And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (Hebrews 8:11)

The holy city, the new Jerusalem, is the Wife of the Lamb. It is the Israel of God, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The fullness of the Glory of God abiding upon it reveals its complete maturity. The light radiating from it demonstrates its singleness of eye, its unity in the Lord.

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:11)

Today the Christian Church is a valley of disjointed, dry bones. Tomorrow the Christian Church will be the army of the Lord, the Body of Christ, the eternal Temple of God, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the Servant of the Lord who brings justice to the nations, the destroyer of the works of the devil, the deliverer of the creation from all bondage, and the judge of men and angels.

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. (Joshua 3:13)

There was an important difference between the way the Red Sea parted and the Jordan River parted.

The pathway appeared in Jordan when the priests stepped into the water. The pathway appeared in the Red Sea when Moses stretched out his hand.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. (Exodus 14:21)

The atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary was a supremely Divine work. God stretched out His majestic hand and the pathway of salvation appeared. Whoever will believe and receive can walk forth to meet the Lord on "dry land."

Now the Church of Christ, having spent many years in the wilderness of instruction, is ready to pass over into the dominion and fruitfulness that God has promised to man.

There is no Moses and his rod. No hand is stretched out so we can proceed forward. The only assurance we have that we shall not perish is the Word and the faith God has given to us.

The Red Sea parted and the dry land became visible before Israel went down to the floor of the sea.

However it is not always as evident that the waters will part when we are ready to enter our land of promise. The River Jordan may still be flowing when we are commanded to march forward to the land of promise. The priests, those who were bearing the Ark of Covenant, the Glory of Israel, had to step into the Jordan when it was at flood level. This was an act of faith.

True faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will enable us to gain victory over every circumstance that is hindering us today. It is faith in Christ, not faith in faith, that works the miracle.

To be continued.