When the Sealed Tomb is Opened

2007-01-13 21:42

"Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion." (Isaiah 8:16-18).

"Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me." These words are said again: "Here am I, and the children God has given me." (Hebrews 2:13). It testifies that the writing of the prophet and the writing of the apostle are one.

"Bind up the testimony and seal up the law." These words mean that the Word became flesh and died, and the dead body was bound in the linen and was placed in a tomb cut out of rock, and the entrance of the tomb was sealed with a stone. The head is the testimony, and the body is the law that produces love.

Those who waited for and hoped in God who would raise the dead body! At dawn, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to look at the tomb! She saw that the sealed tomb was opened, and she went and told it to the disciples! The two disciples who heard it ran through the darkness to the tomb! Those who looked for the living among the dead! They are us.

However, as the marriage of the Lamb has come, God has loosed the testimony and has rolled back the stone from the firmly sealed tomb and at last has raised us with Christ, who died with Jesus. It is written, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:7). And also, "who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:6).

A half shekel is the atonement money which makes atonement for life! Two half shekels can become one shekel only if they are united together! It is a mystery that the head and the body are united together and become one: "'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:31-32). God raised not only Christ (the head) but also the body (the church) so that they would become one. This is a mystery! God raised not only Jesus but also us from the tomb.

It is written, "as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen." (John 20:7). And also, "and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot." (John 20:12).

If God had raised only one, not two united together, it should have been that the burial cloth that had been around the head and the linen that had been around the body were folded together in a place and that only one angel in white was there.

However, testifying about the empty tomb, the Bible clearly showed that not only Christ the head but also the body, the saints who belong to him, were raised.

The Bible says about it, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." (Colossians 2:13). And also, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1).

The world of faith is the world of spirit. There are no time and space in faith. That time is this time, and that place is this place. Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, is the same yesterday and today and forever. It is written, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8).

We can find it out from the letter that was sent to the Galatian churches, "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." (Galatians 3:1). Faith is all about now.

Therefore, the resurrection at that time on that day is the resurrection at this time on this day. It is written, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'" (Romans 1:17). And therefore, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." (Hebrews 11:1-2). Amen. Thank you, Lord.