Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 7:12-14a; Matt. 12:42; 16:18; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 3:16-19
Ⅰ
Second Samuel 7:12-14a conveys a great prophecy, but this prophecy is unveiled through typology; it is a prophecy in typology—Matt. 1:1; 16:18.
Ⅱ
Solomon's building of the temple was according to the promise given to David—2 Sam. 7:12-13; 1 Kings 5:5:
A
In building a house for the Lord's name, Solomon did everything according to his father David's instructions and arrangement.
B
The temple was built on the ground of Mount Zion, which was called Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac and David offered his sacrifice to Jehovah—Gen. 22:2; 1 Chron. 21:18—22:1; 2 Chron. 3:1.
C
Solomon built the temple according to his father King David's charge— 1 Chron. 22:6-11.
D
Solomon built the temple with the materials prepared by his father David— vv. 14-16.
E
Solomon built the temple according to God's design given to David—28:11-19.
Ⅲ
"Behold, something more than Solomon is here"—Matt. 12:42:
A
God gave Solomon wisdom, understanding, and largeness of heart; Solomon's wisdom was greater than all the wisdom of Egypt—1 Kings 4:29-30:
１
Christ, as the Son of David to be the King, is greater than Solomon; He is the real Solomon speaking the word of wisdom—3:12, 28; 5:12; 10:23-24.
２
Wisdom is Christ—1 Cor. 1:24, 30; 2:6-7; cf. 1:20-22; 2:4-5, 13; 3:19; 2 Sam. 15:31; 16:23; James 1:5; 3:13-17:
ａ
Whatever Christ did was done by the wisdom of God, which is Himself.
ｂ
This wisdom was justified, vindicated, by His wise works, His wise deeds—Matt. 11:19b.
３
While Christ builds the church, He speaks the word of wisdom—16:18.
４
The entire New Testament is a word of wisdom spoken by Christ per-sonally and corporately—Heb. 1:1-2; 1 Cor. 12:12.
５
Christ is wisdom to us from God; this indicates that there is a transmission of Christ as wisdom from God to us in our experience—1:30.
６
We must not destroy the temple of God by trying to build the church with fleshly wisdom, which will be brought to nought—3:17-20; 2:6; 1:19; 2 Cor. 1:12; Num. 13:22b; Isa. 19:11, 13.
７
When the church is built up in Christ and with Christ, God can put His enemy to shame, for then God has the ground to make His multifarious wisdom known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenlies—Eph. 3:10.
B
"It is he who will build a house for My name"—2 Sam. 7:13a:
１
Christ is the One who builds the church as God's house, God's temple in reality—Matt. 16:18; 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:21.
２
The building up of the church as the Body of Christ and the house of God is by the building of God into man and man into God, that is, by the constituting of the divine element into the human element and the human element into the divine element—John 14:20; 15:4.
３
The building of the church is by Christ's making His home deep down in our heart, that is, by His building Himself into us, making our heart, our intrinsic constitution, His home—Eph. 3:17a:
ａ
We need God to build Christ into our intrinsic constitution so that our entire being will be reconstituted with Christ.
ｂ
Christ builds the church by building Himself into us, that is, by entering into our spirit and spreading Himself from our spirit into our mind, emotion, and will to occupy our entire being—v. 17a.
ｃ
Since our heart is the totality of our inward parts, the center of our inward being, and our representative with regard to our inclination, affection, delight, and desire, when Christ makes His home in our heart, He controls our entire inward being and supplies and strength-ens every inward part with Himself.
４
When Christ makes His home in our heart, we will be filled unto all the fullness of God; this fullness is the church, the Body of Christ, as the corporate expression of the Triune God—v. 19.
５
If we let Christ make His home in our heart, we will be filled with the Triune God to such an extent that we will become His full expression.
６
The genuine church life is the issue of Christ's personally making His home in our heart—v. 17a; 4:16:
ａ
The content of the church is the Christ who is wrought into our being.
ｂ
The reality of the Body life is the inner experience of the indwelling Christ; thus, if we would have the reality of the Body of Christ, we must allow Christ to make His home in our heart—v. 16.
７
When Christ is able to make His home in our heart, occupying all the inward parts of our being, we will be able to be built up with all the saints—2:21-22.
８
In order for Christ's word in Matthew 16:18 concerning the building up of the church to be fulfilled, the church must enter into a state where many saints will allow Christ to make His home deep in their heart, possessing, occupying, and saturating their entire inner being.