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I believe that we have all been deeply impressed with these four words: Christ, house, city, earth. Let us forget about the negative one, the law. We must always remember God’s Christ, the house of God, the city of God, and the earth. We have seen clearly that the entire book of the Psalms just covers these main points in a wonderful sequence. We have also seen that the picture given to us by the book of Psalms is exactly the same as that portrayed by the entire Bible. The whole Bible reveals only Christ, then the church, and then the reigning of Christ over the whole earth with the New Jerusalem as the center.
Let us consider now all the main aspects of Christ in the Psalms:
The main psalms concerning Christ: Psa. 2, 8, 16, 22, 23, 24, 45, 68, 80, 91, 110, 118
These are just the main aspects; there are many details which could be filled in. It is clear that through the Psalms we can know Christ much better than through the New Testament.
Now we must go on from Christ to the house. Here we are confronted with a problem. Prior to the last century, before the so-called Brethren in England were raised up, the Old Testament verses concerning the temple and the city were misused in Christianity. The common teaching was that the temple and the city were the church itself. That, of course, was a wrong application. Then the Brethren came forth and received much light upon the Scriptures. They pointed out that to say the temple and the city are the church is wrong. The church is the church; the temple of ancient times was the temple, not the church, they asserted. Using the book of Ephesians, they showed that the church was a hidden mystery in the Old Testament. Christians before the last century had gone to one extreme: they said that the temple and city of ancient times were the church. But then the Brethren went to the other extreme, saying that the temple and the city had nothing to do with the church. They did not see so clearly that the temple and the city were both types of the church. Today we have been brought by the Lord to such a point of revelation. We now see that the temple, the house, or the city were indeed not the church but types of the church. Similarly, we do not say that the passover lamb and the manna were Christ, but that they are types of Christ.
How may we prove that the building up of the temple and the city in the Old Testament are types of the building up of the church? It is important that we have a strong basis and proof for this in order to substantiate our position that the building up of the temple and city are types of the building up of God’s house today. We have such proof in Psalm 68:18: “You have ascended on high; You have led captive those taken captive; / You have received gifts among men, / Even the rebellious ones also, / That Jehovah God may dwell among them.” The key is in the last part of this verse: “That Jehovah God may dwell among them.” The purpose of Christ’s ascending on high and receiving gifts was that the dwelling place of God might be built up. Surely, according to Psalm 68:18, this refers to the building up of the temple. We all know this, and we all agree with this. But Paul the apostle quoted this very verse in reference to the church: “Therefore the Scripture says, ‘Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave gifts to men’...And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ” (Eph. 4:8, 11-12). When we put these two passages in Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 together, we have strong proof that the building up of the temple in ancient times was a type of the building up of the church today. This is the ground we have in saying that the temple and the city are types of the church. We do have the basis for saying that all the verses in the Psalms concerning the temple, the house, and the city are verses which typify the building up of the church.
Now let us see something concerning the aspects of the church as God’s house in the Psalms. This is a deeper matter. In all the psalms we have Christ revealed, prophesied, and mentioned in so many aspects; now in all the psalms we also have the house, that is, the type of one aspect of the church. In many instances the Psalms do not specifically mention the house, but instead they refer to Zion or the holy mountain. These terms refer to the site, or the ground, upon which the temple was built. When we speak of God’s house, we must make mention of the house principally as God’s dwelling and the place of His presence, beauty, glory, and riches. We must also refer to its ground and its foundation. Now let us list these aspects and others as well together with their references. We could add many more aspects than are shown here, but these are sufficient to indicate that nearly every spiritual blessing is related to the house of God.
The main psalms concerning the house: Psalms 27, 36, 68, 84, 92, 122, 132, 150
We have seen the aspects of Christ and the church as the house in the Psalms; now let us consider the aspects of the church as the city. These are even more wonderful.
The main psalms concerning the city: Psalms 46, 48, 68, 87, 122, 126, 132, 133, 134, 137, 146, 147, 149
When we put all these verses together, we see how wonderful this city is. Comparing the aspects of the city with the aspects of the house, we see the difference. The main aspects of the house speak of God’s presence, whereas the principal aspects of the city bespeak God’s authority, God’s ruling power, God’s reigning. Hence, the house is for the expression of God, and the city is for the dominion of God. The house and the city of God fulfill the purpose of God in the creation of man as expressed in Genesis 1:26: “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion.” The image is for the expression, and the dominion is for the authority. Eventually, through Christ and with Christ we have the house for God’s presence, as God’s expression, and we have the city for God’s authority, as God’s dominion. God’s eternal purpose is fulfilled by the house and the city. In the house God is a Father, and in the city God is a King. Both the house and the city are the church, or we may say, the local churches. A local church, in one sense, must be the house of God, and in another sense it must also be the city of God.
A city is much stronger and larger than a house. Therefore, we say that when the house is enlarged, it becomes the city, just as the New Jerusalem. We are told that in the New Jerusalem there will be no temple (Rev. 21:22), no house, but just the city. It is because the entire city of the New Jerusalem is the enlargement of the temple. The temple enlarged becomes the city. It is larger, stronger, and safer than the house.
We can apply the principle of the house and the city to the local churches in this way: If the presence of God is among us, if when people come to our meeting, they worship and say, “God indeed is among you,” this is the house. If, on the other hand, when people come among us and realize that there is not only the presence of God but some kind of divine rule and authority, this is not only the house but the house with the city.
Sometimes in a local church we sense the presence of God but not much of God’s authority. We sense that God is among them, but that on the other hand there is a shortage of divine order. That means that in that local church there is the reality of the house but not much of the city. In other churches we sense not only the presence of God but also something of divine government and heavenly authority. That is the city. If a local church is in this kind of situation, that church is considerably stronger and safer. It is more elevated, more established, and more enlarged. It is not only the house but the house with the city.
By looking into all these aspects of Christ, the house, and the city as presented in the Psalms, we see how wonderful Christ is, how marvelous the house is, and how glorious and terrifying the city is!
Either for Christ to gain the earth, or for the earth to turn and worship Christ, both are through the city. Christ gains the earth and rules over the earth through the city, because He will be in the city. Then the earth will turn to Christ, remember Christ, worship Christ, and praise Christ — all through the city. The city is for the earth.
Now let us consider briefly the aspects of the earth as seen in the Psalms. The word earth appears about one hundred ninety times altogether in the Psalms.
The main psalms concerning the earth: Psalms 47, 68, 72, 89, 145, 146, 148, 149
God’s purpose in the entire universe is to express Himself in a corporate way, not just to express Himself through you or me or some other individual. This is what the enemy opposes and seeks to frustrate more than anything else. The problem on the earth today is headed up in the enemy’s frustration to God’s fulfillment of His purpose. The earth became and still is a real frustration to God. With God’s will there is no problem in heaven, but there is a real problem on this earth (Matt. 6:10). With many Christians there is a religious concept concerning heaven, which causes them to continually consider heaven and their going to that place. But God’s concern is for the earth; the earth is His desire. We would like to go to heaven, but He would like to come to earth. Eventually, the New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2). God’s problem is now on this earth, which is under Satan’s usurping hand. God’s enemy is still usurping the earth to frustrate God’s purpose; hence, the struggle between God and Satan is over this earth. The key to this struggle is humanity. If God could gain humanity, He would win. If Satan could keep humanity in his hand, he would win. Humanity today is also a problem to God; so out of humanity God is building up a church. The church, a building of Christ in humanity, is the key for God to win the victory. If God today could obtain a church, it is certain that He would have the victory. The Lord has ascended, two thousand years have passed, and still He has not come back. The reason He has not returned is that the church is not ready. Today God has not yet obtained the key, the church that is built up with Christ in humanity.
The Psalms show us that God’s intention is to recover His title, His legal rights, over the whole earth through Christ in the church, through Christ in the house, through Christ in the city. Hence, there is the need of the holy mountain of Zion. We not only need Christ, but Christ in Zion, Christ in the holy mountain. Thus, we have seen that the beachhead, the steppingstone, for God to take over the earth is the church. The building up of the church is not a small matter; it is the key to God’s purpose. This is His work; it is not ours, and we have no ambition in this affair. But we are burdened today that God must have His key. Without the house, without the city, there is no beachhead for God to launch back and recover the earth.
In past years and even at the present time we have seen that wherever and whenever there is a real expression of God, there we find God’s presence, and there we sense God’s anointing. God honors such an expression so greatly because it is the key for the fulfillment of His purpose on earth. He needs a church, a proper church. He needs a house and even a city that He may consider as a steppingstone for Him to return. His full and longing desire is to step onto the earth, but there is as yet no steppingstone; there is no place where He may put His feet. He yearns to recover the entire earth from the usurping hand of the serpent, but without a beachhead established here, it is difficult for Him to accomplish it. He is waiting for a built-up church here and there in so many cities on this earth.
All five books of the Psalms show us that the earth is the ultimate intention of God’s desire. He must conquer the earth, recover the earth, and bring it back under His rightful rule. That is why the Lord taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9-10, “Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.” But His will is not yet done on the earth. That is why He taught us to pray, “Your name be sanctified.” But His name is not yet sanctified on earth. That is why He taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come.” But His kingdom has not yet come. Psalm 8 tells us, “O Jehovah our Lord, / How excellent is Your name / In all the earth.” But His name is still not excellent in all the earth. God is waiting for the building up of the local churches. When He has this, His name will be sanctified, His kingdom will come, His will will be done on earth as in heaven, and His name will be excellent in all the earth. The building up of the local churches is a tremendous matter.
In the four or five centuries since the Reformation, the Lord has recovered many things. He has fully recovered the preaching of the gospel. From the beginning of the last century to about 1930, the gospel was brought to nearly every corner of the earth. Wherever you go today, in any leading city, there the gospel is preached, and there are a number of believers. The Lord has spent much time to spread His gospel throughout the earth and to raise up so many believers. Now, in such a situation, what more must the Lord recover? Undoubtedly, He must recover the practical building up of His local churches in many places with so many believers as the materials. It is entirely reasonable to arrive at such a conclusion. In this day, before His soon coming, He must have such a building on this earth, at least in all the leading cities. But where is the building? Is it in so many small free groups, denominations, and organizations? Certainly not. It is in the local churches that He is recovering the practical building for His coming back.
We are living today in a very crucial time. We are standing at an extremely strategic point in history. The issue of God’s work on the earth today is tremendous. May the Lord be merciful to us and grant us His grace so that we may go on with Him. May He open our eyes to see and appreciate His recovery. We appreciate other works which are being done for the Lord, but the unique, strategic work of the Lord today is the practical building up of the local churches in the leading cities of this earth. After a few years you will see what will come forth all over this earth. The Lord will honor this move. He must have the building up of the house and the city so that He may recover the entire earth. This is our burden. For this reason we have spent so much time studying the Psalms. There is not one book, even in the New Testament, which reveals these things so clearly as the Psalms. The local churches are the steppingstone, the beachhead, for Him to take the earth and fulfill His purpose. He will certainly do it. How glorious this will be! What a wonderful experience we will have at that time!
The more we pray-read the Psalms, the more we see how good it is that God has turned us from the law to Christ, that He has brought us from Christ to the house, that we may be enlarged from the house to the city, and that from the city He is recovering the whole earth. Then God’s purpose will be fulfilled. Then we will all say, “O Jehovah our Lord, / How excellent is Your name / In all the earth. Hallelujah!”
