The promises of GOD are always yea and amen. (see II Cor.1:20) They are not blanket proposals but are directed to a specific people and are in no wise conditional or dependent on the cooperation of those to whom the promises are made. There can be no such thing as a conditional promise. It would then be merely a proposition and could not be certain to occur. None of the promises of GOD rest upon any uncertainty but are established in the eternal purposes of HIM who changes not. Even as HE testified of HIMSELF, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isa 46:10)
It is upon this very fact that the comfort of the sons of GOD rests as Paul declared, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Tit 1:1-2) “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” (Heb 6:17-19)
The revelation of JESUS CHRIST as the Eternal GOD and REDEEMER of HIS people is the confirmation of all of the promises which GOD has declared unto HIS people from the beginning of time. The LORD presented a bride unto Adam and in so doing produced a picture or example of the relationship of CHRIST to HIS own bride which HE loved before the foundation of the world. HE has now manifested HIMSELF unto HIS own people in JESUS CHRIST as the “fullness of the GODHEAD bodily”. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”(John 1:18) “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb 1:1-3)
We are not now waiting for some other era to unfold in the earth nor do we yet wait to discover any mysteries yet hidden from the sons of GOD. The FATHER hath revealed all mysteries which were kept hidden from the foundation of the world when HE declared and manifested HIMSELF in JESUS CHRIST. The LIGHT has now shined in the darkness and displaced it and HE has shown HIMSELF faithful unto all of HIS elect children in bringing many sons unto glory. This is the end of the age, the last time of which HE spoke and upon which Paul reflected when he said, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1Thes 5:4-6)
We yet wait for the appearing of our blessed LORD who has promised to return here to the very ground upon which HIS blood was shed to accomplish the redemption of HIS purchased possession. We look for HIM, not as those who have no hope, nor those who are surrounded by darkness but as the children of light who traverse that path which Solomon described when he said, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Pro 4:18) At evening time it shall be light. Though we see through a glass darkly yet we rejoice in the glory of that light which shineth in the face of JESUS CHRIST our LORD and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. (see Eph.5:11; II Cor.4:6)
It is a principle of GOD to save the best for last even as HE did at the wedding feast of Cana when HE turned the water into wine. The same is illustrated in the fact that the evening precedes the day as HE tells us in Genesis 1:5, “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” Note the order there as the night precedes the dawn of the morning. Even as the Sabbath began on what we would consider Friday night and continued through the daylight hours of Saturday. HE is our SABBATH who has appeared in the midst of darkness and has destroyed the darkness, making an open display of HIS destruction of all of the enemies of HIS people.
At evening time it shall be light because as the watchman of Dumah said the morning is coming as surely as the fact that darkness has covered the earth. (see Isa.21:11,12) That morning has surely broken upon this Earth as the angels informed the shepherds on a Judean hillside, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)As glorious as that birth was it was but the precursor of the shining of HIS glorious light as HE cast off the chains of the darkness of death with which HE willingly clad HIMSELF on Calvary’s mount when HE became sin for HIS own people.
HE arose a VICTOR over sin, death, and hell, while yet in the early hours before dawn, as Mary made her way to the tomb “when it was yet dark”. But O glory to GOD did not the DAYSTAR arise and shine in her heart as the morning broke and HE revealed HIMSELF to her and she fell at HIS feet calling HIM, “MASTER”? At evening time it shall be light, for surely the darkness and sadness that enshrouded her in contemplation of HIS death was swept away in an instant by the revelation of HIS person to her, a risen LORD.
Except there should be darkness, we could not see the glory of HIM who dispels the darkness. That ONE who is the LIGHT of the WORLD. HE of whom Zechariah spoke when he said, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” HE is the LIGHT at evening time, the GLORY of GOD revealed unto men. The ONE in whom all the PROMISES of GOD are delivered unto the sons of GOD.
We are not in the darkness at the present time for HE has been pleased to send us a COMFORTER who would lead us into all truth. Yet we have been given a certain promise that we shall see HIM as HE is, face to face without a cloud between and we shall be like HIM. At evening time it shall be light!
O Christ, He is the fountain,The deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I’ve tasted More deep I’ll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth In Emmanuel’s land.
The bride eyes not her garment, But her dear Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory But on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth But on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory Of Emmanuel’s land.
#599 Trinity Hymnal by Anne Cousin