RECEIVED UP INTO GLORY
1 Timothy 3:14 ¶ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Almighty, Eternal, Invisible God is presently in a human form sitting on the throne of Glory! For until he was “manifest in the flesh,” he had not been seen! Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
But now, after the Incarnation, he was seen rising up into the heavens. Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. So his ascension is the pattern of his return.
That was the scene of his departure from earth. But let us go now and see his arrival into heaven. And the Prophet Daniel provides us with that.
Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones (of the Gentile kingdoms) were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. (These Gentile nations shall still exist, but do not now dominate the world.)
And now, here comes “this same Jesus” arriving into heavenly view! Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
In Acts 1:9 Jesus ascended as “a cloud received him out of their sight.” Then in Daniel 7:13 it also states “the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven.”
The spiritual kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ began with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But only those born of the Spirit can see or enter into it! John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
One of the many things which the Harlot church is strongly confused about concerns that phrase in Daniel 9:10. For it states upon the arrival of the Son of man up into glory “the judgment was set.” And we have all been turned away from the certainty of the power of gospel judgment. It has been erroneously insisted to us that all judgment would only occur at the end of the age, and not here at the beginning of Christ’s kingdom. But let us consider the very words of our Lord concerning this matter.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. His two “now’s” inform us that judgment would be set to begin at the time of his death!
And the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the believers at Corinth also direct our minds away from the Harlot church’s false information. 1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Now consider the instructions of our Lord concerning the work of the Holy Spirit as He enables the gospel to go forth throughout the world: John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Multitudes of religionists do not acknowledge this gospel judgment, but Satan believes it! He is fully aware that with the appearance of the gospel upon earth his time is short! Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Those spiritual believers who are positionally seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) are told to rejoice now that the Devil has been defeated by Christ at the cross. Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. While those, even if highly religious, but still associated with the world, have this “Woe” of judgment already pronounced upon them.
Yet let us not lose sight of the amazing “mystery of godliness,” that the Eternal, Invisible, I AM, now sits in Incarnate human form at the right hand of the majesty on high! Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; For Jesus Christ is that mystery of godliness!
He alone answers to all six of the phrases listed by the Apostle Paul to Timothy. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Listen to how the Lord summarized the phases of his existence: John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
“I came forth from the Father” – This speaks of his eternality. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“…and am come into the world:” – This speaks of his Incarnation. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
“,,,again, I leave the world,” – This speaks of his ascension. Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
“…and go to the Father.” – This speaks of the Man Head going back into the Godhood. 1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. gb
