HIS TRAIN FILLED THE TEMPLE
HIS TRAIN FILLED THE TEMPLE
It is good to remember the words of the Lord in John 12, “These things said Esaias because he saw his glory and spoke of him” (John 12: 41). I wonder if all here have “seen his glory”. Have you ever seen the glory of Jesus? If you had seen it your mouth would open; you would have something to say. A brother who has seen His glory will not remain silent in the assembly. Isaiah spoke because he saw His glory. Saul said of himself, “I could not see, through the glory of that light” (Acts 22: 11). His eyes were closed forever to the glory of this world, because of “the glory of that light”. It is what happens when you see Jesus — your eyes close to the world, you no longer see anything here, you open your eyes on another world. When Paul’s eyes were opened, it was not to see the world. He says, “we see Jesus... crowned with glory and honour” (Hebrews 2: 9). He also saw Ananias; he says, “I... received my sight and saw him” (Acts 22: 13). He saw a brother, someone who could say to him, “Saul, brother”. When you see the glory of Jesus, you speak about Him and you also see what belongs to Him on the earth — you see the brethren.
It says, “In the year of the death of king Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up”. The prophet tells us when this took place — it was in the year of the death of king Uzziah, that particular year. I wonder if we understand the significance of that year. I do not think that we ever see the glory of the Lord, without having reached that year. Christendom has not reached it. A wonderful vision of glory is given to those who reach it.
Uzziah was a great king; it says, “he was marvellously helped” (2 Chronicles 26: 15). He fought the Philistines, the Arabians and the Ammonites; he dug wells, he planted vineyards on the mountains, he made many weapons and God helped him. There is a typical allusion to the Reformation, to the way in which God helped faithful men at that time. What great things were accomplished! How many enemies were overcome! How many wells were dug! But there came a moment in the life of Uzziah, when he went into the temple of God in place of the priest, where he tried to carry out the service of God without the priest.
At that point, leprosy rose up on his forehead and he was leprous until the day of his death. This is what has happened to Protestantism. Although there was a wonderful work of God, divine service is now exercised without the priest, without the priestly condition, without holiness, without the Spirit of God and leprosy has appeared on its forehead. The spirit of modern christendom is leprous; that is evident. All that remains now for Uzziah is to die and be buried.
But, among the people of God, there are some who have understood what the year of the death of king Uzziah is and a great vision of glory has arisen in their souls. I do not know if all here are in this year. This vision will not appear to us if we are not in this year. So Isaiah said, “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up”. He received a new impression of the greatness of God and the greatness of His throne. It says that “his train filled the temple”. God has a wonderful robe, whose train descends from heaven right down to earth. He is “clothed with majesty and splendour” (Psalm 104: 1) — that is the train. It “filled the temple”.
There were seraphim who called to each other, “Holy, holy, holy”. That is what they are saying at present, dear brethren. They insist on the holiness of God, on the holiness of Jesus, on the holiness of the temple. They do not draw attention to themselves; no one is great in God’s temple, apart from God and Jesus, the blessed ark of the covenant. They alone are great in the temple. The seraphim have six wings. With two they cover their faces — all who stand properly in the temple cover their faces; they do not attempt to appear great. God is so great that they hide themselves. With two wings they cover their feet — their movements are not for the projection of themselves but to serve God and His greatness and His glory. Is it thus in christendom? Far from it. Religious men like show. Their vestments are made to this end. It is the same with women in christendom but, in the temple, women have the hidden man of the heart, which gives them no desire to appear like the world. With their two other wings, the seraphim fly. They are ready to continue the service of the temple.
Immediately Isaiah sees this wonderful vision, he says, “Woe unto me!”. That is too wonderful for me to enter into; I would like to but I cannot.
“I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips — for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim moves towards the altar, uses tongs to take a glowing coal from off the altar and brings it in his hand. Think of a hand which can carry a glowing coal! Fire represents the holiness of God; “For also our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12: 29). The seraph can hold a glowing coal in his hand. His hand is holy; the fire will not burn it. In the temple, we must lift up holy hands in accord with the holiness of God.
The seraph flies towards Isaiah; it is an urgent matter. He wants to liberate Isaiah so that he can take part in the service of the temple. That is what we should want to do and the matter is urgent. The temple is nearly completed and the day for having part in this service is almost upon us. So the seraph flies towards him and touches his mouth with the burning coal. His lips are purified by the fire of the altar in such a way that he can speak. Think of the fire on the altar! Think of all that Jesus suffered in regard of sin! Isaiah had forgotten the purifying efficacy of this fire. Christendom rejects it; the sacrificial work of Christ has been abandoned. But the lips of Isaiah are purified by it and he says, “Here am I; send me.” He says, ‘I am now ready to take my part in service’. We desire that everyone here should form part of the train which must fill the temple. The whole temple will be filled by this train. What is this train? You and I, if we form part of it. Every brother, every sister is a part of the train of the wonderful robe of the King, of Jehovah of hosts. The temple of God is a living edifice. The house of God is a spiritual house composed of living stones. Each of them forms part of the train which fills the temple.
I have read the last chapter of the epistle to the Romans to give us a summary of the train, or at least part of the train, because it encompasses the whole Christian period. Let us look at some beautiful pieces of the train. The apostle had worked in the epistle to the Romans to prepare the train. What elements he had to face up to at the beginning, elements marked by all kinds of impurities! “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; asps’ poison is under their lips — whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; swift their feet to shed blood;
ruin and misery are in their ways, and way of peace they have not known” (Romans 3:13-17). But he applies himself to the preparation of the train, material for the temple. He presents Christ as “a mercy seat through faith in his blood” (Romans 3: 25). He shows man’s ruin and includes all men in divine mercy. He teaches them to recognise their leprous condition by nature, so that they cry, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of this body of death?” (Romans 7: 24). He shows how God has given the Holy Spirit to the believer who loves Christ and is united to Him. That is the source of everything — every Christian is united to Jesus. Jesus wants to support him and satisfy his heart — “to be to another... in order that we might bear fruit to God” (Romans 7: 4). Such are those who have received the Holy Spirit. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8: 2). In chapter 12, Paul exhorts believers to present their bodies “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God”, which is their intelligent service. He leads us in this way to the train; all who form part of it have followed this way.
Now, in the last chapter, he comes to the train. “Phoebe, our sister” — what a magnificent part of the train. She was “minister of the assembly which is in Cenchrea”. The apostle and others had appreciated her service towards the assembly which is in Cenchrea. She had learned to serve the local assembly, the temple of God in Cenchrea. That is where we begin, if we begin at all. We begin where God has placed us, in Valence or elsewhere. It is there where we have to serve, instead of living to ourselves. Phoebe lived for God and for the assembly in the place where she lived. She came to the assistance of many; she “has been a helper of many, and of myself”, says the apostle.
“Salute Prisca and Aquila, my fellow-workmen in Christ Jesus”; this is a wonderful couple, another beautiful part of the train! Prisca is mentioned first. When it was a matter of instructing Apollos, Aquila came first. When it is a question of sacrifice, Prisca comes first. Many of our sisters are ahead in this; they often make more sacrifices than brothers. “Salute Prisca and Aquila, my fellow-workmen in Christ Jesus, who for my life staked their own neck”. The whole temple takes pleasure in Prisca and Aquila, “to whom not I only am thankful, but also all the assemblies of the nations”. What a part of the train which is going to fill the temple!
“Salute Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first-fruits of Asia for Christ.” The Hiram of the New Testament considers these materials. He says, ‘Here is the first-fruits, something which is for Christ, which is like Him; that can be included in the train’. What is for Christ is for the temple and must fill it.
“Salute Maria, who laboured much for you”. It is very humbling for brothers to see how often sisters are mentioned. The apostle is not mistaken; he is considering material for the temple. “Salute Maria”; she worked hard at bringing wood from the mountain for the temple.
“Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellow-captives, who are of note among the apostles”. Paul is looking at yet other materials. He says, ‘They are my kinsmen, they resemble me, they are related to me’. ‘They are my fellow-captives’, ready to go into captivity for this great work, if that is necessary. They are “of note among the apostles”; he can give a name to these two, a name among the apostles. We are not told what this name is but it has its place in the temple.
We cannot dwell on them all. Some are simply named. That is the case with many of us; there is nothing particularly prominent but the Lord knows us and sees the work in us. Everything enters into the train and appears in the temple.
“Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord”. He was marked out wonderfully. The apostle says, ‘I can see the red’ (Rufus means red). It is not the red of Babylon but of the rams’ skins dyed red. He is “chosen in the Lord”; he is a devoted and chosen man. Paul looks at this element and says, ‘I accept it’.
“Salute one another with a holy kiss”. He wishes to clothe all the saints with the beauty of divine love, to cover them with a holy love. We must take account of this. Are our salutations, our affections holy? It speaks of “love out of a pure heart” (1 Timothy 1: 5). Much gold is needed for the temple and gold represents divine love in the saints.
Then we come to verse 17. There the apostle has to set out a warning about materials which will attempt to infiltrate the train. He speaks about such who “serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly”. Such features must be removed from the temple. No activity that seeks to promote our own interests in the things of God has any place in the assembly. The apostle warns the Romans to be on guard against that. They “serve not our Lord Christ”. All true work in the temple is to serve Him. Those who are spoken of here serve their own interests. This is the root of all local troubles; something is sought for self instead of for the Lord Christ. We must beware of this, not only in others but in ourselves. It is not enough that I condemn it in someone else, I can be very culpable of something that another may do. We have to arrive at this. Some evil that another may do, I can do also. It speaks here of certain persons who serve their own belly and I must not say that I would be incapable of that. When, in allusion to the traitor, the Lord says, “one of you shall deliver me up”, each of the disciples says, “Is it I, Lord?” (Matthew 26: 22). John says, ‘Is it I?’ He does not say that he would be incapable of it.
Peter, the first of the apostles, the prominent brother in the meeting, says, ‘Is it I?’ James says, ‘Is it I?’ and so all the others. Paul tells us to keep ourselves from this element which seeks its own interests. It harms the temple, or rather, it harms our present enjoyment of the temple.
“But the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” What a wonderful declaration! “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly”. If we continue in this path, Satan will shortly be put under our feet. It is the way of victory — Satan under the feet of the saints. The saints have wonderful sandals like those of Jesus. John speaks about Jesus’ sandal and says that he was not worthy to unloose its thong. May we genuinely seek to walk as he walked. Satan will soon be bruised under feet such as these. May we be given to continue until that day!
The apostle now seems to return to the train, not at Rome but elsewhere. “Timotheus, my fellow-workman” — what a man Timothy was! The apostle could say of him, “For I have no one like-minded who will care with genuine feeling how ye get on” (Philippians 2: 20). Timothy did not think of himself — he was like-minded with Paul.
“I Tertius, who have written this epistle”. Perhaps we do not sufficiently appreciate this part of service. Tertius brought his contribution to the train. Brothers and sisters who attend to written ministry do a great work and the apostle recognises that here.
Here is another part of the train. “Gaius, my host and of the whole assembly, salutes you”. We have here one of the most beautiful features of the train. John appreciates Gaius too — he says, “Beloved, I desire that in all things thou shouldest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers” (3 John 3). Hospitality is a great feature of the temple. It is of God; God says, ‘It is necessary “that my house may be filled”’ (Luke 14: 23). “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house — they will be constantly praising thee!” (Psalm 84: 4). “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house” (Psalm 36: 8). The Lord did not have a house but He had a guest-chamber. “Where is the guest-chamber where I may eat the passover with my disciples?” (Luke 22: 11). He wants to fill His guest-chamber with His disciples and, when they are there, he says, “Take”. Gaius was marked by this hospitality and he forms part of the train.
“Erastus, the steward of the city, salutes you”. There is nothing more important today than administration; it is part of the divine work. An administrator holds nothing as his own; he administers goods which are entrusted to him. What is required of an administrator is that he should be faithful. This is essential, otherwise the administrator is a thief. Erastus was not a thief. Consider the first administrator that we find in the Scriptures — it is Eliezer, the steward of Abraham’s house. Abraham can confide in Eliezer. Eliezer takes the camels, the silver, the gold, Abraham’s garments; he will not steal anything. He uses them for Abraham and, according to his instructions, goes to find Rebecca for Isaac. On his return, he can give a faithful account. Such is Erastus; he also can form part of the train.
The last verses of the chapter show us what the apostle has in view. He leads us to the revelation of the mystery. What is it? It is the body of Christ, “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1: 27). That is the mystery. God is preparing a vessel to express Christ. The train which fills the temple is the body of Christ. As he thinks of it, the apostle is filled with worship. It is, “according to commandment of the eternal God” that the mystery has been revealed. Thanks be to God that the light of the mystery is known in our days.
All this emerges from Isaiah’s vision and appears in “the year of the death of king Uzziah”. We have to accept the end of this man. Divine things must not be approached by human intelligence but by the Spirit, in priestly conditions and in holiness. That is coming to light in our days. There are those who have come to this particular year and have received a wonderful vision of the greatness of God and of Christ, of the glory of His temple and the train which fills it. Then there is the power for us to enter by means of the glowing coal. This is a reality for many saints and the Lord desires that we should be more occupied with it, so that we should be able to take our place in the train for the praise of God.
May the Lord encourage us all in this way! In holy judgment of sin, may we listen to the seraphim saying to one another, “Holy, holy, holy”.