NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH No. 39 CREDO (2 of 2)
` King David rose . . . listen to me, my brothers . . . '
The 2004 American Presidential election has received unprecedented coverage by the UK media, and after their initial focus on both contenders' `Vietnam experience' they moved on to Iraq, finally ending up with intense interest in the strong emergence of the `Christian Religious Right'. Inevitably there would have been `copy cat' reporting, but nevertheless there was, certainly in the UK media, an unprecedented focus on the effect the Christian vote had on the election results. The UK media tried for several days after the election results were known to widen that interest into the political scene in Great Britain, only to find that there was little or no interest to stimulate. And so the matter quietly died away as more exciting news broke upon the world scene. We believe the expression in use today for such matters is a `feeding frenzy'. This activity is clearly evident within the UK media industry, and we all need to keep this in mind when listening, watching or reading even the more respectable news outlets!

However, the fact that the Christian Religious Right has no hold on the political scene in the UK confirms what has been said by many people, that Europe is in a post-Christian era in which the Church, in its many forms and denominations, is irrelevant in national life. Recently certain para-Church groups (or to use a more familiar title, ministries) have been saying that there is a noticeable stirring of interest in `spiritual' matters, and as we have been exhorted to watch and pray we shall look to Scripture to see if these reported stirrings are of God or merely emotional concern at the deterioration of the country's moral structure. Certainly if we listen to the media we can sense a hostile attitude towards what they call Christian Fundamentalism, which does not seem to fit in with the reported spiritual stirrings we have just mentioned. Yet other para-Church groups continually warn of coming persecution for the Church in the West, and so we need true discernment to pick our way through the conflicting reports that continuously assail our eyes and ears.

The difference between a `spiritual' awakening and people's moral concern is clearly seen in the reporting of a recent speech made by the Chairman of Commissioners for Racial Equality (Great Britain) in which he was exhorting Muslim leaders in the UK to not only condemn terrorist activities but to take positive action against those who perpetrate such activities. The Chairman went on to say that:

" Together with Roman Catholic Poles and Evangelical Africans, Muslims could be a catalyst for a moral revival similar to the 19th century evangelical revival which gave rise to universal education, trade unions and compassion for the poor. "

Such a revival, if it occurs, would indeed deal with emotional concern for the deterioration of this country's moral structure, but it would not be a spiritual revival inspired by the Holy Spirit - and within that speech there was the implied threat of official action against those who would not work together with people of goodwill from all `faiths'! To that end we will turn our thoughts in this Newswatch to what has happened within the Church that has brought us to the position we now find ourselves in, and more particularly we shall look at what we are intended to be in this post-Christian age. Our title, `King David said . . . listen to me, my brothers' comes from the opening words of chapter 28 of the First Book of Chronicles and sets the scene for this Credo. It is generally accepted today that the Book of Chronicles is a `mirror image' of the Book of Kings. Kings shows the outcome of the degenerating activities of the various kings in their efforts to usurp the role of the priestly order whose religious duties (as they believed) were entrusted solely to them, whereas Chronicles records the Glory of God revealed in the Temple through the religious sacrificial system undertaken by the faithful priestly order. We would, however, suggest that the Scriptural alternative to this accepted teaching is that there was a continuous battle (which continues to this day within Christian religious circles) between the priestly order, which sought to maintain a sacrificial cycle of activities to a God who is remote, and the kingly order, who understand their calling to embody the fulness of God, ruling and reigning in righteousness. This is a battle fought, and lost, because of the fallen nature of man, who eventually attempts to take to himself the glory and honour which is God's alone!

The narrative of the Book of Kings clearly reveals this tension, and within the Book of Chronicles there lies hidden the glory of the kingly order - seen in the fulness in King Solomon, but now subjugated to the priestly order which kept the religious life of God's people earth-bound. Even today the Church, with its social programmes, seeks to change the life of the people of the nation without a life-changing experience into a new life, thus revealing that the conflict seen in these two Books of Scripture between the priestly and kingly orders still continue to keep God's people earth-bound. In using the expressions of priestly and kingly order we are not limiting the priestly order to those who seek to outwork their lives within sacerdotal denominations. In certain of these sacerdotal denominations we see their understanding of a kings reign on this earth, whilst in others of a Protestant Evangelical persuasion we often catch sight of a priestly order which stridently insists on the word of Scripture, whilst not being drawn into a relationship with THE Word who is revealed in Scripture. We see this particularly in various groups who have formed themselves into `Watchman Minstries' or those who see themselves `contending for the faith', with a continual desire to `unmask' those with whom they disagree!

With this background in mind we would now look at the Book of Chronicles, and in particular the 28th chapter of the First Book. The chapter opens with a summons by David to all those in authority in Israel to attend him in Jerusalem: (v1)

" The officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and the officials in charge of the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the valiant warriors. "

There was something of importance that David wished to convey to all those in authority over the LORD's people, and to hear what it was they were all summoned to Jerusalem. Verse 2 continues with the words of the sub-title of this Credo: `King David rose to his feet and said, `Listen to me, my brothers and my people . . .' This was no ordinary gathering of the king's men, for you will find that throughout what followed was a continuous use of the word `pattern'. There is an intimation in the words that what followed was not just the building of a religious building; it was a pattern which required to be faithfully followed. To that end David summoned all who held authority in his kingdom to ensure that the pattern he delivered was faithfully followed BECAUSE it was a pattern given to him by the LORD!

The full story is well known . . David's desire to build a temple for the LORD . . Nathan the prophet telling him that because of his previous unrighteous acts he would not be the one to do so . . and yet David, knowing the promises of God for him and his family, was able to say to the assembled people: (28:4-8)

" Yet the LORD the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel for ever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He chose my family, and from my father's sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons - and the LORD has given me many - He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me, `Solomon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. I will establish his kingdom for ever if he is unswerving in carrying out My commands and laws, as is being done at this time'. So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants for ever. "

David had received an understanding of the LORD's intention, which was to reveal the resting place for His Ark of the Covenant - a place within the Promised Land where He would tabernacle amongst His people. David also received the understanding that he was the appointed person to bring the Ark of the Covenant to that final resting place. This would therefore necessitate a change in the order of their attending to the religious activities of the people of Israel because he was not of the tribe of Levi - to whom had been given the responsibility for the work of carrying and ministering within the Tabernacle which had accompanied the people of Israel into the Promised Land. We can read of David's understanding in an earlier chapter of the First Book of Chronicles, where it is recorded:

" After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the Ark of God and pitched a Tent for it. Then David said, `No-one but the Levites may carry the Ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to minister before Him for ever'. David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. " (15:1-4)

We then read how David instructed the Levites to bring the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem, to the Shrine he had built for it. Continuing in chapter 16 we read how the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Shrine: (16:2)

" After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of the LORD. "

and if we read on into verses 37, 39 and 40 we shall see that:

" David left Asaph and his associates before the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD to minister there regularly, according to each day's requirements . . . David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the Tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly . . . "

Something very significant had occurred! A king, not of the tribe of Levi, had made sacrifices to the LORD in the Shrine that he had built AND he had blessed the people in the Name of the LORD - a priestly duty was here undertaken by a king of the tribe of Judah! King David, thereby through his actions, was foreshadowing the work of his Greater Son, Jesus the Messiah of Israel, and the priestly order would have noted this for in returning to the narrative of chapter 28 we find David exhorting his son Solomon: (v10-11)

" Take heed now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as a Sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. Then David gave his son Solomon the plans . . . "

There is an order here which is important to note, for in God's governance there is always order which, if noted and observed, speaks its own message. The pattern for the Temple was given by David, whilst if we read on into the next verse we see that, ` David gave him the pattern of all that he was given by the Spirit', and moving on into verse 19 we read: " `All this', said David, `the LORD made me understand in writing by His Hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern'. " (KJV)

If with such clear words the pattern for the Temple was given, it was beholden on those who were summoned to listen to the words of David to faithfully build according the pattern given if it was to reveal the Glory of a Righteous and Holy God!

We now move back to an earlier time during which a precise pattern was given to the LORD's people regarding the building of His Tabernacle, to the time of Moses, as recorded in the Book of Exodus - and here we find the same instructions as given by the LORD to David: (Exodus 25: 1-2; 8-9 NIV and KJV)

" And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, `Speak unto the children of Israel . . . . . Then have them make a Sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them. Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you'. "

The pattern for the Tabernacle was given to the people by Moses, who had received it from God by the Spirit as he met with Him `on the mountain' But lest it is said that we are dwelling too long on the foreshadows seen in the Old Testament, a reading of chapter 9 of the Book of Hebrews shows that the exactness of the patterns given by God to Moses, and later to David, were in the writer's thoughts as he wrote his Letter. The writer also reveals why the pattern was given with instructions to make the Dwelling exactly as it was given, for it was an exact representation of the Heavenly Temple, and the two were to become one as God's Presence was manifest in the earthly Tabernacle and later in the Temple. God's Holiness and Righteousness required that perfection for Him to dwell amongst His people!

However, we shall move back again to the pattern given to David, as recorded for us in the First Book of Chronicles, where we notice an important enhancement to this pattern which was not given to Moses. In verse 18 is recorded the weight of gold David gave for:

". . . the Chariot of the Cherubim, that spread out their wings and covered the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. `All this', said David, `the LORD made me understand in writing by His Hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern'. "

The Chariot Throne of the LORD is clearly seen again in words recorded in the Book of Isaiah: (Isaiah 6:1)

" In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD seated on a Throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the Temple . . . "

and again in Isaiah 37 that when Hezekiah received a letter from the King of Assyria he went into the Temple and prayed to the LORD: (v16)

" O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned between the Cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. "

Following the building of the Temple, according to the pattern given by God to David by the Holy Spirit, the kingly order rose to its full height and glory, and on the nation's religious Feast Days the king would sit upon the Chariot Throne between the mighty gold Cherubim and would become the embodiment of the LORD God of Israel dwelling amongst His people. The Chariot Throne of God, in the Most Holy Place, became the meeting point between heaven and earth, for the pattern given for the building of the Temple was an exact copy of the heavenly Temple - the two became one, and the king who sat on the earthly Chariot Throne then ruled and reigned as the LORD - and the Glory of the LORD was revealed to the four corners of the known world during the reign of Solomon! The Temple was the place of eternity on the earth, and the Chariot Throne beween the covering wings of the Cherubim upon which the king was seated was a place where righteousness and holiness ruled and reigned in judgement and blessing. We shall now move on to a time where once again we see the same pattern given to God's people in the same way, and for this we need to turn to the New Testament where we see the fulness of the pattern, the shadow of which was given in earlier ages, and to a man called Paul who, like Moses and David before him, was called by God to be a vessel through which He would reveal His purposes to His people.

Paul, chosen and called into service through a personal meeting with Jesus as he neared Damascus, was later given the `pattern' which was to be his life's work - as he says in his Letter to the Romans: (Romans 16:25-27)

" Now to Him who is able to establish you by my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him - to the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! Amen! "

Paul, in his own words, `of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Law, a Pharisee . . . as for legalistic righteousness, faultless' . . a man steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures . . working out his salvation through his own zeal . . had now been taken apart and given a revelation from God by the Holy Spirit that would change his life as he understood the fulness of what had been entrusted to him to proclaim. That revelation given by God had been alluded to in his Letter to the Romans and was finally spoken out by him in his Letter to the Ephesians: (Ephesians 1:9-10)

" And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one Head, even Christ. "

Paul would have known that the Temple in Jerusalem at that time was not the Temple of the LORD, as he understood it from the Scriptures. He would have known that no longer did it contain the Ark of the Covenant . . no longer did a king sit upon the Chariot Throne, and he would have known that the High Priest, when entering the Most Holy Place on the prescribed Feast Day, merely sprinkled the sacrificial blood upon a stone. Even with his religious zeal he would have understood that it was an empty religious act! To this man Paul was given the pattern of the Temple that God required to be built in this Age of Grace wherein His Presence would be made manifest, and this pattern, this mystery given by the Holy Spirit, was given to Paul in the same manner as the pattern for the Tabernacle and the Temple had been given to Moses and David. The fact that we have seen the same calling, and the outworking of that calling, in the lives of Moses, David and now Paul should not surprise us, for the purpose of that calling was to build a Dwelling Place in which the LORD would manifest Himself amongst His people - a PATTERN of a heavenly Dwelling given to the LORD's servants by the Holy Spirit - the meeting place between heaven and earth, a place of eternity within which whoever was called to minister in that Dwelling would become the embodiment of the Lord Himself, ruling at that time and in that place in Judgement and Blessing.

To Paul alone was given the fulness of the mystery of that pattern for this Dispensational Age - no longer was it restricted to those of `the circumcision', the people of Israel, but to whoever (Jew or Gentile) would accept Jesus as the Son of God and God's Salvation through Him alone: (Ephesians 2:11-20)

" Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called `uncircumcised' by those who call themselves `the circumcision' (that done in the body by the hands of men) - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the Covenants of the Promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the Blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the Law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one Body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief corner-stone. "

The amazing revelation given him was that no longer did God require a moveable Tabernacle in which to dwell, for His people had been brought into the Land of Promise. But neither did He require a static Temple in Jerusalem in which to dwell. In this Dispensation of Grace He revealed to Paul the wonder of a Temple made of living stones - individual people, Jew and Gentile, who by faith through grace are `in Him being built together to become a Dwelling (a Temple) in which God lives by His Spirit'. As we continue to read through this amazing Epistle to the Ephesians we will repeatedly come across this wonder in Paul's writing, which even after all the years that have passed since he was given the pattern of the new Temple have not lost the glory of what he wrote: (Ephesians 3:2-11)

" Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one Body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this Gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given to me: To preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms according to his eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

Paul's life was to be given to the building of the Temple of living stones through the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon his spoken and written words. We catch sight of the spiritual dimension of this mystery in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians, where he reveals the purpose of this living Temple: (Ephesians 1:18-23)

" I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

The Chariot Throne of the Temple upon which sat the kings of Israel to rule in judgement and blessing now moves on to a true spiritual level as Paul continues with the revelation of the mystery entrusted to him: (Ephesians 2:6-10)

" And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works so that no-one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. "

Seated with Him in the heavenly realms, far above all spiritual powers and authorities . . God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works prepared in advance for us to do! Such deep spiritual work cannot be limited to earthly works alone. His physical, natural Body, the Church, seated with His glorious Person, is called to rule with Him now in judgement and blessing as surely as were the kings of Israel who once sat upon the Chariot Throne in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was an exact pattern of the heavenly Temple that was given to Paul `for the Church, which is his Body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all in every way'. These Epistles are not isolated spiritual Bible studies, nor do they call for a slavish adoption of the so-called four or five fold ministries for a local automonous Church. They cannot be separated from the understanding of Paul, steeped, as he was, in the Hebrew Scriptures with their glorious imagery of a past golden age - the pattern of which was now entrusted to him to proclaim `the Church which is His Body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all in every way', to the point where we, like Paul, can say: `For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name'.

We have written before of the three great Doctrinal Epistles of Paul:

Romans where he reveals our position through being buried in Christ and raised to live a new life.

Ephesians where he reveals our standing through being seated with Christ . . God's handiwork . . to do good works.

Thessalonians where he shows us our certain hope - to be with the Lord for ever.

If we thoughtfully consider these Epistles (and also the remaining and inbetween Letters which are written to reprove, exhort and encourage believers into a deeper understanding of these Docrinal Epistles) they are all within the context of a `Temple setting', and as Peter says: (1 Peter 2:9)

" . . . you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. "

A royal priestly people seated with Christ, ruling in judgement and blessing wherever we are called to live out our lives . . . a Temple made out of living stones, `wherever you meet in My Name, there I am in the midst of you . . . the Church, which is His Body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all in every way'.

In Romans we see His people clothed in Righteousness in a new life - clearly a priestly function is in mind. Constantly in Paul's Letters there is the reminder of this new life: `Put off the old . . . put on the new . . . do not live as we used to live . . '. There is a constant reminder that as priests we are called in our new clothes of righteousness to fully enter into our calling, seated, as we are, with Christ Jesus in heavenly places, called to rule in judgement and blessing over the people and the place where we live as surely as the kings of Israel did as they outworked their role as priest-kings on the Chariot Throne in the Temple in Jersualem. And our sure and certain hope is that this standing in Christ Jesus is for eternity, the fulness of ruling and reigning with Him is for ever!

Such great spiritual truths need to be seen again by the Lord's Body, but they cannot be seen in isolation from the earlier Hebrew Scriptures, for they make no sense by themselves and cannot be separated from the foreshadowing revealed in the earlier Old Testament Scriptures. Such revelation as was given to Paul needs to be set within the ongoing revelation of God's purpose, which is the calling together of a people within which He will dwell for ever in a Heavenly Temple. In the Book of Revelation John also reveals that `The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple' in the New Jerusalem in the Eternal Order. The Scriptures, as handed down through the ages, kept by the Holy Spirit, are composed of many individual unique Books, and yet they are but `pearls threaded onto the Scarlet Thread of Jesus' and must therefore be seen as such if we are to fully understand the pattern entrusted to men of God through the ages, which in this Dispensation was entrusted to Paul to reveal to the Lord's people.

The tension seen in the Books of Kings and Chronicles between the priestly order and the kingly order remain the same to this day. There are those who wish to minister continual `sacrifices' for salvation and keep the Lord's people continually earth-bound, for they have seen only their position before God through Jesus Christ, and equally there are those who have seen only their standing before God through Jesus Christ. The pattern has clearly been given, and the Spirit enables us to understand it and live it. Surely all that is now required is for us to understand and live in the outcome of the spiritual battle that has been won so that the Glory of God can be seen in the Temple `which is His Body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all in every way'.

" Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen! "

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