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"Teaching the things concerning the kingdom of God..."
FROM THE CANDLESTICK TO THE THRONE
Part 123
.
MEASURING THE TEMPLE
(continued)
And there
was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them
that worship therein. But the court which is
without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and
the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months (Rev. 11:1-2).
In beginning
this message I would point out that although John is commanded to measure the temple,
distinction is made between three different areas in connection therewith. In the first place, John is called to measure the
temple or naos as it is
in the Greek, specifying the sanctuary proper, the building of the temple as such,
including its holy place and most holy place, along with the golden altar of the holy
place as well as those who congregate there in the ministry of worship. In the second place, John is instructed not to measure the outer court, the
open, unenclosed space which surrounds the sanctuary, being distinguished from the temple
building itself. That is the second area
specified by the angel. In the third place,
the angel speaks of a still wider and more comprehensive area, namely, the holy
city, which shall be trodden down for forty two months, along with the outer court,
by the Gentiles. Three areas are
therefore set before us! The largest is the
holy city itself. Within that is the smaller
space of the outer court. And again, within
that outer court is the still more limited space of the temple structure. And with regard to these three John is commissioned
to measure the temple, and the altar, and those
who worship at that altar and in that temple, while he must not measure the outer court, nor, of course, the holy city. And
he is told that only the temple will remain undefiled, but that the outer court and the
holy city will be dominated by the abominations of the symbolical Gentiles.
If all of this
were taken in the literal sense of the word it would have little significance for us today
it would be merely a record of natural, outward events the apostle John
participated in some two thousand years ago. The
temple would be Herods temple as it stood in all its splendor in the holy city
Jerusalem when our Lord was here in the flesh and walked within both the holy city and the
courts of the temple. All the glory of that
temple was reduced to a miserable heap of ruins in the year A.D. 70, destroyed by General
Titus and his Roman legions. Many modern day
commentators contend that the literal, physical temple of the Jews is one day to be
restored, the Jewish people shall again worship in that temple upon mount Moriah, and a
revived priesthood shall once more offer animal sacrifices upon the altar of burnt
offering and burn incense upon the golden altar in the holy place. Their interpretation is that the Old Testament
Jewish glory shall for a time, under the antichrist, shine forth once more. These believe that it is from that restored temple
that Gods two witnesses shall appear and testify to the name of God and His Christ
till the antichrist and his followers shall overpower them and kill them. This scheme also views the vision in a most literal
sense of the word. In this literalistic and
futuristic interpretation the modern city of Jerusalem in the State of Israel is the
holy city; the outer court is the court of the rebuilt Old
Testament style temple; them that worship there are a revived Jewish
priesthood; and the nations of earth shall literally, under the antichrist, trample under
foot the holy city and the court. According to
this view it is this future rebuilt temple that John is commanded in his vision to measure!
Let us ever be
mindful of the great truth that it was the risen and ascended Lord who descended in a
vision of glory on the isle called Patmos, and there meeting his startled disciple, John,
gave him a communication concerning the church, the called out, instructing him to write
it in a scroll and send it to the seven churches in Asia.
The book of Revelation is addressed to Christs servants
and to the seven churches. This
great truth is emphasized, it is stated in the plainest of language, both at the opening
and the close of the book. John to the
seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace
(Rev. 1:4). What thou seest, write in a book, and send it
unto the seven churches which are in Asia (Rev. 1:11).
The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His
servants the things which must shortly be done (Rev. 22:6). I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto
you these things in the churches (Rev. 22:16).
On reading these
distinct declarations it should be clear to every discerning mind that the outward nations
and the unregenerated people of the world have no more to do with this prophecy than they
have with the epistle to the Ephesians. They
may possibly be alluded to in the one, as in the other, but it is not for them, nor is it mainly concerned with them.
IT IS FOR US, the spiritual people of God!
The prophecy is for the bondslaves
of Jesus Christ, and for those who are called out and separated unto Him; and to apply it
to anything other than Gods spiritual dealings
with His elect saints is to take the childrens bread and cast it to the dogs. Yes! someone replies, but though
given to the church, it might still be a revelation of the counsels of God concerning the
kingdoms of this world. It might. The epistle to the Ephesians might have been a letter about the lost tribes of
the house of Israel in the British Isles, but it was not!
The visions of Daniel might have
been about the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians, but they were not! Jesus might
have sent a message to His saints about Charlemagne the Great, about Napoleon, about the
Second World War, about Hitler and Mussolini, about Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger, or
Osama Bin Laden, but He did not! He
gave a spiritual book to a spiritual people about spiritual things!
Most buildings
today are designed by an architect and constructed by a builder known as a contractor. Almost two thousand years have passed since God
sent His Son to earth, first as a man of flesh and blood, and again in the power of the
Holy Spirit, as the Master Builder, to build a church designed to reveal His glory in the
earth. I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it (Mat. 16:18). Long
before excavation begins, the architect carefully designs, plans, measures, and calculates
the cost. Long centuries before Jesus came,
mount Sinai was aflame with the glory of God and Moses trembled to hear the voice of the
Almighty. There in that holy mount a blueprint
was given for the erection of a tabernacle in the midst of Gods people, Israel. God gave specific instructions to Moses warning
against any deviations from the plan. See,
saith He, that thou make all things according to the
pattern showed to thee in the mount (Heb. 8:5).
Moses saw and understood in the spirit that the hand of God was sketching
the blueprints for a greater heavenly and spiritual
temple that was to arise in the earth. In
spirit he saw the spiritual, heavenly model as it existed
in the heavens of the Spirit of the Lord. The
literal, physical tabernacle of Moses was to serve as a miniature sketch of the spiritual
temple of Gods Christ. The blueprints
God gave to Moses were very unique. There had
never been a structure built by this pattern before!
It is of utmost
importance that we bear in mind here, as elsewhere, the beloved John receives a vision. Hence,
the assumption by preterists that the book of Revelation had to be written
while the temple of Herod was still standing in Jerusalem, before the destruction of the
Jewish nation by the Romans in A.D. 70, is baseless. In
a vision we can see things past, present, or
future as well as things literal, figurative, allegorical, or spiritual. What one sees in vision does not need to exist either literally or
spiritually at the time of the vision!
Furthermore, in
verse nineteen of chapter eleven we find that this temple
of God is IN HEAVEN that is, in the realm of the Spirit! Though the type is the Old Testament temple of
Israel, the reality is the heavenly, spiritual temple of Gods elect, the body of
Christ! It cannot be merely a vision of the
Herodian temple of Christs day, nor of a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem under
antichrist, for not only is this temple in heaven, but the ark of the covenant
is seen there, and the ark had disappeared at the destruction of Solomons temple in
the year 587 B.C. The ark never was in Herods
temple, and it certainly would not be found in
a rebuilt temple today! Oh, let us always
remember that the true temple of God is the heavenly, spiritual temple of His redeemed
sons and daughters! Know ye not that YE
are the temple of God, as God hath said? This
temple is constructed of those who are filled with all the fullness of God
a people renewed, transformed, and conformed into the image and likeness of the
very Christ. These are the temple manifesting
the indwelling Christ-life, as the temple of Jesus body was the manifestation of the
indwelling life of His Father!
When Jesus stood
and looked on Herods temple and said sternly that all those fine stones would be one
day permanently demolished, He was pointing to the great truth that the hour had now come
for all the shadows to pass away, that the true reality might be manifest. God would no longer dwell in temples made with
hands, as He also told the woman of Samaria; He would now raise up His true tabernacle
which He Himself would build of eternal, living stones!
The spirit, soul, and body of His new creation man would become the
only eternal shrine where God is revered! And
it was this temple of the new creation man, my beloved, that John was invited to measure! He was to turn from the earthly to the
heavenly, from the material to the spiritual!
The word temple
misleads. There are two Greek words used in
the New Testament for temple. The
first is hieron signifying the entire, complete
temple complex including all courts, porches, and buildings.
The word in our text, however, is the second word, naos, which does not mean the temple buildings as a
whole, but only the innermost shrine or sanctuary, that compartment known as the holy
place and the most holy place, which was separated from all the other
buildings and courts of the huge temple complex. It
is evident that the holy place is included in the naos for John sees the golden altar of incense
there: Measure the temple of God, and the altar,
and them that worship therein. The
golden altar of incense was located in the holy place just before the veil separating it
from the most holy place. We can also know
that the naos included the most holy
place, for in verse nineteen of the same chapter John records that the temple (naos) of God was opened in heaven, and there was
seen in His temple the ark of the testament
The ark of the covenant was situated beyond
the veil, in the Holiest of all. Therefore the
Revelation unmistably identifies the naos of God
as the inmost sanctuary of the temple comprising both the holy place and the most holy
place.
Jesus was the
first man on the earth realm to ever build God a habitation where He could live and reveal
Himself in His fullness. He Himself revealed
this fact when, as He stood before Herods temple, He told the Jews, Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again. This declaration angered and infuriated the Jews,
but they wist not that He spake of the temple of His body.
Jesus raised up this temple of God within Himself by possessing His vessel
in honor and holiness, in obedience and submission, in love, humility, and perfection. This was a place where God could fully live! For the first time since the creation God had a
TRUE HABITATION on earth a temple which was WHOLLY HIS nothing reserved. Hebrews1:8-9 says of Jesus, But unto the Son
He saith, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Jesus did not receive the Spirit of God by measure, but was filled with ALL
the fullness of God! For He whom God
hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth
not the Spirit by measure unto Him (Jn. 3:34).
For in Him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col.
2:9). Second Corinthians 5:19 states: It
was God permanently in Christ reconciling and
restoring the world to favor with Himself
(Amplified Bible). Again, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call Him Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Our
Lord Himself declared, If you had known me had learned to recognize me
you would also have known my Father. From now
on you know Him and have seen Him. Phillip said to Him, Lord show us the Father
cause us to see the Father, that is all we ask; we shall then be satisfied. Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time and you
do not recognize and know me yet, Phillip? Anyone
who has seen me, has seen the Father! How
can you say then, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and that
the Father is in me? The Father who lives continually in me does the works
(Jn. 14:7-10, Amplified). SO
JESUS BUILT THE FATHER A HOUSE TO LIVE IN! He
became the beginning, the firstborn of a new and divine species the TRUE TABERNACLE
which the LORD PITCHED, and not man! The
Father was even then indwelling His most treasured abode at that very moment in their
midst! The temple of Herod that stood before
them was already of no consequence the glory had moved from that house to the
temple of God in the body of Jesus the Christ! Oh,
the wonder of it!
But it is not
sufficient to know only that Jesus was and is the temple, the dwelling place of God. It was with an expression of wonder that Paul
demanded of the Corinthians, Know ye not that YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile
the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, WHICH TEMPLE YE
ARE (I Cor. 3:16-17). And again, What
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD; as
God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people (II Cor. 6:16). And
with still greater emphasis, For we are laborers together with God: ye are Gods
husbandry, YE are Gods BUILDING (I Cor. 3:9).
The writer to
the Hebrews presses the point even further. Wherefore
consider
the apostle
of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed
him, as also Moses was faithful in all HIS HOUSE. For
this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the
house hath more honor then the house. For
every HOUSE is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all HIS HOUSE, as a servant, as a testimony of
those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a Son over HIS OWN HOUSE; whose
HOUSE ARE WE if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end (consummation of the building of the house)
(Heb. 3:1-6).
It should be
very evident to all who read that a house is
being talked about in the verses above. Some
Bible teachers believe that its one house
the house of the people of God. They
would say that Moses was inside the house as a servant, whereas the Lord Jesus is over the
house as a Son. It is my deep conviction,
however, that that is not what the apostle is
saying! He is talking about TWO HOUSES! He says in verse four that both houses are made by
God He is the One who makes all things! There
are two houses. One house is the people of God
under the Old Testament thats the argument all
the way through the book of Hebrews youre to go from the old house to the new house! Youre to go from law to grace, from the
natural and outward to that which is spiritual and inward, from the earthly Jerusalem to
the heavenly Jerusalem, from the physical mount Zion to the spiritual mount Zion, from the
temple on mount Moriah to the temple in the high place of Gods Spirit, from the
Levitical priesthood to the Melchizedekian priesthood, from being a servant to being a son!
Thats the
whole thrust the entire issue has to do with two houses. Two houses, both of which were ordained of God. Two houses that were built by God. God was the architect of both. Two
houses, not one! Moses functioned within one
of the houses. He was inside the house as a
servant. Moses was faithful in his house as a
servant. Over the second house, which is the
called and chosen elect of God in the power of the New Covenant, is the Lord Jesus Christ as a Son. Moses
was faithful inside the old house as a servant. Jesus Christ is faithful over the new house as a Son. Therefore the new house is a HOUSE OF SONS! Jesus is over
the house of sons as the Head of the body, as the King of the kings, as the Lord of
the lords, as the High Priest of the priesthood, and as the Captain of the army of God! Oh, yes!
For this
man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses
(Heb. 3:3). Remember back in the Old Testament that Moses,
great man of God that he was, grew weary. The
children of Israel grievously sinned. Moses
went up on the mount, he received the law, and came down, and saw the gross sin of the
children of Israel. In anger and desperation
he threw the tables of the law down and they were broken.
God said to Moses, I want you to go back up on the mount. Moses said in effect, God, Im tired, Im
weary. This is a stiff-necked and rebellious
people, Ive had it. I dont want to
go up there again. God said, Moses,
I want you to go up into the mount again. And
Moses replied, Show me your glory! Show
me what youre like! Show me your
intrinsic, eternal perfections, give me a glimpse of what youre really like. Youre asking so much of me Im
tired, Im weary what are you like? If
Im to go back up, show me your glory!
God responded,
I cant show you my glory, Moses. But
Ill do the next best thing. Ill
hide you in the cleft of the rock, and Ill pass by.
Ill put my hand over the cleft of the rock, so you wont be
blinded, and Ill pass by. I will let you
see only the hinder parts, my back. Ill
let you see my afterglow and even in the afterglow you will see my goodness, mercy,
and longsuffering. So Moses gets a
glimpse of what God is like! He comes down
from that mount and the glory of God is radiating from his face. When we get to the New Testament, to John, chapter
one, we read, The law came by Moses, but grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ. And in the very context we read that no man
has seen God at any time. What is in
mind is Moses no one has seen God at any time, not even Moses he only saw
the afterglow of God and how glorious it was! In
contrast, the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, in the place of
intimacy, participation, vital union, first-hand knowledge and state of being He
hath revealed Him! He has stepped out of the bosom of the Father and
has led Him into view! Within Himself He has crystallized the invisible! The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ. Moses was a servant in a house of servants.
Jesus is a Son over the house of sons! The
Lord is saying, Get out of the old house, out from under rules, regulations, laws,
commandments, rituals, ceremonies, ordinances, programs and promotions of men, outward
religious observances, and get into the new house of THE LIFE OF THE SON OF GOD! Go on! Go
on! Go on!
This house of
sons is the true temple of God, the new and eternal house that the Lord is building, and
not man. In glorious words that are like
letters of fire the word comes to John on Patmos, Arise, and measure the temple of God! Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the HOUSEHOLD OF GOD. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22).
May our heavenly
Father now give understanding to all who read these lines!
To measure the temple signifies inspection, examination, to take
inventory, an evaluation of just how much we have experienced of Christ and the life of
sonship, to determine the state of our progress into the fullness of God and just where we
are in our growth and development into the mind, nature, power, wisdom, and glory of sonship to God!
Trying to accomplish any of this by human effort, natural understanding and
logic, fleshly ability, or religious exercises is a most heinous pit into which to fall! This measuring can be done only by the
Spirit who searches all things! For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God. For what man knoweth the things of a
man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:10-11).
Is this not what
is meant when John says, And there was given
me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel (message, revelation from God) stood, saying,
Rise, and measure the temple
Oh,
yes! God is the One who speaks the word, the
Lord Himself is the One who gives the empowerment for measuring, who stretches out the
line, who plumbs the depths not us! It
is HIS mighty work wrought in us and through us! Unless
this rod is given to measure all people and
all things as God sees them, we form judgments
about people and spiritual things and moves of God by outward appearances or by our own
preconceived ideas, likes and dislikes, and our own standards. To do so is a great mistake, for it is not
righteous judgment! It is not the measure by
the reed that is given by the Holy Ghost! Those who walk in the living truth and in the
Spirit and by the Spirit judge all things by the mind
of Christ hence the measuring rod! That
is the mystery.
These are
solemnizing truths. Oh, that men and women
would cease with their elation over the rebuilding of a temple in Jerusalem and rejoice
rather in the holy knowledge that we are the
house of the Lord! We have become so
accustomed to calling temporal and transient church buildings made of wood and brick and
stone the house of God that we are amazed when we are shown that these are naught but buildings made with mens hands. The fact is, no earthly building is sacred or holy,
no matter how earnestly you dedicate it to the service of God. Men reverence buildings when they should reverence
GOD. No mundane building made with mens
hands can ever qualify as the house of God.
God does not uniquely dwell within any of them! They are not sanctified by His presence any more
than a bank or a supermarket! All of these
carnal, Babylonish buildings that men erroneously call churches and the house
of the Lord shall meet the same fate as the temple of old. Not one stone shall be left standing upon another!
Not
one of these churches or houses of God are being changed and
transformed into His image, not one is growing unto an holy temple, not one can reveal one
ounce of divine life or nature, not one will be resurrected by divine power, not one will
be manifest as a son of God! Babylon has
raised up some fantastic structures, gems of architectural genius, but it is all vanity and the glory of God graces none of them. If God is there it is only because you are there, dear saint of God; and when you walk into Wal Mart God is just as much present
and revealed in the Wal Mart building as He was at the church building. May the Spirit of God so reveal to us the truth of
God that we shall abandon even our perverted terminology acquired in Babylon and no longer
call buildings made by mens hands churches and the house of God. They are no such thing, and we need to correct our
speech and sanctify our glossary before God and speak only the truth as it is in Jesus,
and refuse to even utter the distortions and foolishness of the religious systems of man. The holy place where our Father has
chosen to put His name is not in any earthly building, nor in a geographical location, but
in His HOUSE OF SONS!
In the words of
Jesus throughout the Gospels we find references to three houses My house,
Fathers house, and your house.
The temple in Jerusalem had been Fathers house so long as
the ministry there moved under the anointing of the Spirit.
But when the Lord began His ministry, He said to the people, I say
unto you, That in this place is One greater than the temple (Mat. 12:6). And truly, Christ is far superior to the temple and
all its trappings, even Gods Christ today is far superior to all the present church
orders, no matter how good we think some of it is. Jesus
saw that Fathers house had become your house so He
proclaimed of their house, Behold, your house is
left unto you desolate. It was no longer
Fathers house for the corrupt priesthood had usurped the glory of God
and had made it their house with all their empty traditions and vain
abominations. And Jesus went into the
temple
and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It
is written, MY HOUSE shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of
thieves (Mat. 21:12-13). Although Jesus
drove out the moneychangers, the judgment of that temple was given by our Lord, for He
declared it to be a DESOLATE HOUSE, or a house
devoid of the presence and purpose of God.
Rise, and measure the temple of God
(Rev. 11:1). Rise translates the
Greek word egeiro meaning to collect ones
faculties, to awaken from sleep or death, to stand up.
It is often used of resurrection. Jesus
raised three people from the dead during His years of ministry, and each of these stands
as a picture of the condition of those who are raised out of the death of the carnal mind
into the life of the Son of God. First, there
was Jairus daughter. Do you remember the
story? Jesus came into the house and she was
still upon her bed. She had just died. She still wore the garments of sleep. Her mother was still moistening her brow with
kisses. Her father looked upon her lovingly,
but she was dead. And Jesus raised her with
these simple words, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise!
Then there was
the funeral procession that took place in the town of Nain where a widow of Nain had lost
her only son. Like Lazarus (the third one I
mentioned), he was no longer in his home; he no longer wore the clothes of sleep, but was
wrapped in the cerements of the cemetery. He
was already laid out upon his bier and was being conveyed to his tomb. Jesus did what He always did. He stopped the funeral because that is why
He came and He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise!
ARISE! Paul uses the word ten times in his argument for
the resurrection; the word takes different forms, but in each case it is from the same Greek word, egeiro. Now
if Christ be preached that He rose from the
dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then
is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith
is also vain. Yea, and we are found false
witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For
if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; and ye are yet in your
sins
but now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept (I Cor. 15:12-20).
When the angel
says to John, Rise, and measure the
temple of God, the Spirit is bidding John to awaken to a new reality, to arise to a
new realm of experience, and to follow the Lord into a fresh unveiling of Himself. David of old prophesied by the Spirit of this
measuring, proclaiming, Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad,
because of Thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and
go round about her: tell (mark, tally, enumerate, score, record) the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following
(Ps. 48:11-13). John is not told to measure
the God of the temple, but to measure the temple itself!
These enlightening words signify stature. The inspired apostle Paul unfolds for us the deep
mystery of this when he writes, And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).
When the Lord
commissions John to measure the temple of God
we must understand what the measure is. Christ
Jesus Himself is the measure! And all Gods
sons are being brought unto the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ. Now
it does not say that the temple at that time measured up to the full stature of Christ. It is my conviction that it did not! You see, John was given a reed like unto a rod with
which to measure the temple. The reed was a
standard of measurement which commonly was about ten feet in length. This reed was a familiar Old Testament instrument
(Eze. 40:2-5) and figure. It was just a reed,
a very common, plain, weak, destructible material; not golden, for it was not then time
for the temple of God to be perfect. Gold is the symbol in scripture representing the
incorruptible, divine nature of God. Just as
gold is the perfect metal that cannot be tarnished, so Gods nature is perfection and
it cannot be tarnished.
Therefore, when
the temple of God becomes the golden city of God John reveals to us that he
that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the
wall thereof (Rev. 21:15). Ah now
the rod is no longer a simple reed, it is a golden
reed. Gold, as I mentioned, speaks of
divine nature, revealing to us the great truth that the city has now become no longer a
temple of stones, measured by an ordinary reed, but it is a city of gold it has
attained fully to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and is therefore measured to a higher standard, even the gold
standard, as indicated by the golden reed. Full measure! The
quality of the measure and the quality of the city correspond. As the temple we are measured by a lesser standard
for we are still growing, developing, maturing, and becoming. But the city is a people that has attained to the
full perfection of Gods nature and glory! Isnt
it wonderful!
How my glad
heart rejoices in the sacred knowledge that whenever the Lord speaks of measuring
His temple, it signifies to measure the spiritual
condition. Thus when John is given a reed
to measure the temple of God it has nothing to do with some future temple the Jews would
build in Jerusalem, but he is to measure the spiritual condition and state of Gods
New Testament Temple People! He is also
instructed to measure them that worship therein.
Certainly that is not to measure how tall they were, or how large their
chest or waist would be! It doesnt mean
that God would only allow people six feet tall to enter His temple, or folks having a small waist-line.
Oh, no! God is looking for spiritual stature.
In its spiritual meaning John (and that ministry he represents) is to
take a correct estimate of the character, nature, wisdom, power, and glory of Gods
temple people and His royal priesthood! This
measuring gives a revelation of what constitutes the true church in any age as contrasted
with all the pious contentions of religion.
The quality of
height is greatly admired. Short people desire
to be tall. Tall people desire to have tall
people as their mates. In fact, one shoe
company advertised, With our shoes, now you can be taller than she is. There is a certain psychological bent in mans
very nature that demands him to be tall. If a
man is not physically tall, often he tries to make up for it mentally, by egotism,
position, attainment, or with a domineering spirit.
Donald G.
Barnhouse once shared the following story. After
the first world war there were tens of thousands of American soldiers who were left in
France, and their supreme desire was to get home as quickly as possible. Discipline was greatly relaxed from the tension of
wartime, and the men were securing as much leave as possible in order to see the sights of
Europe. In a certain village about a hundred
miles from Paris there was a detachment of American soldiers a lieutenant and about
forty men who were guarding an ammunition dump.
There was little to do outside the brief periods of guard duty, but the men
amused themselves as best they could. One day,
while the lieutenant was on leave, a motorcycle messenger came from General Pershings
headquarters. He brought word that 2,700 men
were to be chosen to march in the peace parades of London, Paris, Brussels, and Rome. The corporal and sergeant who read the order
discovered that there were two conditions imposed as standards for selection. The first brought them no difficulty, for it stated
that every candidate had to have a clean record no man would be chosen who had been
court marshaled. But the second condition made
them pause. The order stated that every man
applying had to be at least one meter and eighty-six centimeters tall! The corporal looked at the sergeant and the
sergeant looked at the corporal and asked him how much one meter and eighty-six
centimeters was. There were no answers. These Americans understood only feet and inches. Then the corporal said the most natural thing under
the circumstances. At any rate, Sarge, I
am taller than you!
When the news
spread around the group, it was the same thing over again.
No one knew the metric system. The
men got into arguments about their relative heights, and soon they were standing up, back
to back, to see who was the tallest man in the company.
Finally, they knew their comparative heights, all the way from Slim down to
Shorty. Slim was very proud and told them that
he would send them a postcard from Rome and that he would take a look at the English girls
for the rest of them. Poor Shorty received the
good-natured banter of his friends. Under the
circumstances these soldiers did the normal, natural thing.
They were in ignorance of the required
standard! The information was greatly
desired, but this lack led them to set up artificial standards of their own and measure themselves by themselves. Some pride developed in the men who were
taller. After all, were they not the most
probable candidates?
Then the officer
returned. He read the order and asked if there
were any candidates. The trouble is,
sir, the sergeant replied, we do not know what one meter and eighty-six
centimeters is. The lieutenant, who knew
French, went to the village and brought back a meter measure. Soon a mark was made on the wall of the required
height (about six feet). Now the men were no
longer measuring themselves with themselves! They
had to stand up against a mark on the wall that was inflexible. It had been established by General Pershing. One or two men backed up to the mark, and their
companions told them that they were an inch or so short of the full measure. Some men merely looked at the mark and knew that
there was no hope. Finally, a call was made
for Slim, and he came to be measured. He
pulled himself up to his greatest possible height and stood there, rigid and puffed up, as
they measured him. He, too, was short, even
though he was short by no more than a quarter of an inch.
Of course,
General Pershing got his 2,700 men. Many saw
them that day when they came under the Arch of Triumph on Bastille Day, the fourteenth of
July. These men, all in new uniforms, and with
American Beauty roses tied to their bayonets, made a proud sight as they marched down the
Champs Elysees, each one of them at least one meter and eighty-six centimeters tall! The point of this story lies in the fact that
Pershing did not secure any of his marching men
from the company described. He was not asking
that they be about so tall, but that they fill
an absolute requirement. And the heart of the story lies in the fact that
tall Slim did not march in the parade any more than did short Shorty. As General Pershing had a perfect right to set the
standard which set the height of every man that was in that parade, so it is with the high
purposes of God!
Multitudes of
the Lords people are mere spiritual children,
and the qualifications are very low for children. But
sons mature, manifest sons are called to meet a higher standard! To march in Gods army, to reign with Christ
in His kingdom, to receive power over the nations, to be a priest of God upon His throne,
to reign in life and bring deliverance to the whole creation from the bondage of
corruption, can only be fulfilled by those who have attained unto the measure of
the stature of the FULLNESS OF CHRIST! Paul
immediately adds to this statement the divine reason behind the requirement, That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and
fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in
all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love (Eph. 4:14-16).
For whom
He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the
firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29).
For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and
they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb. 2:10-11). The rule which God has made for entry into His
house of sons is just this: Men shall measure up to His glory and be perfect and mature as
HE IS. This rigorous standard is found
expressed throughout the scriptures, and is finally personified in the firstborn Son of
God, our Lord Jesus Christ. In our former days
in the religious systems of man we did not understand what the measure was! As babes in Christ we thought that everything we
should receive both here and in heaven above was simply by grace. And
for little children it is! In those days, like
the soldier boys in France, we also measured ourselves by ourselves, we were more
spiritual than others, our church was better than the other church, God still blessed and
used brother Brown and sister Smith in spite of their weaknesses and failures, so we were
pretty sure we could slide along also and make it in.
God would just overlook everything if our heart was right. But those who
measure themselves by themselves do not march in the parade!
And even in this walk in the kingdom and sonship do not make the fatal
mistake of measuring yourself, my beloved, by some other son. Oh, no! Only
those who stand up beside JESUS CHRIST and measure up to the stature of HIS fullness are
of that blessed company of His many brethren!
That is the mark!
Because
of the gravity of this calling the great apostle Paul exhorts us all with these
significant words: Not as though I had already attained, either were already
perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend
that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which
are before, I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS (Phil. 3:11-14). The
hour is coming and now is when every son of God is being measured by the standard to determine whether we
meet the measure to qualify for the high calling of sonship glory and dominion.
When we measure
something we judge it and discover its boundaries. Gods
called and chosen elect are in these days discovering the unlimited dwelling place we have
in the Lord! We also discover the limits we put upon His dwelling place in us. When the temple is measured that is what we
discover! In order to discover the unlimited
dwelling place we have in Him we must loose the limits we place on Him until all things
become possible for us! John is here a
representative man, having received figuratively, in eating the little book, the
communication of Gods mind. He is now
prepared to take into account the spiritual state of Gods people, to ascertain by
the wisdom and understanding of the indwelling
mind of the Lord, what is there spiritually for God. The
measure is just this only by the glorious mind of Christ are we enabled to truly
see and comprehend what is the reality within Gods called and chosen elect! The reed
like unto a rod is the divine enablement of the mind
of Christ. The temple is the place
where Gods mind is made known, as king David so clearly understood when he said,
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in
the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold
the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His
temple (Ps. 27:4).
A number of
years ago the late Norene Nicholls penned the following enlightening words. About a year ago the Lord whispered into my
heart one day, In the measurements of the temple you will find the time elements. My heart then turned to the thought given in
Revelation 11:1 concerning the measuring of the temple, the altar, and the worshippers. As there were no measurements given there, I turned
back to I Kings 6:2 for the measurements of Solomons temple seeking after the answer
to the clue the Lord had given me. And
the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length
thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
With these
figures in mind, let us pause a moment here to explain the meaning of the temple. It is twofold.
First, What? know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit which is in you? (I Cor. 6:19).
In one sense our individual bodies are individual and specific temples of
God in which He wants to dwell in fullness. Second,
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house (or, temple)
(I Pet. 2:5). In
this sense we are collectively a temple of God, each member being a living stone in the
temple, in which He desires to indwell in glory. Thus,
the temple of God is an individual body or a collective body of the sons of God.
Now back
to the measurements of the temple. Solomons
temple was 60 cubits long, 20 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high. These figures multiplied together give you the
cubic cubits of the temple which is 36,000 cubic cubits.
The meaning of numbers in scripture is most interesting, and we want to
briefly touch on it here. The length of the
temple was 60 cubits. SIX is the number of
MAN, but SIXTY is SIX times TEN, and TEN is the number of TESTING or PROVING. Thus SIXTY means MAN PROVEN OR TESTED. So the first measurement refers to Gods man
or men being fully proven in the fires of testing. The
second measurement is the breadth, and it is TWENTY cubits.
If you carefully follow this number through the scriptures, you find that it
has to do with the age at which Israel was numbered, that is, from twenty years old and
upward. So TWENTY means NUMBERING as it has to
do with Israel in her various tribes. The
third measurement is the height which was THIRTY cubits, and THIRTY signifies THE
BEGINNING OF MINISTRY. Jesus was thirty when
He began His ministry, David was thirty when he began to reign, Joseph was thirty when he
came to rulership in Egypt, etc. So putting
these meanings together, the measuring of the temple reveals GODS TESTED MAN BEING NUMBERED AND BEGINNING HIS
MINISTRY. Isnt that beautiful!
In
considering the cubic cubits which is 36,000, we again come to numerical meanings of
interest. THREE is considered the great
mystical number of the Hebrews, and it means DIVINE REVELATION. Again we have SIX which is, as we have already
stated, the number of MAN. Then follow the
zeros of the THOUSANDS, and generally speaking, when we get into 100 or 1000, it refers to
FULLNESS. So the compound meaning of the
compound measurement is THE DIVINE REVELATION TO
AND OF MAN CONCERNING HIS FULLNESS. So the
beauty of measure the temple continues to unfold in panoramas of glory!
Right now
God is dealing with His sons in a very special way both individually and collectively
He is measuring as never before! Collectively
He is putting son with son and son against son until they wonder what is taking place. The answer is that GOD IS MEASURING THE TEMPLE OF
THE SONS TO BRING THE WHOLE BODY OR COMPANY INTO THE FULLNESS OF THE MEASURE OF THE
STATURE OF CHRIST! What shall we say then to
all of this? Be patient, my brethren, for the
measuring is proceeding on schedule. There
seems to be no answer from the Lord on anything, but we have this promise, He that
hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the Day of Jesus Christ. This promise, too, is comforting, The Lord
will perfect that which concerneth me. Rest
in the knowledge that He will finish what is started, and finish it even unto the
redemption of the body. This is the hour of
perfection, not necessarily of healing or deliverance, but rather of being brought to the
measure of His fullness end
quote.
The apostle John
himself signifies the mind of Christ in a
ministry that is able to discern Gods purpose to bring His son company to the full
measure of the stature of the firstborn Son. There
is such a ministry in the earth today! Let me
tell you something about this ministry. This
ministry does not preach laws, rules, and regulations, nor does it try to legislate
holiness; rather, it proclaims the truth of Christ
IN YOU the hope of glory! This ministry
does not teach doctrines and creeds, but they exhort the Lords elect to grow up into Him who IS THE TRUTH! This ministry does not preach questionings and
doubts, but assures every man that you have within
you the ability of the mighty Christ to become all that God has revealed to you and
apprehended you for! This ministry does
not preach that we are all just human, apt to mistakes, and no one can be perfect, but
exhorts the saints, Let us GO ON TO
PERFECTION! This ministry is not out
trying to build another church, denomination, organization, or kingdom of man, for this
ministry knows that there are enough sects and schism dividing the body of Christ, so this
ministry encourages every child of God to look to and depend upon no man or movement, but
to KNOW THE LORD FOR THEMSELVES! This ministry does not draw men unto
themselves, to control or manipulate under their authority, but freely and earnestly seeks
to raise up the nature, mind, will, and glory of
the Lord in each individual member of the body of Christ, until they have built Gods
true building, the temple of the Lord! This
ministry does not set the ministry above the so-called laity, they
do not make a distinction between the various members of the body of Christ, though each
member is indeed unique and every joint supplies; they teach that ALL are the body of Christ, and everyone a member
thereof, and only the glorious Head of the body has in all things preeminence! This
ministry does not preach submission to men, but union
with the Spirit of Christ within them! This
ministry does not preach about flying away to heaven, but of being filled with all the fullness of God!
In closing this
message I am impressed to share from the anointed pen of brother Carl Schwing.
There are
realms within Fathers heavenly places that over the centuries only the mystics (ones
initiated into the deep things of the Holy Spirit) and saints ventured into
all of
which gave their life to do so
in one way or another.
Their brave spirits dared to rise above the limitations of orthodoxy and
entered the realm of truth and reality. And
there, in the silence of His presence, they had fellowship with the Father and their
Beloved
the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that
they had attained during their earth life, but, they had been apprehended to attain. They sought for the life in the Spirit, and for the
realm of reality. Now they wait in the beauty
of the Fathers House for the hour when His perfect work is finished, and they reach
their full attainment in Christ Jesus. It was
their undying love for Christ, their unshakable faith, their loyalty in serving all those
in need
it was their burning desire to always seek the will of God
to do the
will of God
to become the will of God
it was by walking in His righteousness,
His holiness, and in His Spirit, that made these precious ones the saints of the Lord. To the world they were strange, to the religious
they were fools, but, the meek and lowly of heart considered them godly.
In my
spirit I see another very special dwelling place in our Fathers house. To be still, to wait in His presence is one of the
greatest acts of praise and worship. To be
alone with the Father is a reality beyond the comprehension of the worldly, the religious,
and often the spiritual. To know Him as the
beginning of all things, the life of all things, and the fulfillment of all things, is one
of the keys that will open the door to the unseen realm
the eternal realm. Such knowledge is the revelation of the Kingdom of
God within the earth that we are
it is the pathway to the power of an endless life. Oh! What
matchless love and mercy and grace for all mankind, for all creation, is hidden in the
sacred words of the most High: Be still and know that I am God. end quote.
As the Lord
measures His temple in this hour may we all measure up to the simplicity and power of the
exhortation above. Amen!
To be continued
J. PRESTON EBY
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