I have been reading the space trilogy by C.S. Lewis, currently in “This Hideous Strength”. It is an interesting story about an organization (named N.I.C.E.) that desired to purchase an unused portion of land in the middle of Bracton College. They wanted to clear it out and build something useful in its place to help society. Without giving too much detail, rather than building up the property to assist mankind they had an agenda to replace the town itself using less than desirable methods, mainly through violence and intimidation.
One of the main characters, Mark, was offered a position there and was encouraged to visit their facilities to find out more about the organization. In one scene in chapter 4, he met up with one of the ‘Spiritual Leaders', Reverend Straik. Straik gave quite a speech connecting the work of the Church with their mission at N.I.C.E. He proclaimed that that the “Kingdom of God” is coming not by Theology or Humanism, but in a different way:
“For, mark my words, this thing is going to happen. The Kingdom is going to arrive: in this world; in this country. The powers of science are an instrument. An irresistible instrument, as all of us in the N.I.C.E. know...because they are an instrument in His hand. An instrument of judgement as well as of healing.”
Well, the Kingdom was coming, through death and destruction of this world and the suffering of others to be forced into the new Kingdom under the leadership of N.I.C.E. You can see that the mission of the organization heavily resembles the mission of the Nazis during WW2. I can’t wait to see how the book ends. :)
I read these words just after writing my last post, so I felt God was bringing the Kingdom into my mind for another lesson. I kind of expected this phrase in scripture, but not in a fictional tale. Pondering Reverend Straik's words (or C.S. Lewis', I should say) brought several questions to mind. How do we see the Kingdom of God coming into this world? What does the Kingdom of God really look like? How can we tell if we (or the people we follow) are actually bringing about the Kingdom of God in the right way?
Like most questions, the best way to answer is to define terms first. If we are to reflect the Kingdom of God in this world, the first question we need to answer is "What does the true Kingdom look like?" In other words, where can we find examples in scripture of the Kingdom that we are supposed to be ambassadors of? It is similar to being an Ambassador to Guam, but never even looking up the culture, or even where that country is.
Well, there are only a few places I can think of where the Kingdom is mentioned or reflected in the Bible. These are places where people met with God personally. There is the Garden of Eden, the Temple, visions from the Prophets, and in Revelation where God establishes a new heaven and new earth. Each account gives us a picture of what it would look like to be in a place where God's presence and reign is fully seen.
Each of these parts, and the steps to enter them, are filled with meaning. The sacrifice was to declare our continual need for atonement, the Laver is for cleansing because of God’s holiness, the showbread represents that God provides for His people, the incense represented our continual prayers to God, the lampstand represents that God is our light. Each component points to God, His provision, His holiness, His mercy (and filled with Garden of Eden imagery).
We have been through two of the representations of God’s Kingdom, where God meets His people. What have we learned so far? Everything has meaning that points to God. Everything! In any place where God resides, everything around Him points to God Himself and His story of redemption. The same is seen in visions that the Prophets and Apostles experience when they see God. Not only are the creatures in Heaven constantly worship God, but even the descriptions of the creatures point to God and His story (Isaiah 6, all of Revelation).
Let’s take the Garden of Eden starting in Genesis chapter 2. What are facts that can be drawn out from scripture about what the garden was like? We can say it was planted by God (8a) in the land of Eden (literally Pleasure). It was created for us to live (8b) work/keep it (15). Everything was provided for by God (6, 9), including companionship (18-24), as well as the tree of life (9). Most of all it was a place where God walked among us, even speaking directly to us (3:8).
We do not have that much information about the Garden (probably for a reason), only chapter or so. Our rebellion destroyed the relationship pretty quick in Chapter 3. So we were cast out into an alien world to sow in the thorns of sin. Where God once provided, we must toil in our brokenness yearning to be restored. But the garden was something that was important, a place where the story of redemption began and God promises to bring His people back to Him again.
Fast forward into Exodus.
After God freed His people from bondage in Egypt, Moses approached the mountain in Sinai in order to meet with God (Ex 19). Through smoke and power Moses was a witness to the proclamations of God, and the stubbornness of His people. It was after the second set of tablets were formed that Moses, now veiled because of his encounter with God, began relaying what the Tabernacle itself would look like. This was to become the meeting place where His people could be in the presence of God (Ex 40:34-35).
The tabernacle was split into three areas, the Outer Court, Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Each of the areas were separated by veils. These veils shielded Gods people from seeing the full glory of God, just like the veil that Moses put on by request of those who saw him, They were blinded by even seeing God's second-hand glory.
We do not have that much information about the Garden (probably for a reason), only chapter or so. Our rebellion destroyed the relationship pretty quick in Chapter 3. So we were cast out into an alien world to sow in the thorns of sin. Where God once provided, we must toil in our brokenness yearning to be restored. But the garden was something that was important, a place where the story of redemption began and God promises to bring His people back to Him again.
Fast forward into Exodus.
After God freed His people from bondage in Egypt, Moses approached the mountain in Sinai in order to meet with God (Ex 19). Through smoke and power Moses was a witness to the proclamations of God, and the stubbornness of His people. It was after the second set of tablets were formed that Moses, now veiled because of his encounter with God, began relaying what the Tabernacle itself would look like. This was to become the meeting place where His people could be in the presence of God (Ex 40:34-35).
The tabernacle was split into three areas, the Outer Court, Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Each of the areas were separated by veils. These veils shielded Gods people from seeing the full glory of God, just like the veil that Moses put on by request of those who saw him, They were blinded by even seeing God's second-hand glory.
To enter the first veiled area you had to be set apart through appointment (priests), and can enter only after sacrificing for the priests' sins and the sins of Israel on the Altar (Ex 27:1), as well as cleanse themselves of impurities in the Laver (Ex 30:18). The first room held the Lampstand (Ex 25:31), the Table of Showbread (Ex 25:23), and the Altar of Incense (Ex 30:1). The Inner Court can only be entered by the high priest, where the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 25:10) and Mercy Seat (Ex 25:17) were displayed, where they met with God.
Each of these parts, and the steps to enter them, are filled with meaning. The sacrifice was to declare our continual need for atonement, the Laver is for cleansing because of God’s holiness, the showbread represents that God provides for His people, the incense represented our continual prayers to God, the lampstand represents that God is our light. Each component points to God, His provision, His holiness, His mercy (and filled with Garden of Eden imagery).
We have been through two of the representations of God’s Kingdom, where God meets His people. What have we learned so far? Everything has meaning that points to God. Everything! In any place where God resides, everything around Him points to God Himself and His story of redemption. The same is seen in visions that the Prophets and Apostles experience when they see God. Not only are the creatures in Heaven constantly worship God, but even the descriptions of the creatures point to God and His story (Isaiah 6, all of Revelation).
Because of this, the closer we get to His Kingdom the more we also see the sin in our own heart. When Adam and Eve was approached by God, they hide in fear. As the priest approaches the Tabernacle, God required sacrifices covering your sin, and the sin of the people, with blood or grain. Without sacrifice to cover your sin before entering God's Tabernacle the high priest would die (Ex 28:35). Even when in visions of approaching God's throne, all they can say is
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” - Isa 6:5
So why is this important? Because we are also a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). God dwells in us! And what happens when something or someone is inhabited by the presence of God? They cannot help to repent, worship, and point to the true Master (John 4:23-24). There is nothing more precious, more beautiful, or beyond comprehension than our God. When He is near, then that is where our attention will be. We are transformed! Not transformed by the world, but by God's presence.
We see our sin for what it is, and we see God for who He is.
Because of Christ's sacrifice, and not the sacrifice of bulls and goats (Heb 10:4), the veil was torn. The barrier between God and us was broken and we can approach the throne of Grace with boldness (Heb 4:16). We are free because the sin that separates us is gone. We are not free to do what we want, but to worship the living God (John 3). But only those who have submitted (repented) and believed in the one who died so that we may live. Anyone outside of the veil is still in sin and unable to approach God (2 Cor 3:16).
But reality is a harsh mistress. What we see from His people, for the most part, does not reflect God's vision for His Kingdom but the world's. This world tugs at our hearts every which way by our flesh and the evil one, trying to transform images that were supposed to point to God into idols that take from His glory. In the end, God wins, that is for sure. But in the battle we can loose site of what it really means to reflect His Kingdom in this foreign land.
So the question still remain. What does it really look like to reflect the Kingdom of God in a place that is so defiant against it? I guess that is the question I will try to answer (to myself) in the next post. :)
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