APRIL 10th
REDUCED TO ASHES: ARRAYED IN GLORY

“…upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.”_Psalm 45:9b.

      Psalm 45 begins by ascribing glory to the Lord.  His glory, which was earned through His suffering, is praised.  Upon completion of praise to Him, the queen or His Church comes into view.  She is standing upon His right hand or established in His mighty power.  Her description of being in gold of Ophir sums up all He has done for and as her.  Gold, because of its purity, is symbolic of Christ’s Divine nature.  The Holy Spirit names the origin of the gold, and the King’s ministry blazes into view.  Ophir means reduced to ashes.  Immediately, the Sacrifice is seen.  His glory out of His suffering! 

      The Lamb opens the fifth seal in The Revelation Chapter 6:9-11 and It reads:
9And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

      In the spirit, under the altar souls can be seen slain for the word of God and for the testimony they held.  These have accepted and fully identified with the Redemptive Work of Jesus Christ our Lord.  The altar was a place of sacrifice.  It was a place where the sacrifice was reduced to ashes, representing the end of the first Adam who was made a living soul.  The last Adam, Christ Jesus, is a quickening Spirit (I Corinthians 15:45).  Christ Jesus made a way into the holiest of all through His Flesh.  Hebrews describes His glorious Act of sanctification as once for all (Hebrews 10:10).  Some have entered in and must now wait until all come into His fullness. For those who have entered, don the white robe you have been given for it is a robe of righteousness and take your rest!