But Ye Are Come

 

 

But ye are come…

Four words that mean the world,

Straight from the Word of the Lord:

Such a blessed and precious pearl.

 

Let’s start with the contrast…

Something went before,

That something was horridly frightening!

Thank Jesus, it is so no more.

 

So frightening it was…

Even Moses did quake with fear,

But a better covenant came on stream:

God’s Word makes this clear.

 

 

“But ye are come to Mount Sion

To the city of the living God!”

You would not find this on a map

Even if you search abroad.

 

It is the heavenly Jerusalem

That the Apostle saw coming down,

Recorded in the book of Revelation;

It is time we come around.

 

Our focus is on the earth,

On the old Jerusalem

But re the writer to the Hebrews,

He is pointing us to heaven.

 

John 21:2

 

“And I,” said John, “Saw the holy city,

Coming down from God out of heaven,

Prepared as a bride

Adorned for her husband.”

 

This is the heavenly Jerusalem;

The tabernacle of God is with men,

They are God’s people

And God is dwelling with them.

 

 

What was future to the Apostle

Is now present and continuing,

Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant

And to the blood of sprinkling.

 

Its coverage runs from Abel

Even to the present born-again:

The assembly and church of the first born

Over which the Lord Jesus reigns.

 

Not the first born

As in Jesus was the first to be created,

But the first born from the dead

And over the church he initiated.

 

An inaugural address to the saints

Whose names are written in heaven,

The spirits of just men made perfect

Whose sins have been forgiven.

 

 

To them as well as to us

To be reflected on whenever we meet

As the church of the Lord Jesus Christ

Within buildings or on the street.

 

We have erred in our numbers,

The count has never been right,

We only count those that are in-house

And never those out of sight.

 

The attendance we cannot enumerate

For it includes both present and past,

And it stretches up to Christ’s return

When all are gathered in at last.

 

In attendance too are the angels

Comprising an innumerable company,

This is not reserved for a future time

But is happening currently.

 

 

Yes, we are come to Mount Sion

Every time we meet for church,

The attendance we cannot enumerate

Even given our numerous experts.

 

If to you this sounds farfetched

Then read the text again,

Though the church is present on earth

It’s within a heavenly frame.

 

The angels we do not see,

Their voices we cannot hear

But do not refuse the Lord that speaks

For he is definitely here.

 

He speaks better things than of Abel

For Abel was of the earth,

Jesus mediates the new covenant

Though he was of earthly birth.

 

That was in his incarnation

For he has neither beginning nor end,

No apologies to any who believe differently

Though it’s not my intent to offend.

 

But we are come to Mount Sion

Each and every time we meet,

Goodbye to the old Jerusalem covenant!

It’s the heavenly Jerusalem we greet!

 

However, let’s not take it lightly

Whene’er we meet together

For in the company with which we meet

Are the Spirit, Son and Father.

 

 

We worship in the beauty of holiness

For God requires such,

Jesus paid our redemption price

And no other could do as much.

 

Stewart Russell © May 21, 2023