Continued from
yesterday….
The Apostle Paul
clearly shows that Christ, while fulfilling his priesthood, occupies a
sanctuary containing two apartments; the Holy, or first tabernacle, and the
Holiest of all, or second tabernacle, within the second vail. In the Holy is
the candlestick, the table of shew bread, and the golden altar.—See Heb. ix, 2
; Ex. xl, 24-26. In the Holiest of all, is the ark of the covenant, the
mercy-seat, and the two cherubims overshadowing the mercy-seat, above which is
seen the most excellent glory, or Ancient of days.— See Heb. ix, 3-5 : Ex.
xxvi, 33, 34.
Heb 9:2 For
there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the
table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
Exo 40:24 And
he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table,
on the side of the tabernacle southward.
Exo 40:25 And
he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 40:26 And
he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail
Heb 9:3 And
after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
Heb 9:4 Which
had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with
gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded,
and the tables of the covenant;
Heb 9:5 And
over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now
speak particularly.
Exo 26:33 And
thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither
within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you
between the holy place and the most holy.
Exo 26:34 And
thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy
place.
I am now prepared to
explain the third division of the text, viz. " they that were ready went
in with him to the marriage." In order to make the matter 'perfectly plain
to your understanding, let us go back, and see in what way they went in, under
the typical services.
Under the Mosaic
economy, a cycle of one year embraced all the ordinances, and services of the
tabernacle, and typified all the services of Christ, while acting in the
capacity of a priest. Under the type there was a daily ministration for the
sins of the people, for three hundred and sixty four days, then that
ministration ceased. Then on the last day of this cycle of three hundred and
sixty-five days, or the tenth day of the seventh month, the high priest, having
washed himself in pure water, puts on the holy garments, made expressly for the
services of this day. Thus prepared, he passes from the Holy, into the Holiest
of all, bearing on the breastplate of judgement the names of all the tribes of
Israel. In this' manner, all the true Israel went in with him.
Thus Christ, in the
antitype, in the true tabernacle in heaven, closes the antitypical daily
ministration in the Holy Place, clothes himself in the holy garments, having on
the breast-plate of judgement, on which is inscribed the names of the true
Israel of God, who are described by the following words in the text, "
they that were ready." Thus arrayed, he is prepared to perform all -the
services of the antitypical tenth day, and passes into the Holiest of all
before the mercy-seat, and is brought near before the Ancient of days. Thus,
they that were ready went in with him to the marriage as he went in to receive
his bride, " and the DOOR WAS SHUT."
The cleansing of the
sanctuary, blotting out the sins of all Israel, and sending them away upon the
head of the scape-goat, &c. in the type, were performed by the high priest
on the memorable tenth day of the seventh month, all of which were shadows of
the services of Christ in the heavenly tabernacle, after his ministration -in
the Holy Place closes ; some of which I may notice hereafter.
4. The marriage.
I think there are
but three portions of Scripture in the New Testament that speak of marriage,
which refer to Christ. The parable of the king's son, Matt. xxii, 2-14 ; the
parable of the ten virgins, Matt. xxv, 1-12, and Rev. xix, 7-9 ; in all these
it is used as a figure, to represent something that is, not real marriage; but
that which bears a close resemblance to it. Therefore, the only reasonable
conclusion that I can arrive at is, that marriage, when used in reference to
Christ, represents the receiving into close connection, and perpetual union,
the Kingdom, or some component part of the- Kingdom.
When the prophet
says, "thy land shall be married,"—see Isa. lxii, 4—he means that the
territory or locality of the Kingdom is to be brought into close connection
with the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. When the New Jerusalem is adorned as
a bride for her husband, and is given to Christ, and the saints or virgins go
in with him, as guests to the marriage, then it is that he receives the capital
of his promised and long looked for Kingdom.
Isa 62:4 Thou
shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed
Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD
delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
And when, as
described to John in vision—see Rev. xix, 1-9—
Rev 19:1 And
after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying,
Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our
God:
Rev 19:2 For
true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which
did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his
servants at her hand.
Rev 19:3 And
again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And
the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God
that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Rev 19:5 And a
voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and
ye that fear him, both small and great.
Rev 19:6 And I
heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7 Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And
to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:
for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And
he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage
supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of
God.
God shall have
judged her that did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and :shall have
"avenged the blood of his servants at her hand ;" and when the voice
as "of a great multitude," and " as the voice of mighty
thunderings " shall proclaim " Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him ; for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and . his wife hath made herself ready ;" and when to
her is " granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white," which " is the righteousness of saints," then the
subjects of the Kingdom become the bride; and in joint-heirship with the
bridegroom possess " the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the
Kingdom under the whole heaven."
5. THE SHUT DOOR.
A door supposes a
change of scenery, or a change from one apartment to another. There are several
things to which the term door is applied, such as " door of
utterance," and "door of faith." "I am the door," said Jesus. But the door
mentioned in the text represents not only a change in the position of the
bridegroom, (Christ,) but it also shows a change in his relation to the world,
from that which he previously held. Here, again, let us examine the services of
the typical priesthood, that we may understand the services of Christ in the
antitype. After the priests had performed the daily, services, ordained
especially for the Holy Place, or first apartment, and the memorable tenth day
of the seventh month had arrived, then there was an entire change in the
services of the sanctuary to be performed on that day.
By reading the
sixteenth chapter of Leviticus, you will find that the high priest here washes
his flesh in water, puts on the holy garments, and enters upon an entire new
work. The offering up of the daily sin-offerings has ceased, and the high
priest, on this day, atones for or blots out the sins of Israel, and removes
them from the altar, where they have been imputed or laid during the year,
through the blood of the victims daily offered. On this day of atonement, or of
cleansing the sanctuary, the high priest (as above stated) passes into the Most
Holy Place, bearing on the breast-plate of judgement the names of all such as,
through obedience to the typical ordinances, have applied for a remission of
sins, through the blood of their victims there offered ; and THE DOOR of the
first apartment is SHUT. " And there shall be No MAN in the tabernacle of
the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until
he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and
for all the congregation of xvi, 17. On
this day of atonement, he is a high priest for -those only whose names are
inscribed on the breast-plate of judgement. Now just so sure as the Aaronic
priesthood was a type of the priesthood of Christ, then the sanctuary, with its
apartments and appendages, were figures of the true sanctuary in heaven ; and
the services and ordinances of the earthly tabernacle were shadows of Christ's
ministration, which is the substance. With this view of the subject,, 'It is,
plain that a time in Christ's ministration must come, (before he puts on the
kingly robes, and girds his sword upon his thigh, and comes to execute
judgement,) that he Will cease to be a priest in the first apartment of the
true tabernacle for the sins of the whole world, and put on the holy garments,
and, with the true Israel of God inscribed on His breastplate of judgement, go
in with them before the mercy-seat, where John saw one having a golden censor
offering the prayers of all saints (wise virgins) before the throne ' and be a
merciful high priest over the household of faith, cleanse the sanctuary and
place all the-sins of the true Israel upon the scape-goat, which is the devil:
Then, he will lay off the priestly garments, and clothe himself with the
garments of wrath, and come to gather his elect from the four winds, under
heaven, and destroy the wicked, and burn up their City.
Having thus
explained the text, I will now examine some ideas suggested in the -foregoing
exposition. And first, the time of the fulfilment of the events, contained in
the text, may be known by those which precede, and those that follow. Christ,
after giving the signs of his coming, and a description of what should take
place at his coming, proceeds to give a history of 'some of the scenes which
should be transacted previous to that event. It appears that just before his
coming, his wise and faithful servants, seeing the signs fulfilling, and some
of the events which were to precede his coming actually transpiring, would
raise the soul-thrilling cry—" The LORD IS COMING," and thus wake up others to an examination of
this all-important subject by this " meat in due season." Then this
cry would excite those professed servants, who were unfaithful in their
Master's cause, and who loved the things of -this present world; to raise an
Opposite cry—" My Lord delayeth his coming." While these opposite
cries are being given, THEN commences the fulfilment of the parable of the ten
virgins. Here some, by examining the arguments of the faithful servants, and
'seeing good evidence that the signs were fulfilling, were led thereby to go
forth to meet the bridegroom. We here. plainly see that the cry of the faithful
servants is the cause of their going forth, and that, their going forth is the
effect produced by this cause; therefore, the fulfilment of the parable could
never commence without the cry, The Lord is Coming," being first raised by
the faithful servants.
Having Shown how
this important parable must commence, let us examine the different steps of its
progression. First, the virgins go forth to meet the bridegroom ; second, they
meet with a disappointment ; third, they wait or tarry, still believing that his
coming is near, yet, by waiting, they become drowsy, arid slumber and sleep ;
fourth, a cry is heard, BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH) GO OUT TO MEET HIM ;" fifth, a trimming
of lamps, and oil effort, on 'the part of the foolish virgins, to -procure oil;
and sixth, the scenes described in the text take place. Now has there been a
succession of events, within our second advent experience, which, bears an
exact resemblance to the above named events in the parable ? -If there, has,
then we have, at least, some good reasons for believing that the door is shut.
TO BE CONTINUED….
THE PRESENT TRUTH.
PUBLISHED,
SEMI-MONTHLY, BY JAMES WHITE.
Vol. I.]
OSWEGO, N. Y. DECEMBER, 1849. [No. 6.
We are now studying
- 'The Present Truth' papers published in the middle 1800's. These are called
the 'Present Truth' because it WAS Present Truth for that time. So why study
them now? Because TRUTH at any time is worth studying, and we KNOW that often ORIGINAL
truth presented before Satan has had an opportunity to corrupt it, can be very
enlightening. At the very least we will see, by the grace of God, through the
Holy Spirit, what truth then is still uncorrupted today and still very relevant
for us living in these dark, dark times. Our world today compared to a hundred
and seventy years ago is so much worse than it was, with so much evil being
called good, and good being called evil.
May God bless us as we seek HIS truth for us in our present, bringing us
only closer to Him and prayerfully the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ!
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