Heavenly Mindedness (36)

 

Continuing our reflections on Geerhardus Vos’s Message on “Heavenly Mindedness” from Hebrews 11:9 – 10:

 

“For heaven itself is subject to a process of preparation, so that its full content became accessible only to the patriarchs through a projection of their faith in time. The heaven for which they hoped was the heaven of redemption, enriched through the ages, become peopled with the successive generations of the saints of God, filled with the glory of Christ, the recreated paradise, towards which all the streams of grace springing up in time send their waters. The believer requires this new heaven, not simply the cosmical place that resulted from the first creation. Hence his heavenly-mindedness can never destroy interest in the unfolding of the ways of God throughout the history of the present world.” G. Vos

 

The “process of preparation” that Vos speaks of includes redemption, enrichment, and population of “successive generations.” Not only do we see successive generations throughout Hebrews Chapter 11, but we see this throughout the entire epistle with Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and others. Note the concept behind Hebrews 11:39 – 40:

 

“And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” Our trajectory of perfection, our completeness, the possessing of the fulness of our inheritance in Jesus Christ is not so much about “me,” or “you,” – it is about “us.” Beyond “us” there is the One Man, with Jesus Christ as the Head; the Bride, the Perfected Temple – showing forth the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

Our Father is ever gathering His elect, (mystery within mystery), and our Good Shepherd will continue to gather us together until every lamb is with the Flock, every stone is set in its unique place in the Temple, every member of the organic Body is functioning in harmony within that Body, every facet of His Bride has been cleansed and purified and made all glorious within and without in her Bridegroom. How foolish we are to think that our Perfect God will have anything less than a perfect work within His People, who have been redeemed by the perfect Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 

We witness this process of populating heaven throughout the Bible, but particularly in Revelation, “And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood [people] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:9 – 10).

 

We see that when the Bride is unveiled from the heavens, that she has been “prepared” and “made ready” for “her husband” (Rev. 21:2). This beautiful Woman radiates the “glory of God” and she is “brilliant” (Rev. 21:11) – for “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them…” (John 17:22).

 

Christ is coming, Christ is always coming, and one Day His coming will be consummated. He is coming to be “glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed,” “the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:10 – 12).

 

Why do we reject the glory of God when He comes to us in Jesus Christ? Why do we push our kind and loving Father back, again and again and again – refusing to accept our inheritance in Jesus Christ? After all, it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). While our Lord Jesus desires that His joy may be in us, and that our joy may be made full (John 15:11), we would rather wallow in Egypt or waddle into and out of our gatherings in grave clothes.

 

Do you realize that you have been called to participate in the grand procession, from ages past into ages future? Do you know that you have a part to play? Do you know that your congregation has a Divine part to play? Do you realize that you can only fulfill your purpose in this life as you find yourself in Christ, in His Body, His Bride, His holy Catholic Church? Does your congregation know that it is called to live and breathe and function within the transcendent Temple of God, the Place of His dwelling, of His Presence, His shekinah?

 

Any identity less than the above, falls short of the glory of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

 

“…the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:21 – 23).

 

Are we participating in this process of preparation today?