Well, I want to look and start
looking this week at John 17. I want to look at the first 10
or 11 verses of this prayer, this prayer of the Son of God
to God the Father. This glimpse into eternity, this
drawing aside of the veil to look into eternity. This is God
in human flesh praying to God the Father. I don't understand
that. Nobody does. I can't understand
that but God reveals it. This is the way it is. There
is only one God but yet God the Son prays to God the Father.
You know science is always trying to come up with an answer to
things. I read a good article in the
Times yesterday reviewing Stephen Hawking's new book that says
there was no need for God to create the universe and it was
argued very well by the book reviewer, saying that many scientists
think that he's delving into realms that are just not subject
to science. Science can never prove or say
anything about these things. But the point is there's this
great striving to understand. Why are we here? He addresses
the meaning of life and all of these things and scratches around
and leaves people completely unsatisfied. for according to
that theory all of this consciousness just suddenly just switches off
like putting off a light in a dark room and that's it. That's not
the truth. Here we have a glimpse into the
reality of eternity. God the Son praying to God the
Father about eternal things and eternal things that are of the
most vital relevance to us if we believe the truth of Christ. These are vital relevance to
us. This look into eternity. We've
come to the point in history, which is absolutely pivotal.
This is the night before Christ was crucified. It was the night
in which he was betrayed. This is the pivot of history.
You know, throughout his ministry, he kept saying, my hour has not
yet come. My hour has not yet come. But
here, his hour is come. Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
also may glorify thee. This is the hour, the pivot of
history when things that are settled in eternity are worked
out in time. For what does it say in Galatians
chapter four and verse four? God sent his son made of a woman. When the time was right, when
the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son
made of a woman. And this time has come, the hour
has come that he might do that for which he was sent, which
is to redeem his people The hour has come. So it's a world of
uncertainty. You know what they say about
this world of uncertainty? There are only two things which are
certain. One is death and the other one
is taxes. We're going to have to pay taxes.
But this is certain. The eternal covenant. The eternal
covenant between the persons of the Godhead and nothing is
more certain in truth there is nothing more certain you say
oh what a leap of faith to believe the nothing is more certain the
things that appear to be solid are temporal and passing and
fleeting and will evaporate says Peter in his epistle they will
just evaporate in a moment but eternal things these are the
permanent eternal things so the covenant is between the father
the Son and the Holy Spirit, all three persons of the Godhead.
God the Father chose a people in Christ before the foundation
of the world. God the Son covenanted to be
the surety for those people, to be the representative, that
they would be united with Him so that in such a way that everything
He did in the reckoning and the justice of God those people would
do. And where would that lead them?
children of wrath even as others, until the Holy Spirit comes and
gives the new birth, born not of blood, nor of the will of
man, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God, born by the Holy
Spirit. to come to a knowledge of the
truth because we read about the elect in Thessalonica those elect,
beloved, we're bound to give thanks to God always for you
because God has from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through
sanctification of the spirit, setting apart, the giving of
the new birth and how is it manifested? Belief of the truth Belief of
the truth. That's it. That's it. That's
the mark of those who are the elect of God. Belief of the truth. If you believe this truth, if
you believe this truth you can be confident you are among this
elect of God for whom Christ covenanted to stand surety. The
object of the covenant is the people. the people whom he saves
and the objective of the covenant is that God might have all the
glory and the means of accomplishment of the covenant is the work of
the Godhead the work of the Father in choosing, of the Son in covenanting
to come and stand surety and coming and doing all of that
and of the Holy Spirit in coming and making alive and quickening
so what I want to see in these ten or eleven verses is the people
of Christ the work of Christ and the glory of Christ, these
three things. A definite people, first of all,
the people of Christ, a definite people was chosen outside of
time in eternity. it was to all of them in verse
two and only them in verse nine that the Son has given authority
the Son has authority to give eternal life, look at verse two
as thou hast given him power, the Son as the Father has given
power to the Son over all flesh that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him not that he should offer
eternal life to all for them to make a decision You see what's
preached and you see when as soon as you put it to the test
of the scriptures what is preached is he's been given power to offer
to all men eternal life. You say to me, ah, didn't we
just read in Hebrews chapter two that he should taste of death
for every man, isn't that what it said? Yeah, but read the next
verse, in bringing many sons to glory. Who are the every man?
It's every man for whom he did these things. It's quite clear.
He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him. He should give eternal life to
those the Father gave to the Son before the beginning of time.
And verse 9, I pray for them Listen, this is the Son of God
speaking. I pray for them. I pray not,
yes we pray for our neighbours and the world around us that
God's purposes will be accomplished, but Christ the Son prayed for
those whom the Father had given him. I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.
a definite people outside of time, and it's all of them, this
multitude that no man can number, but only specifically them. God is sovereign in salvation. God is absolutely sovereign.
If you are among those people, This is the truth of the scriptures,
if you are among those people you will either know now or you
will come to know in this life the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom he has sent. Verse three, this is eternal
life that they might know thee, you will come to know him. You
will not be amongst these people if you go through this life without
knowing Him. If you come to the day of your death without ever
knowing Christ your Saviour, you are not amongst those people.
This is eternal life that they might know Thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. So you will know God. You either know Him now, or you
will come to know Him. You will come to know the truth
of these things. And in knowing Him, you will experience eternal
life. It not only says it there, but
you can turn over a couple of pages to chapter 20 and verse
31. These things are written, says
John, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing you might have, you might possess,
you might apprehend, you might know life, true life, eternal
life, spiritual life, through his name. And you'll have received
the truth of God in Jesus Christ. Look at verse 8. For I have given
unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they
have believed that which thou didst send me. because that's
echoing what the disciples had said in verse 30 of the previous
chapter. Look across to the previous chapter
where they said in the previous verse, you're not speaking in
Proverbs now, now we are sure that thou knowest all things
and needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe
that thou camest forth from God. You see the disciples had attested
to their faith and belief in him knowing that he was who he
had said he was. These people come to apprehend
the truth that Jesus Christ is come from God in the flesh. Do
you know in John's epistle, first epistle, chapter four and verse
two, we're told to test the spirits, whether they be of God, to test
the preachers basically, to test the messages that you are being
addressed with, whether it's from God, because there's an
awful lot in the name of God, we're warned, many will come,
here's Christ, there's Christ, here's the truth, there's the
truth, all of these things, you're to test them, whether they be
of God, and this is the test that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh, well you say, don't they all say that? No, it's much
deeper than that. What it means is this, that Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, the surety, came to earth to live and die
as the substitute and surety for his people. Particular redemption. Sovereign
grace and particular redemption. You say that in some circles
where you would expect it to be known and the face just goes
blank, they've no idea what it really means. And yet on the
outside you'd say surely they would know these things. Why
don't they know it? I'll tell you why they don't
know it. Because it isn't preached there, clearly. All sorts of
words are used, but it is not preached there to teach the people
of God, the children of God, the truth of God about sovereign
grace and particular redemption. This truth that God... And why
is it important? Because it's the only salvation
which is effectual. It's the only salvation which
gets the business done. How can it possibly get the business
done if there's just an offer opened and it's down to the will
of fallen man to decide to accept it? It's utterly ridiculous.
Either the debt is cleared at the bank. It's not down to me
to accept that the debt, that's like a Reader's Digest letter
that you get, you know, where all you have to do is claim the
prize and you're in business and you're suddenly a millionaire.
And we all know how utterly empty those things are. We all know
that they're utterly empty promises. And so the promises of salvation
on those terms that people have believed and signed up to will
prove as utterly worthless as Reader's Digest, you are now
suddenly a millionaire if only you'll send this letter back.
It's that kind of salvation and it's no salvation at all. But
the salvation of the particular people of God is absolutely certain. Absolutely certain. There is
therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And how will you get in Christ
Jesus? From all eternity. And he brings you to a knowledge
of the truth in time. So you believed that he was sent
by God the Father to redeem his people, and you'll know that
you belong to the living God. Verse 10, all mine are thine,
and that, whose servant are you? Servants of the living God. I
want to follow his word. I want to be led by his spirit.
I want to walk in his ways. I want to please him, though
in this flesh I'm a sinner and I know that in this flesh there
dwells no good thing, but by the new spirit that he's put
within me, of the new man, to please him. All mine are thine
and thine are mine and I am glorified in them. How? Ephesians 2 verse
10, by the works that God has prepared beforehand, that we
should walk in them, that we should live and walk to the praise
of the glory of his grace. And you'll know true unity with
all those who belong to Christ. you know what why is it that
we have such conflict with some who call themselves Christians
and such strong bonds of unity with others because in verse
eleven I'm no longer in the world but these are in the world and
I come to thee holy father keep through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are If
you believe this gospel, whenever you come across those that do,
I've never met this Patrick from Sweden. You never know, he might
end up listening to this message. But that was a great delight
to hear from him last night. And he talked about the elect
of God and how he loves to hear the preaching of the elect of
God. And so it is. And if he is listening to it
now, then I can say, I think from the little congregation
here, that we greet him and any others like it. It's encouraging
to be one in these things. But those with whom we don't
have this same, it's because they don't preach. They're frightened
of preaching this same thing, because it might drive people
away. And it might affect their numbers, and it might affect
their viability. So they don't, they water it down. God says
preach this and leave the numbers business to him. He'll deal with
the numbers business in his time. You know the Scriptures are absolutely
clear. We read in Ephesians 1, chosen
in Christ before the foundation of the world. In 2 Timothy chapter
1 and verse 9, the redemption that is in Christ was given to
us before the world began, before time began. Second Thessalonians
2.13, God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. The
scriptures speak clearly of an elect people, sanctified from
the world. What does that mean? Set apart
from the world, chosen out of the world, with all the marks
of the world on them, but picked out from the world to believe
and follow the Lord. It's pictured by Old Testament
Israel, that was not special, they weren't better, they weren't
stronger, they weren't smarter than anybody else, but chosen
for salvation. It's pictured by Ezekiel's dry
bones, that perfect number that stood up as a mighty army. It's an innumerable multitude
in Revelation. and they're identified by their
belief of the truth. That's how, you know, through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. An innumerable
multitude we read of. A multitude which no man can
number. but in the same book of Revelation 144,000 which speaks
of this it's a symbolical number it's not a literal number like
the Jehovah's Witnesses tell us you know that they got to
139,999 and then the last one came in and that was it there's
no more now they're all complete 144,000 is a symbolical number. But it's
a definite number. And it's the definite number
of those that God chose from before the beginning of time.
Why is it 144,000? Well, 144 is 12 times 12. 12 tribes in
the Old Testament, 12 apostles, 12 times 12, 144. Thousand, ten times ten times
ten. Ten is the number of completeness,
God's number of completeness. It's the Old Testament times
the New Testament people of God complete. That's what that number
means. Innumerable to His people. As innumerable as the stars of
heaven are innumerable, as the sand on the seashore cannot be
counted. As innumerable as that, but,
but, known to God perfectly, a specific people. If you think
it's unfair, read Romans 9, 10, and 11. Not now, but read Romans
9, 10, and 11 if you think it's unfair. See what God says there.
God says through the Apostle Paul that God has said, Jacob
have I loved and Esau have I hated. Esau have I left to himself.
Jacob, two twins, Two twins, the older and the younger, two
twins. One have I loved in sovereign grace and the other I have left
to himself in justice, in divine eternal justice left to himself.
And you know how Paul finishes up chapter 11. What should we
say to these things? He's just overflowing with praise.
The election of grace has accomplished it. Election has accomplished
the purposes, the eternal purposes of God. It says in Genesis 18,
25, it's Abraham talking about God's judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. And he says, shall not the judge
of all the earth do right? Yes. God will be vindicated. God will be shown to be just
in all his works, in all his ways. And if you don't know him
now, here is the thing, if you don't know him now, today is
the day of salvation. Call upon the name of the Lord.
He says, all who seek me will find me. All who seek, none will
be turned away. He says, if you seek me, you
will find me. Oh, you say that's incompatible.
What if you're not amongst the elect? Ah, if you seek me, you
will find me. Absolutely. This is the thing.
It is not, it is not It's not that election, if you get Don
Faulkner's bulletin, he says this in his bulletin today which
I received this morning, I thought it was very good. It's not that
we preach election as the thing that you must know to be saved.
He says it's just as easy to go to hell believing election
as it is not believing election. That's not the point. The point
is this. You must know Jesus Christ. You
must know him. You must know the one who has
saved his people from their sins. Seek him and you will find him.
So there's the people of Christ. The work of Christ then. the
work of Christ because the covenant, the eternal covenant was accomplished
not without work you think that God just sat there and pronounced
an edict and that was it, no it was by the work of Jesus Christ
and the Holy Spirit that this was accomplished the work of
Christ, verse four he says to his father praying I have glorified
thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me
to do. Which one of us can say anything remotely approaching
that? I mean just the very thought
that it might ever be possible. is just such a declaration of
self-righteousness. I have glorified thee on earth. I have finished the... this was
Christ who said this. He said this. What was he talking
about? He was talking about his work
to be just and yet the justifier of sinners, of elect sinners. His work to come and stand in
the place of his people. that where they could never earn
the righteousness without which no man shall see the Lord he
earned it in their place that his name might be called the
Lord our righteousness that where there was a debt to pay at the
bank of eternal divine justice he went to that bank and he paid
it with the price of his precious blood for in the blood is the
life the life is in the blood he poured out his lifeblood he
became obedient to death even the death of the cross he poured
out that lifeblood as the payment for the sins of his people his
work this work I have glorified thee on earth I have finished
the work which was not preaching a social gospel that wasn't his
work His work wasn't healing the sick. That was to vindicate
and to authenticate that which he declared concerning divine
justice and his purpose in coming. That's what the miracles were
for. It wasn't to do that. It wasn't to be a physician of
bodies, though he healed many, many people. That wasn't his
work. It wasn't to be an example for
us to follow, though he was an example for us to follow. His
work was to redeem, to pay a price, to settle a debt, to earn the
price that was needed to justify condemned sinners. That's why
he came. That was the work which he came
to do. And yes, he says, I have finished the work. At this time,
he had as good as finished it because it was on the cross that
he cried out, it is finished. He earned that price. And as
the federal head of his people, so in Christ shall all those
people be made alive. As in Adam all die, so in Christ
shall all be made alive. He earned righteousness as a
man. for his people. Because Romans
5 19 says this, that by the disobedience of one, Adam, many shall be made
sinners, many shall be found guilty, many shall be found the
wrong side of divine justice, so by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous. Notice again, it doesn't say
all, it says many shall be made righteous. And so he glorified
God on earth. He stood surety for his people.
He paid when they defaulted on their due. You know, their payment
was due for their sins. That's us. Defaulted on it. Unable
to pay. Nothing found. Empty pockets. And He paid. He prayed. We're
all debtors to the law, but He paid. Look at Romans chapter
3. Let's remind ourselves of these
glorious verses. In Romans 3 verse 24, Or verse
23, for all have sinned, all of his people have sinned. It's
wider than that, but all of his people have sinned and come short
of the glory of God, but they're justified freely by his grace. through the redemption, the buying
back, the purchase that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set
forth to be a propitiation, a turning away of anger, a mercy seat through
faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission
of sins that have passed through the forbearance of God, to declare,
I say at this time, His righteousness that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. He's a just God and
a savior, as Isaiah 45 says. A just God. His law stands, his
justice stands, but he's still a savior in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because in him, he has saved his people from their sins. He's born that curse of the law. Galatians 3.13, quoting one of
the books of Moses. about him about cursed is everyone
that hangs on a tree but Christ has borne that curse for his
people he has accomplished the work he's finished the work which
thou gavest me to do he is the one who was from here to go out
and be made sin and sweat as it were drops of blood as that
weight of the sins of his people was loaded onto him he made him
who knew no sin to be sin for us And being made sin, he stood
guilty of that sin. He'd never committed any sins.
He'd never been a sinner. But in that moment, he stood
guilty of the sins of his people. And what does the law of God
require? Justice. The soul that sins, it shall
die. And so he, loaded with the sins
of his people, stood guilty of that sin. And he bore the guilt
of that sin to the cross. And he bore the wrath of God
for that sin in the place of his people. Even though he committed no sin
of his own, he was made sin, that his people might be made
the righteousness of God in him. And he's given us, verse eight,
the word. The work which he did, one of
the works was to give the word. I have given unto them the words
which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have
known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed
that thou didst send me. He's given us God's word. And
He is that Word. He is that Word that was in the
beginning with God, who was God. He is the Word come from God. He is that Word. He reveals the
Father to His people. And verse 9, He intercedes for
His people. I pray for them. Do you know
there's a man in heaven who is God now, glorified. who prays
for his people. The Spirit groans with prayers
and groanings that cannot be uttered in human language. We
don't know, but he prays for his people. He intercedes for
his people. He's finished the work which
the Father gave him to do. And then thirdly, so there's
the work of Christ, the people of Christ, the work of Christ,
and thirdly, the glory of Christ, the glory of Christ. Verse two,
as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And verse
five. And now, O Father, glorify thou
me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee
before the world was. Glory. Before the creation of
the universe, Christ was with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
three in one, the Trinity, the tri-unity, the three in one unity,
sharing incomprehensible glory. We cannot understand it. I cannot
understand it. You can only try and make pictures,
which is wrong. Don't make graven images. Don't
say it's like a shamrock leaf that's got three bits to it,
but it's all one leaf. No, don't try doing that. You
can't understand it. There was an incomprehensible
glory between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. perfect harmony,
perfect power, absolute sovereignty. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
with God in the beginning. He made all things. Without Him
was nothing made that was made. All of these things. You can
read Proverbs chapter 8 about wisdom. Turn there now. Proverbs
chapter 8 and verse 23. Proverbs chapter 8 and verse
23. I was set up from everlasting
from the beginning or ever the earth was this is talking about
wisdom but it's Christ Christ that's speaking when there were
no depths I was brought forth when there was no fountains abounding
with water before the mountains were settled before the hills
was I brought forth while as yet I had not made the earth
while as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor
the highest part of the dust of the world when he prepared
the heavens I was there When he set a compass upon the face
of the depth, when he established the clouds above, when he strengthened
the fountains of the deep, when he gave to the sea his decree
that the water should not pass his commandment, when he appointed
the foundations of the earth, then I was by him, as one brought
up with him. I was daily his delight, rejoicing
always before him. The eternal, the eternal existence
of the Son of God, with the Father, with the Holy Spirit. As thought
is to speech, so is the Father to the Son. They're that united,
yet they're distinct. Thought is distinct from speech,
but as thought is to speech, so is the Father to the Son.
And he now prays for glory, that he might be glorified. I have
glorified thee on earth, and now, O Father, glorify thou me
with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee.
before the world was. You know in Isaiah 42 verse 8
we read this, I am the Lord, that is my name, And my glory I will not share
with another. God will not share his glory
with one who is not God. And yet here is God the Son praying
that his Father will restore him to the glory he had with
him before the beginning of time, before the world was. Now, does
that tell you that Jesus Christ is God? We hear that voice come
from heaven. I have glorified it and will
yet glorify it. He will glorify His Son because
His Son is God. Christ as a man prays to be restored
to His pre-incarnate glory with the Father. Do you know in Hebrews
2 we read that He was made a little lower than the angels or for
a little while lower than the angels. He was made for a season
lower than the angels. who was in the form of God but
thought it not robbery to be equal with God Philippians 2
verse 5 humbled himself he came down from that glory he made
himself for a little while lower than the angels as he walked
this earth as a man as he suffered the taunting and the reviling
of mankind as he was about to suffer the indignation and the
shame of the curse of the cross, that shameful death on the part
of his people. He laid that aside, that glory
aside for a moment for the suffering of death that he might through
death destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil.
This is why he laid that glory aside and became obedient to
death, even the death of the cross He went there to that shameful
death. You know, there were honorable
ways to die, but the death of the cross was cursed, is everyone
that hangs on a tree. It was a shameful, ignominious
death that he died in the place of his people, for the sins of
his people. And for a little while, made
a little lower than the angels, made lower for a little while
than the angels, for the suffering of death. And therefore in that
situation, in that humility, in that laying aside of glory,
he prays, restore me to that glory that I had with you from
before the beginning of the world. This is God the Son praying for
that glory to be restored. On earth, he glorified his father
in perfect obedience and submission we read that in Philippians 2
7 and 8 perfect obedience and submission through everything
not my will but thine be done this was his ambition to do the
will of his father and this is the will that of all that the
father has given him he should lose none but he should save
every single one of them that he should accomplish righteousness
for every single one of them You know, it's almost like the
bank account needing to be filled up with enough righteousness
to do for everybody. And it's as if, if you take the
example that there's 100,000 people and each one of them needs
£5 in that bank account. The job isn't done until there's
a £5 there for every single one of that 100,000 people. It's
the same idea. I know that's a poor example,
but it's the same idea. The righteousness that he established
on behalf of his people when he came and was made lower for
a little while than the angels. And he's glorified in the redemption
of his people. Now look at Revelation chapter
5. We've nearly finished. Revelation
chapter 5. And verse 9. And they sung a new song saying,
and this is to the lamb, this is to this one who is now glorified.
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals. This is
the lion of Judah, of the tribe of Judah. This is the root of
David. This is the bright and morning star. They sung a new
song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the
seals thereof for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by
thy blood. out of every kindred and tongue
and people and nation, and has made us unto our God kings and
priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Worthy is the Lamb,
glorified, glorified. So his obedience and his death
effectually redeem all of his people. All we like sheep have
gone astray and have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord
has laid on him the iniquity of all his sheep, of us all.
He's done it. And he's redeemed his people,
absolutely. At the cross, oh, the heel of
Christ was most definitely bruised when he was nailed to that cross.
I don't mean the literal heel, but you know, metaphorically,
his heel was bruised. What am I referring to? Genesis
3. In the garden, talking to Satan, God says, you shall bruise
his heel, but he'll crush your head. And he did. He did. His heel was bruised by Satan,
but he crushed Satan's head. I mentioned earlier in the study,
Matthew 12, 29. How can Christ come into the
strong man's house and steal the strong man's goods? Because
we're all by nature in the thrall of Satan. And this world, he
is the prince of this world, and this world is his house.
And how can he come in? He binds Satan. He ties him up. He renders him impotent. to do
anything, and then he takes his possession, his rightful possession.
In Colossians 2.15, he leads him like the conquering Roman
emperor, you know, would tie up the defeated head of the country
that they defeated and drag them through the streets of Rome in
triumph, triumphing over them in it, having accomplished the
salvation that he came to accomplish. And he's glorified in his resurrection
and he leads captivity captive we read Ephesians 4.8 he leads
captivity captive he's conquered it he's conquered death Christ
leads his children into glory he says behold I am the children
whom he has given me Christ rejoicing he comes through this most most
traumatic There are words not sufficient to describe the ordeal
of the cross and of salvation, but out of it, he says to them,
you will have great sorrow, but then you will have abounding
joy. And there's great joy and rejoicing
at the salvation and the accomplishment of it, and the glorification
of Christ as he leads his children to glory. Behold, I and the children
he has given me. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory
shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The
Lord, strong and mighty. He is the King of glory, because
He's just defeated Satan at the cross. The Lord, strong and mighty.
And then it says again, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and
be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory
shall come. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He
leads His children in. triumphantly at the end of time
to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Therefore, says Paul to
the Philippians, God has highly exalted him and given him a name
that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow. We've seen it in Isaiah. Every
knee will bow and say God is right, God will be just, and
every man a liar. God will be vindicated, Christ
is glorified, his people are saved, So what do we say to all
of these things? We have revealed here looking
into eternity. a sovereign, omnipotent, gracious
redemption, a glorious finished work, a price paid in full. Not the prospect of a chance
of it, a price paid in full. Eight people, 144,000, not literally,
symbolically, a definite number, innumerable to us, from every
tribe and kindred, a people saved for all eternity. That is biblical
truth. That is the truth of the gospel.
How different from most of that which calls itself Christianity.
Amen.