The Righteousness of Saints Part IX

 

 

  The Righteousness of Saints Part IX

 

Revelation 19:8

 

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 

The righteousness of the saints is the righteousness of God which is set forth in the first chapter of the book of Romans : “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). This righteousness is the justifying righteousness of the church of God and it was established by our Lord Jesus Christ for the people of God. It was established according the counsel of God as the only justifying righteousness that shall ever be accepted in the presence of God as perfect and therefore justifying, as it is written: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). This perfect righteousness resides in our Lord Jesus Christ and was manifest in His yielding perfect obedience to the law of God as the law’s fulfilling end, as it is written: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4; Matthew 5:17-18).

And our Lord Jesus fulfilled the penal demands of the law through His death by the sentence of that law; even the most horrible of deaths, the death of the of the cross. With the fury and vengeance of God against the sins of the people of God poured out on Him who is the Surety and Substitute for the people of God, Christ Jesus thereby gave satisfaction to the law for the children of the covenant of God. The righteousness which Jesus Christ established by His Mediation of the everlasting covenant is imputed or charged to, or credited to the account of the children of God. It is apprehended and received  by faith which is the gift of God, given to those who are: “ sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (Jude 1:1).

 

The Old Testament prophets gave many prophesies concerning the Messiah of Israel. One such Prophecy is by the prophet Daniel, as it is written: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24). In this article the last of the predictions in this prophecy will be considered.

 

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city - 

 “to anoint the most holy”. In the apprehension of the writer, the reference to the most holy in this verse is a reference to the most holy place in the tabernacle in the wilderness and in the temples. This most holy place was the inner chamber of the tabernacle. It was the place the ark of the covenant was kept along with the mercy seat cover which was the representation of the of the throne of God. This is where the cloud, which is the representation of the presence of God, appeared in the inner Sanctuary. So that to anoint the most holy is to anoint the place of the dwelling of the Most High, or it is to anoint the dwelling place of the Three Persons of the God of this universe. Where is such a place?

 

Our Lord Jesus said “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:5). This body is the human body and soul of the Lord Jesus Christ, for His soul was made an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). This human nature was taken into indissoluble union in the Person of the Son of God immediately upon His conception in the womb of the virgin. So that the personality of the human nature of the God-man is the personality of the God the Son who is one with the Father (John 10:30). This truth is declared in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to Phillip, as it is written: “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake” (John 14:9-11).

 

The person of the God-man is the dwelling place of the Three Persons of the Trinity of God, as it is written: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). The human nature of the God-man is the true tabernacle of Jehovah in the Trinity of His most sacred Persons, as it is written: “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:11-14) Jesus Christ officiates in office as the Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant “by a greater and more perfect tabernacle”. This tabernacle was greater and more perfect in that it had the blood of the everlasting covenant of grace as its integral part. Our Lord Jesus “is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer” (Hebrews 8:2-3). What this Man had to offer is the blood of the God, the blood of Him: “who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 9:5) as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” Acts 20:28).

 

Our Lord referred to His body as “this temple”, as it is written: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The temple He referred to is the dwelling place of God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. And this tabernacle was anointed with the Spirit of God but not by measure, as it is written: “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him” (John 3:34). And as it is written: “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17).

 

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psalm 133:1-3). The anointed Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. And from Him all the body of the saints of God receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, as it is written: “But ye have an unction (an anointing: Writer) from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (I John 2:18). This unction from the Holy One is the anointing of the children of the covenant with the Spirit of God and it was typified in the Psalm 133, the Spirit was poured on the Head of the church of God without measure and it is He who anoints every member of His body with the measure of grace as pleases Him, as it is written: “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:7-8).

 

Believers know all things they need to know concerning the salvation of their souls. They know God the Father and the Son and their Knowledge is by the teaching of the Holy Spirit (John 17:2; I John 5:20). “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (I John 2: 24-27).

 

The human nature of our Lord Jesus Christ is the tabernacle that the Godhead has desired from everlasting, for He saith: “ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26). Mankind is made in the image of the man Christ Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, as it is written: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:15). And: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). And it is written: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27). “God was manifest in the flesh” as it is written: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (I Timothy 3:16). God created men in the likeness of Him “who is over all, God blessed forever, Amen” (Romans 9:5) God created man in the likeness of Jesus Christ who is God manifest in the flesh. And it is that nature that is to have dominion in the world to come, as it is written: “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2: 6-9).

 

We do not all see the whole creation put under the dominion of mankind; but we see Jesus who was crowned with glory and honor for the suffering of death and because of His suffering of death all things are put under the dominion of Jesus Christ, as it is written: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20). Man’s dominion over all things is begun by Jesus Christ, and His church is destined to be partaker of His glory. It is written: “ But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13-14). And the witness of the scriptures is that the children of the covenant of God are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, it is written: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:17). The saints of the Most High God have fellowship with Jesus Christ in His sufferings: as it is written: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10). And “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (II Timothy 2:12). The prophet Daniel has written: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart” (Daniel 7:27-28).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.