Part 15 (1/2)

_Luke_, although he announces our Lord Jesus Christ as King, sets him forth pre-eminently as _The Man_, going among men, eating and drinking with them, and speaking in such plain and simple terms that the ”common people heard him gladly.”

In _John_, this Jewish King, this Servant of G.o.d and men, this Man among men, who received sinners and ate with them, is revealed as the Mighty G.o.d, the eternal _Word_, the Holy One of Israel, who came down to visit his people, was made flesh and ”tabernacled” among them, as of old he dwelt in the tabernacle of the wilderness in the Shekinal glory above the Mercy Seat and between the outstretched wings of the golden Cherubim.

Take away the book of _Acts_, and nothing can be known of the origin of the church and its apostolic history. Without the book of Acts the epistles are wholly unintelligible when they refer to the Church.

Do without the _Second_ epistle to the _Corinthians_, and you have no revelation of the state of the Christian dead either as to their location or condition.

Without the _Second_ epistle to the _Thessalonians_ you cannot fix the ident.i.ty of the Antichrist.

Leave out the epistle to the _Hebrews_ and there is no key to _Leviticus_.

Without the book of _Daniel_ it is impossible fully to understand the book of _Revelation_.

No matter at what period the book of _Revelation_ may have been written, it can have but one place in the Bible, and that the last.

It must have this place because it shows us the foreview of Genesis fulfilled: the seed of the woman has bruised the serpent's head, Satan has been bound and Paradise is regained.

The Old and New Testaments stand related to each other as the two halves of a perfect whole. In the Old Testament the New is _concealed_; in the New Testament the Old is _revealed_.

_Genesis_ finds its key in the first chapter of _John's_ Gospel, and identifies the creator of heaven and earth with him who was made flesh and dwelt among us as the Son of G.o.d.

_Exodus_ is explained by the _First_ epistle to the _Corinthians_, in which we learn that ”Christ” is the ”Pa.s.sover sacrificed for us.”

_Leviticus_ is expounded by the epistle to the _Hebrews_.

_Numbers_ has its correspondence in the book of _Acts_.

In Numbers you have the experience of the Children of Israel in their journey through the wilderness. In Acts we get the story of the Church in its pilgrimage through the world.

_Deuteronomy_ is to be read with _Colossians_.

In Deuteronomy the people of Israel are being prepared for an earthly inheritance. In Colossians the Church is being prepared for a heavenly inheritance.

_Joshua_ stands over against _Ephesians_.

In Joshua the redeemed people have to fight with flesh and blood in order to possess the covenant land. In Ephesians ”we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in the heavenly places.”

_Judges_ may be understood by reading the _first_ chapter of the _first_ epistle, and the _twelfth_ chapter of the _second_ epistle to the _Corinthians_.

The book of _Ruth_ is illuminated by the _third_ and _fifth_ chapters of the _Ephesians_.

In Ruth you have the Gentile bride of a Hebrew Lord, the kinsman, redeemer and advocate; who presents his bride to himself in the gate before all the a.s.sembled judges.

In Ephesians, the Gentile Bride is seen to be the Church, the kinsman, redeemer and advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, having loved the Church and given himself for it, will ”present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”

The books of _Samuel_, _Kings_ and _Chronicles_, may be read with the four _Gospels_ and the book of _Revelation_.

In Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, you have the story of David, the anointed king, man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, triumphant warrior, exalted king--Solomon, prince of peace, ruling over the established kingdom and the queen of Sheba coming from the uttermost parts of the earth to own and celebrate his glory.

In the Gospels we get the story of our Lord Jesus Christ as anointed king and man of sorrows. In Revelation he is seen coming forth at the head of the armies of heaven, a mighty warrior, a triumphant king and, at the last, as Prince of Peace ruling in splendor over his established kingdom; while the Gentiles, coming from the uttermost parts of the earth to Jerusalem, bow the knee before him and acknowledge his glory.