It is the writer's point of view that all the elect of God finally will come to perfection (except those who disobey the Lord and are cut out of the Vine).

There indeed shall be a "glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." The Church will attain to the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" and will be "made perfect" in Christ in God.

But as we look about us we see anything but a glorious Church. Does the Lord God have a plan for perfecting His eternal resting place? We believe He does.

We think the design of the Tabernacle tent reveals to us the pattern for the development of the Church, the Church being the new Jerusalem—the city destined to govern the nations of the saved of the earth forever.

First (in the establishing of the Kingdom of God) came the Lord Jesus Christ and God in Him. This is the Most Holy Place.

Next in order will appear a firstfruits of the Church, a "Gideon's army," a group of "mighty men" to employ a figure from the career of King David (I Chronicles, Chapter 12). These also are of the Most Holy Place, we believe. The Lord's beloved are warriors (Song of Solomon 6:10). We shall have more to say in a moment about the warrior-remnant, the firstfruits of the Church.

After the firstfruits there will be brought forth the remainder of the elect until the Divine perfection has been developed throughout the Body of Christ. The perfected, completed Body is the Church, the new Jerusalem. This is the extension of the Most Holy Place into the Holy Place, the dividing veil then having been removed.

Finally the Lord, having attained His untroubled rest in His eternal tabernacle, will descend from the new heaven to a high mountain of the new earth. God forever will dwell among His creatures, ruling them and blessing them from His abode, His "Zion," which is the new Jerusalem, the holy city, the Wife of the Lamb, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is the Kingdom of God. Here is the answer to the prayer, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

First the Lord Jesus Christ; then the firstfruits of the Church; after that the remainder of the Church; finally the nations of the saved of the earth. There will be a hundredfold, a sixtyfold, and then a thirtyfold. This is the plan God will follow, we believe, in establishing His Kingdom on the earth.

In line with the design of the Tabernacle tent we are dividing the Body of Christ into two parts: the firstfruits, and then the remainder of the Body.

Because this concept can lead to error, to the fostering of unrealistic pride among little groups of inexperienced, undisciplined believers, let us present two ideas for balance: one, the concept of the elder brother; and two, the temporary nature of the division of the body into a firstfruits and a remainder—a Most Holy Place and a Holy Place.

To be continued.