"Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" (John 14:22)
It is evident from the answer Christ gave to Judas that there will be a personal appearing of the Father and Christ to each saint who keeps the words of Christ. This is not a manifestation to the world but to the believer who shows his love for Jesus by keeping His commandments.
Jesus' answer to Judas is the fulfillment in the new covenant of the old-covenant feast of Tabernacles.
The three great annual gatherings of Israel were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
"Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:" (Deuteronomy 16:16)
First we are delivered from wrath and commence our Christian discipleship—Passover.
Then we learn to serve Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and to walk in righteousness and holiness in the Spirit—Pentecost.
Finally we are ready for the Father and the Son to come into us in a far greater way than we have known and to make us an abode in the Father's House—Tabernacles.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23)
John 14:23 describes the new covenant fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, of Leviticus 23:33-43. Note (above): "If a man love me; will love him ; come to him ; make our abode with him."
"Tabernacles" always is an individual experience because it is an exchange and expression of love between Christ and the believer.
Jesus does not come to them but to him. When each of the believers has been prepared as the dwelling place of the Father it will be time for them, as we read in John 17:21-23. As was true of Solomon's Temple, the living stones will be fashioned precisely and completely "at the quarry."
When the appointed hour has arrived for the stones to come together to form the Father's House, it will not be necessary to do any trimming or adjusting. The Body of Christ will flow together by the power of the Spirit at one sovereign Word from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bride of the Lamb will be completely mature, in perfect unity, without wrinkle, spot, or any blemish of any kind whatever.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1)
The Father does not want any more vines. He does not want any more christs.
There is one Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true Vine, and the only Vine God will bless. He is the eternal House of God, the perfect and complete expression of God's Person, love, and will.
R. Thompson
Awesome post!! God's plan is perfect, oh, that we might be willing to conform, to come into agreement with HIS Ways,
ReplyDelete"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Php 3:10-11
We are 'spiritually dead' if we are not in Christ. Our religion is devoid of life. We can talk all we want about the things of God, but if we refuse to come in HIS way, we won't come in at all.
May we diligently seek to Know HIM... 1Ch 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
God Bless