West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-11-17
JERUSALEM ABOVE.
The Golden City - The Capital OF the
Great King.

Jerusalem. Heb. Ia:ss.
Word pictures which imply so much and
can be so briefly expressed are used in con-
neeiion with pll the affairs Of life and abound
m Scriptures; to its writer's all nature was
magazine of symbols.
The Apostle uses one of these in our text
in speaking of the future state Of the Church.
The same symbol is Of frequent reference as
Jerusalem which is above, which is the
mother of us all" aud as 'the city which
hath foundations" Our Lord speaks of Il
as '1he city of my God, which is the New
Jerusalem;" and again II is described as
'pha Holy City, New Jerusalem coming
down from God out of Heaven"
The mind that thinks only OF a city as
having walls and gates, OF buildings aud
business. is wholly uuprepared to grasp the
meaning of this symbolieal city. To all
such It is quite hidden though they read the
Scriptures over and over. The Scriptures
are 'foolishness" to those for whom they
are not Intended. Our Lord explains: "That
seeing, they might see and not perceive; and
hearing, they might hear and not under
stand"
The New Jerusalem represents the mllen-
NAL kingdom, primarily the kingdom class,
called in Scripture royal priesthood II
has been under construction for more than
1900 years, for we are specifically told that
tis the "Brde, the Lambs wife," hence 1t
dates from the Penleeostal ouipouring of the
Holy Spirit adopting the waiting believers
aud constituting them the nucleus of the
gospel church. There the handful of Jews
who had believed unto Jesus aud consecra,ed
their lives to follew in His footsteps became
'liying stones" to be fitted, shaped, polish.
ed aud prepared for places in "the Holy
City" The walls OF this city aud its stones
are as symbolieal as the city as a whole.
There we're II foundations to the city which
represented the II Apostles and from that
day to the present other "living stones"
have been in process of preparation and are
now beng gathered in the glorious union
and completeness of the first resurrection.
Ancient cities were less commercial
metropolis and centre of business than now,
as business was then carried on largely 10y
travelling merchants, caravans, etc. The
cities were walled and provsioned and be-
came forlresses TO which the people nigh,
flee for protection from foes. They chiefly
stood for government and protection. This
picture of city ruling is maintained through.
out the Scriptures, as in Revelation we read
OF Babylon 'fhe great city that reigneth over
the kings of the earth" The reference is
symbolic but carries in the symbol the
quality of government, rule. This mystic
Babylon is still largely ruling aud is destined
to have a still more arbitrary control in the
near future. 1t claims to be the golden city
of our text "Chrislendom."
The capital city of nation really stands
for that nation The whole plan Of Script.
ure Is laid out with reference to the coming
OF this new government. The New Jerusa-
lem which is to have full control Of all the
affairs Of the world "under the whole
heavens" for the purpose of establishing
righteousness in the earth
"'ANaN NNeHRAhy VI uaAutal lhItGi was
prehguraIve Of Spiritual Israel; the capital
e''y was the centre Of worship and govern.
menI; the New Jerusalem is the grand anti.
type and will be the ceire Of the ruling and
blessing and uplifting influences Of the glori-
fed Church 10 the future.
Mount Zion was in part Of Jerusalem
aud additionally represents kingdom power
and both natural and spiritual Israel have
come to be known as the Lords Zion, The
klngdom proper. Natural Israel tailed to
Inherit the Kingdom blessings but 'fhe
eirciion hath attained it." The acceptable
ones Of he Jewish nation became the nucleus
Of this spiritual Zion, and the faithful
people Of God from every nation, kindred
and tongue, have since been gathered during
this gospel sge to complete this Kingdom of
Zion.
In our text and context the Apostle
mentally carries US back to Mount Sinai,
drawiug our attention to the parallelism be.
tween The two Zions, where God revealed
Himself TO natural Israel aud made cove
naut with that people through Moses as The
Mediator We arc shown the Israelhes
coming out Of the bondage Of Egypt and
journeying towards Mount Sinai, inspired
by the hope Of the great privilege Of being
Gods peculiar people and Of entering the
covenant relation with Him at Mount Sinai
The people were not all AT the Mount; some
we're near, some more distant. The Mount
itself was closely guarded lest any should
touch b., ss indicating ils absolute sacred.
ness The Apostle wildly pictures the ERE,
the smoke, The trembling mountain; the
voice of Cod which to the people sounded
like ihnndef; Moses fearing and quaking,
yet at ihe command Of God going up into
ibe mountain, where be received the Law
which, on coming down. he presented To the
people, binding them under covenant
relationship 10 keep IL and evdencing the
completion of the covenant by the Staying
Of en- animal, which represented Himself
the Mediator--the blood Of whicn was
spdnkled upon the tables - the Law. IS
representing that it bound God 20 the en-
gagement, and spunkled upon the people as
indicating they we're ell bound also 60 the
agreement. The result of that covenant was
ultimately the Jerusalem of The Apostles
day, the multiiudinous nation Of Israel
under divine cure for centuries.
Having given this general picture. the
Apostle contrasts The conditions of the
Church, The spiritual Israeli,es IN his day
with those Of The natural Isrselites Of
previous times saying that We have ap.
preached something better, something