Title Until I See the New Jerusalem
Contents
I will wait and look to him until the image of Christ is formed in me. At the beginning of the gospel, something unusual happened. That is the work of the Galatia church. The apostle Paul, who was established as the light of the Gentiles, began with the Holy Spirit to accomplish the will of God, that is, the image of Christ, in the Galatian church, but it ended in the flesh.
That is why he testified about the Galatian church, “My children, I am again toiling in childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). not showing.
In the Bible, the only people who perfected the image of Christ were those of Christ and the types God gave him. It is the same as the words written, “…Behold, I and the children God has given me…” (Hebrews 2:13). These are important words prophesied about Christ and the church long after the prophet Isaiah.
It was prophesied, “Bundle up the testimony, and seal the law among my disciples. Now I will wait for God, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. It came to pass because of the God of hosts, who is on Mount Zion” (Isaiah 8:16-18).
The “word of witness” in the prophesied word is Christ, the headstone. Why did he not release the testimony of this Christ, and bind him up so that he could not advance to perfection? The Bible talks about this in detail.
It is written, “Because of the long time, you should be teachers, but again, from whom do you need to be taught what are the beginnings of the word of God, and you have become deprived of milk or solid food? For everyone who drinks milk is a child, meaning Those who have not experienced the Word, and solid food belongs to those who have grown up. They are those who use their senses, and are trained to discern good and evil. Therefore, we must abandon the basics of the Christian way, repent of dead works, have faith in God, and baptize and lay hands and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment, do not lay the groundwork again, but go on to perfection; we will do this if God wills it” (Hebrews 5:12-6:3).
At the beginning of the gospel, we can see that many people have abandoned the world and waited for the Lord, knowing that the Lord will soon return to the world. His representative is the Thessalonian Church. The apostle Paul knew that he would live with them and see the Lord. It is written, “After that we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
But this is the same hope of Christians, and God has slowed down the time because he is not trying to save so few people. The Bible testifies to this, “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. He desires not to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).
In this plan, there was a case where the Holy Spirit also prevented the preaching of the word, as evidenced by "The Holy Spirit prevented him from preaching the word in Asia..." (Acts 16:6). I know that it is only Satan's job to stop the preaching of the word, but "the Holy Spirit did not allow the preaching of the word in Asia." This is to fulfill the providence of mystery that God prepared in Christ Jesus.
This is because it was necessary to “conceal the house of Jacob” for some time in order to establish the temple of God, the body of Christ, in the distant future. The church of Christ is the bride of Christ. The bride needs a period of preparation.
It is written, “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). It is like wine that has been stored for a long time, and it is only when a promise arrives that it becomes a witness.
Therefore, it is written, “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all; It is true and no lie that he was appointed an apostle, in faith and truth I became a teacher to the Gentiles” (1 Tim 2:5-7). Soon, you will enter the second world to find another ransom (half a shekel) and fulfill one shekel. When the promise comes, God will prepare all the halves that will become one with Christ, so that they may become one with the Lord.
Therefore, on that day, this day, “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come,’ and he who hears will say, ‘Come. is.
However, since the marriage covenant of the Lamb has not yet come, and the bride has not yet been prepared, the Bible testifies about this, saying, "The Holy Spirit was shown by this, that while the first tabernacle was standing, the way into the sanctuary had not yet been revealed. But the offerings and sacrifices that depend on this cannot be made perfect by the conscience of the one who serves; these, along with eating and drinking and various washings, have become only the ordinances of the flesh, and are entrusted to them until they are reformed” (Hebrews 9:8). -10) You did.
Therefore, as it is written, we could not go to perfection without God's permission. This is because there is an appointed time that only God knows.
Although Christ gave Himself as a ransom to the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, yet His blood, the Bride, who will be one with life, is being prepared in every place by sanctification and obedience. But when the promise comes, he will surely show the appearance of the bride. As it is written, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb…” (Revelation 21:9).
And on that day, this day, everything will come true as the Word says. As it was prophesied, “Rebellious daughter, how long will you wander? God has created a new thing in the world, that the woman (the church) will embrace the man (Christ)” (Jeremiah 31:22) and salvation, wisdom, and knowledge abound; the fear of God is your treasure” (Isaiah 33:6).
Regarding this, the prophet said in advance, "I will make my holy name known among my people Israel, that my holy name will no longer be profaned; and the nations will know that I am God, the Holy One of Israel," says the Lord God. Build it, and it will come and be accomplished, for this is the day I spoke of” (Ezekiel 39:7-8).
The people of the type had accomplished all these things with Christ as a type and went away, but now we are a pitiful flock of sheep to be slaughtered while waiting for God to hide his face from the house of Jacob. Therefore, the Bible exhorts the remnant of Jacob who want to be formed in the likeness of Jesus in my body, "And we have a more certain prophecy, like a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. It is proper to take heed of this” (2 Peter 1:19).
But He promised, “In that day the remnant of Israel and the refugees of the house of Jacob will no longer trust in the one who struck them, but in God the Holy One of Israel; and a remnant, the remnant of Jacob, will return to the mighty God. I will return” (Isaiah 10:20-21), and again, “Jacob, I will surely gather you all together; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel, and I will put them in one place like a flock of Bozrah, like a flock of pastures; Because of the multitude, a loud noise will be heard, and the one who opens the way will go up before them, and they will run and come to the gate, and they will follow it, and their king will go before them, and God will go before them” (Micah 2:12-13). He said, “The remnant of Jacob will be among many people, like the dew from God, like the rain on the grass, and wait for no man, and no man to wait; and the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations and among the peoples. Like a lion, like a young lion among sheep, if it passes by, it will trample on it and tear it, and no one can save it” (Micah 5:7-8).
Therefore we will say, “I am wandering like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments” (Psalm 119:176), and we will say, “You rescue me from all evil and save me into his kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever, Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).
The day you foretold will surely be this day. Amen, thank you Lord.
little brother kim yoon-goo