Conclusion - Elijah – Servant Of God

Elijah - Servant of God
CONCLUSION

Although, in the character of his ministry, Elijah the Tishbite resembled John the Baptist, yet looking at him personally, considering his unearthly and pilgrim path, especially his trip home to Heaven, Elijah is a remarkable illustration of the church of our Lord. Taking this view of him, we offer a few observations on the important doctrine of the Lord’s church¹ as a conclusion to our brief consideration of our brief look at Elijah.

It is important to understand the doctrine of the heavenly character of the Lord’s church. It is the only preservative against the varied forms of evil and unsound doctrine prevailing around us. To clearly understand the heavenly origin, heavenly position, and heavenly destiny of the Church, is the most effectual safeguard against worldliness in the Christian's present path, and also against false teaching regarding our future hope.

Every religious system that connects the Church with the world, either in her present condition or her future prospects, is wrong, exerting an unhallowed influence. The Church is not of the world. Her life, position, and hope, are heavenly in the highest sense of that word. All who believe and accept the Gospel,² preached in the name of a crucified, risen and ascended Savior, are living members of the body of Christ, called on to abandon worldly hope – occupying the place of strangers and pilgrims on earth.

The position of Elijah the Tishbite standing on the wilderness side of Jordan,³ waiting for his trip home to Heaven, aptly represents the condition of the Church collectively or individually. It has been said that the Church finds “the termini of her existence to be the cross and the coming of the Lord” – earth has no place between these sacred bounds. To think of the Church as a worldly corporation, be it ever so sound and scriptural is to sink far below God’s thought about it.

The doctrine of the Church’s heavenly character was developed in all its power and beauty by the Holy Spirit in the apostle Paul. During the early stages of Paul’s ministry, God’s purpose was to deal with Israel. There had been all along a chain of witnesses, the object of whose mission was exclusively the house of Israel.

As we observed in the opening of this brief study, the prophets bore witness to Israel’s failure, as well as to the future establishment of the kingdom promised in the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac Jacob, and David. The prophets did not speak of the Church as the body of Christ. How could they? It was a profound mystery, “not revealed to the sons of men.”

The thought of a Church composed of Jew and Gentile, “seated together in the heavenlies,” was far beyond the range of prophetic testimony. Isaiah, no doubt, speaks in very elevated strains of Jerusalem's glory in the latter day; he speaks of Gentiles coming to her light, and kings to the brightness of her rising; but he never rises higher than the kingdom, and as a consequence never brings out anything beyond the covenant made with Abraham, which secures everlasting blessedness to his seed, and through them to the Gentiles. We may range through the inspired pages of the law and the prophets, from one end to the other, and find nothing concerning “the great mystery” of the Church.

We observe the same thing in the ministry of John the Baptist. Here is the sum and substance of his testimony: “Repent, for the kingdom is at hand.” He came as the great precursor of the Messiah, seeking to produce moral order. He told the people what they were to do in that transition state into which his ministry was designed to conduct them, and pointed to Him that was to come. Is there anything of the Church in all this? Not a syllable. The kingdom is still the highest thought. John led his disciples to the waters of Jordan – the place of confession in view of the kingdom; but it was not yet that character of repentance producing members of the body of Christ.

Then, the Lord Jesus Himself took up the chain of testimony. The prophets had been stoned; John had been beheaded; and now “the Faithful Witness” entered the scene. He not only declared that the kingdom was at hand, but presented Himself to the daughter of Zion as her King. He too was rejected, and, like every previous witness, sealed His testimony with His blood. Israel would not have God’s King, and God would not give Israel the kingdom.

Then, the twelve apostles took up the chain of testimony. Immediately after the resurrection they inquired of the Lord, “Wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Their minds were filled with the thought of the kingdom. “We trusted,” said the two going to Emmaus, “that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel.” The Lord does not rebuke the disciples for entertaining thoughts of the kingdom; He simply says, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. 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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

This became reality in Acts 2. It was not the kingdom offered to Israel on the ground of repentance by John the Baptist. No; it was the heavenly calling of one body, the church of our Lord composed of Jew and Gentile, united in a glorified Christ.

We must never forget that the human mind not only falls short of but stands opposed to God and His church. We have only to glance at the history of the Church over the centuries (since Acts 2) to see how feebly it was held and how speedily it was let go. As in the days of Elijah, most of us naturally cling to earthly things – worldly systems and organizations are still attractive. Therefore, as with Elijah, we may expect that God’s truth about the Church’s heavenly character will be apprehended and carried out only by a small and feeble minority.

To understand all this requires a larger measure of spirituality than is to be found among those who, like Ahab and Jezebel, cling to earth. Two questions often arise in the mind of an inquirer after truth: “What is the most scriptural form of Church government?” and “To what body of Christians should I attach myself?” The answer to both questions is, “Attach yourself only to those who are ‘endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’”

Sects are not the New Testament church; organized religious systems or parties are not the body of Christ. Let us not be deceived – heavenly principles still work, and systems will find their proper level. Prejudice will operate, hindering us from carrying out those heavenly principles, and clouding our clear view of God’s truth as revealed in the inspired Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

Those who stand for and seek to maintain the pure Gospel of Christ will, like Elijah of old, find themselves deserted and despised amid the splendid pomp and glitter of the world. The clashing of ecclesiastical systems, the jarring of sects, and the din of religious controversy, will no doubt drown the feeble voices of those who teach and proclaim the pure Gospel, the heavenly calling, and the church of our Lord.

But let the spiritual man who finds himself in the midst of all this sad and heart-breaking confusion remember the following simple principle: Every system of ecclesiastical discipline, and every system of prophetic interpretation, that in any way connects the Church with the world, or with things of the world, must, by its very nature, be contrary to the spirit and principles of the great mystery inspired by the Holy Spirit through the New Testament writers.

The New Testament church has no need of the world’s aid regarding order or discipline. Though man’s unbelief is rampant, still the Holy Spirit dwells in the Church, making earthly or human elements therein unnecessary. To bring such into the church of our Lord has the sad effect of grieving Him whose presence is the very light of true believers and the spring and power of ministry and discipline.

Regarding the Church’s hope: “we look for the Saviour,” and not for the accomplishment of any earthly event. Thank God, Christians are not taught to wait for the revelation of Antichrist, but for the appearing of the blessed Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us. Christians should understand that nothing of eternal value is on this earth, that we look for that moment when we go into the air to meet the Lord – when we take our trip home to be with Him forever. The world ridicules this idea; false teachers build up systems hostile to it, for the purpose of shaking our faith. But through grace we shall continue to “comfort one another” with the assurance that “the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.”⁴

We now close with the realization of how feebly and incoherently this Conclusion of Elijah – Servant of God has developed. At least a portion of what Elijah went through to restore Israel to God, and what the Apostle Paul went through to preach the Gospel of Christ, we should expect if we are, in fact, upholding and maintaining the church of our Lord as revealed in the inspired New Testament. The more we understand about the New Testament church the less effort we will seek formal, public names or earthly locations. In the view of the children of this world, Paul must have appeared a poor spectacle, though he was the great witness of the Church’s heavenly calling – so will all who maintain his principles and walk in his steps. Like our prophet Elijah, the Apostle Paul comforted his spirit with the thought that “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His”; knowing that even in the darkest of times there will always be a few who will “call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” In the midst of this world’s sorrowful scene, may we cast our lot among such, until we shall see Jesus as He is, and be made like Him forever.

Footnotes:
¹For more information on the church of our Lord see God’s Church in Contents.
²For more information on believing and accepting the Gospel see God’s Salvation in Contents.
³When we say the wilderness side of Jordan, we speak only of Jordan in reference to the prophet’s path. If we look at it in reference to the path of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, we learn a different truth. The serious student of God’s Word will understand both.
⁴For more information on the Lord’s second coming see Are You Ready? in Religion Library section of Contents.