The Ark in Prophecy

          THE ARK OF THE COVENANT-
          "Home" of God's Law
           
          REV 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

          On that lonely Isle of Patmos, John saw in prophetic vision the opening of the Most Holy Place in Heaven. When, in prophetic time, is God's temple "opened"? If you read the verse just before it, Rev. 11:18, you'll see that this is brought to John's view just prior to Christ's Second Advent, where we are told precisely what happens when Christ comes:

          REV 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

          And who "sees" this opening of God's temple? Well, I don't think it is the heathens who don't even know that God's temple is in Heaven. Who is aware of the fact that God's temple is in Heaven? The true believers of God who have studied His Word..

          But most of all, why is His temple "opened" (so to speak) at the "time of the dead, that they shouldst be judged?" That, we believe, is of utmost importance. 

          The Description of God's People Just Prior to Christ's Return
           
          In Revelation 14:14, Christ is preparing to come for the "harvest", which is when He comes for the righteous at His second Advent. And just before this, a group of people are presented to view- the righteous saints. Let's read how they are described:

          REV 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

          Oh, how many times I've heard people say "We're not under the Law- the Ten Commandments have been done away with!" They profess a love of God, but when the Scriptures are opened before them and show the binding claim of God's Law, these people refuse to even listen. They will not compare their doctrine with the "law and the testimony". Yet, God has closed His Holy Book, the Bible, with a perfect and concise definition of the people of God- they are described as "those who keep the commandments of God". It does not say, "these are those who didn't have to worry about the Law, because it was done away with". No, we are clearly told that these are those who keep God's commandments.

          I realize that this may be a new concept to many people, for we are hearing more and more of renown preachers who are preaching that God's Law has been done away with. And if this idea is new to you, please just hear what we have to say.

          As the Ark in Heaven is brought to view just before the time Christ comes,  we understand that they are not literally seeing the Ark in Heaven, but that their focus is on something that is taking place in the Heavenly Most Holy Place.

          We believe God wants His people to have a complete understanding of the events taking place in Heaven, concerning Christ's mediation and office of High Priest. And we know that it is through events on earth that He brings His truths and understanding to us. At the time of the end, His people (the righteous) know that time is almost over. They know that the vindication of His Law is at hand. And Christ, Himself, tells us that the Law is still the standard of righteousness, even at the time of the end:

          REV 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

          Adam was created perfect- he could keep the Law and eat of the tree of life. But when he sinned (fell), he lost man's right to eat of that fruit and we inherited our sinful nature from him. When restored, we will be able to keep His Law again and again have access to the fruit of the tree of life. Christ tells us in no uncertain terms that those who will eat of this tree and enter into the city, New Jerusalem, are those who keep His Commandments.

          Satan has twisted and perverted the Scriptures so much that many people today really believe that they do not have to keep God's Law. If that's the case, what happened to that Law, spoken audibly by the Lord at Sinai, written twice in stone by His own finger and deposited in the Ark of the Covenant of the earthly sanctuary? Some have used this next verse as "evidence" that we, believers, don't have to keep God's Law:

          GAL 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
           

          No Longer Under the PENALTY of the Law
           
          What happened to all the other Scriptures that clearly stated the opposite? They're still there! What Paul was saying was that if you are led of the Spirit, you are not under the penalty of the law- your sins have been forgiven, and the Spirit guides you in keeping God's Law. Look at this next verse:

          ROM 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

          Does this mean the carnal mind is also not under any obligation to keep God's Law? Another definition of the Greek word "hupotasso", (here translated "subject"), is "obedient". Now, let's look at this verse again- "The carnal mind" is not obedient "to the Law", neither can it be. Why? Because without Christ, it is impossible to keep the Law. Why would Paul even discuss this subject if it wasn't of vital importance?

          We as Christians must have a correct understanding of the necessity of God's Law and we must understand the requirement of our obedience to this Law. If God could have changed one precept of His Law, then Christ would not have needed to die. But the provision made for the salvation of men through the imputed righteousness of Christ does not do away with the Law or lessen Its claims.

          The Law is the standard of righteousness. I think that maybe many people refuse to understand this great truth because they know that they do not keep God's commandments and they know that they can't. AND THEY ARE RIGHT! That's the whole idea- we can't keep His Law; not by our own power. Christ's death on the cross occurred for one reason- God is merciful and He knew from the start that we wouldn't be able to keep His Law by our own power. He knew that we would all be condemned to death if a provision wasn't made for those who love Him.
           

          The "Covenant of Grace"

          The Covenant of grace is made whereby He extends His mercy to fallen man; His Only Begotten Son, Christ, came to earth in the flesh of fallen man, lived without sin, then bore the full penalty of sin on the cross so that His Father could apply that payment to any and all who come to Him through the Blood of His Son. And this is a free gift to anyone who asks.

          The sins of those who come to Him are not just covered by the righteousness of Christ- His righteousness actually replaces the sin and it is forgotten of them. In addition, Christ sent the "Helper"- the Holy Spirit, to guide us, that we may actually partake of the Spirit of God. And it is through the indwelling of His Spirit that we are able to keep His Law. He knows that not one of us can keep His Law on our own- not one of us. It is simply impossible.

          People may ask, "What's the purpose in all this plan of salvation if we still can't keep the Law"? Well, we can keep the Law-but not by our own power. Christ showed us how.

          Remember all the times that Christ would go away alone to pray? Remember the agony of Spirit He had as He prayed? He was just as we are when He was on earth- He felt every temptation that all men feel. People want to say He didn't sin because He was God and therefore perfect. But that's not what the Bible says. It says He came in the flesh- and flesh is not God. Flesh is human. He is God but He took on the form of man, which included man's inherited nature:

          HEB 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

          Why did Christ Pray?

          Why did Christ have to pray? It wouldn't make a lot of sense for Christ to pray if He was God, would it? Well, He WAS and IS God, but He came to earth AS A MAN. He didn't live without sin through His own strength. He, as a man, prayed for the same strength and wisdom that you and I have access to- the Holy Spirit.

          That was part of the plan- Christ would come to earth as a man. Even though He was God, He set aside His Divinity to be like us. He was subjected to the same feelings and temptations as you and I. But He lived a life without sin in order that He could be the "perfect" sacrifice. Had He come to earth as God, not as man, it would have proved nothing- people would say He was able to live without sin because He was God. But He didn't come as God, although He was God- He came in the form of man. And because He lived without sin under the same circumstances that we live, God allowed Him to pass on to us that same ability.

          We have all sinned. We will all sin again, most likely. But if we continuously ask forgiveness for those sins with repentance and a true desire to keep His Law, He will forgive us and continue to rehabilitate us. And then, when our time is "up", when the Father looks at us, He sees not our sins, for they have been actually removed from our record and the righteousness of His Son covers us.

           

          Our Sinful Nature IS Hereditary

          Christ died for us to provide the means that we may be forgiven of the times we break that Law, and to give us the only means to keep the Law, or not sin. We have all heard of sin spoken of as being "hereditary"- and it is. The Bible is clear on this point- man is sinful by nature. It's in our very genes. Look at how modern science is proving that certain traits, such as aggression, are actually inherited. Christ and the apostles many times tried to explain to men that their very fleshly nature was sinful:

          EPH 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 

          The Righteousness of Christ
           
          The Law was in effect from the beginning and remains in effect. The penalty for the transgression of that Law is death. Christ not only died to vicariously pay our penalty, but He did even more. Christ provided the only means by which we could partake of His righteousness and overcome our inherited nature:

          JOH 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

          As a human, Christ is our example- He demonstrated:

          "the way": the way it can be done; the way man can partake of His righteousness and perfect character. This is accomplished in us is through faith in Him and cooperation with the Holy Spirit, Whom He sent to us.

          He is "the truth"; the truth that it can be done, for He, as a man, lived perfect righteousness through the same Spirit that He imparts to those of us who ask.

          And He is "the life": the life we will live when we walk with Him by faith and obedience.

          If God's Law had been done away with, there would be no such thing as sin:

          1JO 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

          Did Christ die to take away the law? No, He died to take away sin:

          1JO 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

          He died to pay the price that we legally owe and remove our past offenses from our record. Who can partake of this free gift of forgiveness? It is available to all:

          ISA 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

          We Must Cooperate in the  Working Out of Our Own Salvation

          We have absolutely no power over sin, except the power He imparts to us when we ask. And then, we must cooperate with His Holy Spirit. We are in charge of our own salvation in that we still have the choice to allow Him to work through us.

          But, we only have to let Him lead the way. In doing so, we find we keep His Commandments. We find our hearts full of love for all of those for whom He died. We find we live the life He did. We find we prove the truth that it can be done. Our past sins are forgiven us and they are removed from our person. His righteousness is imputed to us. And when we sin again, we ask forgiveness again through the merits of Christ's Blood, and we are forgiven again.

          This is a daily process for us all. It is a moment to moment process- and Satan is always there, watching and waiting to catch us off guard. We see all around us the results of breaking God's Law. If God did away with His Law and it didn't exist in Heaven, what a horrible reward for the righteous- to live eternally in a violent, destructive society! To live without God's Law- as the world lives today- is something no sane person could possibly desire.

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