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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Lord Is There, continued
I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:23—NIV)
Can you perceive in the above verse that the purpose of bringing the members of the Body of Christ to unity and maturity is that the world may know God has sent Jesus Christ and loves the saints as He loves Christ? Have you ever thought much about the relationship between the union of the saints with Christ and the attitude of the world toward Christ? Well, this is what we see in Isaiah, Chapters 60-62.
Perhaps the Dispensationalists will object that the nations are coming to the light of the Jews after the flesh. In fact, it may be true that Dispensationalists imply the new Jerusalem, the Wife of the Lamb, refers to a kingdom of Jews on the earth while the Gentile Christians are in Heaven.
I don't suppose there ever has been a philosophy more destructive of clear Christian thinking than is true of Dispensationalism. This weird doctrine (two brides of Christ; two kingdoms) has robbed us of our inheritance.
Is it true that Dispensationalism has us stuck in Heaven while the glorious new Jerusalem descends in all its glory to the new earth? The Throne of God and of the Lamb are in the new Jerusalem. So are the River of Life and the Tree of Life. And we Gentiles who are members of the Body of Christ, who, because of our relationship to Christ are the Seed of Abraham, are left in Heaven? If so, then this is error at its most destructive.
The Apostle Paul taught clearly that in Jesus Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, only the one Seed of Abraham. There is no other seed of Abraham, no other heir of the promise.
Let us have done with the misleading philosophy of Dispensationalism and recognize that Isaiah, Chapters 60-61 is referring to the glorious Wife of the Lamb, the Christian Church, the Body of the Christ, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God.
Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. (Isaiah 60:5—NIV)
We saw the same idea in Revelation, didn't we?
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. (Revelation 21:24—NIV)
And notice:
Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so men may bring you the wealth of the nations—their kings led in triumphal procession. (Isaiah 60:11—NIV)
Compare:
On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. (Revelation 21:25,26—NIV)
It is quite obvious Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21 are speaking of the same city. Could there be two such cities? I think not. This is not sensible.
But can we establish that the new Jerusalem actually is the Lamb's wife, the Christian Church?
To be continued.