THE SIGNS OF THE COVENANTS (1)
[p. 141] THE SIGNS OF THE COVENANTS (1)
Genesis 9: 8 - 17; Revelation 4: 2 - 3; Revelation 10: 1 - 4
JT The thought is to consider the signs of the covenants in Scripture. The one which refers directly to ourselves now is the Lord’s supper. These signs of covenants in the Old Testament convey much spiritual instruction for us. The first is the rainbow in Genesis 9; the second is circumcision, in chapter 17, the sign of the covenant with Abraham. In chapter 21 — the sign of the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, the king of the Philistines. Then we have a sign of a covenant between Laban and Jacob; and the sign of the covenant between God and Israel, namely, the Sabbath. Finally, although it is not formally called such, the sign in the Lord’s supper; the cup is said by the Lord to be the new covenant — “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”, Luke 22: 20.
It may be remarked that one great idea in the thought of covenant in the scripture is confirmation of faith. We have in Genesis 8 the statement by Jehovah to Noah, that on the ground of sacrifice, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and [p. 142] heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” Genesis 8:22. The covenant here is obviously based on sacrifice, and the sign is not only for us but for God; He would assure our hearts that He will not forget; not that He ever does forget, in that sense, but it is to assure us that He will not forget. “I will look upon it”, He says in verse 16. It has a wide bearing. In the Psalms the earth is used symbolically of that which is immovable, which is founded for ever, and the bearing of the covenant here would be to establish faith by the continuance of conditions that are favourable. Conditions were favourable — “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night” there would be immunity from the curse. God’s word, “I will not again curse the ground” Genesis 8:21, has a bearing on what is universal, the whole human race, the lower cattle, all livings things, as well as the earth itself.
HB In the thought of the covenant being a confirmation of faith, do you refer to Noah’s faith in the movement he had taken in the sacrifice?
JT Yes, blessing is evidently based on that. Following on the altar and the offerings upon it in chapter 8: 20, it says, “And Jehovah smelled the sweet odour. And Jehovah said in his heart, I will no more henceforth curse the ground on account of Man, for the thought of Man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will no more smite every living thing, as I have done. Henceforth, all the days of the earth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease. And God blessed Noah and his sons”. That is an order of things that is very favourable, and I think, in chapter 9, the covenant is to confirm faith as to it. In the New Testament, it is taken up in regard of the throne that stood in the heaven, and Him that sat upon it. The rainbow in Revelation 4 is specially mentioned, and what it was like — “A rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald”, pointing doubtless to the colour, the freshness of it, that it has lost nothing of its freshness; there is no change with God, the covenant stands as much today as when it was made.
The prodigal in Luke 15 had disregarded it, he had sinned against heaven — but God does not transgress the covenant — Adam did, and we are prone to do it. The emerald, I think, would point to the unchangeableness of God in His patience to assure our hearts. Then in Revelation 10 where the Lord is seen coming, there is a rainbow upon His head; it is Christ coming in to take possession, not in an arbitrary or peremptory way, but as taking up what belongs to Him. It is no [p. 143] arbitrary action, as of a conqueror, it is with intelligence — the rainbow is on the head — as to the engagements and rights of God with His creation. So that, whilst the covenant is wide and refers to the creation, it is nevertheless to be taken up by faith, because God is to be known by us creatorially. He is a “faithful Creator” 1 Peter 4:19 and He is “the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” 1 Timothy 4:10; so it is a confirmation of christian experience, of our faith in God.
WG Would the bow in the cloud refer to the judgment of evil? The rainbow is on His head.
JT I think so. Putting His right foot on the sea and His left foot on the earth, He cried with a loud voice; Revelation 10. There is power there, but He is not doing things arbitrarily, He is doing things according to covenant.
Ques In Genesis the blessing follows the offering by Noah, which is the height of his service, but in referring to the rainbow, the covenant sign, God speaks of clouds coming in, verses 13 - 14, shutting out the brightness. In these conditions, faith is strengthened by this bow in the cloud. Is that the thought?
JT Yes. Any sorrowful thing happening amongst us enters into this; things that tend to shut out God, and as questions arise in the heart, the bow is to assure us that all is well; what God may mean may not always be clear, but it is all well.
Ques Do you suggest that the cloud may mean discipline?
JT It undoubtedly does. It is what God says in His heart: chapter 8: 21, we should not have known anything about it if He had not told us. What He may be saying in His heart, we have to wait for; it is good, and the general position is fixed, it is not judgment but blessing. With many clouds the meaning may not be apparent, but the bow means it is good. God says, “I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant”. That is, He would not forget it, but would assure our hearts.
Ques Referring to Adam calling his wife’s name Eve, the mother of all living, and God making the coats of skins — are the coats of skins a sign of covenant?
JT Yes. There was something there worth covering, where there was such a word as that, “The mother of all living” Genesis 3:20.
Rem It is the cloud that brings out the bow, you will not get the rainbow without the cloud. “Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?” Job 37: 16. The rainbow is in the cloud in Genesis, but round the throne in Revelation 4; and upon His head in Revelation 10.
JT That is to say, the rainbow is produced by the contact of light with the cloud, so that the light takes that form. “God is light” 1 John 1:5 — it is what God is shining over against what seems to be contrary to us.
Ques Would the prayer in Acts 4 have any bearing on this? They say, “Lord, thou art the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them” Acts 4:24. They appeal to God as Creator.
JT Yes, it is remarkable how much the creatorial side is seen throughout Scripture. At the outset God provided a vocabulary by means of which He could address His creatures, so that they would understand, that His communications should be intelligible to them. There is no cloud spoken of before this, nor is there any rain spoken of before the flood. After the flood, we have the allusion to the clouds, and as God brings them over the earth, He would assure us that whatever He may do, it will be for good. He would not again bring a flood, but would henceforth act in accord with Himself. Though He would bring the clouds Himself, the light of what God is Himself as made known in Christ, coming into contact with these clouds, brings out the sign — the rainbow.
Ques Would that be like, “All things work together for good to them that love God”? Romans 8: 28.
JT That is what is meant. The epistle to the Romans instructs us so that we should understand these signs, and learn that what God is lies behind them.
Rem The clouds are brought in as necessary to bring about the fruitfulness spoken of at the end of the previous chapter.
JT Just so. They would be needed for the harvest, and the earth needed to be moistened. It is a question of what comes down now, instead of a mist rising up out of it, as in Genesis 2: 6.
Ques Would you make any distinction between the clouds and the cloud?
JT The latter is used specifically in relation to the bow, but the clouds would be general. Our brother referred to the balancings of the clouds of which Elihu spoke. They might seem as if they were quite loose and lawless in their movements and at the mercy of the winds — but they are balanced, nothing is haphazard with God, and though the cloud is there the bow is in it.
Ques Although God brings in the cloud, we should move according to His mind, as Noah did in preparing the ark for the saving of his house.
JT The sign is for faith. It is to faith that God speaks, and He loves to confirm our faith.
Ques Is the savour of rest spoken of in the previous chapter, the ground on which God makes known all these blessed things for us?
JT I think that is the basis of what we are speaking of — what God smelled, and what He said in His heart. It is very precious to think of God smelling, and then saying things in His heart. How much He says in His heart all the time! It is to assure us of how thoughtful He is; though He does not say things audibly, He is saying things in His heart for our good.
Ques Is the thought similar to that in Ezekiel l?
[p. 146] The throne is surrounded by the brightness “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud”, Ezekiel 1:28.
JT Quite so; above the brightness was the likeness of a throne, and “the appearance of a man above upon it”, assuring us of sympathy in all the circumstances.
Rem It is round the clouds that the bow is set, in relation to the circumstances that arise amongst us.
JT Yes. It is for faith in those concerned, and in all of us, to discern God in the circumstances; God is in the circumstances; He puts the bow there not only for us, but for Himself. Romans brings out God’s attitude towards us. He commends His love, the principle of His relations with us is love; it is on the ground of righteousness, but the active principle is love, and He shows us He never forgets that.
Rem In Genesis 6 God repented that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart.
JT Yes, showing how thoroughly He was affected, speaking to us as though He were a man — coming down to our level; and this in Genesis 8 is the same thing, He “said in his heart”.
Ques In answer to our brother’s question, does not this assure us that all these things are under His hand and nothing happens without Him?
JT Just so, but the bow means even more; that He has entered into an engagement with us. What happens to us is out of love, He causes it. “When I bring clouds over the earth” — He does it, and it is for discipline obviously. The clouds will be balanced, they will not become too large or overwhelming, and the bow will be there. It is what we are taught in Romans, to know what God is to us, and the principle of the relations into which He has entered with us. He has commended Himself to us, and He is commending His love too.
Ques Would the service of the Lord at such times be to direct our hearts into the love of God?
JT Yes, that is the principle of His relations with us. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”, Romans 5: 8. There can be no change in that; when we were yet sinners, He entered into that sort of relation; what may happen subsequently does not alter that.
Rem In connection with discipline, it is said in Romans 8 that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. Our faith would gain strength in that; you said the bow was confirmatory of faith.
JT Yes, Romans enables us to understand Genesis 9, it is what God is in His engagements. Faith grasps that. So the Shunammite (2 Kings 4: 22), says to her husband, when the boy died, “Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God”. “It shall be well”, she says. She says the same thing to Elisha, “It is well”, verse 26. I think she had the apprehension that all would be well.
Rem So the clouds are full of water, even though of discipline.
JT Yes, they are not clouds without water, or there would be no bow. Romans is the great book for young christians to be grounded in; by it we become accustomed to God.
Rem The windows of heaven had been opened, in Genesis 7, which is a fearful thing; “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven” Romans 1:18, but the bow would suggest that heaven is favourable.
JT That is good. So the opening of the windows of heaven subsequently is for good; 2 Kings 7. The man on whose hand the king leaned did not understand that; to him it was an impossibility, but God is ready to open the heavens, and those who understand the bow, understand that.
HB Had you in mind that each reappearance of this sign would enhance to us the covenant and the love of God that is behind it, whether it be the bow, or [p. 148] the cup?
JT Yes, I thought the Spirit of God would use these scriptures to impress us with what God is. There is a fixed state of things in Genesis 8 which is favourable, and will continue, ending up with the idea of day and night, God acting in that way to indicate the need of experience with us. He worked by the day Himself, and in this favourable state of things experience is being worked out; but these clouds are necessary, and they test our faith.
Ques Is the cloud in Exodus a different thought from what is here?
JT It is really an emphasising of what we have here, a symbol of the divine presence, hence much greater. God has not only set the bow in the cloud to assure our hearts that He is not forgetting anything, but Exodus goes further and would show that He is in the cloud Himself, it is where He dwells. That very cloud may become the means of His dwelling, getting near to us in a way He has never before; indeed that He may come to dwell with us through it.
Ques Was not the cloud a new departure in the ways of God, so that the bow would be required in that way to give assurance? The earth was watered by mist previously, but the judgment was brought about by the windows of heaven being opened, and we require assurance in that way when God makes a new departure.
JT I think that is right. The mist coming up from the earth would allude, I think, to what was good; sin had not yet come in; it would allude to the earth being self-sustained: but sin brought in a curse, and then the kingdom of heaven comes into view after the cloud. It was there before, but now rain and moisture come from heaven, they are needed to fructify the earth, and the clouds, while they may seem to be against us, really result in fruitfulness — He “sends rain”, we are told; Matthew 5.
Rem So the Lord, in enunciating the principles of the kingdom, refers to the rain falling on the just and [p. 149] on the unjust, and says we are to be like our Father which is in heaven.
JT That is what I thought. It is a witness to His provision, causing rain and fruitful seasons; the earth drinks it in, it comes from God. It links on with Romans, which is the basis of all this for the christian. It is the righteousness of God which is the basis — it is what is right. Apart from my feelings as to things that happen, I know that they are right and I am restful; I may be drinking the bitter waters, but I am restful.
Rem The rainbow being round the throne, would remind us that the cloud is mixed with mercy.
JT Yes, and that there is no violation of God’s engagement. In the adjusting of things on the earth, involving it may be judgment of the severest nature, there is no violation of this engagement of Genesis 9. The everlasting gospel in Revelation 14:6 is in keeping with this; the allusion is to the creation, the earth is to be brought back to its relations with its Maker. It is a comfort to know that God has reasons for doing this, and yet there is no violation of His engagement with man, with the beast of the field, and with the earth. So that the word is stressed in relation to us, “God is faithful”. We still have our part in the creation, and we learn in this covenant the faithfulness of God.
Rem The great thing for us is to act on it, to move in faith ourselves. Noah moved in faith.
WCG The psalmist says, “Put thou my tears into thy bottle ... this I know; for God is for me”, Psalm 56: 8 - 9. God is known in all His blessed character in the glad tidings.
JT Yes, and it is very comforting to know that in the moral order of things He has set up in the gospel, there is no change; whatever may happen amongst the nations, whatever development of sin, there is no change.
Ques Is there a difference between the 12th and 13th verses of Genesis 9?
JT The covenant “which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations” (verse 12), gives the thought of what is planned — “every living soul” — God has pleasure in what is living. And then the “covenant between me and the earth” (verse 13), would include the earth and all that is in it. The earth would involve all that is living, so it would enter into our prayers; God established a magisterial state of things in this chapter, He had in mind that it should continue. We pray for all these things.
Ques Does the suggestion of the earth take in what He said to Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply”?
JT Yes, I think He has in mind in the expression “earth” not merely the material but the order of it and the government on it; and order of things He would have pleasure in, including government.
Ques Would the rainbow have a connection with what we get in Malachi? The Sun of righteousness shall “arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4: 2) — the sun comes out and forms the rainbow.
JT Well, in the sense that the rays come from the sun and strike the cloud. There is that beautiful combination, that what seems to be against us becomes the means to reflect the light in such a way that we are confirmed. In the beautiful hues of the rainbow God would show us that He has variety in mind. We have been going on with one line of things and forgotten other things. He intended variety to be developed in us, He assures us that is what He has in mind. He has nothing else but good. Paul says he besought the Lord thrice that the thorn in the flesh might depart from him, and the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”, 2 Corinthians 12: 9. You come into new experience by accepting the thorn, trying as it may [p. 151] be.
OG So this would enter into our sufferings in connection with the testimony and the will of God? “Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator”, 1 Peter 4:19.
JT “A faithful Creator” — that is right; it shows how much the Creator is brought in.
Ques When the woman flees from the dragon in Revelation 12, it says the earth opened its mouth to receive the waters that the dragon cast out of his mouth. Is the covenant to assure us that God over-rules the circumstances in connection with the testimony so that we are not overwhelmed?
JT I think that is good. The earth opened to swallow up the flood — that ought to encourage us to pray for the order God has established; the order set up in Noah, including capital punishment. We ought to pray in connection with all these things.
WA The scripture in Acts 4 says, “Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is” Acts 4:24. This shows knowledge of God in the soul in these circumstances.
JT Do you not think all that brings out that the covenant as we have it in this chapter was intended to establish a theatre for the display of all subsequent testimonies of God? I believe this covenant holds right up to the end, even to the establishment of the millennium. The introduction of the throne in Revelation 4 and the Angel, that is, Christ Himself, in chapter 10, is all on this line.
WCG Would the covenant made with Noah typify Christ as the heavenly Man, and the blessing being secured in Him?
JT Noah is viewed here as the chief magistrate on the earth; and then the food that is needed to support that position is provided, animal flesh is allowed — strong meat to support that order of things. I believe God would have His people to be full-grown men in [p. 152] relation to all the current events of this world, for they all bear on the testimony. This is an order of things God says must go on, but Satan has come in to hinder, and the throne, in Revelation 4, and the Lord Himself, in chapter 10, are to deal with the evil that has come in, so that this state of things may subsist, and the rainbow, I think, means that.
HB Do you mean that we anticipate the judgment of the throne in relation to the events on the earth?
JT We do. We are grieved and oppressed by the things that have arisen, for Satan has a place in the heavens and affects this order of things; yet it goes on. In God’s ways the establishment of the gentile monarchy is to maintain things, that the magisterial conditions might subsist, and in spite of all that Satan has done; it is to make a way for all earthly testimonies of God. And I believe this far-flung Empire in which we are is just for this purpose. It is no question of any one thinking himself great because he belongs to it; it is all a question of holding things for a purpose, that the earth should be the theatre for the display of God’s power and His testimony.
Ques Would you say a word as to the curse in the world before the flood? It says of Noah, “he called his name Noah, saying, This name shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed”. There was a change now after the flood.
JT Yes. You can understand how distasteful it was to God to have to do with a scene marked by curse. It was very distasteful to Him, and hence the name “Noah” was a guarantee of that order being reversed, and it is reversed, but in the One whom Noah typified in Christ. “Jehovah smelled the sweet odour. And Jehovah said in his heart, I will no more henceforth curse the ground on account of Man”. There is to be henceforth a fixed order of things for the development of God’s testimony.
[p. 153] Ques Would you say that Jacob did not apprehend the rainbow when he said, “All these things are against me”? Genesis 42:36 Yes, but he came to it afterwards, when he went out of Canaan into Egypt; things looked dark, but he offered sacrifices to the God of Isaac — that is, Christ risen — all the promises of God are fulfilled in Him.
Rem As in the good of the knowledge of the God presented to us in Romans, we can be at case in relation to all things.
JT Yes, Romans establishes a christian in righteousness and love, and then we have three chapters 9, 10 and 11 — to assure us of His faithfulness, and to establish us on that principle. Romans is the great book for every young christian to understand; he will be able to read the bow in the cloud as soon as he understands Romans.
Rem It is striking that as the clouds were coming in, in early church history, we have in the 9th chapter of the Acts the light above the brightness of the sun, when the Lord spoke to Saul of Tarsus. What a revival it was to the assembly in that period!
Ques With regard to this magisterial system that has been set up, does Romans 13 set out our position, and is it not a very important word for us today — “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers”? Romans 13:1 We should take that to heart.
JT Yes. Then the facilities afforded by government to the saints in moving about are important; Romans brings that in too. Paul’s salutations to the saints at Rome imply that there had been much movement hither and thither. Different ones had moved to Rome; Phoebe, for instance, took the long journey from Cenchrea to Rome. She could not have done it without ordered government; and I think that enters into the present time, the exigencies of the testimony today [p. 154] involve immense journeyings for those who would serve the Lord; and these cannot be undertaken, with any hope of success, aside from government; hence the importance of government and that it should continue, so that these facilities may be continued for us. Revelation 4 is full of the greatest encouragement in regard to the throne, in the bringing to light of the four and twenty elders; the government assures the continuance of that. What David inaugurated implied headship and the working of love, and that is all worked out and reappears in Revelation 4 in the elders with crowns and thrones, and they are in full recognition of the throne and Him who sits upon it. Then the creation in its entirety is all sympathetic, a living state of things is brought in sympathetically, and the elders recognising the Creator in worship, fall down and worship Him who sits on the throne, saying, “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created”. Then in chapter 10, I think the Lord is seen symbolically in the Angel with the little opened book in His hands, meaning, I apprehend, that it is open history.
To understand the history of the four great empires, from Babylon down to modern Europe, we do not need to read volumes, it is all told simply, it is just a “little opened book”, a small matter; just a repetition of what man is according to the measure of ability and scope that God gives him. On the other hand, we see what God is in relation to all that, and how He is holding things. That is how the facts stand.
Ques Do the four living creatures in chapter 4 represent the heavenly saints?
JT I think they represent the principle of life, they are not quite on the level of the four and twenty elders; the elders know what to do and what to say. They are mentioned before the four and twenty elders in chapter 5 because, under such conditions, energy is needed, and life is the principle of energy; but in chapter 4 it is the great general presentation of divine [p. 155] thoughts as to government, and the elders are prominent, they have the first and last words.
Ques The four living creatures then are an evidence that life is being maintained in the faithfulness of God?
JT Yes, I think so, and life working out sympathetically with God; they have eyes all round and inside as well — there is the inner thought; nothing happens that they do not discern, but then they have an inner way of thinking too, and seeing — eyes within, and “they rest not day and night” — it is the carrying on of the service of God in relation to creation.
Ques Why is the rainbow seen upon the head of the mighty angel in chapter 10?
JT To assure us that the Lord does nothing arbitrarily. Yet we see that He has power — the seven thunders uttering their voices would mean this I suppose, the overwhelming power God has to carry out His thoughts. The rainbow would call attention to the faithfulness of God in this movement, and being on the head, I think, also shows intelligence. This movement is marked by intelligence, which of course you never could get in the four monarchies, they were not much marked by faithfulness and intelligence; whereas when the Lord comes in, these features mark Him.
Rem All the activities of God will be apprehended and experienced as we are in accord with Himself.
JT That is right, so the little open book is in the hands of such an One. If we regard things from the standpoint of Christ, the story of the history of the world is quickly told: events, of course, might take volumes, but morally the story is quickly told. When the prophet eats the book, it is serious, for the carrying out of it involves great suffering for his people. But the Lord makes short work of the history of the world from this time until His coming. Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, are just one discourse that is quickly told, but the consequences for His people are very extensive.
[p. 156] The prophet, I think, is what we should take notice of especially, the appropriation of this little book and how it causes sorrow, how it affects you, first in your mouth, and then in your belly — the consequences of it, the bitterness of it.
Rem The apostle, at the end of Romans 11, had in his mind the thought of the rainbow being connected with the head — “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out”. Romans 11:33 Yes, quite so.
Ques Do the four and twenty elders include all the Old Testament worthies as well as the New — all the fruitfulness?
JT I think so. They represent the experience with God of two dispensations. Taken up from David’s appointment, the spiritual meaning is that we have Moses, that is authority, and David representing headship. Applying that to ourselves, I think it is 1 Corinthians, for instance, and Ephesians, which would embody the twenty-four. Moses is to regulate by authority; David by intelligence, he says to God “thou art exalted as head above all” 1 Chronicles 29:11. God was Head, in his mind, and it is reflected in himself; and I believe that is Ephesians, but we cannot come into the second unless we first come under authority.
Ques In connection with the little open book, would we get the principle in Luke 4, where the Lord unrolled the book and “found the place where it was written ...”? Luke 4:17 Yes, it was a closed book in Revelation 5, but the Lamb slain has to open that, unfolding certain things that were hidden; but this is not hidden, it is just public history told in a few words, so to speak.