In great measure, as long as we live in this body of flesh, we must remain ignorant of the things of God. Finite creatures of the earth cannot comprehend the infinite God. Earthworms can never really grasp the glories of heaven. To us the temple of God is still, in great measure, closed. What we do see is glorious. But there is much more, yet to be revealed, which we do not see. The Lord Jesus has rent the veil of the temple for us and given us access by the blood of his cross into the holiest of all. Yet, because of our blindness, we must have the treasures of the holy place opened up to us by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 2:11). Without the illumination and teaching of the Holy Spirit by the Word of God, we can know nothing. Yet, in our text, John tells us that "The temple of God was opened in heaven." While he was in the Spirit and taught of the Spirit, the temple of God was opened to his heart and mind. "And there was seen in the temple the ark of his covenant" (The word "testament" should be translated "covenant".) My subject tonight is "THE ARK OF HIS TESTAMENT".
Among the many things to be seen in the heavenly temple is the ark of God's covenant. Again, I remind you that these things are symbolical. John did not see a physical ark in heaven, any more than he saw a physical temple in heaven (Rev. 21:22-23). He saw the things represented by the temple and the ark. When John says, "there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant, he simply means for us to understand that the covenant of grace is always in the mind of God, and that all of the Lord's most holy, wise and secret purposes have direct reference to that covenant.
I realize that the ark of the covenant is a blessed type of Christ, and much needs to be said in that regard. But Christ came into this world to fulfill the covenant. Christ came because of this covenant. And it is this covenant, which John saw in heaven when he saw the glory of Christ.
Proposition:Everything God has done, is doing, or shall hereafter do, and everything God allows wicked men and the demons of hell to do, is because of this covenant. God made, sustains and rules the world in order to fulfill the covenant of grace, which he made with his Son on our behalf before the world began.
Divisions:In old eternity, when God dwelt alone in his ineffiable glory, in the three Persons of the sacred Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit entered into a solemn covenant and contract of grace. Call the covenant what you will, "a sovereign disposition of grace", "an agreement of mercy", "a dispensatioin of peace", or "a covenant of grace", in that covenant the Triune God bound himself and bound his glory to the salvation of his own elect (Jer. 31:3,31-34; 32:37-40; Heb. 8:10-13; 10:16-17; Eph. 1:3-14).
A. God the Father chose his elect and laid out a plan of redemption and salvation.
B. God the Son agreed to be our Surety and assumed the responsibility for our souls' eternal salvation.
C. God the Holy Spirit agreed to regenerate, call and preserve unto eternal life all who were chosen of the Father and would be redeemed by the Son.
The covenant was agreed upon, sworn to, and established by God's unalterable decree (Job 34:23; Rom. 8:29-30; II Tim. 1:9; I Pet. 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8). Then, God began to fulfill his covenant by creating the heavens and the earth and all that are in them.
II. THE COVENANT OF GRACE IS IMMUTABLE, UNALTERABLE AND SURE (Isa. 54:10).
The covenant of God stands unchangeable. Fickle creatures break their leagues and covenants. But the immutable God will not break his word. And he will not allow it to be broken by another (Ps. 89:19-37).
The great glory of the covenant is the certainty of the covenant. All the mercies of the covenant are "the sure mercies of David" All the grace that is in the covenant is sure grace. All the blessings flowing to sinners are sure blessings. God said, "in blessing I will bless thee." And all the glory of the covenant is sure and everlasting glory.
John says, "There was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant." The covenant is always before God's eye. Whatever happens, the covenant stands sure. Though the earth and its inhabitants were crumbling before the august majesty of Christ's advent, "there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant", unshaken, unmoved, undisturbed, immovably, unalterably secure!
Sometimes we cannot see it, but the covenant is always before the Lord. It does not and cannot change.
The covenant is immutable because...
A. The God of the covenant is immutable (Mal. 3:6).
B. Christ, the Surety, Mediator and Substance of the covenant is immutable (Heb. 13:8).
C. The love which inspired it never changes.
D. The promises contained in it are unchanging.
E. The power and force engaged to accomplish the covenant cannot be resisted or defeated.
Children of God, rejoice! The covenant of God's grace is a sure, immutable, unalterable covenant. What he purposed for us from eternity he will do for us in time and grant to us forever (Isa. 46:9-11)
III. THE COVENANT OF GOD'S GRACE CAN BE SEEN."There was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant." Now, it is true, we see in part. But when we are enabled of God to see his covenant, it will sustain and cheer our hearts in times of greatest trouble (II Sam. 23:1-5).
God's covenant cannot be seen by the natural eye, or by human wisdom, but it can be seen.
A. We first begin to see the covenant when we look to Christ in faith, the Surety, Mediator and Head of the covenant (Isa. 49:8).
B. We see the covenant more clearly as we are taught of God and given understanding in his ways of grace (John 16:13).
C. The more we trust the Lord's faithfulness and depend upon his promises in the covenant, the more we see of the covenant. We learn best what we learn by experience. And nowhere is that more true than in the things of God.
D. We see the covenant clearly when we are enabled of God to plead the covenant in prayer (Isa. 43:26).
E. We see the covenant of God's mercy best by experience.
Those who see best, see the silver thread of covenant love running through all the dispensations of Divine providence.
Illustration: Noah saw the covenant best just after the storm, when he saw the bow of God in sky.
F. And once we have reached the other side, when we are in heaven, we will have a glorious vision of the covenant faithfulness of our God in retrospect (Rev. 5:9-10).
There is an everlasting covenant of grace. The covenant of grace is immutable, unalterable and sure. The covenant of grace can be seen. And, fourthly, I want to show you that...
IV. THE COVENANT OF GRACE IS WORTH SEEING.The ark of God represents the covenant of God. If you will trace out the history of God's saints in the Old Testament, you will see that their whole history was built around that ark. And the history of God's saints in this world is built around the covenant of God's grace. When David saw that covenant, it caused him to leap and dance with joy (I Chron. 15:25-29).
What do we see in the ark of his covenant? A. We see God dwelling among men.As the ark was in the tabernacle, in the midst of the camp of Israel, the Lord God, in covenant mercy, is always with us. He meets with us in Christ, and dwells with us in Christ.
B. We see man reconciled to God by blood atonement.That mercy-seat on top of the covenant, upon which the blood was sprinkled, typified Christ the true mercy-seat. The holy God meets with fallen men only at the mercy-seat, through blood (I John 4:9-10).
C. We see the law of God perfectly satisfied and fulfilled.
That ark contained the two tables of the law. The law was satisfied by the blood of Christ and fulfilled by the life of Christ. Now, trusting Christ, we fulfill the law by faith (Rom. 3:31).
D. We see the kingdom of God established in the earth and prospering.
In that ark Aaron's rod that budded, represents the royal, priestly sceptre of Christ our Priest and King (Isa. 53:9-12).
E. In the covenant of grace, we see full provision made for God's elect.
That ark had in it the golden pot that had manna. And the covenant of grace supplies us with all that we need for time and eternity.
F. And we see the power of God engaged to carry out all the promises of the covenant, as typified in the cherubim on each end of the mercy-seat.
God rules this world to fulfill his covenant!V. In the last place, be assured that THE COVENANT OF GRACE CAN NEVER BE BROKEN OR DISANNULLED (Gal. 3:17; Ps. 89:34).
When John saw the ark of his covenant, "there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquakes, and great hail."
What does that mean? I cannot expound the mysteries of this vision. But I am sure that this much is intended by the picture before us in the text:
A. The covenant is sanctioned and confirmed by Divine power.
B. The covenant is supported and accomplished by God's holy decree.
C. The blessings of the covenant are applied by almighty, eternal grace.
D. All who oppose the covenant and purpose of God will be destroyed by Divine justice.
Thy Father, cause your eternal covenant to be clearly seen by all here tonight, that the glory of Christ, our covenant Savior may be seen. Lord, do not leave me to myself. Grant the wisdom and power for your Spirit both to the preacher and each hearer, if it can please and honor your great name.
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