GOD'S THOUGHT OF A CITY AS SEEN IN JERUSALEM (1)
GOD’S THOUGHT OF A CITY AS SEEN IN JERUSALEM (1)
JT What is generally in mind is the idea of a city, and that thought as set out in Jerusalem. We may look at Jerusalem first as seen in the gospel of Luke, how it is presented there; and then as seen in the book of Revelation. The same name is used in both places, only in Luke it is ‘Jerusalem’ simply but in the book of Revelation it is ‘new Jerusalem’. That is the thought one would like the brethren to get hold of at this time, the Spirit helping us, the thought of Jerusalem and how it is carried forward from the old to the new and into eternity: “new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2). There is no city mentioned more, perhaps, in the Scriptures than Jerusalem. But the thought is that we might get the idea of it as presented peculiarly in Luke, and then link it on with Revelation; so that the principal scriptures before us now are these two books. First we might see how Luke’s references to Jerusalem are regarded by the Spirit of God, especially as seen here in this man who was in Jerusalem, as it says, “a man in Jerusalem”. That is the thought that perhaps God would place in our minds; not simply the idea of Jerusalem, because that was very common; but of “a man in Jerusalem”. And then what it says of him is the next thing: “whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and pious, awaiting the consolation of Israel” — notice that, he is awaiting something, and it is not anything ordinary — “and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it was divinely communicated to him by the Holy Spirit” (notice the place the Holy Spirit has with this man), “it was divinely communicated to him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he should see the Lord’s Christ”. And then again, “he came in the Spirit” — notice that; it is a question of the Spirit — “he came in the Spirit into the temple”. Many had gone into the temple, but perhaps no one so far had gone in by the Spirit — “and as the parents brought in the child Jesus that they might do for him according to the custom of the law, he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now thou lettest thy bondman go, according to thy word, in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel”. In this passage we get, I think, the two ideas combined, Jerusalem, and the Spirit as linked up with it; and that will carry us through to the book of Revelation where we shall see the holy city “coming down out of the heaven from God”. I think the brethren will agree that in all this there will be food or material for us for this season to help us in the truth; and that is what we need — to be helped in the truth. And as referring to what we said about man, I was thinking particularly of the Lord Jesus as gone into heaven; it is not simply that He has come down and accomplished redemption, but He is “gone into heaven”, He is there now, “angels and authorities and powers being subjected to him” (1 Peter 3:22).
SMcC In the cities of the world there is great room for the expansion of man according to the flesh; but your reference to Simeon would draw our attention to manhood according to God, would it not?
JT That is just what I was thinking. It is a question of man, what God is doing through man. Scripture says as to this city in which we are and all other cities like it, that their day is come; it is only a question of time, a few days, till the matter will be finished. “God ... hath appointed a day, in the [p. 119] which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:31). I think it is well to have that in mind because it gives us victory, which we greatly need, victory of a right kind that is dependent on redemption; but especially on the Spirit coming down from heaven, Christ having gone into heaven. Presently He will come out again, He is coming, and there are those that “love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8); not His coming simply, but “his appearing”, what will happen when He appears.
ANW The ending up of the cities of this world will be in the great Babylon; the term ‘great’ is used in connection with it but the word in connection with Jerusalem is ‘holy’, it is the “holy city”.
JT Great Babylon, the most terrible thing to be considered as to evil. We shall come to that in the book of Revelation; or rather, we shall come to the idea of the heavenly city, the heavenly Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, because we are going to centre our thoughts, not in the idea of a city merely, but in the idea of Jerusalem, because that is going through.
CAM You were stressing the thought of the Spirit in connection with Simeon, that it says “the Holy Spirit was upon him”, and that “it was ... communicated to him by the Holy Spirit”, and then that “he came in the Spirit into the temple”. Would you say something about the difference between the Holy Spirit being upon him and his coming in the Spirit into the temple?
JT That is a good question, and I hope your remarks will bring out something from the brethren.
JW Would Simeon have a special place in the mind of God because of the moral features marking the man?
JT Clearly God had been speaking to him about his decease; “Now thou lettest thy bondman go,
according to thy word”, he says. “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and pious, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it was divinely communicated to him by the Holy Spirit” — notice that — “that he should not see death before he should see the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and as the parents brought in the child Jesus that they might do for him according to the custom of the law, he received him into his arms” — think of that, think of the gracious attitude he set out there! — “he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord” — ‘Jehovah’, I suppose it is — “now thou lettest thy bondman go, according to thy word”. It is according to the divine word, the word of God, that this happened. So that Simeon is peculiarly distinguished, I should say, in heaven. He was probably kept waiting for this very purpose. God has His men and He holds them for a purpose, and when the purposed time comes they are used. And so Simeon refers to that — “according to thy word”, he says; things are done “according to thy word”, and it is “by the Holy Spirit”. That would bring out all that has been so pressed on us recently, the place the Spirit should have. He has it; thank God, we can see it. The Spirit of God is getting His own place amongst the brethren.
HB The meaning of Simeon’s name is ‘hearing’; is that important in view of this matter?
JT Very suggestive, it is a time for that; not only for speaking but for hearing, and of course that would refer to the sisters particularly, because they are the ones to hear, and to promote the truth in a simple, affectionate way at the present time.
ADS Where it says, “He received him into his arms”, the ‘he’ is in italics. Would that mean ‘such a one’ received Him into his [p. 121] arms?
JT Just so; the italics just stress the fact; it is important that that man was in the mind of heaven for the moment. It is good to think that persons are distinguished; the Lord loves to distinguish people and if He does distinguish them there is a good reason for it. These words in italics have just that in mind; and I think it would be to show that God loves to distinguish His people. But then it is a question of whether we are worthy of distinction.
JTJr Would the idea of ‘a man’ show that God has not given up His thought as to man? And then Jerusalem, He has not given up His thought as to that either. God will have them as He ever designed, as man and as Jerusalem.
JT That brings up a great deal because the idea of man is a relatively recent thought with God. We can tell how old the being is historically, but as regards the angels we cannot tell, nor can we tell how many there are. God keeps things in mystery and He has a right to do it. He keeps the idea of angels in mystery, but He has them; as it says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out for service on account of those who shall inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14), showing how important man is. Then as to what has just been said, that God has not given up His idea about man, of course He has not. He has only just begun, you might say. Going back to Genesis, we might say that man was first mentioned by Moses: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26). The man is the masculine, he is mentioned first, but the woman is included; it is a plural idea because the same word covers both man and woman. There are several words used for ‘man’, God is not confined to simply one word to convey the thought. I am greatly hoping that we shall get something in Luke about Jerusalem. It is seen in a comely, holy way in Luke and I confine myself to [p. 122] that book for the moment and then to the book of Revelation.
JTJr Is not the first allusion to Jerusalem in Genesis 14 in regard to Melchisedec? Salem is the idea, is it not?
JT I think that is good, that puts the thought where it should be, and it brings out what a wonderful man Abraham was too. We are considering Jerusalem only in the good sense now, because it can only be used in the good sense to bring out what we are speaking of. It says, “There was a man in Jerusalem”, and the first thing about him is that he is a spiritual man.
JTJr There is some link with the priestly side in him, I suppose, that such a man would refer to what was for God.
JT Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel, and the sister, the prophetess, waited for redemption in Jerusalem; she “spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem”. We want to keep to the idea of Jerusalem, a significant thought.
CD In Jeremiah 51:50 we get the words, “Let Jerusalem come into your mind”. In the face of all the menace of Babylon and all that was around, the word was, “Let Jerusalem come into your mind”.
JT That is a good word for us today, because we want to connect everything up with Luke to get the full divine thought there; and then subsequently the thought of the continuance of Jerusalem in the sense of what is new, what is going into eternity. I think these are wonderful things, and we should keep them in our minds and carry them away with us.
CAM In connection with this matter of man being ‘in Jerusalem’, is it not remarkable that Luke in making so much of manhood, of humanity, has just spoken in this chapter of “good pleasure in men”? Would it not follow that he takes up this man as in a right setting for the pleasure of God?
JT If it is “good pleasure in men”, this man would certainly deserve to be thought of. “A man in Jerusalem”, who is he, what can you say about him? The Spirit of God says quite a lot about him here. We want to get the full thought of what the Spirit of God has in mind here.
JW So that while Luke mentions Caesar Augustus and Cyrenius, and various things that were happening in the world, would you say he hastens on to get to this feature of Jerusalem?
JT Quite so. These other things you have just mentioned are simply politics, Caesar Augustus and the like; the Roman Empire is going to pieces presently, it will not last very long now.
FKC Is there any connection with Psalm 122:2 - 4? “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which art built as a city that is compact together, whither the tribes go up, ... a testimony to Israel”.
JT Quite so, that fits in perfectly. Say more about that.
FKC I was thinking of this man with the whole testimonial position in his heart, and in the power of the Spirit of God; the service of God comes in too, for it says, “to give thanks unto the name of Jehovah. For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David” (verses 4,5). The Holy Spirit is with him, and he receives Christ into his arms as coming up by the word of the Spirit.
JT It is good to have the Psalms before us, because David will come before us presently, the sweet psalmist of Israel; he is mentioned two or three times in the book of Revelation; Christ is said to be “the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16).
[p. 124] ASB This is a great thought of God in relation to “a man in Jerusalem”. All are pretty much acquainted with man’s cities, but God’s great thought that we are looking at now is to see a man in relation to Jerusalem, and the character of the man that one day shall prevail universally.
JT I am very glad of what you say. We are speaking of divine things, of Christ come down from heaven, and Christ gone up into heaven; and presently we shall come to Revelation where the heavenly city is coming down from God out of heaven; it is called ‘new’, and it is going into eternity. So it is needful for us to keep our minds ready for all that.
JMcK You have been speaking of a teaching and a learning time. Would you say that Simeon in a way sets out both? He takes the Child Jesus into his arms, and he speaks; and then he says in verse 30, “For mine eyes have seen” — the matter of seeing what God is doing.
JT Just so; how beautiful to think of him taking the Child into his arms! He has a priestly touch, he can take the Child into his arms, he is capable of doing it; he is just going to depart: “Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”, he says, “according to thy word”. God has been speaking to him about his departure. God is going to take him; so that he is ready; he is equal to the matter.
ADS One was thinking that as a man in Jerusalem he was qualified for divine communications and revelations.
JT That is right, he was that kind of a man. So Augustus is brought in, as we said, but he is just a politician. But what we are dealing with now is a priest of God. God has been speaking to this man Simeon, and He is going to take him to Himself, according to His word. I do not say that he is going into heaven, because I suppose he died and the Lord has him. Presently we shall all be raised; we shall [p. 125] not only die; though as far as I am concerned I am not looking for death, I am looking for the Lord to come. And that is just the point that I think should be before all of us, the fact that the Lord is coming, and do we love His appearing? It is not only His coming but His appearing. It is the time for His appearing; the time has already come for it now, you might say.
CCT Is there something in his name being mentioned? He is not only a man in Jerusalem, but his name is Simeon.
JT Just so, somebody has said that the word Simeon means ‘hearing’. That would imply what he had already heard, and he had been talking with God Himself; he must have had converse with God, because he says, “according to thy word”.
JTJr He is “just and pious”. These moral features referred to must come in if we are to be rightly in our cities.
JT Does he not remind you of Cornelius? These are suitable men to be talking about. Cornelius was a pious man, and he had a message; he was to send for Peter and get a word from Peter, and he did get a word from him. The Holy Spirit came upon the hearers, a marvellous thing: “While Peter was yet speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the word” (Acts 10:44).
JTJr You get the idea of divine communications, do you not — of how things are communicated?
JT Quite so; and Peter fits in in the Acts as to the communications that came through him to Cornelius. And then the Spirit of God fell upon them; while Peter was speaking the Holy Spirit came upon them. I think it is wonderful to get all these facts put together, each thing in its place.
We might well now proceed to our sister, Anna, if I may call her our sister, a prophetess. There is [p. 126] hardly a prophetess that I know of in the world today. I am not saying anything disrespectful about the sisters, but I hardly know of one prophetess. But there was one here; it was before the Holy Spirit came too that she was here. It would be good if we could get a few amongst us. Not that we want to hear sisters prophesying in the meetings. Some evidently prophesied in the beginning of christianity, Philip’s daughters were four of them, four prophetesses. But I do not know of any such now. We can speak of them at a distance, as it were. When the Spirit of God came here there were persons who were prophetesses, such as Philip’s daughters; they were daughters of an evangelist too. But now we want to touch on our sister, as I am calling her. It says, “And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher” — notice, her tribe is given — “who was far advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and herself a widow up to eighty-four years; who did not depart from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers; and she coming up the same hour gave praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem”. That is the point to get to now, that this prophetess is linking up with Jerusalem as being the proper place in her mind for those who would wait for redemption. She is thinking of them and speaking of it to them; singling out those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem.
CAM Would you say that the idea of redemption really means that she was looking for the glory, the time when Jerusalem will shine in glory?
JT I should think that; very good. We can see, without being too critical, how the brethren are getting on in these meetings by what we are talking about between the meetings. See what this woman talked about, how she was affected! She singled out [p. 127] those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem, not in any other town, but in Jerusalem, a remarkable thing, I think.
JTJr So she fills out the thought in regard to Jerusalem; it would not be complete without her, would it?
JT Just so; and she has not simply the graces of a woman, but she is a prophetess. See how old she was! It is not easy to tell exactly how old she was, but I have a feeling that she was nearly 106 years old. But what is she going to be when you come into eternal things? What will this woman be then? And what is she now? She is thinking of persons who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem. Evidently she thought of every one of them and spoke to them. I think the brethren ought to think well over these things because what are we talking about between meetings here? Are we getting anything for our souls? It is all very well to say we had a good reading, but then what does that mean? What are we getting for our souls? This woman was speaking to the people who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
ASB It says in chapter 1:65, “All these things were the subject of conversation”, that is, all the activities in relation to the Spirit; but in relation to our sister it says, “She ... spoke of him”, it is now the Person of the Lord Jesus.
JT Very good. I think we ought to enlarge on that; we want to get the full idea.
JB Would the thought in the city be complete as seen with Simeon the man and Anna the woman?
JT I think that is what we are limited to.
JB Would it be like what we have in 1 Corinthians 11:4,5, “every man praying or prophesying”, and “every woman praying or prophesying”?
[p. 128] JT Very good; 1 Corinthians makes way for all that. So that it would be quite right to bring it in here, especially the idea of a woman prophesying.
JW Would Anna represent the truth as seen in persons who are confirmed and fixed in their thoughts regarding the primary work of God?
JT The primary work of God, yes. These two are specially singled out by the Spirit of God, Simeon peculiarly so. He has been conversing with Jehovah, and Jehovah has been telling him that he is going to depart according to His word; Jehovah has been telling him that He is going to take him. Of course we say, according to Paul, “To depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). Simeon implies that the Lord has been telling him that He is going to take him, which would mean of course that he would die before the time for the Lord to come, which undoubtedly he did. And then as to Anna, if what I am saying is right she lived to be probably a hundred and six years of age, and you would not expect her to live any longer. Not that it says she died, but she was a remarkable woman in that she lived so long. Evidently she was thought highly of in heaven, and the Spirit of God was using her as a prophetess. These are wonderful things, I think, that we might easily make much of at a time like this: what these two persons are, Simeon and Anna.
JW So that while she was living the channel upwards was open in that she gave praise; and then testimonially “she ... spoke” to these persons.
JT Very good. Just so.
CCT Is it worthy of note that a sister of this age in the close of her days would be found in fastings and prayers in regard to redemption in Jerusalem?
JT You say she was ‘found’ in fastings and prayers, very good; and then what she spoke about;
[p. 129] that is the thing we are to think of, what we talk about when we come together; even at the intervals of these meetings, what are we talking about? Are we getting any gain from them?
CCT I was thinking what an encouragement that would be to the sisters, that they might be found in this condition.
ANW “Serving night and day”, that is a great word; it says that of her too; she is wholly committed.
JTJr And she is right on time, “coming up the same hour”, it says. The sisters should be up to all this that we are saying.
JT That is good, “the same hour”, right on time.
JMcK You referred to Anna being of the tribe of Asher. Does Moses’ blessing of that tribe come out in display now in her? It says of Asher, “Asher shall be blessed with sons; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil” (Deuteronomy 33:24). I wondered if the idea of fruitfulness, and of walking — figuratively — in the power of the Spirit, was not seen in Anna in the place she had in the temple?
JT I think so, that is the idea, that she is in accord with her ancestors; her ancestry has come down from the Old Testament, and she is in entire accord with the Spirit of God as to her tribe. We shall see presently that the tribes of the sons of Israel are to appear in the heavenly city, so that she will be there.
ADS Would you say that according to the scripture here she not only served Godward, but manward too in testimony, in that it says, “She coming up the same hour gave praise to the Lord and spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem”?
JT Quite so; and that would mean that she [p. 130] was equal to man, because the word ‘man’ covers both man and woman, as we already said. She in the true sense was a man and a son; but she was also a prophetess, she was gifted from God to be that.
ANW Would the absence of reference to the Spirit in her case denote that the matter is with her herself, substantially? There is no reference to the Spirit in connection with her.
JT But that does not matter, because she is a gifted woman whose value has come down to us; she is equal to the Old Testament saints, equal to the prophets.
ANW I thought it denoted that what was there substantially was of God; what was in her soul subjectively.
JT Quite so. She has come down to us. Look at her age, look at what she is for God! If she is 106 years of age, which may be, she is likely to go to be with the Lord very shortly; you could quite understand that. But still, what is she substantially? She is a prophetess, and I think we ought to bear that in mind, that there have been such persons. We have not got them now, just as we said, but there were four of them even in the days after the Spirit came down, four of them, Philip’s daughters.
SMcC It says of her, “Serving night and day with fastings and prayers”. She made the most of the nights as well as the days.
JT That is to be noticed — her feet were dipped in oil as she moved along in the streets of Jerusalem. What a walk it was, what a testimony it was!
AMacd Would this be an encouragement to us to seek to find the silver pieces in our cities?
JT In saying, ‘our cities’, do you mean such as New York, or what? I think we use the word ‘our’ too much. These cities are going to destruction, not that I would say a word against the cities or the [p. 131] governors of them. But they do not belong to us really. We are in them but we do not say that they are wonderful cities. Paul said he was citizen of “no mean city”, but we do not use that expression now. I do not know whether I am saying what is commendable to you?
AMacd Yes, I am thankful for it. I was thinking too of her speaking to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem. Do you think it would be an encouragement to us to seek to find the silver pieces?
JT Quite so, to find the silver pieces like the woman in Luke 15, you mean. She searched until she found the lost piece. That would be evangelical, it is an evangelical chapter. Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist and that is an excellent word for the young men. We are looking for young men to take the place of some of us who are older so that the work should go on and the assembly be completed.
JRH In regard of Anna not departing from the temple, was she not one abiding in the truth?
JT I would say that. We can see where her affections were, we can see that she was rightly in the place where she belonged, where you would expect to see her.