Sunday Night, June 10, 2018 PM

The Exaltation and Preexistence of Christ

To clarify the totality, the thoroughness, the grandness of this deliverance, we now are asked to pay attention to the exaltation and the worthiness of this Christ. So, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

This is about rank and not origin. For by Him all things were created. And then we have a list of everything He made. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

All things have been created through Him and for Him. Okay, so in verse 16, what are the spheres of the created order? We have what is visible and we have what is invisible. And this distinction lies alongside another parallel there in verse 16.

What is that? Heaven and earth. Okay. So, for by Him all things were created. Now, the way that John emphasizes that is, apart from Him, nothing was made that was made or nothing came into being that came into being.

He's just, that's how John clarifies it. The way that Paul clarifies it is, all things created everywhere no matter where they are or what they are, whether in heaven on earth or visible or invisible, these were made by Christ.

For by Him all things were created. So, we see that the sphere is heaven and earth. So, that's everything, right? The kind of creatures, visible and invisible. And since we're exalting Christ and talking about His kingdom, the kingdom of God's beloved Son, let's just be clear that Christ, by Him, all other authorities and powers have been made through Him.

So, this includes thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. And just to clarify, all things have been created through Him and for Him. So, are we to read this as angelic powers? No, because it's also the visible and it's also what is on earth.

And we can't read this as exclusively material or only human kinds of power structures, right? But also the angelic. So, I think both are included here. And so, all things have been created through Him and for Him.

This is, I think, incredibly part of that perversion of Satan when he was tempting Christ in the wilderness saying, here's all the kingdoms of the earth. If you just bow down and worship me, they can be all yours.

But of course, all things have already been created through Christ and for Christ. And he rightly ascends to the throne to reign over all these dominions, whether visible or invisible, as we see in his ascension.

Christ's Authority Over Earthly Powers

So, what did Jesus... Now, we have to think about this, because obviously there are a lot of horrible powers in the world today, right? Visible and invisible. Okay. And so, obviously, we think of the power of Christ to create.

We have beings in this world, visible and invisible, that are doing the wrong things, right? Sinning against the God who made them. Sinning against Christ who is in all authority over them. By whose providence they exist and are allowed to rule.

And yet they rebel. Psalm 2, with the nations raging, the people plotting a vain thing, the leaders gathering together against God and his Christ, and so on. Now, let's think a little bit about this. How does that work out?

What did Jesus say to Pilate? Pilate says, don't you know I have the power to release you? Yeah. So, you would have no power unless it was given to you from above, right? It's an amazing thing. Pilate's got Jesus on trial, but Jesus, through him, all things were created.

Pilate's job, Pilate's position, Pilate's power, the authority structure there, is all originated by Christ, exists through Christ, ultimately for Christ. So, I think when we think about that, obviously, we can see that these authorities and powers are not doing what they're supposed to, you know?

Kim Jong-un and everybody, less insane than he is. The authority structure there, but it's all originated. What are we to think? Right? Well, guess who's on the highest throne of all? Guess who's reigning on the highest throne of all?

So, that's a comforting hymn. What now? No. No. Well, let's go look at that. Revelation 21 -20. In the description of the New Jerusalem. And again, verse 9 of chapter 21 sets us up here to understand what the description is.

And so, it says, then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke to me saying, come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. So, who's ready to see a beautiful young lady in a white dress?

Right? Hey, we're getting primed for that. Okay. And again, the Jewish bride looked different than the American bride. Okay. But we're supposed to be looking for a bride, right? Okay. Get ready. Let's fix our eyes on the bride.

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain. Will the bride be walking up the mountain? Where is she? And showed me the holy city, Jerusalem. Showed me the holy city, Jerusalem. Coming down out of heaven from God.

Even as John is a little bit surprised. The Lion of Judah. Yes, I'm looking for a lion. Great golden tawny beast with big mane and sharp teeth. And there is a lamb standing as if slain. So also, where's the bride of Christ?

Let's gaze upon the beauty of the bride. Where is she? Where is she? Ah, a city. Surprise. It's a city. The holy city, Jerusalem. Coming down out of heaven from God. In other words, as we begin to read about the new Jerusalem, we're told in the plainest language possible that this city, we are not to think of primarily as where we're gonna live, but of who we are.

The New Jerusalem as the Bride of Christ

So John says right there in the text. Right? We've been conditioned to think of things in a more materialistic fashion. And I believe the new creation is going to be material. It's going to be new creation.

We're going to have the dirt of the new creation in our fingernails. Okay? I plan to garden a lot. Looking forward to that. But what we have here, the holy city, Jerusalem, what we're seeing described here is the bride.

And so when we're reading through, there's all of these walls and gates and stones and so on. Okay? And the shape of the city is 12 ,000 stadia by 12 ,000 stadia by 12 ,000 stadia. Perfect cube. It is the exact dimensions of a cube that of course the holy of holies was made in.

John is recording this for connecting all these things together from the old to the new Testament. Now, as we read along, we see down to verse 21. 12 gates were 12 pearls. Each one of the gates was a single pearl.

And the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass. Anybody else have plural? Does anybody have plural streets? It's not plural in the Greek. It's not plural in the original. Okay? In your word for word translation, it ought to say street.

Singular. Because it's not plural. I've checked several times. It's not plural. Now, why would someone pluralize it in their translation? Oh, just to make it a little bit easier to understand. But sometimes making something easier to understand obscures the real meaning of the idea.

Okay? Again, what is, what are we looking at? Are we looking at a city in which we're going to live? Or are we looking at who we are? We're looking at who we are. That's what we said, right? Back in verses 9 and 10, we're looking at who we are.

So why do we have only one street? That seems a little odd. And again, it's hard to understand. Okay? It's revelation, right? It's out there, but it's leading us into a doxology, into worship. So we hear about a street.

Okay? We hear about a street in verse 21. Okay? When's the next time that we hear about a street? It's not, it's just a few verses down. And even though it's another chapter, John didn't make those chapter divisions.

Okay? Then he showed, verse 1, and he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. Does anybody have a plural there in verse 2?

If your translation translates street as streets back in verse 20, and translate street as street in verse 2, it's the exact same construction. It's the exact same word. Okay? But they're changing the way that it's rendered.

So just so we're clear, there's a one, there's one street in verse 20, and there's one street in verse 2. It's the same street. It's the same street we're looking at. We're getting more clarity here. We're learning more about who God is.

We're learning more about our salvation. We're learning more about how we can worship and thanksgiving and joy, what we have to look forward to. And here, there's one street, and either side of the river was the tree of life bearing 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And so there's no more curse. Okay? And then, all right, now, let's just back up a little bit. The river, the water of life is clear as crystal coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. This is Trinitarian language.

This is Trinitarian language. God the Father, God the Son, the Lamb. And what does Jesus call the water of life? The Holy Spirit, according to John 7. So, the Father and the Son, we see them on the throne, and from the throne proceeds the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit sent forth from the Father and from the Son, proceeding from both. Now, this river of life is going out from the throne. Okay? And the one street is coming towards the throne. And let's be clear about who we are.

Let's be clear about who we are. We are those who have been given the water of life. And so, we are made into this city of God by the life of God. And we are made beautiful by the life that God has given to us.

And we are forged together, old and new covenant, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb. And we are on one street, which has always been the straight path and the narrow way. And there's one way to God.

And along this way is the water of life. The Holy Spirit, unless he gives, unless he changes our hearts and circumcises our hearts, and we're born again, and unless we have the Holy Spirit, we are never going to know God.

And so, we are those who are given the Holy Spirit. We are those who are completely, singularly oriented on this throne, this position of authority of God and of the Lamb. All right? We have to have the Lamb if we're going to be reconciled to God, the sacrificial Lamb.

We are not only those who are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are those who have a satisfying sacrifice with God. The Lamb has died in our place, so we are forgiven. So, we are reconciled to God in this way.

This is why we can come to him at all. And we're coming to the throne. If there is only one street, think about it, you know, just kind of practically, if there's only one street in a town, where are you going to go?

Wherever that street takes you. And there's just one orientation for the people of God, and that's God. There's just one direction for us, and it's in complete focus, submission, and joy, and worship to God on the throne and to the Lamb.

A worship that is invigorated and brought about by the life of the Holy Spirit. That's who we are. See, Jesus came and said, I'm only saying what the Father told me to say, and I'm only doing what the Father told me to do.

And then when we're born again, all the more we are made into that image of Christ. And so, it's all about that throne captivating our attention, and our joy, and our worship. And so, all the more, as we are sanctified, we're all the more attentive to the authority of God, and the life of God emanating from the throne.

Until we're glorified, and then it's all about that. It's all about that. And so, that's the best way I can read it. Well, we certainly, when we come to Revelation, especially this last portion about the...

Eden, the Tabernacle, and the New Creation

We end up with all this language from the Garden of Eden over again, all right? So, we have the tree of life at the beginning and the end of the Bible, and we have another tree at the center, which is the cross.

Yeah. So, when we think about the purpose of the Garden of Eden, we have Adam and Eve. They constitute the whole of humanity, right? I mean, they're all of humanity on earth, and they're made in God's image.

So, they're to love God supremely, love each other rightly, steward the creation responsibly, and they're to do this from the garden, which is in Eden, which is the place where God put them. God's people are in God's place, and they're blessed to live under God's rule.

In one sense, there they are. They have the tree of life. They have all the water they need to live for God, and they're totally fixated on the authority of God. Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, so do it.

Here's all the trees of the garden that you may eat freely from, and they're living in the image of God, as they are supposed to. What a blessed life. When they sin, and the image of God is ruptured, and when there's no more blessing and life pouring into them from God, spiritual life, because he's holy and they are sinful, so he makes a separation, and he exiles them, then they are still made in the image of God.

They're just not living it. And what was lost in Eden, what was lost in the garden of Eden, is expressed here in Revelation as not only regained, but surpassed. Surpassed for a variety of reasons. In Eden, we have two people.

In the New Jerusalem, in the end of all things, there's a multitude which no man can count. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are holy and yet have the ability to sin. There's possibility of sin. In heaven, in the New Jerusalem, in the final outcome, there'll be no more possibility for sin.

In the garden of Eden, we have an area of the earth called Eden. And within that Eden that God specially made, there was a garden within that region. And the entrance was on the east. Now, this was the area in which humanity lived in the image of God and the glory of God was displayed.

But what about the new creation? The glory of God fills the earth. It's far superior. I just drew a rude diagram of the tabernacle because the tabernacle was based off the model in Eden. Entrance to the east, there was a holy space, and then there was the garden.

And the language of the garden is picked up by the tabernacle and the temple and the holy of holies and the perfect cube, which is picked up again by revelation in the description of the New Jerusalem.

Saying, hey, we are, who are we? We are the people in Christ who are in perfect, intimate fellowship with the triune, holy God. That's who we are. Now, as far as the incidentals of what it will all be like and what it will look like, man, we are given, I mean, God is getting down on one knee and talking to a two-year-old here.

He's given us essential images that we need to know and believe in because these are going to, these strengthen our faith and direct our anticipation of what he will provide. So absolutely, take up these images and hold fast to them and ponder them and let them lead you to worship Christ.

The Intermediate State and Bodily Resurrection

Now, to be absent from the bodies, to be present with the Lord. And what a comfort. And it's also not natural to the original design. We're not supposed to be separated from soul from body. We are body, soul, one whole.

And so that's why when we read in Revelation 6 about the martyrs, those who died for their faith, and they're saying, how much longer? Because they're not supposed to be separated from their body forever, are they?

So even in heaven, it's not all done yet. You make it to heaven. The good news is there's something even better than heaven. Can you believe it? Exactly. How do you clothe the spirit in a white robe? Yeah, that's going to be kind of hard to keep that on.

But again, just take it for what it is. This language is telling us about, you know, rest. How can they rest? How can they rest in the righteousness and the perfection of Christ? Don't fret. You know, Christ's fullness covers you while you're waiting for your body to be resurrected.

In the new creation, when all things are made new, heaven and earth, when all things are made new in a new creation, when we are resurrected and our souls are reunited with our bodies in glorified state, we will be like Christ, for we will see him just as he is, and we're going to live in a real place.

We're going to live in a real place as God has always made us to be. And this new heaven and the new earth are going to be as one. No longer will there be any kind of restriction between a temple and land.

There's not going to be a separation between holy and the unholy, holy and common. All will be temple and all will be holy. It's going to be a complete unification. This is my father's world has a line that talks at the end about that the battle is not done, but because of who Christ is, heaven and earth shall be one.

Well, that's ultimately looking at the new creation. There's something better than heaven, right? We want to be resurrected, right? Resurrected in a real place, living on a new earth, doing the things that God made us to do, living in worship and glorifying him through all of our actions.

Well, I think we've come to the end of our time. So again, it was good fellowshipping with you all over these very important issues for our faith. Let's go ahead and close by singing the doxology.