Canterbury Bible Conference 2013

… I would propose that we read some verses from the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Gospel of John, chapter 1, and verse 43. On the morrow he would go forth into Galilee and Jesus finds Philip and says to him, follow me. And Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, we have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law and the prophets, Jesus, the son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth. And Nathanael said to him, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip says to him, come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and says of him, behold, one truly an Israelite in whom there is no guile. Nathanael says to him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him, before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and said to him, rabbi, thou art the son of God, thou art the king of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. And he says to him, verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man. Thus far, the word of God. In the eve before the last conferences, we have had introductory lectures on diverse subjects of these epistles. And if my memory doesn't fail me, the last time I had some different titles, diverse titles and names of the Lord, Jesus, which figure in the first epistle of John. Now we are facing the two last epistles of John. And I will by no means try to forestall any of the meditations we shall have upon these precious epistles. I thought, I think the Lord gave it, put it into my heart to speak a little, again, a little bit about our Lord Jesus himself. Who in the writings of John, as we all know, I suppose, is presented as the eternal son of God. It is the first verse of this gospel which reveals that already when it says, in the beginning was. This is not the beginning of Genesis 1, the beginning of creation, where something came into existence. In the beginning God created. But here it says, what was not only in that beginning of Genesis 1, verse 1. But one might say, if one knew, if one knew about any other beginning before that, the word was ever there. In the beginning was the word. Because the word himself, I say, grammatically perhaps incorrect, but not spiritually, the word himself is eternal. That is what is said there. And the word was with God and the word was God. And we read in verse 14 of this same chapter, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have contemplated his glory, a glory as an only begotten with the Father. That is the word. The word speaks of our Lord Jesus as the eternal son of God, be long before, eternally long before he took the name of Jesus or he was given the name of Jesus when he was born as man into this world as a child. The eternal word, the eternal son, the only begotten son of the Father who became man, became flesh, took flesh and blood as we did. And the similarity of the flesh of sin even. So this gospel speaks of our Lord as no other of the four gospels as the one who was eternally with God. An unsoundable mystery, by the way. Nobody can explain that all. But one thing we may know that the triune God, Father, Son, and Spirit exist eternally without any change, without any subjection to any influences. Active, eternal, in light and love. The Son is the divine expression of all that the invisible God who is himself invisible is. Twice it is said in the scripture that God himself, the triune God, is invisible. Colossians 1.15, he is the image of the invisible God. This is one of the very important characteristics of the Son. It is not the Father who became man. It was the Son. It is not the Spirit who came on earth to dwell amongst us. He dwells in those who believe. But he has not lowered himself to the place the Son has taken. It was the Son who became man. And the second passage where it is said that he is the image of the invisible God, or that God is invisible, rather, is 1 Timothy 1.17. God invisible. And whatever man has seen and can see of God is only in the Son of God. The Word, the full expression of what God is. Colossians 1, the Son, the image, the visible expressions. Hebrews 1, also the effulgence of his being and the expression of his character. How does it say exactly in Hebrews 1? That is the eternal Son. God has spoken in many parts, in many ways, formerly to the fathers and the prophets. At the end of these days he has spoken to us in Son. He has not only spoken by the Son as if the words of the Son were the words of God, which is true. But the Son was the speaking of God, if I may say so. He spoke in Son. He who has seen me has seen the Father. In verse 2 it says, by whom he also made the worlds. That is the beginning of Genesis 1, verse 1. By whom he also made the worlds. Everything God did, he did by the Son. It is the Son who was the active part in all the doings of God. And it was always in this power of the Spirit. So the Trinity, if I may so say, is always active as one. The Father created through and by the Son. And it was by the force, strength of the Spirit who is mentioned in Genesis 1, verse 3. The Spirit of God was above the water. But then it is said in verse 3 here, who being the effulgence of his glory and the expression of his substance and at the same time upholding all things by the word of his power. That's the eternal Son. The full expression of all God is. Not only in time, eternally. The word, the expression as it were, was in the beginning. And it came, he, the Lord, Jesus, came to us. So this is the subject of John's Gospel. More than all the others. Matthew, king of Israel. Mark, the servant of God, the prophet. Luke, the Son of Man, of which we shall hear later. But John, the Son of God. God revealed in flesh. This is the subject. And it runs through the whole Gospel from beginning to end, we may say. And here in the beginning, we see that he did not come, as it were, to Europe. The Lord came to the people of the Old Testament, Israel. Let's never forget that. That this was the first link God had with the people, with Israel. And so John Baptist, when he came, he was the herald, as it were, of the Lord Jesus as king of Israel. That was the first instance, the first thing. Repent for the kingdom of God. And that means the king has come near, is approaching. This is what we find in chapter 1. The announcement that John the Baptist spoke about the Lord Jesus as the coming king. But in John, he says more. He says more. What we have read in chapter 1, verse 1 to 18, is naturally not what John the Baptist said. This is what John, the apostle, wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He wrote about the character of the Lord Jesus, which is not revealed by the other evangelists as in this same manner. The Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God. We know that. There are many sects in Christianity who deny that. But if we read this here, the word was with God. I do not want to prove now the eternal sonship of the Lord Jesus. However important it is, it is of all importance. Because how can God reveal himself except only by God himself? That is the point. God cannot be revealed in a man, in a mere man. He was revealed in a man, but not in a mere man. The Son of God became flesh. The Word became flesh. But when John the Baptist is mentioned in this chapter, we see that he spoke about the prophets, verses 19 to 28. But then he says, later on, in verse 33, And I knew him not. Did he not know him? He had met him when he was still in the womb of his mother. And had bounced, as it were, in the womb of his mother when Mary, who was also pregnant, came to Elizabeth. But what he said here is that he did not know him as the one he really was. As what we have spoken about in these moments. I did not know him. But he who sent me to baptize with water, God, he said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God. This is the witness of John the Baptist. One of the first, he gives many witnesses, he witnesses many things. But the most important is that he was the Son of God. But all the rest, and this is the title of the Gospel of John, the witness that Lord Jesus is the eternal Son of God. But all the rest of the listeners to the preaching of John did not know or understand that. They thought about the King of Israel. And that is when the Lord Jesus gathered his first disciples. Philip went to Nathanael in Bethsaida and said, We have found. He doesn't even say, We have found the Messiah, which is almost equivalent to the King of Israel. Messiah means the anointed one. He says, We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law. What did Moses write about in the law? Naturally, we find many types. But in Deuteronomy 18, I think it is. Deuteronomy 18. Deuteronomy 18. Verse 15. Moses said to the people of Israel, Jehovah thy God will raise up to thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me. Unto him ye shall hearken. According to all that thou desirest of Jehovah thy God, etc. A prophet like unto me. That is the one of whom Moses has prophesied. He has spoken of the Lord Jesus as the prophet. And that is what Philip is mentioning here when he says, Him of whom Moses wrote in the law and the prophets. Now we cannot by any means go through the prophets. All the prophecies about the Lord Jesus we can imagine. Although this is a very, very valuable study to look through the prophets. Especially the younger ones among us. To look through the prophets. Beginning from Isaiah until going through Malachi. To seek the Lord in the prophets. The Jews knew that the prophets had spoken about the Lord Jesus. The Messiah. Jesus the son of Joseph who is from Nazareth. Now this was how the Jews saw the Lord Jesus. Son of Joseph which was not the truth. From Nazareth which was not the true characteristic of the Messiah. Because he was the son not of Joseph. Although legally Joseph is always regarded as the father of the Lord Jesus. There was a legal order. There was no disorder. And as son of Joseph the Lord Jesus was known among the people. Many other times, several other times mentioned where this comes to the fore. And from Nazareth. That was not the town of his birth. It was not the town where Messiah should be born according to Micah 5. Bethlehem, Judah, Ephrathah. But it was the town where he had passed his childhood. His young years until his public appearance. But so he was known among many Jews obviously. And then Nathanael who was a little incredule said can anything good come out of Nazareth? It does not seem to have been a well known and famous town. It was not. Philip says to him, very important, come and see. How beautiful if somebody has his criticism about the Lord Jesus to say come and see. But how often, sadly enough, we have not the strength to say come and see. Because what do people see in us? It's a very serious remark, come and see. Can I say to everybody in my neighborhood, come and see. When it comes to the Lord Jesus. And he takes him and leads him to the Lord. And now Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and says of him, Behold one truly an Israelite in whom there is no guile. The son of God in his omniscience looks right into the heart of Nathanael. Looks right into the brain of Nathanael. And he says there, there is a Jew without guile. He knew that he was one who waited for Messiah. He was one of those of the little remnant in Israel who waited and prayed that the kingdom of God should come. Those who believed in the Lord Jesus before he ever came. Who waited for him. Although they had always to be convinced like Thomas. If I don't see, I don't believe. And now the Lord Jesus says to him, Nathanael says, whence knowest thou me? He understood what the Lord meant by these words. An Israelite without guile. Somebody who really sincerely waited for the Lord, for the Messiah. Who believed in God, who followed the law. That was the Jewish context in which all these things happened. And the Lord Jesus sees that and acknowledges it. Listen, audibly. Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him, and he gives another example of his omniscience. Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, perhaps hidden a little bit, I saw thee. He wanted first to see him like Zacchaeus. To see him, not to be seen. Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Now Nathanael is convinced. Rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. He expresses something here and that is actually what I wanted to enter in a little bit more depth. He says here in one sentence what every Israelite knew about Messiah. And he expresses it in full belief. Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. But now, and it is wonderful, the Son of God and the King of Israel. The one for whom they waited. And now the Lord Jesus says, because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou hast recognized, you recognize that I have, as it were, supernatural capacities to tell thee right what is in thy heart. And seeing thee when nobody saw thee, perhaps, we don't know. But I tell you greater things. It is not the miracles the Lord Jesus did. Not his supernatural power which was there, the divine power. Which can save anybody. Which can convince anybody of his sin. It must be more. Thou shalt see greater things. And then he says, verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. That is a greater thing than Nathanael had said. You are, thou art the Son of God, and thou art the King of Israel. And now the Lord Jesus says, there is something greater than that. Greater than the Son of God? The Son of Man. Thou, you shall see the angels ascending, first ascending, then descending on the Son of Man. How is this, how can one explain this apparent difficulty? The Son of God, the King of Israel, and a greater thing is the Son of Man? It's not said that they were astonished. Because all this is to be found in the Old Testament. When Nathanael said of the Lord Jesus, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel, you know what he alluded to? Psalm 2. The first thing, perhaps it is a little technical, the first thing to be reminded of is, of which we learn here, that the expression Son of God does not always mean the same thing. That is a very important thing. And when Nathanael said to the Lord Jesus, thou art, you are the Son of God, Nathanael said to the Lord Jesus, thou art, you are the Son of God, he did not speak and know and mean what I explained in the beginning of this meeting. He did not know anything about it. It was not revealed that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, would be the eternal Son of God. In Psalm 2 we find something where it is a psalm for the time of the end, when the nations in tumultuous agitation and why do the peoples meditate of anything, the kings of the earth set themselves and the princes plod together against Jehovah and against his anointed. Anointed is Messiah. His anointed. It is a psalm in this world to put up his rule, his thousand years rule. And in the psalm speaks about the time, the disciples apply it to the time when the Lord Jesus was killed. And it is an application too. But it will come to full expression in the time of the tribulation. When these people in this world will rage against Jehovah and against his anointed. Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their courts from us. And now comes the reaction. He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. Then will he speak to them in his anger and in his fierce displeasure will he terrify them. And I have anointed my king upon Zion. There God speaks about his king in Zion. Our Lord who is presented in this chapter as standing in front of Nathanael or the inverse and telling, who tells him thou art the king of Israel. God had anointed him. And he will come and reign as king. There is no doubt about it. God will laugh at all these people who think they can do without him. How we see that at present. That everything can be done but it cannot so well be done. But it can all be done without God. That is what they think. But it cannot be. God laughs at them. His king will come. He has anointed him already. And I have anointed my king upon Zion the hill of my holiness. I will declare the decree the writer says now. Jehovah has said unto me thou art my son. I this day have begotten thee. King of Israel. Son of God. That is what Nathanael spoke of. And here, dear friends and brothers and sisters, we do not speak in Psalm 2 verse 7 about the eternal sonship. The eternal son of God. God speaks to his son. As born into this world as man. As king of Israel thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. The eternal son was never begotten. Even if he is called in English and in German the only begotten son. The sense is not any begetting. It is unique and only one of his character. But here we have the begetting. The creation of a being which has not been there before. A man in this world. And if we go to the Gospel of Luke, which presents us the Lord Jesus as the son of man. Luke 1. We will find this confirmed. In Luke 1, the angel comes to Mary. And announces to this young woman, this virgin, Mary. Thou shall, you shall bear a son. Dear, this wonder. Thou, this day I have begotten thee comes true, this miracle. This miracle of the incarnation of the eternal son of God. This day have I begotten thee. And the young virgin, young woman, Mary says in verse 34, Luke 1, 34. How shall this be? Since I know not a man. And the angel answering said to her. The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee. And power of the highest overshadow thee. That is this day have I begotten thee. Psalm 2 verse 7. And therefore, the holy thing, this little child, this unique child. Which shall be born, shall be called son of God. This holy thing. Come into this world by the creative action of God. Begotten of God. Should as a man be called son of God. That's very important. To make this difference between the eternal son of God. The eternal son of the eternal father. And the man Christ Jesus. Who is son of man. Because he is the son of Mary. And he is son of God. Because God begot him. Son of man. And as man, the Lord Jesus was son of God. We have the same thought and knowledge. In Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary. When Lazarus was ill and died. We see that when the Lord Jesus. Meets Martha. And she, in her way, her character, reproaches him a little. He says. The Lord Jesus says and everyone announces her. As it were the gospel. Everyone who lives and believes on me shall never die. Believest thou this? She says to him, yea Lord. I believe that thou art the Christ, the son of God. Who should come into the world. There again. And we can say that practically everywhere in the gospels. Except John. And except this passage. In chapter one. The words of Nathanael. The word son of God. Is normally always the son of God. As the human being. Which is not the same. Is not identical. With his eternal. Almighty sonship. Because this sonship. Of God. Is linked. With his. Coming down. As Philippians 2 tells us. He was in the form of God. And he took the form of man. And still was. Because he was. Generated. Son of God. But as man on earth. And that is what the Jews knew. Psalm 2 tells them that. So the titles. The king of Israel. And son of God. Mentioned in that same Psalm 2. Are very close together. The son of God as man. And the king of Israel. Are practically side by side. Mentioned in Psalm 2. In that way. Mentioned by Nathanael. But the Lord Jesus. When he came into this world. Was not only. Has not only come as king of Israel. He come. Not only to save Israel. The king of Israel. The son of God. But he came to save the whole world. As the king of Israel. In Psalm 2. It is said. Thou art my son. We have read that. I this day have begotten thee. This is clearly the beginning. Of the life of the Lord Jesus. In this world. As a child. Of Mary. And then he says. In verse 8. Ask of me. God says to the king of Israel. To his son begotten this day. Ask of me and I will give thee. Nations for an inheritance. And for the possession. The ends of the earth. The Lord Jesus. When he came into this. To his people. Was he accepted? No. They rejected him. And yet. God will make come true. This prophecy. You will have. An inheritance. The ends of the earth. And we know. In as much as we have a little knowledge. Of prophecy. And I guess that most of us will have that. That the Lord will have. As king of Israel. The rule until the ends of the earth. In the millennium. But how is it possible. But perhaps. It becomes clearer now. That the Lord says. To Nathanael. You shall see greater things than that. Greater things than me. As the king of Israel. Ruling over the earth. That was the hope of Israel. But it is not our hope. We were not included. In that psalm too. That was the psalm for Israel. And therefore. When the Lord Jesus says. And he also mentions a thing. Which could be known. Be known to Nathanael. Thou shalt see greater things. And mentions. That the angels of God. Ascending and descending. On the son of man. He is speaking. Of another psalm. Psalm 8. Very important. Very important. For the understanding. Of the ways of God. Too often. Of our Lord Jesus. Our Savior. And it is true. And if we don't have that. We have nothing. But the Lord Jesus says. On different occasions. Or in different passages. Of the New Testament. That we might grow. In the knowledge of his person. Peter ends his second epistle. Grow in the grace. And the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. And these things. Belong to that growth. In the knowledge of the person. The knowledge of the person of the Lord Jesus. Has two sides. The one side is that we love him more and more. And know him personally and practically. In our lives. But the other side is. That to understand scripture. We have and should know. We have to and should know. His different glories. His diverse. Titles. Which are before us. In this short passage. When the Lord Jesus said. You shall see greater things. Than me as the king of Israel. And as the son of God. As man. And he then says. You shall see the son of God. As man. You shall see the son of man. How is it that this is greater. Than the first two titles. Let us turn to Psalm 8. Psalm 8. Verse 3. When I see the heavens. David says. The work of thy fingers. The moon and the stars. What is man? That thou art mindful of him. And the son of man. That thou visitest him. Thou hast made him. A little lower than the angels. And hast crowned him. With glory and splendor. Thou hast made him. To rule over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put everything. Under his feet. Sheep and oxen. All of them. The fowl of the heavens. And the fishes of the sea. Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Jehovah our Lord. How excellent is thy name. In all the earth. This Psalm. In one sentence. Goes much further. Than Psalm 2. Because. David does not speak. About mankind. Or man in general. When he says what is man. The New Testament. Gives abundant testimony. Of the fact that he is only thinking. Of the Lord Jesus. Only. The verse. Which we read. Verse 6. Thou hast made him. To rule over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put everything under his feet. This is mentioned or alluded to. At least three times in the New Testament. Ephesians 1.22 He has put all things under his feet. Has made him head of all things. And given him as such. To the assembly. The fullness of him. Who fills all things. In 1 Corinthians 15. 27 We see the millennium. The rule. The Lord Jesus as the raised man. In resurrection. Rules over the whole universe. All things. Put under his feet. And then the exception is made. That only he who has. Subjected all things. Under his feet. Is accepted. And then the third time. Is Hebrews 2. Hebrews. Chapter 2. Where we see. Both sides. Because. Even as the. Even as the title. Son of God. Has two distinct meanings. Firstly. As we have seen. Speaking of his eternal. Sonship. And secondly. Of his sonship as man. And specially. As king of Israel in this world. So the title. Son of man. Has two different aspects. And that is very important. To understand that. That the title. Son of man. Means the same person. In two absolutely. Different positions. The first we have had. What is man? Thou hast lowered him a little. Below the angels. That is the humanity of Christ. When he came into this world. And of this. We read in Hebrews. Where this. This. Psalm is. Practically explained. Also. In chapter. Verse 5. We have an allusion. Psalm 2. I just mentioned this. Thou art my son. This day I have begotten thee. And again. I will be unto a father. That is the Lord Jesus. Clearly as man. But then in the second chapter. Of the epistle to the Hebrews. We find now. The second psalm. Verse 5. Hebrews 2. Verse 5. For he has not subjected to angels. The habitable word which is to come. Of which we speak. But one has testified. That is David. In Psalm 8. One has testified somewhere. Saying what is man? That thou rememberest him. Or son of man that thou visitest him. Thou hast made him some little inferior to the angels. Thou hast made him with glory and honor. And has set him over the works of his hand. Thou has subjected all things under his feet. Now comes the explanation. For in subjecting all things to him. He has left nothing. Unsubject unto him. But now. We see not yet all things subjected to him. But we see Jesus. So here. Clearly. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews. Explains the 8th psalm. To his readers. And takes this psalm. And says. We see now. That this has not yet been fulfilled. And this is not in contradiction. With Ephesians. Where the same psalm is mentioned. And it is said. He has put all things under his feet. In Ephesians. We have the counsel of God. The counsel of God. The counsel of God. Is that all things are put. To be put under his feet. And when God takes a counsel. It is as good as accomplished. But here. In Hebrews 2. The writer speaks about. The time aspect. And then he says. At present. The Lord Jesus is at the right hand. And that is what Ephesians speaks of. But we do not see. Clearly, visibly, and practically. Subjected. Under the feet of the Lord Jesus. At present, not yet. But we see Jesus. And then he explains the whole passage. He says. We see Jesus. Who was made some little inferior. To angels. On account of the suffering of death. Crowned with glory. And honor. The Lord Jesus. And now he is presented. As that son of man. In the first place. As the one. Put so low. That he was lowered. Below the angels. And that was in his death. During his life. I don't think we can say. That he was lowered. Below the angels. Because all the time. The angels served him. But in the moment. He went into the suffering of death. Then he was lowered. Below the angels. Angels don't die. But the Lord. By his own free will. Took that. Choice. Took that pathway. To obey his God and Father. According to. Whose counsel. He had to die for us. The son of man is come. Not to be served. But to serve and lay down his life. As a ransom for many. That was his lowering. The lowering of the son of man. According to Psalm 8. Below the angels. The suffering of the Lord Jesus. Is the character. Of the son of man. In the gospels. Many times the Lord Jesus. Practically he always. Calls himself the son of man. Always. Although he wants God. To be praised in eternity. And then when he had. Taken this place. Which we have read already. In a prophetic way. In Psalm 8. Thou hast made him. Said to God. A little lower than the angels. And has crowned him. With glory and with splendor. And that is the place. The Lord Jesus has taken. After his. Not only shameful death. But his atoning death. For us. After his death and resurrection. God has raised him. Not only from the dead. But he has placed him. At his right hand. And crowned him with glory. And with honor. And the person. May I say so. Underline that. We see at the right hand of God. Is our Lord and Savior. As the glorified son of man. He is not there as God. He is ever God. And as the eternal son. He never left the bosom of the father. Let's not forget that. That is God. We cannot sound that. We cannot understand that. As he could say when he was in this world. The son of man. Who is in heaven. Because he was the same person. We cannot divide that. He was a son of man. When he spoke to Nicodemus. In that night. On this earth. And at the same time. As the eternal son he was in heaven. The only begotten son. Who is in the bosom of the father. Never left that bosom. Of the father. I and the father. And yet. As son of man. He was in this world. And when he had accomplished. All the pleasure of God. On this work. By this work on the cross. And man said. We don't want this man. God said. I want him. Sit down at my right hand. The place of glory. The place of power. The place of honor. Sit down at my right hand. And there the Lord Jesus is. As son of man. The glorified son of man. As son of God. He is eternally in the bosom of the father. God does not sit at the right hand of God. It's the man. And that is what we find in Psalm 8. And that is what the Lord says. Is greater. That is perhaps. Not so astonishing anymore now. Than to be called. King of Israel. And son of God. As man in this world. Because. The titles. King of Israel. And also son of God. In this special. Characteristic. Will come to an end. When the world. The old world shall pass away. And the new world. Will be introduced. There will be no Israel anymore. In the new world. In the eternal world. There will be no. May I say so. This is the sense. King of Israel in eternity. When the Lord has. Finished his thousand years rule. He will pass the rule on. Back to God. Who gave it to him. But as the glorified man. He will be eternally. The object. Of our adoration. And that is why. You will see the son of man. And angels ascending and descending. Is a greater thing. Than to see him as king in this world. Great as it is. Great as it is. And we. We know that it is. One of his glories. But the greater glory. Is that the one who. Went down from heaven. Came down from heaven. In love for lost man. And humiliated himself. Until the death. Until death son of man. Was glorified. And will eternally be. At the right hand of God. The glorified man. That is why he says. It is greater. So it takes quite a history. To see that the same word. Son of God. Son of man. Does not always convey. Exactly the same meaning. As in one passage. As in another. And that is why I try to bring before you tonight. A little bit of these glories. Of our Lord. These differences. I don't dare to say shades. Because there is no shade or shadow. These different viewpoints. These different aspects. Like a diamond. Which has been worked on. Has been. What do you say in English? Polished. Polished. To show from every different side. One glory. Next to the other. That is our Lord. And we will never come to an end with that. And I think. I hope it was useful. For the younger and for all of us. To see a little bit of these glories. Presented to us in scripture. Which only open up. When we dig into it. A little bit more deeper. May the Lord Jesus in his glory. In these two practical epistles. Which we have before us during this conference. Go with us. So that. As I thought in the beginning. Of this meeting. When the disciples were. On the mount of glorification. With the Lord. It is said. They saw none but Jesus alone. But then they came down to the valley. And the Lord says. You need prayer. And you need fasting. So let us hope that the Lord. On the mount. Will be put before us. So that we can see nothing but him. Or none but him alone. And get by that the force. The strength to continue in the valley. With prayer and fasting. Until he comes. …

… In 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience and the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mind of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. And then, verse 16, for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The Lord led on my heart to consider few thoughts from this precious portion of the word of God. I think that many of us has many times read this portion, and we have found food for our souls. And the thing that I am exercised with to speak about, is the expression that Paul twice repeated here. He said in the first verse, we faint not. And then he repeated it in verse 16, for which cause we faint not. And it is worthy of note that these sayings came in an epistle where Paul is displaying more than any other epistle, his personal circumstances, his personal afflictions, his personal sufferings in the path of ministry. We see Paul in 2nd Corinthians not only as the apostle, the gifted one, the one whom the Lord entrusted to give the gospel and to minister for the assembly, but we see him in another aspect that we need. We see him as a man who is under sufferings, a man of like passion, like many of us. Just going through some verses in this epistle, I wanted to point how he is showing what he went through. For example, in chapter 1, verse 8, For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, in so much that we despaired even of life. Maybe it's astonishing to us that a man like Paul reached the point that he experienced how to be despaired even of life, but God intervened and gave him to be out of the sufferings. He said, but we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. And also in our chapter, I didn't read the verses from 8, but he is speaking, I will come later to explain a few thoughts here, when he says, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, perplexed, but not in despair. In chapter 7, he is speaking also about his frailty as an earthen vessel. He says, chapter 7, verse 5, for when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side, without were fighting, within were fears. These are just few examples to show us that in this epistle, Paul is showing us the human aspect of his life. This is why so many times when we have faced trials and troubles, this epistle, and especially portions of it like chapter 4, has been of great consolation for our souls. When we consider this expression, we faint not. Studying the New Testament, we find that it is repeated in connection with four areas of our Christian life, in four different areas. The first one, in connection with prayer. I think all of us remember the verse in Luke 18, 1, where the Lord Jesus said, and he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. And we all from our experience know that one of the areas of our lives where we tend to faint is the area and the aspect of prayer. Many times you have prayed, and the answer didn't come. It didn't come in our time, but of course, he has his time. But we faint. I'm sure that most of us have some experiences. Maybe some of us are going through such trial, praying, and praying in the will of the Lord for things that we are sure that are pleasing the Lord, but the answer is not coming. Let us take this to our hearts. Let us continue, as our Lord said, men ought always to pray and not to faint. The second area where we are prone to faint, and we find the same expression, is in well-doing. We find this in Galatians 6. Paul is speaking about the material fellowship between the one who is taught in the world and the one who teaches the world. And he says, Galatians 6 verse 9, and let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. We can enlarge the principle and say, whenever the Lord lay on our hearts the matter of well-doing, let us continue. Many times we are tried. We have done much, but we can't see fruit. No, Paul here says, let us continue, because in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Then the third area where we are prone to faint is facing sufferings. In Ephesians 3, and in Hebrews 12, I will read first of all Ephesians 3, verse 13. Wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Paul is urging the Ephesians, hearing about his imprisonment when he wrote this epistle. He was in Rome, and he was facing difficulties. He says, don't faint if you hear about the tribulation in which I am. And also in Hebrews 12, verse 3, the writer says, for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be worried and faint in your minds. Yes, maybe we personally are going through some difficulties, or we hear about others going through tribulation. Let us not faint. Now here, the fourth area, the first one was the prayer, and then the well-doing, and then the sufferings, and then the fourth area where we are prone to faint is ministry. And this is the subject of chapter 4 in 2nd Corinthians. This is why Paul is repeating this word twice, beginning by verse 1, therefore seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not. I would like just to point from this precious portion of the Word of God, the causes that helped Paul to continue to not to feel discouraged, though all the difficulties. And I think that we all need to consider these things. Why? Why Paul didn't quit? Why Paul didn't lose heart? There are five things in this chapter. First of all, he says in verse 1, therefore seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not. What is this ministry? He is speaking about the ministry of the new covenant, the ministry of the gospel. And in chapter 3, he has been explaining the ministry. And he gave the ministry three beautiful names or characteristics. First of all, it is a ministry of life that brings life to dead men. In chapter 3, Paul was contrasting ministry of the law with the ministry of the gospel. And he shows us how greater, how far greater is the ministry of the gospel. And this ministry, every one of us have the privilege of having this ministry and of taking on this ministry to others. So what are the characteristics of this ministry? First of all, it is a ministry of life. Chapter 3, verse 6, he says, who has also has made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit. For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. But if the ministration of death written and engraved in stones was glorified, so verse 8, how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? So it is a ministry of life. It brings life to souls. And secondly, it's a ministry of righteousness because the law was a ministry of condemnation. It condemned people. It brings the guilt before their eyes. But the gospel gives righteousness. Verse 9, if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more that the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. Third thing, it's a ministry of abiding glory. The old one came through Moses and there was glory in his face, but it is a fading glory, abolishing glory. But now in Christ and when we behold Christ, there is abiding glory. So when we think about these three beautiful things, ministry that brings life, ministry that brings righteousness, and ministry that brings abiding glory. When we think that we have been entrusted with such a glorious ministry, I think we can say we faint not. We shall continue. I remember hearing a discussion between a young servant of the Lord with an older brother and the young servant was down due to difficulties that he was facing. And then he was asking the advice of the older brother. And the older brother urged him, encouraged him, and told him, you know, the angels would like to take your ministry. They have not this privilege to go to fallen people and to bring the gospel to souls that need it. Do we do we prize this privilege, dear brothers, that we have such a ministry, such a glorious ministry, and then we can say we will continue. We will not lose heart. And Paul continues, verse 2, and say, but we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth. In our Bible study here, we considered, we studied about the truth. But here we have a very important expression, the manifestation of the truth. So the truth in Paul was not only something in his mind, but he was manifesting the truth. He, what he gave to others was the shining force of what was the shining in him. The truth was in him, and he was manifesting the truth. Then we find the second item for his encouragement, verse 7. He says, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Paul realized that he has a treasure. This well-known verse, most of us know. What is the treasure? Just going to the preceding verse, verse 6, we read about God, who in time past commanded the light to shine out of darkness in creation, has shined in our hearts to give the light or to show forth the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This is true Christianity, that we now can behold all the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We have this privilege, dear brothers, that we can look up like Stephen when being full of the Spirit. He looked up and the heavens were open, and he sees the glory of God shining in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a privilege. First of all to see this, and then comes the next point for the shining force. It's a great blessing to know that we have this treasure. Every true child of God here has known the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus, and he can shine this force to others. Dear brothers, just to show this, I would like to to show you something of what is happening outside Christianity with people who have never been exposed to the gospel. I remember a letter received by a Muslim person many years ago who heard the audio teachings through Transworld Radio, and he mentioned in his letter that sentence, I have been born in darkness, and I live in darkness, and I know that I'm going to darkness. Can you help me? Can we imagine we have now this light knowing Christ, knowing the glory of God shining in the face of Christ? What a blessing. We can say this is our treasure. Our treasure is not material things or positions or degrees in studying, which is very good in its place, but the true treasure is knowing Christ, and not only knowing him, but that this knowledge may shine force to others, and this is why God in his wisdom has put this treasure in earthen vessels, in our bodies, in our mortal flesh. Why? Maybe we don't like to be earthen vessels. Maybe we like to be brazen vessels or stony vessels or silver vessels, but God has put this treasure in very weak vessels that are capable of being broken. Why? So that this treasure can be seen outside. And Paul here, as if he is pointing that he got an understanding, a proper understanding of his sufferings, as if he said, well, if the Lord is allowing me to go through these difficulties, it is for a purpose, so that the treasure can shine force through this earthen vessel. I think we are reminded of the story of Gideon and his men. When going to the combat, to the war against the Midianites, what were their arms? Just the trumpets and the torches inside the earthen pitchers, and Gideon told them, you will break these vessels and you will sound, you will blow the trumpet and the sound will come. And this is what we see here. Earthen vessels to be broken, the light is shining force, this is our life, manifestation of the truth through our lives, and then we blow the trumpet, we preach the gospel. How the vessel is broken? We find many things, Paul mentions many things. These are situations or circumstances that the Lord used to break down this vessel. He says, verse 8, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. How could this go together? In the first clause we find the weakness, our weakness, the earthen vessel, but on the other side we find the surpassing power in us. So we are troubled from the human side, but yet we are not distressed. This is the power in us. We are perplexed humanly, but we are not in despair. We are persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. What is this power which is in us? It is the power of the life of Christ in us. And life has its power. Even life in nature, life in nature has its power. Life in a small plant, in a shoot, coming out from the ground, it can come out even being under blocks, but it comes out. So any life, its nature is to come out, and this is the life of the risen Christ which is in us. This was the second cause of his encouragement here, Paul. He says, continues and says in verse 10, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. Then the third thing, in verse 13, he says, we having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe and therefore have I spoken, we also believe and therefore speak. Paul here is mentioning or is referring to the experience of the writer of Psalm 116. It is untitled, we don't know who is the writer, but we have his experience. In Psalm 116, the writer says, we can read together, verse 8, for thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from failing. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living, as if he has the resurrection life before him. I believed, therefore have I spoken. I was greatly afflicted, and he continues. Paul quotes this verse, and he says, we have the same spirit of faith, as if, he wants to say, as the writer of Psalm 116 faced death, but he cried to the Lord, and the Lord took him out, rescued him, and this is why he says, I have, therefore I believed, therefore I have spoken. Here he says also, I have the same, Paul says, I have the same confidence that there will be the resurrection life and the resurrection world before me. Can we say also that we have the spirit or the attitude of faith? It is not only for Paul, but for every one of us. How important to face daily challenges, either in our personal or family circumstances or in ministry. How important to face all this with a spirit of faith. We walk by faith and not by sight, and without faith it is impossible to please him. Abraham had the spirit of faith, and very important verses are written about him in Romans 4. I would like to return to this verse, to these verses in Romans 4, I mean. Romans 4, from verse 17. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quakens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were. This is the God in whom Abraham put his confidence, the God who quakens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were. And who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall they see it be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, which was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Very encouraging verses here about Abraham. A good example for us, that even facing circumstances that seem very difficult, that we ask the Lord to give us the faith and to put all our trust in him, and we can continue by this spirit of faith. This is what Paul says here in 2nd Corinthians 4, so he was not fainting because he was exercising his faith, facing all the difficulties. And he continues and says verse 13, verse 14, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes. He sees all what is happening. God is using everything for the blessing of the Corinthian believers. Everything and what a look we have, we must have, dear brothers, to see that the Lord is controlling all things, even difficulties. The Lord is controlling and using all these things for the blessing of our souls and for the blessing even of others. This is why he says, all things are for your sakes. Then we come to the fourth thing. We have considered that we faint not because we have such a glorious ministry, ministry of the gospel, and then we have a treasure, though in earthen vessels, and we accept all the dealings of God with us to the end of having the treasure shining forth, the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus. Thirdly, we faint not because we have the spirit of faith, but fourthly, in verse 16, there is a very important principle. For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. What is the outward man? This body. The inward man, the spiritual entity which we have, the spirit and the soul. And this inner man is the subject of all God's dealing with us now. Many times we concentrate upon the outward man, but the Lord is working in us, in the inner man. And how important to think and to have this way of thinking, even if this outward man is perishing, is suffering, but there is renewal, a work of renewal in us by the Holy Spirit. Many times we can admit this, that we concentrate upon the welfare of this outward man, and we give it much importance, and we neglect the inner one. But we need to understand that God wants the welfare of the inner man. And how this renewal work is done. Paul says, it is done, it is renewed by the work of the Spirit. What a blessing to exercise and to feel the work of the Spirit in every one of us, especially when we study our Bibles, and when we lean upon the Lord in prayer, and when we pass through the difficulties and get good experiences for our blessing and for others also. This is why Paul says, we faint not, because the inward man is renewed. And then in verse 17, he brings to us the fifth thing. He is contrasting affliction with glory. He says, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. What a verse, what a principle. Contrasting the things which we pass through now with the things which are coming help us. He is contrasting affliction with glory and say, the affliction now is light, but the glory will be weight of glory. The affliction is for a moment compared with the eternal glory. I like the way the Apostle Paul looks at things and thinks about things and how he is weighing things in the light of eternity. And if we want also to weigh things in the right way, we have to weigh them in the light of eternity. In Romans 8, we have a parallel verse. Verse 18, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. He is not saying the glory which we shall enter in, but the glory which shall be revealed in us. When the Lord Jesus will come in his manifestation before the world, and we will come with him, he shall be glorified in his sense. And all the earth shall be astonished from his glory shining in us. Do we think about these things? He will come, he will take us, he will change our bodies into glorified bodies, and he will bring us in his appearing, showing his glory through us. And what a time when we shall see how the Lord has done for us. And in verse 18, as if he is making a conclusion for this, he says, While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. Everything depends upon how we look. In Peter we have a lesson. He began upon the waters, walking upon the water, because he was looking to the Lord Jesus. But when he saw the waves and the water coming, he was afraid, and he began to sing. To where we are looking, Paul here says, We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. Why? For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. And beginning chapter 5, he is bringing to us one of the things which are not seen. He is speaking about if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God. We have a glorified body, a building of God, and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. There is a glorified body waiting for us. May the Lord give us to reflect upon these simple thoughts that we continue steadfastly, and we faint not though facing things that can make us down. But now let us continue having our confidence in the Lord, carrying our testimony, and continuing faithful to the Lord. Amen. …

… 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 2 Samuel 23, verse 8 We have today also heard a bit about reward. Reward for faithfulness and reward in connection with the result of the work. And this chapter is also about rewards. About David valuing, appreciating what these mighty men had done for him. And it was encouraging for me that the first hymn we sung tonight was also in line with the exercise I had on my heart. We've sung, Savior, we long to follow Thee, daily Thy cross to bear. Here were men that followed David, and we know that David is a picture of the true David, the Lord Jesus, whom we follow. And most of these events that are mentioned in this chapter were done when David was still rejected. So, they followed him, sharing the rejection with David. And that is our task today in the time we live, to follow the Lord Jesus and sharing his rejection because he still is rejected in this earth. And count all else, whatever it be, unworthy for our care. These were men that had probably given up a lot of things and gone to David, the rejected king, and followed him on his way. And we will find other things in this hymn that will come before us later. I think we can say that this chapter gives us an illustration a bit of what will happen at the judgment seat of Christ. When the Lord is judging, valuing, appreciating what has been done for him. Because it is interesting that these men were not, at least the Bible doesn't tell us that they were praised or something like that. When they actually did this, but David, this chapter says in verse 1, Now these be the last words of David. David, at the end of his life, looks back what these men had done for him. And now he writes it down to value and appreciate what they had done. And so, it is not so important if today, in this life, what we do for the Lord Jesus is valued, recognized, understood. But there will be a moment when everything will be rightly considered by our true David. And it is remarkable that when we find such chapters in the Bible that tell us about what different people were doing. Chapters with names where things are mentioned. It is not something like a collective way of praising them. Just saying, well you were all wonderful and I appreciate that. But he is individually speaking about each one in a different way. We have a similar chapter which I would like to mention as comparison. And that is in the book of Nehemiah. When we come to the third chapter where we get all the names and activities when the wall was built. And there we see how individual faithfulness was rewarded. We said already that faithfulness is what will be rewarded. And we see in this third chapter of Nehemiah that God is, for example, noticing the quality of our work. In verse 1 of Nehemiah 3 it says, Then Elisha, the high priest, rose up with his brethren, the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it and set up the doors of it, even unto the tower of Mea. They sanctified it unto the tower of Hananel. And in verse 3 it says, But the fish gate did the sons of Hazaniah build, who also laid the beams thereof, set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. And if we compare these two verses carefully, we find that in the first case there's no mention of locks. The door was there, but it couldn't be locked. When we know the book of Nehemiah, we know that Elisha had a relationship to the enemies of the people. So he was probably not so interested to have all the doors locked to this influence. But in verse 3 it speaks of other people who did the complete work. So the quality of what we do will be noticed. But also God notices the quantity, how much we do. If we read in verse 11, it says, Malkiah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahat Moab repaired the other piece, or the second piece, and the tower of the furnaces. Or in verse 13 in the second half, And a thousand cubits on the wall. So God noticed how much they did. And also the energy in which we do what we are taught to do. We also find mentioned in verse 20, for example, it says, After him, Barak the son of Zabai earnestly repaired the other piece. He's the only man in this chapter of whom it is said that he did this work earnestly. And also the personal faithfulness is noticed. For example, in verse 10, it says, And next unto him repaired Jehoiada the son of Harumath even over against his house. Which we find several times in this chapter. Personal faithfulness. Because what use would it be to repair the wall somewhere in the town if it is falling to pieces opposite my house. So the personal faithfulness starts in my family, in the surroundings in which I am. And we have the same here in 2 Samuel 23. We find that the writer, that David, first speaks of three persons. He mentions particularly. Then comes a group that is called the 30. And among this group of the 30, there were also three which were particularly mentioned. And then we find different things said about them. The first group that comes before us here in verse 8 following, are those that are characterized by the fact that they fought more or less alone. Because the people of Israel fled. They were faithful in fighting even when others had given up. And that is, I think, a question for us today. Are we standing for the truth? We've spoken about that. Are we holding fast to the truth of his word even when generally speaking, the majority have left, have gone, have given up to fight? The first that is mentioned is in verse 8. It says of him, he lift up his spear against 800 whom he slew at one time. One man fighting against 800. That is really, here's one outstanding example. He is fighting alone against 800. We would say, this is impossible. Nobody can do that. We said in our song, life, strength, and grace in thee we have. Or teach us the power to know of risen life with thee. Certainly it was impossible. But that is exactly the situation where God can act. Could we, to see this in another instant, could we turn to the book of Judges in chapter 7, where we have this story of Gideon. We talked about it last night. I'm going a step back in that history. Gideon was to fight the Midianites. And then it says in verse 2 of Judges 7, and the Lord said unto Gideon, the people that are with thee are too many. Do you know how the situation was? There were 32,000 Israelites and 135,000 Midianites. Which was a relationship of one to four. Which means one Israelite had to fight four Midianites. And God says, no, that's too many. God's calculation is different from ours. We would have said, well, we are the minority. But God says, that's too many. Because lest Israel warned themselves against me, saying my own hand has saved me. Because then they could have said, well, even if we were in a minority, we were so strong and so successful to beat this army that was in a majority. And so God said to Gideon, whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return. Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return. Faint not. If there were those that fainted, that had fear, they should go. And the result was, and there returned of the people 20 and 2,000 and there remained 10,000. If you'll think of this situation before our eyes, this General Gideon with his 32,000 men says, if anybody is fearful, let him go home. Maybe he thought maybe 100 are going home or so, but most of his people went home and there were only 10,000 left. By the way, there was a commandment in the law of Israel that said when they were going to fight and if somebody was fearful, he should go home. Why? So that he does not make all the others fearful. But the law says, if one man, not if 22,000. If one man. Maybe there is such an exception, but here it was not the exception, but the rule. Most went. Now we have a relationship of one to 13, 14. One Israelite had to fight against 13 or 14 Midianites. But still God says, these are too much, too many. And it was another way of finding the right people. In the first case, they could decide it on their own. In the second one, God was telling who was to go and who was to stay. And he said, those that just take the water in passing, realizing that we are in war, put on the one side. But those that comfortably sit down at the water, put to the other side. And there were left 300 people. A relationship of one to 450. That was impossible, wasn't it? God said, by the 300 men, I will save you. When we come to the point that we say, but that is impossible, God says, wonderful. Because that is the case when you realize that you can do nothing without me. And later, we heard it yesterday, we find that even these 300 men did not have to fight because the Lord did it for them. But a similar case we have here. At least 800 who misled. So we can say at the top list, so to say, of these people, is one who realizes I'm not able to do anything. The enemies are so overwhelming. This number is so great. And the Lord gave him the strength to overcome these. So he was at the head of this group. The second, in Numbers 9, after him was Elias, the son of Dodo the Aohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away. When in David's days, the Philistines came, Goliath came up, and he defied the people of Israel. But here were these mighty men, and they defied the Philistines. They did not faint because they saw all these Philistines. Three men, one of three mighty men, and the men of Israel were gone away. For the first time, but not for the last, we read in this chapter that the Israelites had left. They had gone. They were no longer fighting. When Paul says, faint not, is it not a reason sometimes for us to faint, to get discouraged when we see so many having given up to fight at all? But here was this man. He arose. There is this energy of faith in an outwardly discouraging situation. He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary. These mighty men of David were not some superheroes. They were men of like passions as we are, trusting their Lord, and his hand was weary. He really was bodily exhausted after this fight. He put everything into it, and we have seen last night in 2 Corinthians that Paul told us a bit about his ministry, and Paul knew a bit about that, fighting until his hand was weary. But it also says, and his hand clave unto the sword. The sword he had in his hand in which he was fighting, maybe for hours, had become more or less one with him. When we take something into our hands very forcefully and keep this for a very long time, it will nearly be impossible to open our hands again. And so he was one with this sword, which is, of course, for us, a picture of the Word of God. And this reminds us of something we had in previous years when we had the first epistle of John. In 1 John 2, it says something about the young man. 1 John 2, verse 14, in the middle, I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Why were they strong and had overcome the wicked one? Because the Word of God abideth in them. Clave to the sword. Are we so well-versed in the Scriptures? Are we living in and with the Scriptures so that they are more or less a part of us, so we will be able to fight this fight? When the enemy attacks, do we have a word from Scriptures that tells us what to do? Or do we have to get a concordance and try to find if the Bible says anything about it? Here were those, this man, his hand clave unto the sword, and the Lord wrought a great victory that day. These mighty men all knew that it was not their fight and it was not their victory. We have had this also in our hymn, life, strength, and grace in thee we have. It's his victory. When in a future day the Lord will reward faithfulness in the one or the other, we will not take any honor for ourselves, but we will give it back to him, so to say, throw down our crowns before him and say it was his strength. It was what he had done in their lives. They did not say, well, we were so mighty warriors. David said that, but not these men themselves. They said it was the Lord that wrought a great victory this day, but because one man was faithful while all the others had left. And the people returned after him only to spoil. When we read this on the first sight, it sounds a bit negative. They had gone away, had done nothing, but afterwards they came and collected the spoil. But probably we could also give it a positive side to it. Is it not often so in the life of faith that the faithfulness and the energy of one man might draw others with him? How often in the Bible when we have kinds of times of reformation, of the God working through his spirit, there was very often one faithful man. We had mentioned Nehemiah. He had this exercise in his heart. He went to Jerusalem and said, let us build. And then others went on and helped him. And so often this has been experienced also in the history of Christianity that there were faithful men who drew others with them. And the Lord mentions this. Yes, they had gone away, but they had seen the faithfulness of one man, and they returned. They came back. Would it not be a wonderful thing if because of your personal faithfulness in your life and ministry and in the area the Lord has given you, others who had given up would be revived again, would return, and again try to be faithful to the Lord because they have seen the Lord wrought a great victory that day. How wonderful that would be. And that is also part of this reward. Not only for we spoke about it today, reward for faithfulness and a reward that has to do with the result of the ministry. And one result of the faithfulness of this Eleanza was that others returned, were there again, and joined the fight. And we come to the next one of these three in verse 11. And after him was Shammah, the son of Ege the Herorite, and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop. There they are again, these enemies, the Philistines, which particularly speak about enemies on the religious area. They were there in a troop. And there was this man Shammah. There was a piece of ground full of lentils. Well, was that worth fighting for? If it had been something valuable, but it was only a piece of ground full of lentils. And the rest of the people said, well that's not worth fighting for. It says the people fled from the Philistines. But not so Shammah. He stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines. It was, for him as an Israelite, it was part of the heritage. So it doesn't matter if it was a more valuable one or a smaller one. It was part of the heritage and he was not willing to give it up. But maybe not also as a practical application for us see something different in it. We spoke about the doctrine of Christ. We spoke about the fact how important it is to fight for the honor of the Lord on his person and his work. And have to reject everything that denies or does not confess the doctrine of Christ. And probably every true believer who loves the Lord Jesus would understand that. But what about the grounds of lentil? What about all the other things in scripture which are also part of the Bible, which are also the truth, and which is given up by the majority of professing Christians? Are we still prepared to fight for that? What about the truth of the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace? Are we still willing to fight for that? Or do we say, well, all these meetings, assemblies are individual, independent units. We don't have to care for that. Well, that's not true. A lot of people of God have given up fighting for that. What about this field of lentils? What about the verbal, literal inspiration of the Bible? Are we willing to fight for that? Nearly in most denominations you will find that Bible criticism has crept in, in smaller or greater form. Are we still holding to the truth that the Bible was literally inspired by God? A field of lentils, maybe. And probably, when at the judgment seat of Christ, the Lord is going to reward the shammas, I'm sure many of them will be female. What about the truth of the position of woman, of the deportment of woman, of the hair, of the head covering, all these things we find in scripture, which Christianity in general has given up? Are we still willing to fight for these fields of lentils, if I may call it thus? Here was a man, shamma, who thought this is important because it is a heritage, because it is from God, because we have got it from him and his word. We are going to stand for it, even if all the others have gone, faint not. Are you willing, dear sister, just to say, well, that is what scripture says and that's what I'm to faithfully realize in my life, independent of what others think, independent of what others might think about it, I'm going to fight for it. Fight does not mean attack anybody. It's simply this piece of ground, the heritage of God, what God has given us to fight for that. And David had seen this man on this field of lentils. He stood in the midst of it, defended it when all the others left. I'm sure the Lord today notices also every individual brother or sister who is trying to defend this field of lentils. And the Lord wrought a great victory. Again, also shamma says, well, it was not me. I was not the great victor in this scene. It was the Lord. I simply faithfully did what I was told to do. I defended the heritage, what God has given us and what others would rob us. And because of this faithfulness, the Lord granted him a great victory. Later in this chapter, we will come to another group of men who were fighting particularly in difficult circumstances. The first group was fighting alone. The third group is fighting in difficult circumstances. But in between, a second group is very precious and very special. It says that three of the 30 went down and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adalem. We said they were mostly with him in the time when he was rejected, when he was in that cave. The harvest time, it was hot, difficult situation, difficult time, and there these men were with David, and the Philistines were in Bethlehem. And then suddenly, as David, standing there in the heat of the day, watching down to Bethlehem, he saw the well of Bethlehem, of which he probably as a young man had often drunk, and he had a desire in his heart. He longed for this water. And he simply says, Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. He simply uttered his desire. He didn't command anything. He didn't say to any of his soldiers, Go down and get me this water. He simply said what was in his heart, the desire of his heart. And for these three men, this was enough to go. They went down. The three mighty men break through the host of the Philistines and brought this water to David. And it was so valuable for him that he didn't drink it, but poured it out as a drink offering unto the Lord. And it says at the end, as if to put an exclamation mark behind it, These things did these three mighty men. How is it with us? If we know what the Lord desires, if we know what would be pleasing to him, is that enough for us? Or would you still ask, Well, where does it say in Scripture that I have to do that? Do you need a command for everything you do or not do? Or is the desire of the Lord what he would be pleased about enough for you to do it, to go? This is real devotion as we had in the song, We are not our own but thine. Then we do not need for everything we do a command, but we simply want to be pleasing him. And we know what he wants, his desire, and so we go and get it for him. Something that he values very much, that is done for him voluntarily, pleases his heart. We could give a very simple example of everyday life. The mother says to her daughter that she should wash the dishes. And she does so. The mother is pleased that the daughter has been obedient to what she told her to do. But maybe she doesn't say anything. Maybe the daughter notices that she is tired and there are all the dishes. And now the daughter says, Well, if I now wash the dishes, my mother will be pleased by that. And she may do so. And this will be more valuable in a certain sense than just being obedient to something you are told to do. And it's so with the Lord. When we know what he wants and would be pleased on, there were these three men. And David says, These things did these three mighty men. It was not such an enormous victory, fighting a couple of thousand warriors, but simply going down in a dangerous situation. Never. That's the point. But bringing something to David because his heart longed for it. How wonderful that would be if the Lord could say in the future day to you and me, There was something I wanted from you that pleased me. And you did it without anybody telling you. And I've seen that your heart was devoted to me. And that is something that is very precious to him. We come with verse 18 to the second. The third group then is Abishai, the brother of Joab. He lifted up his spear against 300 and slew them and hid a name among the three. We see that there is a going down in numbers. Every detail is mentioned. The first one had to fight 800. And here 300. But nevertheless, the Lord notices it. He will not say, He knows what you and I can do. He will not say, Why haven't you done what somebody else has done? But there was this situation in your time, in your situation. There were these 300 men, which was as well an impossible thing for one single man. And he did it with the Lord's power. He could fight and be victorious. With the 20th verse, we come to a very interesting and special character, which we know from other parts of the Old Testament. Abishaiah, son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Capsule who had done many acts. Well, we all have different histories where we come from. Some may be brought up in Christian families, Christian parents. Others may be saved from the world out of an unbelieving family. Here is a man who had a father that was a warrior, that was a faithful man himself who had done many acts. First now, I would speak of the position of the parents. It was already mentioned in the Bible reading today. What are we going to pass on to our children? Property, wealth, possessions, or faithfulness in following the Lord, an example they could follow. Here was a man who had a father that had given him an example how to be a mighty warrior, because he was one himself. How good that is if we had this desire in our hearts not only to teach our children necessary things, but also to let them see in our own lives the example of faithfulness and what it means to stand for the truth. But the other side is, the side of the children, the fact that you have or have had faithful parents and you watched them. This alone doesn't make you a faithful warrior yourself. You have to take up the sword yourself. You have to follow in their footsteps. And that is said what Benaiah did. He slew two lion-like men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. Here we see that what I said, we have particularly difficult circumstances fighting a lion, if it was an animal or if it was an allusion to persons, lion-like men of Moab. Nevertheless, in each case, it was in itself difficult enough. But now it was a day of snow that made it more difficult to do such a fight. And the Lord notices that. If the days in which we stand for the truth, in which we fight for him and want to follow him in faithfulness, if these days are particularly difficult, if the circumstances are particularly difficult, he will notice that, he will mention it and take note of it. And of this man, Benaiah, it also says that he slew an Egyptian. The Egyptian, we know Egypt, the picture of the world. And there we have this Egyptian man, he slew him. And if we read how he did it, I think we will notice it is very similar to what David had done. When David fought Goliath, he only had his shepherd's weapon to kill the giant, and he cut his head with Goliath's own sword. And as what this man does, he has only his staff, and he kills this Egyptian with his own spear. So could we not say that he follows closely in the footsteps of his Lord? Seeing he had overcome, in a certain way, the enemy is defeated because Christ is over one. But we are still overwinning and following the Lord in that way, using the weapons he used. And it says about this man, once again such an expression that makes sure that David wants to emphasize what he did, these things did Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He said, well, that was special what he did. Even if he is not mentioned among the first three, David says it was very special what he did. And we find some interesting note here. In verse 23 it says, and David set him over his guard. There are two possible translations. I take the one of the King James Version first. And David set him over his guard. Benaiah was, so to say, the bodyguard of David. And this he actually was. Later he was the commander of this special forces that had to guard the king. But that brings us back to the doctrine of Christ. There was one who was the guard of David, who took care that nobody was attacking David, that nobody was attacking our true David, his person, which we spoke about. People denying the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there were those and have always been those among the saints who had this position in a particular way. We have seen in 2 John its responsibility of everyone in some sense. But there were those that guarded in particular about his person, that had a special discernment when errors were brought up, pointing them out, as John did to this sister. But it could also mean, the Darby translation has, and David set him in his counsel. There is this intimate fellowship, communion, which is even more than fighting for something. He had a special place with David. He was communing with him, he was talking with him about all the things that were on his heart. Do we not have this desire, so to say, to be of the counsel of our true David, to have this fellowship with him, to understand more what he wants us to do, of his counsel, of his ideas, of scripture, seeking to have this special relationship with the Lord. Benaiah was, maybe more than others, a man that had the confidence of David. There is a number of names mentioned then, of which we do not read what they did. Maybe you think you are among this number, nobody notices what you do. But the Lord knew about it. Practically speaking, when David was writing these names, David knew what they had done, even if he didn't write it down. And you can be sure the Lord knows what you've done. He will not forget it, even if there is only a name mentioned. But our true David knows everything that's done for him. We read the last two verses because there are two interesting names mentioned. One, in verse 37, was Nahari the Beerothite, the armor-bearer to Joab, the son of Zeruiah. Yes, Joab is not mentioned in this list of the mighty men of David. He was his general a long time, but he was a man fighting only for his own honor and for his own things. And in the end, he even left David. He's not mentioned here. In the worldly records, if there are any left, he may be found for some of the successful wars he had done. But he's not mentioned among David's faithful warriors. But there is one man who was his armor-bearer, who was all the time together with him. But here he is. David saw this man was not influenced by Joab, even if he was so closely with him. We have a similar example in the New Testament in the book of Acts, chapter 13. In Acts 13, it says in verse 1, Now there were in Antioch in the assembly which was there prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, the Cyrenian, and Manin, foster-brother of Herod, the Tetrarch. There was one brother, a prophet in the assembly, who was a foster-brother of Herod. To put it into our language, he had gone to school with him, he had gone to college with him, and the one became a wicked king, and the other a useful servant in the assembly of Antioch. Maybe you are also in close connection with people at school, at college, at work, which are ungodly. But that faithfulness has to do with not being influenced by these things. But simply going on in faithfulness, and the Lord will see that as well. He will say, yes, I know. I have seen that at your place of work, there were all these ungodly people at school, and they always tried to influence you, in some way or other, always tried to draw you away. But I've seen that you have been faithful to the Lord, and that's what He wants us to be. Yes, and there's one more man. The last name in this list is Uriah the Hittite. I don't know what David felt when he was writing that name. I suppose you know who that was. Uriah was the husband of Bathsheba, and after David's adultery with that woman, he killed this man, tried to get rid of him. And Nathan pointed out the sin to him, David confessed it, and we can read in some of the Psalms, 51, 32, what was going on in his heart, and God forgave him. But this thing followed David. God, in His words, says several times, David was the man after God's own heart. Well, then comes, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. But now, the end of his life, looking back, he said this was one of the mighty warriors of David. One of the mighty men he had. And maybe you are in a situation where something happened to you, and you say, that was unrighteous, what happened to me. That was unjust. People didn't see my real motives. They judged me wrongly, and it was never put right. Maybe not on this world. But there will be a moment when everything will be put right, and where God will say, I have seen that you have been faithful, even if others did act in an unrighteous way with you, and have not seen who you really were. There is one that sees if we are righteous, if we are faithful to the Lord. So what a wonderful thing that is, as we had it in our hymn. Savior, we long to follow Thee, daily Thy cross to bear. There will be a moment when everything that was done for him will be appreciated by the Lord. And may he find us in such of these ways. May he find us as those standing for the truth, and above all, doing things of which we know, that the Lord Jesus will be pleased by them. Not asking for commands, directions for doing these things, but simply out of love for the Lord. Everything that is done for him will find its right reward at this day. But the other thing which we saw tonight is no power in ourselves. Situations are, humanly speaking, impossible. And the power and the honor of any victory belongs to him. …

… To any young children and to everyone, I would say, yes, we're almost there. One more meeting to go. And I would also say what I think we all know and feel, and that is that the Lord is almost here. We stand on the very threshold of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as we know, the first part of that second coming is his coming for his own. And I'm quite sure that every one of us here, when he does come for us, would desire to be found pleasing to him. And so in that connection, and also having been occupied with the second and third epistles of John in our Bible readings, I would like to turn you to two passages in the book of Revelation. And the first one is in chapter one, the vision of the Lord Jesus that John had, and I'm going to read the verses there that give us that description, but it's not my intention to comment directly on those verses. I want to speak rather on the second passage in Revelation, which we will come to. And so in the book of Revelation, chapter one, and I'm going to read from verse nine. I was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. And what thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamos and unto Thyatira and unto Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one likened to the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire. And his feet likened to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death. Write these things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. And now in chapter 3, verse 7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These sings saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I want to occupy you with this beautiful assembly at Philadelphia. It is an assembly in which we find the very thing to which the elect lady was exhorted, and the very thing that the beloved Gaius was encouraged to continue in. We know that it is the only one of the seven assemblies, apart from Smyrna, against which our Lord had no charge to bring. The Lord Jesus could look upon this company of believers, and everything that he saw was pleasing to him. Everything that he saw delighted his heart. We are, most of us anyway, either after this meeting this evening or tomorrow, returning to our homes, and on Lord's Day morning we will, I trust, be found in the local assemblies from which we come. And I think we can benefit greatly, can we not, by seeing what it was about this assembly that was so pleasing to the Lord, in order that, as far as in us lies with the Lord's help by the Spirit, we might contribute such features to the local assembly where we are found. That the local assembly that we attend might present the same attractive features to the Lord Jesus as did the assembly here at Philadelphia. I don't think it was an accident that this assembly was located at Philadelphia. However that may be, there is a most happy correspondence between the name of that place and what the Lord found there. There was brotherly love. That is for sure. The brethren were getting on happily together. They were occupied with the Lord Jesus, and as occupied with him divine love flowed down from him into their hearts, and it flowed out from them to each one in the way of brotherly love. And we were reminded in the course of one of the readings today, I think from Hebrews 13 verse 1, that one of the characteristics of brotherly love, one of the ways in which we express brotherly love is through the grace of showing hospitality. We show it to those who belong to the same divine family that we belong to. We show it to the children of God, and we are especially pleased to be able to show it to those who are serving the Lord. We've been occupied too with the importance of loving in truth. And one of the interesting things is that if you look at the other four references in the New Testament to brotherly love, in Romans 12, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Peter 1, and in 2 Peter chapter 1, you will find that in each and every case, either in the same verse that you get the reference to brotherly love, or in the verse before, or in the verse after, there is a reference to love, to divine love. And divine love has this characteristic, as we have been hearing over and over and over again in the course of our conference together, that it is always consistent with truth. And so the brotherly love that we show to one another, the brotherly love that we show to the children of God, is brotherly love that is always guarded, in the sense that it is governed by divine love. For example, in 2 Peter chapter 1, there are things that we are exhorted to have in our faith, seven things, the sixth thing is brotherly love, and then Peter says, and to brotherly love, add love. This is a most important point. And then we come on to the address itself. It was addressed to the angel of the assembly, which was at Philadelphia. And the angel is a symbol. The book of Revelation is full of symbols. And here we have another symbol. The word angel means literally messenger. And the angel to which the letter was addressed is a symbol of those who were the messengers of the Lord to the assembly. They were the regular channel of communication between the Lord and the saints in that place. And the letter was addressed to them, as were the other six letters addressed to the angels of the assemblies in the various places. Because these channels of communication between the Lord and the assembly had a very particular responsibility. And they were accountable for the state of the assembly that the Lord found. And here, most happily, when they received this letter from the Lord, I'm sure as they read it, their hearts would have been filled with joy. But we are all responsible. Every one of us is responsible in connection with the assembly that we attend and its state. And the way in which the Lord Jesus presents himself to this particular assembly is of note. He speaks of himself in a moral way. And he does that because he wants the holiness and truth that characterize him to be mirrored in those who form a part of the assembly at Philadelphia. These things saith he that is holy. He that is doesn't say truth, it says true. And I want to think about these two things with you for a little while. These things saith he that is holy. The Lord Jesus is intrinsically and intensively holy. And we cannot have any fellowship with him unless we are holy. We read elsewhere that without holiness no one shall see the Lord. That's impossible. And in 1 Peter chapter 1, for example, we are exhorted to holiness. Be ye holy for I am holy. And this is a quotation from the book of Leviticus. I think it's Leviticus chapter 21, if my memory serves me correctly. You need to check that reference. But when you look at that chapter, the entire chapter is occupied with what was and what was not suitable food for the children of Israel. There was what they could eat and there was what they were not to eat. And it's just the same so far as we today are concerned. God isn't concerned with what goes into our stomachs. But he is concerned with what goes into our minds and what goes into our hearts. And I want to challenge you, especially you young people, as to what it is that you feed on. With what do you occupy yourself? The Lord Jesus says, he that eats me shall live on account of me. And what that means is, if we feed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, he will practically be the reason for our being. The reason for our existence. Reason d'etre. Is that what you say in French? Reason d'etre. Yeah. I came back from Germany never having been to a German conference before. And I came back able to say good morning and good day and I feel now I'm fluent in German. And evidently I'm getting there in terms of being completely fluent in French. Which is terrific. And so that's what the Lord Jesus wants to be to us, to every one of us. He wants to be the reason why we live. And if we do appropriate him, if we do feed on him, both as the true manner, as we do feed upon him as the one who is now in glory and who answers to the old corn of the land, then what the Lord Jesus says there will be true of us and we shall be pleasing to him. Some remarks were made in the course of the Findocty conference about computers and the dangers connected with the internet. And our brother Graham Warnes made a beautiful remark which I want to repeat now. He said, as for me and my mouse, we will serve the Lord. And that's beautiful, isn't it? And that's the way we want to approach our use of the computer and our use of media in general. These things can be very useful tools but we have to be careful that they don't become a source of food where we're feeding on things that the Lord doesn't want us to feed upon. So the first thing is that he wants us to be holy as he is holy. The second thing is he says that he is the true. And I want to ask you and I ask the Lord to show me whether there's anything in my heart or in my life that is false. Anything that is inconsistent with having fellowship with him who is the true. Is there anything that is really inconsistent with what we know the Christian life should be? And if there is, I think we need to put those things away. We need to have done with them. We need to be finished with them. And there may be things to which we have become addicted. There may be habits and ways in which we occupy our time. And we know, we know they are a hindrance as far as our spiritual progress is concerned. And the Lord wants us to lay those things aside and if we lay those things aside he will fill our hearts. He'll fill our hearts with himself. He'll fill our hearts with his love. And we'll regret the fact that we ever gave time. Oh dear, dear. We'll regret the fact that we swung our arms about. We'll regret the fact that we ever gave time to those time-wasting things. And the Lord will help us to use our time in a way that is spiritually profitable and honouring to him. He that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no one shutteth and shutteth and no one openeth. This is an interesting reference. This is again a quotation from the Old Testament from the book of Isaiah this time, chapter 22, verse 22. And it speaks about one who had a certain place of responsibility in the house of Israel. And there was another who had occupied that office before him and had been unfaithful in it. But now there was one brought forward who is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ who was going to take up those things and hold them faithfully for God. And it says there that to him there would be given the key of David. He would have the key of David which is the authority and power of divine government. And here we find the Lord Jesus reminding the assembly at Philadelphia that he has this power. He has all power in heaven and upon earth but as having the key of David he is able to exercise that power now in the behalf of those who want to be faithful to him. In the behalf of those who want to do his will. He will make a way for them to make that possible. And that's enormously encouraging for us today. Whatever the opposition may be, even though those powers of spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places oppose. Even though Satan himself sets himself against this assembly, the Lord assures them that he has the power to open doors for them and to close doors against the enemies. And in verse 8 he goes on to show that he has exercised this power in the behalf of the assembly at Philadelphia. He says and all he says about their works is that he knows them. The Lord Jesus has a good deal to say, a good deal more to say about the works of some of the other assemblies here in Revelation chapter 2 and 3. But it would appear from the brief statement at the beginning of verse 8 that their works were not necessarily as great as the works of some of the other Christian companies. But nevertheless the Lord knew them. He doesn't criticise them for the fact that their works weren't greater. He comforts them simply by telling them that he knows what they are. And then he goes on to say, Behold, I have set before thee, and the King James translation says, I have set before thee an open door. The JND translation says, I have set before thee an opened door. It was a door that had been closed and that the Lord had now opened and the opening of this door signified that there was liberty. There was complete liberty for this company of believers to do all the will of God. There was liberty to gather in simplicity to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, outside and apart from the systems and organisations of men. But simply to come together in faith in answer to the promise of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18.20 where two or three are gathered together and to my name there am I in the midst of them. There was liberty for that. Liberty for ministry. Ministry that is led by the Holy Spirit, ministry that is consistent with the teaching of the Word of God. Liberty to answer to all the directions that are given us in an epistle like 1 Corinthians where we have church order brought before us. And how a local assembly should function and the character of the meetings that it should seek to maintain. There is liberty now the Lord has said, the Lord is indicating there is liberty for all this, there is liberty for service. Liberty for service in the gospel to go out with the glad tidings. Paul says somewhere there is a great door and if actual open unto me. And there's a reason why, there's a reason why the Lord opened this door. And the Lord goes on to say why, he says because and notice what the because includes. For in the Derby translation it's because for thou hast a little strength or a little power and has kept my word and hast not denied my name. And it's a scriptural principle, a most important one that blessing follows obedience. You cannot put these things the other way round, blessing follows obedience. And this Christian assembly those that met in that place showed themselves obedient, obedient in connection with his word and obedient in relation to not denying his name. They had a little power, they were not occupied with those sign gifts that had marked the introduction of the Christian era. The time for those sign gifts had passed away and they were content with the little power that marked them. Because as I think we've heard in the course of the conference another most important divine principle, it's only when we are weak that we are strong. It's only when we realise that only by looking to the Lord and by dependence upon him will we be given the strength, the power to do his will that leads us in this path of obedience. And the first thing that characterised them was that they had kept his word. And this expression, his word, carries in it the thought of the core revelation that Christ has brought to us. The revelation of the Father in the Son, this was something that the Lord Jesus brought to the disciples in his prayer in John's Gospel chapter 17. In John's Gospel chapter 17 the Lord prays to the Father and he refers to the disciples, to the eleven as those that had kept his word, they had continued with him in connection with this revelation of God that he had brought to them. And I suppose we can extend that out and speak about the truth of Christianity, all the truths that are connected with that revelation of God that has been brought to us. And the work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross and the consequences for us of that work for us, those that have believed on him. All this is contained within what the Lord refers to here as my word and these Philadelphian believers had kept that word. They had gone on as believers being guided and governed by these divine truths and has not denied my name. Here we have the connection that I referred to at the beginning with the second epistle of John. I wondered why the Lord puts it in the negative case. Thou hast not denied my name. And it seems to me that the answer probably is that there were lots of others who had denied his name. And he says but thou, thou hast not denied my name. They clung to all that had been revealed to them concerning the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And every one of us should take away from this conference the essential nature of this doctrine of Christ. I don't think so much has been said about it. I don't think any of us could possibly, I hope not, have missed the point. But we need to hold fast these things and to cleave to the Lord Jesus as the one who is both God and man and the eternal son of the Father. And then the Lord Jesus goes on in verse 9 to speak of those who are described as being of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee. This assembly was the product of a reviving by the Spirit of God. What it describes I have absolutely no doubt in affirming is that work of the Spirit of God in the first half of the 19th century. I don't think there is any doubt as to that. And on the one hand there was recovery to the truth, but on the other there was the working of the enemy in order to bring forward a counterfeit. That's always his way. And what is called here a synagogue of Satan I take it was really a church. It's called a synagogue of Satan because it was based entirely on things connected with Judaism. And these people who took the place of being Christians, they claimed that they were Jews. They claimed that they were the people of God. But the Lord Jesus says that they're not but do lie. And he goes on to say that he will make them to come and to worship at their feet and to know that he has loved them. And this is wonderful I think because it isn't them, it isn't the Philadelphians that they are worshipping. It's the Lord Jesus whom they are worshipping. They are at the feet of the Lord Jesus and worshipping him. But these Philadelphians are so near to Christ who is in their midst that they are also at the feet of these Philadelphian believers. It is the answer I think to faithfulness in connection with that scripture that we've already had before us in Matthew 18. A desire to be gathered unto his name by faith in this day and in that day. The Lord's answer will be that he will be in the immediate midst of these faithful Philadelphian believers. And they would know that he loved them. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the earth to try them that dwell upon the earth. This hour of temptation is the hour that is going to come upon the earth in that seven year period that will follow upon our translation to heaven. There are those who whatever their Christian profession may be received not the love of the truth. And it's this group in particular I think this was before us too in the course of the conference on Wednesday. This group, this class of people are going to be tried. They are those people that are characterized by being earth dwellers. And they are going to be tried and their trial will be that God will send them a certain working of error that they should believe a lie. And they will believe the lie and they will suffer the consequences of following those who are the agents of the devil on earth at that time. But they will be kept from that hour of trial. And we know that every true Christian will be taken by the Lord Jesus to heaven when he comes for us. He says in verse 11 I come quickly. Isn't that music in to our hearts? Doesn't that make our hearts leap? Doesn't that make our hearts leap with joy? I come quickly. We know who's coming. And he says I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown. Don't let these things go. Don't lose your crown. I'm almost there. Just a little while. Just a very little while. Don't move away from this ground now just before I come. Hold fast. And to every young person here I would say hold fast. Don't move away from the ground of gathering, the precious ground of gathering on which you and I by infinite grace are privileged to meet. And then the Lord speaks about the overcomer. He speaks about the future. In that over cometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God. In connection with Solomon's temple there were two pillars. They were called Jachin and Boaz. That's right. And the one means he will establish. Do you know what Boaz means? No offers? In him is strength. He will establish. In him is strength. That was the confidence of the Philadelphian believers here on earth. That was their confidence in faith. And the Lord says you that overcome I'll make to be a pillar. Not outside the temple which is where the pillars Jachin and Boaz were. They were at the entrance to the temple. The overcomer will be a pillar in the temple. In the immediate presence of God to go no more out. Forever. And I will write upon him the name of my God. The name of the city of my God which is New Jerusalem. Which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him. My new name. Everything's connected with the Lord Jesus. My time has gone so there's not scope to speak in more detail. Which is I was asking a brother at the end of the readings about the reference here to my new name. I'm a bit fuzzy about that. So if any older brother can help me in connection with my new name I would be most grateful. It would seem to be a name that the Lord takes in connection with the sphere of glory. That then he will fill. And that new name will be written on the Philadelphian overcomer. But how come there is a call in Philadelphia to be an overcomer? What is there in Philadelphia that has to be overcome? Only this. The danger that we don't go on. That we don't continue. That's the danger we have to overcome. If others depart we must go on. Go on. May the Lord help us to do so. …