Angelic Conflict part 223: Human history (the Church) – Heb 10:19-25; 12:18-24; Isa 61:1; 66:1; Zec 6:13; Isa 25:7.

 The church is to assemble together whenever possible for encouragement from doctrine and to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, HEB 10:24-25.

 

HEB 10:19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

 

HEB 10:20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

 

HEB 8:13 When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

 

This is the new covenant for Israel which will be fulfilled in the Millennium, but it is true that the old one is already gone and new things have come to the church. Jewish believers in the Tribulation will see for the first time what was given to the church and they had rejected [imagine their understanding] and this will move them to long for the Millennial reign of Christ that they may experience a portion of what has been given to us.

 

 JER 31:31-32

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,  not like the covenant which I made with their fathers

 

 ROM 16:25-27

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.  

 

‎ Christ, the first-fruits of our nature, has ascended: the rest is sanctified thereby. His ascension is our promotion; where the glory of the Head has preceded; there the hope of the body is called.

 

HEB 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

 

God no longer indwells buildings so the house of God is not a building, but the entire body of believers everywhere. The temple in the CA is the body of the believer. Christ indwells every believer but Christ is also seated at the right hand of God in heaven and so, through our union with Him, we are also seated with Him in heaven and are citizens of heaven and so:

 

 ISA 66:1

Thus says the Lord,

"Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.

Where then is a house you could build for Me?

And where is a place that I may rest?  

 

 The house of God, our house, includes Christ, the head, in heaven and His body on earth.  

 

 EPH 2:6

and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,  

 

 PHI 3:20-21

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.  

 

 JOH 8:35-36

"And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

 

We are now tied to the earth as the body and we are perfectly positioned in heaven with the head.

 

 Both the head and body have application to work or fruit production in the conflict on earth [ministry of the body] and the peace in victory that all see in heaven [position in the head].  

 

HEB 12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,

 

HEB 12:19and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them.

 

HEB 12:20For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned."

 

HEB 12:21And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." [Mt. Sinai - the Law of sin and death]

 

 ROM 8:1-2

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

 

 The new law is alive [ROM 8:2], the truth is alive [HEB 4:12], the new way is alive [HEB 10:20], and the Lord is alive [HEB 10:12]!! Are you alive [ROM 8:12-17]?

 

HEB 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

 

HEB 12:23to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,

 

HEB 12:24and to Jesus [humanity - born at the perfect time], the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel [first animal sacrifice].

 

When we come to hear the word of God, when we pray, when we meditate on His word, when we are applying truth, producing fruit, comforting, bearing, ministering, etc. we are standing in the presence of God in the Holy of Holies, at His throne, and on Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the New Jerusalem, where God is, all believers are positioned, where Jesus sits and mediates for us without ceasing as the living testimony for all time that His blood, His sacrificial spiritual death has covered all sin and destroyed all evil opposition to God.

 

On the basis of these assurances - that we have boldness to enter because we have a living High Priest - we, all believers, have an "open invitation" to enter the presence of God. The Old Covenant high priest visited the holy of holies once a year, but we are invited to dwell in the presence of God every moment of each day. What a tremendous privilege! Consider what is involved in this threefold invitation.

 

 "Let us draw near (vs. 22)... Let us hold fast (vs. 23) … Let us consider one another" (vs.24). This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest. 

 

HEB 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere [alethinos (adj) = true as opposed to hypocritical] heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

 

  “evil conscience” - a lack of confidence from the finished work of Christ, guilt, condemnation, and wrong priorities of self above Christ.

 

A heart filled with the truth of the completed atonement and the torn veil through which our High Priest has led us leads to a confident abiding presence in the holy of holies, the throne of God. Sincere means truth as opposed to hypocritical. Hypocrites have a superficial knowledge of these truths and divided hearts, but the heart sprinkled clean becomes these truths and the evil conscience of guilt, condemnation, works for sacrifice [the high priest could not enter without the blood of the sacrifice], and priority of self above Christ are all washed clean by the gospel - meaning the entire scripture of good news.

 

This is how the church is to gather. If a believer has a different attitude then he should gather to listen only and not to minister. When sufficient listening has changed transformed the mind and the soul's priorities, and the heart's motivation then it becomes time to gather to listen and minister.

 

HEB 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

 

HEB 10:15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us;

 

HEB 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere [alethinos (adj) = true as opposed to hypocritical] heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.