First, Christ. Then, the firstfruits of the Church, the warrior- remnant. After that, every member of the Church including the smallest and weakest of the believers (Isaiah 60:21,22; Song of Solomon 8:8,9; Luke 7:28; Hebrews 8:11). Every member of the elect who obeys the Lord will be created a priest of God Almighty, a person who lives, moves, and has his being in the righteous and holy ways of the Lord.

But what about the nations of the earth? Are they forever doomed to wallow in lust, idolatry, covetousness, murder, strife, filthiness of speech and mind, drunkenness, bitterness of spirit, as we see today? Not so! The righteousness that God is creating in the Church, His Temple, the righteousness that proceeds from Christ in us, will be ministered to the nations of the earth through the Lord's kings and priests—His Church. The nations will learn of God from the Church. This is one of the great purposes that God has for the existence of the Church.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

Christ is Truth. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Those who come to Him find the understanding needed to overcome every problem, the key to every mystery, the way to resolve every dilemma. Christ is the Light of God shining in the darkness of the world. We have Him in our heart, and so there is light in us.

All who would have light must come to Christ in the Church, for there is no other light that can illumine the darkness in mankind. God's light is God's law. As we obey God's law we "see" the way that leads to eternal life. Such is the fulfillment of the eternal moral law of God. In His light we see light.

God's Glory is light. The New Jerusalem is filled with the fullness of the Glory of God, with the fullness of His light. So complete is the light of God that there is no more need of the sun or moon to give light on the earth.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (Revelation 21:24)

In the beginning, Christ was the light of the world. There were the evenings and the mornings until the fourth day. On the fourth day the sun, moon, and stars were created. How could there have been evenings and mornings apart from the existence of the sun? The answer is, Christ gave light to the earth until the heavenly bodies were created.

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. (Isaiah 62:1)

In the new heaven and earth rule of Christ He again will be the light of the world. His saints will have Him dwelling in themselves. His light will shine from them and illumine the nations of saved peoples of the earth.

To be continued.