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Church of the Living KING
REVELATION 19:16
"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh, written
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS".
A sublime vision of Jesus, as He comes to judge the beast, that is, the world-power, which has ever been in antagonism to the principles of His Kingdom. We must distinguish between it and the final judgment. This precedes, that follows, the millennial reign. Compare Mathew 24:27; Mathew 24:29; Mathew 24:37; Matthew 24:39. The blood in which His vesture is dipped is not His own, but that of His foes. See Isaiah 63:2. Here at last is fulfilled Psalm 2:9.
Notice the attributes of Jesus: He is Faithful, because He will stand by us to the end. He is True, never doing less but always more than He has promised. Pure as flame. He is also in many realms, and the Word of God, that is, the final utterance and complete revelation of the Most High. Let us follow Him! But if we do, we must resemble Him. His robes are naturally white, but we must wash ours, that we may have the right to the tree of life and to enter the city of God. Compare
Psalm 110:1-7. This will be the time, also, to which our Lord referred in Matthew 13:41. God’s whirlwind will scatter the chaff.
The Mystery of Godliness
"These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly (1Tim.3:14)."
" But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou ought rest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1Tim. 3:15)."
" 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 (1Tim.3:16)."
The scriptures above are about the importance of the church as the "pillar and buttress of the truth" and its role in upholding and declaring the "mystery of godliness". It instructs believers on how to live and conduct themselves within the "household of God," and serves as a foundational reason. The "mystery of godliness" refers to the core Christian message that Jesus was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, and ascended to glory.
Core concepts:
The church is the household of God: these words are written to explain how the church, which is God's family, should behave and be organized.
Pillar and buttress of truth: The church's function is to support and display God's truth to the world. It stands strong against false teachings.
The "mystery of godliness": This is a central Christian confession that was once hidden but is now revealed through Jesus. It is detailed in the following clauses of the passage and includes truths like:
Jesus is revealed in the flesh.
He is vindicated by the Spirit.
He is seen by angels.
He is preached among the nations.
He is believed in the world.
He was taken up in glory. We, the Church, are the earthly dwelling-place of God. We lift and maintain the standard of truth in the midst of men. It is necessary that we should be witnesses to the truth, collectively as well as individually.