Scripture Reading: Deut. 8:9; 33:25; Jer. 15:12; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; Dan. 10:6d; Rev. 12:5; 1:15a
Ⅰ
The stones, the iron, the mountains, and the copper are for the building and for the battle—Deut. 8:9; Neh. 4:17:
A
The building and the battle always go together; if we would have the building, we must be prepared to fight—Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:21-22; 4:16; 6:10-20.
B
For the building we need the materials, and for the battle we need the weapons; these depend upon the stones, the iron, the mountains, and the copper.
Ⅱ
We need to experience Christ as a land whose stones are iron—Deut. 8:9c; 33:15; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; Jer. 15:12; Psa. 2:9; Rev. 12:5:
A
Christ is a stone for God's building; this means that Christ is the material for God's building and that God's building is entirely of Christ—Acts 4:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:4-5:
１
In the Bible stone is a major item—Gen. 28:18; Zech. 3:9; 1 Pet. 2:4-5:
ａ
God created a man of clay; hence, the first man was a clay-man—Gen. 2:7.
ｂ
In Christ God Himself came to be a man, and this man was a stone-man—Acts 4:10-12.
ｃ
At the end of the Bible, we have a stone-city—Rev. 21:10-11, 18a, 19-20.
ｄ
The Bible begins with a clay-man, continues with a stone-man, and consummates in a stone-city; this is God's economy.
２
Christ as a stone for God's building is the One in whom we are saved; He is the Stone-Savior—solid, strong, and reliable—Acts 4:10-12.
３
Both Christ and His believers are stones for God's building—Matt. 21:42; John 1:42; 1 Pet. 2:4-5:
ａ
In Christ and through Christ we are becoming living stones to be built up as a spiritual house—v. 5.
ｂ
We are undergoing the process of transformation so that Christ, the living stone, may be constituted into us to make us living stones for God's house—Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18.
B
Iron signifies the authority of Christ—Psa. 2:9; Rev. 12:5; Matt. 28:18:
１
Spiritual authority is always in resurrection; therefore, in order to have authority we must be in the resurrection life of Christ—Rom. 6:4-5:
ａ
If we walk in the resurrection life of Christ, we will have the right to claim His authority—1 Cor. 5:3-5; 1 Tim. 1:20.
ｂ
When we are stones living in Christ, we automatically share the authority of Christ.
ｃ
The authority of the church is absolutely in resurrection; the authority of the church is where the saints know what it means to be crucified with Christ and to live in resurrection—Matt. 18:18-20; Gal. 2:20.
２
If we are able to exercise the authority of Christ, we will have safety and security—Deut. 33:25.
Ⅲ
We need to experience Christ as a land from whose mountains we can mine copper—Deut. 8:9d; Ezek. 34:13; 37:22; 1 Sam. 17:4-5; Dan. 10:6d; Rev. 1:15a:
A
In the Bible mountains signify resurrection and ascension—Matt. 28:16:
１
The mountains in the good land typify the resurrected and ascended Christ—Ezek. 34:13; 37:22.
２
As the One who has resurrected and ascended on high, Christ is the high mountain—Acts 2:32-33; Eph. 1:19-20; 4:8, 10.
３
In the ascended Christ we may engage in spiritual warfare, for in Christ's ascension there are the peaks of reality (Amana), victory (Senir), and the destruction of the enemy (Hermon)—Eph. 2:6; 6:10-20; S. S. 4:8.
B
Copper (bronze) signifies the judgment of Christ—Deut. 8:9d; Dan. 10:6d; Rev. 1:15a:
１
Christ's gleam in His work and move is signified by His arms and His feet being like the gleam of polished bronze—Dan. 10:6d:
ａ
Bronze signifies God's judgment, which makes people bright.
ｂ
Christ was judged and tried by God, and God's trial and judgment made Christ bright like polished bronze.
２
The feet of Christ are like shining bronze, signifying that His perfect and bright walk qualifies Him to exercise divine judgment—Rev. 1:15a.
３
To apply Christ as the copper (bronze) is to realize that He is the perfect One, the shining One, the One who has been tested and proved—Eph. 6:11:
ａ
Christ, the tested and proved One, the perfect, bright, and shining One, is our covering; the enemy can do nothing with Him—John 14:30.
ｂ
We need to apply Christ as our covering—Eph. 6:13; cf. 1 Sam. 17:5-6:
⑴
The breastplate of righteousness covers our conscience and guards us from Satan's accusations; this breastplate is Christ as our righteousness—Eph. 6:14b; 1 Cor. 1:30.
⑵
The helmet of salvation for covering our mind is the saving Christ we experience in our daily life—Eph. 6:17a; 1 Thes. 5:8; John 16:33.
Ⅳ
If we would experience Christ as stone, iron, and copper, we must have some degree of spiritual maturity; wherever there is a matured life in Christians, the building of God's house will take place, and the battles of spiritual warfare will be fought—Heb. 5:14; 6:1; 1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:13.