All the glories which are to meet in Christ—that is, glories which He is to take as man, not the essential glory of His person—and all connected with them in us have been first tried in the hands of the first Adam and his failure has been proved.
Adam as man failed. The last Adam is the true Head over all things. God in Him was victorious over Satan in trial, as the first Adam succumbed.
Man in Israel is tried by the law given as a proving rule of life; hereafter the law will be written in their hearts and the statutes of God kept by them.
Priesthood was set up in man and failed; Christ will present all saved in the end by His priesthood.
Royalty in David’s son (Solomon) failed, and the kingdom was broken up. It will be set up, never to fail in Christ.
Sovereign power in rule over the Gentiles and the world failed in Nebuchadnezzar, who set up idolatry for unity of religion’s sake and consequently persecuted God’s saints. It will be set up in Christ in perfectness, and in Him shall the Gentiles trust.
The assembly has been set up in its responsibility, that God might be glorified in it and a glorious Christ fully known. It has failed in this, but when Christ comes, He will be glorified in His saints and admired in all them that believe.
J. N. Darby