“THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LEVITES IN RELATION TO HEAVENLY FULNESS”

“And they commanded the people, saying, when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place and go after it”. (Joshua 3:3)

First of all, it is this part - “The priests, the Levites, bearing it”, bearing ‘the Ark’ - that is ‘the key’ to ‘our present consideration’.  

In this ‘Book of Joshua’, ‘the Levites’ have a large place.

They are referred to quite a number of times.  

In fact, at one point ‘the whole chapter’ circles around them, and it is ‘the significance of the Levites’ in relation to ‘heavenly fullness’ that we want by ‘the Holy Spirit’ to bring before us.  

Perhaps you are quite familiar with ‘the history of the Levites’, but it is necessary for us just to go over that ground briefly to begin with.  

In this ‘Book of Joshua’ ‘the Levites’ are presented in ‘three ways’.  

Firstly, as we have just seen, as bearing ‘the Ark of the Covenant’ into ‘the bed of the Jordan’ and standing there with it, with a ‘two-thousand-cubit space’ (appro. 3000 feet), between them and it and the people - a very great distance, as we have seen in Josh.3:4.  

Then, secondly, in ‘Joshua 14’ it is stated that ‘the Levites’ were given no ‘inheritance’.  

That is, in ‘the dividing up of the land’, unlike ‘the other tribes’ they were not apportioned a ‘particular area’, they were given no ‘inheritance’ in ‘the land’.  

But, thirdly, in ‘chapter 21’, the chapter which circles around ‘the Levites’, you find that all ‘the tribes’ had to give something of a ‘plot’, a ‘place’, to ‘the Levites’. 

‘The Levites’ were distributed among all ‘the tribes’, and their ‘place’ and their ‘portion’ was not all together in ‘one place’, but in relation to ‘the whole country’, so that you might say ‘the Levites’ were just scattered all over ‘the land’, everywhere, in relation to ‘the rest of the people’.  

Those are ‘the three things’ about ‘the Levites’, in this ‘Book’, full of ‘wonderful significance’. 

Levites represent the Heavenly Thought. 

What do they signify? 

They represent ‘the heavenly thought’.  

Let us go back.  

Do you remember how ‘the Levites’ came into being as a ‘tribe’? 

It was on the occasion when ‘Israel’ departed, when ‘the Calf’ was made, and they cried “These be your gods, O 
Israel” (Ex.32:4), and they left ‘the Lord’. 

And ‘Moses’ came down, heard and saw, destroyed ‘the Calf’, stood in the gate and cried, “Who is on the Lord’s side, let him come unto me, and all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, put you every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses”. (Ex.32:26-28) 

Notice: all ‘earthly considerations’ were sacrificed to ‘the heavenly interest’, all ‘earthly relationships’ severed for ‘the  heavenly thought’; everything of ‘natural sentiment’ and ‘emotion’, all that was of ‘the mere soul’, was slain in the interests of that which governed ‘the very coming out’ of ‘the people of God’.

For it was in ‘the thought of God’ that they should be a ‘heavenly people’, and not thus involved in ‘the spiritual system’ governing this ‘world’.  

In that alone ‘the Levites’ are seen to represent ‘the heavenly thought of God’.  

A very drastic and utter thing, was it not, that they should do that. 

And you remember ‘the Lord’ never forgot it.  

Right at the end of ‘the Old Testament’, in ‘the last Book’, ‘Malachi’, referring to the matter of ‘Baal-Peor’, where ‘Phinehas’ maintained the stand for ‘heavenly interests’  originally taken on the occasion of ‘the making of the Golden Calf’ (Num.25), ‘the Lord’ said, “My covenant was with him (Levi) of life and peace”. (Malachi 2:5) 

‘He did not acknowledge his brethren’, (Deut.33:9) that is, he did not look with ‘sympathy’ even upon ‘his own flesh’ when that moved away from ‘God’s high thoughts’. 

Do you suppose that it was a ‘painful experience’ for ‘the Levites’ to go and cut off their own brethren, because they had turned in their hearts from ‘the Lord’? 

Because of ‘disobedience’ their interests were no longer ‘God’s highest thoughts and intention’.  

But God made ‘His Covenant’ with ‘Levi’.  

And so at the very outset ‘the Levites’ were selected, and separated from all ‘the rest of Israel’, as taking the place of ‘the first-born in Israel’, and they became ‘the tribe of the first-born ones’; and from that you will at once in your minds leap over to ‘the Letter to the Hebrews’ - “You are come unto...the...church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven”. (Heb.12:22,23) 

Please, see this, here is ‘the heavenly thing’ coming in again: “The first-born who are enrolled in heaven” - ‘the Levites’, ‘the heavenly thought’. 

Now we said at an earlier time that there was this space of ‘two-thousand cubits’ at the very least - for we cannot determine at this time which ‘cubit’ it was of ‘the three’; the distance was over ‘one-thousand feet’ at the very least, and could easily have been more than ‘three-thousand feet’; a ‘great space’ between ‘the Ark’ and ‘the people’, indicating ‘the immense distance’ between ‘Christ’ and all others in this work of ‘Salvation’, of Redemption, of Deliverance; - but notice ‘the Levites’ were bearing ‘the Ark’. 

You say, ‘is not that a ‘contradiction’?’ - ’Christ’ stands in ‘solitary isolation’ from all.  

But do you see the principle of ‘the Levite’? 

He represents ‘the heavenly thing’.  

This is ‘the heavenly Christ’.  

That is the principle of ‘the Levites bearing the Ark’ there.  

‘The Levites’ bearing ‘the heavenly Testimony’.  

This is not just ‘the earthly Christ’, ‘the Jesus of history’, 
a man amongst men, although greatly better.  

This is ‘the heavenly One’.  

If you want that ‘principle’ proved, you remember ‘the incident’ in ‘the days of David’, when he consulted with 
‘the Elders of Israel’ to bring up ‘the Ark’ and made a cart to do it.  

Where did he get ‘the idea’ from? 

He got ‘his idea’ from ‘the land of the Philistines’, where he had been during ‘the reign of Saul’, and where he had seen them make a cart.

They put ‘the Ark’ on a cart, and tragedy followed.  

‘Uzzah’ died before ‘the Lord’.  
‘David’ was very grieved with ‘the Lord’ because ‘He’ had made a breach that day; but, being the man he was, always adjustable to ‘the Lord’ - one of the glorious things about ‘David’ was his ‘adjustability’ - he did not have a long ‘controversy’ with ‘the Lord’, or ‘the Lord’ with ‘David’.

‘David’ got back to ‘the Lord’, and probably tried to argue it out - but ‘the Lord’ won ‘the argument’, as ‘He’ always does. 

‘The Lord’ took him back to ‘the Scriptures’ and showed him that ‘the Levites’ were to bear ‘the Ark’ - it is not ‘machines’, not ‘organizations’, that is, ‘man-made vehicles’,  but a ‘heavenly people’, that is to carry ‘the Testimony of Jesus’.  

And so ‘the Levites’ are carrying ‘the Ark’.  

This ‘heavenliness of things’ is ‘the principle’ of ‘the Levite function’, and that of course goes to ‘the root’ of their not having an ‘inheritance’ in ‘the earth’.

They do not belong to ‘the earth’: they belong to ‘heaven’.  

They are not going to be rooted down here; but even so, as men representing ‘the heavenly things’, they are going to be distributed among all ‘the people of God’ to keep ‘the people of God’ in touch with ‘heaven’. 

Why? - because ‘the people of God’ are always so prone to become ‘earthly’.  

There is always that ‘downward pull’ as we have seen earlier.  

That has been ‘the peril’ and ‘the tragedy of the church’ through ‘the centuries’, always gravitating toward this ‘earth’, becoming something here after ‘the fashion of men’, after ‘the ideas of this world’.  

The Lord’s need of the Levites among His people. 

And this brings us to our point.  

‘The Lord’ must have those who have been through ‘the suffering’, through ‘the Cross’, through ‘the sacrifice’, through ‘the deep work of separation’; who have not compromised on any ‘considerations of sentiment’ or ‘earthly interest’:  those who have stood and are standing wholly, utterly, at all costs, for ‘His full heavenly thought’ concerning ‘His Son’ and concerning ‘the Church’. 

‘He’ must have them, and ‘He’ must distribute them everywhere and bring them into vital relationship with ‘His people’, in order to keep those ‘people’ from succumbing to that tendency ‘earth-ward’ - from becoming ‘world-bound’; where things become mixed up; where ‘the Testimony of the Lord’ (‘the Ark’) is no longer carried by a ‘heavenly people’.

Headquarters in Heaven. 

And do you not see that this is exactly what happened in the New Testament?

It is quite fascinating to see it.

We shall take this up next week when we shall see that ‘Headquarters is in Heaven’.

As we have been considering ‘Pioneering the heavenly way’, we have come upon ‘The significance of the Levites in relation to heavenly fullness’.

And they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it”. (Josh.3:3)

Levites, as we have seen, represent ‘the heavenly thought’.

Last week we concluded by stating that ‘the Lord’ needs ‘Levites’ among ‘His people’, that is, ‘the Lord’ must have those who have been through ‘the suffering’ through ‘the Cross’, through ‘the sacrifice’, through ‘the deep work of separation’; those who have not compromised on any considerstions of ‘sentiment’ or ‘earthly interest’: those who have stood and are standing wholly, utterly, at all costs, for ‘His full heavenly thought’ concerning ‘His Son’ and concerning ‘the Church’.

When we come into ‘the New Testament’, we have left ‘types’ and ‘figures’; and it is a ‘grand thing’ to see ‘the Actuality’, ‘the Reality’.

When we come into ‘the Book of the Acts’, we find this whole thing repeated. 

What has happened?

We begin with ‘the Lord Jesus’ placed in ‘heaven’: -
‘Headquarters is in heaven’, every bit of government is now in ‘heaven’; and then ‘the Holy Spirit’ coming to make everything ‘heavenly’, to govern everything in relation to ‘heaven’.
That is what we were speaking about: “the Prince of the Host of the Lord” coming to take everything up in relation to  ‘heaven’. 

It moved from ‘heaven’ first of all                                                                                           in ‘Jerusalem’, a mighty movement from ‘heaven’, and things were happening.

But notice, the tendency after a time - (of course, the story is told in a few phrases, but it covers a very considerable
period).

After a time ‘Jerusalem’ gravitated ‘earthward’, and tended - and not only tended, but actually began - to become an ‘earthly Headquarters of the Church’.

It was only to be, in ‘the Lord’s command’, the beginning, the commencement spot: “beginning at Jerusalem”.

Notice: ‘Jerusalem’ was never intended to be ‘the inclusive’ and ‘final thing’, but it constituted itself a kind of ‘Headquarters’ to govern ‘the Church’, and you will find that sort of thing developing as you go on in ‘the Book of the Acts’.

Let us look for a moment to ‘Paul’, ‘the heavenly man’, and see how he repudiates ‘Jerusalem’.

However, you come to ‘Acts 7’, - ’the stoning of Stephen’, - and that is ‘the end of Jerusalem’.

From that point ‘heaven’ re-asserts itself to say, ‘No; no ‘earthly Center or Headquarters’; ‘Headquarters is in heaven’; and at that point they are all scattered from ‘Jerusalem’.

They are stirred up and thrown out of ‘the nest’ and go in all directions.

Wherever they go, whether it is ‘Philip’ or whoever it is, they are testifying everywhere to ‘the heavenly Lord’, bringing in ‘the heavenly side of things’.

Yes: everywhere these ‘Levites’ are placed in relation to ‘the whole world’, to keep things in a ‘heavenly way’.

And so it develops like that.

You move on to ‘Acts 9’, and it is one of ‘heaven’s tremendous movements.

‘Saul’ has come from ‘Jerusalem’, on his way to ‘Damascus’ - and ‘Jerusalem’ is his ‘Headquarters’, right enough.

He has ‘authority’ from ‘the high priest’, from ‘the rulers’.

‘Jerusalem’ governs where he was concerned.

But he discovers before he gets to ‘the end of the journey’ that ‘the government’ is in ‘heaven’, not in ‘Jerusalem’. 

‘The heavens’ are cleft; there comes a ‘light from heaven’ and a ‘voice from heaven’; and that is ‘the end of earthliness’ for ‘Saul of Tarsus’.

From that moment he is a ‘heavenly man’ - and see how, for ever afterwards, that man is moving in relation to ‘heaven’. 

That could bear following out in detail; but here is a mighty ‘Levite’.
And so it was no more at ‘Jerusalem’, but ‘Antioch’.

‘The Lord’ has moved from ‘Jerusalem’.

‘Antioch’ is a very pure ‘Spiritual thing’. 

‘Jerusalem’ has become the center of ‘Christian officialdom’ - but there is nothing official at ‘Antioch’.

What you have at ‘Antioch’, which now supplants ‘Jerusalem’, is a company of men who are fasting and praying: and ‘heaven’ breaks in, and ‘the Holy Spirit’ says,
“Separate me Barnabas and Saul”. (Acts 13:2)

This is something in relation to ‘heaven’, you see.

It is wonderful!

And so we could go on giving ‘the evidence’.

But what is the point?

Let me ask you, is it not very clear that from ‘God’s standpoint’, in ‘God’s mind’, everything is intended to be related to ‘heaven’ and governed from ‘heaven’?

‘Heavenly fullness’ is ‘His objective’ with ‘His people’: to make them a ‘heavenly people’ and to fill them with ‘His heavenly fullness’.

And right at the end we see ‘the New Jerusalem’ - not ‘the old one’, but ‘the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, in great heavenly fullness’.

It is something immense, that ‘New Jerusalem’! (Just read  about it in Chapter 21 in the Book of Revelation).

There is ‘great fullness’ here.

All the nations are going to derive their resource from it.

The fruit of its ‘Tree of Life’, the waters of its ‘River of Life’, are for all ‘the nations’.

Its light is for all ‘the nations’.

“The nations shall walk amidst the Light thereof”. (Rev.21:24)

This is ‘heavenly fullness’, the thing to which ‘the Lord’ has been working all the time.

‘He’ is working now in you and in me.

You know, it sometimes seems that we are ‘two persons’, one here and one in ‘heaven’.

Physically, naturally we are here, but there is something of ourselves ‘going up’ all the time, when ‘the Lord’ is getting in us something more of ‘heaven’.

It is being stored up there.

Let me ask you, is not that perhaps what ‘the Lord’ meant, when ‘He’ referred to ‘Himself’ as “The Son of Man, who is in heaven” (John 3:13), even while ‘He’ is on ‘earth’?

There is an aspect of us that is growing in ‘heaven’.

Please, do not think of ‘heaven’ as some remote ‘planet’.

We are growing in that ‘heavenly thought’ of things.

Something of us is ‘going up’.

‘The Church’ is like that.

The ‘real Church’ is an ‘invisible thing’.

You do not know, except by ‘the Holy Spirit’, what ‘the Church’ is really. 

You cannot say that people attending a certain place are ‘the Church’.

You cannot say that people who profess certain ‘doctrines’ and ‘Christian truths’ are ‘the Church’.

They may be or they may not be.

But if you meet ‘in the Spirit’ - and that is something intangible - there you have ‘the Church’. 

‘The Church’ is like that, and that is its ‘heavenly character’ - and that is ‘going up’, so to speak, all the time, and it is going to come down presently in ‘fullness out of heaven’.

It is being built in that way now.

It is ‘God’s will’ that it should be like that.

But our point now is that ‘the Lord’ must have that kind of representation, be it in ‘individuals’ or in ‘companies’, to place alongside of all ‘His people’ here to keep them in touch with ‘heaven’, to keep ‘the heavenly things’ always
in view.

One of the functions of ‘the Levites’ was to teach ‘the Word of God’ - that is, to keep ‘the Lord’s people’ in touch with ‘God’s thought’.

And that is ‘functional’, not ‘official’.

You need not call yourself a ‘Levite’.

Do not take on ‘titles’, but grasp ‘the principles’.

If we here on this ‘earth’ are keeping people in touch with ‘heaven’, if we are linked with ‘heavenly things’, if people are built up by our ‘presence’ - not by our ‘preaching’ necessarily, not by our getting down and saying, ‘now you see this and this...’; no, just by our ‘presence’ by our embodiment of ‘the heavenly life’ and ‘nature’ and ‘fullness’ - if they are coming to see ‘God’s fuller thought’, because we are here, we are ‘Levites’ without ‘the title’ and that is
what ‘the Lord’ must have.

It may be as ‘individuals’.

‘The Lord’ has the disposing of ‘His people’, that is, ‘the Lord’ puts ‘His people’ in a particular or suitable place.

In this very ‘Book of Joshua’, ‘heaven’ disposed of the people, of the tribes, and said, ‘you shall be here, this is your place’.

Sovereignly ‘the Lord’ will dispose of you, and put you in a certain place; and when ‘He’ has disposed of your life you are there by ‘heaven’s appointment’, to be a link with ‘heaven’, to keep things from settling down ‘spiritually’ on to this ‘earth level’.

That, of course, is also the meaning of ‘the Churches’ in
‘the New Testament’.

That is ‘the Divine idea’ - to have companies of ‘the Lord’s people’, planted here and there and everywhere, as a ‘corporate Levitical ministry’, to keep ‘heaven’ near, and to keep things near ‘heaven’. 

Oh, that every ‘Church’ were like that, keeping things near to ‘heaven’!

Well, that is ‘the beginning’.

Of course, much more could be said.

We could begin now to consider all ‘the Letters of the New Testament’ and so see ‘the outworking’.

We could begin with ‘Romans 12’ - for here we have a ‘Levitical principle’: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable (i.e., well-pleasing) to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be fashioned
according (i.e.,conformed) to this world (i.e., age)”. 

That is ‘Levitical’, ‘the living sacrifice’ not conformed to this ‘world’.

So we could go on through it all.

But ‘the great issue of our meditations together’ is this - 
that we have to be here in relation to ‘heaven’, under ‘heaven’s government’, bringing in ‘heavenly things’.

We are serving (ministering) in relation to ‘heaven’.

It must be as true of us, in our measure, and in our calling, as it was of ‘Paul’, that we have a ‘heavenly vision’, and we are not disobedient unto it.

What do we not owe to that man, ‘the Apostle Paul’, for all the sacrifice and suffering that he knew for ‘heavenly things’.

But how faithful he was to ‘heaven’, right to the end - cast into his prison, on his chain, and talking about nothing else but ‘the heavenly places’.

Do you say ‘your situation’ is too difficult to bring ‘heaven’ in?

Well, there are ‘difficult situations’.

‘Daniel’s was a difficult situation’ - his ‘three companions’ were in a ‘difficult situation’; but they brought ‘heaven’ in.

A grand phrase in ‘the Book of Daniel’ is - “the heavens do rule”. (4:26)

And they proved it!

‘Headquarters is in Heaven’: not in ‘Babylon’, not in ‘Rome’, not in ‘Jerusalem’, or anywhere else, but in ‘Heaven’!

‘The Lord’ help us to live up to and out from ‘heaven’.

And now, at the end, we bring ‘the specific object’ of these ‘messages’ into view once more.

‘God’ has but one end which will bring ‘Him’ complete ‘satisfaction’ - “the Fullness of Christ”!

That ‘Fullness’ is meant to be found in a ‘people’ taken out of ‘the nations’. 

By that ‘people’, in that ‘Fullness’, ‘He’ purposes to rule ‘the Creation’ in ‘the Ages to come’.

Listen, this will not be attained to ‘willy-nilly’, by ‘vacillating’,
but only by ‘infinite cost’ and ‘conflict’ now.

All who ‘come out’ do not “enter in” to this ‘ultimate’.

Many will not go all the way, will not fulfill all the conditions will not ‘make their calling and election sure’, but will enter ‘the Kingdom’ to inherit in different measures; smaller or larger.

Unto ‘the fullness of purpose’, ‘Pioneers’ are necessary, and ‘the way of the Pioneers’ is a peculiar way, fraught (laden) with experiences, sufferings, perplexities, and testings, of which others know little. 

But ‘God’ must have ‘His Pioneers’ - ‘individuals’ or ‘companies’; and these are they who ‘WHOLLY FOLLOW THE LORD’!