`enlightenment' (Eph. 1: 17, 18) that they now belonged to this new creation, where Israel

with their earthly privileges and the Gentile with his hopeless condition, cease to exist.

The goal of this "new man" is to grow up to a "full grown male" ("perfect man"

Eph. 4: 13 A.V.).  This is the word translated `husband' in 5: 25 and it can never

represent a woman or a bride. God never mixes His metaphors and we have no right to

make Him do so by teaching that this company, whose goal is to be a full-grown male,

can be the same as the Bride of the Lamb.

Believers who do this are confusing the callings of God and this can only lead to a

lack of appreciation and insight into the wonderful purpose of the ages in Christ

(Eph. 3: 11). It is confusing a calling where Israel is prominent (Rev. 21: 12-14) with

one where Israel as such has no existence, to say nothing of seeking to blend the

Jerusalem which is above and whose goal is the new earth (Rev. 21: 2, 10) with a

position `far above all heavens' (Eph. 4: 10) where the Lord Jesus Christ is now exalted.

The removal of the `wall of partition' and everything that would divide the members

of the joint-Body, whether Jew or Gentile, leads to reconciliation, the removal of all

barriers: "that He might reconcile both in one Body unto God by the Cross, having slain

the enmity thereby" (verse 16). Here is another aspect of the Lord's great reconciling

work on the Cross, dealing not with the relationship of God to the sinner, but the

relationship of each member of this new calling to each other and to the Father, and this

leads to the widest aspect of reconciliation, that of Col. 1: 20, dealing with the Body and

all the heavenly beings. The removal of all `enmity' and differences of position and

blessing results in "peace to you which were afar off (the Gentile), and to them that were

nigh (the Jew)".

All this finally leads to unrestricted access to the Father: "for through Him we both

have our access in one Spirit unto the Father" (18 R.V.). This peace does not just remove

enmity and barriers; it brings every member, whether Jew or Gentile, into the presence

of God the Father. To appreciate this tremendous privilege properly we should go back

and consider the position of Israel as a covenant nation. With all the advantages and

blessings we have seen that Israel possessed, unrestricted access to the presence of God,

located in the holy of holies in the Tabernacle and the Temple, did not exist. If a Jew did

not belong to a priestly family, not once during his lifetime could he even enter the

Tabernacle, let alone go into the sacred innermost shrine, where the glory of God, the

Shekinah, dwelt!

God deliberately hedged Himself round with all sorts of barriers, to impress upon His

people the inestimable privilege of coming into His holy presence, lest this should

become cheap and under-valued.  For us who belong to the one Body, all such

restrictions are gone and we can go to Him through the one Mediator at any time and with

any frequency. Do we really appreciate this and avail ourselves constantly of such a

precious privilege?