Scripture Reading: Dan. 10:4-9
Ⅰ
In the vision of the spiritual scene behind the physical situation, the excellent Christ, the centrality and universality of God's move, is preeminent; hence, He is revealed first—10:4-9:
A
The excellent Christ appeared as a man to Daniel for his appreciation, consolation, encouragement, expectation, and stabilization; this man was not only Jehovah but Jehovah becoming a man—v. 5a.
B
The excellent Christ who appeared to Daniel has many wonderful characteristics:
１
Christ appeared as a Priest in His humanity, signified by the linen robe, to care for His chosen people in their captivity—v. 5b; Exo. 28:31-35.
２
Christ appeared in His kingship in His divinity, signified by the girdle of gold, for ruling over all the peoples—Dan. 10:5c.
３
For His people's appreciation, Christ appeared in His preciousness and dignity, as signified by His body being like beryl; the Hebrew word for beryl could refer to a bluish-green or yellow precious stone, signifying that Christ in His embodiment is divine (yellow), full of life (green), and heavenly (blue)—v. 6a.
４
Christ appeared in His brightness for shining over the people, as signified by His face being like the appearance of lightning, and in His enlightening sight for searching and judging, as signified by His eyes being like torches of fire—v. 6b-c.
５
Christ appeared in the gleam of His work and move, as signified by His arms and His feet being like the gleam of polished bronze—v. 6d.
６
Christ appeared in His strong speaking for judging people, as signified by the sound of His words being like the sound of a multitude—v. 6e.
７
As a man, such a Christ is precious, valuable, complete, and perfect—cf. Rev. 1:13-16.
Ⅱ
God's intention in His administration is to give Christ the preeminence in all things, to cause Christ to have the first place in everything—Col. 1:18:
A
Christ has the first place, the preeminence, in God's economy—v. 18; Eph. 1:10:
１
The precious, preeminent Christ is the centrality and universality, the center and circumference, of God's economy—Col. 1:15-27; Eph. 1:10.
２
In God's economy Christ is everything; God wants Christ and Christ alone—Matt. 17:5; Col. 3:10-11.
３
God's intention in His economy is to work Christ into our being so that we may become the corporate expression of the Triune God—vv. 4, 10-11.
B
Christ is preeminent in the triune Godhead; the first, the Father, exalts the Son, and the third, the Spirit, testifies concerning the Son—Phil. 2:9; John 15:26.
C
Christ is preeminent in God's exaltation of Him—Acts 2:33a; Eph. 1:22.
D
The entire world situation is under the rule of the heavens by the God of the heavens to match His economy for Christ—Dan. 7:9-10; 4:34-35:
１
In His economy, in His plan with His arrangement, God desires to make Christ the centrality and universality of His move on earth—2:34-35.
２
In 2:35 the stone refers to Christ as the centrality, and the mountain refers to Christ as the universality.
E
Christ must have the first place, the preeminence, in our personal universe— Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:31:
１
For Christ to have the preeminence in all things, God needs a people; apart from God's having a people, there is no way for Christ to be made preeminent—Eph. 3:21; 1 Tim. 3:15.
２
Today Christ, the preeminent One, must be the centrality and universality in our church life, family life, and daily life—Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:31.
３
Under His heavenly rule, God is using the environment to make Christ the centrality (the first) and the universality (everything) to us—Rom. 8:28.
F
In order to give Christ the preeminence, we must be willing to be adjusted, to be broken, to be made nothing, so that the Lord can have a way in us, through us, and among us for the building up of His organic Body—Col. 1:18; 2:19.
G
Christ must have the preeminence in our love—Rev. 2:4:
１
To love the Lord with the first love is to give Him the preeminence, the first place in all things—Col. 1:18.
２
Our love for the Lord must be absolute; we should not love anyone or anything more than Him—Matt. 10:37-39; Acts 20:24; Rev. 12:11.
３
To love the Lord is to appreciate Him, to direct our being toward Him, to open to Him, to enjoy Him, to give Him the first place, to be one with Him, to live Him, and to become Him—Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 12:30.
H
Christ must have the preeminence in our tripartite being—Col. 3:4, 11, 15.
I
Christ must have the preeminence in our spiritual experience and human living—1:27-28; 2:6-8, 13, 19-20; 3:17—4:1.
J
Christ must have the preeminence in the church as the Body of Christ and the one new man—1:18a, 24; 2:19; 3:5-11, 15a; 4:15-17.
K
If we have a vision of the preeminence of Christ, our living and our church life will be revolutionized, for we will realize that in all things Christ must have the first place—1:18.