"The Rights of God" # 33

The Victory Over the Powers of Darkness (continued)

From Bethel the Road Leads to Jericho (continued)

We know that Elisha represents the assembly in the power of His resurrection. He is connected to his master whom he saw ascending to heaven, from whom he received a double portion to do greater works than him. The same with the church. The Lord has said: "Greater works than these shall he (you) do; because I go unto the Father" (John 14:12). With the coming of the Holy Spirit the chariots of Israel and its horsemen have, metaphorically speaking, returned. That means that the victory has come to us. We stand in victory over the enemy. Even if we are still in the battle, we know that the victory has already been won. Therefore we do not fight to win; we fight IN victory, because we stand in victory. Our fight is nothing else but a holding fast in trust to Him Who has said: "I have given you the land," and whose Word confirms to us that he has blessed us with all blessings in the heavenlies.

We hear no sound of battle at Jericho. We see no use of fleshly powers. Jericho is encircled, persistently, full of faith, and then in the motion the trumpets announce the victory. Is not all our trying hard a sign that we still doubt that the victory has been given to us, that we think we still have to obtain it? It is all a matter of faith, a matter of trust, our holding fast to His Word. John says: "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).

Let us consider something important. At the end of the road lies the Jordan. That is both the end of  Elijah's life and the beginning of the public ministry of Elisha. Because of this the Jordan receives a special meaning for both of them. Before Elijah can ascend, he has to Cross the Jordan. The Jordan must first be overcome. Elijah took his mantle and folded it. Figuratively speaking he gathers together all power and with this gathering of his powers he divides the  Jordan. Figuratively he overcomes death. Elijah breaks through that which divides the heavenly from the earthly. He breaks the enormous obstacle that can only be broken in the power of the life of God: death. Elijah has to break the power of death before he can enter heavenly fullness. The crossing of the Jordan was, figuratively speaking, the victory of death. All this points to our Lord Jesus Christ. All this takes us to the Letter to the Ephesians: "He has made us alive together with Him, and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies" (Ephesians 2:5, 6). And further: "...that ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might which he wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion" (Ephesians 1:19-21).

This is our position now because Christ holds the victory over death in His hands. In Him death has been overcome. "I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades" (Revelation 1:18). This means" "I have the power over death." This is what must become clear to us through Elijah. His last work here on earth was, figuratively speaking, the overcoming of the power of death. Through the parting of the water he tore up death, so After the victory over the power of death, however, he ascended in a whirlwind to glory.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 34)