THE LORD'S PRESENCE AS KNOWN BY THE INDIVIDUAL OR IN THE ASSEMBLY NO. 1
THE LORD’S PRESENCE AS KNOWN BY THE INDIVIDUAL OR IN THE ASSEMBLY NO. 1
I trust that the truth of the Lord’s presence in the assembly will come out more clearly. The difficulty with some as to the difference between the way the individual saint knows His presence, and His presence in the assembly, I can understand, and I think I can solve this difficulty. The Epistle to the Hebrews is a contrast to the Jewish [p. 157] order of things; as you say, there is no assembly meeting, as such, referred to. But the Christians are looked at individually and collectively. The former is when one’s own circumstances are in question; the latter when the great privileges of our calling are presented. The Lord in the midst of the assembly introduces us into these great privileges, and He is there, I apprehend, more the Moses — the Apostle of our profession than the High Priest, though we are always in connection with Him as our Aaron. As individuals He is always our Priest, but as the consecrated company we are two or more, we are collective. To the assembly He is Moses. The question remains — cannot an individual enter the sanctuary? I should say — Yes, and he would be led by the Spirit into association with Christ, and thus receive from Him, as He pleased to confer; but I do not think that this is the same as the Lord coming into the assembly — His own building here on earth, where He had been rejected, and where as Moses, He propounds His pleasure, declaring the Father, and celebrating much more than Moses could have done.
I do not see that the sanctuary as such is for the mere individual, or isolated saint. The individual may know Him in His place in heaven; evidently there are two places where He can be known; one — as He taught Mary Magdalene, association with Himself where He is, the other — when He comes into the midst of His own. Thus I see a great difference between the individual portion and the assembly’s portion. I did not mean to write so much but I wished to tell you the result of my reflections consequent on the objections raised.
Moses is in connection with the house. Aaron with reference to our state there or to get there.