THE HEAVENLY LIGHT IN PAUL'S MINISTRY
THE HEAVENLY LIGHT IN PAUL’S MINISTRY
Isaiah 60: 1 - 3; Ephesians 1: 3 - 6; Ephesians 5: 7 - 14
We might look a little into the subject of light. Light necessarily enters into all God’s operations. Before giving form to the creation, He said, “Let there be light”.
I thought we might see the special character of the light in which the assembly is set. It involves Paul’s ministry. There had been light vouchsafed to the Jews in general, but with Paul we get degrees of comparison with regard to light. First, it is spoken of as the light that reached him from heaven, then as “a great light”, and, finally, as “a light above the brightness of the sun”. It was not accidental, but a light from heaven, and there was particular significance in it as indicating what should come in for the saints through Paul. John speaks of light perhaps more than any of them, but it is not spoken of as a light from heaven; it is rather the true light, which, coming into the world, lightens every man. John emphasises its universal character — that it is not partial. But in Paul we have our light. Isaiah 60 gives the idea, “Arise, shine! for thy light is come”, only there it applies to the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem in the future. The time will arrive when Israel’s light shall shine. There will be a time of great darkness; gross darkness shall cover the peoples, but God will come in for the remnant of Israel in Jerusalem. There will be a shining through Christ for them: “The glory of the Lord is risen upon thee”. It is not a light that is directly vouchsafed to the Gentiles; they shall walk in it, but it comes to them through Israel. I refer to that passage for the idea of special light. There shall be a time of darkness on the earth, but the glory of Jehovah shall [p. 322] shine on the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem, and it shall in due course have a place of supremacy on the earth.
Now the light that has come in through Paul corresponds with that — that is, it is special light for the assembly. It is distinguished as a light from heaven. It shone round about him, and them which journeyed with him. Those who were with Paul saw that light from heaven — “a great light from heaven”, “a light above the brightness of the sun”. The spiritual suggestion of this last is that this light delivers us from all human light; it eclipses all other light.
Now, in Ephesians, this light is communicated. One’s impression is that brethren generally have little appreciation of what is particularly ours — our special light. “Arise, shine, for thy light is come”. We are to shine in the light that is specially destined for us.
The passage in Isaiah 60 is linked with Ephesians 5: 14. The revival of the truth in the last century was marked by the recovery of our light. The enemy has ever been actively engaged in seeking to deprive us of this heavenly light, and many believers would regard themselves as exceedingly well off on the earth. But that is not our light. Our part in the millennium will be a heavenly part. The assembly will be seen descending from God out of heaven, and her light like unto a stone most precious. That heavenly light has been introduced now. In Ephesians we are not only said to be in the light, but we are light in the Lord. There is no need of any natural light. Those who are saints of God will compose the city — those marked out for adoption.
It is this blessed relationship to God as sons, to which the assembly is called, which gives it its special character. The revelation of God is what we may call general light — light that shines for all. John deals with that side of the light; and it is in that [p. 323] light that fellowship is. Fellowship existed before Paul’s ministry was introduced; we read of it in Acts 2; it is called the apostles’ fellowship. Paul is not set aside in what is said there; but he has brought in additional light. Hence he speaks of having received the Supper from the Lord Himself, and the subsequent light introduced in Paul’s ministry necessarily enters into the Lord’s supper. Paul’s ministry, whilst it indicated the sovereignty of God, in no case set aside the ministry of John. The ministry of Paul links everything with heaven, so that we Gentiles were not introduced into what was set up in Jerusalem.
Two things had occurred before Cornelius received the light; the light had come out of heaven and shone round about Paul and his company (Acts 9), and then a sheet came out of heaven and had gone back into heaven; chapter 10. Now Peter was sent to Cornelius after these great events, so that we have come into what is greater than what they had at Jerusalem.
In Hebrews 12 we read, “ye have come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; ... and to the assembly of the firstborn”. There you have the whole range, including the assembly of the first-born ones, and we have come into the light of all these things. We Gentiles have been introduced into the greatest light. Pentecost was a wonderful day, but what Cornelius and his company were introduced into was much greater.
When the prodigal son arrived, the best robe was brought out. In Luke 14 we have the great supper. That was Pentecost. The house was there, and it had to be filled. What is in view there is simply a place in the house. But when you come to Luke 15 there is more than that. There is nothing in chapter 14 about the father running to meet returning sons; it is the servants who are sent out to bring in the poor,
[p. 324] the maimed, etc., but chapter 15 is destined to show what a welcome awaited the Gentiles. Ephesians takes that up, and shows where we have our part. When the prodigal returned, the father saw him; you get nothing to compare with that anywhere. The recovery is to the greatest light.
The prodigal refers to ourselves — that is, to the Gentile. Ere the prodigal was received. Peter is carefully prepared to receive him according to heaven. The origin of the assembly is from heaven. Ephesians is the governing epistle. We see how carefully Peter was prepared, so that the prodigal should be rightly received; Acts 10. While Peter preached, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. Of the prodigal it says that the father fell on his neck and kissed him caressingly. It is the reception accorded to the Gentiles.
Think of the best robe put on you! The best robe was in the house; there was only one; it is made of the best material, and of the best cut, so to speak. When you go into heaven, you are perfectly at home there. The assembly has a garb on that no other family can wear. Each one comes into the divine thought.
Whatever blessings there are, are ours, but they are all given to us in the heavenlies. Then we have, “having marked us out beforehand for adoption ... according to the good pleasure of his will”. We are taken into favour in the beloved.
Think of all the affections that entered into that favour! The prodigal is clothed with all the divine thoughts of love; taken into favour in the Beloved. “The Beloved” is the strongest expression we can have concerning the place that Christ has with the Father.
“Bring forth” is Paul’s ministry. You have the prodigal; he is kissed — that is Acts 10. Acts 11 brings Paul in. He dwells for a whole year in Antioch,
[p. 325] then in Acts 13 he is sent out, and his ministry is the bringing forth of the best robe, and clothing the saints with the divine, eternal thoughts of love. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit”. God had kept great things in reserve.
First He brings in Paul through a light from heaven. Then the sheet comes down to Peter. Peter goes down to Cornelius, and Cornelius is received with the greatest affection. Then Paul begins to minister, so that there is wave after wave of light, involving the eternal thoughts of God for the assembly.
So that we have now arrived in Ephesians 2 at a definite point. Our light is come — quickened, raised up, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The assembly is to shine in that light. Chapter 5 puts this responsibility on us; we are to walk as children of light. Verse 14 is an allusion to Isaiah 60.