Chapter Five
The Coming of Christ
It
was David that subdued all Israel’s enemies, bringing peace to Israel. Then
David made preparation for the building of the Temple, although he was not
allowed to actually build it. So today the preparation for the “appearing “ of
the Lord in his temple is this work of reconciliation. Jesus said to the
disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place
for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you
may be also.” The place He is preparing is not up in
the sky, but IN YOU. Paul says, “Don’t you know your body is the temple of
God.” The word used here for temple in the New Testament is the Greek word
“Naos” which refers only to the Most Holy Place. So the place being prepared is
the Most Holy Place which is in you, for this is God’s dwelling place. Having
now dealt with our Adamic consciousness the consciousness of sin has been
removed, so this removes the veil and allows us access into Father’s house.
However
Paul tells us that in the preparation of God’s dwelling place some changes must
take place. He says that the “Man of Sin” must be revealed first. This term
refers to Adam, as he was the one who brought sin into the world, and
perpetuates it by his presence in mankind. Where can we find this impostor?
Paul explains about this Adam, “ Who opposeth and exalteth himself above
all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he AS GOD sitteth in the
Temple of God, shewing himself that HE IS GOD.”
How
many Christians sing with great gusto, “He is Lord, He is risen from the dead
and He is Lord!” But the truth is that in their life Jesus Christ has very
little say about how life is lived. If we were honest many of us would have to
admit that we decide what we will do and where we will go, and make great plans
about the future, all without even a thought about what the Christ may desire.
So we have to admit there is someone who occupies the “Throne” in the Temple of
God, and it is not Jesus Christ.
We
are back again with Paul in Romans 7 battling with a desire to do good but
finding another authority, refusing to allow us to have our way. This is Adam,
not just content with being a part of our life but insisting on being the royal
presence within, sitting in the place of authority. Now it is obvious there
will be no appearing of Christ in his Holy Temple while Adam is still there.
Many Christians wonder why they do not have a real sense of the divine presence
within, even after praying and fasting for it.
The
reason is clear, for if Christ is not LORD OF ALL He will not be LORD AT ALL.
There is no way He will appear in His Holy Temple until the Throne has been
vacated and we are ready to conduct a coronation service for His Royal Majesty.
We will soon know if the cross has been effective in releasing us from the law
of sin and death, because if we are indeed free, the Christ will appear in his
Holy Temple and we will crown him King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It will be,
“Not MY WILL but THINE be done O Lord.”
However
do not despair, for the battle is not just up to us, but God has made provision
to clean out His temple when we decide that Christ is King. Often we have not
realised the subtlety of our enemy, who deceives us into believing He does not
really exist, and that what we do we do out of our own volition. Paul said in 2
Thess. 2:3,
“Then shall that wicked one shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his
appearing.”
The
Spirit of his mouth speaks of the Power of his Word. But Paul says in 2 Tim.
1:8-10,
“But join with me
in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us
and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because
of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before
the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of
our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel.”
So
when we believe the Word God has spoken to us, that word will set us free by
destroying the lie that has bound us. For God has not given us the spirit of
fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. Now we are coming to that
place where we no longer live out of a duality of being, but we can say with
Jesus, “I and my Father are One.” The truth being that, “As He is so am I in
this world.”