Leaves of Gold

A Call To Return To The Teaching Of The Bible

A ministry of Evangelist James A. Nelson   jan23@cox.net

Year III, No. 4  April   2008

 

Master Outline Number Twenty-seven

 

Taken from  "The Christian Life Bible", Porter L. Barrington

Fear

                The subject of fear is one of the most awesome studies found in God's Word. There are construc­tive and destructive fears. Some fears are so evil that one can be momentarily paralyzed by them. One can become physically ill through fear. Therefore, it is so important that we give ourselves over to the Lord as we study this important subject. All of the spiritual qualifications and tools necessary to combat the evil fears that may come upon us are found in the Word of God. We can overcome bad fears, be victorious, live happy and joyful Christian lives, and be of greater service and value to our Master.

                The following are fears that can keep us from knowing the Lord and doing His will, and that may condemn some to eternal hell:

(1) The fear that you will fail;

(2) The fear that you can't live up to God's standards;

(3) The fear that you can't obey God's Word.

                Forms of the words fear and afraid are found over seven hundred times in the Bible; this should cause us to realize the importance of fear in our lives. Over eighty times we have the words, "Do not fear:' or "Fear not:'

 

27-A.     Fear, Constructive and Destructive (Matthew 10:24-31)

                Jesus said to His fearful disciples, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (v. 28). This is destructive fear. Jesus warned them that they would be persecuted for preaching the gospel, and would have no physical defense. He said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (vv. 16-23). The apostles suffered severe persecution; indeed, nearly all the apostles were put to death. They could have denied their faith and lived-but they refused.

                Consider these five great biblical saints who trusted God and overcame fear, even in the face of death:

(1) Moses chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin ... By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king" (Heb. 11 :25-27).

(2) The three Hebrew children, because of their faith, were unafraid of Nebuchadnezzar and his fiery furnace (Dan. 3:16-18).

(3) Daniel was not afraid of the decree of King Darius and the den of lions. By faith he defied the king's command, knowing that he would be cast into a den of hungry lions. Like his three Hebrew friends, he was courageous (Dan. 6:1-28).

(4) Stephen, one of the first deacons, "full of faith and power did great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). He was the first Christian to suffer a martyr's death for exalting Christ. Stephen died on his knees, stoned by the enemies of Jesus. Unafraid, he prayed, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin" (Acts 7:54-60). _

(5) Paul wrote to young Timothy from Rome about his own coming death: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:6, 7). In his letter to the church at Philippi he said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21). By faith Paul was not afraid of death; to him it would be eternal gain.

                There are two elements that will deliver you from destructive fear, whether fear of death or life, fear of failure or loss, fear of people or position, or fear of rank or power. These elements are

(1) Faith. You cannot trust God and be fearful at the same time. The psalmist said, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" (Ps. 56:3, 4). Sudden fear gripped the psalmist for a moment, then he cried, "Whenever I am afraid ... " At the moment fear grips you, turn to God in faith. The psalmist went on to say, "I will trust in You." When faith came to him, he was able to say, "I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" You cannot truly trust God and worry.

                Paul tells us to take "the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16), and that ability is there the moment you lift up the shield. Fear is one of Satan's fiery darts. The shield of faith will extinguish it.

(2)  Love. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18, page 1282). There is but one perfect love-the love of God. let the Holy Spirit fill your heart with God's perfect love and there will be no room for destructive fear (Rom. 5:5, page 1133).

With your faith in God arid your heart filled with His love, you are equipped with the two elements necessary to give you victory over all destructive fear.

                Now let us examine constructive, or reverential fear. "But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (v. 28). Some believe Jesus is telling us here to fear Satan, but Satan does not have this kind of power. Only God has the power and right to cast both soul and body into hell. Satan is a defeated foe. James urges us to "submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). When our lives are committed to God, we can resist Satan by faith, actually causing him to flee from us. We are to fear our holy God with a reverential fear-fear that bows in awe as we worship and praise Him.

                 Remember, "There is no [destructive] fear in love" (1 John 4:18). Perfect love produces I reverential fear. We are to worship, praise, and exalt God in holy fear.

 

27-B. Fear, Godly (Psalm 33:8)-"Let all the earth fear the LORD" (v. 8). All the earth will fear the Lord in His coming kingdom. Till then we thank God for those who fear Him in this sin-sick world (Rom. 3:18). Let us remember:

(1) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov. 1 :7; 15:33)

(2) The fear of the Lord is godly fear (Heb. 12:28).

(3) The fear of the Lord is righteous fear, "He loves righteousness" (Ps. 33:5).

(4) The fear of the Lord is holy fear (2 Cor. 7:1).

(5) The fear of the Lord is reverential fear (Heb. 12:28).

(6) To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of Him. "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him" (Ps. 33:8).

(7) To fear the Lord is to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

(8) To fear the Lord is to "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12:28).

                Godly fear brings joy. The psalmist said, "Rejoice in the LORD, 0 you righteous! ... Praise the LORD with the harp .... Sing to Him a new song" (Ps. 33:1-3). Speaking of joy, the apostle John said, "These things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message ... that God is light" (1 John 1 :4,5).

                Is there godly fear in your heart? To be sure that you have godly fear, examine the following verses in 1 John 1:6-10 

(1) "If we [who say we are believers] say that we have fellowship with Him [the Lord Jesus Christ], and walk in darkness [live in known, unconfessed sin], we lie, and do not practice the truth" (1 John 1:6; cf. Acts 5:1-4).

(2) "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another [we have fellowship with God because we are in His light-His righteousness], and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 john 1:7; cf. Rev. 1:5). Godly fear can be known only by those who have been cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus (1 Pet. 1:18, 19).

(3) "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1 :9; cf. Gal. 6:7, 8).

(4) "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). To be cleansed by the blood brings the lost or unsaved into a  relationship with God the Father. To be cleansed from sins which you commit after you are born into the family of God, you must confess them to our Lord, calling each known sin by name. Godly fear will cause you to search your heart every time you go to God in prayer; and if you find any unconfessed sin in your heart, however small, judge it, confess it, and forsake it. Practice 1 John 1:9 every day, and thus stay in  fellowship with the Lord.

(5) "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us" (1 John 1 :10). Godly fear will not let you say, "I have no sin," or "I cannot sin in the flesh," or "I have not Shill since the lord saved me." Yet godly fear can also help you to resist temptation (1 Cor. 10:13)

                "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

 

27-C. Fear Not: God Is Your Protector (Genesis 15:1)-"After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision" (v. 1). This was the fifth time the Lord manifested Himself to Abram-later named Abraham (Gen. 17:5).

(1) The first manifestation was in Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 11:31; cf. Acts 7:1-4).

(2) The second manifestation was in Haran where the Lord reaffirmed His call and promise to Abram (Gen. 12:1-4).

(3) The third manifestation was in Canaan, the promised land (Gen. 12:7).

(4) The fourth manifestation was in Canaan, after Lot was separated from him (Gen. 13:14, 15).

(5) The fifth manifestation was in Hebron. After Lot was separated from Abram, the latter moved his herd and all his servants away to Hebron, which became home to this pilgrim. Because this great man of faith was now experiencing fear, the Lord appeared to Abram, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (v. 1). Why was Abram afraid? What did he fear? Abram was the friend of God. He talked with God person-to-person, as the Lord manifested Himself to him, but he still was afraid. He is the only man in the Bible called God's friend, yet he was afraid.

                We must go back to chapter 14, to understand Abram's fear. Chedorlaomer was king of Elam, a country east of Babylon. He was allied with three other ruthless kings. Five other kings of the Jordan valley, including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, had paid tribute to Chedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year they rebelled (Gen. 14:1-4). In the fourteenth year these four kings, with their armies, invaded the Jordan valley, sacked Sodom and Gomorrah, defeated their armies, took all their wealth, and captured women and men, including Abram's nephew Lot. When the news reached Abram, he armed his 318 servants and pursued the numerically superior army into Dan. By night he divided his 318 men, then attacked the army while they were sleeping and defeated them. The Word of God tells us that when he returned from the slaughter, he brought back the captives and all the wealth they had taken.

                Now we can answer the question, "What did Abram fear?" Most likely he feared reprisal. He had defeated an army; he had humiliated them with 318 servants-perhaps men without experience in battle. He feared that these four vanquished kings would return and invade Hebron. He was afraid, and rightly so, from the human standpoint. But God appeared to him and said, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield." In I effect, God was saying, "I am your protector. Abram, you don't have to fear those barbarians, those wicked, ruthless kings. I am God Almighty; I will shield you; I will keep My promises and make you a great nation; I will give this land to your descendants. Abram, don't fear!"

                Then the Lord said, "[I am] your exceedingly great reward." Abram, returning from the battle, was approached by the king of Sodom, who came out and told Abram to keep all the wealth that he had recovered-leaving him only with the people he had rescued. Abram replied that he would not take even a shoelace "lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'" (Gen. 14:23). Abram would not give anyone the opportunity to take credit for the way in which God had blessed him. God had blessed Abram and made him one of the richest men of all times. Abram honored God and sought only His glory. For Abram's faithfulness God rewarded him with heaven's highest honor "I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward".

 

27-D. Fear Not: God Is Your Power (2 Kings 6:16)-"Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (v. 16). Elisha was a prophet with great faith. By that faith he knew that the Lord's army was encamped around Dothan, not to save the city but to deliver Elisha from the hands of Ben-Hadad, king of Syria. The king had sent his army to capture Elisha because the Lord had revealed to the prophet all of Ben-Hadad's military plans. Elisha, in turn, revealed those plans to Ben-Hadad's enemy, Jehoram, king of Israel, thus guaranteeing Ben-Hadad's defeat. So Ben-Hadad sent spies to locate Elisha. When Elisha was found, the king sent horses, chariots, and a great army, just to capture one unarmed prophet! But they were not enough (v. 14). They reached Dothan in darkness and surrounded the city. When Elisha's servant went about his morning duties, he saw the Syrian army and rushed in to Elisha, overcome by fear and crying, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" (v. 15).

(1) Elisha taught the young man faith and the fear of the Lord. Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the young man's eyes so that he might see the unseen (v. 17; cf. 2 Cor. 4:18). Only by faith can we see the invisible host of heaven and "not fear." The Lord opened the young man's spiritual eyes, and he saw God's army ready to protect His servant.

(2) Every servant of God has the edge over the enemies of righteousness. The psalmist said, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Ps. 118:6). The believer has these armaments in his fight against fear:

(a) God's Word. "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Heb. 13:5, 6; cf. Deut. 31:12,13).

(b) God's power. "This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them" (Ps. 34:6, 7).

(c) God's Holy Spirit. "My Spirit remains among you; do not fear fear!" (Hag. 2:5). "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper [the Holy Spirit], that He may abide with you forever"  l John 14:16).

(d) God's protection. Isaiah said, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you" (Is. 35:4). Isaiah 35 is a promise and a prophecy. "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance." The promise is that the Messiah will come to establish God's kingdom on earth (Rev. 19:11-16). The prophecy is that He will come with vengeance-at Armageddon (Rev. 19:17-21).

(3) While we wait for His second coming we are to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." How? "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph.6 :10, 11). Without God's armor, we fight a losing battle. God's armor consists of the followmg:

(a) The belt of truth. "Having girded your waist with truth" (Eph. 6:14). This belt of truth I. embodied in Christ. Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 6:31,32). Again He said, "I am ... the truth" (John 14:6). Every believer must bear witness to the truth (John 5:33).

(b) The breastplate of righteousness. "Having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). This breastplate is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:1-4,10). It must be reflected in our daily lives.

(c) The gospel shoes, "Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel [good news] of peace" (Eph. 6:15). Christ is our peace, and without His gospel the sinner can never be at peace with God (Rom. 5:1). It is our duty to go with the gospel-to tell those who do not know it.

(d) The shield of faith. "Above all, taking the shield of faith" (Eph. 6:16). Christ is our shield of faith. God said to Abram, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield" (Gen. 15:1). "The just shall live by faith" (Heb. 10:38). The shield of faith will quench all the fiery darts of the satanic kingdom.

(e) The helmet of salvation. "Take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17). Christ is our deliverance (Luke 4:16-18).             ~.

(f) The sword of the Spirit. "The sword of the Spirit [Holy Spirit], which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17). Christ also is the sword, the living Word (John 1:1, 14). Let us exalt this Word in all that we do or say, and let us use it, our only offensive weapon.

(g) Prayer. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18). The armor is God's, and as good soldiers of the cross we need to keep it polished with prayer. It is our "secret defense"!

                "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance" (Is. 35:4). Until then, put on the whole armor of God and do not fear, because "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37).

 

See Psalm 34:4, page 530, for Point 27-E: Fear: Its Objects.

27 E, Fear: Its Objects, Psalm 34:4.  The following are some of the objects of fear:

(1) Manifestations of Deity.  When John was exiled to the Island of Patmos, he was visited by the risen, glorified Christ, Rev. 1:12-17.  John records that "I fell at His feet as dead", but Jesus reassured him, saying "Do not be afraid".  See Daniel 8:15-17 for a similar visitation of the Lord.

(2) Manifestations of angels:

 (a) The aged priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth had no children (Elizabeth was barren), but lunged and prayed for a child. One day, as Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. When he saw the angel, Zacharias was gripped by fear (Luke 1 :5-25).

(b) When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks: "And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid" '(Luke 2:9).

(c) As the Roman soldiers guarded the tomb of Jesus, "an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, "and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. ... And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men" (Matt. 28:1-4). They were momentarily petrified with fear.

(3) Fear of meeting God in our sins. The first mention of fear in the Bible is in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. The Word says, "The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (Gen. 3:7). As we commonly do when we sin, they tried to deceive Cod. They made coverings for their nakedness out of fig leaves, and when they heard the voice of God they tried to hide. When God called out, "Where are you?" Adam finally appeared and made a fourfold confession (Gen. 3:9, 10):

(a) "1 heard Your voice."

(b) "I was afraid." Adam and Eve had never known fear before. Now that they had sinned, they experienced guilt and fear.         '

(c) "I was naked." Before they sinned, they had been clothed in innocence, free from guilt and the fear of judgment; but now as sinners they feared their Creator, who made them, loved them, and provided for them.

(d) "I hid myself." God knew where they were, but Adam thought that they were well concealed. He soon learned that you cannot hide from our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God!

                At the first mention of fear, God was gracious and merciful. He provided a covering of animal skins for Adam and Eve before He removed them from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:21). He gave them the promise of a Redeemer, who would come and shed His blood and cover their sins.

                The last mention of fear in the Bible is in Revelation 21:8.  There we come to the end of all the dispensations of mankind, from Adam to the new heaven and the new earth. And the Lord says, "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev. 21 :8).

(4) Fear of serving God in fleshly wisdom. The apostle Paul journeyed to Corinth and preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Later he wrote back to the church at Corinth, "1 was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." Paul was saying, in effect, 'When I preached the gospel to you in Corinth, I feared lest I should do it in fleshly wisdom"; therefore, "my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor. 2:1-5). Fear of serving God in the energy of the flesh is a good fear. We should strive to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Col. 3:17).

(5) Fear of the end times. At the end of the dispensation of the church age, and at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, "they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). The "times of the Gentiles" will end with the Tribulation.

(6) Fear of death. The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to die on Calvary, where He conquered death. To the believer, there need be no fear of death. Death has been conquered; death has been defeated. Through death Jesus destroyed "him who had the power of death, that is, the devil." He defeated Satan and death, delivering "those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14, 15). It is sad to see many who profess to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, yet live in the dread of physical death. When Jesus returns to this earth, He will raise the bodies of all the saints who have experienced physical death. The Word of God tells us, "There shall be no more death" (Rev. 21:4). This will be the end of death and fear for all eternity.

(These studies will continue next month)

 

Rightly Dividing The Word, Clarence Larkins

XXIV

The Threefold Work of Christ

 

                The "Office Work" of Christ is "Threefold," that of "PROPHET," "PRIEST" and "KING." But He does not hold these offices conjointly but successively. His "Prophetic Work" extended from Creation to His Ascen­sion; His "Priestly Work" extends from His Ascension to the Rapture of the Church; and His "Kingly Work" from His Revelation at the close of the Tribulation Per­iod, until He surrenders the Kingdom to the Father, that "God may be All and in All." I Cor. 15; 28

I. HIS PROPHETIC WORK.

                While Christ as a Prophet foretold many things before His Incarnation, it was not until after His Incarnation that He entered fully on His Prophetic Office. He was the Prophet foretold by Moses. "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall heark­en." Deu. 18: 15: And Peter in his sermon in the Tem­ple declared that Christ was that Prophet. Acts 3: 19­26. As a Prophet Christ foretold His Death and Resur­rection. His Parabolic Teaching was full of prophetic statements, and in His "Olivet Discourse" (Matt. 24: 1­25: 46) He outlined events that should come to pass from the time of His Ascension until His Return. But His crowning work as a Prophet was His Revelation to the Apostle John, on the Isle of Patmos, of the history of the Christian Church, as outlined in the "Messages to the Seven Churches," the awful character of the "Tribula­tion Period," the Battle of Armageddon, the binding of Satan, the "Great White Throne Judgment, "the "Renova­tion of the earth by Fire," and the "New Heaven," "New Earth" and "New City."

II. HIS PRIESTLY WORK

                Christ's present work is that of a High Priest. He is now "TARRYING WITHIN THE VEIL." As the High Priest entered through the "veil" into the "Most Holy Place" once a year on the "Day of Atonement," to present the blood of the sacrifice and make intercession for the SINS of the people, so Jesus entered into the "Holy of Holies" of the Heavenly Tabernacle when He ascended and passed through the "Veil of the Cloud" and disappeared from earthly view. Acts 1: 9. Heb. 4; 14. "For Christ is not entered into the Holy Places .made with hands (such as the Tabernacle or Temple) which are the figures of the true; but INTO HEAVEN IT­SELF, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. 9: 24.

                Heaven not earth, is the sphere of Christ's PRIESTLY Ministry. He never appeared as a Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem. He went there to teach but never to offer sacrifices or burn incense.

                The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Tabernacle and Temple services did not make the offerers perfect, or they would not have ceased to be offered. They were but SHADOWS or Types of things to come. Heb. 10; 1-3. Among them was the "Day of Atonement." On that day the High Priest entered alone into the Holy Place, and having divested himself of his garments of "Glory and Beauty," he washed himself, and arrayed himself in linen clothes with a linen Mitre upon his head. He then filled a Censer with burning coals from off the Incense Altar and entered through the "Veil" into the "Most Holy Place," and putting incense upon the coals of the Censer, so that the smoke would cover the "Mercy Seat" on the "Ark of the Covenant" and hide it from view lest he die, he withdrew from the "Most Holy Place" and passed out into the Court of the Tabernacle, where he slew a bullock for a "Sin Offering" for himself and his house, and taking of its blood he re-entered the Tabernacle and passing through the "Veil" he sprinkled with his finger of the blood seven times eastward before the "Mercy Seat," thus making Atonement for himself and his household. He then returned to the Court of the Tabernacle and slew the goat that had been selected by lot for the "Sin Offer­ing," and took of its blood and re-entered for the third time the "Most Holy Place," and did with its blood as he bad done with the blood of his bullock, thus making Atonement for the sins of the Congregation. He then returned to the Court, and going to the "Brazen Altar" he made Atonement for it by sprinkling of the mixed blood of the bullock and goat upon it with his finger seven times, after he had first anointed the Horns of the Altar with the blood.

                He then took the live goat, called the "Scapegoat," and laying both of his hands upon its head, he confessed the sins of the Children of Israel, thus placing them upon the head of the "Scapegoat," and then he sent it by a "fit man" into the wilderness, into a land uninhabited, where it was left, thus carrying away the iniquities of the people.  

                Aaron then returned to the Holy Place of the Taber­nacle and took off his linen garments, washed himself, and robed himself again in his garments of "Glory and Beauty," and then returned to the Court of the Taber­nacle. Until he thus appeared the people were in doubt as to whether God had accepted the "Sin Offering" or not. If his stay was unduly prolonged they would fear that the offering had been rejected and the High Priest smitten with death. They listened then for the tinkling of the bells upon the bottom of the High Priest's robe, and when they heard them they were assured that the sacrifice had been accepted.

                When the High Priest came out in his garments of "Glory and Beauty" he went to the "Brazen Altar" and offered a "Burnt Offering" for himself, and one for the "'People, as a token of their revived consecration to God.

                Let us take the work of the High Priest on the "Day of Atonement" and apply it to our High Priest, Jesus Christ. When Jesus "emptied Himself" of His Heavenly Glory (Phil. 2: 5-8), He laid aside His garments of "Glory and Beauty," and put on the "Linen Garment" of hu­manity in which to minister. He had no occasion to offer incense in the "Most Holy Place," or to offer a bullock as a "Sin Offering" for Himself, for He was sin­less, but He had to offer a Sin Offering for the world. It is here that we see that no single offering could typify the work of Christ, for Christ's work is twofold. First He died as a "Sin Offering" for SIN, and then rose from the dead and ascended through the "Veil of the Cloud" into the "Holy of Holies" of the "Heavenly Tabernacle" and offered HIS OWN BLOOD as an Atonement for the sin of the world. This could only be foreshadowed by the use of two goats. The first was made a "Sin Offer­ing" and as such had to die, the second was called the "Scapegoat" and bore away the sins of the people into the wilderness. Lev. 16: 8-10, 20-22.

The High Priest entered into the "Most Holy Place" once a year with the blood of others, but Jesus Christ our High Priest entered once for all with His OWN BLOOD into the "Holy of Holies" of the "Heavenly Tabernacle," otherwise He must have suffered yearly since the founda­tion of the world (Ages), "but now once in the END OF THE AGE (the Old Testament Age) hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." Heb. 9: 24-26.

                Having, as our High Priest, taken His own blood within the "Veil," Jesus still tarries engaged in His High Priestly work, and will continue to tarry throughout this "GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT,"and at its close he will lay aside His High Priestly robes and come forth in His Kingly dress of "Glory and Beauty" to rule and reign in Kingly splendor.

There was no provision made for sitting down in the Tabernacle or Temple, for there was no time for sitting down, as sacrifices were continuously being offered; but Jesus our High Priest offered the sacrifice of Himself "ONCE FOR ALL," and then "SAT DOWN" at the right hand of God, on God's Throne (Heb. 12: 2), which il3 in this Dispensation the "Throne of Grace." Heb. 4: 16. In Acts 7: 55-56, we read that Stephen saw Jesus STANDING at the right hand of God. This may mean either of two things. Either Jesus rose to receive Stephen or that He had not yet sat down, for we must not forget that Jesus really did not begin His High Priestly work until after His final rejection by the Jews, that culmin­ated in the stoning of Stephen, who charged them with being "stiff necked" and resisting the Holy Ghost. Acts 7: 51.

                Christ's present work is twofold.

 1. MEDIATOR.

                Paul writing to Timothy said that the will of God was that all men might be saved, and that he had appointed to that end a "MEDIATOR" between God and man, the MAN CHRIST JESUS. 1 Tim. 2: 3-6. He is a "Media­tor" for both believers and unbelievers, but He had to be­come a MAN to "Mediate" between God and man. A man can mediate between two men, but he cannot medi­ate between a man and a horse, because he has not the nature of both a man and a horse. So the Son of God could not mediate between God and man until He became the "Divine MAN," that is, had the nature of both God and man. It was necessary then for the Son of God to become a MAN that He might mediate between God and man, and when He ascended He took up His MAN­HOOD with Him, and He is now in Heaven the MAN CHRIST JESUS. 1 Tim. 2: S.

2. ADVOCATE.

                In 1 John 2: 1 we read-"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." From this we see that Jesus is the Advocate of the righteous only, for the Epistle is ad­dressed to "My Little Children," and to those who were entitled to call God FATHER. The sinner does not need an Advocate he needs a SAVIOUR. What is the use of an Advocate when the trial is over, the jury has rendered its decision, the Judge pronounced sentence and the day of execution set? What a condemned man needs then is not an Advocate but a PARDON. The Bible distinctly states that, "he that believeth not IS CONDEMNED ALREADY," and, "that the WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM." John 3: 18, 36. What the sin­ner needs to do is not to ask Jesus to intercede for him, but to accept the FINISHED WORK of Christ on the Cross in his behalf.

                If Jesus is our Advocate then what is He our Advo­cate for? Not for SIN, for that was Atoned for on the Cross. He is our Advocate for the "sins" we commit since we became a Christian. "My Little Children, these things write I unto you, that ye SIN NOT. And if any man SIN, we have an Advocate." 1 John 2: 1. Our Ad­vocate then is to intercede for us because we SIN, that is His business, that is why He remains constantly be­side the Father. If a man breaks the law, or is accused of breaking it, the first thing he needs is a lawyer, or advocate, one who will plead his cause and see that he gets justice. So the believer when he sins needs an Ad­vocate.

                There is a vast difference between a "SINNER'S SINS" and a "BELIEVER'S SINS." Not that God does not hate both alike, the Believer it may be the most be­cause he sins with greater light, but the difference is not in the sin, but in the WAY GOD TREATS IT. Here is a father who sends his son and his hired servant to do a piece of work. They are lazy and inefficient, and do not do the work. He bears with them, and tries them again, but it is no use. His son and his servant are good for nothing, his son perhaps the worse of the two. Now what does he do? He discharges the servant. He puts him out of the house. He will have nothing more to do with him. But does he discharge his son? Does he send him away from the house? Does he disinherit him? Nothing of the kind. He may rebuke him, cut off his allowance, punish him worse than he punished the servant, but he will not send him away because he is his son. We see then that "Sonship" is a REAL THING. Is "Sonship" then a shield from the punishment of sin? Does my "Sonship" make it safer for me to sin? Oh, no! It simply gives me the blessed privilege of having an Advo­cate, and since it is inevitable that I will sin, it is better to sin as a SON than as an unbeliever.

III. HIS KINGLY WORK

Christ's future work is that of KING. When Christ has finished His High Priestly work He will leave His Father's Throne and descend into the atmosphere of this earth to meet His espoused Bride-THE CHURCH. 1 Thess. 4: 15-18. He will then accompany His Bride back to Heaven, and taking His place upon the "Judgment Seat of Christ" (Rom. 14: 10) will judge the saints and reward them according to the works, after which He will present the Church to Himself, "a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." Eph. 5: 27. Then follows the Marriage of the Lamb. Rev. 19: 6-9. Then, having received the Kingdom from the Father, Christ, accompanied by the armies of Heaven, will de­scend to the earth, and the Battle of Armageddon will be fought (Rev. 19: 11-21), following which He will sit upon the "Throne of His Glory" and judge the nations (Matt. 25: 31-46), after which the Millennial Kingdom will be set up. At its close Satan will be loosed from the Bot­tomless Pit, there will be a great Apostasy, and fire will descend from heaven and destroy the wicked. The hea­ven and the earth will then be renovated by Fire, and the New Heaven and Earth will appear, upon which shall be placed righteous nations taken from the old earth, over which Christ shall reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, until such a time as He shall see fit to surrender the Kingdom to the Father, that GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL. 1 Cor. 15: 28.

MESSIAH THE PRINCE

                It is clear from the Scriptures that it is the purpose of God to set up a Kingdom on this earth over which a son of King David is to reign FOREVER. The promise was given to King David through Nathan the Prophet. "Thine House and Thy Kingdom shall be established FOREVER before thee; thy Throne shall be established FOREVER." 2 Sam. 7: 16. This promise God after­ward confirmed with an oath, saying,--"I have made a Covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish FOREVER, and build up thy Throne to all generations      Once have I sworn in My Holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure FOREVER, and his Throne as the sun BE­FORE ME." Psa. 89: 3, 4, 35-37. This Covenant was un­conditional and was reaffirmed to Israel through Jeremiah the prophet (Jer. 33: 17-26), in which God promised that David should never want a man (son), to sit upon his Throne FOREVER. That this promise did not mean that there should be an "unbroken line" of successors on David's 'Throne, is clear from the fact that, after Solo­mon, the kingdom was divided, and in B. C. 587 the last king of Judah was carried captive to Babylon. The promise then must refer to some "future" king of David's seed that is to be raised up to sit on the "Throne of David." To this king Jeremiah refers in Jer. 23: 5-6. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous 'Branch,' and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is His name whereby He shall be called-"THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." When we compare this prophecy with Isa. 11: 1-2, "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse (David) and a 'Branch' shall grow out of his 'roots;' and the 'Spirit of the Lord' shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord," and note the word "BRANCH;" that is common to both, and then note the last words of Isaiah's prophecy­ "the 'Spirit of the Lord' shall rest upon him," etc, and recall Luke's description of the Child Jesus-"And the Child grew, and waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wis­dom; and the Grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2: 40), we have no difficulty in identifying whom the Prophet meant.

                But the Messiah was not only to be of the lineage of David, He was also to be of Divine Parentage. How this could be was a riddle until the Prophet Isaiah solved it by saying-"Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL." Isa. 7: 14. Later Isaiah says, as if he were present when the Virgin gave birth to the Child, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the Government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called 'Won­derful,' 'Counsellor,' the 'Mighty God,' the 'Everlasting Father,' the 'Prince of Peace.' Of the increase of His Government and Peace there shall be no end, upon the 'Throne of David,' and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even FOREVER." Isa. 9: 6-7. Where is the "key" that unlocks this passage? Listen. "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a VIRGIN espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the 'HOUSE OF DAVID,' and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel said unto her-Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the 'Son of the Highest' and the Lord God shall give unto Him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID; and He shall reign over the HOUSE OF JACOB (Israel) FOR­EVER; and of His Kingdom there shall be NO END." Luke 1: 26-33. Some have maintained that the Prophet Isaiah referred to some maiden (virgin) of his own time, but this is refuted by Matthew, who says-"Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying-Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is GOD WITH US." Matt. 1: 23. For an account of the "Virgin Birth" see the Chapter on "The Mystery of God­liness." It is clear then that Jesus wail the son promised to David who was to sit upon his Throne and reign over the House of Israel FOREVER.

                As further and conclusive evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, the Old Testament not only mentions the fact and the place of His birth, but gives the TIME. In Dan. 9: 24-25, we read that it was to be 69 Weeks from the go­ing forth of the Commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the "MESSIAH THE PRINCE." Now here is a definite period of time mentioned-"69 Weeks," and these weeks were to date from a certain edict-the commandment to Restore and Rebuild Jerusalem. See the Chart of Daniel's "Seventy Weeks," page 70.

i               The date of the "commandment" is given in Nehemiah 2: 1 as the month "Nisan" in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, which was the 14th day of March, B. C. 445. The day when Jesus rode in Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as "Messiah the Prince," was Palm Sun­day, April 2, A. D. 30. Luke 19; 37-40. But the time between March 14, B. C. 445, and April 2, A. D. 30, is more than 69 literal "weeks." It is 445+30=475 years. What explanation can we give for this? It is clear to every careful student of the Word of God that there is a "Time Element" in the Scriptures. We come across such divi­sions of time as "hours;" days;" "weeks;" "months;" "years;" "times;" "time and the dividing of time." To be intelligible and avoid confusion they must all be inter­preted on the same scale. What is that scale? It is given in Num. 14: 34. "After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days-Each Day FOR A YEAR, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years." See also Ezek. 4: 6. The "Lord's Scale" then is-"A Day Stands for a year."

                Let us apply this scale to the "Seventy Weeks." We found that the time between the "commandment" to re­store and build Jerusalem, and "Messiah the Prince," was to be 69 weeks, or 69X7=483 days, or if a "day" stands for a year, 483 years. But we found that from B. C. 445 to A. D. 30 was 475 years, a difference of 8 years. How can we account for the difference? We must not forget that there are years of different lengths. The Lunar year has 354 days. The Calendar year has 360 days. The Solar year has 365 days. The Julian, or Astronomical year, has 36534 days, and it is necessary to add one day every 4 years to the calendar. Now which of these years shall we use in our calculation? We find the "Key" in the Word of God. In Gen. 7: 11-24; 8: 3,4, in the ac­count of the Flood, we find that the 5 months from the 17th day of the 2d month, until the 17th day of the 7th month, are reckoned as 150 days, or 30 days to a month, or 360 days to a year. So we see that we are to use in "Prophetical Chronology" a "Calendar" year of 360 days.

                       According to ordinary chronology, the 475 years from B.C. 445 to A. D. 30 are "Solar" years of 365 days each. Now counting the years from B. C. 445 to A. D. 30, in­clusively, we have 476 solar years. Multiplying these 476 years by 365 (the number of days in a Solar year), we have 173,740 days, to which add 119 days for leap years, and we have 173,859 days. Add to these 20 days inclusive from March 14 to April 2, and we have 173,879 days. Divide 173,879 by 360 (the number of days in a, "Prophetical Year"), and we have 483 years all to one day, the exact number of days (483) in 69 weeks, each day standing for a year. Could there be anything more con­clusive to prove that Daniel's 69 weeks ran out on April 2, A. D. 30, the day that Jesus rode in triumph into the City of Jerusalem.

                We see from this that if the "Students of Prophecy" of Christ's day had been on the alert, and had understood Daniel's prophecy of the "Seventy Weeks," they would nave been looking for Him, and would have known to a certainty whether He was the Messiah or not.

                But the very passage from Daniel which gives us the "time" of the coming of "Messiah the Prince," also tells us that almost immediately "He Shall Be Cut Off But Not for Himself." Dan. 9: 26. How then could be ful­filled the prophecy that declared that He was to be gjyen the "Throne of David," and that He should reign ov~r the "House of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there shall be NO END?" There is but one answer. His coming was to be in Two Stages. He was to come first as a "Suffering Saviour," and then as a "King." Here is where the Jews of Jesus' day misread the Scriptl1res. They did not distinguish between the Sufferings of the Messiah and His Glory. 1 Peter 1 : 11. They could not understand how the Messiah was to be a mighty King and also be "cut off" for the sins and iniquities of His people. There was but one possible answer and that was by Resurrec­tion. They accepted Psa. 16 as Messianic, and yet did not see that it prophesied the "Resurrection of Jesus" in the words- "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Hades); neither wilt thou suffer thine 'Holy One' to see corruption." Psa. 16: 10.

                This passage Peter in his sermon on the Day of Pen­tecost quoted, saying that David, being a prophet, here speaks of the Resurrection of Christ, and added-"This JESUS hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." Acts 2: 25-32.

                There can be no question but that "Jesus of Naza­reth" was the promised "Son of David," who is to reign upon the "Throne of David." But being rejected and crucified, and risen from the dead, He now sits on His Father's Throne until the time comes for Him to take the Kingdom. The "Throne of David" was on the earth, and can never be anywhere else. To say that Christ now reigns on the "Throne of David," and that His Kingdom is "spiritual," is to subvert the meaning of the Old Testa­ment prophecies. The "Throne of David" is now va­cant, and has been for 2500 years, but when the "Times of \ the Gentiles" have run their course, and the time has come to set up again the "Tabernacle (House) of David" which has fallen down (Acts 15: 13-18), the "Throne of David" will be re-established and given to Christ.  (These studies will continue next month)

 

 

Evangelist James A. Nelson  (jan23@cox.net) and his wife of 57 years, Janet, are members of the Village Bible Church, Salina, Kansas.  This page is sponsored by David R. Pickett (dr_pickett@hotmail.com) and our Webmaster is Martin Gutzmer (mrgutzmer@gmail.com).