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PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING

E. M. Walkinshaw

I thought the Lord would further help us, beloved brethren, in seeing that the great truth of the prophet, the priest, and the king does not cease whatever the days of difficulty may be.

Haggai and Zechariah, as we know, are two post-captivity prophets; they came in after the captivity. These two men prophesied to a remnant of the people, that is, to Judah. Not only did they prophesy, but they helped the people, indicating that it is not just a question of saying something, or of conveying a message, even if the message be from God, but it says of them “and with them were the prophets of God, who helped them”. So that we are to be helpers one of another.

It is interesting to see how the prophet, and the priest, and the king are carried through. It is true Zerubbabel is not called the king; he is called the governor. Nevertheless, it is evident that the great principle of rule is there, so that, whatever the conditions that may exist among God’s people, whatever the breakdown, or abuse of such expressions as “the governor”, it does not alter the fact that the principle of rule among God’s people is essential.

The first characteristic that I would like to bring before you in days such as those in which Haggai lived, is that of the prophet. It is at the mouth of the prophet that the people lived. I believe that it is at the mouth of the prophet at the moment that we are guided through the wilderness; that is, by continuous speaking from God, whatever the conditions that may exist.

If you think of the time when Haggai prophesied, you might have said everything had gone.

There had been a movement in revival and a certain upbuilding of what was according to God and pleasing to Him, but through the efforts of certain opposers it had stopped. We might say the whole position had gone to ruin again. What a sad thing, dear brethren, that what began in the early 1800’s has come to a public shame; there is no question about that. God has allowed it to be so, so that books are written which show a complete exposure publicly of what is called the movement of the brethren. How humbling that is! Yet for all that, God, in mercy, has not ceased speaking to His people.

Now Haggai comes in at a juncture in the history of the recovery when there was a re-stirring.

I believe God would help us in spite of the fact that we have had a breakdown; we might say another breakdown, and we could add yet another breakdown; God would help us to listen to His word and give us to understand that in His mercy He has not ceased speaking to us. As we said in the reading, we could raise this question with any believer who might choose to come into such a meeting; Are you prepared to listen to the present word of God? Are you exercised to be in touch with the prophetic speaking? Some say, It is finished. Others have shut themselves away in their homes saying, “No collective position; nothing of the character of the assembly; nothing substantial that represents it; everything has gone, and there is no divine speaking”.

We tend to think that God would act as we would act in such circumstances. “That is how they treated me, and I will treat them the same”. That is not God. God’s mercy is ever evident to His beloved people in whatever conditions they may find themselves. I think God’s speaking is always appropriate to the moment and never intended just to give us information.

If we take the long view that was referred to in the reading—if we look right forward to the city of which it says, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, having the glory of God”—that is not just for information; it is intended to have its own moral effect that there might be a reflection today of the character of what is seen in that city.

So it is with the prophet. Isaiah can prophesy; he speaks of the day yet to come when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb, when the child shall be unafraid and the boys and girls shall play in the streets of Jerusalem. The prophet can look forward and see those conditions when Jesus is supreme. It is intended, however, to have an immediate effect upon the people.

So the prophecy is for the people to whom it is directed. May I say again, not to give them information merely, but to give an understanding that God will reach His purpose and to strengthen their hand in the present testimony. That is what God will do for us, I think, as He indicates to us that His purpose is sure, and that everything is settled in the Man Who has gone into His presence. Christ Jesus—we might say the ark gone in and everything established for the pleasure of God. It is not intended simply to tell us that it is so, but to have its own effect upon us that we might have grace and power to continue in His testimony.

So Paul says, “Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner”. Some might say, ‘What is the testimony of our Lord?’ I expect you know J.N.D.’s answer to that, and J.T.’s too, I believe; it is the glad tidings. Think of how comprehensive that is! Think of what it is to God to have a company of persons devoted to our Lord, who are cherishing in their souls in the very presence of opposing forces the secret of the fact that God has another Man in another world and presently He is going to display it. God has here in testimony at the moment, and I believe will have until the end, that which He will display in the world to come. Well, that is very encouraging.

Now this prophet comes in with a word from God. The people are not left to themselves, because “where there is no vision the people cast off restraint”. That is what will happen to us, dear brethren, if we have no vision, where there is no prophetic word. We referred to Samuel lying down in the temple. J.T. said, “Who taught him to lie down in the temple?”

Was it the proper place to lie down? Was it ever said in the law that persons should lie down in the temple? You may say that it was his proper place; it is called his place. But in the temple, as far as I see, the priests stand to minister to Jehovah. The temple is no place to lie down. Who taught him that? It was probably Eli, the priest who could not see! Solemn thing!

Of course, God took up Samuel and gave him a word, so that through that man there was a vision in a dark day, and so, too, Haggai the prophet had a word for the people in a dark day.

You may say, “This is no time to build the house of God”. I believe it is time we energetically set ourselves to build. How do we do that? I say, we build the truth into one another. How do we speak? What do we say? What is the subject of our conversation? Let us not wait until the enemy attacks and then begin to emphasise principles. Let us be ever seeking to build the truth into the souls of one another so that, when the enemy attacks, there are persons governed by the principles they have been taught; which they have learned to love, and in which they have been built up. That, I think, is what is essential.

So God says, You looked for much and it was but little. In His own ways in government these things had come upon them. Did they just happen? We think back even in our own short history. Have the crises that have come upon us just happened? Or has God been in them? I would say that God has been in them. I have often thought of Rehoboam. Think of that man’s utter stupidity! Instead of listening to the older men who stood with Solomon, he listened to the younger men and caused a division in Israel. The height of folly; and yet the word says it was brought about by God. God caused it to bring to pass His word through the prophet to Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 10: 15). Some people say, What stupidity there has been in our day!

There is no doubt about that. In fact, I am sure that things done recently were also stupid. But God caused them to bring to pass His word. God is in these matters and we need to understand it, and He is in these matters to sift and search His people to bring out reality and to bring out those who are prepared to go on in the path of discipleship and not merely be the recipients of blessing.

“Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah”. I wonder if we are prepared to recognise the principle of authority in our localities. You say,

‘Well, there is only one brother in our locality so it does not apply’. You are quite sure of that? J.T. said the first principle of government is self-government. Whether it is one brother, two brothers, one brother one sister, two brothers two sisters, the principle of authority in God’s assembly still applies. He stirred up the spirit of the governor, and we do need, I believe, to recognise this great principle of rule among the people of God. It was introduced with Israel; it will be introduced among the nations, and it is imperative that we understand Christ’s authority in the assembly. J.T. brought that before us, and through him God caused light to shine on the need of Christ’s authority in the assembly; not only the recognition of absolute authority in Himself, but delegated authority, and an authority that operates in the assembly for the protection of what is precious to God in these dark days.

Now it says also, “And Jehovah stirred up ... the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people”, so that you have the prophet introducing the mind of God; you have the governor representing the authority of God among His people, and then you have the high priest. We would fully understand, dear brethren, that these things are seen in their perfection in Jesus, the great King, “the city of the great King”, and “having a great Priest over the house of God”, and again it is said of Him “the great Shepherd of the sheep”—everything perfectly seen in that Man. His assembly reflects Himself, and I believe these great characteristics are to be seen working out among us, yielding honour and glory to Himself. Now this applies in the darkest day. It applies when there has been a breakdown, and it applies when there has been another breakdown Then it says, “Jehovah stirred up ... the spirit of all the remnant of the people”. As far as the assembly is concerned, I think we understand there is no teaching of the remnant, because the Lord always has the whole thing before Him. So when He speaks to the assembly. He says, “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia”, or “To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea”. Let me remind you of this, beloved brethren, that the fact that the church has broken down publicly has not changed its responsibility at all. Sometimes we think it has.

The church is a responsible body to Christ. That is a sobering reflection. But, you say, has not the breakdown itself dissolved it? Has it not negated it? Never! The responsibility of the church as set here to be a witness to Christ remains. He presents Himself to Laodicea as “the faithful and true witness”.

Why does He say that? Because the church had failed to be the witness, and it was maintained in Himself; but the church as a body is still responsible to Himself and we need to understand that.

Nevertheless, although we cannot speak of the remnant of the church, the spirit of that applies in a dark day. I would like to ask God to stir up our spirits. I suppose we would have to regard ourselves as the spirit of the remnant of the people. I doubt if anybody here would dare to call himself the governor! I expect you would be accused of being in the “system” if you did! And I doubt if anybody would dare to call himself the great high priest, or anything like that. We can, however, put ourselves in the spirit of the remnant of the people. Oh, beloved brethren, let us be with God as priests that He will stir up the spirits of His people! Now that does not just apply to those with whom we walk. Do you not think we could ask God to revive His work in the midst of the days in others? You notice the word about one of the kings was that many fell away to him when they saw that Jehovah was with him (2

Chronicles 15: 9), and if there is a practical evidence that the Lord is with us, I believe many would fall away to where the Lord is in the testimony.

Let us receive the prophetic word and let us be with God as priests, calling upon Him as another prophet did, to revive His work in the midst of the days, accepting shame, taking responsibility—not claiming to be something to which we expect God to add, but taking lowly ground, desiring that through His work others might come into the light of the truth and the maintenance of what is proper to the assembly, and the keeping of the principles which govern the fellowship of His Son.

All this is involved in the building, and he says, “Go up to the mountain”, and that means exercise. If it is a question of teaching and building, you go up the mountain; if it is a question of feeding, you are quiet and restful, and sit down on the green grass. So you get both; sometimes you sit down and feed as the flock does, at other times you go up the mountain to be taught, as the disciples went up the mountain to Jesus, and “having opened His mouth, He taught them”. On another occasion He said, “Sit down on the green grass”. So we need both. In Haggai Jehovah says, “Go up to the mountain and bring wood”. Be exercised to bring in, and build among the saints, the order of man that is pleasing to God, even Jesus Christ, the Foundation and Corner Stone, which shows that there is no deterioration throughout the whole of the building.

I think we could rightly be with God that He would stir up the spirit of the remnant of the people, and that would include us, and at the same time give us to be exercised about a prophetic word. If God does not guide us we certainly cannot guide ourselves. “He shall guide you into all the truth”, and we should listen to the prophetic word as it reaches us week by week—some say, month by month, but shall we say week by week? If we do not listen, we shall lose our way. We must listen to what God is saying, because He is the Guide.

“In the desert God will teach thee
What the God that thou hast found
Patient, gracious, powerful, holy;
All His grace shall there abound.”

It is divine light through the prophetic word that guides the saints through the wilderness and we need to give way increasingly to what God says to us week by week—and day by day, I suppose we could say too—and be maintained as we listen to the living word that reaches us; penetrating, but having its own effect to keep us in touch with God and in the path of His will.

You will notice in chapter 2 that this prophet spoke, then spoke again, and then he spoke yet again. He does not say, “Well, I spoke this week so it is someone else’s turn next week”. He does not take that line at all; he is a prophet.

So it was said to John, “Thou shalt prophesy again”. The prophet is the prophet, and the prophet should always be prepared to deliver his message, as it says, “the message of Jehovah through the messenger of Jehovah”, and we need to be prepared to recognise the messengers of Jehovah.

If a brother stands up with a faulty expression and not, in our opinion, having very much ability, what message is the Lord endeavouring to convey to us? The priests, or the spiritual, will discern it, dear brethren, and not be hindered by the vessel, or by the character of the messenger.

Jehovah’s messenger is anxious to get what the Lord would convey to His people. I would urge it upon us that we should be exercised to get the message the Lord is seeking to convey to His people to keep them alive in the desert in these days.

Now in Ezra 5 I wanted particularly to call attention to the fact that it says that they helped the people. “Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel did they prophesy to them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, who helped them”. In other words, the prophets did not do all the speaking and the other persons all the work, but the prophets were prepared to do the work, they

“helped them”. You think of one being called a helper of Paul. Think of Paul saying “these hands”—he is lowly enough to gather a bundle of sticks in days when there had been confusion, breakdown and shipwreck. I think we would have to admit that we have been in a shipwreck, but can we be in a lowly spirit gathering sticks? The enemy will attack and come out of the very heat that is provided by the gathering, but he is thrown off, and I believe, dear brethren, as we are committed to the Lord, as we listen to His word, as we are helpers one of another and building the truth into one another, so the efforts of the enemy against Christ and the assembly will be negated.

May we be found in this spirit and may we, if we have taken away nothing else from these meetings, be impressed with the need amongst us of the prophet, and the priest, and the king, for His Name’s sake.

Bristol
12th August 1972

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