The Day of New Beginnings

Swallowed Up

 

The Lord is giving understanding on the way He is bringing forth sons. Romans 8 speaks of "our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body." This redemption is more than just receiving a "glorified body". As all the verses preceding that statement indicate, it also deals with the removal of the Adamic nature with all its innate instincts.
 
This the Lord Jesus Christ is accomplishing from within. He is not outside, apart from us, working His way into our lives. He is within us, coming forth and subjecting all things within us to Himself (Phil. 3:20-21). It's interesting that the religious world interprets the book of Revelation as Christ coming out of the heavens down to the earth to meet us. In reality, the entire book is a revelation of Christ coming forth in a people. He doesn't come into the world to a people, but He comes into the world through a people. 
 
There is an interesting concept than threads through the entire Bible. In this concept we see the principle by which the Lord prevails within us. It is the principle of swallowing up. The word swallow, or swallowed, is a word that can be easily traced through the Bible with a good concordance. This word indicates a complete removal, a bringing to an end. 
 
We find this concept first in Gen.42:1-45. Pharaoh has a dream in which seven gaunt cows come up out of the Nile and swallow up seven fat cows. And then the seven thin ears of corn swallow up the seven fat ears. Joseph interprets the dream to Pharaoh explaining how there would be seven years of plenty, then seven years of famine. The seven years of famine would swallow up or consume the seven years of plenty. One reality swallowed up the other until the first was remembered no more.
 
We find the next example of "swallowing up" in Ex. 7:10-12. In these passages Moses had Aaron throw down his staff before Pharaoh. It turned into a serpent. The sorcerers of Pharaoh did the same thing and their staffs also turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. This is a type of the authority of the Lord prevailing over all the power of the enemy. The staffs were a symbol of authority and the Lord's staff swallowed up all lesser influence. This is exactly how the Lord Jesus Christ within us is swallowing up all the influences of our Adamic nature. 
 
We must not grow discouraged because habits and patterns of our old nature keep surfacing in our lives. It's the Lord within us that is causing them to surface that they may be swallowed up for all time.
 
The next example of "swallowing up" is found in Num. 17:1-34. It is the story of Korah's rebellion. Korah, a Levite as Moses was, came to Moses claiming equal status. His intent was to usurp the priesthood, a function that was given only to the line of Aaron (vs. 10, 39-40). It's interesting how Moses responded:
 
30* "But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD."
 31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;
 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.
 33* So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us up!"
 
Again, we see the Lord "swallowing up" all that opposes Him. Korah was but a type of the spiritual reality that is now being worked out in our lives. 
 
Jonah can also be seen as a type of our old nature. He was reluctant to do the will of God. The Word says, "And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights." Jesus told the Pharisees that no sign would be given them except the sign of Jonah. He was referring to His own death and resurrection. After the great fish swallowed Jonah a beautiful spirit was created within him:
 
 1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish,
 2 and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.
 3 "For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me.
 4 "So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.'
 5 "Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head.
 6 "I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.
 7 "While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple.
 8 "Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness,
 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD."
 10 ¶ Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.
 
Here is one more Old Testament reference to “swallowing up”. 
 
Isa. 25:
6 ¶ The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.
 7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.
 8 He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.
 9 ¶ And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."
 
In the New Testament this concept of "swallowing up" is brought out of the realm of types and shadows and is spoken plainly. Several passages of Scripture will give us a clear picture of how the Lord accomplishes His victory within us. 
 
1st Cor. 15:
 54* But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
 55* "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
 56* The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
 57* but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 58* ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
 
2nd Cor. 5:1-5.
1* ¶ For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
 2* For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
 3* inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.
 4* For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.
 5* Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
 
 
In Rev. 3:16 Jesus says: "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."  Now there is an interesting concept! We have been talking about the Lord swallowing up all that opposes His Lordship over us. In this passage He says that instead of completing the process of "swallowing up", He will spit those out of His mouth that are lukewarm. The entire church of Laodicea could be characterized as the church that has put a relationship with Jesus Christ outside themselves. In verse 20 Jesus states, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me." 
 
The Laociceans had separated themselves from the Lord. That is characteristic of the church as it exists today. Christianity basically serves a God who is apart from them instead of one who dwells within them. Jesus Christ is to come forth in us, swallowing up all that is not of Him. 
 
In Rev. 19:11-16 we have a picture of Jesus Christ coming forth riding on a white horse. Contrary to what fundamental Christianity teaches, this is not Jesus coming out of heaven to us. This is a picture of Jesus Christ coming forth through us in all His glorious victory.
 
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. (Primarily He judges and wages war with our flesh nature. And He is faithful and true. He will complete the work as we submit and appropriate).
 12* His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.
 13* He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
 14* And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
 15* From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
 16* And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."