 earned
total between Sundays! (2) A
THE METHOD OF DELIVERANCE from this zeitgeist we would
briefly summarize.
(1) By a frank
recognition of the awfulness of this age-spirit. Note the following, revealing Scriptures where
aion is employed: (a) Satan is the
god of the age-spirit (2 Cor. 4: 4). In the coming age Christ is King (Eph. 1: 21). (b)
Disputer of this age-spirit (1
Cor. 1: 20) - the apologist
for it. (c) Princes of this age-spirit (1
Cor. 2: 28). Cf. world-rulers of this kosmos (Eph. 6: 12). (d)
Children of this... (Luke
16: 8). (e) Seemeth to be wise in ... (1
Cor. 3: 18). (f)
Darkness of this ... (Eph.
6: 2). (g) Having
loved this ... (2 Tim. 4: 10). Cf. Demas terrible loss. (h) According
to the aion of this kosmos (2 Tim. 4: 10). Question for each of us - Do we belong to and share in the
foregoing? How closely do we
approximate to the type of life the age-spirit reveals? And after this - the Judgment!
(2) Victorys FOUNDATION is the CROSS OF
CHRIST. Our Lord Jesus Christ Who gave Himself for our sins that He might
deliver us out of ... (Gal. 1: 3, 4). This
triumph obtains in the heavenly realm (Col. 2: 14, 15); in the earthly sphere; and it will be
actualized everywhere when Jesus comes. When
He reigns all Gods creation will know His dynamic power, on the [Page 31] physical
side (Psalm 103; Isa. 35);
in the material (Rom. 8: 16ff); in an
everywhere overflowing superabundance (Psalm 72,
etc). Our part today is to blessedly
share in the gracious benefits that pertain to the present time - claiming them
now for ourselves.
(3) Victory now for the believer by a
subjective SURRENDER as an act,
followed by THE HABIT of non-identification
with the zeitgeist, its money-loving, its pleasure-seeking, its worldly honours,
its scholastic-paradings, all ... all empty and vanishing when Jesus comes! Romans 12: 1, 2 and 6: 11-13, are
challenges to the above dedication and separations. Believer, run with the crowd, if you will - but the day is
coming when such questionable and sinful
things will be your sad shame and sorrow. A deep, semi-worldliness with even outward
conformity to Gods way will size up to but costly failure. The day will declare
it.
(4) Be getting
FILLED WITH THE
SPIRIT (Eph. 5: 18, Gr.) is
yet today, NOW, the injunction of
Holy Writ, the last personal word given to us by the Spirit. And by maintaining the attitude of yieldedness
to the Lord Jesus, drawing upon this never-failing source and supply, victory
is sure. Unearth the teachings of
Finney, Torrey, Moody, Gordon, Elder Cumming, and
their school of teaching - and let Him, the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, condition us and endue us afresh with His Might
Power! At a Conference in French Equatorial Africa
last year - instead of preaching a sermon, they but read Dr. Torreys God-anointed tract on The
Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of god followed giving new
power to all the Mid-Missions (Baptist)
missionaries present. From them the
overflow blessing spread to all the helpers and stations of the
(5) The employment of THE WORD OF GOD in any life that will
overcome must ever be stressed. This writer has never accepted guidance in any
decision save as it came by, or was confirmed by, some
passage of the Scriptures - it is never safe to omit this confirming. The
Word of the Lord abideth forever - and if so it must be our perpetual
counsellor.
THE APPLICATION of this standard, Divinely required,
demands deeply spiritual discernment, and thus callous, blunted hearts do not
see its pertaining to the believer. Let
us suggest some cases. Here is a
Divinely-called minister who omits his daily getting near
to God - and thus he slips bit by bit, further and further, and then
follows loss of spiritual vision and sin, grievous sin (we are thinking of our boys), and today no stranger would suspect them of
ever having been preachers of the Gospel (God deliver them). Or it may be a
failure in a pastorate - then making good in
business and commitments financially, and the
ministry is shoved aside; today they are out of Gods will, high and dry. Or [Page 32] the insatiable longing for a
further course degree-ward, leads them widely afield, and today they
are content with a secular professorship - again away from His Will for their
lifes service. Or again, beginning as a
deeply spiritual servant of god, the merely social
service, non-evangelical, doing good
kind of ministrations, deflect him from what the Lords Great Commission
directs and specifies - and his life becomes barren and unproductive of what
Christs Judgment Seat will call for. Or, the foreign missionary call
comes - and is accepted and an over-ocean journey takes him to Africa or
A STORY OF SURRENDER TO GOD (
* * *
XII
CROWNS ARE REWARDS - FAILING TO WIN THEM
DISQUALIFIED FOR REIGNING
NO REWARD, NO CROWN - NO CROWN, NO REIGNING! All regents on earth or in heaven are
crowned! There will be no crownless regents in Christs coming Kingdom! Here
as elsewhere the incidental references in Scripture form a full-orbed doctrine.
Two crowns look selfward; they are negative and positive aspects. Two look neighbourward; one looks world-ward, the other churchward, thus a complete whole. A fifth looks over all life; it is for
suffering and enduring right on to the end, even including a possible
martyrdom.
1.
The first Paul designates the incorruptible
crown (1 Cor. 9: 24ff). The picture here has been
amplified in other chapters - it embraces repression and expression, in
short, discipline of the finest
sort. To refrain from indulgence; to press out into the full ones highest powers in order
to win - it is the Greek athlete again. The contest must be according to the rules (2 Tim. 2: 5), else the contestant
meets disqualification. So Paul browbeats his body
bringing all into subjection - in order to win this incorruptible
crown.
2. The crown
of righteousness is at least the other aspect of discipline, the
displaying of the deep, inner experience that makes one to radiate with the character of Christ!
The passage (2 Tim. 4: 1-8) is wider than personal reflection of the lord
Jesus - it describes a comprehensive faithfulness, witnessing, enduring,
reproving and rebuking sin, fulfilling ones ministry. Yet personal, lovely, shining righteousness of a personal kind is also revealed. Will this be absent from the Judgment test
that is coming? We are convinced it will
play a larger part than one usually estimates. May we win this crown.
3. The Soul-winners crown (1 Thes. 2: 19) is
placed by the Lord just at the highest point of delight that any runner
receives - at the moment when the Judge places the laurel wreath upon the
prize-winners brow. It is the crown of rejoicing. For what is our hope, or
joy, or
crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence
of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For
ye are our glory and our joy. Se also Phil. 4: 1. We
[Page 34] believe it reaches the pinnacle of human
blessing, this pointing of a lost soul to the Lord Jesus Christ - experiences
come to ones memory that still thrill one. A dying lumberjack, a hopeless Scotsman in
4. The
crown of glory (1
Pet. 5: 1ff)
while given to elders is unquestionably for all those who will tend the flock of God which is among you. Thus it is for those
who will shepherd souls that have
already found Christ. This is far-reaching,
greatly needed, and most fruitful ministry - we believe it the most necessary
of all service today. Too many official
pastors, we fear, will never be thus rewarded. A shrewd, English editor, after touring
5. The
crown of life is the Judges
reward to those who endure trial (Jas. 1: 12) and who may go on in profound faithfulness
unto this, the martyrs crown. Let us
insert Rev. 2:
9, 10 - I know thy tribulation ... poverty
(but thou art rich), and
the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews,
and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan
(Jews and Israelites in Holy Writ are the same
group - so insert who say they are Israelites
... Satan!) Fear not ... to suffer: behold the devil is
about to cast some of you into prison ... Be
thou faithful unto death and I will
give thee the crown of life. Loyalty unto the last breath that we draw - such is the injunction
here. And hence, to be true to
the faith, true in supreme and prolonged
endurance (that word hupomeno again,
so often translated patience) of bitter trial, true when heretics of
keenest sort press us to the breaking point, true to uttermost suffering - such
is the picture here. Like those who went
into the lions of the Roman arena; like Ridley and Latimer of the Middle Ages;
and many another in modern days like the martyrs of the Boxer Rebellion; and
like those in the coming antichristian, bitterest of all experiences, when the
beast (of Rev. 13)
makes war with the saints, and overcomes them in diabolical tortures. Thus the minimum for the [Page 35] crown of life is enduring victoriously great trial; the
maximum is that of deep-dyed, bloody
trial unto death itself. They will
answer, Yes! these saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs. And no less the
ordinary, everyday folk like the writer and the reader. May He
make us faithful in such an hour!
A SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE
Far too greatly have we been taught that if but once
in grace without further obedience, or loyalty, or keen following of
the way of the cross, entitles us to literally
everything that God has for His
people! It is our conviction that so has
this been stressed that it lies at the back of the backslidden, dry rot condition of the church - even within the ranks
of much-professing, Fundamentalism today. Potentially, of course, literally all is ours - it is not actually, possessively so, until by
faith and deep renunciation we begin to
possess our inheritance. No
longer any folding of hands, no longer any easy-living,
fully-indulging our pampered selves - but living after the pattern of the
devoted followers of Christ in other days. No other kind or degree of Christian life will
see us through to Gods highest and best. We summarize here for our reader the foregoing
pages:
1. We must qualify as to the
ancient type of primogeniture if we would be amongst the caught away firstborn.
2. We must be spiritual, winning runners, not losers
of the race.
3. We must have the fruit of the Spirit - the carnal, ever-squabbling
works of the flesh disqualify us for kingdom rule.
4. Ones teaching must not be stale, re-hashed, non-evangelical,
worldly-minded ministry - else our dead, wood, hay, stubble will see
us stripped of all reward necessary to
reign.
5. Gifts
that ever follow surrender (
6. Suffering to the degree of travail belongs to His overcomers, according to the Revelation 12 picture of those who are caught away to God and His throne. Minus suffering - minus the reign.
7. Pauls Love His appearing plus all the other dozen elements in a victorious believers
attitude is an essential to fitting
us to reign.
8. It is expected that a life of
prevailing intercession will be characteristic of those who win out here.
9. Unreleased, earthly possessions
will be measured by the rich
young ruler record - this is Christs word to any reader, not ours.
10. If by any means I may attain - the comprehensive, Pauline attitude ought to be ours.
11. Not ignorance of, but to know ... the
Hope ... His Inheritance ... the Power
of His resurrection - purpose, is
the Ephesians message.
[Page 36]
12. The Hebrews tests of chapter 12
- the application of the entire Epistle, is no less a
Gentile believers measuring-line.
13. The necessity of overcoming the
age-spirit.
14. The coming regent must have won a crown - crownless regents are unknown in both earthly and heavenly spheres. Saved-but-crownless will never see us through
into coming kingdom joys. We must be
CROWN-WINNERS if ever we reign with Christ.
NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM
FALLING, AND TO PRESENT US FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY
WITH EXCEEDING JOY; TO THE ONLY WISE GOD OUR SAVIOR, BE GLORY AND
MAJESTY, DOMINION AND POWER, BOTH NOW AND EVER! AMEN!
WHO ARE THE REIGNING ONES?
Rev. A. T. Pierson, D.D. - The greatest of all
the revelations about the future condition of the saints is,
that they are to be identified with Jesus Christ in His reign - that is, those
who overcome. Not all
saints are to be elevated to this position; this is for victorious saints.
Dr. J. Hudson Taylor of China, the outstanding missionary,
said:- We wish to place on record our solemn
conviction that not all who are
Christians, or think themselves such, will attain to that resurrection of which
St. Paul speaks in Philippians 3: 11, or
will thus meet the Lord in the air. Unto
those who by lives of consecration manifest that they are not of the world, but
are looking for Him, He will appear without sin
unto salvation. - From
R. Govett, M. A. - It is a matter of sad observation
that every species and degree of crime
is committed, and has been committed, by believers after their conversion: so
that there may be positive and entire forfeiture of the kingdom, and only
the lowest position in Eternal Life after it. The native magnitude of this
truth must speedily redeem it from all obscurity. Those who have the single eye
will perceive its amplitude of evidence, and embrace it, in spite of the solemn
awe of God which it produces, and the
depth of our own personal responsibility which it discloses. Many such testimonies can be adduced from those who have not been regarded as teachers
of the foregoing message. - W. F. Roadhouse.
[Page 37]
A TESTIMONY
The method of arriving at the
conclusions we present herewith may interest the reader. After being in the
ministry a dozen years - in August, 1914 - we decided
to spend the winter following in preaching through the Book of Revelation. This
we did for ten months (and had our congregation at the close!). For months we floundered along, consulting
eight or ten commentaries on each passage weekly. From a century back we discovered that the popular Brethren writings were virtually all re-hash - let the reader go
over the writings most popular today to confirm this statement. So we began to STUDY
FOR OURSELVES! We felt that the chapter 1:
19 A.V. and R.V. rendering, dislocated the
entire Divinely inspired outline! Ever study Homiletics?
Well, here in Revelation you have the
most perfect gem in the entire Homiletics field - who gave any expositor the
right to dislocate the structure of
this marvellous book that fits, in the most intimate and exquisite details, into
a perfect literary mosaic? Better leave our unholy hands off its mutilating! Chapter 1: 19 can easily be translated so
as to eliminate its imagined three-fold division, Write therefore the things that thou sawest, and what they are: even the
things that shall be after these. The Greek connective kai
may be translated correctly: and, or also, or but, or even.
But the
popular outline of Daniel did not fit into Revelation. This too we just read with prayer, and then discovered that our popular Bible notes had not picked up the trail - but by-passed
it, namely, at Daniel 2: 28, What shall be in the latter days. This repeated form of the four Empires of chapter 2 we found in chapter
7 which
has future time-marks and not past as commonly taught in these
ever-repeated Studies (writings that have come to be in popular thought almost
as inerrant as Holy Writ itself). And the serious oversight in Daniel by the writer of the Bible marginal notes, has taken away from the whole
prophecy-studying world the clearest
indicator of the breaking of the worlds tribulation
time. We ask the reader: Does he see
anything ominous today (August, 1946) in the
getting-together of the Lion-Eagle nations (of Daniel
7: 1ff) plus the conjoining of the Bear? Then consult Rev.
6 and 13.
There rests tremendous responsibility upon a few, outstanding leaders in
Then other matters of
interpretation came before us - the meaning of the firstfruits
and harvest resurrections - these could not be
wrong, of course, even though the idea of a so-called partial
rapture brought forth looks suggesting those of condemning
a heresy! Even in print a Southern Seminary president has unworthily sneered
at anyone teaching a firstfruits rapture. But, brethren, the type requires a three-fold partial
rapture - the type REQUIRES three
instalments! Our theory must fit this accurate type. How these and other questions led to further enquiry in the Scriptures. Hence, the present [Page 38] small volume. It is sent forth with
deep conviction that God will use it to assist in rooting out some errors in
prophetic interpretation. If HARMONY indicates clear guidance - and
we believe it does - then there will be confirmation for those who prayerfully,
open-mindedly read these pages. The
truth will hurt - it always does. However, let
us follow it - by it we shall be judged at
the Judgment Seat of Christ.
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