The great pyramid passages and chambers

sively. Before they do this, although they are standing under a granite roof (Plate XX) representing Divine protection, they are, nevertheless, still standing on limestone. This symbolizes the fact that they are still regarded by God as human beings, not yet begotten to the spirit nature. But as soon as they come to the decision to bow down to the will of God symbolized by the Granite Leaf, thus evidencing their willingness to “lose their lives” for Christ’s sake, Christ imputes to them a sufficiency of his merit to render their sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. Their justification then becomes complete; and their sacrifice being now a living one, because entirely free from the Adamic condemnation, it is at once accepted by the Lord. As the Apostle stated, “there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit’—Rom. 8: 1.

192 It is important to notice that when Paul besought the Romans to present their bodies a living sacrifice, and pointed out to them that it was their reasonable service to do so (Rom. 12: 1), he did not address those who were enemies of God through evil works, but those who had turned to have faith in God, and were, therefore, his ‘‘ brethren”’ of the household of faith. Until a man is justified, he cannot present his body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Not having been freed from condemnation his death would not be sacrificial nor holy, but would be forfeited at the hands of justice ; nor would his body be his own to present. The death of such avails nothing, for ‘‘ God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked”; but the sacrificial death of those declared “blessed and holy” because of their faith in Jesus avails much, for “ precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints ""—Ezek. 33: 11; Psa. 116: 15.

193 The visitor to the Ante-Chamber who bows down under the Granite Leaf, steps for the first time on to granite (Plate XX); symbolizing that those who submit themselves to the will of God, have now risen from the plane of human justification to the plane of spirit-begetting. Henceforth God reckons them dead as human beings (Col. 3 : 3),—not dead in Adam, but dead in Christ,—and alive as spirit beings. They are ‘““accepted in the Beloved’ as members of his body. They are immersed into Christ, because they are immersed into his death (Eph. 1 : 6; Rom. 6: 3); and becoming partakers of his sufferings and death they will ultimately, if found faithful, become partakers of his glorious resurrection, the first or chief resurrection—Phil. 3 : 10, 11; Rey. 20:6. The first stone of this granite floor is a quarter of an inch higher than the limestone; and if a vertical line be drawn downward from its first or north edge, it will be found to pass beyond (south of) the Queen’s Chamber which symbolizes the perfect human condition.

194 Once an entrance has been gained into the Ante-Chamber proper, it is found that the level of its floor falls immediately to the level of the limestone step outside, showing that although those who are spirit-begotten have now the spiritual mind, the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2: 16), they have as yet undergone no change of nature as regards their bodies. They have received the holy spirit of promise as an earnest or pledge of their future spiritual inheritance (Eph. 1 : 13, 14), the Divine nature, but their bodies are still human. Nevertheless, as they are standing on granite, this shows that they are reckoned by God as partakers of the Divine nature, because they have presented their bodies a living sacrifice, and are striving to fulfil their vow of consecration, Above them is the granite roof, signifying that they are, even more than before, under

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