CERTAINTY

P. van den Berg

Luke 1: 1–4; Hebrews 10: 21–22 to ‘faith’; 2 Peter 1: 16–19

I would like to say a word on certainty. It is important that we are assured, that we know where the way leads to; that we know why we are where we are at the moment; that we have an impression of the history of the testimony up to now and that, as to what is yet to come, we do not tread our path with uncertain step, as we have sung in our hymn. We should be fully assured as to the truth in the way it has come to us in these last days, and how it has been maintained by those who have gone before us. It is also important to have an impression of where things are now; where the Lord is as regards the testimony, and the prophetic character of this meeting where the Holy Spirit would announce what is coming. The word in Revelation 1: 4 is “from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come”, covering the whole scope of what has been, what is at the moment, and what is yet to come. There should be full assurance with us as to these things, beloved brethren, for if we are uncertain we do not know where we are going.

In the movements of Israel in the wilderness there was no uncertainty; the divine presence was there. As the cloud moved, they moved. There was priestly discernment as to the movements of the testimony, but not only discernment as to the way God moved but also a readiness to move on the part of the people, and sovereign leadership, Judah moving first, the royal side that is ready to move immediately when God moves. We read that “according to the commandment (lit. ‘mouth’) of Jehovah the children of Israel journeyed, and according to the commandment ‘mouth’) of Jehovah they remained encamped” Numbers 9: 18).

I think that is important, beloved brethren. The Lord says to Philadelphia, “Thou … hast kept my word” (Revelation 3: 8). It is not exactly the commandments, it is His word, what the Lord may say to us at any time. We can be assured that the line of the testimony, particularly in the revival, has come through, confirmed by the Lord’s own speaking, as Mary experienced at the Lord’s feet, and that the Lord in each phase of the testimony gave what was needed at that moment, and what the Lord said at every juncture was calculated to meet existing conditions at that moment. That does not invalidate what the Lord was saying many years ago, but His speaking then was in connection with the then prevailing conditions.

Therefore, in the day we are in, we may count on the Lord having a special word for us now. So the prophetic word is marked by certainty; it is no uncertain sound. In a prophetic meeting the trumpet is not to give an uncertain sound. The priest knew that the cloud had moved and when the silver trumpets were blown it was a definite sound and the whole camp moved. The line of the testimony will come through in the light of Paul’s ministry, and what marked Luke was that he was with Paul. Luke did not fall out by the way.

We read in the Acts how Luke came through in the shipwreck and in 2 Timothy 4: 11 Luke is with Paul. Paul says, “Luke alone is with me”. So we get a strengthening word in Luke’s gospel, a priestly word, for if the Lord speaks, it is priestly. The Lord is not only “the Word”, Luke 1: 2. He is also the Priest who will help us to go through in the light of that word and maintain us. Whatever weakness we may find in ourselves, the Lord is the One who feels and sympathises with us and He is able to save completely those who approach by Him to God, always living to intercede for us.

So in Luke the Lord is said to be carried up into heaven, which is not exactly Matthew’s presentation where the Lord is on our side in the testimony, which answers more to Judah. In Luke it is more the priestly side. Luke was prepared for small circumstances at the end. When Paul writes 2 Timothy he says, “All who are in Asia … have turned away from me” (2 Timothy 1: 15), but there are those who are available for the testimony and the line of the testimony goes through. It goes through in a man like Timothy, in faithful men. The line of the testimony will go through; it will go through in victory. That is what is represented in Judah, that God will never give up His thoughts. Paul says, “Remember Jesus Christ raised from among the dead, of the seed of David, according to my glad tidings” (2 Timothy 2: 8). That is the line of victory. At the end the Lord says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things to you in the assemblies. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22: 16). So we have the line of David, the Lion which is of the tribe of Judah, and we see how the prophetic word is connected with the morning star. So Peter says, “We have the prophetic word made surer, to which ye do well taking heed (as to a lamp shining in an obscure place) until the day dawn and the morning star arise in your hearts”.

Well, that is to be noted here in Luke, where Christ is seen in the ascendency. God has visited His people, the dayspring from on high, and Luke speaks of the certainty of these things. That is important, beloved brethren, that we are perfectly assured as to what we stand for, whatever the outward circumstances may be. It is a question of faith. Faith does not go by externals, faith goes by things not visible but nevertheless real. Whatever is visible passes away, but faith is connected with an order of things that is not visible to the natural eye—but a living reality to the priestly eye, the priestly heart, “the eyes of your heart” (Ephesians 1: 18). So through faith we are in a victorious position, however small things may be at the end.

Paul could say, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep for that day the deposit I have entrusted to him” (2 Timothy 1: 12). Paul was persuaded.

Whatever departure there might be in Asia or elsewhere, the distinctive line of ministry was seen in Paul, that elect vessel through whom the word of God was completed, the whole counsel of God. That is the distinctive line that will go through in the smallest circumstances, and there is no uncertainty; as we have sung—

‘It is not with uncertain step
We tread our desert way.’

In Luke we see how the Lord was led by the Spirit in the wilderness. I think that goes with the book of Numbers where the people moved in the wilderness, and the prophetic word is in the wilderness. The prophetic meeting is in the epistle to the Corinthians, where we have the assembly in the wilderness. That is where the prophetic word is. The woman in Revelation fled to the wilderness and the remnant of her seed has the testimony of Jesus—and “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 19: 10).

So it is important that we stand by the testimony, beloved brethren, however small the circumstances may be. Luke stood by the testimony as it was seen in Paul. Mark was restored and was serviceable to Paul for ministry. Timothy was to use diligence to come to Paul before winter. Then in 2 Timothy 4: 12 we have this special mission of Tychicus to Ephesus, the city, you might say, from which all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord and where Paul had announced all the counsel of God—Ephesus! Paul would not give up Ephesus in his affections, in his feelings, and he sent Tychicus there.

What Paul must have felt in his heart that all in Asia had turned away from him! That would include Ephesus, and he sends Tychicus to Ephesus. So things were not out of hand in the end, Paul went on. Paul had combated the good combat and the Lord stood with him. It is important for us to know where we stand. There has been opportunity, beloved brethren, in the things that have happened in recent years, to go back, and many have used the opportunity to go an easier way, a different way. But what a privilege at such a time, at a time of crisis, to come out to the Lord, to come out to Him in faith and affection, in faithfulness to Him and to His testimony and to stand for what is so precious to His heart, the assembly, and the distinctive light brought out through Paul’s ministry.

When we come to the epistle to the Hebrews we see how everything stands immovable in Christ, the Son. There is no uncertainty. “Whatever promises of God there are, in him is the yea and the amen” (2 Corinthians 1: 20). So we have the Apostle and High Priest of our confession there, we might say, corresponding with the Word in Luke and the priesthood, available on our side to see us through, by the Spirit, in the light of Paul’s ministry. It is important to have a sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, a divine Person. The Son is presented in Hebrews 1. In chapter 2 He is on our side. In chapter 3 He is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, followed by this word of warning, “whose house are we, if indeed we hold fast the boldness and the boast of hope firm to the end” (Hebrews 3: 6). The practical maintenance of the testimony depends on our perseverance, holding fast, not turning to the right or to the left (Joshua 1: 7).

So it is a question of certainty; that we know whom we have believed, whom we follow; where things were in 1970, and in the sorrow of 1972, and to know where things are now. It is not a question of numbers; it is a question of what is available in a living way for the testimony, in the light of the whole assembly. What is maintained here for the Lord is maintained on behalf of the whole assembly. We would desire that all the saints were available to us. We shall be together at the rapture. That will be the last trump, when we shall meet the Lord in the air. We have the movements of the testimony now, and there are those moving at the sound of the silver trumpets. The Lord is entitled to have that. The silver speaks of redemption; we have been bought with a price; God is entitled to have us (1 Corinthians 6: 20).

So in Hebrews we see things established in the Lord. There is a kingdom not to be shaken; things stand secure on the divine side. Let us never have any doubt as to what is established on the divine side. The firm foundation of God stands. “God is faithful, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1: 9). There is no breakdown there. Every saint is called into the fellowship of God’s Son. Every true saint is part of Christ’s body, and there is no breakdown there. The unity of the Spirit has net broken down. All the departure on our side has not altered the fact that there is one body and one Spirit. God’s truth stands, but the point for us is to stand in the light of what is immovable from the divine side. The apostle could say, “Wherefore let us, receiving a kingdom not to be shaken, have grace by which let us serve God acceptably with reverence and fear” (Hebrews 12: 29). Faith links on with that.

So we have this access. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness for entering into the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh” (Hebrews 10: 19, 20). Oh, what stability that gives us, to have an anchor within the veil, an anchor that will not slip! If a ship is anchored and the anchor slips the whole ship goes with it. But we have an anchor where Jesus is entered as Forerunner within the veil. Everything is certain and secure there. Then it says, “Having a great priest over the house of God”. Oh, what a Priest He is—the greatness of the

Person of the Lord Jesus! Not only is He the One that built the house, as God, but He is Priest over the house, and He maintains the order of that house inasmuch as it is His house. Let us be assured that whatever departure there may be, whatever the state of things in the great house may be, the house of God is the house of God, and the principles governing that house are not subject to change, even though there be a great house.

Then the apostle says, “Let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering, (for he is faithful who has promised)”. What a point that is, that He is faithful even when we are unfaithful! The Lord is faithful and the Lord in His faithfulness will see the testimony through. Our hearts go out to our brethren not now available to us, as we say, but the Lord is faithful and God is faithful “by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of His Son” .God in His faithfulness stands by His truth. He stands by the principles, and may the Lord grant us grace to hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering. May we be characterised by drawing near; not by departing from these divine utterances, but making use freely of the throne of grace.

We have a kingdom that is immovable, with an immovable throne, and we are able to draw near in full assurance of faith knowing that our God is the living God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God of the living, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who will see His thoughts through, right to the end. He is faithful; His gifts and calling are not subject to repentance.

God does not go back on His own thoughts; He never gives them up. The purpose of God from before the ages of time stands; it is as sure today as it was at Pentecost, and it is for us, at the close of this dispensation, to go through in the light of that which marked the beginning of it.

So in Peter we have one who was with the Lord from the beginning and who was about to depart. Peter wants to strengthen us in the things that are immovable. He tells us of the certainty of the things which we have come to. “For we have not made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly imagined fables, but having been eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1: 16). What a voice he heard on the mount, “This is my beloved Son; hear him” (Mark 9: 7). There was no trace of uncertainty with Peter. In him we have a man who had come to the certainty of things, however unsteadfast things might once have been in himself, he came through to the rock, that which is immovable.

Christ Himself is the Rock, but the work of God in Peter was kindred to it, and the work of God in the saints is beyond breakdown; it is connected with the Rock Himself. The living stones, as Peter says, are being built up a spiritual house.

So we see how he cherished these things in his soul when he was about to put off his tabernacle. He is concerned that if anyone speak it is “as oracles of God” and “if any one minister—as of strength which God supplies” (1 Peter 4: 11). He brings out the Lord’s sufferings, His glory, and judgment beginning from the house of God. And as he comes to the end he recalls such a voice uttered from heaven when with Him on the holy mount. That never left Peter, the certainty of the things on that mountain. Peter got adjusted; it was not to be Moses, not Elias, but Christ, “This is my beloved Son—hear him”. That is the certainty of what Peter was connected with. Then he refers to “the prophetic word made surer, to which we do well taking heed (as to a lamp shining in an obscure place) until the day dawn and the morning star arise in your hearts”.

Well, the coming of the Lord is near. Soon we shall see the Lord. We shall see Him face to face. We love His appearing. The Lord will take His own away. But then the Lord will appear publicly with His own. Paul speaks of those who love His appearing. It is like the day dawn, but before the day dawn we have the morning star. The morning star is the Lord Jesus cherished during the night of His rejection in the affections of His own. He is in the ascendency, the morning star is arising in the hearts of His own. The Lord’s coming is at hand. We shall soon see Him. With this hope in our hearts we shall not by moved. The Thessalonians were moved because they were not in the gain of the light of the morning star.

The apostle brings it out in 1 Thessalonians 4 that the Lord Jesus will come first for His own, and that His own will meet Him in the air, before He will appear publicly with His own.

Well, beloved brethren, may our hearts, in the certainty of these things, continue steadfastly that we may with purpose of heart follow the Lord, “looking stedfastly on Jesus, the leader and completer of faith”, and holding the beginning of the assurance firm to the all, for His name’s sake.

Rijswijk
The Hague, 5 June 1973