In The Eternal State

by Dodson, A. T. | Category: Worship | Dec 1964

During the year our thoughts have been taken up with the subject of worship, and now we come to the consideration of the eternal state wherein we shall know the consummation of all that has been before us. It will indeed be good when our minds are attuned to heaven, when we shall see God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and then we shall know even as we have been known and see with our eyes what on earth we have seen by faith. Then shall our voices be lifted up towards the Father who gave His Son, and we shall share in a song of praise sweeter far than any we have had while we were here below.

Worship there shall be seen in all its fulness, for the character of heaven and of the creatures that have been called into it will inculcate thoughts of holiness and the expression of praise. We firstly consider the wonders of heaven as revealed to John (Revelation 21 and 22). For as we gaze upon them and consider the infinite might of God and His blessed Son we shall be constrained to bow down and worship. At the outset of our studies we stressed that worship was an attitude of body and of mind, leading us to have a spirit becoming those who bow down to the Throne of heaven and those who sit thereon. God's wonders will be manifested, perhaps as they were to John, as in his vision he saw a glorious city descending from heaven, but there will be a difference for the city will have descended when we see it. Such a city as this was far beyond the thoughts of men of old who looked for a city, and far beyond the thoughts of the redeemed in Christ who seek after the city which is to come (Hebrews 13.14). For this is a very special city for the redeemed, called by a special name, the Bride of Christ, or more precisely, "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" (Revelation 21.9).

Men in recent years have come to appreciate an illuminated building, but no building has approached this one shining with the glory of God, with light like unto stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Such a jasper stone has never been seen on earth, for here a jasper stone is a piece of quartz, and is opaque. The size of it is immense, even by itself it is an incomparable evidence of the creatorial power of God. The things of creation even now are such as to lead to worship, and one cannot but feel that the revelations of the creation will be such as will move the minds of those who are privileged to be among the multitude gathered there. The same holds concerning the twelve gates, each of which is an immense pearl far transcending any pearl seen by man. Yet even here we can look upon a pearl with wonder, especially when we let our thoughts be directed heavenwards. Then we shall see another marvel, a street of pure gold, transparent as glass. Man has never seen such a marvel as gold which is transparent, and the infidel mind would say that such a thing cannot be. Yet, consider a piece of carbon which is normally black, and often seen as coal. A diamond is also pure carbon, and so we have things to help our faith in this present creation.

Then we consider the immense size of this building, a cube with each side 1,500 miles long, in breadth as well as height, far transcending any building ever seen by men. It is a city of wondrous external magnificence, provided with liberality for all the redeemed in Christ, measured by Him to fit all His purposes.

We have written of this wondrous city in the material sense, but the word "city" is commonly used in two senses, firstly in relation to the material of the city, and secondly in relation to the people who dwell therein, and such is the case here. As an illustration consider the scripture about the Lord weeping over Jerusalem (Matthew 23. 37). He had in mind the people of the city as well as the place. Thus the city called the Bride refers to those who will dwell in that city, and these are generally held to be the redeemed in Christ. God has indeed made a wonderful provision for the saints. As we remember what we once were the provision for us is far, far more than we could expect, but to those who have known the riches of mercy in our Lord the material things are part of the riches in glory which have been held out to us.

Everything concerning this city has its meaning for us spiritually, and no detail is so pregnant as that within the city God has verily taken up His dwelling so that the glory which shines out is due to the presence of God, who has His throne there. This nearness of God and the Son to the redeemed is an incentive to the expression of adoration and the offering up of praise to Him who has done so great things for us. John, when he saw the city, was so overwhelmed that he fell before the feet of him who showed him these things, but was reproved and told to "worship God".

Everything in this city can be related to or contrasted with the things of earth, in material things and in spiritual things. The worship of God has the same character as the worship we tender here, though it is in greater and deeper measure. For there we have the comsummation of what is taught in the Scriptures. The God we worship there is the same as the God we worship here, and His creatorial work and redemptive work is the theme that causes us to bow down and worship there as here. The beauty of holiness is manifested and separation from unclean things is enforced. There is a high wall round the city, with the same teaching as we have now, and the gates thereof are carefully guarded by angels. Their work is now not prohibitive but selective, so differing from what we see in Genesis 2. The tree of life also referred to in Genesis is now free from the embargo that was the case in Eden, and its leaves will be for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22.2). Worship and praise are tendered by the nations who are allowed to enter through the gates for that purpose, so long as nothing unclean passes through.

We might well ask, What is the purpose of telling us about these things now, as they could have been left until we get to heaven as many other things of eternity are as yet unrevealed. I take it that apart from the hope that is engendered and kept alive by the thoughts of what lies before us, we have an incentive to do service here and now, which shall have somewhat of the same character as that heavenly service. To see the face of our Lord Jesus Christ and to bear ourselves as those who have His name written upon us (Revelation 22.4) is something of heavenly truth manifested upon the earth; to know that we have a dwelling with God with a wall round it is something to which we may aspire while upon the earth, and we find earthly teaching corresponding to it, in a place called the House of God associated with the truth of separation. The heavenly scene which causes us to worship G0d when we gaze upon it is, as seen with the eye of faith, that which causes us to respond in the body. There can be no doubt that every thought that we have in heaven will be the more precious to us when we can look back to the things learnt and practised on earth that are in agreement with the heavenly things.

Dodson, A. T. | Dec 1964
Worship