Christ’s goings forth on the bridge of time to gain God’s dwelling place

Micah 5:2 tells us that Christ’s goings forth are from eternity, from the ancient times.

This really shows us that Christ’s incarnation and all the processes He went through were not something planned in a hurry, as a remedial work for the fallen man, or as a last minute thought. No!

God has an eternal purpose, and from eternity past God has determined to come forth, become a man, put on humanity, and gain man as His corporate dwelling place!

For this, God planned, purposed, and set the scene: He created all things, He chose His people, He prepared the way for Christ to come in, He became a man, passed through a long process, became the life-giving Spirit, and now He is in millions of His believers to be expressed and expanded in humanity.

Hallelujah for God’s purpose and for Christ’s goings forth from the ancient times onto the bridge of time and all the way into eternity!

Christ’s goings forth from eternity on the bridge of time

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Christ was with God and Christ was God from eternity past, but at one point He became man.

God was born of a virgin in Bethlehem – the One who used to possess only divinity now put on humanity by entering into humanity. God stepped out of eternity and onto the bridge of time, so that in time He may accomplish His purpose.

Now Christ is a God-man, both divine and human, possessing both divinity and humanity. Christ now in His divinity can come into us to be our life and to dispense life into our being. In His humanity, Christ is qualified to redeem us and to become the material for the building of God’s eternal habitation.

God’s desire to have a dwelling place in humanity was accomplished by Christ becoming a man and putting on humanity! The One who comes forth from the days of eternity onto the bridge of time is the God-man Christ!

What is the purpose of creation?

Many people wonder about this, what’s the purpose of this wonderful universe? What is the purpose of God creating all these things? And maybe some ask even more, how is the creation related to God’s purpose?

God has a desire to go forth and reach man, and for Him to do this He has to prepare the right setting, the right environment, the right scene for His purpose to be fulfilled.

The creation of the entire universe is the setting of the scene, the preparation for God’s goings forth in Christ to reach man.

The heavens, the earth, all the plants, the animals, the fish, and everything is the right environment and setting for Christ to come forth in humanity, and then for the believers to be produced, transformed, matured, and glorified, so that God may have a mutual dwelling place in man for eternity.

What a view of the purpose of creation!

Why is our environment many times not that pleasant?

You would think that if God is love, if God loves us so much, and if Christ is in us, everything in our environment should be OK, with no problem, no suffering, and nothing bad happening to us or around us.

But because of the fall of man, the locusts began operating in the human history – the cutting locusts, the swarming locusts, the licking locusts, and the consuming locusts have been operating throughout human history on all mankind.

It is in the midst of all this cutting, swarming, licking, and consuming that Christ came forth! He didn’t come forth “in a smooth way”, in a lofty place, but in a low way, in Bethlehem  in a manger – they didn’t have place for Him and His parents at the inn.

What about us today? What about our environment and situation? Sometimes it may seem that the more we love the Lord and open to Him, the “worse” the situation becomes, and suffering does not spare us.

But it is in the midst of the operation of these swarming, cutting, licking, and consuming locusts that Christ can have a way to grow in our being.

It’s not in the smooth and calm environment with no problem that Christ grows in us… Christ is going forth in all of us through all this consuming environment!

Christ’s goings forth is a continuous matter

He must have a way in you and me! More than 2000 years ago Christ came to earth in His goings forth and passed through human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, and He poured Himself out as the Spirit into all His believers.

Now Christ’s goings forth from eternity are on the bridge of time and through all the disciples of Christ, the believers in the Lord!

Outwardly the locusts are operating, but inwardly the Lord is making His home in our heart and He is saturating us with Himself more and more each day to make us His expression on earth.

On the one hand, He is chastising His people Israel, on the other, He is judging the nations; the issue is that Christ is manifested and the restoration of all things is brought in!

Actually  today Christ is our Ruler keeping us, He is our shepherd nourishing and cherishing us, and He is our peace, controlling our environment so that we may enjoy Him every day (see Micah 5:2-5).

Where is the place of God’s rest?

Where is the place where God can rest today? Where is God’s habitation? On the one hand, heaven is considered as God’s habitation (Deut. 26:15; 1 Kings 8:49; Psa. 33:13-14; Isa. 63:15), but on the other hand, God still asks in Isaiah 66:1, Where is the place of My rest?

God desires to dwell with man and in the man gained by Him (Isa. 57:15; 66:2). This is why Christ’s goings forth are from the days of eternity onto the bridge of time to gain man to be one with Him.

I like this utterance by brother Witness Lee in the life-study of John,

Everything that God needs to accomplish He accomplishes on the bridge of time. God is driving the car of His economy from the first section of eternity, through the bridge of time, into the last section of eternity. By driving His car across the bridge of time, all the necessary work is completed. Once God has traveled from eternity past, through the bridge of time, and into eternity future, He will declare, “Finished!” In eternity future God will enjoy His finished work.

Hallelujah, today we are “on the bridge of time” in “the car of God’s economy”! Christ today is continually operating in us to gain us to the uttermost to be God’s corporate dwelling place.

As the Son of Man Christ defeats God’s enemy, He is the material for God’s building, and He is enlarged to be the dwelling place of God.

As the Son of God Christ comes into us to be our life continually until we become mature in life to be the place of God’s rest, His dwelling place, the New Jerusalem!

Lord, thank You for Your goings forth! Thank You for Your plan to be united and mingled with man. Make home in our heart more today. Have a way to go forth in us, dear Lord. Unveil us to see what You desire today – Your habitation. Lord, gain a dwelling place in man – gain us for Your place of rest and satisfaction.

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from brother James Lee’s introduction to this message in the training and portions from the life-study of John (msg. 5), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of the Minor Prophets, week 9 (entitled, Christ’s “Goings Forth” from the Days of Eternity).
• Hymns on this topic:
  # Into my heart, into my heart, / Spread into my heart, Lord Jesus; / Make home today and have Your way / In all of my heart, Lord Jesus.
  # God has worked in three directions / For His plan so marvelous: / As the Father, Son, and Spirit / To dispense Himself to us! / All creation gives the setting.
  # Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown, / When Thou camest to earth for me; / But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room / For Thy holy nativity: / Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus! / There is room in my heart for Thee;