The Feasts of Jehovah 09 the Day of Atonement — John W. Bramhall

The Judgment Seat of Christ and Personal Accountability

What a joy it is to know that we have a home above, in the blessed house of the Father, where we long to be with Christ, and where we shall be in eternal glory. Shall we read some scripture tonight in the New Testament?

First of all, in the Epistles of the Romans, chapter fourteen. The fourteenth chapter of the Book of Romans, reading the tenth verse, and only the tenth verse in this chapter. The Spirit of God riding through the beloved Apostle Paul and saying, But why dost thou judge thy brother?

Or why dost thou set it not thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Turn with me to the Epistle to the Corinthians, the first letter, chapter three, reading from verse nine through verse fifteen.

Paul again writing by the Spirit to say, For we are laborers together with God, ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.

But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, ace, double, every man's work shall be made manifest.

For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Chapter four please, of the same epistle beginning at verse three, and reading through verse five.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment. Yea, I judge not mine own self, for I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified. But he that judges me is the Lord.

Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart, and then shall every man have praise of God.

One more verse in the second epistle please. The second epistle of Corinthians chapter five and verse ten. The words of Paul once again writing by the Holy Spirit to say, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

May God bless the reading of his words tonight. And again we pray that the Holy Spirit will be the interpreter, the revealer, as well as the encourager to every one of our hearts in relation to the truth before us.

The Seven Feasts and God's Redemptive Program

Now may I give a very brief explanation again concerning the chart as we approach the theme of our study this evening. The chart before you on the seven feasts of Jehovah we have noted has a threefold application.

There is the primary application belonging to the nation of Israel in relation to the annual feast, which was their responsibility to keep many centuries ago when in the land of Canaan. The second application that we have followed and I trust with blessing and interest, has been the fact that the redemptive purposes of God with and for the nation of Israel are also revealed in these types of the feasts many centuries ago.

Some of the truths that we have covered, particularly in the latter part of the chart, the Feast of Trumpets, this morning the Feast of Atonement, and then we shall have tomorrow morning, God willing, the Feast of Tabernacles.

These latter three feasts have particularly an application in relation to the future of Israel. But then we have also noticed in the upper section of the chart that God's great redemptive program for the whole world is also illustrated by the seven feasts of Jehovah.

Beginning from the very commencement of time and going down to the end of time. You note, as we repeat again, the chart begins with eternity and it ends with eternity. And that is the true revelation of the Word of God.

There was an eternal past where in the council chambers of that eternity God the Father, Son and Spirit dwelling purposed and counseled the program of redemption through the history of the human race.

Now, as we have already stated and repeat again, the foundation of His redemptive purposes for the human race, whether it be for Israel in relation to their nation, whether it be for every other man and woman in relation to the human race, that foundation of redemption is the death of Christ.

The very shadows and the tithes of the Old Testament, every altar, beginning with the altar of Abel, going down to the end of Judaism in your New Testament at the death of Christ, those altars spoke to God of the death of His dear Son.

But all those tithes were consummated. They were but the shadows until the reality came to the earth in the person and through the death of God their Son. May I quote the words of another that have blessed my soul?

There is that in relation to the life and to the death of the Son of God which only the Father is able to comprehend. All we can do is to take our shoes from our feet in adoring wonder and worship, making no attempt to define what is indefinable, to penetrate what is impenetrable, to understand what is not understandable to human creature minds.

Oh, beloved, may I state, there is only one who knows the greatness, the fullness of the person of the Son, that one is the Father, and who has seen His light in its infinite perfection, but who has also known, and will ever know, the value of that death upon the cross of Calvary.

But thank God that the Spirit has revealed to the believer the value of that death for the eternal redemption of the soul. Now may I give this contrast? Between the Old Testament sacrifices and the sacrifice of Christ.

The sacrifices of the Old Testament could never purge the guilty conscience from its guilt, could never cleanse it from before a holy God, could never satisfy the demands of a holy God. But may I commend the reading of chapter 10 in the book of Hebrews, and the first section, beginning particularly with verse 5 and going through verse 9.

And there you have a divine conversation. It is quoted from the folio psalm, and it is found repeated in Hebrews 10. And in that divine conversation, you hear the son speaking to the father, and declaring, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of thee, to do thy will, O God.

And he reminds the father, sacrifice and burnt offering, thou wouldst not. And he realizes that the father never was able to find infinite, perfect satisfaction in the character of those sacrifices in the Old Testament time.

But all those foreshadowings, all those types which had their place, pointed to the fulfillment of the one sacrifice that is provided in eternal redemption. Beloved, this morning as we looked at the Feast of Atonement, that great day of atonement, that redemption, the forgiveness of their sins on that day, was for only one year.

I'm so glad I don't have to get my sins forgiven every year. I know I must confess. I know that I must confess my failures and my shortcomings, and acknowledge them in self-judgment to that blessed One whose blood covers my sins.

But may I repeat the words of 1 John 1, 7? The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. And what a joy to know as Hebrews 9, 14 declares, He has provided an eternal redemption for us. An eternal redemption.

Praise God. When you and I find Christ coming under the shed blood of His cross and shelter ourselves under the blood of the Lamb of God, we do not find only a forgiveness that lasts one year. We find an eternal forgiveness.

Praise the Lord. Forever. He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified by that one sacrifice. O my beloved, may I say again, don't lose sight of the eternal value of the one sacrifice of the Son of God.

And we say again with the poet, I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me. This morning, beloved, as we saw the great day of atonement, not only in its primary aspect with Israel and for them, we saw the great truth of that coming day when Israel will be cleansed as a nation, restored as a nation.

And if you read the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, you will find as God says in Hebrews 10, He will put within their hearts His Lord and they will do His will and they will glorify Him in that coming day of which we shall speak more tomorrow in the will of God.

The Church as Christ's Heavenly Bride

Now, beloved, we have also noticed and we approach the subject tonight under scriptures we have read, we have noticed that there is an earthly application to these feasts in relation to the future, but there is also a heavenly application.

Last night we saw the Feast of Trumpets reminding us of that coming of the Lord Jesus, the bright morning star, the one who is coming for His faith. We saw the contrast between that star and the sun, the sun of righteousness.

He comes as the morning star for His bride, for His church, for you and for me. And may I state again, I do it with joy. My heart rejoices that I belong to the church age. My heart rejoices that I am in the body of Christ, that I am one of the members of His body, part of His bride.

I have never been a bride. Well, take a good look at me and then look at me later when I shall share the glory of the bride with you, my beloved believer. Oh, my beloved believer, I want you to understand the position and the relationship of the bride is more intimate and precious to the heart of the Son of God.

May I suggest why God, by the Spirit, has been forming the church during this present age? It is to provide a suitable bride, a suitable object for the eternal affection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, beloved, He loves Israel, I know.

He loves every redeemed person from the beginning of time down to the end of time. But I say, beloved, I take with dearest intimacy the relationship of belonging to the bride to be thus united, as you read in Revelation 19, united in marriage to the Lamb of God.

And what a wedding it will be when that glorious bride, He will look upon her and see her in all the glory of His own righteous provision, together with what she has been for Him while in this scene. What a joy it will be.

And He will have a heavenly people as well as an earthly people in that coming day. I say again, thank God for His grace that brought me into this scene during the present age to be a part of that heavenly company which shall be the bride of our Lord Jesus.

Israel, the Church, and the Coming Kingdom

Now, beloved, let me give a reflection upon our message this morning for just one moment. We learned this morning that before God will bless His people in the millennial reign, it will be necessary to cleanse them, to bring them through the great tribulation, to purge them, to purge the dross, and thus to cleanse the nation and bring it in confession and in relationship under His blood a cleansed people to enter into the glory of that land and the glory of that kingdom.

Now, beloved, you and I may not be in that land of Israel. You and I may not belong to that company of Israel. And whether we be a Jew or a Gentile today, who believes on the Lord Jesus when a Jew believes on the Lord Jesus, when a Gentile believes upon the Lord Jesus, they become a member of the church.

Remember 1 Corinthians 10, 32. Give none offense, neither to the Jew, nor to the Gentile, nor to the church of God. There you have the three classifications of the human race. Jew, Gentile, church of God.

And when a Jew believes on the Lord Jesus, he is transferred, positionally taken out of his relationship as a Jew, and in the purposes of God, he becomes positionally a member of the church, the body of Christ.

When a Gentile believes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, likewise he or she is placed in the church of God, which is the body of Christ. And before our Lord Jesus, we'll be united to that church in holy matrimony, to have her as his eternal bride.

And may I remind you now, the glory of that bride, please let the subject of that glory grip your soul. For she is going to be a bride forever. Read Revelation 21, and there in that eternal scene that John describes in the first five verses, he says,.

And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth, for the former earth had passed away, and there was no more sea. And I saw that holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband.

Beloved, I believe that particular verse is the commencement of eternity. When in eternity, that bride will take her place in the center of that new universe between the new heavens and the new earth.

But she has been a bride at least one thousand years, reigning over the earth with her Lord above. And still she's a bride after a thousand years. Now you ladies, could I ask you, do you still feel like a bride?

Well, you know how the bridal glory wanes here, doesn't it now? The bridal beauty disappears, as well as the bridal feelings, the physical strength wanes. O beloved one, the joy it is to realize how God uses human terminology that we can understand to describe what is to be the glory of the Church.

For Christ loved the Church. He gave himself for it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water, by the word, that he might present it to himself, a glorious Church. And beloved, may I say, when he presents it to himself, we'll have no wrinkles.

We'll have no blemish. We'll have no spots. For when I look at you and you look at me, and I do not speak physically now, but when you and I look at each other in our present testimony of life, you can find wrinkles in the testimony.

You can find blemishes in the testimony. You can find spots in your brother and sister. And that brings us to the theme before us tonight. Before we shall be the bride of Christ, united in matrimony, we have to appear before him at that which is called the judgment seat of Christ.

Four Future Judgments

That will be the great ironing day when the wrinkles, when that which needs to be put away forever, shall be banished by his grace and power as you and I stand before him. Now let me repeat. Like as Israel will be cleansed nationally before going into the millennial glory, may I say, my fellow believer, and this is a solemn subject for you and me tonight, may I say that you and I must stand before the great judge as we have read in our scriptures tonight.

Now let me give some qualifying statements first. There are many people that believe and have taught there'll be one general judgment. No, the Bible doesn't teach one general judgment. There are at least four future judgments.

There is the judgment seat of Christ, which we have read of tonight and shall speak about. There also is to come, when Christ comes upon the earth, and you can read in Matthew 25, 31 through 46, the judgment of the living nations, when he will separate the living of the nations when he sets up his earthly throne.

There is also written in 1 Corinthians 6, 3, these words, Know ye not that ye shall judge angels, as the apostle writes to the Corinthian believers, indicating there is a judgment of angels. When that judgment of angels will be, I don't know.

Possibly at the end of time. But the fallen angels will appear before the Lord in judgment. And then there is a fourth judgment, a conclusive judgment for the human race. It is the judgment of the great white throne, found in Revelation 20, verse 11 through 15.

Now those four judgments differ. They differ as to time, they differ as to place, they differ as to the subjects being judged, and they differ quite a bit sometimes as to the result. Our subject tonight is the judgment seat of Christ.

Christ as the Qualified Judge

Now beloved, and I speak to my beloved believing friends, you and I belong to the body of Christ. We are to be his bride. And we shall stand before him, before his judgment seat. We read in Romans 14, 10, those words, We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

And beloved, may I give this thought. Whatever judgment you consider, there's only one judge. The Lord Jesus said in John 5, 22, The Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.

One person alone in the universe is qualified to be the judge of all men. And that person is the Son of God. May I give you two reasons why I know he's qualified? First, because he is dearly, very God, omnipotent, omniscient, as well as righteous, true and holy, and in all the glory and essence of his deity, he's a qualified judge.

But then on the other hand, and this is indeed precious, he is also perfect in his humanity. And both as perfect God and perfect man, he alone is qualified to be the judge of all the earth. I'm certainly glad that he's the qualified judge.

Paul said to the Corinthians, You judging me means nothing to me. I don't even judge myself. He said, Judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes. He's the qualified judge. Now, beloved believer, let me just state simply, but plainly, you and I will come before him.

The Timing and Scope of the Judgment

The time of that judgment, let's consider the time of it. The time of that judgment, according to Revelation 22 and verse 12, we read the Savior saying himself, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.

We saw last night the coming of the Lord in relation to the trumpet judgment, the feast of trumpets. And he's coming for us. And great is the joy and thrilling is the truth that our Lord is coming to take us home to be with himself.

But, let us not forget to face the issue. The time of his coming will be the time of our judgment to be brought before him. As Paul said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 5, Judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes.

And when he comes, we shall stand before him. Beloved, may I repeat it? We thrill at the coming of the Lord and his precious truth. We long for it as we find that precious hymn tonight. Oh Lord Jesus, how long!

How long ere we shout the glad song, Christ returneth, hallelujah, amen. True, but beloved, let's realize with solemnity and seriousness, we shall be brought at that same time to stand, each one of us, before the Lord.

Now I'd like you to consider with me, following the time of the judgment, the scope of this judgment. Remember we read in Romans 14, 10, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We read similar words in 2 Corinthians 5, 10.

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And that judgment is all-inclusive. Meaning, it embraces and includes every saint of God. Every believer shall be there. Now may I remark now, these judgments that I mentioned, differing in time, place, purpose and result, the one we consider tonight, the judgment seat of Christ, is for believers only.

But it's for all believers. Remember Paul said in Romans 14, 10, Why dost thou judge thy brother? Why dost thou set at naught thy brother? May I give a timely exhortation? Please don't criticize and condemn your brother and sister.

You do not, you're not even qualified. Neither have you been authorized. And Paul said to the Corinthians who were judging him, Your judgment of me means nothing to me. The Lord is my judge. O my beloved brother and sister, let us remember, without thus passing judgment, we may have discernment.

But when it comes to passing judgment, this is not the prerogative of the believer, to sit in judgment upon our brethren and sisters. Why? Because we too will be judged. We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

The Rapture and the Universal Gathering of Believers

Now may I link it with what we saw last night? That blessed rapture. May I quote the words of Paul again from Thessalonians? When he said, The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

O beloved, what a gathering! The gathering together of all the saints. I want to tell you something that'll all be there. I have no confidence in any teaching of a partial rapture. And neither do I believe my Lord Jesus is going to take half a bride to heaven.

You know, when you got married, you married a whole bride. Or a bridegroom. And when the Lord Jesus comes for His bride, He's taking them all there. The only qualification. Dead in Christ, alive in Christ.

And what a gathering! My beloved brother and sister, we shall all be there. Some time ago, maybe two or three years ago, a brother came to me in my local assembly. We were having a little time together at the Christmas season.

Fellowship with the saints. And having a little meal together. And it was a happy time. And you know, he said to me, Brother John, isn't it wonderful to see all the believers here tonight? And I looked at him and I said, Steve, you know what?

There's two occasions you'll get all the believers together. One is when you give them a good feed. And the other is going to be the rapture. They've got to go then. How true it is. Oh, my beloved brother and sister, may I say you that are redeemed by the blood of the Savior, you'll be in that gathering.

That judgment seat of Christ will have all the saints before the Savior. What a scope. Then there's another truth about the scope of it. And this is more important. Not only all-inclusive, taking in every believer, but it will be an individual judgment.

Look at Romans chapter 14 and verse 12 with me, would you? Read the word for yourself. It will be an individual judgment. Note those words in verse 12. The apostle says, and let me read verse 13 to see the application of the truth.

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Now note the words of verse 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Beloved brother and sister, may I say, I'm glad I don't have to account for you. And you be glad you don't have to account for me.

But every one of us must give an account of himself or herself. Oh my brother, my sister, please take the message to your heart and conscience. There's a reckoning day coming. A great accounting to give.

Personal Accountability and the Philippians Three Illustration

Do you know one time, many years ago, I sat late at night down in the kitchen, I recall, when things were going very difficult and reverses had been coming in financially. I remember sitting down with my Bible late at night, and I was reading Philippians, I recall.

Philippians chapter 3, if I remember correctly. And the words of the apostle, I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And then I made an analysis. I took the years of my salvation, how long I'd been saved.

Twenty years, I think, at that time. But I took those twenty years, I multiplied them into months, I multiplied the months into weeks, I multiplied the weeks into days, I multiplied the days into hours, I multiplied the hours into minutes, I multiplied the minutes into seconds.

Do it sometime. You'll need a calculator to help you, perhaps. But when I got an astronomical figure, a second, I looked at that figure, I said, Lord, all that time I belonged to you, but what have I been and what have I done?

And I must give an account. Fifty-four years, last month, I found the Lord Jesus as my Savior. And fifty-four years to be accounted for. I say, brothers and sisters, the solemn reality, faith in, every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.

This morning we saw that Israel, Judgment Day, that great crisis will be a national one. True, there will be some personal reaction. Bound to be. Has to be. But beloved, look, this is personal for every one of us.

We shall give account of ourselves to God. What a scope of judgment. Now think with me, if you will, of the purpose of the judgment. Go with me to 1 Corinthians 3, and we shall see in this section we have read the purpose of the judgment.

The Purpose of Judgment: Works and Character

May I suggest, before going to the Scripture, the purpose of the judgment is twofold. First, to reveal the works. The works that the believer has done in his and her Christian life. Second, to also reveal the character of the believer.

Now let me emphasize that again. Many times we only speak of the works being judged. The works being revealed. The works being manifested. But may I say to my fellow brother and sister, your character as well as mine will be revealed to us.

Did you ever see yourself as you really are? No, you never have. And you never will until the Lord shows you just what you were. You know, other people know you better than yourself. My wife knows me better than myself, and I know her better than she knows herself.

And that's the same for all of us. Your children know their parents better sometimes than the parents know themselves. Others know us better than we know ourselves. As Bobby Burns wrote, would some power to give to give to see ourselves as others see us.

For many a bondage freers and foolish notions. And beloved brother and sister, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we shall be revealed both as to what we have done and what we were. Our works, our character.

Now look at the works in this epistle of 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Now let me point out that works are in view. Now this is not for salvation. Now if there be anyone here, may I qualify, this precious truth.

When we stand before the Lord in that day, it will not be for the question of our sins. It will not be for the question of our eternal destiny. We settle that on the earth. And He said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, or condemnation, but is packed from death unto life.

That settled. Praise God! For we can say there is therefore now no judgment to them who are in Christ Jesus. And what a joy to be able to say, as the poet wrote, there is no condemnation. There is no hell for me.

The fire and the torment mine eyes shall never see. Then you say, why the judgment? What you have done during your Christian pilgrimage, from the moment you were saved to the end of that pilgrimage. Now note in verse thirteen and fourteen and fifteen, I want to emphasize one particular phrase.

The opening of verse thirteen, Every man's work shall be made manifest. Go to the end of the verse, The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Verse fourteen, If any man's work abide. Verse fifteen, If any man's work shall be learned.

And I want you to recognize the purpose of the judgment is to bring out into the light what we have done for our blessed Lord Jesus. My! Got to be some revelations. Someone once wrote these words that I value.

And that day, well someone said these words one time, it will be a day of prizes and a day of surprises. But in that day another wrote, He will have remembered what I've forgotten and perhaps forgotten what I've remembered.

For He will be the judge determining what we have done. He is the one who is going to reveal what we have done. Now don't ever tell me that you know what I've done for the Lord. You won't be able to tell the truth.

You're not capable of judging Him. You might see evidences of my work and testimony for the Lord. But it will take the Lord Himself to bring out in complete revelation what I've done and what you've done.

Every man's work shall be manifested. And O Beloved, every one of us will have it revealed. Then I want you to notice how we will reveal it. Note that thirteenth verse right in the center. For the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire.

And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. What is the fire? Now one can recognize as we shall see from the results that follow that the fire suddenly exposes that which will remain as being works that stand as well as that which will be destroyed because they are works that cannot stand.

But what is the fire? What is the basis of the judgment? May I give you two thoughts? You remember Jeremiah said, or God said to Jeremiah, is not my word like a fire and like a hammer that breaketh a rock in pieces?

God's Word and Christ's Eyes as the Test of Christian Work

And the fire of God's word will undoubtedly be the testing of your life and mine in that day. Paul when he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2, he told Timothy that he should run as an athlete but he must run according to the rules.

For no athlete wins the prize even though he may come to the end of the race first unless he has obeyed the rules of the race he is disqualified and he loses the crown. Beloved fellow believer, let me say this in just one moment.

You and I are responsible to obey the word of God and our obedience to the word of God will be at that day brought out or our disobedience as the case may be. The word of God will be the basis of judgment.

Have we lived according to his word? Would he say to us like he did to Philadelphia, thou hast kept my word and not denied my name. Then another thing, Revelation chapter 1, read it sometime as you begin at verse 10 and you'll read from verse 9 and on the description of the judge.

I know no other scripture that presents Christ as the judge of all the earth so vividly, realistically as well as figuratively in the symbolic language that is used. And in that vision that John saw him as the son of man his eyes were as eyes of fire omniscient, penetrating.

For very frankly brother, very frankly sister, when you and I stand before him all he needs to do is just look at us he knows all about us. He knows all about us and he shows us what he knows. Oh beloved, what a test.

Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones: Quality That Endures

Now let's see the result of the test as far as what comes out. The result, verse 12. Now if any man build upon this foundation, Christ, as verse 11 has stated, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.

Now will you note, this verse tells us what the Lord will find. Two classifications of material. They can be placed in two classifications. The first three form one class. The second three form the second.

Gold, silver, precious stones. Wood, hay, stubble or straw. And you can recognize the symbolic language and may I give you this thought in interpreting many scriptures. Our God uses human terminology to convey eternal truth in his words to his people.

You and I know what gold is. You and I know what silver is. Precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. We all know what these materials are. And God conveys a spiritual and eternal truth by these words. Gold, silver, precious stones.

Now as you look at these two classes, you realize the first three will stand the test of fire and come through. The last three will burn up for the fire will consume them. And this denotes that we can gain at the judgment seat of Christ or we can lose at the judgment seat of Christ.

There can be works that remain for their eternal reward. There can be works that will be destroyed for their eternal loss. Now let me briefly give you some thoughts that convey to my heart the blessedness of what the gold is, the silver and the precious stones.

I'm sure you recognize one seems to be the best of material and the next, the one next inferior to it and so on. But may I give you this thought which blesses my heart and has gold. Gold in the word of God is always symbolic of the glory of God, speaks of God Himself and His glory.

That's the city of gold in Revelation 21. It's the divine righteousness and divine glory of God. And God shines out in that glory. And may I suggest my brother and sister that the greatest thing in Christian experience that you and I can enjoy is fellowship with God.