The Progressive Revelation

Q: What does the Bible say about progressive revelation?

Progressive revelation refers to the way God gradually reveals Himself and His will through Scripture, starting from Genesis to Revelation. Progressive revelation is the concept that God unveils His truth to humanity gradually over time. It begins with initial revelations in the early books of the Bible and culminates in the full revelation in Jesus Christ, as seen throughout both the Old and New Testaments. For instance, God first reveals Himself to individuals like Adam and Eve, then progressively to patriarchs such as Noah and Abraham, and continues to unfold His plan through covenants with His people. This means the understanding of God and His purposes develops as Scripture is revealed, much like the path of the just described in Proverbs 4:18, which gleams brighter until the perfect day.

Q: Why is the concept of God's mercy important for Christians?

God's mercy is foundational for Christian faith, as it underscores His compassion and grace towards sinners. The concept of God's mercy is crucial for Christians as it highlights God's character as both just and merciful. Without His mercy, humanity would face the just consequences of sin. The mercy of God is manifested through His covenant with His people, representing His commitment to forgive and restore. As referenced in the sermon, God's mercy ensures that He will not abandon His people, as illustrated by His dealings with figures like Noah and Abraham. This mercy is ultimately realized in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice embodies the culmination of God's gracious nature, allowing believers to have a relationship with Him despite their transgressions.

Q: How do we know the reliability of God's covenants?

The reliability of God's covenants is affirmed through Scripture and God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises. The reliability of God's covenants is evident in the assurances found throughout Scripture, where God explicitly states His intent to establish and uphold these agreements. For instance, in Genesis 9:18-17, God confirms His everlasting covenant with Noah, showing that His promises are unbreakable. The covenant made with Abraham, where God assures that all nations will be blessed through him, is a testament to God's unwavering commitment. These covenants are not based on human actions but on God's sovereign will and character, thus providing believers with confidence in His promises. As highlighted in Hebrews, God's oaths and covenants are certain because they are rooted in His unchanging nature.

Q: What is the significance of God's presence in our lives?

God's presence signifies His intimate relationship with believers, guiding and empowering them. The significance of God's presence in the lives of believers cannot be overstated. It represents a profound relationship where God is not distant but actively involved in guiding and sustaining His people. As preached in the sermon, God's presence was notably experienced in the Garden of Eden, where He walked with Adam and Eve, illustrating His desire to have fellowship with humanity. In the New Covenant, this presence is manifested through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within believers, enabling them to live out their faith. This presence not only comforts and encourages but also transforms believers into the image of Christ, empowering them for service and ministry.

The last time I spoke, I believe
I spoke on the subject of the mercies of God, having spoken
on one occasion prior at that time on a subject matter that
led me into the study of the mercies of God when we're dealing
with the passages where the iniquities of the fathers are handed down
to that of the children, if you remember, but then God shows
mercy. since he brought that in as a collateral. If God was
not a merciful, just a high priest, a faithful priest, and not a
merciful priest, we'd be in trouble. But he's a faithful high priest
and a merciful high priest. So, today, I want to move further
into a subject matter, and I think possibly read one verse from
the Book of Proverbs, turn a few wheels to Proverbs, the third
chapter of Proverbs, Excuse me, the fourth chapter. Now, why
I do that, my Bible's got more chapters on one page than yours.
It's a little different, so I'm reading the fourth and the third
many times, while you don't. Different Bible, you know how
it is. So, it is the fourth chapter. If we get in the neighborhood,
we'll be okay. It's all right, unless you're
having your car fixed or something of the kind, and ask the man,
just what will be a neighborhood? What in the neighborhood might
be the price? When you find out you need the whole neighborhood,
when you come back, Now, we're going to get closer than that,
though. In the fourth chapter of the Book of Proverbs, in verse
18, just one verse I want to take out of that chapter and
use as a subject matter this morning. And it starts with the
conjunction, so you know we said something ahead of this, you'd
agree. But the path of the just is as a shining light that shines
more and more unto the perfect day." Now, I'm not speaking on
the perfect day, I'm speaking on the verse of Scripture. And
I have derived from the verse of Scripture the subject matter,
progressive revelation. The progressive revelation, that
the revelation of God begins rather dim as we study the Word
of God. And on many occasions, as we study throughout the entire
volume that is before us, it seems to be interwoven in such
a way that it becomes dim at times, and other times it shines
out brighter, more like the days of our pilgrimage. Some of them
the sun will shine out bright, and sometimes they don't, both
physically and spiritually. But if I were to preach on this
subject, and begin where God begins. I just turned back here
to Genesis 1, and I'd start here, and I'd wind up in Revelation,
what, 2221. Well, I can't do that. That's it. That's progressive
revelation of God. I cannot do that. In fact, I
can't handle a subject matter before me in the next hour or
the next day or the next days that lies ahead of me. I can't
do that. Progressive revelation of God. What little bit he let
us in on is too much for us. So as we study together, I hope
you'll glean from these scriptures I bring to your attention, a
study concerning God revealing himself. And we'll be tailing
the scriptures together here in such a manner that the cross-references
will bring us into various places in the scripture where I only
will allude to or hit the highlights. I cannot do this otherwise and
do anything that looks like justice to the subject. So let's do something. Let's diminish the subject to
its least denomination, denominator, as we could, and bring it down
to the presence of God. Is that right? That's what we
want to get a hold of. Let's get a hold of the presence
of God for just a little while and see if we can get something
that will be helpful here. Now, I think possibly that where
we would need to start to do this would be in the book of
Genesis, so let's just turn over to the third chapter of Genesis
there, and say a few things as we launch this subject matter.
I'd like to get to the book of Revelation, but one thing I want
to pick up where you left off, Brother, and that is the song
speaking of God dwelling in us. Is that right? You mentioned
that more times than one this morning, that we have a soul,
we have a soul within us, and you speaking again of Christ
in us. You mentioned that. But I want
to see that while that's true, it does not remain eternally
true. We are protruding out as a blowout
in a balloon or something of the kind, and while here, it
is Christ living in us. But before we ever came into
existence, we were in Him, and we shall wind up in Him, brother. We won't be talking about Him
living in us, we're going to be living in Him. Now, you watch it as
we get to there. If we don't get there, you certainly can
find some of these truths as we study together. chapter of the book of Genesis
here, we have some things that I think possibly if you just
use the word with him or something of the kind, it would be helpful
to study. But at the same time, there are
words in the study here that will help us to find out something
concerning this Christ living in us, the revelation of Christ,
and it's progressive as we take our marching orders right through
the Scripture. So in the third chapter of the book of Genesis,
we find Christ revealing himself to a people here called Adam
and Eve. And we use the word, as I just
diminished it, from the revelation of God to that of the presence
of God. So in verse 8, after verse 7 says, And the eyes of
them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and
they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves Now, as much
as I would like to delve into some of these bypass metas as
I go along, I can't do that. I must confine myself to a more
pertinent study with you that is directly related to the subject
that I never will get through. So verse 8, I'm going to leave
that verse that some of you have been preaching on and studying
with us recently, and it's some things I'd like to say with you,
but we can't do it at this present time. And they heard the voice of the
Lord God walking in the garden, walking in the garden. That's
an unusual statement we've used before. And they heard the voice
of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,
and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord
amongst the trees of the garden. Now, before we finish that chapter,
as we finish that chapter, God shuts up the way to the tree
of life, whatever that might be, by the cherubim here as guarding
angels, if you notice in the last verse right here, from his
presence. We're still dealing with the
word presence. Now they're shut out, whatever this language means
during the closing verses right there, shut out from that area
where they met with the presence of God. But remember, my friends,
that the presence of God is not leaving there. When we move from
one place to another, as we studied this morning, you'll find out
that the presence of God does not necessarily leave without
some mark of the presence of God being there. Let me just
jump away ahead for a moment right here. As you get to the
tabernacle you spoke on sometime back there, I mentioned it. Well,
you get to the tabernacle, there comes a time when that little
apparently insignificant thing sitting out there in the desert,
simply, it's terminated. It's gone. Nobody knows what
happened to the iron rod that to showbread, or this, that,
or anything else. But I'm going to tell you something.
God met there. Did He not? He said He would.
But after having seen this thing fold, there were some people,
there were some people who God's presence was still in. His presence
didn't leave the work undone. It was actually accomplished.
That's what He did. Now when you get to the details of that
thing, it's another study right there. But let's just say now
He met them here. And here is the presence of God
in the Garden of Eden, and it's a sort of an early revelation
for us. If we go just a little further
here, we'd find God revealing Himself to Abel, for example,
there in the fourth chapter, I guess it's right at us here.
This fourth chapter we see the same thing happening again, happening
again, and God revealing Himself to one of Adam's children here.
and doing so for the first time by sacrifice." He comes to understand
that a blood sacrifice is the ground on which the Lord God
Almighty meets us in his Son, he being, it was the first thing
of the flock, you all know this story well enough, he himself,
Christ being, the first of the flock, of the sheep, of the lambs
that he's identified with in his dance. So he's revealing
himself here. He doesn't say much about that.
He just says, "...Abel brought a offering of satisfying to God."
You understand as you go further there. Go just a little bit farther
right here, and then we'll take some stride. Look in the 6th
chapter here concerning Noah. In that 6th chapter, let me go
to the 18th verse and then back up to tell you what this covenant
is right here. There never had been a time, some of those preachers
were in dreams for a while back, and taking a position that the
rule or reign of God did not last just a thousand years, and
the man said there never had been a time when the Lord God
was not ruling reign. From the very, before the beginning,
he never had been anything but a reigning person. Now, among
his people he reigned differently, but he always reigned, he was
a sovereign, you see. This is the reign of grace. He
always has had a covenant, a covenant that's not clear, but it's collateral
to that of the covenant of works. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses,
Solomon, you and everybody else back up before that Adam. If
you do this, you're going to die. Well, that's the only covenant
God had, and we don't see the other covenant except in action.
If that's all he had, we'd be goners. But, brother, he's made
a covenant with his son, which is absolutely unconditional. It's conditional on one thing,
and that's with him to Godhead, that whatever we agree upon will
work. And, brother, it worked. It still
works. Listen to this right here. I
think this is a good word. I studied the concordant quite
a while to see if I could get some light on this word established.
It is the fourth, it is the sixth chapter of Genesis. And the 18th
verse. Now this is what he says to Noah. But with thee will I establish
my covenant. I suspect that's the first time
covenant is made mention of. I don't know. I believe it is.
It's close to now. But with thee will I establish my covenant.
And here we see God revealing himself to a person called Noah
by covenant relationship. All right, let's see what he's
doing here. covenant, and thou shalt come into the ark." I'm
inviting you to come into the ark. No, I hope you accept the
invitation. No, you come on in, brother.
This kind of a covenant will work. Look at that. But with
thee will I establish my covenant, and it'll be established with
you to the extent that you're going to follow what I say you
do, and thou shalt come into the ark, thou and thy son and
thy wife, and thy son's wife with thee. Now that's a covenant
of grace. Back up just a little bit right
here and look at the 8th verse of the same chapter. But no,
this is just a short, this is a capsule commentary in that
verse here. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. That don't mean that he's just
looking in the eyes of God and he found grace. He just found
that God was looking at him, brother. That's the whole thing.
Found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now you look at your wife
or she look at you. that the husband days passed
and gone while there's a time when some sort of it's said,
I can't identify it, past identification, but there's some sort of a look
that sort of charmed you, bud, either looking at you or not
looking at you. You hope she's looking at you,
you men, I did too, except somebody just over your shoulder. So some
of us have learned that one or the other is true. Now, the covenant
of grace, then, and a covenant relationship. Now this is interesting. I guess it was you speaking sometime
back then on the covenant, the two covenants here, the New Covenant.
And I think the book of Hebrews says, basically, that God says,
after saying so in what, Jeremiah 33, is it? He said, I will make. After these days, I will make.
I will make a New Covenant. Let's get a commentary just a
moment before we get any further on that make something new. Turn
to the book of 1 John. Turn to the book of 1 John, and
it's 1 John, chapter 2, and verse 7, I hope. And that is it. That is it. I apologize again
for missing the name and address of scripture sometimes. I'm not
too good at that, and as I go on, I don't have what I used
to have and didn't always have a whole lot, but I rely much
on my congregation. I rely much on the congregation
to help me through, and I see nothing wrong with that. So let
me quote John saying, Brethren, this sounds like a paradoxical
statement, but there's nothing paradoxical about it. Brethren,
I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which
ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word
which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment
I did. I did write to you. A new commandment
I wrote unto you. Which thing is true in him and
in you? Oh, wait just a moment. How come it's new? because the
darkness has passed and the true light now shineth. Now that sort
of catechism, for he's simply talking about light coming on
the subject that had never come on before, and that's the coming
of the just one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Much is contributed to
him because of the fact that it should be. But at the same
time, if you bring it right down to home, that's where you always
get to answer the Scripture, Bring it right down to home,
because the darkness has passed, and the true light has come into
your being, but the commandment also becomes new to you. Like
I said the other night here, you have a time getting acquainted
with yourself for a little while. All right, then this word, I
will establish my covenant with you, does not mean to make something
new. Watch it closely. And here's
the Greek language, I think this is good. It means to perform. It means to actually bring to
pass, and that's what he did here at this covenant. I'll establish
my covenant. What is your covenant? Well,
the covenant is for you, a relationship for you. You're going in that
ark for safety, and you're going in the ark, and so I will establish
my covenant with you. And the word here can and does
mean perform. It means to make good. How do
you like that? God's promises are just as sure
as His proceeds. When he made promise to Abraham,
by the way, he didn't make a conditional promise, when he could swear
by no greater, he swore by himself, saying, in thee shall not the
Israelitish nation be blessed, though they need it right now,
if they ever need it, but in thee shall all nations of the
earth be blessed. And I turn over to the book of
Galatians, read the last verse of the third chapter, and that
blessing doesn't come because you're the natural seed of Abraham,
if ye be Christ, then you're Abraham's seed and heirs according
to this promise." He's talking to the election. Whether they
be whoever they might be, whether they gather them in great numbers
or not, you're still dealing with one thing that's election.
It'll get you sued every time. It means to make good his promise. It means to make clear. I won't
make it clear enough, but you won't make no mistake when you
run that argument. You go on him. I'm going to shut the door.
I'm going to open the door and shut the door. No man opens it
and no man shuts it. That's just it. That's a covenant.
I have no condition about that. Well, I suppose I had him. I
suppose Noah hadn't gone in while I was suffering. He went in.
That's just like saying, well, I suppose I hadn't been here
this morning. Well, there you sit. You can't get out. If you
leave, you'll have to tell us why you're going. Do you think
somebody thinks he's just got in trouble and got hit, you know?
Not wise to leave the building with somebody crazy if you can't
help it. It'll be all right. You need
to get... Just to make clear! To make clear! No reflection. We'll have to move out sometime,
but Rob Barnard used to say, if you don't quit going in and
out, he'll just have us spelled, you know. Well, I never have
that problem, period, here. To make sure! Do you know what
that is? Have you studied it? What? The
sure mercies of David. Do you remember that? I'll show
mercy to the household of David, and that's not his little house.
He didn't do that. It's a dynasty, is the word used.
And that's the elect dynasty. It means to raise up. Where? 15th chapter of Acts?
Is that right? And I will build again the tabernacle
of David. Oh, somebody said that's a temple. David never was a person who
resided in the temple. He's everything else but that.
He ran from his own son. He's in exile most of the time.
It means that temple that is fallen down over yonder in Jerusalem
called the Son of God. I'll raise it up again in three
days. That's what it is. That's my covenant with him.
It means raise it up. It means? One more and we'll
quit there. It means to pitch. I'll pitch
my tent in your direction. He pitched it toward Sodom was
Lot's problem, but God Almighty pitched it toward him. It's a
covenant. Now that's just some of the things
that you might get a hold of as you study that thing, God
meeting people and making his name known. This is a study I like. I'm going
to run this tributary in the Lord's name. I'm going to go
ahead and stick with the subject matter. What was the Lord doing? The voice of God walking. That's
a strange statement. The voice of God walking. Voice
means familiarity. Is that right? They heard a voice.
That's God's voice. We knew He's voice. That's God's.
Walking is a way of life. As well as a conversation. A
couple of words in Hebrew, possibly, will give you the word conversation.
But only a couple, I think it is. I've studied that with you.
So, it's a way of life. Walking. Walking. It's God making
himself knowing by walking with you, or you walking with him. Both. And what was it said about Enoch?
And Enoch walked with God, and God took him. He was not forgotten,
and why did he take him? He just pleased God to do so.
A pleasant walk with God. That's what the kid said to tell
us about Enoch walking with God. So we started walking with God
and said to Moses, we went too close. Got to God's house and
said to him, we're going back. That's pretty good and boy, you
couldn't beat that interpretation. Walking, walking, walking, talking.
So Enoch walked with God. Genesis 17. God meets with a
man called Abraham. Meets with a man called Abraham.
And I mean, Abraham didn't hunt God up, he hunted him up. He
went over to Mesopotamia and dig him out of the pit of the
very, Isaiah says, of the hole of the pit. That means, I guess,
it's like you go where some of these restaurants are at, and
you got one of those things that takes your money as you go by,
you throw a penny in that thing. That's a sinkhole back home. You had to watch those places.
You'd fall in and just keep going down and rock the country. so
much for that. Abraham didn't hunt God up over
in Mesopotamia. By the way, God was over there.
He didn't go over there. He was over there, and he hunted
Abraham up and just sought him out, and him alone says the Scripture. It's bad enough that God just
reached out and gets a person, but when you begin to tell this
deceived And like he said this morning, deceived, crowned and
right, that God did that alone, just got one of them. I don't
think God ought to do like that. It's not a matter whether God
ought to do like that or not. It's a matter of what he did. In the 17th chapter of the book
of Genesis. I apologize again. Scripture
means something to me. It's a part of me. I get carried
away and I tell you some things. Possibilities are not clear as
I read them. Thus far I think they've been
rather clear. But I just apologize. I get ahead of myself. I've got
forty chapters to go. I'll never make it. Pray. And listen. Listen to this. And when Abraham was ninety years
old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him,
I am the Almighty God. Walk before me and be that person. Walk before me. Well, God, that's
what I've been trying to do, is get a step or two ahead of
you. Walk before me. No, that's not what he's talking about,
Bud. What's he talking about? Walk in my presence. God revealing himself to Abraham,
just tell him, Abraham, walk in my presence. Blessed be your
way of life. That's the prevalence of God's
highness. And I will make my covenant between
me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." Now, if God
ever makes a covenant and makes it backward from that, well,
he'll exercise some manners and ethical principles that he don't
need to exercise. He's God. He don't need to apologize
to somebody and say, I'm sorry I stepped on your toe. He'd probably
step on you, at least to your hip, you men who carry your billfold
on your hip. to the rest of us all right before
you get done walk around over you up say that a little different
and that's not good English but I understand correctly that's
a. That's an error when you come to grammaticals. Maybe we should
have said good grammar. I believe that's right. Right.
Instead of English, you know, we kind of get across the water.
But the grammar here turned around. I make my covenant with me and
thee. That's kind of like a kid. The
first thing they learn to say, they're born selfish. And they
say, me go do so and so. They never use a correct language. Never say, I'm going. Me. Me
want so and so. And me get so and so if you don't
look at me. I'm telling you, he made a covenant with Abraham.
I know, we're just growing up children. And I will make my
covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly."
And Abraham fell on his face and talked with God. Talking
and walking with God. We're simply amplifying what
we're saying right here. "...appeared to him in a covenant
relationship," again, there it is, brothers, covenant relationship,
So Galatians chapter 3 and verse 29 of that chapter, he didn't
turn there, is the commentary on it. Abraham verse 16, he adds to
this covenant tale to Abraham what he'll do there, and did
just exactly what he promised. At the time that he said he'd
come, he did come. Now, let me just jump a cove
right here on you. For the book of Hebrews says that this promise
right here is the thing that's created a lot of problems. If
you go further right there, you'll get into what appears to be a
land promise. And if it is a land promise,
the scriptures plainly say, and other paintings of scripture,
that all God ever promised Israel, he gave. It doesn't make any
difference what somebody else says in their survey, but all
that he ever promised them, he gave to them. and all that ever
follows Abraham's spiritual seed, he is giving to Abraham. The
thing that we're reading into this passage here in this covenant
is not a conditional covenant, though it tells Abraham, now
you walk before me and I know you'll command your house right,
and so on and so forth. If God moves on Abraham on that
kind of premise, he'll take everything from him. God never made a covenant
with you or you make a covenant with God for what you broke to
the extent that you had to tell God you had no claim. Anybody in this kitchen, anybody
in this kitchen, Abraham did not look. for a land that he
could own and call his own. He did not have one place in
Palestine to bury his dead. He didn't own a foot of land
in Palestine, but he did look. He did look, according to the
book of Hebrews, for a city. Look beyond this veil of sorrow
and this veil of tears and look to a city who has foundations
full. Reason for that? Whose buildings? and maker is God. Let me ask
you a question. You two brothers who teach, did
not Abraham live in a tabernacle at that present time? I'm not
talking about he hadn't gotten to the tabernacle. In this tabernacle,
did not Abraham live in a tabernacle whose builder and maker was God?
Didn't he? Is that what you're saying this
morning? He lived in it. The real Abraham lived in a tabernacle
whose builder and maker is God. Why then didn't he look at that
tabernacle? He looked beyond this tabernacle,
which along with the old tabernacle in the wilderness, is simply
that of the shadow and the tithe, and God will never be through
with it until He has substance in the true tabernacle that God
pitched on land. So that tabernacle in the wilderness,
I read the book of Exodus, and God met Moses over on the backside
the desert from the second or third chapter. I guess it's the
third chapter and Then I read on over all the things that took
place time my best to get my bearings in this thing that's
what's taking place concerning the building of the tabernacle
and on the 25th chapter of the book of Exodus you begin to tell
Abraham said I'm going to give you I'm gonna give you a blueprint
here and we'll give you a template if you're a carpenter and I want
you to know that I'm going by a heavenly reality and I want
you to be able to like it. Read that sometime. It's impossible
to believe that unless you have faith in God. Chapter 25 to chapter
32 is all in detailed analysis of what he's telling you to do,
and you sort of pause after just a moment and try to stop, say,
you got it done, but really he didn't furnish the tabernacle
until the 40th chapter, the last chapter. All that covers that. Did not vote? Dwell in the tabernacle? Made with hand? Made by God?
Didn't he dwell in this tabernacle right here? Didn't he dwell in
that low 45 by 15 tabernacle down there in the wilderness?
Did he? He's a lot of significance here as you study further concerning
the tabernacle. Significance of the tabernacle.
Look at that thing down there, the outside of it looks terrible.
It's badger skinned and what not and some boys. It's something
in that tabernacle that God put his presence. Something in that
tabernacle. If you want to study something interesting, if I don't
get back to it, take the candlestick for one. candlestick and move on through,
move on through. Does this typify Christ? We've
heard so much typology. Everything's Christ, everything's
Christy. Pardon me. I believe Christ is in everything,
but Christ is absolutely in nothing without his people. And the doctrine of election
that people hate so bad, the preachers, so-called preachers
of the day, who will preach typology. This is a type of Christ. This
is a type of Christ. And stop short of the fact that
you cannot have a type of Almighty God in Christ without having
His people with Him. The candlestick, for example.
When you get over to the book of Revelation, it tells you what
it's all about. Christ walking in the midst of the candlestick.
Is that right? It's not the same candlestick
again. And he tells you what that is. He says that's the church.
And that's not the seven churches of Asia Minor and Baal, that's
it. The seven churches of Asia Minor simply cover the entire
church age. And that's not just the New Testament
I'm talking about. I'm talking about the whole age of God. And here's
people looking. He's walking around. He's doing
what? I've left the subject. He's walking in the midst of
those campuses. Who are those people? Who are
they? Well, he pins the churches, locals.
Wait just a moment. He that hath ears, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches." He! He's individuals
in there. It's his people again, brother.
He's revealing himself. And just I'm telling you again
this morning, putting his name and place at a certain place
and leaving it there for a while and move on. Every time God moves,
in the sojourn of the people in this life. He has that which
is, how can I say it, there is a principle that is carried along
with regeneration called renovation. And God is forever tearing down
to build greater. What did he do? He tore the tabernacle
down. It's wrecked. It's gone now.
Nothing left but just that little heart of the tabernacle called
the Ark, and that's what comes into the temple when Solomon
builds the temple. I noticed a little while back,
somewhere, the tale of the temple a while back. Solomon's temple,
I don't know if it was built, I haven't forgotten now, and
Zerubbabel's temple, and Herod's temple, and the Antichrist temple,
and Christ's temple. That's the tale of the temple,
but you better study the Word of God. I'm telling you, Abraham
looked for a city, because that foundation, who built it, the
ruler of God. Now, I want to get to I want to get the answer
to the problem so bad, so badly, this morning. I've got ten minutes
to go. I'm going to violate the laws of study and go to the back
pages of the written paper to get the answer. Are you going
with me? Okay, let's look at something. I've said something
here. I'm saying that the tabernacle is just a shadow. I'm also saying
that we're just a shadow. We're just a shadow. We're just in the twilight. I
can prove that right quick. When you speak about a new covenant,
this will help you, speaking about a new covenant, God made
a new covenant, and these folks came under that covenant at a
set time. But when you get over it, you
say, now this didn't take place until this time, and yet it did
take place at this time, and it's ratified at a certain time
by the blood of the Everlasting, by the blood of the One who ratifies
the covenant, and on we go with that. But the Son of God Himself
says, I want you to know that what God promises and what God
says is as good as done. If he ever told Abraham back
there, Abraham, I'll promise you a thing and you might as
well rely upon it. Abraham could rely just as well
as I can. He staggered not at the promise
of God, but was strong in faith, Romans 4, believing that he who
had promised was able to put it in practice. That's faith,
man. Did you see? Did you answer?
Embrace and point of time, the one coming out of the grave?
I saw ahead of time. I looked beyond the holes. Did
you dove? Yes, I did. And embraced the
situation. Don't tell me they didn't have
faith. Don't tell me. Now, God's presence was dim.
And as I preached further, He kept revealing Himself in a more
vivid manner. And He's still doing that, brethren. Still doing that. Let me get
the, turn to, where were you in Kings? I thought you should
take a minute. Turn over to 1 Kings, oh, what, 6th chapter, I guess
it is. Let's get it there. Well, I'm in 2 Samuel, so stop
there. Let's get it there. It's the
same thing, exactly. Listen to what it says here. In 2 Samuel, chapter 7, It is imposed upon Solomon there
to build a temple. You know the story there. And here are some words I want
you to study behind me sometime. What was it, Nathan came to him
here, what? Okay, here's Nathan talking, and he says to David
here, David's still alive, but this is going to happen after
David's gone. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shall
sleep with thy father, I will set up thy seat after thee, which
shall proceed out of thy bough, and I will establish his kingdom. Christ or David or Solomon of
times, listen to this, and I shall build a house for my name, and
I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. That's the
Son of God, that David's greater son. I will be his father, and
he shall be my son, period, at the same time. Then he turns
suddenly to David or to Solomon here in this case. He committed
iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men. with the
stripes of the children of men, but my mercy shall still to Saul
and Solomon, but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I
took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house
and thy kingdom shall be established forever. Thee, right before thee,
just like we said, you walk, and thy throne shall be established
forever." Now, turn over, go ahead and let's get 1 Kings 8.
Well, here is what he said to Solomon. I've got to have this. Here is the covenant, verse 21
of the 8th chapter, that's correct. And I have set there a place
for the ark, where is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with
our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Eden. Here's a verse of scripture.
Let me digress for just a moment. I marked here Deuteronomy 5,
2. Get Deuteronomy 5, 2 for just a moment right here. Read it,
brother Lane. Deuteronomy 5. I think it's verse
2. 1, 2, 3 verses. Listen to this just a moment.
Some study for it. I'm going to read my verse while
you're getting it again. I have set that place for the ark when it
is the covenant of the Lord which he made with our fathers when
he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Okay, your verse. Let's
talk. I believe it is. Read the next one. Did you get that? Did you get
that? He made not a coven. Here he
made a coven with the father's record. This is a good study
for us if we study. Now listen to this. Listen to
this song. Solomon stood before the Lord, and he prayed to God
of heaven, and on we go. And verse 26, And now, O God
of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou
speakest unto thy servant David my father. Look at this. Suddenly he's about to blow up.
And your Bible jammed with question marks. Solomon, what you been
dwelling on? I've been dwelling on building
this How beautiful it is! That thing would have ruined
your eyes looking. For what purpose that God Almighty
would have a place to dwell? Come on, Sop. Think her over,
bud. But will God indeed dwell on
the earth? Have I been dreaming? Behold,
the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee talking to
God. Much less, how much less, this
house that I built." He's just a little ray of light
shining in and telling him there's something beyond this house that
he's talking about. Coming on his end. Turn to 2 Corinthians
chapter 5. And the verse begins at the beginning
of the chapter when I get there. Now listen to this. Did you know? Did you know that
this house not made with hands is not necessarily just a tabernacle
and just a tent and just a place over called the edifices of the
temple? No? Did you not know you're the
temple of God? Huh? And the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you? Did you know there'll come a
time when that statement cannot be so? That you'll be the temple
of God and the Spirit of God be dwelling in you? No, there'll
be no temple there. That's what the book says. There'll
be no temple. What's he talking about? Oh, son of a gun. He don't
go dwell in us there. He go dwell in him. He's the
dwelling place. He's the true Tabernacle. He's
the sanctuary, if we could get there. Look at this chapter right
here then, for just a moment here, in the 5th chapter. For
we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle, I asked a
question here a while back on Wednesday night on the fact that
he spake of the temple of his body. The word temple and the
word body, when you say it, were two different words. He spake
of the naos of his body. We're the naos. I'll give you
that much light as you go along and study. For we know that if
our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, now listen, shall
we, God, the heavens being on fire, according to 1 Peter, will
be what? Be dissolved. Brother, that's
not the same Greek word. It's dissolved, but it's not
this dissolved. How is God going to dissolve the heavens and the
earth if not the manner in which he's going to dissolve this tabernacle?
They go, keep in mind that I got a tabernacle right here. I'm
putting him in the grave on this side. I'm going to raise one
on the other side. There's going to be a new tabernacle. I know
it is. This old tabernacle that we dwelt
in shall not be forgotten by him, brother. We'll have one
like his tabernacle. He did dwell in those people.
Listen to him. We know good parts of the house.
of this tabernacle, not the tabernacle now, the earthly house of this
tabernacle. I'm telling you that was in the tabernacle. When you
read the tabernacle, there was something in that tabernacle
which was a house and must be dissolved. It pictured more just
the outside of it. And the fixtures and the various
things that made up that tabernacle were something that remains in
one sense of the word, were dissolved We have a building of God and
house not made with hands eternal in the heaven. Whatever this
house is here, right here that I'm standing in this morning,
whatever the house is that I have now, the tabernacle, the house
of this tabernacle, it must be dissolved and I must take on
a house not made with hands. This is made with hands. For in this tabernacle, in this
house, We've grown us earnestly designed to be clothed upon with
our house, which is from heaven. Whatever it is, brother, it's
clothing for us. We'll be covered. And we are
going to be covered. We shall recognize ourselves
as being in Him, period. If so be it as being clothed,
we shall not be found naked. For in this tabernacle, We that
in this tabernacle do groan. Look out the windows in this
thing. He said, they're getting foggy, bud. Gotta get me some
glasses. Pleased to ask you. Gives you
a pretty good outline along that line. You know, these old things
that you talk about walking on, they're getting a little more
feeble. Oh, I groan to be delivered to the house of my maiden hand.
For that we are in this, for that we, for we that in this
tabernacle do groan, being burdened. not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing as God, who
also hath given unto us the earnestness of the Spirit. You see? The Spirit
of God dwelling in you. He said, just earnestness of
the Spirit. That's the day on faith. For we walk by faith,
but we walk. We're walking here. We walk by
faith and not by sin. We are confident, I say, and
willing rather to be absent from the body and be present with
the Lord. I believe honestly, that's Scripture.
For it says there to be absent from the body, to be present
with the Lord, and then he comes on down just a little ways right
there and tells us that if we're present in the, if we're at home
in the body, we're absent from the Lord. Well, I'm reading the book. I
didn't write it, so it must be so, if you understand that kind
of language. I'm telling you that we're living in that little
old tent that would be folded, and folded much quicker than
any of the rest of us around here might think it'd be folded,
which is your tent, my tent, or whatnot. And while we're in
this tent, it's just a shack. And God moved from one thing
that I started to give you something a few moments ago. While the
Son of God was here on earth, we were observing the Lord's
Supper this evening. I forgot to make mention of that, but
you folk know about that. But while here on this earth,
before, listen, before he ever went to the cross, he himself
said, he said that, said, this is my blood of the new testament
which is shed for you. Hasn't been shed yet. He makes
a covenant a thousand years before that time and saying it's made,
it's just as sure as it was the day before, two days before.
We need to get a hold of something like the promises of God. All
the promises of God that you hear today is, well, I prayed
to God, and He promised me, He agreed that He'd do so-and-so,
you know. Yeah, I've heard that. I've heard that.

The Progressive Revelation

What does the Bible say about progressive revelation?

Why is the concept of God's mercy important for Christians?

How do we know the reliability of God's covenants?

What is the significance of God's presence in our lives?

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The Progressive Revelation

What does the Bible say about progressive revelation?

Why is the concept of God's mercy important for Christians?

How do we know the reliability of God's covenants?

What is the significance of God's presence in our lives?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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