Message Ten

Christ as a Crown of Glory and a Diadem of Beauty
for the Reward of the Overcomers;
a Foundation, a Tested Stone, and
a Precious Cornerstone for the Building of God;
and a Supplying, Caring, and Covering King
for the Kingdom of God

Scripture Reading: Isa. 28:5, 16; 32:1-2; 33:22

Isa. 28:5  In that day Jehovah of hosts / Will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of glory to the remnant of His people,

Isa. 28:16  Therefore thus says / The Lord Jehovah: / Indeed I lay a stone in Zion as a foundation, / A tested stone, / A precious cornerstone as a foundation firmly established; / He who believes will not hasten away.

Isa. 32:1-2  Indeed a King will reign according to righteousness, / And the rulers will rule according to justice. 2And a man will be like a refuge from the wind / And a covering from the tempest, / Like streams of water in a dry place, / Like the shadow of a massive rock in a wasted land.

Isa. 33:22  For Jehovah is our Judge, / Jehovah is our Lawmaker, / Jehovah is our King; He will save us.

                  I.    Christ is a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people¡ªIsa. 28:5:

Isa. 28:5  In that day Jehovah of hosts / Will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of glory to the remnant of His people,

                           A.    A crown is like a hat or turban, whereas the diadem is the headband as the most beautiful, glorious part of the crown¡ªcf. Exo. 28:36-39; 29:6; Isa. 62:3.

Exo. 28:36-39  And you shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet: HOLINESS TO JEHOVAH. 37And you shall put it on a cord of blue strands, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban. 38And it shall be upon Aaron¡¯s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel sanctify for all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Jehovah. 39And you shall weave the tunic of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a girding sash, the work of an embroiderer.

Exo. 29:6  And you shall place the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban.

Isa. 62:3  You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, / And a royal turban in the palm of your God.

                           B.    In Paul¡¯s experience, he had Christ as a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty¡ªPhil. 1:20; 4:22.

Phil. 1:20  According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death.

Phil. 4:22  All the saints greet you, and especially those of Caesar¡¯s household.

                           C.    Christ will be the crown of righteousness, the crown of life, and the crown of glory as a reward to His overcoming believers¡ª2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 2:10; James 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4; 1 Cor. 9:25; Gen. 15:1.

2 Tim. 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing.

Rev. 2:10  Do not fear the things that you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tried, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

James 1:12  Blessed is the man who endures trial, because when he has become approved by testing, he will receive the crown of life, which He promised to those who love Him.

1 Pet. 5:4  And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

1 Cor. 9:25  And everyone who contends exercises self-control in all things; they then, that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible.

Gen. 15:1  After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.

                           D.    We need to continually behold the beauty of the Lord in the house of the Lord so that we may be transformed from glory to glory, beautified by the Lord, to become His beautiful bride and the house of His beauty with Him as our crown of glory and our diadem of beauty¡ªPsa. 27:4; 2 Cor. 3:16, 18; Eph. 5:26-27; Isa. 60:7b, 9b, 13b, 19b.

Psa. 27:4  One thing I have asked from Jehovah; / That do I seek: / To dwell in the house of Jehovah / All the days of my life, / To behold the beauty of Jehovah, / And to inquire in His temple.

2 Cor. 3:16  But whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

2 Cor. 3:18  But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.

Eph. 5:26-27  That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, 27That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.

Isa. 60:7b  They will go up acceptably upon My altar, / And I will beautify the house of My beauty.

Isa. 60:9b  To bring your children from afar, / Their silver and their gold with them, / Unto the name of Jehovah your God / And unto the Holy One of Israel; for He has beautified you.

Isa. 60:13b  beautify the place of My sanctuary; / And I will make the place for My feet glorious.

Isa. 60:19b  But Jehovah will be an eternal light to you, / And your God your beauty.

                           E.    When we live Christ for His magnification by the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, Christ becomes our expression, our ¡°holy garments,¡± to be our glory and our beauty¡ªPhil. 1:19-21a; 4:22; Exo. 28:2; Gal. 6:17-18:

Phil. 1:19-21a  For I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. 21bFor to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Phil. 4:22  All the saints greet you, and especially those of Caesar¡¯s household.

Exo. 28:2  And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

Gal. 6:17-18  Henceforth let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the brands of Jesus. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

                                      1.    To have Christ as our glory means to express Christ¡¯s divinity with the divine attributes¡ªJohn 1:14; Heb. 1:3; John 17:22; 2 Cor. 3:18.

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and reality.

Heb. 1:3  Who, being the effulgence of His glory and the impress of His substance and upholding and bearing all things by the word of His power, having made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

John 17:22  And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one;

2 Cor. 3:18  But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.

                                      2.    To have Christ as our beauty means to express Christ¡¯s humanity with the human virtues¡ªLuke 24:19; Acts 16:7; Psa. 27:4.

Luke 24:19  And He said to them, What things? And they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a Prophet powerful in work and word before God and all the people;

Acts 16:7  And when they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, yet the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Psa. 27:4  One thing I have asked from Jehovah; / That do I seek: / To dwell in the house of Jehovah / All the days of my life, / To behold the beauty of Jehovah, / And to inquire in His temple.

                            F.    As the glory of the Father¡¯s house, we are the vessels of Christ, hanging upon Him as the peg and enjoying Him as the throne of glory in order to contain Him and minister Him into others so that we may be rewarded with Him as the unfading crown of glory¡ªIsa. 22:23-24; 1 Pet. 5:4.

Isa. 22:23-24  And I will drive him as a peg into a sure place, / And he will become a throne of glory for his father¡¯s house. 24And they will hang upon him all the glory of his father¡¯s house, the offspring and the issue, all the smallest vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.

1 Pet. 5:4  And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

                II.    Christ is a foundation, a tested stone, and a precious cornerstone for God¡¯s building¡ªIsa. 28:16; 1 Pet. 2:6-7:

Isa. 28:16  Therefore thus says / The Lord Jehovah: / Indeed I lay a stone in Zion as a foundation, / A tested stone, / A precious cornerstone as a foundation firmly established; / He who believes will not hasten away.

1 Pet. 2:6-7  For it is contained in Scripture: ¡°Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious; and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.¡± 7To you therefore who believe is the preciousness; but to the unbelieving, ¡°The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner,¡±

                           A.    Christ as the living stone (v. 4), the foundation stone (1 Cor. 3:11), the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), and the topstone (Zech. 4:6-7) is constituting us with His stone nature to make us living stones (1 Pet. 2:5) for His spiritual house, His building; He is also a stumbling stone to the unbelieving religionists and a smiting stone to the nations (v. 8; Matt. 21:44; Dan. 2:34-35).

1 Pet. 2:4  Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious,

1 Cor. 3:11  For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Eph. 2:20  Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone;

Zech. 4:6-7  And he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of hosts. 7Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain, and he will bring forth the topstone with shouts of Grace, grace to it.

1 Pet. 2:5  You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Pet. 2:8  And, ¡°A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense¡±; who stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.

Matt. 21:44  And he who falls on this stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it shall crush him to powder and scatter him like chaff.

Dan. 2:34-35  You were watching until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the image at its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at once, and they became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

                           B.    On Christ as the unique foundation, God¡¯s building is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, and we are being built into a dwelling place of God in spirit¡ªMatt. 16:16-18; 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:21-22.

Matt. 16:16-18  And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

1 Cor. 3:11  For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Eph. 2:21-22  In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; 22In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.

                           C.    Christ is the tested stone; from the time that He became a man, He was tested every day of His earthly life, and He had no failure¡ªJohn 19:4-5; Heb. 4:15-16; cf. 2 Cor. 6:1; Phil. 4:12-13.

John 19:4-5  And Pilate went outside again and said to them, Behold, I am bringing Him out to you that you may know that I find no fault in Him. 5Then Jesus came out, wearing the thorny crown and the purple garment. And he said to them, Behold, the man!

Heb. 4:15-16  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all respects like us, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.

2 Cor. 6:1  And working together with Him, we also entreat you not to receive the grace of God in vain;

Phil. 4:12-13  I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack. 13I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me.

                           D.    He who believes in this tried and trustworthy stone ¡°will not hasten away,¡± ¡°shall not hasten with fear,¡± ¡°will not hurry in panic¡±¡ªIsa. 28:16; 30:15a; John 16:33; Psa. 91:1; 31:20.

Isa. 28:16  Therefore thus says / The Lord Jehovah: / Indeed I lay a stone in Zion as a foundation, / A tested stone, / A precious cornerstone as a foundation firmly established; / He who believes will not hasten away.

Isa. 30:15a  For thus says the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, / In returning and rest you will be saved; / In quietness and in trust will be your strength;

John 16:33  These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

Psa. 91:1  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High / Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psa. 31:20  You hide them in the hiding place of Your presence / Apart from the conspiracies of men; / You lay them away secretly in a shelter / Apart from the contention of tongues.

                           E.    We need to enjoy Christ as the chief cornerstone so that we may be joined together in Him; our Savior, Jesus, saves us and joins us into God¡¯s building¡ª118:22-24; Acts 4:10-13:

Psa. 118:22-24  The stone which the builders rejected / Has become the head of the corner. 23This is from Jehovah; / It is wonderful in our sight. 24This is the day that Jehovah has made; / Let us exult and rejoice in it.

Acts 4:10-13  Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health. 11This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. 12And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved. 13And as they beheld the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated men and laymen, they marveled and they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.

                                      1.    In God¡¯s New Testament economy Christ as the cornerstone, in His saving us, first makes us living stones for the building up of God¡¯s spiritual house (Matt. 16:16-18; John 1:42; 1 Pet. 2:2-6), and then, in the process of His transforming us (Rom. 12:2a; 2 Cor. 3:18), builds us up into a dwelling place of God (Eph. 2:19-22), that He may carry out God¡¯s eternal economy for God¡¯s good pleasure (1:9; 3:9-11).

Matt. 16:16-18  And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

John 1:42  He led him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which is interpreted, Peter).

1 Pet. 2:2-6  As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation, 3If you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious, 5You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it is contained in Scripture: ¡°Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious; and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.¡±

Rom. 12:2a  And do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind

2 Cor. 3:18  But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.

Eph. 2:19-22  So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone; 21In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; 22In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.

Eph. 1:9  Making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself,

Eph. 3:9-11  And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things, 10In order that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies the multifarious wisdom of God might be made known through the church, 11According to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord,

                                      2.    Christ as the cornerstone is the unique salvation to sinners, and it is in His unique name under heaven, a name despised and rejected by the Jewish leaders but honored and exalted by God, that sinners must be saved not only from sin but also to participate in God¡¯s building¡ªActs 4:10-12; Phil. 2:9-11; Matt. 1:21; 21:42.

Acts 4:10-13  Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health. 11This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. 12And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved.

Phil. 2:9-11  Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11And every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Matt. 1:21  And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.

Matt. 21:42  Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures, ¡°The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes¡±?

              III.    Christ is a King for supplying us, caring for us, and covering us¡ªIsa. 32:1-2:

Isa. 32:1-2  Indeed a King will reign according to righteousness, / And the rulers will rule according to justice. 2And a man will be like a refuge from the wind / And a covering from the tempest, / Like streams of water in a dry place, / Like the shadow of a massive rock in a wasted land.

                           A.    This Man-King is a refuge from the wind, a covering from the tempest, streams of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a massive rock in a wasted land¡ªvv. 1-2:

Isa. 32:1-2  Indeed a King will reign according to righteousness, / And the rulers will rule according to justice. 2And a man will be like a refuge from the wind / And a covering from the tempest, / Like streams of water in a dry place, / Like the shadow of a massive rock in a wasted land.

                                      1.    Christ as our King is a refuge from the wind; we can trust in Him at all times and pour out our heart before Him¡ªPsa. 62:6-8.

Psa. 62:6-8  He alone is my rock and my salvation, / My high retreat; I will not be shaken. 7On God my salvation and my glory depend; / The rock of my strength, my refuge, is in God. 8Trust in Him at all times, O people; / Pour out your heart before Him; / God is a refuge to us. Selah

                                      2.    Christ as our King is a covering from the tempest¡ªJohn 6:18-21:

John 6:18-21  And because a strong wind was blowing, the sea was churning. 19Then, when they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they became frightened. 20But He said to them, It is I. Do not be afraid. 21Then they were willing to take Him into the boat; and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

                                                a.    The Lord can overrule and walk on all the troubling waves of human life, and all the troubles are under His feet.

                                                b.    We need to take the Lord into our ¡°boat¡± (our married life, our family, our business, etc.) and enjoy peace with Him on the journey of human life.

                                      3.    Christ as our King is streams of water in a dry place:

                                                a.    Christ was ¡°a root out of dry ground¡± (Isa. 53:2a), not looking for anything in His dry environment to satisfy, supply, comfort, or encourage Him but looking inwardly to the Father as His unique source of satisfaction, supply, comfort, and encouragement (John 4:34; 8:29).

Isa. 53:2a  For He grew up like a tender plant before Him, / And like a root out of dry ground.

John 4:34  Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

John 8:29  And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.

                                                b.    We can drink of Christ as streams of water in a dry place, enjoying Him as the One who is never discouraged¡ªIsa. 42:4a; John 4:13-14.

Isa. 42:4a  He will not faint, nor will He be discouraged,

John 4:13-14  Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again, 14But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.

                                      4.    Christ as our King is the shadow of a massive rock in a wasted land:

                                                a.    Christ is the Rock of our salvation, and this Rock is our strength, our refuge, our hiding place, our protection, our covering, and our safeguard¡ªDeut. 32:15, 18; 2 Sam. 22:47; Psa. 95:1; 62:7; 94:22; 1 Cor. 10:4.

Deut. 32:15  But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked¡ª / You have become fat, you have grown thick, you have gorged yourself¡ª / And forsook God, who made him, / And treated the Rock of his salvation disdainfully.

Deut. 32:18  You have neglected the Rock who begot you / And have forgotten the God who travailed with you.

2 Sam. 22:47  Jehovah lives; and blessed be my rock, / And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

Psa. 95:1  Come, let us sing for joy to Jehovah; / Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Psa. 62:7  On God my salvation and my glory depend; / The rock of my strength, my refuge, is in God.

Psa. 94:22  But Jehovah has been my high tower, / And my God the rock of my refuge;

1 Cor. 10:4  And all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ.

                                                b.    Because this wasted land is full of heat, there is the need of a shadow, which functions like today¡¯s air conditioner¡ªIsa. 4:6; Psa. 91:1.

Isa. 4:6  And there will be a tabernacle as a daytime shade from the heat and as a refuge and a cover from storm and rain.

Psa. 91:1  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High / Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

                           B.    Christ is our Judge, our Lawmaker, and our King to save us¡ªIsa. 33:22:

Isa. 33:22  For Jehovah is our Judge, / Jehovah is our Lawmaker, / Jehovah is our King; He will save us.

                                      1.    The kingdom of God is Christ Himself as the three sections of the divine government¡ªjudicial, legislative, and executive¡ªLuke 17:21.

Luke 17:21  Nor will they say, Behold, here it is! or, There! For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

                                      2.    Christ is within the church today to rule within His believers and organically save them, making them His overcomers, who together in Him become a smiting stone to crush the totality of human government and become the kingdom of God to fill the whole earth¡ªv. 21; Rom. 14:17; Dan. 2:34-35, 44.

Luke 17:21  Nor will they say, Behold, here it is! or, There! For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

Rom. 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Dan. 2:34-35  You were watching until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the image at its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at once, and they became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Dan. 2:44  And in the days of those kings the God of the heavens will raise up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and its reign will not be left to another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms; and it will stand forever.