November 2002

Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Thirty-six

“LO and BEHOLD”

“Guarding our garments” (A)

In Psalms 102:25-27, David cried out to God, “At the *Beginning You existed and laid the **Foundation of the earth! The heavens are also the work of Your hands. They will fail, but You will endure! Yes, they will all grow old as a garment! As a piece of clothing, You will change them and they shall be changed; but You shall remain the same; for Your years have no end!”

*In Rev 1:8, Jesus Christ reveals,
“I AM the Beginning and the End!”

**1 Cor 3:11 says, “No other Foundation
can any man lay than the one already laid,
which is Jesus Christ!!”

David’s words above are well-supported in Lu 21:33 as the One called Son of David says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away!” Then 2 Pet 3:10-13 adds,

“The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; when the heavens shall pass away with a loud noise; the elements of earth with all its works shall melt with intense heat and be consumed!! Seeing that all this shall be destroyed, what kind of person ought you to be regarding your holy conversation and Godly behavior? Shouldn’t you be looking for, and hastening, to be ready for the coming of the Day of God- when fire consumes the heavens and earth’s burning elements of will melt with fervent heat? Even so God Promises us that we can look forward to a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH where Righteousness dwells!

Isaiah said, “Who is my adversary? Let him draw near! For behold, the Lord God will help me! He that condemns me will wax old as a garment; and the moths will devour them!” (Isa 50:9)

God likens heaven and earth to aging garments that are consumed by fire; then he likens the adversary who condemns men to an aging garment that is consumed by moths! In Scripture, heaven and earth typify spirit and body; thus the FIRST HEAVEN and FIRST EARTH refer to the FIRST ADAMIC NATURE that clads all mortal men like a deteriorating, outer “garment” that is finally consumed by an earthen grave! The heart of each man of dust is the adversary called Satan- and we see that “Accuser of our brethren who condemns them day and night before our God!” (Rev 12:10) in a vision given to the prophet, Zechariah, of “Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord- where Satan stood at his right hand to resist him! The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! He has chosen Jerusalem to rebuke you! Isn’t this Joshua a brand plucked out of the fire? Joshua was clothed with filthy garments as he stood before the angel who said to those before him, ‘TAKE AWAY THE FILTHY GARMENTS! I have made your iniquity leave you and now CLOTHE YOU WITH A CHANGE OF GARMENT!” (Zech 3:1-4) What is that “change of garment” prepared for all? It is the NEW HEAVEN (spirit) and NEW EARTH (body) sanctified and glorified with the eternal excellence of God’s Christ! Heb 1:10-12 adds:

“You, Lord, laid the Foundation of the earth; the heavens are the works of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain. They will grow old as a garment; and as clothing,you shall fold them up and change them; your years shall not fail.”

The only traces left of Christ in His tomb were the garments that had swaddled His Body; with the napkin that covered His head set apart from the linen cloth that wrapped His Body; and “That garment was folded up in a place by itself!” (Jn 20:7) By this, Jesus relinquished His outer garment of temporal, flesh life- which He slew on the Cross- to be clad with the eternal Christ-Life! In Rev 1:13 the Son of man is clothed in the garment of Life that He bestows on all saints of God! Therefore, let us “Put off (the garment) of the old man (Adamic Nature) with his (fruitless) deeds; and put on the new man (Christ Nature)!” Let the church be “Clothed with the Sun” (Rev 12:1) for God’s Christ is the “Sun of Righteousness Who arises with healing in His wings!” (Mal 4:2)

[TO BE CONTINUED]