2018 WT Message Twelve – Prophesying Reference

Crystallization-Study of Numbers

Week Twelve

Christ as the Center of God’s Move on the Earth

from His Incarnation through His Ascension

to His Second Coming

Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting

Reading the verses in each day.

Reading the main points in the outlines.

Pray-reading the verses:

And when the Ark set out, Moses said, Rise up, O Jehovah, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate You flee before You—Num. 10:35

Blessed be the Lord, who day by day loads us with good; God is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverance, and with Jehovah, the Lord are the goings forth even from death—Psa. 68:19-20

Word of Appetizer

Christ is the center of God’s move on the earth from His incarnation through His ascension to His second coming; how God guides and leads His people?

There is a difference between guidance and leading. The term guidance is used with respect to the cloud and the blowing of the trumpets, but concerning the Ark we have used the term leading. Guidance is general; leading is particular. The cloud and the trumpet guided the children of Israel in a general way. However, the Ark did not render a general guidance but a particular leading to the people. Thus, the Ark became the leader, taking the lead to find a resting place. Hence, the Christ who leads us into a resting place is the Christ of the covenant, the Christ of God’s faithfulness; He is the Leader, and He leads us to the proper place of rest on the long and rugged journey of the Christian life.

Spiritual Burden

Christ is the center of God’s move on the earth from His incarnation through His ascension to His second coming; God is still moving on this earth in and through the church, and He is moving with Christ as the unique Leader and center of the church.

Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting

The Revelation of the Truth

God’s guidance to His people in a general way was by the cloud and the two silver trumpets , whereas His leading of His people in a particular way was through the Ark, a type of the crucified and resurrected Christ in His ascension. Numbers 10:35-36 portrays a full view of God’s economy from Christ’s incarnation to be the Ark, the embodiment of the Triune God, through His ascension to His second coming.

Psalm 68 as an exposition of Numbers 10:35 and 36 reveals Christ as the center of God’s move on the earth.

Psalm 68 reveals God’s victory in Christ as the center, typified by the Ark; Christ’s ascension; Christ’s receiving the gifts; the building up of the dwelling place of God; the enjoyment of God in His house;the praising of God according to His New Testament economy; the spreading from the temple into the city of God; the gaining of the earth for God.

The Experience of Life

The crucified and resurrected Christ is the Leader, and He leads us to the proper place of rest on the long and rugged journey of the Christian life. The Christ who leads us into a resting place is the Christ of the covenant, the Christ of God’s faithfulness.

“Blessed be the Lord, who day by day loads us with good; / God is our salvation; the good here is the Triune God; “God is to us / A God of deliverance, / And with Jehovah the Lord / Are the goings forth even from death”—when we enjoy God as our saving life, we escape death; In God’s house we also enjoy His victory over the enemies. In God’s house we also enjoy His victory over the enemies.

Practice and Application

We need to praise God according to His New Testament economy. In the accomplishment of God’s redemption for His salvation by Christ and in the spreading of the glad tidings of Christ’s accomplishment with the beautiful words of the gospel.

“Bless God in the congregations, / Even Jehovah, O you who are of the fountain of Israel. / There are little Benjamin, who rules them, / And the princes of Judah in their company, / The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. / Your God has commanded your strength…”. We need to pray that God will strengthen that which He has done for us out of the church…Today what we need is the strengthening of this experience within us. This strengthening is in the temple.

Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline

Key Verses (1)

So they set out from the mountain of Jehovah three days’ journey, with the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah setting out before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. And the cloud of Jehovah was over them by day when they set out from the camp. And when the Ark set out, Moses said, Rise up, O Jehovah, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let those who hate You flee before You. And when it came to rest, he said, Return, O Jehovah, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel—Num. 10:33-34

God’s guidance to His people in a general way and in a particular way

Numbers 10:35 and 36 reveals Christ as the center of God’s move on the earth

I. God’s guidance to His people in a general way was by the cloud and the two silver trumpets, whereas His leading of His people in a particular way was through the Ark, a type of the crucified and resurrected Christ in His ascension.

The unique Leader of God’s people is not any man but is the crucified and resurrected Christ.
The leading of the Ark of the Covenant indicates that the leading of Christ is faithful, according to a covenant.

II. Moses’ word in verses 35 and 36 portrays a full view of God’s economy from Christ’s incarnation to be the Ark, the embodiment of the Triune God, through His ascension to His second coming.

Since the rising up in Numbers 10:35 refers to Christ’s rising up to the heavens in His ascension, the word return refer to the second coming of Christ.

III.Psalm 68 as an exposition of Numbers 10:35 and 36reveals Christ as the center of God’s move on the earth.

God’s move began after the rearing up of the tabernacle with the Ark, signifying Christ incarnated to be the dwelling place of God on the earth with Himself as the center for God’s move in His economy; God is still moving on this earth in and through the church, and He is moving with Christ as the center of the church.

Key Verses (2)

The Lord gives the command; the women who bear the glad tidings are a great host. The kings of the armies flee. They flee! And she who abides at home divides the spoil. Though you lie among the sheepfolds, there are dove wings covered with silver, and its pinions, with greenish-yellow gold—Psa. 68:11-13

Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountains, At the mountain on which God desires to dwell—Psa. 68:16

You have ascended on high; You have led captive those taken captive; You have received gifts among men, even the rebellious ones also…—Psa. 68:18

Psalm 68 reveals God’s victory in Christ as the center, typified by the Ark; Christ’s ascension; Christ’s receiving the gifts; the building up of the dwelling place of God;

IV. Psalm 68 reveals God’s victory in Christ as the center, typified by the Ark; “Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; / And let those who hate Him flee before Him”—wherever the Ark, a type of Christ, went, the victory was won. “There are dove wings covered with silver, / And its pinions, with greenish yellow gold”—this verse reveals four items among the spoil.

V. Psalm 68 reveals Christ’s ascension: “You have ascended on high”—this refers to the highest peak in the “You have led captive those taken captive”.

VI. Psalm 68 reveals Christ’s receiving the gifts: “You have received gifts among men, / Even the rebellious ones also”we have been captured by Christ, presented by Christ to the Father, and then given to Christ by the Father as gifts.

VII. Psalm 68 reveals the building up of the dwelling place of God: “That Jehovah God may dwell among them”—the gifts as the gifted persons, the believers in Christ, are built together to be the dwelling place for God; this dwelling place signifies the church, the Body of Christ. The “mountain on which God desires to dwell” is Mount Zion, the highest peak in the universe.

Key Verses (3)

Blessed be the Lord, who day by day loads us with good; God is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverance, and with Jehovah, the Lord are the goings forth even from death—Psa. 68:19-20

They have seen Your goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary: Singers go before; players after; in the midst of virgins sounding the tambourines—Psa. 68:24-25

There are little Benjamin, who rules them, And the princes of Judah in their company, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. Your God has commanded your strength; strengthen, O God, that which You have done for us. Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring a gift to You—Psa. 68:27-29

Psalm 68 reveals: the enjoyment of God in His house; s the praising of God according to His New
Testament economy; the spreading from the temple into the city of God; the gaining of the earth for God.

VIII. Psalm 68 reveals the enjoyment of God in His house; “Blessed be the Lord, who day by day loads us with good; / God is our salvation. Selah”—the good here is the Triune God—the dove wings covered with silver and its pinions covered with greenish-yellow, glittering gold.

IX. Psalm 68 reveals the praising of God according to His NewTestament economy; In the praise rendered to God by His elect, there is portrayed a scenery in typology concerning God’s New Testament economy in the accomplishment of God’s redemption for His salvation by Christ and in the spreading of the glad tidings of Christ’s accomplishment with the beautiful words of the gospel.

X. Psalm 68 reveals the spreading from the temple into the city of God: “Strengthen, O God, that which You have done for us. / Because of Your temple at Jerusalem”—following God’s strengthening of what He has done for His elect, the influence of the enjoyment of God in His house spreads to the entire city of Jerusalem.

XI. Psalm 68 reveals the gaining of the earth for God; The influence of the enjoyment of God will gain the whole earth for God.

Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week

T1. His leading of His people in a particular way was through the Ark (vv. 33-36), a type of Christ.(Num.10:33-36)

(Please explain that the unique Leader of God’s people is not any man but is the crucified and resurrected Christ.)

T2. God’s move in the tabernacle with the Ark as its center. (Num.10:33-36)

(Please explain that Moses’ word in verses 35 and 36 portrays a full view of God’s economy.)

T1. Psalm 68 is about God’s move within the tabernacle as His dwelling place with the Ark as the center. (Psa. 68:1; Num.10:35)

(Please explain that the tabernacle with the Ark traveled among the children of Israel for forty years until it arrived at Zion.)

T2. The principle of God’s move on earth. God’s move is in man and through man. (John 1:14)

(Concerning God’s move on earth, which three points do we must be clear?)

T1. “Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; / And let those who hate Him flee before Him”.(Psa. 68:1)

(Please explain that wherever the Ark, a type of Christ, went, the victory was won.)

T2. “There are dove wings covered with silver, / And its pinions, with greenish-yellow gold”.(Psa. 68:13b)

(This verse reveals four items among the spoil: what are they actually? )

T1. Psalm 68 reveals Christ’s ascension and Christ’s receiving the gifts. (Psa. 68:18; 2 Cor. 2:12-14)

(Please explain that in Christ’s ascension, we have been captured by Christ, presented by Christ to the Father, and then given to Christ by the Father as gifts.)

T2. Psalm 68 reveals the building up of the dwelling place of God. (Psa. 68:18b; Eph. 4:12)

(Please explain that the gifts received by Christ are for its building up.)

T1. Psalm 68 reveals the enjoyment of God in His house.(Psa. 68:19-23)

(what is this “good” with which God is loading us every day?)

T2. Psalm 68 reveals the praising of God according to His New Testament economy.(Psa. 68:24-28)

(Please explain what was the scenery in typology which portrayed in the praise rendered to God by His elect.)

T1. Psalm 68 reveals the spreading from the temple into the city of God.(Psa. 68:28b-29a; Eph. 3:16-17a)

(Please explain that the house of God signifies the local church, and the city of Jerusalem signifies the kingdom, the strengthening and safeguard of the church. )

T2. Psalm 68 reveals the gaining of the earth for God. (Psa. 68:29b-31; Matt. 19:28)

(Please explain that the influence of the enjoyment of God will gain the whole earth for God.)