THE WORD OF GOD IS A MOST POWERFUL INDUCEMENT TO THIS...WE SHALL SEE OF WHAT VAST CONSEQUENCE IT IS TO US THAT WE BE HOLY IF WE CONSIDER THE ACCOUNT WE MUST EVERY ONE OF US, SHORTLY GIVE OF OURSELF TO GOD. THE STRICTNESS OF GOD’S WORD MUST CONCERN US NOW AS TO HOW WE WORK GOD’S WORD. THE SOLEMNITY OF THE COVENANT IS ESTABLISHED BY AND CONDITIONAL UPON A FAITH THAT WORKS. HOW CAN SO MUCH GRACE BE DISPENSED UNDER THIS COVENANT? WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMING OF GOD’S SON WHO REPAIRED ALL THE INJURY DONE TO GOD'S HONOR.
In God’s divine call to prophesy again are shown several powerful phenomena that occur in heaven. So intense are these happenings that God allows us visionary access to the sanctuary. And following the revealing of the phenomena we see the ark of God’s testament, His covenant. Let’s look at what the testament, what the covenant infers. Testament is seen as a relation between God and humanity (the new testament), covenant tends to show the relationship between Hebrews (Israel) and God. First, an angel of God assesses us...do we worship God in Spirit and in truth. Do we make God's glory our end and His word our rule? Does our conversation become the gospel?
Revelation 11:1
God’s most faithful witnesses who attest the truth of His word and the excellency of His ways. These witnesses will have deep bearing in our prophesying. War will be raged against the witnesses and for a time they will appear dead, but will not be buried. The Lord will revive a people. We can detail the phenomena, with that referenced and notated above. It is the showing of the ark that we might want to gather wisdom concerning. This was in the holy of holies. This is the expression of God’s favor in the propitiation of Jesus Christ. A reminder that God is implacably opposed to everything that is evil, that His opposition may properly be described as 'wrath', and that this wrath is put away only by the atoning work of Christ. This is the only mention of the real covenant in the book of Revelation. Our covenant with God is current and relevant.
Revelation 11:19
Reconciled in the opening of the temple that the contents of the ark may be known are two apparently exclusive principles: that only the elect will be saved and that God is perfectly just. This is an extremely important event when God’s temple in heaven opens to show the real ark of the covenant. It happens at an extremely important time in the book of Revelation. Its purpose was to signal the certainty of Christ’s reign over the world; that we are in the final phase of prophecy; judgment and reward are determined. This is a very sacred and serious moment. The most sacred object, the ark of the covenant in heaven was opened. It contains evidence of the covenant, God’s promises that establish His relationship with His people. God is acting with the most severe and serious judgements, but He has not forgotten His promises. He acts in this manner because of His promises. The proper time has, at last, come. That is why at this time, God shows the ark of the covenant, the evidence of His promises. Compare the scene with God’s coming to Mount Sinai, including the opening and the great hail. Is Jesus ready to leave...what of the final act of God’s wrath opening the 1000 year sabbath in heaven.
God’s true people moves to truth continuously. There will be those who grow further and further away from the knowledge of God’s Word by choice. It makes the truth God is revealing in His Word even sweeter to His believers and those that are searching for the whole truth. Divine revelation is the source of knowledge concerning ultimate truth and, therefore, ultimate reality. And the bible says we are to “continue” in the quickness of the word...that means in the life of the word and the word is not dead.
John 8:31, 32 Hebrews 4:12
Hear what the word does once it is inside...it reveals all opposition to God’s truth...it discerns the thoughts, the intents, the attitude toward the word. But when the Holy Spirit works with the word it does more: it convicts us of our rebellion against God and subdues us; it leads us as sheep to the Good Shepherd. This is how we are born again. We hear God speaking, we know of the perfect demands of the law as well as God’s sure judgment, we realize our peril, we surrender ourselves and fall before the Lord in conviction of sin. The word is so powerful that it is sharper than any weapon used against it.
Hebrews 4:13
What is this that the word opens up to us...it uncovers every heart, every act, every intention, every thought, and desire and brings them before the penetrating gaze of the living God. It is the gospel witness.
I John 4:6
There is urgency in our studying the word of God.
II Kings 22:8
Josiah began reading the bible the workers had found, and soon he tore his clothes to lament what had been absent from Israel’s life for so long. He gathered the godliest people around God’s Word to study it. Then they put into practice the things they read in the scriptures, and the result was a renewal of the covenant with God and the restoration of the blessings that come through faith in him.
Through His Word, God Himself teaches us, rebukes and corrects us, trains us in righteousness, and equips us for every good work. When we come to God’s Word in faith, when we open up our heart and mind to the teachings of the bible, either as it is taught or in our reading of it, that Word comes alive within us because it is sent by God Himself for that purpose. He lives and acts in us through His living and active Word. Why is God revealing the ark of the covenant?
SOP - The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes, for it is to be the great test [SEE THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, WHERE THE GREAT TEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD IS SHOWN TO BE SUNDAY-LAW ENFORCEMENT.] for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. 2SM 81 (1890). {LDE 227.3}
Please note that the great test is not the Sunday Law for God’s people...it is the enforcement of the Sunday Law. God has a people standing with the Lamb before the mark of the beast...and they have a name written in their foreheads...they are sealed.
SOP- God has not revealed to us the time when this message [the third angel's] will close, or when probation will have an end. . . . Letters have come to me asking me if I have any special light as to the time when probation will close; and I answer that I have only this message to bear, that it is now time to work while the day lasts, for the night cometh in which no man can work. {FLB 215.2} When Jesus rises up in the most holy place, and lays off His mediatorial garments, and clothes Himself with the garments of vengeance in place of the priestly attire, the work for sinners will be done. . . . The probation of all closes when the pleading for sinners is ended and the garments of vengeance are put on. {FLB 215.3}
The case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin. . . . Then the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth. {FLB 215.4} In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent . . . . Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old. {FLB 215.5} We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close.... Christ is soon to come. {FLB 215.6}
When probation ends, it will come suddenly, unexpectedly--at a time when we are least expecting it. But we can have a clean record in heaven today, and know that God accepts us; and finally, if faithful, we shall be gathered into the kingdom of heaven. {FLB 215.7}
Now let’s think again concerning the opening of the temple and the ark of the testament in light of the probationary truth. We had best consider and understand this... Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14
It does not say “do you hear”, it says “let us hear”. Teachers must themselves be hearers of that word which they teach to others, and must hear it as from God; those are not teachers who teach others and not themselves. Every word of God is pure and precious, but some words are worthy of more special remark, offering greater insight. There is a conclusion to the matter. Set aside doubtful disputation. The old covenant dealt specifically with the law and rightfully so because God covenanted obedience above sacrifice. If never there was disobedience...And so with the new covenant unbelief is regarded as the sin that is pre- eminently offensive to God.
Hebrews 4:3-11
Unbelief is a tragic and increasing trend among God’s people. It is the principal one of which we are guilty and so we trampled on the blood of His Son. All sin has its root in unbelief.
John 16:9
Unbelief is not simply a casual incredulity nor a difference of opinion, rather, it is a total rejection of God’s messenger, message, and God’s word. Unbelief puts self at the center of things. People who deny or refuse to believe what God has revealed about Himself are in a state of unbelief.
Hebrews 3:7-19
Unbelief in the face of evidence is either stupidity or sin. Why is God opening the temple showing the ark of the covenant to His last day people? Unbelief... is always proud...always conceited. Unbelief is in itself the fruit of an evil heart. Unbelief was the first sin, and pride was the first-born of it. Disobedience and unbelief are two sides of the same coin. Unbelief in the biblical view is not passive, an innocent but inaccurate view that has unfortunately 'got it wrong' at a few points. Rather, unbelief is active, driven by a dark energy. Unbelief is at the bottom of all our staggerings, unsteadiness, at God's covenant promises. The real heart of unbelief is seeking your own way to fix God’s way as your way. Unbelief is not failure in intellectual apprehension. It is disobedience in the presence of the clear understanding of God. When we neglect to ask God, we may hold an erroneous conception of God's way.
James 1:5, 6
What we can know about God, we must know about God. While God has entered into agreements with humanity, His designated, peculiar people, is the only people with which He has entered into a blood covenant relationship. Yet not forgetting that the blood of our Lord and Savior was typified in the sacrificial offerings by faith.
Jeremiah 31:31-33
God’s covenant likewise is established referentially to His Son’s looming death. How does scripture verify this truth both positively and negatively? No one can legally, morally, or spiritually transfer God’s covenants with His people to another people. God therefore will fulfill His covenantal promises to His people, not to descendents of Ishmael, nor to the world, nor to any other people who does not come to Christ in belief of the promise.
Galatians 3:29 Hebrews 10:16; 8:5
Better promises?? Deuteronomy 27:3 Psalms 105:42-45 I John 2:25
And the deeper truth still concerning this “ark of the testament”...
Mark 14:24
Jesus unites his offering with the promise of God given Abraham and at Mt Sinai. The new covenant not only enlarges and fulfills all the promises of the Abrahamic covenant, but also supersedes the Mosaic covenant, the law. It does what the Mosaic covenant could not do - not because the law itself was deficient, but because of a deficiency in the people who received it.
Hebrews 8:6-10
It might be now that we have understanding why God opens the temple in heaven to the ark of His testament. It is the re-affirmation of His intentions...promise fulfilled.
The commandments... Exodus 20:1–17.
The judgments... Exodus 21:1–24:11.
The ordinances... Exodus 24:12–31:18.
These covenant principles govern God’s people’s moral, civil, and spiritual life as we live under the everlasting covenant. Jesus fulfilled his role as the mediator, he now is the enactor of the new covenant.
Hebrews 13:20, 21
The new covenant provides blessing through Christ to the whole world. Thus, believers today come under the blessings of the blood of the covenant. Therefore, by faith and by blood appropriate from the mountain of God’s throne the mediatorship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Please remember this better covenant...God’s law written upon hearts, minds. Jesus Christ has ratified the new covenant, but has not yet enacted it. Its unenacted status is what necessitates that Jesus be the guarantee of the new covenant.
Hebrews 7:22
If enactment had already occurred, no need for the guarantee would exist. The Lord Jesus Christ himself is that guarantee for the enactment with the people of God of that better covenant. The enactment is Jesus’ coming to bring his people to the Father. Two distinct and separate events. The ratification by blood has only made the future enactment of the new covenant with God’s people most certain. The opening of the temple, the ark of the testament by the Father, is the guarantee of its future fulfillment...Jesus’ work done. Remembered by few, forgotten by most, the bread, the cup; these tokens recall the sacrifice that ratified the covenant until God enacts the covenant itself at the Lord’s return. And so we wait, we suffer, we patiently endure till he come. In the meantime, we have a place, a promise, an answer, a good report, a family, at the altar before God. We have Jesus Christ in us.
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