Summary: The Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ and His Church, conveyed through symbolic language.

Call to action: By His grace, we are able to live out the function of the Church as priests according to the order of Melchizedek, and as kings in everyday life.

We are entering a new theme, namely, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven in the Book of Revelation’. This means that we will discuss the theme of the Kingdom of Heaven as it is revealed in the Book of Revelation. This does not mean that we will look only at the Book of Revelation without quoting or paying attention to other books in the Bible. For the principle of hermeneutics affirms that only Scripture should interpret Scripture. Therefore, we will continue to consider the entire ‘line of thought’ of the Bible in understanding the Book of Revelation.

There are several things that need to be affirmed before we enter the Book of Revelation. First, the Book of Revelation is a revelation conveyed in symbolic language. Revelation 1:1 states, “The Revelation of JESUS Christ, which Elohim gave to Him… He made it known to His servant John” (ILT). The term ‘made it known’ here is translated from the Greek term ‘semaino’, derived from the root word ‘sema’, which means ‘sign/symbol’. Therefore, we must be careful not to interpret the Book of Revelation ‘literally’.

Second, the Book of Revelation is a book that is ‘positive’ in nature, in the sense that it is ‘restorative’. This is because the Book of Revelation reveals the PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, as stated in the verse above. Thus, every calamity, plague, or any form of ‘destruction’ is merely a means or an event with the purpose of revealing the person of Jesus. We must focus on the revelation of the person of Jesus, and not on the frightening stories written in this book. Those frightening stories and expressions must be interpreted symbolically, in accordance with the symbolic language of the Book of Revelation. John 3:17 affirms, “For Elohim did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him” (ILT).

Third, the fulfillment of the Book of Revelation is inward in nature, because this book reveals a person, namely the person of Jesus Christ. In the history of interpretation, there are two main approaches to interpreting this book: historical interpretation and futuristic interpretation. Historical interpretation was very dominant before 1800 AD. Martin Luther interpreted the Antichrist as the Pope in the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, futuristic interpretation began to emerge from the 1800s until around 1995. This futuristic interpretation gave rise to teachings such as the rapture, the second coming of Jesus, a literal lake of fire understood as a literal hell, and so on. We do not completely reject either the historical or the futuristic approaches, but our inward interpretation is primarily based on Galatians 2:20 and Romans 8:19–21.

Fourth, since the revelation of the Book of Revelation is the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ, it is therefore also the revelation of the church as the Body of Christ, and the revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven, because that is the purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world—to establish His Kingdom on earth. There are two symbols in the Book of Revelation that we must pay attention to, namely the golden lampstands (chapter 1) and the throne—the throne of Elohim, the throne of the Lamb, and also thrones (chapters 20–22). We know that the golden lampstands are symbols of the church, and the throne is certainly a symbol of the kingdom. Thus, in broad terms, the Book of Revelation reveals to us a journey from the church to the kingdom, from lampstands to the throne.

We have affirmed that the Book of Revelation reveals the person of Jesus Christ, His church, and certainly His Kingdom. Let us consider Revelation 1:9 to gain an understanding related to the kingdom. Revelation 1:9 states, “I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and the kingdom and the perseverance of JESUS Christ, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of Elohim and the testimony of JESUS Christ” (ILT).

In this verse, the Apostle John refers to the recipients of his writing as companions. Here, companion has the same meaning as fellowship (koinonia), which is the main theme in John’s letters. However, in 1 John 1:3, the Apostle John writes to his recipients ‘so that’ they may have fellowship with him. This means that only if they receive the word he proclaims will there be fellowship with the Apostle John; if they reject it, there will be no fellowship. Here, there is an interesting fact that we need to observe.

The First Epistle of John is a general letter written to the churches in Asia Minor (the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3). We know that the seven churches in Asia Minor had fallen because of three false teachings: the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. That is why the Lord calls for the overcomers in each of the seven churches. Thus, in the First Epistle of John, the Apostle John writes to fallen churches. That is why John proclaims the word of God so that there may be fellowship among them.

This is different from the recipients of the Book of Revelation, where the Apostle John calls them companions. Specifically, the Apostle John calls them companions in the kingdom. This means that the Book of Revelation is specifically addressed to members of the church who have indeed received the proclamation of the Apostle John’s word and have had fellowship with him. The recipients of the Book of Revelation are companions of the Apostle John. The Apostle John proclaimed his visions on the island of Patmos not in order to establish fellowship among them, as was the case in the First Epistle of John to the fallen churches. Thus, both the Apostle John and the recipients of the Book of Revelation are in fellowship, and all are in the kingdom. Therefore, there is a difference between being in the church (being a church member) and being in the kingdom, as intended by the verse above.

Generally, such an understanding is difficult to grasp in the Christian world. At least, there are several reasons for this difficulty. First, it is almost never preached that the church has fallen because of three false teachings, and that the Lord always calls His overcomers in every age of the church. Second, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, there will be a sifting or sorting, as emphasized in the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven. This sifting means that there are church members who are accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven, but there are also those who are not. Third, there are expressions such as ‘believe in Jesus, go to heaven’, which are widely accepted in the Christian world. Heaven is understood as a pleasant place. Actually, the Bible says, “believe in Jesus, and you will receive eternal life (zoe).” Whether Christians grow in life (zoe) or not is another matter. The point is that in the Christian world, people tend to equate being in the church (being a church member) with being in the kingdom, whereas the Apostle John does not equate the two.

Let us continue our discussion of Revelation 1:9, this time focusing on the phrase, “because of the word of Elohim.” Let us quote Revelation 1:9 once again: “I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and the kingdom and the perseverance of JESUS Christ, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of Elohim and the testimony of JESUS Christ” (ILT).

In this verse, the Apostle John states the reason he was on the island of Patmos, where he was exiled or isolated. Generally, people believe that the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Roman emperor. However, Irenaeus, regarded as an early Church Father and a young man mentored by Polycarp (60–155 AD), stated that the writing of the Book of Revelation occurred during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81–96 AD). And Emperor Domitian did not persecute Christianity on a wide scale.

Nevertheless, let us examine all of John’s writings to understand the phrase “because of the word of Elohim.” Let us observe the fact that all of John’s writings have a major theme: the rejection of Jesus and His disciples by the religious world (especially its leaders). First, the opening of the Gospel of John already states that Jesus was rejected by His own people (John 1:11). Second, an analysis of the Gospel of John can be made based on the rejection by the leaders of Judaism (the Temple). Chapters 1–8 describe Jesus’ ministry while He was ‘in the Temple’ and then His departure from it (8:59). Chapters 9–12 describe Jesus’ ministry ‘outside the Temple’ before He withdrew from the crowds (12:36). After an evaluation of why Jesus was rejected by Judaism (12:37–43), chapters 13–21 describe Jesus’ ministry to His disciples and His death on the cross. Thus, the entire Gospel of John has the theme of the rejection of Jesus and His disciples by the religious world. John 15:18–25 affirms that the world hates Jesus and His disciples. The ‘world’ here is the religious world, because they possess the Law (15:25).

Third, the First Epistle of John was written to fallen churches (the religious world at that time), so that there might be fellowship with the Apostle John. This means that, in general, fellowship no longer existed. Fourth, 3 John 1:9 records a man named Diotrephes, who sought to be preeminent in the church and did not receive the Apostle John and his team. Based on these facts, it is reasonable to interpret that the Apostle John was on the island of Patmos primarily BECAUSE HE WAS EXCLUDED BY A DEGRADED RELIGIOUS WORLD. Thus, the meaning of the phrase ‘because of the word of Elohim’ is that the Apostle John was on the island of Patmos primarily because the word of Elohim he proclaimed was not accepted by the fallen churches at that time, although it is also possible that Emperor Domitian did exile John to the island of Patmos.

Let us apply this to our present context. His chosen people certainly understand clearly that the church has fallen and fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations. Given the current condition of the Christian world, the majority—or the masses—will certainly reject the word of Elohim, especially concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the Book of Revelation becomes a book that is ‘hidden’ from the masses.

Let us continue our discussion by looking at Revelation 1:6, which states, “and has made us kings and priests to Elohim and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (ILT). This verse affirms that Jesus Christ made us kings and priests after He washed our sins with His blood (verse 5).

His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven were intended to make us kings and priests. The question for us now is: can Jesus Christ fail in making us kings and priests? Let us look at the case of Peter and his brother Andrew, when Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Did Peter and Andrew fail to become fishers of men? Indeed, Peter failed at times, and Andrew as a human being also failed at times, but Jesus never failed. On the day of Pentecost, in a single sermon, Peter and the other disciples “caught” 3,000 souls. The failures of Peter and the other disciples were part of the process Jesus used to make them fishers of men.

Let us look at another case in Genesis 1:26–28. Here, Elohim intended to create humans in His image and likeness. Many people assume that when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were already in His image and likeness. In fact, Adam and Eve were still in a state of innocence—not yet sinful, but also not yet holy, in the sense of not yet partaking of the nature of Elohim. Adam and Eve were being processed in the Garden of Eden through the presence of two trees: the tree of knowledge (a symbol of the kind of life of ‘death’), and the tree of life (a symbol of the kind of life of Elohim = ‘zoe’). And the fall was part of the process that Elohim used so that humans could become in His image and likeness. The one who designed the fall and caused all humanity to enter the realm of death was not human desire, but the will of Elohim Himself (Romans 8:20–21). Yet, in the end, all creation will be liberated and enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of Elohim. The plan and will of the Father to make all humanity in His image and likeness will not fail.

The church, according to the Epistle of Peter, is a royal priesthood, meaning that all members of the church are priests and kings (1 Peter 2:9). If we look at the Christian world, there is a division of church members into clergy–laity (Catholicism) and pastor–congregation (Protestantism). Spiritual matters are handled by priests or pastors, while secular matters are handled by the laity or congregation. This division of the church into two groups is not a trivial matter, because it results from false teaching, which in the Book of Revelation is called the teaching of the ‘Nicolaitans’. The Latin sense of ‘niko’ means ‘to conquer’, while ‘laos’ refers to the common people (laity). Through this false teaching of the Nicolaitans, hierarchy or human governmental systems entered the church. The church is no longer the Body of Christ (an organism), but has become a “Body of Christ” governed by human administration. The authority of the church, which was originally the authority of Life (‘zoe’), is now mixed with the authority of denominational leaders. In such a condition, it is no longer possible for church members to function as priests and kings.

But has Jesus failed to make us kings and priests? Certainly not, because Jesus has members of His church who are outside the system of human governance and who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4).

We have discussed that Jesus is making us kings and priests after He cleansed our sins by His blood (Revelation 1:5–6). We need to remember that the Book of Revelation is the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ within His church, within His Kingdom, and also within His overcomers. Indeed, making His church able to function as priests and kings is the central and primary theme of the Book of Revelation. Through symbolic language, we see throughout the Book of Revelation how the old heaven and earth are “destroyed” and become a new heaven and a new earth. We know that the ‘new heaven and new earth’ are symbols of restored humanity, particularly His overcomers.

Now we will discuss the purpose of Jesus Christ in forming us to become kings and priests. Let us consider Revelation 5:8–10: “…the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb… and they sang a new song, saying… You have purchased us for Elohim from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and You have made us kings and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign on the earth” (ILT). It is clear from this passage that the ‘four living creatures and the twenty-four elders’ are symbols of kings and priests. For it is emphasized in the passage above that Jesus Christ purchased them and made them kings and priests, and even explains the purpose of making them kings and priests—namely, to reign on the earth. This is fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes ‘in and through’ His overcomers and establishes His Kingdom for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4).

Let us look at the Book of Romans to compare the purpose of the coming of the Lord Jesus ‘in and through’ His overcomers. Salvation in the Book of Romans (chapters 1–8) is explained systematically by Paul through three expressions: justification by faith, sanctification by faith, and glorification by faith. In the Christian world, the event of glorification by faith (Romans 8:19–21) is almost never preached. Yet, this event is precisely the climax of salvation.

If this glorification by faith is not preached and understood, then erroneous concepts about the coming of the Lord Jesus will arise. It is commonly accepted that the Lord Jesus will “rapture” us to heaven, to a pleasant place where people do nothing but sing and ceases His work, allowing the earth and the people in it to enter hell forever. Such a concept arises from a failure to understand the work of salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus.

Consider Romans 8:19–21. It is emphasized there that all creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of Elohim (the overcoming church), where ultimately all creation will enter into the freedom of the glory of the sons of Elohim. Thus, the overcoming church will function as kings and priests, reigning on the earth with glorified bodies to liberate all creation.

Let us first try to apply the matter of becoming kings and priests within the Christian world. In Christianity today, denominations are the kingdoms of their leaders; some even say, “We are like the tribe of Levi,” and therefore have the right to receive tithes from the congregation (the priesthood according to the order of Aaron). Meanwhile, Jesus makes His overcomers to function as priests according to the order of Melchizedek, just as Jesus Himself is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7).

Regarding kings, Jesus firmly said that no one among you should be called a leader (Matthew 23:8–12). His overcomers only equip the disciples of the Lord, as did the leaders of the early church, without drawing them to themselves (Acts 20:29–30; Ephesians 4:11–12), much less drawing money from the disciples of the Lord through various teachings such as tithes, firstfruits (money), and faith pledges. His overcomers do not possess any authority over the disciples of the Lord, as denominational leaders do. His overcomers are formed by Jesus to be kings over their own hearts. They are being trained to rule their own minds, emotions, and wills. But in His time, His overcomers will become kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek and will liberate creation from the bondage of sin.

Let us move on to the coming of the Lord Jesus recorded in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Yes, amen.” We know that the Lord Jesus will come again to establish His kingdom on the earth. There is a phrase we will now discuss, namely, ‘He is coming with the clouds’.

To understand this phrase, we need to have a correct understanding of the Lord’s coming, because in Christianity it is common to speak of “the second coming of the Lord Jesus.” In fact, in the Bible there is no expression “the second coming of the Lord.” Behind the expression “second time” lies an understanding as though Jesus Christ will come again in the form of a male physical body, just as in His first coming.

Let us briefly look at six Greek terms related to the Lord’s coming.

The first term is PAROUSIA. This term appears 24 times in the New Testament and comes from the verb ‘paremi’, meaning ‘to be present’. As a noun it means ‘presence’. Parousia never refers to the act of coming or arriving, but rather to the presence of someone who has already come. Its usage in the New Testament is also never related to the physical coming of the Lord. Thus, ‘parousia’ means presence. Where two or three are gathered in His name, there the Lord is. That is His presence. That is His coming.

The second Greek term is APOKALUPSIS. This term comes from the verb ‘apokalupto’, meaning ‘to uncover’ or ‘to reveal’, emphasizing a revelation. It refers to the unveiling of someone who was previously concealed.

The third Greek term is EPIPHANEIA. This term appears six times in the New Testament. It comes from a verb meaning ‘to bring to light’ or ‘to make visible’. As a noun it means ‘manifestation’. This term is used to express the glory and splendor manifested by the Lord’s coming.

The fourth Greek term is PHANEROO, which means to make manifest or visible. However, this does not mean a presence visible to the physical eye, but rather a perception.

The fifth Greek term is ERCHOMAI. This term is used to indicate the actual act of coming. It is not the same as parousia, which means the presence of someone who has already come. Erchomai is used in our verse above, Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming (AN ACTUAL ACT OF COMING) with the clouds…”

The sixth Greek term is HEKO. This word emphasizes coming to a particular place. It appears in Revelation 2:25: “But hold fast what you have until I COME.”

From these six Greek terms translated as coming, we can understand that the Lord’s coming does not necessarily have to be a physical coming, as implied by the phrase “the second coming of the Lord.” In fact, the Lord’s coming occurred on the Day of Pentecost (the outpouring of the Holy Spirit). For Jesus promised His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). Jesus spoke this promise of coming again to His disciples on the last night. If Jesus were to come later “a second time,” then His promise to the disciples would not have been fulfilled, since all His disciples had already died. But the truth is that Jesus came back to His disciples in the person of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Thus, His promise to come again was fulfilled.

Furthermore, throughout the Bible, when the term “cloud” is singular, it always refers to ‘the cloud of God’s glory’ or to the person of God Himself. But when it is plural (“clouds”), it refers to ‘the witnesses of God’ (the saints). Therefore, the expression “He is coming with the clouds” means that Jesus Christ will come ‘in and through’ His witnesses. This is the event of ‘the glorification of the sons of Elohim’ described in Romans 8:19–21.

We are still reflecting on Revelation 1:9 to gain an understanding of ‘fellowship’ with the apostle John. Revelation 1:9 states: “I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of JESUS Christ, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of Elohim and the testimony of JESUS Christ” (ILT).

We know that the book of Revelation is addressed to people who have ‘fellowship’ with the apostle John. For when he sent the letter of 1 John to the seven churches that had fallen because of the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, he did not greet the recipients as ‘brothers and companions’. Instead, he wrote 1 John so that those who received his message might have fellowship with him (1 John 1:3).

Let us note three things from the verse above regarding ‘fellowship’ with the apostle John. First, we have fellowship with the apostle John ‘in tribulation’. Second, we have fellowship with the apostle John ‘in the kingdom’. Third, we have fellowship with the apostle John in ‘the patience of Jesus Christ’.

We need to understand that what the apostle John means by tribulation is not the kind of tribulation experienced by all fallen humanity. Rather, he means ‘tribulation in the kingdom’, and also ‘tribulation that can only be endured by the patience of Jesus Christ’. In other words, tribulation that arises because we are being processed to take part in the kingdom of heaven.

We must experience tribulation in order to take part in the kingdom of heaven. Acts 14:22 says, “…we must enter the kingdom of Elohim through many tribulations” (ILT). Tribulation in entering the kingdom of heaven may come in the form of difficulties in family life, work, illness, or other kinds of hardship. Indeed, as we see in Revelation 1:9, there will also be tribulation because we receive the word about the kingdom of heaven—a tribulation of being “excluded” from mainstream Christianity.

However, we must be clear that entering the kingdom of heaven is FREE. We pay no price whatsoever to take part in the kingdom of heaven. The primary and sole reason we enter the kingdom of heaven is: “…for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). But the Father in heaven needs to prepare us to enter the kingdom. The preparation or process required to enter the kingdom of heaven is ENTIRELY THE FATHER’S RESPONSIBILITY. When Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “I will make you fishers of men,” whether or not Peter and Andrew would become fishers of men was ENTIRELY JESUS’ RESPONSIBILITY.

By experiencing tribulation as the Father’s process to prepare us to receive the kingdom of heaven, we experience a kind of ‘fellowship’ with the apostle John, and even a ‘fellowship’ with God’s chosen people throughout the church age’. This is truly a fellowship with the people who are called and also chosen—namely, the overcomers who are called, chosen, and faithful (Revelation 17:14). Fellowship with the apostle John is not fellowship with the church that has fallen because of the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3).

We are still speaking about fellowship. It must be emphasized again that the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation to his companions, unlike his letter to the seven churches in Asia Minor, where his purpose was that there might be fellowship with him (1 John 1:3).

The book of Revelation is the apostle John’s writing concerning what he saw (Revelation 1:19). Naturally, if we are in fellowship with a friend, what we “see” will not differ from what he sees. If someone, when reading the book of Revelation, sees the “Antichrist,” “catastrophes,” “the devil,” “the mark 666,” “the lake of fire” as eternal hell, and other “terrifying” matters, then surely his “fellowship” with the apostle John is problematic. Indeed, the book of Revelation does mention the Antichrist, 666, the devil, the lake of fire, and calamities, but all these come to the surface because Jesus Christ reveals Himself to the apostle John. The apostle John saw Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and of course His church, including His overcomers.

Now we will discuss what the apostle John saw in Revelation 1:20: “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” First, the apostle John saw the seven stars, which are the angels of the seven churches. The term “angel” here does not necessarily mean a winged heavenly being. Paul said that the Galatian church received him as an angel of Elohim (Galatians 4:14). The term angel means messenger, and often refers to humans. Thus, the seven stars are the seven messengers of the churches (people). Furthermore, Jesus calls Himself the Morning Star, and He will also grant the Morning Star to His overcomers. Therefore, a star is a symbol of the sons of Elohim. The seven stars are symbols of the seven sons of Elohim.

Second, the apostle John saw seven golden lampstands, which are the seven churches. But we must not hastily interpret that the seven churches are the seven churches in Asia Minor to whom John sent the book of Revelation. To explain this, let us consider Revelation 1:13: “And in the midst of the lampstands was One like a Son of Man…” The original text here should not be translated “like the Son of Man,” as if referring only to Jesus Christ. Rather, it should be translated “like a son of man” (like the form of a human being), meaning it refers to Jesus Christ (Christ the Head) and the sons of Elohim (Christ the Body). Thus, in the midst of the lampstands (the church) are the Lord Jesus and the sons of Elohim.

Let us compare this with Revelation 3:20, where Jesus is outside the door of the church in Laodicea (a church in Asia Minor). Jesus and the sons of Elohim are in the midst of the true church, but Jesus is outside the door of the degenerated church in Asia Minor. Therefore, the seven golden lampstands seen by the apostle John are the true church, and this true church is not the seven churches in Asia Minor. That is why, in each of the messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor, there is always a call to His overcomers, because the seven churches in Asia Minor had degenerated. From this reality, we can understand that ‘what the apostle John saw was Jesus and His overcomers, who are in the midst of the true church’.

In Christianity, it is common for Christians to refer to the church as a denomination. This proves that Christianity does not see the true church. It appears that Christianity has a problem in its fellowship with the apostle John. By His grace, we obtain fellowship with the apostle John and can see as he sees.

We have discussed the vision of the apostle John in Revelation 1:20, where the golden lampstands are the true church and the seven stars are His overcomers, who are the messengers of the churches. We will move on to discuss the seven churches in Asia Minor, but because our theme is ‘the kingdom of heaven’, we must emphasize the distinction between ‘the people of the kingdom of heaven’ and church members, especially the churches in Asia Minor that had degenerated.

In Revelation 1:9, which we have discussed, it is stated that the apostle John wrote his letter as a companion. Clearly, the companions of the apostle John are not all the members of the degenerated churches in Asia Minor. The First Epistle of John is a general letter to the churches in Asia Minor, with the purpose that there might be fellowship for those who receive his message (1 John 1:3). And fellowship with the apostle John is fellowship in the kingdom (Revelation 1:9). Thus, only those who have fellowship with the apostle John are what we call ‘the people of the kingdom’. Once again, we cannot say that all members of the churches in Asia Minor are the people of the kingdom, because the people of the kingdom are church members who have fellowship with the apostle John.

It is hoped that this matter will become increasingly clear as we discuss the churches in Asia Minor one by one. In fact, the word of God to the seven churches in Asia Minor is addressed to the messengers of the churches, symbolized as the seven stars. Then these messengers convey the word of God to the congregation, and whoever has ears will certainly hear the word of God. Therefore, we must be clear that not all church members will hear the word of God delivered by these messengers. Those who receive the grace to hear are the ones who receive the word conveyed by the messengers, and they are called the overcomers.

Perhaps this will be clearer if we directly apply it to Christianity today. We know that Christianity is not the true church, because the true church born on the Day of Pentecost has been fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations, forming what we now know as Christianity. In Christianity, many are called, but few are chosen. To these few who are chosen, the Father in heaven is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven (Luke 12:32). Those who receive the grace to be chosen are called in the Gospel of Luke “the little flock,” as opposed to the “great flock” in Christianity. Indeed, it is this “little flock” that we have referred to above as the people of the kingdom.

We should not immediately judge that the “little flock” consists of famous people or those who are “mightily used by God” in the Christian world. We will understand this more clearly after we discuss one by one the seven churches in Asia Minor, and also examine the things that caused these congregations to decline. Perhaps this “little flock” consists of simple people, but they received grace to listen to the word delivered by the messengers of the churches. Everything is purely by His grace. No one can boast for any reason.

Before we discuss the seven churches in Asia Minor, we need to clearly see the condition of these seven churches. The churches to which the apostle John wrote letters were very different in their condition compared to the churches to which the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter wrote. To see the difference in the condition of these churches, we will use one principle in understanding all the writings of the New Testament, namely the principle of the ‘Trilogy’.

This Trilogy principle is written in Proverbs 22:20–21, as follows: “Have I not written to you THREE TIMES with counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth…” (ILT). The principle of ‘speaking three times’ is God’s principle in speaking so that we may know the truth. Indeed, all the writings of the New Testament are God’s way of speaking ‘three times’ to us through His three servants: Peter, Paul, and John. All the books of the New Testament can be grouped into three sections: the group of Peter, Paul, and John. We will not discuss this further here, because we already have written about this elsewhere.

What must be emphasized now is that the churches to which Peter and Paul wrote WERE TRUE CHURCHES. A true church here does not mean that these churches had no problems or theological errors. Rather, they are called true because they HAD FELLOWSHIP WITH PETER AND PAUL. However, the seven churches in Asia Minor DID NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE

APOSTLE JOHN. In fact, the apostle John wrote a general letter to these seven churches so that there might be fellowship with him (1 John 1:3).

Why did the seven churches in Asia Minor not have fellowship with the apostle John? All this began with the presence of “savage wolves,” as Paul had said (Acts 20:29–30). These savage wolves attacked church leaders so that, through false teachings, these leaders drew the Lord’s disciples to themselves. This is what caused the true church to split into tens of thousands of denominations as we see today. Even toward the end of his life, Paul himself was abandoned by all those who were in Asia Minor (2 Timothy 1:15). When Peter and Paul had died as martyrs, and the apostle John began to minister to the seven churches in Asia Minor, the ‘behavior’ of leaders who drew the Lord’s disciples to themselves had been justified and had become a ‘teaching’, namely the false teachings of the Nicolaitans, Balaam, and Jezebel, as we will see later. Thus, because of the attack of savage wolves against church leaders, the apostle John did not have fellowship with the churches in Asia Minor. There were “Diotrephes-like” figures in the declining church who openly rejected an apostle.

By understanding the true ‘condition’ of the seven churches in Asia Minor, we are ready to know the truth of the true church, the truth of the kingdom of heaven, and the person of Jesus Christ Himself, who is the truth. If someone does not see the true ‘condition’ of the seven churches in Asia Minor, then he is not ready to understand the truth. If someone does not see the true ‘condition’ of the Christian world, then he is also not ready to understand the truth of the kingdom of heaven as revealed to the apostle John.

We have emphasized that the churches to which Peter and Paul wrote were true churches—true in the sense that there was still ‘fellowship’ with the apostles, even though there were certainly problems and theological errors here and there. However, the seven churches in Asia Minor were no longer true churches because there was no ‘fellowship’ (koinonia) with the apostle John, and some of their leaders even rejected the apostle John.

Let us begin with the first church mentioned in Revelation 2–3, namely the church in Ephesus. Of course, we will not discuss all the points addressed to the church in Ephesus, but only a few related to the understanding of the ‘kingdom of heaven’ as revealed in the book of Revelation. The important point here is found in Revelation 2:6, as follows: “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

Because the book of Revelation uses symbolic language, ‘Nicolaitans’, from the Greek ‘Nicolaitai’, means ‘to conquer the laity’ (nikao = to conquer, laos = the people/laity). Thus, ‘Nicolaitans’ refers to the actions of leaders who subjugate church members, causing the church to be divided into two groups: the ‘conquerors’ and the ‘conquered’. This division then continued, and in the Catholic Church, the ‘conquerors’ are called the priestly class, while the ‘conquered’ are called the laity. In Protestant churches, these two groups are commonly called ‘pastors’ and ‘congregation’.

In the church in Ephesus, this ‘Nicolaitan’ practice existed only as a ‘practice’ carried out by some leaders, but it later developed into a ‘teaching/doctrine’ (Greek: didachē) in the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:15). It is interesting to note that the term ‘Pergamum’, or Greek ‘Pergamos’, means ‘marriage’ or ‘union’. In a church that had “married” the world, the Nicolaitan practice had become a doctrine. For those who study church history, it is clear that the church had “married” the world when the Roman Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity, making it the state religion. The world no longer persecuted the church but had “married” and united with it. Indeed, the church became “large,” but the Lord hates both the teaching and the followers of the Nicolaitans.

Thus, within the worldly church, Nicolaitanism became a doctrine and was generally accepted. In fact, the damage caused by the Nicolaitan teaching undermines the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) and ultimately also the authority of the church (Matthew 23:1–8). In the worldly church, these conquerors of the laity teach doctrines of leadership that essentially introduce hierarchy and human systems of government. Church authority is no longer the authority of Life, because the church is an organism; rather, in the worldly church, authority lies in the hands of leaders.

However, the people of the kingdom do not partake in the teaching of the Nicolaitans. All members of the people of the kingdom, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom, are formed into ‘kings and priests’ (Revelation 1:6). The people of the kingdom do not conquer, nor are they conquered by leaders.

We move on to the second church, the church in Smyrna. Let us observe the condition of the church in Smyrna: “I know your tribulation and your poverty—but you are rich—and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9). The term ‘Smyrna’ in Greek means ‘myrrh’, and myrrh is a symbol of suffering. Thus, the church in Smyrna is a church that experienced suffering.

There were two causes of suffering for the church in Smyrna. First, suffering at the hands of the Roman Empire at that time. Yet, even though the church in Smyrna was persecuted and became materially poor, the Lord said that they were spiritually rich. Second, they suffered because of ‘slander’ (Greek: ‘blasphemia’ = blasphemy, evil speech) from those who claimed to be Jews but were not. We must understand that the “Jews” referred to here were those within the church in Smyrna. Thus, the suffering of the church in Smyrna came from outside (the Roman Empire) and from inside (those who claimed to be Jews).

We will discuss suffering that comes from within the church, because suffering or challenges from outside are usually easier to face. To understand internal challenges, we need to know the difference between Judaistic worship and the worship of the true church. There are four focal points of Judaistic worship: the Temple, the Law, the priestly system, and the promises of Yahweh. The Jews had to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, obey the Law written “on stone tablets,” adhere to the priesthood according to Aaron, and receive promises such as the land of Palestine and other material blessings. If we look carefully, the essence of Judaistic worship is “external,” with blessings that are material in nature.

But the worship of the true church is spiritual. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…” (John 4:23). Worship ‘in spirit’ means worship that follows the ‘leading of the Holy Spirit’ within. And worship ‘in truth’ (Greek: ‘aletheia’ = truth or reality) means worship in reality, not worship in symbols or external forms as in Judaism. Judaistic worship is indeed symbolic or external, but when Jesus came and fulfilled the Law, the worship of the true church must be worship of ‘essence’ or ‘inner reality’.

Let us apply this understanding of worship directly to the Christian world. Does the Christian world worship in spirit and truth? We can answer this easily by observing the priestly system in Christianity. Because of the Nicolaitan teaching we have discussed, it is clear that the priestly system in the Christian world follows neither the order of Aaron (Judaism) nor the order of Melchizedek (the true church). When the priestly system is already mixed up, every religious leader in each denomination can easily create their own “written” rules: one must come to this or that building, must pay tithes, firstfruits (money), and so on. Must… must… and must… Worship in the Christian world becomes very “material,” like Judaism. But the worship of the people of the kingdom is “…to follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Revelation 14:4). The people of the kingdom can follow Jesus wherever He goes because there is an anointing within that enables them to hear the voice of Jesus (1 John 2:20, 26; John 10:27).

We now come to the third church, the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:12–17). We have discussed that the term ‘Pergamum’, or Greek ‘Pergamos’, means ‘marriage’ or ‘union’. Here we see that in a church that has “married” the world, not only has Nicolaitanism become a doctrine, but also ‘Balaam’. The teaching of Balaam is a doctrine that justifies the practice of ‘using God’s gifts to receive payment’. In 2 Peter 2:15, the ‘way of Balaam’ is emphasized as loving wages for wrongdoing. The letter of Jude also emphasizes, “…for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam…” (verse 11).

Because the book of Revelation is a prophetic book, we know that the fulfillment of the “Pergamum-type church” occurred when the Roman Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity as the state religion. At that time, everyone who served God received wages from the state treasury. This practice of serving God and receiving wages in this way was unknown in the early church, when the true church had not yet fallen and declined like the churches in Asia Minor.

But ‘Balaam’ had become a doctrine, meaning it was widely accepted and regarded as right in the era of the church in Pergamum. Of course, there are New Testament verses that say “the worker deserves his wages” or, as Paul said, “do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” If someone becomes an adherent of the ‘teaching of Balaam’, they will find many verses and proofs from the Bible to support it. But if someone receives grace before Him, they will clearly see the difference between the early church, where there was no teaching of Balaam, and the churches that have accepted the teaching of Balaam. Thus, the issue here is whether or not we receive grace to see.

Let us look at the Christian world today. Has the ‘teaching of Balaam’ been widely accepted in Christianity? Once again, this is a matter of whether someone “sees” or not. Before Jesus came to the Temple of Judaism, all the “ministries” of the priests, Pharisees, and scribes were not considered a problem by anyone. But because Jesus “saw” that there was commerce in the Temple and that the leaders of Judaism were profiting from their ministry, “commotion” began. If Jesus were to “come a second time” into the Christian world, there would certainly be “commotion” again.

Let us consider a faithful witness in the church in Pergamum, namely Antipas (verse 13). In church history, there is no record of a leader named Antipas. Because the book of Revelation uses symbolic language, the Greek meaning of ‘Antipas’ is ‘anti’ = against, and ‘pas’ = all. That is, this faithful witness was “against all.” He was against the church in Pergamum not because he sought trouble, but because he held fast to the Lord’s name and did not deny his faith.

Likewise today, the people of the kingdom are “against” the Christian world not because they seek trouble, but because they refuse to partake in the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans that have been widely accepted.

We now come to the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18–29). We must emphasize that the book of Revelation is a prophetic book, and therefore the seven churches in Asia Minor depict churches that would appear in the Christian world throughout history. If we observe the first three churches—Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum—there is no promise of the Lord’s coming. But for the next four churches, we find promises regarding His coming: the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:25), the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:3), the church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:11), and the church in Laodicea as the final type, which will certainly exist until the Lord’s coming.

Thus, the fulfillment or type of the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum has already occurred in Christian history and no longer appears because they did not receive a promise concerning His coming. But the next four churches—the types of Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea—will continue to exist until the Lord’s coming. Many Christians believe that these last four churches have also already been fulfilled in the Christian world. Therefore, if we observe the Christian world today, we will see several characteristics of these four churches. Stating that the types of Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum have been fulfilled and no longer appear does not mean that false teachings such as those of the Nicolaitans and Balaam no longer exist in Christianity. We see that the three false teachings—Nicolaitans, Balaam, and Jezebel—strongly color the Christian world today.

Let us discuss the teaching of Jezebel found in the church in Thyatira. Revelation 2:20 states: “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and leads My servants astray, so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” The term ‘Jezebel’ here is certainly symbolic, consistent with the nature of the book of Revelation, and to understand the meaning of this symbol, we need to look at Jezebel’s history.

There are several things we need to note about Jezebel in Israel’s history. First, Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab who worshiped Baal, and in the case of Naboth’s vineyard, she usurping her husband’s authority (1 Kings 21:7–8). Thus, ‘Jezebel’ in the church refers to leaders who usurp the authority of Jesus (the authority of Life) by introducing hierarchy (a human system of government) into the church. Second, Jezebel is a person with a strong will, enabling her to “seduce” not only the nation of Israel but also her husband to worship Baal (1 Kings 21:25). Thus, “Jezebel” in the church refers to leaders who possess “appeal or charisma” so that they can draw the Lord’s disciples to follow their own desires. Third, Jezebel was able to destroy the prophets of the Lord and sustain false prophets by feeding them from her royal table (1 Kings 18:4, 19). Thus, “Jezebel” in the church refers to leaders who “silence” the voices of true prophets and give room/reward to false prophets to speak/teach.

Many people believe that the characteristics of the church in Thyatira are very strikingly manifested in the Catholic Church. The wealth possessed by the Catholic Church and the authority of the Pope are clearly revealed in the symbol of “Jezebel.” However, we should not assume that “Jezebel” does not exist in other denominations, because every denomination certainly has its own “Jezebel.” In such church conditions, the Lord has a kingdom people depicted by the “Elijah” community and His chosen 7,000.

Now we will discuss the type of church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1–6). Let us pay attention to the words of the Spirit to this church: “…I know your works; you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead! Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die… Remember, therefore, how you have received and heard; keep it, and repent…” (3:1–3). To understand the Spirit’s words to the church in Sardis, we need to look back at the preceding church in Thyatira.

We have emphasized that the characteristics of the church in Thyatira were fulfilled in the Catholic Church, and church historians generally refer to the era of the Catholic Church as the “Dark Age of the Church.” This dark age lasted for approximately 1,000 years, beginning in the 6th century until the coming of Martin Luther in 1517. Then, after the era of the church in Thyatira, God raised up the type of church in Sardis, which we call the Protestant churches, as a response to the dark age of the church.

We all acknowledge that Martin Luther was used by God and that the Reformation came from God. Several core truths were restored at that time, namely sola fide, sola gratia, and sola scriptura (by faith alone, by grace alone, and Scripture alone). It cannot be denied that Martin Luther’s Reformation caused thousands of people to return to their original faith, and the Bible began to be opened and studied again. However, after some time, it seems that this Reformation movement was hijacked by political interests. Several nations wanted to free themselves from the power of Rome. In some countries such as England, Germany, and others, the church even became united with the state.

But God continued to reform His church, giving rise to other movements after Martin Luther, such as the Baptists, Presbyterians, Holiness movement, and so on. It can be said that the type of church in Sardis was marked by revival after revival. But because of human interests, revivals that were initially pure and from God later declined and even opposed subsequent movements of God. Thus, the history of revival always follows the same pattern. First, God’s visitation produces spontaneity and genuine fellowship. Then, human interests infiltrate, resulting in what is called the “institutionalization process,” where the institution then rejects subsequent movements of God.

Let us take one example of a revival that still belongs to the type of church in Sardis, namely the revival in America in 1901, known as the Pentecostal movement. We will quote this Pentecostal movement from the book Pentecostalism (1966) by John T. Nichol, page 85, as follows:

“Brother Seymour was recognized as the nominal leader. But we had no pope or hierarchy. We were brethren. We had no human program. God Himself led. We had no priestly class, nor any priestly office. All these things came later, with a departure from the (Pentecostal) movement…. No one knew what was coming, what God would do; everything was spontaneous, governed by the Spirit… We did not have to receive directions/signals from leaders… The meetings were controlled by the Spirit, from the Throne” (end quote).

By observing the pattern of revival in the church of Sardis, we can understand why the Holy Spirit said, “you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” At first there was life because of God’s visitation, then because of human interests, death occurred. But the kingdom people within the type of church in Sardis are described as follows: “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4).

We continue our discussion of the kingdom of heaven and now enter into the church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7–13). We have discussed that the type of church in Sardis is the type of “revival after revival,” beginning with Martin Luther and continuing thereafter. In the church in Philadelphia there were also reformations and revivals, but the type of revival in the church in Philadelphia is not the same as in Sardis. Of the seven churches in Asia Minor, only the church in Philadelphia and the church in Smyrna were not rebuked by the Holy Spirit.

However, even though there is no rebuke of the Spirit for the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia, the Lord still calls His overcomers within both churches. This call to His overcomers clearly proves that both the church in Smyrna and the church in Philadelphia fall into the category of “fallen churches.” We must clearly understand that the seven churches in Asia Minor in the time of the apostle John cannot be equated with the churches in the time of the apostles Peter and Paul. There was no call to overcomers in the churches of Peter’s and Paul’s time as we see in the seven churches in Asia Minor.

Let us consider the meaning of the term ‘Philadelphia’. In Greek, the term ‘Philadelphia’ consists of two words: the first means ‘love’, and the second means ‘brother’. Thus, ‘Philadelphia’ means ‘brotherly love’. What is the meaning of ‘brotherly love’? We have discussed that the characteristic of the church in Thyatira is ‘hierarchy’ in the sense of human authority, which was fulfilled in the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, the characteristic of the church in Sardis is ‘revival’, which eventually declined due to human interests, and we know that this was fulfilled in the Protestant churches. But the characteristic of the church in Philadelphia is brotherly love, where all church members are brothers, fulfilling the words of the Lord Jesus to His church: “you are all brothers” (Matthew 23:8). The meaning of ‘you are all brothers’ is that there is no ‘hierarchy’ in the church, and therefore there is no teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Both the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches divide their members into two groups: the priestly class and the clergy/pastors. But in the type of church in Philadelphia, there is no such division, because all church members are brothers. In the history of Christianity, this was fulfilled when, in 1825 in Dublin (the capital of Ireland), several brothers gathered upon the truth of brotherly love. This movement later became known as The Brethren, with John Nelson Darby as its main figure. Then in 1926 in China, there was also a brotherly love movement, commonly called “The Little Flock,” with Watchman Nee as its main figure. In both movements, there were no religious offices or titles whatsoever.

If we consider why the church in Philadelphia received no rebuke from the Spirit, even though it is also categorized as a fallen church, we can understand that the main reason is that the church in Philadelphia did not practice or teach the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which the Lord Jesus hates (Revelation 2:6). The kingdom people certainly do not practice Nicolaitan behavior, let alone teach the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The kingdom people are simple people in the Christian world who have laid aside all offices or religious titles whatsoever.

We come to the last church, the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22). Let us look at several characteristics of the church in Laodicea. First, lukewarm (verse 16). Lukewarm means neither hot nor cold. This church continues to carry out its ministry work, but if it does not repent, the Lord will vomit it out (verse 15). Second, pride. Verse 17 states: “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Here the Lord provides the solution: to buy “gold” from the Lord (divine character), to put on “white garments” (the righteousness of the saints), and to apply “eye salve” (the Holy Spirit) to anoint the eyes so that they may see. Third, the Lord, who is already outside the “door” of this church, calls to “dine” (have fellowship) with Him (verse 20).

Such are the characteristics of the church in Laodicea. Since the book of Revelation is prophetic, how is it fulfilled? We must understand that the movement of the four types of churches that will exist until the Lord’s coming is sequential in nature. That is, the type of church in Sardis was born from the type of church in Thyatira. The type of church in Philadelphia was born from the type of church in Sardis, and the type of church in Laodicea was born from the type of church in Philadelphia. The Protestant movement (“Sardis”) was born from “Thyatira” (Catholic). The movements of “The Brethren” and “The Little Flock” (“Philadelphia”) were born from “Sardis” (Protestant). Likewise, the church type “Laodicea” was born from the type “Philadelphia.” By looking at the characteristics of the Laodicean church above, we can understand that the church of “Laodicea” was born because of the decline of the church of “Philadelphia.”

The main characteristic of the church in Laodicea is its pride. Certainly this church is proud because of things it boasts of from the past. We know that the church in Philadelphia was not rebuked by the Lord at all. If we look at the history of the movement of the church type “Philadelphia,” we know how greatly the Lord opened doors for it (Revelation 3:7). Indeed, this movement was greater than the Reformation. Thousands of books were published from this “Philadelphia” movement that opened our understanding of the Bible in ways never revealed by previous movements. However, when the “love” that characterized “Philadelphia” declined, then “pride” inevitably emerged. Thus, the pride of “Laodicea” is corporate pride (church pride), not merely personal pride that may appear in individual Christians.

We have seen that the seven churches in Asia Minor fall into the category of fallen/declining churches, because to all seven churches the Lord always calls His overcomers. We will close our discussion of the seven churches by noting the difference between the order of the church and the order of the kingdom. By the order of the church is meant leaders called apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). But the order of the kingdom is kings and priests.

God forms the kingdom people to be kings and priests (Revelation 1:6). The kingdom people are those who receive grace to function as kings and priests in the coming age after the church age is completed by the coming of the Lord Jesus. The kingdom people will reign together with the Lord Jesus on earth with glorified bodies (Revelation 5:10; 20:4).

After we have seen the condition of the seven churches in Asia Minor (chapters 2–3) that have fallen/declined, in the sense that they no longer had fellowship (‘koinonia’) with the apostle John, and therefore the Lord called His overcomers, the next vision given to the apostle John concerns heaven (Revelation 4:1–2). Let us consider Revelation 4:1–2: “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven… ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne.”

Several things are revealed in these verses. First, the apostle John saw an “open door in heaven.” The meaning here is that the apostle John saw the “opening of the door of heaven” such that he began to see what heaven is like. Second, in order to see what heaven is like, the apostle John had to hear the command, “come up here.” And because he heard the command “come up here,” “at once he was in the Spirit.” Thus, the meaning of “come up here” is “to be in the Spirit.” That is, the apostle John did not ascend physically to a certain “place” called “heaven,” but he entered into A HEAVENLY DIMENSION. Elohim dwells in the ‘eternal dimension’, and He created three dimensions: the heavenly dimension, the earthly dimension (space and time), and the dimension under the earth (Revelation 5:3; 10:6). I Timothy 6:16 explains the eternal dimension as follows: “…who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen…”.

Third, after the apostle John was in the Spirit, he saw “a throne set in heaven, and One seated on the throne.” Thus, Elohim, who dwells in the eternal dimension, placed His throne in the heavenly dimension. Elohim Himself does not dwell in heaven; rather, heaven dwells in Elohim, because Elohim is greater than heaven, which He created. Yet He placed His throne in heaven. The throne here is certainly not a physical throne as humans make on earth. The throne symbolizes the authority of a kingdom and also authority to judge. Thus, heaven is in the form of a KINGDOM. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He taught His disciples to pray that the kingdom in the heavenly dimension (the kingdom of heaven) would come down to the earthly dimension, so that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

Up to this point we can see how different “heaven” as often preached in the Christian world is from the heaven seen by the apostle John. “Heaven” as commonly preached in Christianity is like a pleasant “place,” with streets of gold, many beautiful dwellings understood as the “Father’s house,” some even think there are dogs there, and people’s work is merely to sing praises to God. Meanwhile, one only needs to believe in Jesus to enter such a heaven, a belief held by the majority in the Christian world.

In fact, in the New Testament there is not a single expression such as “believe in Jesus and go to heaven.” In the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John, there are many expressions such as “believe in Jesus and receive eternal life.” Eternal life (‘zoe’) is the kind of life of Elohim that enters the earthly dimension (space and time) and therefore needs to grow. And we know that in the Christian world, as with the fallen churches in Asia Minor, the Lord calls His overcomers.

In the Christian world many are called and receive ‘zoe’ life, but only a few are chosen, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven (Luke 12:32). The more we look at heaven as revealed to the apostle John, the more we will see how different it is from the “heaven” often preached and believed in the Christian world.

Let us discuss a little more about ‘dimensions’ before continuing to see ‘heaven’ as the apostle John saw it (Revelation 4–5). We have known that Elohim dwells in the eternal dimension. It must be understood that ‘eternal’ is not a very long span of time without end, as Christians often understand it, because the dimension of the ‘eternal’ is different from the dimension of ‘time’. The dimension of the eternal is the dimension of Elohim and is uncreated, whereas ‘time’ is something created and has a beginning and an end. Furthermore, Elohim created three additional dimensions: the heavenly dimension, where He placed His throne; then the earthly dimension (space and time); and the dimension beneath the earth, or the realm of death, symbolized by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden.

Let us look more closely at the three dimensions created by Elohim: the heavenly dimension, the earthly dimension, and the dimension beneath the earth. Luke 17:21 affirms this: “…for behold, the kingdom of Elohim is among you” (ILT). Jesus spoke these words when He was asked by the Pharisees about when the kingdom of Elohim would come (17:20). Here, both the ILT and the LAI translate the Greek term ‘entos’ as ‘among’. In fact, the term ‘entos’ means ‘within’. We know that the meaning of a term is determined by how it is used in a sentence. The Greek term ‘entos’ appears only twice in the New Testament, the other instance being in Matthew 23:26: “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside (entos) of the cup….” Here ‘entos’ is translated as ‘inside’ or ‘within’, because that clearly fits the usage in the sentence. It would be impossible to translate ‘entos’ as ‘among’ here. Therefore, the definite meaning of ‘entos’ is ‘inside’ or ‘within’. Accordingly, Luke 17:21 should be translated: “…the kingdom of Elohim is within you.”

Thus, the kingdom of Elohim is within us. Is the kingdom of Elohim only within believers? We must remember that Luke 17:21 is Jesus’ statement to the Pharisees who opposed Him. In truth, the kingdom of Elohim was within the Pharisees as well, even though they opposed Him and did not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. However, because the Pharisees did not acknowledge Jesus, the kingdom of Elohim within them had no influence whatsoever on their lives.

What, then, does it mean that ‘the kingdom of Elohim is within you’? Certainly it does not mean that the kingdom of Elohim is inside our physical bodies. Rather, it means that the heavenly dimension RULES the earthly dimension, because the heavenly dimension is higher than the earthly dimension. HEAVEN RULES EARTH. This is the meaning of ‘the kingdom of heaven is within you’. In fact, the kingdom of heaven IS WITHIN ALL HUMANITY, but for those who do not acknowledge Jesus as King, the kingdom of heaven within them has absolutely no influence.

Let us now consider the meaning of the dimension ‘beneath the earth’, or the dimension of the realm of death. We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). When Adam ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, he immediately fell into the dimension of the ‘realm of death’, being cut off from the kind of life of Elohim (‘zoe’) symbolized by the Tree of Life. The wages of sin is not eternal hell in the sense of hell forever, because such a view confuses the meaning of ‘eternal’ and the meaning of ‘time’. Christians who hold such a view do not understand what a ‘dimension’ is, even though the doctrine of eternal hell has been widely accepted in Christianity. It is hoped that through this explanation of ‘dimensions’, we may better understand the meaning of heaven as seen by the apostle John.

Let us go further into the discussion of dimensions. We have affirmed that the kingdom of heaven that exists in the heavenly dimension is within us. This means that the kingdom of heaven RULES FROM WITHIN OUR INNER BEING. How does the kingdom of heaven rule from within our inner being? When Jesus came into the world, He came so that we might obtain His life (John 10:10; life = zoe). Jesus is that ‘zoe’ life (John 14:6), and through the growth of this ‘zoe’ life, Jesus rules FROM WITHIN OUR INNER BEING. That is why 1 John 2:27 states: “But the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you….” Why is there no need to be taught by others? This does not mean that the church should not learn from others. Jesus Himself gave to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip the church (Ephesians 4:11–12). Rather, the meaning of ‘no need to be taught by others’ is that JESUS HIMSELF WILL RULE DIRECTLY FROM WITHIN OUR INNER BEING. Leaders have no authority over the church, because the church is led directly by Jesus. This is the meaning of ‘the kingdom of heaven is within you’. The kingdom of God is within you.

We must clearly distinguish between the kingdom of heaven ruling from within the inner being and the sovereignty of the Father who governs all things. Not even a sparrow falls apart from the Father’s will (Matthew 10:29). Or as written in Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; and in Your book all of them were written, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” This is the Father’s sovereignty governing all things. But at present, the kingdom of Jesus is in the process of subduing all things THROUGH THE INNER BEING OF HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, and when all things have been fulfilled, Jesus will hand over His kingdom to the Father, so that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:22–28). The Father will then express His glory within and through ALL OF HIS CREATION. There will be no more death, which is the wage of sin.

Next, let us look more closely at the dimension ‘beneath the earth’. When Adam ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, God said, “you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). The phrase ‘surely die’ here is translated from the Hebrew ‘mut tamut’. This expression cannot simply be translated as ‘die’, as in many Bible versions. Young’s Literal Translation renders it accurately as ‘dying thou dost die’. This means that on the very day Adam ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, he immediately received a KIND OF LIFE called DEATH, which would then progress toward PHYSICAL DEATH. This kind of death-life is ruled by the devil (Hebrews 2:14). But Jesus has experienced death and conquered it FOR ALL HUMANITY (Hebrews 2:9).

What, then, is the meaning of the dimension beneath the earth? James 2:26 states, “For as the body without the spirit is dead….” This is the meaning of ‘physical death’, and therefore the dimension ‘beneath the earth’ is a KIND OF LIFE lived by the spirits of those who have left their physical bodies—namely, those who have not yet believed in Jesus.

After understanding the dimensions created by the Father, who Himself dwells in His own dimension—the eternal dimension—we can see how strange it is for people to teach eternal hell in the sense of hell forever. Unfortunately, such teaching has been widely accepted in Christianity. Yet all this happens so that His word to Christianity may be fulfilled: ‘many are called, but few are chosen’.

Let us continue the apostle John’s vision of heaven (Revelation 4–5). John saw a throne in heaven, and One sitting on it. We know that a throne is a symbol of a kingdom with authority. Thus, the heaven seen by John is in the form of a kingdom with authority. Then John saw twenty-four elders clothed in white garments, seated on thrones, with golden crowns on their heads (Revelation 4:4). These white garments are given to the overcomers of the church (Revelation 3:18) and are a symbol of the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). The twenty-four elders also have thrones and golden crowns. The throne is a symbol of authority, and the golden crown signifies that the authority given to these elders is divine in nature, since gold symbolizes the divine character or nature. Thus, the twenty-four elders are kings within the kingdom of heaven.

Next, John saw four living creatures full of eyes—one like a lion, one like a calf, one with a human face, and one like a flying eagle (Revelation 4:6–7). Who are these four creatures? The book of Revelation interprets them itself. Consider Revelation 5:8–10: “…the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb… and they sang a new song, saying… You have purchased us for Elohim from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made us kings and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign on the earth” (ILT). It is clear from these verses that “the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders” are symbols of kings and priests. It is emphasized that Jesus Christ purchased them and made them kings and priests, with the purpose that they would reign on the earth. Thus, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures are symbols of the saints from all nations, whom God has processed into kings and priests.

Then John saw the seven Spirits of Elohim (Revelation 4:5). This does not mean that the Spirit of God is seven in number. The number seven symbolizes completeness or perfection. The lightning and peals of thunder represent the activity of the Spirit of God in such perfect and complete operation on the earth. We will not explain everything John saw concerning heaven, but we will conclude with his vision of a scroll that only the Lamb can open (chapter 5). This scroll is not an ordinary scroll, because it can only be opened by Jesus Christ as the Lamb who was slain. The contents of this scroll tell the story of redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus as the Lamb, which ultimately reveals the person of Jesus Christ Himself. In the following chapters, we will see how this revelation of Jesus Christ is made known to all creation—those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

Up to this point, we can understand the truth about heaven, which is vastly different from the stories we have often heard. In general, Christianity has proclaimed a “mythical heaven,” completely different from what the apostle John saw.

Before continuing John’s vision of the scroll that only the Lamb of Elohim can open, let us say a little more about the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures around the throne of Elohim who will reign on the earth (Revelation 4–5). Some hold the view that these twenty-four elders and four living creatures are angels or other heavenly beings, not redeemed saints chosen from every tribe, nation, people, and language.

We need to address this view, because it obscures our understanding of the book of Revelation and the Father’s original plan. Several points must be made. First, Genesis 1:26–28 clearly states that the Father’s original plan for humanity was to subdue and rule over the entire earth. Thus, the focus of the Father’s plan is the earth. Second, the Father’s plan in choosing the nation of Israel was that all the tribes of Israel would be a ‘kingdom of priests’, that is, kings and priests for all nations (Exodus 19:5–6). Later, Israel fell into the worship of the golden calf, and when Moses asked who was on the Lord’s side, only the tribe of Levi came to him (Exodus 32:26). Thereafter, God chose only the tribe of Levi to be priests on behalf of the other tribes. But the Father’s original plan for Israel was for all the tribes to be kings and priests to other nations. Third, in the New Testament context, the Father’s plan for all saints is to make the entire church a ‘royal priesthood’ (1 Peter 2:9). Later, through the false teaching of the Nicolaitans, the church was divided into clergy and laity, or pastors and congregations. Nevertheless, the Father chooses a “little flock” within Christianity to be formed into kings and priests (Luke 12:32; Revelation 1:6). Clearly, the Father’s plan is to form humanity to rule and subdue the whole earth, beginning with His chosen people.

Therefore, the view that the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures are angels or other heavenly beings, rather than humans, obscures the Father’s original plan and renders the focus of the book of Revelation unclear. Why? Because the book of Revelation is the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ, and there are four stages of the revelation of Jesus Christ to His church. First, Jesus Christ reveals Himself TO us—we know Him as a person outside of us, what He did and what He said. Second, Jesus Christ reveals Himself WITHIN us—we experientially understand that Christ is not outside us, but within us. Third, Jesus Christ reveals Himself AS us—what Paul says in Galatians 2:20, that he has been crucified with Christ and that it is no longer he who lives, but Christ who lives. From this we see that Christ lives ‘as’ Paul. Fourth, Jesus Christ reveals Himself THROUGH us—He expresses Himself through His chosen ones on the earth. Indeed, the “second coming” of Jesus Christ means that He presents Himself to creation through the sons of Elohim (Romans 8:19–21).

Thus, the book of Revelation is indeed the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ, but His coming THROUGH His chosen people is central to this revelation. At present, His chosen ones are being formed into kings and priests. Angels and heavenly beings do not become kings and priests—saints do. For how can Jesus come as King of kings if the saints are still “spiritual infants”? How can Jesus Christ come as High Priest if the saints still require “pastors” or “priests” to meet their spiritual needs? Therefore, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures are symbols of His chosen people, who have been formed into kings and priests.

Let us continue John’s vision of heaven (chapters 4–5). In chapter 5 there is a scroll that only the Lamb can open. This scroll is not an ordinary scroll, because it can only be opened by Jesus Christ as the Lamb who was slain. Observe the praise of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures—symbols of kings and priests—after the Lamb receives the scroll in Revelation 5:9–10: “…You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased us for Elohim…and You have made us kings and priests…” (ILT).

The verse emphasizes that the Lamb is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because He has purchased a royal people—kings and priests. This imagery corresponds to ancient Hebrew customs concerning the purchase of property. When property was purchased, the deed for the new owner was made in two copies: an open copy and a sealed copy. The open copy was for public reference, while the sealed copy belonged only to the rightful owner. When the new heir wished to take possession of the land, or when there was a dispute over ownership, the rightful owner alone had the authority to take and open the sealed copy and read its contents to claim what had been purchased.

This was the case with the prophet Jeremiah when he bought the field in Anathoth from Hanamel, the son of Shallum, his uncle (Jeremiah 32:9–15). Jeremiah’s action was a sign that houses, fields, and vineyards would again be bought in the land of Israel after having been “sold” into the hands of foreigners. Thus, the sealed copy corresponds to the sealed scroll taken by the Lamb from the Father’s hand in heaven. This sealed scroll is the “proof of purchase,” or the “book of purchase,” because the Lamb has indeed purchased—redeemed—a royal people. The royal people are a redeemed people because they have been bought by the blood of the Lamb.

The question for us now is this: did the Lamb purchase only the people of the Kingdom (His chosen people) with His blood, or did He purchase all humanity with His blood? In other words, is redemption limited only to the elect, or is redemption by the blood of Jesus for all people? Here we will look at only a few verses to prove that the blood of Jesus was poured out to redeem all humanity. John 1:29 affirms, “…Behold, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!” (ILT). I John 2:2 says, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” Hebrews 2:9 also affirms that, “…He might taste death on behalf of everyone” (ILT).

Thus, Jesus defeated death, which is the wages of sin, ‘for all people’. That is why it is not surprising that every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and even in the sea praises the Lamb when He takes the sealed scroll (Revelation 5:13). In the following chapters we will see how the Lamb opens seal after seal concerning the process that we, as the people of the Kingdom, will experience, so that we may fully become His possession.

We have seen that the Lamb of Elohim has already purchased/redeemed ‘all humanity’ by His blood. However, in this present age, He chooses only some to be processed and formed into ‘kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek’. His purpose is that through His chosen people, He may reveal HIMSELF. This is truly the book of Revelation: the revelation of Jesus Christ ‘through and within’ His chosen people, and this revelation is conveyed in symbolic language. Therefore, if someone interprets the book of Revelation ‘literally’ and ‘primarily’ as a prophecy of outward events that will befall the earth, then that person has failed to understand the basic nature of the book of Revelation. This does not mean that we completely reject outward events that will later take place, especially concerning His church. Rather, our interpretation is primarily ‘inward’ and is based on Galatians 2:20 and Romans 8:19–21, as we have emphasized at the beginning of this writing.

Let us continue the vision of the apostle John concerning the ‘sealed scroll’, whose seals are opened one by one by the Lamb. The opening of the seals by the Lamb is a continuing revelation of Jesus Christ within and through His chosen people. After seal after seal is opened, the apostle John sees four horses, each of a different color: white, red, black, and pale green (Revelation 6).

In the Bible, horses are not used for agricultural purposes but for warfare (Proverbs 21:31). Thus, the four horses seen by the apostle John are war horses. It is important to understand that the term ‘redemption’ in Greek also means ‘release’. Therefore, these four war horses carry out their ministry within our “earthliness” to release us from the bondages of the enemy—namely, our fleshly nature, our worldliness, and the dominion of the devil over us. We must understand that our enemy is not outside of us. Our enemy is ourselves. The fleshly thoughts, feelings, and wills entrenched in our souls give the devil an opportunity to bind and ensnare us in his chains. Through the ministry of these four horses, His chosen people are redeemed and released from the snare of the devil, so that Jesus Christ may express Himself through and within us.

Let us begin with the white horse. Revelation 6:2 states, “And I looked, and behold, a white horse; and he who sat on it… went out conquering and to conquer.” The color white is a symbol of PURITY, which certainly comes about through refinement in fire. The church in Laodicea is advised, “…that you may buy from Me… white garments…” (Revelation 3:18). Revelation 19:8 states that the fine linen, bright and clean, is the righteous deeds of the saints. Here we clearly see that the color white is related to the pure deeds of the saints. However, we must remember that this purity does not come about because we strive to be pure. Rather, it comes about because CHRIST STRIVES AND WAGES WAR WITHIN US. As His chosen people, Christ within us continues to fight and struggle until we become pure.

Generally speaking, among those who minister in the Christian world—where the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans have been widely accepted—purity has become a rare commodity. Purity in the sense of serving without seeking profit, whether money, position, or human glory. Yet the Lord has His chosen people who are processed not to become ‘great’, but to become ‘holy’ (set apart) and pure.

We continue our discussion with the red horse as written in Revelation 6:4: “…another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth….” We have seen that this “sealed scroll” is a book of redemption or release. This means that Christ within us “rides” the red horse and wages war in our “earthliness” to redeem and release us from the enemies within us.

Christ in us is indeed the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). But we should not mistakenly think that Christ will always act “gently” and will not take away our earthly peace. In truth, the Kingdom of Christ within us will continue to wage war until we are released from our enemies, even if in the process we lose our peace. At one time Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Before Jesus entered our lives, everything seemed to “run smoothly” and peacefully because we did whatever we pleased. But when Christ invades our earthliness, a battle arises between the flesh and the Spirit. Wherever there is war, peace never results. Thus, Christ within us will continue to wage war until we are fully subdued and completely surrendered to Him.

Next, the horse that Christ uses to wage war within us is red. The Greek term for ‘red’ here is ‘purrhos’, which means ‘fire-colored’. ‘Purrhos’ comes from the root word ‘pur’ (fire). Interestingly, a derivative of the Greek term ‘pur’ is ‘pyra’ or ‘pure’. In the Bible, fire symbolizes two things: judgment and purification. Thus, the ministry of Christ within us as the “red horse” is to judge/purify so that we may become pure.

Our Elohim is not only love, but also a “consuming fire.” Both of these attributes of Elohim are eternal. Our Elohim is not sometimes loving and at other times a consuming fire. Rather, He is simultaneously love and a consuming fire. That is, because Elohim is love, He consumes sins, darkness, and every form of carnality that hinders His love.

Many people misunderstand the manifestation of Elohim as “fire.” Let us look at Revelation 21:8: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable… shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Let us quote Charles Pridgeon regarding the lake of fire and brimstone:

“The Greek word THEION, translated as brimstone, is the same word THEION which means Divine… The verb derived from THEION’ is THEIOO, which means to sanctify, to deify… To a Greek or to one educated in Greek, the ‘Lake of fire and brimstone’ meant a LAKE OF DIVINE PURIFICATION.” (End quote)

Therefore, the meaning of the “lake of fire and brimstone” is DIVINE HEAT AND LIGHT THAT PRODUCES TRANSFORMATION. Thus, Revelation 21:8 speaks of how the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, and so on are transformed into what Elohim desires by His fire and His love. Such is the ministry of Christ within us as the red horse. He will continue to wage war within us until we become pure, clean, and fit for His Kingdom.

We now continue by looking at the ministry of the “black horse” in Revelation 6:5–6: “…and I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand… A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” As we know, the “black horse” is the ministry of Christ within our inner being that invades our “earthliness.” To understand what the color black symbolizes, we need to look at the condition of the earth in the beginning. Genesis 1:2 states, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the waters” (ILT). Before the Spirit of Elohim hovered over the earth, the earth was formless, empty, and dark. Likewise, our “earthliness” is empty and dark before the Spirit of Elohim broods over it.

But the issue is this: before Elohim worked to give light, to separate the waters from the land, to create the luminaries, and so on, we had no idea that the earth was previously formless, empty, and dark. Only after Elohim brooded over and worked upon the earth did we come to see what its former condition had been.

So it is with us. Before Elohim broods over and works within our earthliness, we do not truly understand our actual condition. This is similar to what happened to the prophet Isaiah: “…I saw the Lord… Then I said: Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King…” (Isaiah 6:5). Only after Isaiah saw the Lord did he realize that he was a man of unclean lips and lived among a people of unclean lips. Then his iniquity was removed, and he was ready to be sent by the Lord.

The ministry of Christ as the “black horse” invading our earthliness actually makes us understand how black and dark we truly are. Before the black horse comes into our earthliness, we certainly do not feel that we are so “black.” The psalmist cried out, “…In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9). What the psalmist meant is that after he entered into the Light of God, he saw the light and his true condition. A person cannot know his true condition before the light of God comes, for how can one know oneself in darkness? Only after the light of God comes does one understand oneself, and also the condition of the nation in which one dwells, as in the case of the prophet Isaiah.

But praise the Lord, the ministry of the “black horse” not only exposes our condition, but also brings ‘scales’, meaning there is a balance between uncovering our condition and restoring us so that we become fit for the Lord. Thus, His chosen people will experience the light of God in such a way that they become aware of their own condition and also that of their nation, but then experience restoration.

In the Christian world, many are called but few are chosen. Those who are chosen by God through grace will surely become aware of their condition and also the condition of their “nation” (the Christian world). Indeed, there may be Christians who speak out and expose the true condition of Christianity out of envy or because they have not received their “share” of money, position, or human glory. But His chosen people speak because they have experienced the Light of God.

We continue the ministry of the “black horse” within our inner being, especially the symbols of “wheat and barley,” because the book of Revelation uses symbolic language (Revelation 1:1). Revelation 6:5–6 states, “…and I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand… A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Let us consider what is meant by the expression, “a quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius.” Many interpreters and Bible teachers in the Christian world say that this expression means there will be a famine of physical food that will strike the world. This physical interpretation arises because they do not pay attention to the basic nature of the book of Revelation, as we have emphasized earlier in this writing.

To understand the expression above, let us look at the famine that occurred in Samaria in the time of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 7:1–19). When Samaria was besieged by the king of Aram and famine occurred, Elisha prophesied, “…Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” The meaning of this prophecy was that there would be an abundance of food because of the visitation of the Lord upon Samaria through the four lepers. For the Arameans were struck with fear from the Lord and left behind abundant food, which the four lepers discovered. Thus, when the Lord visits His people, there will surely be an ‘abundance of food’.

Likewise, in the case of the visitation of the Lord/the ministry of the black horse above, the expression “a quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius” actually indicates an abundance of food. The key to understanding is that a visitation of the Lord always brings abundance of food. But again, we must pay attention to the basic nature of the book of Revelation. Revelation is the revelation of the PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS, and therefore it is spiritual in nature. Thus, the abundance of food referred to here is an ABUNDANCE OF SPIRITUAL FOOD—spiritual nourishment that enables us to truly know the Lord Jesus. This does not mean that God does not care about our physical needs. Rather, “…the kingdom of Elohim is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ILT).

It is interesting to note in the case of the prophet Elisha that God used four lepers to bring an abundance of food to the city of Samaria. We know that in those days lepers were not allowed to live among the people of God because they were unclean. Yet the abundance of food was found ‘outside the camp’, and it was these four lepers—excluded from among the people of God—whom God used to discover the abundance of food outside the camp.

Today, churches have fallen and split into tens of thousands of denominations. We believe that the prophecy of Amos 8:11 has been fulfilled, which states, “…I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” Indeed, there is an abundance of spiritual food “outside the camp” of the Christian world. But just as in the time of Elisha, when the abundance of food was discovered by four lepers who were excluded, so also today the abundance of spiritual food will be discovered by His chosen people who are “excluded” from the camp of fallen churches.

We continue the ministry of the “black horse” within our inner being by paying attention to the symbols: “wheat and barley, and also oil and wine.” Revelation 6:5–6 states, “…and I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand… A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Let us look at what is symbolized by barley and wheat. Barley is a type of edible grain, and it matures faster than wheat. In the land of Israel, people sow barley in October–November, after the early rains begin to fall and the ground can be plowed. Because barley matures earlier than wheat, the barley harvest can begin in March–April, at the beginning of spring. The beginning of the barley harvest is associated with Passover, when the sheaf waved by the priest on the sixteenth day of the month of Nisan (March–April) is the firstfruits of barley. Thus, barley is associated with the harvest of the firstfruits.

I Corinthians 15:20 affirms, “…Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Therefore, the aspect of Christ symbolized by barley is THE RISEN CHRIST. Meanwhile, the aspect of Christ symbolized by wheat is written in John 12:24: “…truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” The aspect of Christ symbolized by the grain of wheat is Christ who was incarnated as a human being with all His limitations, even to the point of dying on the cross.

It is interesting to note that when Christ performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish that fed more than five thousand people, He did it with barley loaves, not wheat loaves (John 6:9). Why? We know that every act of Jesus was prophetic. He did nothing randomly. Barley symbolizes the risen Christ, and therefore He is no longer limited by His human limitations. He was able to feed more than five thousand people with only five barley loaves and two fish.

Through the ministry of the “black horse” into our earthliness, we will experience a process in which the aspect of Christ as the grain of wheat and the aspect of Christ as barley take place in our lives. We will experience “death with Christ” and also “resurrection with Christ.”

As a closing statement in the ministry of the “black horse,” there is the phrase, “do not damage the oil and the wine.” Oil and wine are symbols of ‘the Spirit and revelation’. As His chosen people, we are warned not to misuse ‘the Spirit and revelation’ that God has given. The misuse referred to here is “trading” or “seeking profit” from the work of the Spirit and the revelation we receive.

In the Christian world, serving God has become a profession. In the professional world, people sell goods or services to gain material profit. This is justified in the workplace. Everyone in the professional world “sells” something—whether goods or skills/services—to earn money. But in the church, there must be no such trade. Peter, Paul, and John, as well as the ministers in the early church, did not engage in trade. They served God and did not “sell” anything as is done in the professional world. However, we know that one of the causes of the church’s fall, beginning from the time of the apostle John, was the teaching of Balaam. The teaching of Balaam in Christianity justifies the act of “selling” the grace of “the Spirit and revelation” in order to obtain money.

We now come to the fourth horse, the pale green horse. Revelation 6:8 states, “…and behold, a pale green horse, and the one who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades followed with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with…plague (THANATOS = DEATH)…on the earth.” We know that this horse is a war horse, on which Christ rides and wages war to conquer our “earthliness.” It is emphasized in this verse that the pale green horse is given authority over “a fourth of the earth.” This means that “three-fourths” of our earthliness has been completed through the ministry of the previous three horses, and now only “one-fourth” remains to be completed by the ministry of this fourth horse.

Pay close attention to the verse above, where the pale green horse is given authority to KILL HADES WITH DEATH. What does it mean to kill hell with death? We must be clear that the wages of sin is death, not eternal hell in the sense of everlasting torment. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death….” Genesis 2:17 also states, “…for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The Hebrew term translated ‘die’ is MUT TAMUT, meaning ‘dying you shall die’ (Young’s Literal Translation). This means that when Adam violated Elohim’s command, he immediately experienced death (a ‘kind of life’ dominated by Satan, Hebrews 2:14). Then, after living in death, Adam would eventually die physically. This is the meaning of MUT TAMUT. This is the wage of sin, and all of Adam’s descendants also received this kind of life of death; therefore, all humanity lives a ‘kind of life of death’ and eventually dies physically. But Christ experienced death for all humanity (Hebrews 2:9) and obtained authority over death and the realm of death (Revelation 1:18, KLEIS = key in a figurative sense, meaning ‘authority’).

Jesus has authority over death and the realm of death (hell). Therefore, Christ riding the pale green horse will kill HELL WITH DEATH, meaning that hell will no longer exist and all humanity will be set free. This is the meaning of “killing hell with death.” This is also the meaning of death and Hades being thrown into the LAKE OF FIRE = the second death (Revelation 20:14). Thus, death and Hades are killed by the second death, namely the lake of fire.

I will close this section with a personal testimony. I once discussed the meaning of the “Lake of Fire” with a church leader. He said that the lake of fire is a second hell, meaning that those in the first hell are thrown again into the second hell forever. I can understand his view because this is generally the understanding of denominational leaders in Christianity, commonly called the DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL HELL. I myself once preached the doctrine of eternal hell.

I suggested to denominational leaders that they re-examine this doctrine of eternal hell, because it greatly insults the authority of the Lord Jesus and severely demeans the loving Father in heaven, portraying Him as a terrifying monster who tortures people forever in hell. I suggested that those leaders who are willing should begin searching the internet for videos and writings (there are hundreds of videos and thousands of pages of writings) that re-examine this doctrine of eternal hell. They should begin with Louis Abbott, Preston Eby, Charles Weller, Ray Prinzing, and others. I myself was sent dozens of books from America, all free of charge, because His chosen people do not sell anything.

I can understand if the church leader mentioned above does not want to re-examine his teaching on eternal hell. The issue is not merely theological, but more about “the stomach,” because he lives from his congregation, receiving money, position, and human glory. Moreover, in Christianity, those who do not teach the doctrine of eternal hell will certainly be excluded. But for those who receive His grace, these matters are not a problem.

Let us remember our interpretive principle of the book of Revelation before discussing the opening of the fifth seal by the Lamb (Revelation 6:9–11). We must remember that the fulfillment of Revelation is inward, because this book reveals a person, namely the person of Jesus Christ. Of course, we do not entirely reject interpretations that are external, namely historical (already happened in history) and futuristic (will happen in the future). However, our interpretive principle is inward, meaning that it has already happened, is happening, and will happen within us, because the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ within us is progressive.

Let us look at Revelation 6:9–11, concerning what happens when the fifth seal is opened: “…I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of Elohim and because of the testimony which they held. And they cried out… ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ … they were told to rest a little while longer…” (ILT).

There are several things we must observe from these verses. First, who are these souls who were slain because of the word of Elohim and their testimony? Of course, this speaks of Christian martyrs, but not only those who have physically died and left this world. Even now, the righteous have their souls “tormented,” as in the case of Lot (2 Peter 2:7–8). If we observe all the verses in 2 Peter 2, it is clear that Peter is speaking about false teachers who arise among God’s people (verse 1), one of whose characteristics is following the way of Balaam (verse 15). Peter firmly states that God will judge these false teachers and deliver His chosen people. In this context, Peter compares God’s chosen people to the case of Lot. Thus, the souls that are “tormented” because of the word of Elohim are His chosen people who are among false teachers, one of whose characteristics is following the way of Balaam (serving for reward).

Second, His chosen people cry out for God to judge. Does this prove that His chosen people have a sense of vengeance in their hearts? Let us look at the meaning of judgment in Isaiah 26:9: “…for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” Thus, His chosen people ask for God’s judgment so that people may learn what is right. Precisely because His chosen people love the truth, they cry out for God’s judgment, for only God’s judgment can reveal the truth.

Third, it is emphasized that His chosen people must “rest a little while longer.” There is God’s appointed time to judge the earth, and in the context of the church, this includes judging the false teachers among God’s people who follow the way of Balaam. When will God come to judge the earth? In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul affirms that God will come as the righteous Judge on His day, namely at His coming (commonly called the “second coming” of the Lord). Paul even states that God will give the “crown of righteousness” to those who long for the coming of the Lord Jesus as the righteous Judge.

Thus, the meaning of the opening of the fifth seal is a Christlike character that continues to grow within the hearts of His chosen people, who increasingly love the truth and long for the coming of the Lord as the righteous Judge.

Now we will look at the meaning of the opening of the sixth seal, which is certainly related to the kingdom of heaven. Revelation 6:12–17 states, “…when He opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black… the moon became red… and the stars of heaven fell to the earth… ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb…’”

The opening of the sixth seal is related to the wrath of the Lamb, which causes a great earthquake (a great shaking), even to the point that the stars of heaven fall to the earth. If interpreted literally, the earth and all its inhabitants would certainly be destroyed. But subsequent chapters of Revelation affirm that the earth still remains. Therefore, this great cosmic shaking cannot be interpreted literally.

So how do we understand this great cosmic shaking? We have emphasized that the fulfillment of Revelation occurs within the hearts of His chosen people. We must understand that in Revelation, everything old is “destroyed” so that everything new may come. God Himself declares, “…Behold, I make all things new…” (Revelation 21:5). Therefore, this old earth is “destroyed” to move toward the new earth, and of course the new heaven as well. It is our own “heaven and earth” that are destroyed so that we become a “new heaven and a new earth.” Second Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Everything we rely on within ourselves—our “suns,” our “stars,” and the like—is destroyed, so that we can say, “For to me, to live is Christ.” This is the fulfillment of the sixth seal within us.

However, the fulfillment of the sixth seal is also related to the church as the bride of Christ. How is it fulfilled? We can say that this shaking is the “end of the world.” But the world in John’s writings is not the same as the world commonly understood. Let us briefly discuss the term world (KOSMOS) in the writings of the apostle John so that we can understand the destruction of the world at the opening of the sixth seal. The term ‘kosmos’ appears 186 times in the New Testament, 78 times in the Gospel of John and 24 times in his letters, so more than half of its occurrences are in John’s writings. This term ‘kosmos’ is translated as “world” in various Indonesian Bible versions.

The frequent appearance of this term in John’s writings certainly has a special meaning in Johannine theology. We know that the meaning of a term is determined by how it is used in a sentence. If the term ‘world’ appears in John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life,” we understand that ‘world’ here means all humanity. But if the term ‘world’ appears in 1 John 2:15, which says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,” then ‘world’ here does not mean all humanity. Rather, it refers to a system whose values are opposed to God’s values and the values of the kingdom of heaven.

Let us look at John 15:18–25. This pericope in the Indonesian Bible is titled “The World Hates Jesus and His Disciples.” If we read the entire passage, we can identify who ‘the world’ is. Verse 25 says, “But this happened so that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” Clearly, ‘the world’ here is the Jewish religious system or Judaism, that is, the Jewish religious teaching with their Law. They were the ones who killed Jesus and hated and persecuted His followers. Consider also John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” And Revelation 12:9: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…” From this we know that the devil is the ruler of the world, in the sense of a religious system, and that the devil is the one who deceives the religious world.

For those who can see, it is evident that the early church fell into becoming a religious system, called the Christian world. The fulfillment of the opening of the sixth seal is the destruction of the Christian world system and its replacement with a new system. In the book of Revelation, this new system (order) is the order of the kingdom of heaven, where His chosen people function as kings and priests who will reign on the earth.

We will continue a little further our discussion on the opening of the sixth seal. Revelation 6:12–17 states, “…when He opened the sixth seal, behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black… the moon became red… And the stars of heaven fell to the earth… ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb… for the great day of His wrath has come…’”

We will speak about the “wrath of the Lamb.” The Greek term ‘orge’, which is translated as ‘wrath’, can also mean ‘passion’, that is, ‘a very strong feeling of love’. Therefore, the meaning of ‘wrath’ here is not a destructive anger, but rather an anger that arises precisely because of a strong feeling of love. This is not the ‘wrath’ of a lion, even though Jesus is also described as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah.” This is the wrath of the LAMB. We know that a lamb is not an animal that attacks or harms its enemies. Therefore, the meaning of the ‘wrath’ of the Lamb in the book of Revelation corresponds to the explanation of the white horse that “judges and makes war in righteousness” (Revelation 6:2; 19:11).

Many people describe Jesus from only one side, namely as the Lamb who was sacrificed and who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). But they forget the other side, namely His wrath that will take place on the GREAT DAY, as emphasized in the verse above. At present, Jesus is already “waging war and judging” within the inner being of His chosen people, but in His time, He will wage war and judge ALL NATIONS TOGETHER WITH HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, as emphasized in Revelation 19:11–16. What we must always remember is the meaning of ‘judging’, namely, so that the inhabitants of the world may learn what is right (Isaiah 26:9).

The Bible affirms the first coming of Jesus as the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and who takes away the sin of the world. But at His subsequent coming (commonly called “His second coming”), He comes as the righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8). And the first to be judged are the people of God or the Christian world (1 Peter 4:17). Therefore, if we apply the opening of the sixth seal to the Christian world that has existed for these 20 centuries, then at His “second” coming, the Christian world will be judged and will come to an end, and will be replaced by a new system/new order, namely the kingdom order, in which His chosen people will function as kings and priests on this earth.

We now come to Revelation chapter 7, which the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI) version divides into two pericopes and gives the following titles respectively: First, ‘The Sealed of Israel’, and second, ‘The Great Multitude’. Many interpreters consider chapter 7 to be an insertion, because the opening of the sixth seal ends in Revelation chapter 6, and the opening of the seventh seal begins directly in Revelation chapter 8, so chapter 7 is viewed as an insertion. Actually, this is not so, because the book of Revelation reveals to us the person of Jesus Christ and His church progressively. Thus, in broad outline, the book of Revelation reveals to us a ‘journey’ (a progressive process) from ‘church to kingdom’, or from ‘the lampstand (a symbol of the church) to the throne (a symbol of the kingdom)’, as we have emphasized at the beginning of this writing. Therefore, chapter 7 is the RESULT or CONSEQUENCE of the process of opening seals 1 through 6.

There are two results/consequences of the process of opening the six seals that we have briefly discussed: first, those who are sealed from the tribes of Israel, and second, the great multitude that no one can number. At this time we will discuss those who are sealed from the tribes of Israel.

Those who are sealed and number 144,000 are the ‘firstfruits’ (Revelation 14:1, 4). Revelation 14:4 explains who they are: “…These were redeemed from among MEN (anthrōpos), being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb” (ILT). Thus, the 144,000 are not only the nation of Israel, but the overcoming church chosen from among humanity. James 1:18 affirms, “that He might make us a kind of firstfruits of His creatures…” (ILT). Likewise, Galatians 3:7 states, “…those who are of faith, these are the sons of Abraham.” Therefore, the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel are a symbol of the OVERCOMING CHURCH (as firstfruits), which comes not only from the physical nation of Israel, but also from the other nations.

Let us observe the order of the tribes of Israel that are sealed (Revelation 7:5–8). We see that the first tribe mentioned is Judah, even though Judah was not Jacob’s firstborn son. The explanation is as follows. Actually, ‘Israel’ is not merely Jacob’s personal name. Israel, which means PRINCE OF GOD, is the name given to him by God after he wrestled and “prevailed” with God (Genesis 32:28). Thus, Israel does not refer only to Jacob, but to anyone who has wrestled with God and “prevailed”; such a person also receives the “name” Israel. In fact, the 144,000 (the overcoming church) are also ISRAEL, namely the Prince of God.

Judah is mentioned first because Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, and Jesus is the first who wrestled and “prevailed”; therefore the tribe of Judah is mentioned first. We then move directly to the last tribe mentioned, namely the tribe of Benjamin (Revelation 7:8). Jacob named this son Benjamin, which means ‘the son of the right hand’. This means that the overcoming church is like the male Child who “…was caught up to God and to His throne” (Revelation 12:5, ILT). Therefore, the overcoming church begins with Jesus, as the first to overcome, and will end at the throne of God. Such is the meaning of the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel and their characteristics.

We continue our discussion of Revelation chapter 7, which the LAI version divides into two pericopes: first, ‘Those Sealed from the Tribes of Israel’, and second, ‘The Great Multitude’. We have discussed ‘Those Sealed from the Tribes of Israel’, that they are the “firstfruits” or the overcoming church.

Now we will identify who the “great multitude” in chapter 7 is. Observe Revelation 7:14: “…These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This great multitude consists of those who come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes so that they become white. The expression “great tribulation” (‘thlipsis megas’) appears only twice in the book of Revelation, and both occurrences are related to the saints. Revelation 2:22, which is related to the church, states: “…those who commit adultery with her (THE WOMAN JEZEBEL) I will throw into great tribulation (thlipsis megas), unless they repent….” The book of Revelation itself explains who this “great multitude” is, namely the followers of “Jezebel,” who pass through the “great tribulation,” and therefore repent and wash their robes to make them white.

Who is this Jezebel who has followers? We must remember that Jezebel in 1 Kings 16:31 was a HISTORICAL woman, the wife of King Ahab. But Jezebel in the book of Revelation is a SYMBOL related to the church. What is the meaning of this SYMBOL of Jezebel? Consider the case of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–16). Here it is clear that Jezebel “usurped authority” from King Ahab by writing letters in Ahab’s name and sealing them with the king’s seal (verse 8). And because Jezebel is applied to the church, then the “Jezebels,” as a SYMBOL, are people in the church who have followers and who USURP THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS AS THE “HUSBAND” OF THE CHURCH. Thus, “Jezebel” in the church does not have to be female; but because she has followers, these “Jezebels” are church leaders (both men and women) WHO USURP THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS.

How do these “Jezebels” usurp the authority of Jesus? Consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:1–12. Here Jesus speaks to two groups of people (verse 1): the scribes and Pharisees, and His disciples. In verses 1–7, Jesus speaks to the first group, telling the crowds (the nation of Israel) not to rebel against their leaders (the scribes and Pharisees), because they have the “seat of Moses” (authority). But from verse 8 to verse 12, Jesus speaks to His disciples. He emphasizes that you (His disciples) should not be called leaders, rabbis, or fathers, because you are all brothers. What does Jesus mean here? According to the context, namely the context of the “seat of Moses,” it means that among Jesus’ disciples there must be no “seat of Moses” (authority of one over another). All members of the church are brothers. THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH ABSOLUTELY BELONGS TO JESUS. Jesus never delegated His authority to leaders. Delegated authority applies only in human governmental systems. The church is an organism, and the authority in an organism is the life of that organism, namely Jesus as the life (‘zoē’) of the church (I am the zoē).

But we know that later, because of the attack of savage wolves, some church leaders drew disciples after themselves (Acts 20:28–30). They should only equip the saints, and not draw disciples to themselves (Ephesians 4:11–12). This behavior of drawing disciples is the same as Jezebel’s behavior in usurping the authority of King Ahab. Therefore, the “Jezebels” in the church are the leaders who have caused the church to be divided into tens of thousands of denominations. These leaders possess a “seat of Moses” (human authority) over the disciples of Jesus whom they have drawn. Each denomination or movement has its own leaders and followers. This is the “great multitude” mentioned in Revelation 7:9–17.

We continue a little further our discussion of Revelation chapter 7 concerning the second group, namely “the great multitude.” We have emphasized that this “great multitude” consists of the followers of “Jezebel” in the church, and certainly the “Jezebels” themselves as well, whom the Lord throws into the great tribulation (Revelation 2:22). But after passing through the great tribulation, they “…wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).

We have also seen who these “Jezebels” in the church are, namely leaders who usurp the authority of Jesus over the church by drawing disciples to themselves. These “Jezebels” possess illegitimate or unlawful authority over the Lord’s disciples. Therefore, the Lord judges them. When does the Lord judge (or more precisely, “declare plainly”) to these “Jezebels” and their followers? Let us look at Matthew 7:21–23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven… On that day… Then I will declare to them… you workers of lawlessness.” The expression ‘workers of lawlessness’ comes from the Greek term ‘anomia’, which means violation of law or lawlessness. What law do those who call Jesus Lord violate? Certainly the law of the kingdom of heaven; therefore they do not enter the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus declares this plainly ON THE LAST DAY, that is, at the time of His coming (commonly called the “second” coming).

Jesus will come “a second time” as the righteous Judge, and the first to be judged are the people of God (1 Peter 4:17). In the Christian world, such truths are “hidden.” Why is this so? Not only because Jesus will declare it plainly at His coming, but also because it has commonly been taught by these “Jezebels” that “if you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, you will surely enter heaven.” Ultimately, indeed, one will enter the kingdom of heaven, but it is necessary to go through “many tribulations,” as Paul emphasized in Acts 14:22. That is why, on the day of judgment, the Lord throws them into the ‘great tribulation’, with the purpose that they may wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb so that they become white.

One more thing we need to understand regarding this “great multitude,” namely the “Jezebels” and their followers. The Lord emphasizes to this “great multitude,” “…I am He who searches the minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your works” (Revelation 2:23). In this verse we see that God’s evaluation is primarily directed to the mind and heart of a person. It is not that God does not see a person’s works, but He views a person’s works from their mind and heart.

It is emphasized above that this “great multitude” washes their robes and makes them white through the “great tribulation” they experience. “White robes” in the book of Revelation symbolize “the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8). Thus, the minds and hearts of this “great multitude” are processed through the great tribulation, so that their deeds become righteous before God.

Only God knows who belongs to the category of this “great multitude” (the “Jezebels” and their followers) within the Christian world. They have been touched by the Spirit of God and confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Even when we look at Matthew 7:21–23 above, they actually perform many miracles, cast out demons, and prophesy in His name. But once again, God looks at the mind and heart.

We now come to the opening of the “seventh seal” of the sealed scroll (Revelation 8:1). We have already understood that this sealed scroll is the book concerning redemption by Jesus Christ. When the last seal (the seventh) is opened by the Lamb, truly the mystery of redemption is perfect and complete, because the number seven symbolizes perfection. We will later see that the subsequent chapters in the book of Revelation are revelations concerning the “perfection of redemption” accomplished by the Lamb.

Let us look at Revelation 8:1–3: “And when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven… Then I saw the seven angels… to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and he was given much incense to offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne.”

There are several truths we need to note from the verses above. First, when the seventh seal is opened, heaven becomes silent, as if heaven ceases its activity, and all the inhabitants of heaven ‘stand still’, waiting for what will happen next. This is because the opening of the seventh seal is the moment when the mystery of God concerning the ‘perfection of redemption by the Lamb’ is unveiled.

Second, the opening of the seventh seal IS the revelation of the seven angels who will blow their trumpets. And when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, “…the mystery of God should be completed, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7, ILT). What is the “mystery of God” that must be completed? Revelation 11:15 states it: “Then the seventh angel sounded… The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed, and He shall reign forever and ever.” The LAI translation uses a capital letter ‘He’, which actually should be a lowercase ‘his Anointed’, referring to the overcoming church, as we will see later.

Third, there is ‘another angel’ in Revelation 8:1–3 above, who carries out a priestly function. We will discuss this later, because this priestly function is very important for understanding the ‘perfection of redemption by the Lamb’.

We will see in the following chapters of the Book of Revelation how this ‘perfection of redemption by the Lamb’ will cause the first earth and heaven to move toward the new earth and the new heaven. All humanity will ultimately be saved. There will no longer be death, which is the wages of sin. Sadly, however, within Christianity in general, the truth that all people will surely be saved is often labeled as a heretical teaching called ‘universalism’. This view arises from a failure to understand the PROCEDURE or PROCESS TOWARD the restoration of all things, which is revealed through the opening of the seventh seal. But for the “little flock,” to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, there will be great rejoicing, because they are INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS TOWARD THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS.

We continue our discussion on the opening of the seventh seal written in Revelation 8:1–3, as follows: “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven… Then I saw the seven angels… to whom were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne.”

At this point we will look at this ‘another angel’ in Revelation 8:1–3 above, an angel who carries out a priestly function in the context of the ‘perfection of redemption by the Lamb’. The symbols in the priestly ministry of this ‘other angel’ clearly correspond to the priestly ministry of Aaron in the Old Testament. Let us examine the priestly ministry of Aaron.

What this ‘other angel’ does is none other than the ministry of the High Priest. The altar with the golden censer was placed in the Holy Place (the Tabernacle of Moses), directly in front of the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. The High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, to make atonement for all the people of Israel. The High Priest would carry the golden censer (the vessel in which incense was burned) from the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place and place it on the floor, and he would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice seven times on the Ark of the Covenant (the mercy seat). However, the ‘other angel’ mentioned above not only offers much incense, but it is also added to the ‘prayers of all the saints’. Furthermore, this ‘other angel’ puts fire into the censer and throws it to the earth, resulting in peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake (Revelation 8:5).

Who is symbolized by this ‘other angel’? Certainly, it is the Lord Jesus Christ as the High Priest. Yet Jesus Christ is not a High Priest according to the order of Aaron, but a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. At this time, we will not discuss the differences between the High Priest according to the order of Aaron (Old Testament) and the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (New Testament). The Book of Hebrews explains this in detail.

What we will now discuss is the action of this ‘other angel’ in placing fire into the censer and throwing it to the earth, causing peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake (Revelation 8:5). This action is certainly symbolic. We will explain it as follows. The Lord Jesus has many ‘titles’. First, He is called the High Priest, meaning that He is the highest Priest AMONG PRIESTS. Second, Jesus is called the King of kings, meaning that He is the highest King AMONG KINGS. Third, Jesus is also called the Savior of the world, meaning that He will save the entire world, for He would not be worthy to be called the Savior of the world if He did not save the world.

Consider Luke 12:49–50, where Jesus says, “I have come to cast fire on the earth,” and then it is said that He must undergo a baptism. What He means is that Jesus will ‘cast’ the fire of the Holy Spirit upon the earth after He undergoes baptism—in the sense of dying, rising again, and sitting at the right hand of the Father as High Priest and King of kings. Jesus will come to the earth in His

Holy Spirit as High Priest IN AND THROUGH PRIESTS. Jesus will also come to the earth in His Holy Spirit IN AND THROUGH KINGS. For what purpose does Jesus come to the earth? To establish His kingdom on earth so that the earth moves toward the new earth, and the heaven also toward the new heaven.

Let us apply the truth of Revelation 8:1–5 to the Christian world before we close this section. In Christianity it is commonly believed that Jesus will return and take His people to a pleasant place far away called heaven. Not so, my brothers and sisters… As High Priest and King of kings, Jesus comes to the earth not to take “spiritual infants” to heaven. He will come to the earth in and through His chosen people, who have been formed into ‘kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek’. That is why it is emphasized in Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 that His chosen people are made kings and priests and will reign on the earth.

We are still discussing the priestly ministry, namely that of Jesus, symbolized by the ‘other angel’ in Revelation 8:1–3. Let us pay attention to verse 3 of Revelation 8:1–3: “…And much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne.” Notice the symbolic action of this ‘other angel’, who not only offers much incense, but also the prayers of all the saints. What is the meaning of this symbolic action?

We must look at several New Testament passages related to Jesus’ function as our High Priest. John 17:9 states, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” This prayer of Jesus took place on the last night when He was gathered with His disciples, and Judas, who betrayed Him, was no longer with Him. Notice that Jesus prayed only for His disciples, those whom the Father had given to Him. Here Jesus explicitly says that He does not pray for the world. Who is the ‘world’ Jesus refers to here?

We must give the correct meaning to the term ‘world’ according to its context in the writings of the apostle John. If the term ‘world’ appears in John 3:16, then we know that ‘world’ there means all humanity, that is, all people whom the Father loves. If the term ‘world’ appears in 1 John 2:15–16, where we are forbidden to love the world, then the world referred to there is a religious system. Consider the entire context of Jesus’ conversation on the last night with His disciples. When Jesus says that the world hates Him and His disciples, what is meant is the religious world, namely Judaism, which possessed the Law (John 15:25). Therefore, if we consider the entire context of Jesus’ conversation on that last night, we know that the term ‘world’ Jesus refers to in His prayer is the religious world, namely Judaism. Thus, we understand that the meaning of Jesus’ prayer above is that He does not pray for the religious world (Judaism), which killed Him and hated His disciples.

This does not mean that Jesus, as High Priest, will not save the religious world, or the world in the sense of all humanity. For in John 12:32, Jesus clearly says that He will draw ALL PEOPLE to Himself. Rather, the work of Elohim has its own stages or order, as also written in 1 Corinthians 15:23–28. Thus, in the end, Jesus will save the whole world, as He has been given the title Savior of the world.

However, in this present age, as High Priest, Jesus only prays for and forms those whom the Father has given to Him. As High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, Jesus forms those given to Him by the Father to become priests also according to the order of Melchizedek. Thus, at His coming, Jesus can be the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek among the priests, namely those given to Him by the Father.

Consider Jesus’ next prayer in John 17:21: “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us, SO THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE that You sent Me.” When, at His coming, His chosen people have been formed into priests and kings, and Jesus has become the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek among the priests and the King of kings, then the stage arrives in which the entire world will be saved.

Thus, the symbolic action of the ‘other angel’ offering incense and the prayers of all the saints (priests and kings) is the offering of “fragrant” prayers before the Father for the salvation of the world. The prayers of His chosen people (kings and priests) are involved in the offering of this fragrant “incense” before the Father, by Jesus Christ as High Priest.

We have stated that the priestly ministry of the ‘other angel’ in Revelation 8:3–5 is a symbol of the ministry of Jesus as High Priest. But we know that the priestly ministry of this ‘other angel’ follows the order of Aaron, whereas Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Therefore, we will now discuss several fundamental differences between the priesthood according to the order of Aaron and the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek.

First, the priesthood according to the order of Aaron is related to a covenant, namely the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is the covenant between Yahweh and the nation of Israel mediated by Moses. Based on this Mosaic Covenant, no one could function as a priest except those from the nation of Israel. Likewise, the ministry of Aaron and his descendants had to come from the tribe of Levi and had to serve in the Temple in Jerusalem. Even Jesus Himself could not be a High Priest according to the order of Aaron because He came from the tribe of Judah. Second, the ministry of Aaron and his descendants had to conform to the Law in force, namely the Law of Moses. This priestly ministry was no trivial matter before Yahweh, for if a priest offered “strange fire” (not according to the regulation), it could result in death, as in the case of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron.

Third, Hebrews 7:12 states, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” The original text does not say ‘the Law of Moses’, but simply ‘the law’. This means that the law or rule in force is replaced or changed when the priesthood changes. Therefore, the law applicable to the priesthood of Jesus is not the Law of Moses, but the Law of Life (zoe). Hebrews 7:15–16 emphasizes that the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek does not follow the Law of Moses, but the Law of Life (an indestructible life).

Fourth, the ministry of Jesus as High Priest is the ministry of a ‘forerunner’ (Hebrews 6:20). This is very different from the ministry of the High Priest according to the order of Aaron. The priests, apart from the High Priest, according to the order of Aaron, were not permitted to enter the Most Holy Place (a symbol of union with Yahweh and of the ministry of reconciliation for the entire nation), as the High Priest did once a year. But the ministry of Jesus as High Priest will bring the other priests according to the order of Melchizedek to participate in the ministry of the ‘Most Holy Place’.

From these four points, we can see how confused the priestly ministry in Christianity has become. The priestly ministry in Christianity generally does not follow the Law of Moses, nor does it follow the Law of Life. This occurs because of two false teachings: Jezebel and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). These “Jezebels” draw the Lord’s disciples and subdue them with various regulations. These regulations may include parts of the Mosaic Law related to money, such as tithes, firstfruits (money), and others, or other rules such as false self-abasement (the teaching of the Nicolaitans), or various organizational regulations.

In such conditions, God’s chosen people who are to be formed into priests according to the order of Melchizedek certainly cannot remain within such a mixed priestly system. His chosen people will be formed by Jesus into priests according to the order of Melchizedek outside the existing Christian system.

We are still speaking about the opening of the seventh seal, where, when this seal is opened by the Lamb, there are seven angels with seven trumpets, and also the ‘other angel’ who carries out a priestly ministry that is a symbol of the ministry of Jesus Christ as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. We will now speak in broad terms about the ministry of the seven angels with the seven trumpets.

To understand the ministry of the seven angels with the seven trumpets, we must clearly understand that their ministry ‘carries out’ the priestly ministry of the ‘other angel’ that we have discussed previously. Let us look specifically at the priestly ministry of this ‘other angel’ in Revelation 8:5: “Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” From this verse we see that the priestly ministry of this ‘other angel’ is DIRECTED TOWARD THE EARTH. The earth becomes the focus of this priestly ministry.

We know that the “fire” thrown to the earth is a symbol of the Spirit of Christ at work on the earth. It is emphasized that after the fire is thrown to the earth, there are peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. All of these are certainly symbols caused by the work of the Spirit of Christ on the earth. We do not need to discuss these symbols in detail, nor will we discuss in detail the symbols that occur through the priestly ministry of the seven angels with the seven trumpets in the subsequent verses and chapters. What we must understand is that the symbols stated as occurring on the earth ARE THE RESULT OF PRIESTLY MINISTRY AND ALSO THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS. Therefore, destruction or damage or whatever occurs on the earth is actually the restoration of all things so that THE OLD EARTH MOVES TOWARD THE NEW EARTH.

Christians who interpret every event on earth caused by the work of the seven angels with the seven trumpets “literally” will regard the Book of Revelation as a very terrifying book. We know that the Book of Revelation is not such a terrifying book, but rather a very positive book in the sense that it is the book of the restoration of all things. Through the priestly ministry of the seven angels with the seven trumpets, the old earth moves toward the new earth. In fact, the old earth and the old heaven are symbols of fallen humanity, because humans possess an “earthly” aspect (the physical body) and also a “heavenly” aspect (the human spirit). Therefore, the destruction of the old earth and old heaven is the restoration of all humanity, so that humanity becomes a “new heaven and new earth.”

Now let us directly see what happens when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet. Revelation 10:7 states: “But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of Elohim shall be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (ILT). We know that the number seven is a symbol of perfection (completion), so when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, the priestly ministry of the seven angels is finished, perfected, completed. It is emphasized in this verse that the ‘mystery of Elohim’ is fulfilled when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet.

Now let us look briefly at several symbols in the ministry of the seven angels with the seven trumpets at the opening of the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1–2). Certainly, we do not understand all these symbols in detail. What we must remember, as we have emphasized previously, is that the ministry of the seven angels with the seven trumpets is a ministry of the restoration of the earth, so that the earth moves toward the new earth. Therefore, the destruction of the “old earth” is a restorative act so that the “new earth” may come.

Let us begin with the first trumpet: “Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up” (Revelation 8:7). The symbol of “trees” here refers to ‘honorable people,’ while “grass” represents humanity in general. Isaiah 40:6, 8 affirms, “…all flesh is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field… The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Elohim stands forever” (ILT). Thus, the message of the ‘first trumpet’ is that the destruction of human glory will surely occur. Yet it does not stop there, for Isaiah 40:5 further declares, “And the glory of YAHWEH shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together…” (ILT). Therefore, the message of the ‘first trumpet’ is good news: in the end, ALL HUMANITY will see the destruction of human glory and will behold the glory of Elohim.

We know that as a result of sin, all humanity has fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately lost the glory of God, and as a result they felt ashamed of their ‘nakedness.’ In fact, their nakedness did not cause shame as long as they were clothed with the glory of God. But when sin entered and the glory of God departed, they felt shame. Sadly, Adam and Eve tried to cover their shame by their own effort, by making loincloths from fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). God was not pleased with this method and instead made garments

of animal skins for humanity. These animal skins are a symbol of Christ who was sacrificed and became the glory of Elohim for those who put Him on.

The act of Adam and Eve in making loincloths to cover their shame is, in reality, the act of all their descendants as well. Indeed, the fall of the Christian world is essentially the exchange of the glory of God for human glory. In the Christian world, in general, money, position, and human approval have become the ‘glory’ of many “servants of God.” This is a fact within Christianity, even if it is not openly acknowledged. “Servants” of God who succeed in drawing disciples to themselves, extracting money from them through various teachings, and building buildings (read: building their own kingdoms) are considered successful in ministry. The problem is that such practices were never carried out by the apostles and disciples of the Lord in the early church. His chosen people certainly do not seek human glory, for their glory is Christ within. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Let us return to the message of the first angel. In His time, human glory will collapse, and the glory of Elohim will be established. The earth, filled with human glory, will be restored to become a new earth filled with the glory of God. This message of the ‘first angel’ is good news for His chosen people who seek the glory of God, but certainly ‘bad news’ for those who seek human glory.

Let us continue with the ‘second trumpet’: “Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed” (Revelation 8:8–9).

In the Old Testament, mountains speak of human kingdoms. The psalmist once said, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from YAHWEH…” (Psalm 121:1–2). Here the psalmist is seeking help, and he looks to the mountains, which symbolize human kingdoms built by strength, intelligence, and human leadership. Yet in the end he affirms that his help comes from the Lord. The Kingdom of God in the Old Testament is often referred to as a rocky mountain.

In the message of the second trumpet, it is said that a great mountain burning with fire is thrown into the sea, which certainly refers to the sea of humanity. The great mountain burning with fire is the Kingdom of God. This is confirmed in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as interpreted by the prophet Daniel, that the stone which struck and destroyed the human kingdoms would become a great mountain filling the whole earth (Daniel 2:34–35). This great mountain is the Kingdom of God that will fill the entire earth.

As a result of the establishment of the Kingdom of God, it is declared that a third of the living creatures and ships are destroyed. Ships speak of organized trading systems. Praise the Lord that there will come a time when, with the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth, human trading systems will be destroyed and replaced by the ‘economic system of the Kingdom of God’ (Kingdom Economics).

There is one thing we must note regarding the world’s trading system. In general, people sell services or goods to gain profit (money), and this is legitimate. The problem is that within the Holy Temple (the church), the world’s trading system has also entered into ministry. When Jesus entered the Temple of Judaism, He drove out the “merchants” who sold sacrificial animals and religious services for profit. These “merchants” of the Temple were none other than the leaders, namely the Jewish Sanhedrin.

We know that one of the reasons the church fell and became the world (kosmos = system) of Christianity is the teaching of Balaam. Balaam was a prophet who traded in prophecy. In the Christian world, generally speaking, “servants of God” also trade in “spiritual matters,” such as the gifts of the Holy Spirit, knowledge of the Word, preaching abilities, “spiritual” goods, and so forth. This trading system has been justified in Christianity because “Balaam” has become a TEACHING, not merely a PRACTICE carried out by a few individuals.

However, it must be emphasized that trading in the Temple could only be seen by Jesus. Before Jesus entered the Temple, no one questioned it. The “merchants” in the Christian world do not question this issue, not because they are not trading in their ministry, but because they do not see as Jesus sees. Yet His chosen people are granted grace to see and to avoid this.

Let us continue with the ‘third trumpet’: “Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters because they were made bitter” (Revelation 8:10–11).

Let us look at several verses from John’s writings to understand the meaning of the symbol of ‘rivers.’ John 7:38 states, “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” This means that the ‘rivers’ flowing from within a person will release life-giving water. If we compare this with what the apostle John affirms in 1 John 2:27, “But the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you…,” we can conclude that the symbol of ‘rivers’ speaks of teachings.

Since the Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ and is a book of restoration, the message conveyed by the ‘third trumpet’ is a restoration from false teachings on earth, especially those attacking the church. How does this restoration occur? It is stated that a star named Wormwood makes the waters ‘bitter’ and causes many people to die. Causing many people on earth to die means the destruction of the “old earth,” or the destruction of false teachings, so as to bring forth a “new earth,” where “…the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YAHWEH, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Such is the message of restoration of the ‘third trumpet.’

Let us now speak about teachings in the early church. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). But this does not mean there were no false teachings in the early church. Peter, Paul, and John all spoke about and confronted false teachings propagated by false teachers. Paul also warned of the coming of “fierce wolves” who would cause some church leaders to draw disciples after themselves through false teachings (Acts 20:28–30).

We know that the early church eventually moved and became the world of Christianity as we see it today because of false teachings. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 explain the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, which we will not discuss now. At this time, we will focus on one term that appears in the message of the third trumpet, namely ‘bitter.’ This ‘bitterness’ is what actually restores the earth, and also the church, from false teachings.

False teachings are indeed “sweet,” and the masses naturally like them. The Epistle of Jude affirms the characteristics of false teachers, namely twisting the grace of God into sensual indulgence or fleshly matters (verse 4). False teachers in Christianity generally present “sweet” messages by directing the grace of God toward fleshly matters. The masses, both in Jesus’ time and in Christianity today, tend to seek “bread” (John 6:25–66). This does not mean false teachers do not preach the “bread of life,” but the emphasis is shifted toward “physical bread,” producing a “sweetness” that the masses enjoy.

Let us continue with the ‘fourth trumpet’: “Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night” (Revelation 8:12).

What is the meaning of the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars in this verse? When Jesus spoke about His coming, He said, “…the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29). In Genesis 1:14, when Elohim created the sun, moon, and stars, it is stated, “…to give light on the earth…” (ILT). Heaven gives light to the earth. Heaven also exercises authority over the earth. The sun, moon, and stars are bodies that have authority to give light to the earth. Therefore, the sun, moon, and stars speak of heavenly leadership over the earth.

But Jesus emphasized that at His coming, the “old” leadership would be shaken and replaced with the “new.” The message of the ‘fourth trumpet’ is a restoration or transition of leadership, where the “old order” is replaced by the “new order.”

Let us apply the message of the ‘fourth trumpet’ to two types of leadership that exist today. First, worldly leadership (the kingdoms/governments of the world). Second, church leadership. Let us consider the first: the transition of worldly leadership. Revelation 11:15 states, “…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His anointed, and He shall reign forever and ever.” The Indonesian LAI Bible uses a capital ‘He’ in this verse, but it should be lowercase ‘he’, referring to the victorious church. Daniel 7:18 confirms that the saints will receive the kingdom: “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom….” Thus, at His coming, the governments of the world will be handed over to Christ—namely, the Lord Jesus and His anointed ones.

Next, what about church leadership? If we compare the early church with the denominations that exist today in Christianity, we know that a fall has occurred in terms of leadership. Paul’s warning at the end of his ministry, before the church fell, was directed at leaders (Acts 20:28–30). Likewise, the fall of the church in Asia Minor, as seen by the apostle John, occurred because of the teachings of Jezebel and the Nicolaitans. The teaching of Jezebel justified leaders usurping Jesus’ direct authority over each member of the church, while the teaching of the Nicolaitans justified leaders “lording it over” the laity. These two false teachings caused the church to lose the priesthood of all believers. Church leadership carried out by apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and shepherds should only equip God’s people, not draw them in such a way that the church fractures into thousands of denominations. This is the “old order” of church leadership that will soon pass away at His coming.

The new order is the ‘kingdom order,’ where His chosen people are formed into kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek. At His coming, His chosen people will replace the church order (the old order) and become kings and priests to reign on earth with glorified bodies.

We now enter the ‘fifth trumpet’ found in Revelation 9:1–12. We will not discuss in detail everything that occurs when the ‘fifth trumpet’ is sounded. The essence of its message is the “torment” inflicted by the “locusts” upon those who do not have the seal of Elohim on their foreheads. Verses 4–5 state, “…they were told not to harm… except those people who do not have the seal of Elohim on their foreheads… to be tormented for five months…” (ILT).

We have already discussed those who are sealed in Revelation 7:1–8, namely the ‘firstfruits’ or the victorious church. The chosen ones, the ‘firstfruits,’ are not people who avoid “torment” or God’s formation. Rather, they are those who have experienced formation and divine process earlier, so that they simply follow “…the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among humanity as firstfruits…” (Revelation 14:4). We will discuss this further when we reach Revelation 14. For now, we will focus on the ‘people’ who will experience the torment of the locusts for five months.

Who are these ‘people’ who will experience the ‘torment’ of the locusts? We must remember that the ‘fifth trumpet’ is an act of God’s restoration, for the Book of Revelation is the unveiling of the person of the Lord Jesus to humanity, especially to His chosen people. If we observe the order of humanity that will experience God’s restoration, we know that those specifically mentioned in Revelation 9:1–12 are the Christian world in general. Why? We have previously discussed the “great multitude” in Revelation 7, that they are “the Jezebels and their followers” whom the Lord casts into “great tribulation” (Revelation 2:22). It must be emphasized again that “the Jezebels and their followers” ARE CHURCH PEOPLE, specifically the type of church represented by Laodicea. Although we know that the teaching of Jezebel has permeated Christianity in general. Thus, the people who will experience the torment of the locusts are the Jezebels and their followers. God’s formation, or this “torment of the locusts,” will cause the Christian world to follow only the Lord Jesus and no longer follow the “Jezebels.”

Alright, let us consider Isaiah 26:9 regarding the purpose of God’s judgment in order to understand this “torment of the locusts for five months.” It is written, “…for when You come to judge the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn what is right.” Thus, it is clear that the purpose of God’s judgment is not a kind of everlasting punishment (eternal hell) as is commonly believed in the Christian world. Rather, God’s judgment, or this “torment of the locusts,” lasts only for a limited period of time, which in our passage is called “five months.” God’s judgment, or this “torment of the locusts,” is intended so that the Christian world may come to know ‘what is right’.

As a closing of this section, let us expose one lie that is commonly preached by these so-called “Jezebels” from the pulpits, namely, “believe in Jesus and go to heaven.” What is generally meant is a “pleasant place” where the streets are made of gold, there are beautiful houses (“the Father’s house”), people only praise God there, and some even think there will still be dogs there. And supposedly, those who believe in Jesus will enter that place someday after physical death. If we find grace before Him, then we know that there is not a single verse in the New Testament that expresses the concept of entering heaven in such a way. Nevertheless, in the Christian world, many are called but few are chosen. All of this is determined by the sovereignty of the Father.

At this point, we enter the ‘sixth trumpet’ written in Revelation 9:13: “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before Elohim” (ILT). We will not discuss in detail the symbols used when the sixth angel blows his trumpet. What we need to pay attention to here is the “source of the voice” heard by the apostle John, namely, a voice that comes from the four horns of the golden altar. Clearly, this is not a voice that comes from darkness, from the world, or from the devil. This voice comes from the altar before Elohim. Therefore, this voice is a voice of restoration.

Let us again recall the basic nature of the book of Revelation, which is the personal revelation of the Lord Jesus and is positive in nature (restorative), yet revealed in symbolic language. A very important symbol we must understand is that the “Old/First Heaven and Earth” symbolize all humanity that has fallen into sin. Therefore, the symbol of the “New Heaven and New Earth” represents all humanity that has been restored.

In the book of Revelation, everything that is old is “destroyed” in order to bring forth everything that is new. That is why at the end of this book, the One who sits on the throne says, “…Behold, I make all things new!” (Revelation 21:5). We must remember that restoration is related to His throne. The throne here is certainly a symbol of His authority and His Kingdom. And one of the functions of a throne is to judge. That is why one of the functions of a king in Israel was to judge. But we must remember that the judgment of Elohim is corrective, disciplinary, and restorative in nature. Consider Isaiah 26:9: “…for when You come to judge the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn what is right.” Thus, the judgment of Elohim is restorative so that humanity may learn what is right. Likewise, the “destruction” of something old is an act of restoration so that something new may come.

Let us consider what happens when the sixth trumpet is sounded (Revelation 9:13–21). We see that a war occurs which causes one third of humanity to be killed (verse 18). Yet the rest of humanity who are not killed still do not repent (verses 20–21). Clearly, the purpose of the “killing of humans” here is related to repentance. The old humanity must be put to death so that repentance may occur, which in turn brings forth the new humanity. This is the work of restoration carried out by the sixth trumpet.

Let us briefly discuss “repentance.” Many Christians think that repentance is related only to sinful behavior and thoughts. But if we observe the proclamation of John the Baptist and of Jesus, we see that people must repent because THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HAS DRAWN NEAR. People must repent in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. The proclamation of John the Baptist and Jesus was primarily directed to the leaders of the nation of Israel, namely the scribes and the Pharisees. These “religious” people were the ones who most needed to repent in order to receive the kingdom of heaven.

In the end, we see that these religious leaders did not repent (‘metanoeo’ = to change the mind). They did not change their concept of the Messiah. They thought that since the Messiah was the son of David, the Messiah’s kingdom must be the same as the physical kingdom of David. Meanwhile, Jesus emphasized that His kingdom is not of this world, but exists in the heavenly dimension. These Jewish religious leaders did not repent and therefore killed Jesus, regarding Him as a deceiver. Truly, the message of the ‘sixth trumpet’ is greatly needed by religious people (including Christians) so that they may receive the kingdom of heaven.

We now enter the ‘seventh trumpet’, as it is written: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and loud voices were heard in heaven, saying: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed One, and He will reign forever and ever.’” There are several important things noted in chapters 10 and 11 of the book of Revelation before the seventh angel blows his trumpet. Let us discuss them.

First, in Revelation 10:6–7 it is written, “…that there would be no more delay… the mystery of Elohim must be fulfilled…” (ILT). Several Bible versions translate this as “there will be no more delay” or “time will be no longer,” as in the ILT above. Actually, the Greek expression ‘chronos ouketi eimi’ should be translated ‘there is no more time’. What this means is that when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, the mystery of Elohim is completed, and THERE IS NO MORE TIME.

What does ‘no more time’ mean? Time is something created by Elohim, just like the heavens, the earth, animals, humans, and all other creations of Elohim. Time has a beginning and an end. And there will come a moment when time will stop and will be no more. In the city of the New Jerusalem, it is emphasized that “…the city has no need of the sun or the moon…” (Revelation 21:23). The sun and the moon were created by God as regulators of time (Genesis 1:14). In the city of the New Jerusalem (the Bride of the Lamb), the sun and moon are no longer needed, because there is no more time to be regulated. Thus, in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth, THERE IS NO MORE TIME. Nor is there any more death, which is the wages of sin (Revelation 21:4).

We have previously discussed the meaning of ‘dimensions’, and now we need to emphasize it again. Elohim dwells in the ‘eternal dimension’, and He created three other dimensions: the ‘heavenly dimension’, where He places His throne; the ‘earthly dimension’ (space and time); and the ‘dimension under the earth’ (the realm of death), where those who have laid aside their physical bodies reside.

When Elohim created ‘time’, everything that exists within ‘time’ must undergo a process of growth. There is nothing “instant” in the context of time. Even the kind of life lived by Elohim (Greek: ‘zoe’) must grow when it enters the context of time. This is the meaning of believers in Jesus receiving ‘eternal life’, namely, ZOE LIFE THAT ENTERS THE CONTEXT OF TIME AND MUST GROW. Many Christians understand ‘eternal’ as endless time without end. From this understanding arises the doctrine of eternal hell, meaning hell without end, as well as the idea that those who believe in Jesus receive eternal life, meaning living in heaven far away forever. This understanding is extremely confused.

Let us take an example from the Gospel of John regarding the meaning of eternal life given to those who believe in Jesus. John 3:36 states, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life….” The Greek expression translated as ‘eternal life’ is ‘zoe aionios’. The Greek term ‘aion’ means an age or a period of time, which has a beginning and an end. Thus, the meaning of ‘eternal life’ (‘zoe aionios’) is THE KIND OF LIFE OF ELOHIM (ZOE) THAT ENTERS THE CONTEXT OF TIME. And this ‘zoe’ life must grow. In reality, not all Christians (born-again believers) experience the growth that should occur.

So, what is the meaning of ‘there is no more time’ when the seventh angel blows his trumpet? It means that His chosen people, within whom the ‘zoe’ life (the life of Elohim) dwells, have grown to such an extent and reached perfection. When the seventh trumpet is sounded, the mystery of Elohim is fulfilled, there is no more time, and HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE KNOW ELOHIM PERFECTLY BECAUSE THE ZOE LIFE HAS GROWN TO PERFECTION. Jesus emphasized the purpose of Elohim in giving eternal life, namely, to know the Father, the only true Elohim, and to know Jesus whom He has sent (John 17:3). This is the mystery of Elohim: knowing Him correctly, not living in heaven far away and singing forever, as is commonly believed in the Christian world.

We are still discussing important things that occur before the seventh angel blows his trumpet. Previously, we discussed the meaning of ‘no more time’ (Revelation 10:6–7). Next, second, we will discuss several things that occur in chapter 10. Let us consider several verses in this chapter: “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven… In his hand he held a little scroll that lay open… But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet… the mystery of God will be accomplished… Then he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey’… And he said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings’” (Revelation 10:1–11, LAI).

What is symbolized by the ‘other mighty angel’ here is certainly the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is emphasized that this angel is wrapped in a cloud (singular form). Throughout the Bible, when the term “cloud” appears in the singular, it refers to the cloud of God’s glory, whereas in the plural it refers to witnesses. Furthermore, above his head is a “rainbow,” which indicates that this angel holds firmly to the covenant. Then his face is like the sun, for the Lord is the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2). His feet are like pillars of fire that stand on the land and the sea, meaning that He has authority over everything and will purify (“fire”) all things. Finally, he holds a little scroll that is open. Certainly, this “open little scroll” is none other than the book that only the Lamb can open, which contains His personal revelation and His redemptive work over all things.

It is emphasized in the verses above that when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, the mystery of Elohim is fulfilled. Paul explains this mystery of Elohim as follows: “by making known to us the mystery of His will… to sum up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth…” (Ephesians 1:9–10, ILT). To sum up all things in Christ is the restoration of all creation. This is the mystery of Elohim that will surely be fulfilled when the seventh angel blows his trumpet.

The final thing emphasized in chapter 10 is the command to eat the “open scroll” and to prophesy to many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Eating the scroll means that one must digest the ‘personal revelation of Christ and His work’ so thoroughly that one does not merely possess ‘intellectual knowledge’, but has become ‘united’ with the person of Christ and His redemptive work. This union is sweet “in our mouths,” but bitter “in our stomachs.” That is, the revelation of the victory of Christ’s cross is sweet to us, but when it is worked out in our lives, the cross of Christ destroys everything old within us and builds everything new. This experience will feel bitter to us. But by His grace, we must experience it first, and only then can we prophesy to many people.

Intellectual knowledge has its place in a person’s spiritual life, but if there is only ‘intellectual knowledge’, then a person becomes proud, as Paul emphasized in his letter to the Corinthians. Indeed, in general, within the Christian world, ‘intellectual knowledge’ can be traded through official institutions, books, or other means. But His chosen people will prophesy after experiencing it, without commercializing the revelation of Christ.

We now go directly to Revelation 11:1 to discuss the “measuring” of the Temple (the holy place): “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod, and the angel stood and said, ‘Rise and measure the temple of Elohim, the altar, and those who worship there’” (ILT).

Here we see that the apostle John is commanded to measure the Temple of Elohim, the altar, and those who worship in it, but he must do so with the “measuring rod” given to him by the angel. The meaning of “measuring” is to evaluate or compare with a certain standard. If someone says that the length of a rope is two meters, this means he has compared the length of the rope with a particular standard measure, commonly called a ‘meter’. The apostle John must not measure the Temple with his own measure or with any other measure not given to him by the angel.

Exodus 25:8 states, “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” Elohim, who is the ‘True Family’ (Father, Son, and Spirit), always seeks a ‘dwelling place or house’ in which He will live. But His house must conform to the standard established by Elohim Himself. In the Old Testament context, God’s house was a physical building called the Temple. But in the New Testament context, God’s house is the church, namely believers in whom the Spirit of Elohim dwells within their inner being (Ephesians 2:20–22). Both the Old Testament Temple as a symbol and the church as the reality of Elohim’s dwelling place must be built ACCORDING TO ELOHIM’S STANDARD. No one may build the Temple (symbol) or the church (reality) according to his own standard or measure.

The matter of building God’s house, whether the Temple as a symbol or the church as its reality, is not a trivial matter. For in His time, God will measure whether His house has been built according to the standard He has established or according to another standard. I Peter 4:17 states, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the house of Elohim, and if it begins with us first…” (ILT). To judge has the same meaning as to measure, that is, to evaluate and compare with a certain standard. And the first thing God measures is His own house.

Before we continue, let us close this section with a question related to the condition of the Christian world. In Christianity, it has become common to equate denominations with the church. Even if some leaders know that a denomination is not the church, generally they seem to ignore this fact. They continue to build a denomination as though God will never “measure” His house in the future.

What is the standard of His house? Truly, the standard of His house is the person of Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is the Temple of Elohim. However, the early church that was born on the day of Pentecost is also a “standard” for those who are involved in the building of the church, by His grace, God’s chosen people certainly do not build the church according to their own “standards,” but according to the “standard” given to them by God, just as happened to the apostle John.

We continue our discussion from Revelation 11:1, and at this time we will discuss the ‘altar of God’, which also must be measured. Revelation 11:1 reads: “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the sanctuary of Elohim, and His altar, and those who worship in it’” (ILT).

The ‘altar of God’ is the place where a person offers sacrifices to God. In His time, He will measure ‘His altar’ according to His own standard (His measuring rod). Many Christians are unaware that since the time of Cain and Abel, there have been two “altars.” We know that God “measured” these two altars. After God “measured” them, the altar of Cain was rejected, and the altar of Abel was accepted. We will not discuss this further because there is already a writing entitled ‘Ministry Outside the Camp’. For brothers and sisters who are interested, we can send the PDF version.

We move directly to the time of Moses, when the worship of the Golden Calf occurred while Israel was at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32–33). After this incident, Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp; it was called the ‘Tent of Meeting’, and everyone who sought the LORD had to go outside the camp of Israel to the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 33:7).

In Christianity there are also two “altars.” One is inside the world of Christianity, where the majority of God’s people offer sacrifices; the other is outside the world (system) of Christianity. Hebrews 13:10–13 affirms: “We have an altar… therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate… Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” At the time of Jesus’ coming (commonly called the “second coming”), Jesus will “measure” these two altars.

To understand these “two altars,” we must emphasize the difference between being LOVED by the heavenly Father and being PLEASING to the heavenly Father. In Christianity, generally, being blessed by God is considered PROOF that someone is pleasing to Him. Matthew 3:17 clarifies this distinction: “…This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Does the heavenly Father love only Jesus, His only Son? John 3:16 affirms that the heavenly Father loves the world (all humanity), which means that the heavenly Father has blessed everyone. For it is impossible for the heavenly Father to love someone and at the same time curse them. If in this world there is sickness, famine, and death, it is not because the Father does not love the world, but because the world has fallen into sin. Thus, the heavenly Father loves and blesses everyone, but He is not pleased with everyone’s way. The heavenly Father is pleased with Jesus Christ because Jesus is His standard, as we have emphasized previously. Therefore, whether one is pleasing to the Father or not IS DETERMINED BY A STANDARD.

When Moses struck the rock, an extraordinary miracle occurred: water flowed abundantly so that the people of Israel had water. However, the heavenly Father was not PLEASED with Moses at that time, so Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Did the Father not love Moses? Certainly the Father greatly loved Moses and blessed his ministry and used him mightily, but the Father was not pleased when Moses struck the rock, because it did not conform to His “standard.”

The Christian world is also greatly loved and blessed by the Father, but whether or not the Father is pleased with the “altar” of Christianity will be determined at the coming of Jesus. In Matthew 7:21–23, there are many who prophesy, cast out demons, and perform many miracles IN THE NAME OF THE LORD (certainly all Christians), but Jesus is not pleased. Why? Verse 23 explains the reason: they practiced lawlessness (‘anomia’ = lawlessness = violation of the laws of the kingdom). Thus, what will ultimately determine the outcome is the law or “standard” of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We are still discussing Revelation 11:1, and now we will discuss ‘those who worship in the Temple’. Revelation 11:1 reads: “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the sanctuary of Elohim, and His altar, and those who worship in it’” (ILT).

Observe from the verse above that what will be “measured” are the people who worship in the Temple, not the forms, rituals, or types of burnt offerings. Many people think that when Cain and Abel offered sacrifices, Elohim was pleased with Abel because Abel offered the firstborn of the flock, symbolizing Christ’s sacrifice, while Cain offered the produce of the ground. However, Hebrews 11:4 states: “By faith Abel offered to Elohim a more excellent sacrifice than Cain….” Thus, it was Abel’s faith that made Elohim pleased with him, not the type of sacrifice. Likewise, in the time of Moses, Yahweh always looked to see whether there was faith in His servants who performed rituals, sacrifices, and the laws of the Torah. If there was faith, Yahweh was pleased; if there was no faith and people merely performed sacrificial rituals, then Yahweh was certainly not pleased.

In the context of the New Covenant, Elohim is pleased with worshipers who worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). Worshiping in spirit means following the leading of the Holy Spirit within our inner being in daily life. Worshiping in truth, or reality, means worshiping not in outward forms, outward rules, symbols, or signs. The reality of all the symbols and shadows in the Old Testament is Christ (Colossians 2:17); therefore, worshiping in reality is worshiping in Christ, who is the truth.

As a conclusion to this section, we need to pay attention to Paul’s prophecy concerning people who are religious in the last days: “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). The ILT Bible translates it: “having a form of godliness but having denied its power.” This verse speaks of people who practice their religion routinely, faithfully, and diligently, but it is only an outward form of piety and not inward. In Christianity, outward piety has become commonplace, because that is the nature of religion. Religion always focuses on outward matters, but God always focuses on inward matters.

The church in Laodicea fell into outward forms of piety, so that they assessed (measured) themselves as rich, having become wealthy, and lacking nothing. However, when the Lord assessed (measured) them, He found them to be wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. That is what happens when someone practices religion outwardly. In His time, all who worship in the Temple will be measured by Him.

We now move to Revelation 11:2, which reads: “But exclude the court outside the Temple; do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”

We have discussed how Elohim commanded the apostle John to measure the Temple, the altar, and the people who worship in it with His own standard. We have also emphasized that His standard is Jesus Christ, and also the Bible, especially the word concerning the early church. There is one more thing that is His standard, namely the law of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21–23). Those who serve the Lord—even prophesying, casting out demons, and performing many miracles in His name—will still have to be “measured” by the law of the Kingdom of Heaven at His coming.

Now we will discuss the “court of the Temple,” which apparently does not need to be measured because it has been given to the nations to be trampled. Why does it not need to be measured like the Temple, the altar, and those who worship in it? It is interesting to note that the Temple consists of three parts: the outer court (the Temple courtyard), the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place are what are called the Temple, while the courtyard is not called the Temple, even though it is part of the Temple complex as a whole. It was in the Temple courtyard that Jesus found people selling sacrificial animals, because it was indeed in the courtyard that sacrifices were offered on the bronze altar (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15).

We can see why the Temple courtyard no longer needs to be measured, because it is in the courtyard that “trade” took place, where Jesus said that the Temple had become a “den of robbers.” If the Temple had already become a den of robbers, and Jesus Himself had acted by driving out the merchants from the Temple courtyard, it is not surprising that the courtyard no longer needs to be measured. The damage caused by trade within the Temple had already changed the fundamental nature of the Temple, from a house of prayer into a den of robbers. That is why the Temple courtyard was handed over to the nations to be trampled.

Let us remember that the Old Testament Temple and its furnishings are symbols of the spiritual experiences of the New Covenant people (the church). Broadly speaking, the spiritual experience of the church can be divided into three: the experience of salvation and new birth (the Bronze Altar and the Laver); the experience of a life of consecration and fullness of the Spirit (the Golden Lampstand, the Table of Showbread, the Altar of Incense); and the experience of union with Elohim (the Ark of the Covenant). Trade in the Temple can only take place in the Temple courtyard, and it is impossible for it to occur in the Holy Place, let alone in the Most Holy Place.

Generally, Christians who fall into trade in their ministry are still at the level of the experience of salvation, although it is not impossible for people at higher levels to also engage in trade in the Temple. Indeed, if we look at one of the false teachings in Revelation 2–3, namely the teaching of Balaam, we know that trade in the church is actually carried out by leaders, who may have greater spiritual experience than Christians in general. We will not discuss the teaching of Balaam further, because it has been discussed elsewhere. Thus, Christians who engage in trade in their ministry no longer need to be “measured,” but this does not mean they are not judged; rather, they have already been judged by being handed over to “the nations to be trampled.”

We move to Revelation 11:2–3, focusing on verse 3, since verse 2 has already been discussed. It reads: (2) “But exclude the court outside the Temple; do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.” (3) “And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy, clothed in sackcloth, one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” There are several things we need to note from these two verses. First, the church, in the sense of the “Temple courtyard” filled with trade (the teaching of Balaam), has been handed over to be trampled for forty-two months (3.5 years), commonly called the Great Tribulation. Because of trade that causes the church to lose its “saltiness” as salt, it is thrown out and trampled underfoot (Matthew 5:13).

Second, verse 3 begins with the Greek term ‘kai’ (a conjunction), which connects the sentences in verses 2 and 3. Therefore, it is during the Great Tribulation that Elohim gives authority to His two witnesses. The duration of the two witnesses’ prophecy is also approximately the same as the time during which the “Temple courtyard” church is trampled, namely 3.5 years, if we take one month as thirty days.

Third, who is symbolized by the “two witnesses” mentioned here? The number two in the Bible speaks of witnesses of God, so we should not interpret the “two witnesses” as merely two individuals. Verse 4 affirms that these two witnesses are also called two lampstands, and lampstands are a symbol of the church (many people). Thus, the two witnesses are a community (group) that is given authority by Elohim during the Great Tribulation.

Fourth, this group of God’s witnesses possesses ministerial power similar to that of Moses and Elijah. Elijah’s power was to shut up the sky so that no rain would fall, and Moses’ power was to turn water into blood in Egypt (11:6). Moses’ ministry led God’s people out of Egypt (the world), and Elijah’s ministry delivered God’s people from idolatry.

Fifth, if we consider Malachi 4:6; Matthew 17:10–13; and other related verses, we know that John the Baptist had the power of Elijah to restore all things and to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. Thus, the group of God’s witnesses in Revelation 11 is a group that restores all things and prepares the way for the coming of the great Day of the Lord.

Sixth, when Jesus ministered on earth as the “grain of wheat” that fell into the ground, later many fruits would come who would also minister as Jesus did on earth (John 12:24). And just as one John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of one Jesus (the Son of Elohim), so the two witnesses of God (the group) will also usher in the appearance of the sons of Elohim on earth, in Revelation 12, which we will discuss later.

Seventh, note that this group of God’s witnesses will be killed after they finish prophesying (Revelation 11:7). And just as Jesus was killed and rose again, so this group of God’s witnesses will also be killed and rise again (Revelation 11:11). This group can be killed because they still wear mortal bodies; this is the meaning of Revelation 11:3, “…prophesying while clothed in sackcloth.” The ILT Bible translates it, “…wearing sackcloth.”

In conclusion of this section, we see that when the trade-filled church is trampled by the nations during the Great Tribulation, God sends His group of witnesses to prophesy, and they will even bring forth the manifestation of the sons of Elohim, as described in Revelation chapter 12.

We now move to the seventh angel who blows the trumpet, when the mystery of Elohim will be finished (Revelation 11:15–19; 10:7). We will quote only a few verses related to this seventh trumpet from Revelation 11:15–19: “Then the seventh angel sounded the trumpet… ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones… worshiped Elohim… the time has come for the dead to be judged, and to reward Your servants, the prophets… and to destroy those who destroy the earth” (ILT). There are several things we need to note when this seventh trumpet is sounded.

First, verse 15 clearly affirms that the mystery of Elohim is to take over the kingdoms of the earth (the universe) and to establish His Kingdom forever. The expression ‘forever’ is translated from the Greek phrase ‘tous aionas ton aionon’, which should more accurately be translated as ‘the age of all ages’, because ‘aion’ means an age (time). As we have discussed in this writing, when the seventh trumpet is sounded, there will come a moment when time will be no more (Revelation 10:6). This means that when the Kingdom of Jesus and His Anointed Ones (the overcoming church) has conquered death (the last enemy), Jesus will hand over His Kingdom to the Father so that the Father may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:21–28). The climax of all ages, or the age of all ages in which time no longer exists, is fulfilled in the age of the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:23).

Second, it is emphasized in the verses above that when the seventh trumpet is sounded, the twenty-four elders worship. We have also discussed the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, that they are kings and priests who will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10). The overcoming church will function as kings and priests to reign together with Jesus on the earth, with the purpose of subduing all things, including the last enemy, namely death as the wages of sin, so that in the universe there will be no remaining trace of sin. Therefore, the Father can express His glory in all and through all His creation. This is the meaning of the Father becoming all in all.

Third, when the seventh trumpet is sounded, the time comes for the dead to be judged. The Kingdom of Jesus and His overcomers will execute the judgment of Elohim so that the inhabitants of the earth may learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). Likewise, the prophets and His servants will receive their reward.

Fourth, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, those who destroy the earth will be destroyed. Who are those who destroy the earth? Revelation 19:2 explains who they are, saying, “For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants.” This verse emphasizes that it is the great harlot who corrupts the earth. At this time, we will not explain in detail who the “great harlot” is, because we have not yet reached chapter 19. However, in chapters 17–18 it is clearly described that the great harlot is the ‘harlot church/woman’ (Babylon) that reigns over the earth.

We have briefly discussed how the mystery of Elohim is fulfilled when the seventh trumpet is sounded, when the kingdoms of this world are handed over to Jesus and His overcomers (Revelation 11:15). The subsequent chapters (12–22) are explanations and detailed descriptions of what happens when the seventh trumpet is sounded. For example, when the seventh trumpet is sounded, time will be no more, and this is explained in detail in the age of the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:23).

We now enter Revelation 12:1: “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” To understand this verse, we must recall the basic nature of the Book of Revelation, namely the personal revelation of Jesus Christ and His church through symbolic language. Who is symbolized by this ‘woman’?

Throughout the Bible, woman is always a symbol of the church or the bride of Christ, but with different characteristics. We know that Adam is a type of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:14). Therefore, Eve is a type of the church as the bride of Christ. Eve is a picture of the church that ‘comes from’ Christ, because Eve was created from Adam. Likewise, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera who became Joseph’s wife, is a picture of the church that comes from the world (Egypt). Abigail is also a picture of the church as a warrior of Christ, because David was a man of war. Thus, every woman in the Bible is a symbol or type of the church with a particular characteristic.

In the Book of Revelation there are three women who also symbolize the church, each with its own characteristics. First, the woman in the verse above. Second, the harlot woman described in Revelation 17–18. Third, the woman who is called the Bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21). All these women depict the church with its various characteristics.

We will not discuss the harlot woman and the Bride of the Lamb at this time. However, to clarify the woman of Revelation 12, we will compare only two specific characteristics with the harlot woman in Revelation 17–18. First, the woman of Revelation 12 is ‘in heaven’, whereas the harlot woman ‘sits on a beast’ (Revelation 17:3). Although the woman of Revelation 12 is on earth, she cannot be seen with physical eyes, because she exists in the ‘heavenly realm,’, and only the Lord sees her. Meanwhile, the woman of Revelation 17 is supported by a ‘beast’, which in the Book of Revelation symbolizes human government. Thus, the harlot woman is a church supported by the system of human government. That is why this harlot woman is also symbolized as the ‘great city’ Babylon, where there is a “Nimrod” who establishes and governs this church (Revelation 17:18; 18:2).

By comparison, the New Jerusalem (the Bride of the Lamb) is the ‘holy city’, while the harlot woman is the ‘great city’. Indeed, this harlot woman represents the majority church (great in number), because she also “sits on many waters” (Revelation 17:1). We know that many waters refer to multitudes of people. In the Christian world, this harlot woman is the “large” church and represents the majority.

Second, just as the virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of Elohim, so the woman of Revelation 12 gives birth to sons of Elohim who will shepherd all nations (Revelation 12:5). Meanwhile, the woman of Revelation 17 is called a harlot because she receives divine government and also receives human government; she receives the “seed” of Christ’s teaching, but also receives the “seed” of the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans—just as a harlot receives “seed” from many men. It is no coincidence that this harlot woman is symbolized as Babylon, because the meaning of ‘Babylon’ is confusion or mixture.

We are still discussing the symbol of the “woman” in Revelation 12:1,5: “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars… She gave birth to a male Child, who is to shepherd all nations with a rod of iron…”

Let us now assign meaning to the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars as they relate to the woman (the church). It is stated that the woman is “clothed with the sun,” meaning that she is fully governed by the “sun.” Malachi 4:2 states, “But to you who fear My name, the Sun of righteousness shall arise…” (ILT). This verse speaks of the people who fear the name of the Lord; for them, the Sun of righteousness will rise. The true Sun of righteousness clearly refers to Christ. Therefore, the woman (the church) who fears the name of the Lord will be “clothed” with Christ. The church (the people) who fear the name of the Lord are governed by Christ, led by Christ, and fully follow Christ.

Next, it is stated that the woman treads on the “moon.” We know that the moon has no light of its own and only ‘reflects’ the light of the sun. This woman already lives by the true light and has trampled (conquered) the reflected light. In reality, Christ is the ‘essence’ of all the regulations of the Old Covenant (Colossians 2:17). The “moon” represents only the Old Testament regulations, which are merely a reflection of Christ as the essence. This woman (the church) has already conquered or trampled the Old Testament regulations, which are only a reflection of Christ as the essence. The worship of this church is in spirit and in truth/reality (John 4). The people who fear His name follow only the inner leading of Christ and are no longer governed or enslaved by religious regulations.

Then, the woman is crowned with twelve stars. The number twelve is a symbol of leadership, and “stars” in the Book of Revelation are the sons of Elohim. Thus, although every member of this church follows the inner leading of Christ, it is still led by a team of divine leadership. No single “star” is greater than another. These twelve stars together form a crown to lead. This is genuine shared leadership—or more precisely, body leadership (the church as an organism), not organizational church leadership where there must be one highest person (a senior pastor) as a ‘sole ruler’.

This kind of church (woman) is the one that will give birth to the ‘male Child’ mentioned above (LAI version). The LAI version capitalizes the word ‘Child’, giving the impression that this male Child is Jesus Christ and that the woman is Mary. This understanding is incorrect. The Book of Revelation uses symbolic language, and the symbol of the ‘woman’ clearly refers to the church, not Mary. Therefore, the ‘male Child’ refers to the sons of Elohim who will shepherd all nations.

As we have discussed in this writing, the overcomers of the church will reign as kings and priests at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the ‘male Child’ born by this woman refers to the overcoming believers who will reign in the next age at the Lord’s coming.

We have briefly discussed the symbol of the woman in Revelation 12. Now we will discuss the symbol of the ‘dragon’ in this chapter, because it is this male Child born by the woman who overcomes the dragon. Revelation 12:3 states, “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.”

Many symbols in the Book of Revelation are directly interpreted. One example is the dragon, which is called the ‘ancient serpent’ or the devil (Revelation 12:9). However, this devil is described as having ‘seven heads and ten horns’. If we observe the beast rising out of the sea, it also has ten horns and seven heads (Revelation 13:1). We know that the symbol of a beast represents a human kingdom or system of human government. Thus, the devil is manifested in and through human kingdoms or systems of human government.

Many Christians think that the devil exists outside of humans, perhaps in graveyards or hanging from large trees. Let us understand where the devil truly resides, because we cannot defeat the enemy if we do not know where he is. Observe Revelation 12:9, which states that the devil is the ‘ancient serpent’. The term ‘ancient’ is translated from the Greek ‘archaios’, meaning ‘original’ or ‘ancient’. This means the ancient serpent is the original serpent. Genesis 3 explains this original serpent. The serpent in Genesis 3 is not a physical serpent, because a physical serpent cannot speak, nor does a physical serpent eat dust (Genesis 3:14).

The serpent in Genesis 3 is the devil who tempted Adam and Eve. This devil was cursed by God to eat dust all the days of his life. The dust here is not physical soil, because Genesis 3:19 states, “…for dust you are…” This means that humans are ‘dust’, and humans become the food of the devil throughout his lifetime. We know that one becomes like what one eats. If this principle is applied to the devil, then the devil will be manifested in and through the humans he eats.

Paul, in the book of Romans, explains the manifestation of the devil in humans using the term ‘sin’ in the singular form. When Paul uses ‘sins’ in the plural, he refers to sinful acts. But when he uses ‘sin’ in the singular, he refers to the ‘power of sin’ that causes humans to do what they do not want to do. In Romans 7, Paul explains the power of sin within him that drives him to commit sinful acts (verse 17). Therefore, the term sin (singular) used by Paul refers to a manifestation of the devil within human beings.

We must first clearly understand where the devil is located, manifested, or embodied, and how he exercises his power. In reality, the devil is manifested in our old man or our flesh. And in Revelation 12:3 above, the devil is manifested in and through a human kingdom or system of human government.

We have discussed the symbol of the dragon in Revelation 12. Now we will discuss how the group of the male Child, or the group of His Anointed Ones, or the firstfruits, overcomes the dragon or the devil. Revelation 12:11 states, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

There are three things mentioned in this verse as the cause of the victory of the group of the male Child born by the church of Revelation 12. Let us examine them one by one. First, they overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb. Leviticus 17:11 states, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” Therefore, the blood of the Lamb speaks of the life of the Lamb, or the life of Christ (zoe). This is the purpose of Jesus’ coming, namely to give His life (John 10:10; life = zoe). The phrase ‘have it more abundantly’ in this verse does not refer to material or physical things at all, but to the growth of the life of Christ (zoe). The life of Christ grows to such an extent that it “swallows up” the old human life (death). I Corinthians 15:54 says, “…Death is swallowed up in victory.” This means that death (the old life), as the wages of sin, is destroyed or “swallowed up” by the victory of the life of Christ.

I Corinthians 15:45 states that the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving Spirit (‘pneuma zoopoieo’). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus became the life-giving Spirit. The Spirit of Christ dwelling within the inner being of His chosen people continually works to impart the life of Christ. The victory of His chosen people, or the group of the male Child, is purely by grace. The growth of the life of Christ within us is the work of the Holy Spirit. If we examine the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (especially in the Gospel of Matthew), we find that there are people of God whose ‘zoe’-life grows, and there are also those whose does not. Some are accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven at Jesus’ coming, while others are rejected. All of this is the sovereignty of the Father, who is pleased to give the Kingdom to the “little flock” (Luke 12:32).

Second, they overcame the devil by the word of their testimony. The term ‘word’ here is ‘Logos’, meaning not merely good words, but words that contain the thoughts, feelings, and will of Elohim. They speak of the purposes, plans, and will of Elohim. The old human life, symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, also produces ‘good’ words, because humans ate from the tree of the knowledge of evil and ‘good’.

If we pay attention to the word ‘Logos’ spoken by His overcomers, then all of this is the result of the fact that His overcomers live by the life (‘zoe’). A particular kind of life will produce a particular kind of word. For example, dogs bark and cats meow because they possess different kinds of life. Therefore, the overcomers are able to speak words of ‘Logos’ because the Spirit of Christ gives growth to the Life. THIS IS PURELY THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE; THIS IS GRACE.

Third, they overcame the devil because they did not love their own soul-life (the old life). His overcomers willingly allow themselves to be destroyed or “swallowed up,” their old life being swallowed by the life (‘zoe’). The life (‘zoe’) will surely “swallow up” the old life, just as light “swallows up” darkness. This too is grace. Therefore, the victory of this male child is purely grace and purely the sovereignty of the Father who desires to give the Kingdom.

We now enter Revelation chapter 13, which speaks of the beast that comes out of the sea and the beast that comes out of the earth. Revelation 13:1–18 declares, “Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names… And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon…” There are two things that must be noted before we can understand Revelation chapter 13. First, the beasts in the book of Revelation are symbols of systems of human government. Second, the terms heaven, earth, and sea are symbols of realms (realities), where “heaven” represents the heavenly realm, “the sea” represents the lowest realm, and “the earth” represents a realm lower than heaven but higher than the realm of the sea.

The beast that comes out of the “sea” appears ferocious, like a leopard, with feet like those of a bear and a mouth like the mouth of a lion (verse 2). But the beast that comes out of the “earth” is like a lamb. We know that a lamb is not a ferocious or dangerous animal. Nevertheless, when this “lamb” speaks, it speaks like a dragon. We know that the “dragon” is a symbol of the devil. Who, then, is this beast that comes out of the earth? Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:10 clearly state that the beast that comes out of the earth is the false prophet.

Furthermore, we observe that both beasts have horns, which are symbols of power. Thus, the beast that comes out of the sea has power as a system of human government in this world (the kingdoms of the world). Meanwhile, the beast that comes out of the earth has power as a system of human government within the Christian world. We should not be surprised that the book of Revelation describes the Christian world as a ‘false prophet’. For the Christian world came into existence because the church fell and was divided into tens of thousands of denominations. And the division of the church was caused by leaders who established their own authority and drew the Lord’s disciples after themselves (Acts 20:28–30). The Christian world consists of the kingdoms of its leaders, and this is not the church as Jesus established it. For in the church that Jesus established, there must be no leaders in the sense of people exercising authority over the church other than the Lord Jesus Himself (Matthew 23:1–12). In the church that Jesus established, there must be no human system of government. There must be no ‘hierarchy’, because the church is an organism led directly by the authority of the life of Christ. Therefore, it is not surprising that Revelation 13 describes the Christian world as “the beast that comes out of the earth,” and as the false prophet.

Next, there is something that generally attracts the attention of Christians, namely the mark or name of the beast that is placed on a person’s hand or forehead, and the number of the beast, which is 666 (verses 16–17). The key to understanding the number of the beast is the wisdom of Christ (verse 18). Without the wisdom of Christ, it is impossible to understand the meaning of the number 666, because 666 is not a mathematical number but a symbolic number. If we receive grace before Him, then we will understand that the mark or name of the beast is none other than the basic nature of our old man (the “beastly nature”). We do not need to struggle to find the mark 666 on someone. If a person lives by or is driven by the old man, then we have already seen the mark 666. Or if we see a Christian serving with the strength of the old man (the flesh), then we have already seen the mark 666 in that person.

The number 6 is the number of man, and man works for six days. Therefore, the number 666 is actually a symbolic number for fallen churches (false churches), where all activities are driven by the flesh, human ambition, the pursuit of profit, money, and position, always busy with religious programs but never within the Divine government and the mind of Christ.

Before entering chapter 14 of the book of Revelation, we need to remember that with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the mystery of God is fulfilled, namely that the kingdoms of the world, including the human kingdoms (denominations) in the Christian world, are taken over and handed to the Lord Jesus and His chosen people (the firstfruits), who will function as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek and reign on the earth in the ages to come (Revelation 11:15). The subsequent chapters in the book of Revelation explain the details of the fulfillment of the mystery of God. The climax of the fulfillment of the mystery of God is realized in the age of the New Heaven and the New Earth, where there is no longer death, which is the wages of sin, and where the Father can be all in all (Revelation 21–22).

We have briefly discussed the details of the appearance of the sons of God (Revelation 12) and the systems of human government, both in this world and in the Christian world (Revelation 13). We now enter Revelation 14, where the main theme of this chapter is the harvest. Revelation 14:1–5 discusses the firstfruits (His overcomers) who will reap together with the Lord Jesus. Then Revelation 14:6–13 discusses three proclamations or messages of judgment. Finally, Revelation 14:14–20 discusses the harvest on the earth.

Let us look at Revelation 14:1–3: “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads… And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.”

Mount Zion is the highest hill in Jerusalem. In Psalm 48:1–3, Zion is called the city of the Great King, and also the mountain of God, or the Kingdom of God. Jesus, as the King above all kings, is depicted as the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. Jesus, as the Victor, is still depicted as the Lamb who is fully obedient to the Father to become the sacrifice for the redemption of sin. But Jesus does not stand alone on Mount Zion; He stands together with 144,000 people who have the name of the Lord Jesus and the name of the Father in heaven written on their foreheads.

We know that the number 144,000 is a symbolic number, where 12 is the number of Divine government, and 12 multiplied by 12 multiplied by 1,000 signifies Divine government brought into perfection and fullness. From Mount Zion, Jesus together with His overcomers will exercise Divine government in all its perfection and fullness.

It is emphasized above that the name of the Father is written on the foreheads of His overcomers. We know that a name represents a person’s work, reputation, glory, character, and basic nature. Therefore, His overcomers do not have their own Divine reputation, glory, or basic nature; rather, all of these come from the Father. This is different from those who bear the mark 666 on their foreheads or hands. These people strive to achieve reputation, glory, and works by their own strength and for themselves.

Furthermore, His overcomers are able to sing a song that cannot be learned by others. A song is an expression or response of those who have experienced the deeds or works of the Father in heaven. By His grace, the overcomers experience the touch or works of the Father in their lives. The Father in heaven desires to do this to His overcomers purely because the Father “…has been pleased to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Let us continue with the description of the overcomers (the firstfruits) in chapter 14. Revelation 14:4–5 states, “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth no deceit was found, for they are blameless before the throne of God” (ILT).

There are several things concerning His overcomers mentioned in the verses above. First, it is emphasized that they are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. This does not speak of physical women, because women in the book of Revelation are symbols of the church. Who, then, are the “women” with whom His overcomers were not defiled?

Certainly not the “woman” described in Revelation 12, who gives birth to the sons of God. Rather, it is the woman described in Revelation 17:5–6: “…Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots… and the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.” At this time we are not discussing in detail the mother and her daughters (the women) described here. However, those who are able to see the Christian world as the Word of God sees it will understand that the women referred to in Revelation 14:4 above are the Christian world, which is the fragmentation of the early church.

The teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans have infiltrated and been widely accepted in the Christian world (Revelation 2–3). By His grace, the overcomers do not take part in them. His overcomers do not defile themselves in the “games” of money, position, and human glory/honor that abound in the Christian world. This is the meaning of “not defiled with women, for they are virgins,” as emphasized in Revelation 14:4 above.

Second, His overcomers are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Jesus affirmed that His sheep surely hear His voice (John 10:27). His overcomers do not listen to or become followers of any leader or any movement in the Christian world. This is not because the overcomers do not learn from leaders, but because of the anointing within them that makes it so that “…you have no need for anyone to teach you” (1 John 2:27).

Third, in the mouth of His overcomers no deceit is found, for they are blameless before the throne of God. The term ‘deceit’ is translated from the Greek word ‘pseudos’, which means falsehood, untruth, false religion. Certainly, the primary reason His overcomers do not practice deceit is because they have been touched by the “burning coal from the altar,” as Isaiah was before being sent by God (Isaiah 6:7). But also in their ministry, the overcomers have no personal interest or desire for any gain, whether money, position, or human glory. By His grace, the overcomers are able to speak the truth of God’s Word as it is, before anyone, without needing to be “cautious” or to practice deceit in hopes of gaining something from their proclamation.

Such are some of the characteristics of the “firstfruits,” who by the sovereignty of the Father are chosen from among men and processed by Him. James 1:17–18 affirms, “…the Father of lights… who determined that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures…” (ILT).

After discussing the firstfruits (Revelation 14:1–5), we now enter into the three proclamations of the Word written in Revelation 14:6–13. Let us begin with the first proclamation (Revelation 14:6–7): “Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth… Fear God and give glory to Him, because the hour of His judgment has come…” (ILT).

We must continue to remember the principle of interpretation for the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the personal revelation of Jesus Christ and His church in symbolic language (Revelation 1:1). The verses above should not be interpreted literally, as if at the end of time there will be an angel with wings flying around the earth to preach the everlasting gospel. If that were our interpretation, then the book of Revelation would not be good news, but frightening news about wars, disasters, calamities, and eternal hell.

There are several things we must understand in order to see how beautiful the three proclamations above are. First, the angel or messenger who proclaims the everlasting gospel is people who are sent by the Lord; indeed, the expression “the angel who proclaims the everlasting gospel” is the revelation of the Word or the revelation of the everlasting gospel itself. If we see the entire context of Revelation 14, which speaks of the “harvest,” then we know that this proclamation/revelation of the gospel is carried out by the Lord Jesus and the “firstfruits” we have discussed (verses 1–5).

Second, the expression ‘everlasting gospel’ comes from the Greek ‘euaggelion aionios’, which means ‘the good news of the ages’. What does ‘the good news of the ages’ mean? Ephesians 1:9–10 states, “having made known to us the mystery of His will… for the administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth” (ILT). This means that the mystery of the Father’s will is to sum up all things in Christ, and this occurs in the dispensation of the fullness of the times (Young’s Literal). Thus, the Father in heaven has a plan (the mystery of His will), namely to work through the ages (dispensations) to unite all things in Christ.

We have often discussed the Greek term ‘aion’, which in many Bible versions is translated as ‘eternal’ or ‘everlasting’, in the sense of an endless duration of time. Such an understanding causes Christians to fail to understand the Father’s plan or the mystery of His will. The Bible reveals to us the Father’s plan through ages (dispensations) to establish the Kingdom of His Son, so that all things may be summed up in Christ. The Bible hardly speaks of ‘eternity’, which is the dimension of God. The Bible speaks of the FATHER’S PLAN WITHIN THE DIMENSION OF TIME. Therefore, ‘the good news of the ages’ means the good news that all things will ultimately be summed up (united) in Christ. This speaks of the total restoration of all things.

Third, how can all things be summed up in Christ? The verse above clearly states that it is through the judgment of God. But we must understand the meaning of God’s judgment, namely, “…when Your judgments come upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). God’s judgment does not mean casting human beings into hell forever (eternal hell punishment). The message of eternal hell is not good news at all. It is not the gospel revealed by the Bible, even though it has been widely accepted in the Christian world.

We will now enter into the proclamation of the second angel written in Revelation 14:8, as follows: “And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who made all nations drink of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.’”

We must continue to remember the context of the whole of Revelation 14, which is about the harvest on the earth (verse 16). The term ‘earth’ here is a symbol of the Christian world, as we have discussed regarding “the beast that comes up out of the earth,” which is the false prophet (Revelation 13:11–18). When the Lord Jesus comes (commonly called the second coming), He will come as Judge over His people, and those whom He has chosen (the firstfruits) will be glorified—meaning they will receive glorified bodies and reign on the earth. This event is called by Paul in Romans chapter 8 ‘glorification by faith’, or the event of ‘the resurrection of the body’ as explained in 1 Corinthians 15.

Jesus does not come to take the entire Christian world (His people) to heaven far away there, although this concept is generally believed and proclaimed within Christianity. We know that in Christianity many are called, but few are chosen (the firstfruits), or as Luke 12:32 calls them, “the little flock,” to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom. Thus, at His coming, Jesus and the “firstfruits” will reign on the earth with glorified bodies and will harvest the Christian world.

Let us look at this second proclamation in the context of the harvest of the Christian world. Our verse above clearly states, “fallen, fallen is Babylon.” What does “Babylon” symbolize? Revelation 17:18 clearly states that the harlot woman seen by John is Babylon, the great city. Why is the Christian world symbolized as “Babylon” or “the great city”? Let us consider the facts.

Babylon in Genesis 10–11 was a literal city (not a symbol) built by Nimrod. Nimrod was the first person on earth to exercise authority and build a kingdom. Nimrod is called ‘a mighty hunter before the LORD’, which means that he was a rebel who gathered people to rebel against God as well. The name ‘Nimrod’ means ‘one who leads others to rebel’.

If so, why is the harlot woman (the Christian world) symbolized as ‘Babylon, the great city’? In the book of Revelation, a city is a symbol of a system of government. The New Jerusalem is a symbol of the divine system of government; therefore, it is called the Holy City. Babylon, however, is called the great city because it is ruled by humans. Since the Roman emperor Constantine accepted Christianity, human systems of government began to dominate the Christian world. Christianity indeed became great, but not holy.

In fact, in Acts 20:28–30, Paul had already warned church leaders that the time would come when leaders would draw the disciples to themselves and build their own kingdoms through false teachings (the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans). The behavior of such leaders has caused the church to split into tens of thousands of denominations, as we see today in Christianity. In every denomination there is surely a “Nimrod” who holds authority over God’s people. That is why the Christian world is symbolized as Babylon.

The message of the second angel clearly declares that Babylon will fall. The Christian world, which consists of human kingdoms (denominations), will surely collapse at the coming of Jesus. Yet in the end, the Christian world will be harvested (saved) through the ministry of Jesus and the “firstfruits.”

We now enter into the proclamation of the third angel written in Revelation 14:9–11, as follows: “…If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim… he will be tormented with fire and sulfur…” (ILT). We have emphasized that the mark or name of the beast is none other than the basic nature of our old humanity (“beastly nature”). All humans inherit this nature because all are descendants of Adam.

Before discussing these verses, let us remember that the proclamation of the three angels in Revelation 14 is primarily directed to the Christian world (“the earth”), because after these three proclamations, the “earth” will be harvested (14:14–20). Perhaps many Christians think that once someone is born again (becomes a Christian), worships, and serves within Christianity, it is impossible for him to receive the mark/name of the beast on his hand or forehead. We will explain this as follows.

The two trees in the Garden of Eden actually symbolize two kinds of life. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolizes the kind of life of ‘death’, which is controlled by the devil. For Romans 6:23 affirms that the wages of sin is death, and the devil has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Death does not only mean physical death. When Adam ate from the tree of ‘death’, he immediately received the kind of life of ‘death’, which in turn led to physical death. This is the meaning of the Hebrew expression ‘mut tamut’ found in Genesis 2:17.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the tree of death) causes all humans descended from Adam to have a strong inclination toward religion. Let us consider what Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes—the religious people of His time. John 8:44 states, “You are of your father the devil…” Jesus’ words were not meant as an insult, but to reveal an important truth. Religious people of His time who practiced various rituals and religious regulations without faith were actually living the kind of life of ‘death’ controlled by the devil. Although the Pharisees and scribes were very religious, they were living the kind of life of ‘death’ dominated by the devil. That is why Jesus said that the devil was their father—not that the devil literally had children like them, but that the devil is the “father” of the life of ‘death’. Whoever lives this kind of life of death has the devil as his father.

But Jesus came so that we might have life (John 10:10), namely the life of Christ (‘zoe’). As a Christian’s faith grows, the life of Christ “swallows up” the life of death. Paul affirms that it is no longer he who lives, but Christ who lives in him. Let us observe the facts concerning the Christian world. Revelation 2–3 affirms that the church has fallen through the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. If we receive grace before Him, we understand that these three false teachings are what have made the Christian world into a religion—namely, the Christian religion. In such a condition, many of God’s children worship and serve within a religious framework, just as the Pharisees and scribes did. Therefore, the “mark/name of the beast” is very prevalent in religious people.

Those who are religious and live the kind of life of ‘death’ will drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim and will be tormented with fire and sulfur. Fire and sulfur are symbols of ‘purification’. We will discuss this later when we reach Revelation 20:14 regarding the second death and the lake of fire. Clearly, this fire and sulfur are not literal fire or literal sulfur, nor do they mean eternal hell as commonly believed in Christianity.

After the proclamation of the three angels (Revelation 14:6–13) concerning judgment upon the Christian world (“the earth”), we now arrive at the harvest on the “earth” (Revelation 14:14–20). We must again emphasize the purpose of Elohim’s judgment, namely: “…when You come to judge the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). Thus, although judgment involves the wrath of Elohim, its purpose is that people may come to know what is right.

Let us look at several points regarding the harvest of the Christian world as written in Revelation 14:14–20: “And I looked… and behold, one like the Son of Man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand… Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe… Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are ripe… and blood came out from the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred stadia” (ILT).

First, the Son of Man is the Lord Jesus who will harvest the Christian world through His judgment, for that is the purpose of His coming—to judge His people.

Second, the Lord Jesus uses a “sickle” to harvest His people. This sickle is not a literal sickle, but His overcomers or the firstfruits as written in Revelation 14:1–5, which we have discussed. Thus is fulfilled what is written in Luke 10:2: “The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” These laborers are the firstfruits of His creation (James 1:18). Therefore, the firstfruits will be used by the Lord Jesus to harvest the “earth” or the fallen Christian world, which is now ready to be harvested because of the three proclamations discussed earlier.

Third, the verses above use the symbol “gather the clusters of grapes from the earth, for her grapes are ripe… and blood flowed from the winepress up to the horses’ bridles for one thousand six hundred stadia” to explain the harvest on the earth. Once again, our principle of interpretation must not be literal, because it speaks of “blood flowing from the winepress.” Likewise, the blood flowing “up to the horses’ bridles for one thousand six hundred stadia” does not refer to human blood from an end-times war, as some interpreters understand.

What then is the meaning of this symbol? The clusters of grapes of the earth that are ripe speak of Christians who have come to know the truth through the judgment of Elohim. The blood flowing for one thousand six hundred stadia speaks of the blood of Jesus that cleanses His people. Note that one thousand six hundred stadia is approximately 321 km, since one stadion equals 201.16 meters. The distance of 321 km is roughly the distance between the cities of Dan and Beersheba in Israel (from one end of the land to the other). This means that all of God’s people are washed by the blood of Jesus. This is how we must understand this symbol. Remember also that the context of the whole of Revelation 14 is not warfare, but harvest.

From the truth of God’s Word in Revelation 14 concerning the harvest on the earth, how strange it is that Christianity so often proclaims, “believe in Jesus and go to heaven.” The truth, however, is ‘believe in Jesus and receive the life of zoe, and be judged by Jesus at His coming’. After knowing the truth and becoming mature, then one is harvested—and the harvesters are the ‘firstfruits’ who have matured earlier.

We have discussed chapter 14 concerning the harvest, and now we enter chapters 15 and 16, concerning other symbols seen by the apostle John in heaven: “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of Elohim is completed” (Revelation 15:1, ILT). John had seen many symbols (signs), including the golden lampstands, the seven stars, the throne with four living creatures and twenty-four elders, the opening of the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the woman and the dragon, the beasts from the sea and the earth, the Lamb on Mount Zion with His 144,000 followers—and now he sees another symbol: seven angels with the seven last plagues.

Although the book of Revelation presents many signs or symbols to the apostle John, the revelation conveyed through them is the same—the revelation of Jesus Christ and His church, and certainly His kingdom. The symbol of “seven angels with seven plagues” involves the wrath and judgment of Elohim. To whom, especially, is this judgment and wrath directed? Note Revelation 16:1: “And I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of Elohim on the earth’” (ILT). We have seen that the symbol ‘earth’ here refers to the Christian world. Therefore, the seven angels with the seven plagues are primarily directed toward the Christian world. This judgment is intended so that the Christian world may come to know what is right.

And before the judgment begins, John sees: “…something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had overcome the beast and its image and its mark and the number of its name…” (Revelation 15:2, ILT). Here the apostle John again sees His overcomers, the firstfruits of His creation. These overcomers sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. The song of Moses speaks of deliverance from Egypt, where the overcomers praise, “Great and marvelous are Your works…” (15:3). Meanwhile, the song of the Lamb, the Redeemer of sins, speaks of the deliverance or redemption of all humanity: “…for all nations shall come and worship before You…” (15:4).

After all that John sees, “…the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the sanctuary came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, and girded with golden sashes around their chests” (Revelation 15:5–6, ILT). From within His temple—namely, the church of His overcomers—comes forth a ministry of judgment symbolized by the “seven angels with seven plagues.” We see here that His overcomers carry out the judgment of Elohim, fulfilling what Paul told the saints in Corinth: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). His overcomers will execute the judgment of Elohim upon the Christian world so that the Christian world may know the revelation of the Lord Jesus, His church, and His kingdom.

We continue with the symbol of “seven angels holding the seven last plagues,” whose ministry is directed toward the Christian world so that God’s people may know what is right. We have seen that this ministry is carried out by the ‘firstfruits’ or His overcomers. The overcomers (firstfruits) have not avoided all the “plagues or calamities” described in chapter 16; rather, they have experienced them first. For ‘firstfruits’ means a group that matures earlier to be harvested.

We will not discuss in detail the ministry of the ‘seven angels’ with all its symbols, but we will focus specifically on the ministry of the ‘seventh angel’, which is directed toward ‘Babylon, the great city’ (Revelation 16:17–21). Nevertheless, we will quote J. Preston Eby regarding part of the meaning of the symbols in the ministry of the seventh angel as follows: The symbol ‘earth’ means the soulish/human religious realm. The symbol ‘sea’ means the fleshly realm related to the body. The symbol ‘springs of waters’ means the sources of ideas, concepts, traditions, teachings, doctrines, and worldly wisdom, while the symbol ‘rivers’ represents the ‘flows’ through which all these ideas, concepts, doctrines, and traditions are taught and promoted by religious institutions. The symbol ‘sun’ represents ‘external light’, namely rules, authorities, and hierarchies from the old heaven and earth. The symbol ‘the throne of the beast and its kingdom’ means the deceitful ‘human heart’ from which all evil proceeds, including ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious’ evils. The symbol ‘the river Euphrates’ represents the power that keeps God’s people enslaved within the religious ‘Babylon’. The ‘Euphrates’ also speaks of the separation between the religious kingdom of Babylon and our Promised Land—our inheritance in Christ. The symbol ‘air’ speaks of the atmosphere created by human programs, human promotions, and religious systems of understanding. Such, more or less, is the meaning of these symbols, in which the seven angels to pour out the bowl of Elohim’s wrath upon the Christian world, so that the Christian world may come to know what is true.

As the conclusion of this section, we will directly enter into the ministry of the seventh angel who pours out his bowl into the air (Revelation 16:17–21). Revelation 16:19 affirms, “…And the great Babylon was remembered before Elohim, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath” (ILT). We have emphasized that ‘Babylon’ is a symbol placed on the forehead of “the harlot woman and her children” (Revelation 17:5). As we already know, the symbol “woman” always refers to the church, but here it is called a “harlot” church. The Christian world is the early church that has fallen and been fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations, and this fall is explained in Revelation 2–3 because of the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. The Christian world is not that it does not receive the pure Word of God, but that besides receiving the pure Word of God it also receives the words of the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. Just as a prostitute receives many “seeds” from many men, so in general the Christian world receives the “seed” of the pure Word of God and the seed of the three false teachings above.

Certainly, within the Christian world it is commonly proclaimed and taught that denominations are the church. But in His time, the basic nature of the “churches” within the Christian world will be uncovered. The Bible firmly states that there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. One of the things that will be revealed on the day of His judgment is the basic nature of the “churches” in the Christian world.

We continue with the ministry of the seventh angel who pours out his bowl into the air (Revelation 16:17–21), a ministry related to the judgment of “Babylon.” Indeed, the explanation of the seventh angel’s ministry related to “Babylon” continues until chapter 18, and is concluded by the song of victory in heaven in Revelation 19:1–5. Why is it so long? Because after the judgment of “Babylon” is completed, then the marriage of the Lamb can take place. The true Bride of Christ needs to be prepared and revealed (19:7). For after the marriage of the Lamb takes place, the kingdom of Christ (Head and Body) begins to judge and to wage war in righteousness in order to restore all things (19:11–16). It is this ministry of the kingdom of Christ that finally brings forth the New Heaven and New Earth, where there is no more death, which is the wages of sin (21:4).

Let us enter into this judgment of Babylon. Revelation 17:1 affirms, “And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters” (ILT). Who is the “great harlot” that will be judged? Revelation 17:18 affirms that the woman seen by the apostle John is “the great city,” and that “the great city” is “Babylon” (18:2). Thus, the “harlot woman” IS the “great city,” namely Babylon.

We must always remember that the city of Babylon described in Genesis 10–11 is a physical city that truly existed in history. Meanwhile, the city of Babylon written about in the book of Revelation is a symbol. We can know the meaning of a symbol by paying attention to its history. Babylon was one of the royal cities built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10). Nimrod was the first man to rule on the earth and, “he was a mighty hunter before YAHWEH…” (Genesis 10:9).

Many people think that Nimrod was someone who served and lived BEFORE the Lord (Gen. 10:9). But we know that Strong’s Concordance reveals facts about the Hebrew term PANIM, translated ‘before’, which has a very wide range of meanings. In Genesis 10:9, as for example in Numbers 16:2, the Hebrew term PANIM translated ‘before’ also has the literal meaning ‘to rebel against’. And in the Jewish Encyclopedia, the name Nimrod means one who causes all people to rebel against God. The ILT (Indonesian Literal Translation) Bible provides a footnote for the translation ‘before’, namely ‘defiantly opposing’. It can be concluded that Nimrod was a rebel who stubbornly opposed God, and Nimrod established his own kingdom, one of which was Babylon.

The harlot woman and the city of Babylon seen by the apostle John have the same meaning. Both symbols equally refer to the church, but a church that will be judged. The church that bears the symbol of the “harlot woman” or the “city of Babylon” is judged so that the true Bride of the Lamb may appear.

Let us continue our discussion on the judgment of “Babylon” or the judgment of the “harlot woman” (Revelation 17:1). We have discussed that Babylon is a royal city built by Nimrod. Nimrod was a powerful leader, and not only did he mobilize people to build a city (Babylon), but also a tower (Genesis 11:1–9). Nimrod’s motivation in building the city and the tower is clearly written, namely to make a name for themselves so that they would not be scattered (11:4). A name is an expression of reputation, glory, works, and also a person’s character. Nimrod’s goal was that through his reputation, glory, works, and character, he could attract people to himself so that they would not be scattered. This was indeed Nimrod’s intention in building his kingdom.

The kingdom built by Nimrod immediately received the judgment of Elohim. By confusing their language so that they could not communicate, the efforts of Nimrod and his followers immediately failed and were destroyed. For it was indeed through his strength as a leader and his power of communication that Nimrod succeeded in mobilizing many people to have one common goal, mission, and vision to build a kingdom.

Let us return to the judgment of the “harlot woman” or “Babylon” in the book of Revelation. Why is the church (the harlot woman) that bears the symbol “Babylon” judged by Elohim so that it collapses and “Babylon” is found no more (Revelation 18:21)? The explanation is as follows. We need to understand the meaning of the church that bears the symbol “Babylon” on its forehead as written in Revelation 17:5: “And on her forehead a name was written: a mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” In fact, the church bears the symbol “Babylon” because there are “Nimrods” who build their own kingdoms. Thus, the church is dominated by a system of human government (hierarchy), or in other words, within the church there exists “Nimrod” authority. And the Lord Jesus does not desire that there be “Nimrod” authority within His church.

To make this clearer, let us pay attention to the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:1–12. This portion of Scripture is a kind of introduction before Jesus rebukes the religious leaders of His time with the words, “woe to you” (Matthew 23:13–36). In Matthew 23:1–12, Jesus speaks to two groups of people, namely ‘the crowds’ and ‘His disciples’ (verse 1). And the context of this passage is the ‘seat of Moses’, which is a symbol of authority. Jesus firmly taught that the crowds should not rebel against the Pharisees and scribes, because they had sat in the “seat of Moses,” meaning that they possessed a certain authority. But to His disciples, Jesus said that no one should be called rabbi, leader, or father (verses 8–10). Jesus did not mean that in His church there should be no leaders, teachers, or spiritual fathers. Rather, according to the context of the “seat of Moses,” Jesus meant that IN HIS CHURCH THERE MUST BE NO ONE WITH AUTHORITY EXCEPT JESUS. That is, within His church there is only the authority of Life, because Jesus is Life (zoe), and He also came to give Life (John 10:10). His church is an organism in which only the authority of the Life of that organism applies, namely Jesus the Life.

Paul clearly explains the fall of the church, namely because leaders DRAW disciples to themselves (Acts 20:28–30). Church leaders are supposed only to EQUIP the saints (Ephesians 4:11–12). The behavior of church leaders who draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves is EXACTLY THE SAME as Nimrod’s behavior in building his kingdom, namely Babylon. That is why the “harlot” church bears the symbol “Babylon.”

Why is the church also given the symbol of a “harlot woman”? We know that a harlot receives many “seeds” from many men. In the early church there was no “seed of Nimrod authority,” only the seed of Life. Paul, Peter, and John had absolutely no authority over His church. They only equipped the Lord’s disciples. They never drew money from the Lord’s disciples for their personal lives or to build their own ministries. They certainly received occasional gifts from congregations or certain individuals according to their willingness, but they did not draw the Lord’s disciples—let alone their money—for themselves, nor did they build their own kingdoms.

The Christian world has been filled with “Nimrod authority.” In every denomination there is certainly its own “Nimrod.” Not only has “Nimrod authority” generally entered the Christian world, but also the “seeds” of the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). That is why we know that the Christian world bears the symbols of “Babylon” and the “harlot woman,” and will be judged at the coming of Jesus, and will exist no more.

We have discussed why the church that bears the symbol “Babylon” will be judged at His coming, so that it is destroyed and found no more (Revelation 18:21). Now we will discuss the call from heaven that says, “…Come out of her, My people, so that you do not partake of her sins and so that you do not receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4). This means that within the church symbolized as “Babylon” there are sins that bring the judgment of Elohim, and God’s people are commanded not to partake in those sins.

The expression “to partake” in Revelation 18:4 is translated from the Greek phrase ‘me sugkoinoneo’, which means ‘not to have fellowship’. This reminds us of 1 John 1:3, which says, “…so that you also may have fellowship with us…”. The apostle John sent his letter to the churches in Asia Minor (the seven churches) so that the members of the churches who received the word he proclaimed could have fellowship with the apostle John and his team. The apostle John and his team did not have ‘fellowship’ (koinonia) with the seven churches in Asia Minor, because those churches had fallen due to the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). The apostle John did not refrain from delivering God’s messages or ministering to these churches, but he could not have fellowship with them because of the sins caused by those three false teachings. The apostle John and his team did not partake in the sins of these seven churches.

In Revelation 14:4, which we have discussed, it is affirmed that the “firstfruits” do not defile themselves with “women.” God’s chosen people have been processed by God in such a way that they do not defile themselves with fallen churches. Once again, we need to remember that the “firstfruits” are not special church members in the sense of being better than other church members. This is purely the will of the Father to make and appoint us as the “firstfruits” of His creation (James 1:18).

Let us take an example from the case of Israel coming out of Egypt to better understand this matter. The people of Israel who came out of Egypt were very numerous, perhaps nearly two million people, but only two families entered the Promised Land, namely the families of Joshua and Caleb. This was because the majority of the Israelites had come out of Egypt, but “Egypt” had not yet come out of them. That is why, whenever there were difficulties, Israel always tended to want to return to Egypt. The root of the problem was that in their hearts there was still a longing for the “pleasures of Egypt,” as they themselves said (Numbers 11:5). But by His grace, Caleb had a ‘different spirit’, and he followed the LORD wholeheartedly (Numbers 14:24).

Now let us apply this truth to our present lives. We know that the Christian world consists of churches that bear the symbol “Babylon,” where the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans have been widely accepted. By His grace, the “firstfruits” can easily obey the command in Revelation 18:4 above, to “come out and not partake in it.” Why? Because by the determination and process of the Father in heaven, not only have the “firstfruits” come out of “Babylon,” but “Babylon” has also come out of their hearts. There is no longer any longing in the hearts of the “firstfruits” for the pleasures of “Babylon,” such as money, position, or human glory offered to someone who “ministers” in the Christian world.

After the lengthy exposition from Revelation 16:17 to Revelation 18 regarding the seventh angel who pours out the bowl of Elohim’s wrath upon the churches that bear the symbol “Babylon,” we then enter chapter 19 concerning the song of victory in heaven, as follows: “And after these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelu-YAH! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to YAHWEH our Elohim, because true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her fornication. And He has avenged the blood of His servants at her hand” (Revelation 19:1–2, ILT).

There are several things we need to observe from these verses. First, although the great multitude in heaven praises Yahweh for His judgments, they cry out that salvation belongs to Yahweh our Elohim. The judgments of Elohim are indeed intended so that people may know what is true (Isaiah 26:9). Without the judgments of Elohim, it is impossible for people to know what is true. That is why Jesus said, “…I came into the world for judgment…” (John 9:39). Jesus came into the world not only to give His Life (John 10:10), but also to judge. Without the judgments of Elohim, it is impossible for the seed of the Life of Christ (zoe) within His people to grow, in the sense that His people obtain ‘zoe’ in all its abundance (John 10:10).

Second, the great multitude in heaven praises Yahweh because He has judged the ‘great harlot’. The identity of this “great harlot” is indeed hidden from many people in the Christian world, because this “great harlot” is a “secret” or “mystery” (Revelation 17:5). A secret or mystery is a hidden truth that requires the revelation of Elohim to be understood. However, for His overcomers, the identity of the “great harlot” is no longer a mystery. As we have emphasized in this writing, this “great harlot” is none other than the Christian system (kosmos) or the Christian world, or the churches that bear the symbol “Babylon.”

Third, the judgment of Elohim upon the Christian world is related to the matter of “avenging the blood of His servants at her hand.” Is it possible that the Christian world “pours out” the blood of God’s servants or those sent by God to it? Jesus said in Matthew 23:35, “so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.” In this verse, Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders of His time, who were bound to the Mosaic Covenant. These religious leaders, or the Jewish Religious Court (Sanhedrin), were God’s people, whom Jesus even said had sat in the “seat of Moses” (Matthew 23:2).

Indeed, Jesus Himself was killed by the Jewish Religious Court, where the High Priest Caiaphas led its seventy members. Pontius Pilate was merely an “instrument” in their hands The Jewish Religious Court, because at that time the Roman Empire ruled over the nation of Israel. Actually, Pontius Pilate had wanted to release Jesus, but due to the instigation of the Pharisees and the scribes, the crowd cried out for Jesus to be crucified, and they chose Barabbas (Matthew 27:20).

Unfortunately, in the Christian world there is a statement written in the widely accepted ‘confession of faith’ that Jesus ‘suffered under Pontius Pilate’, as though Pilate were the main perpetrator. But the truth is that the shedding of Jesus’ blood was carried out by the religious world of His time.

At His coming, Jesus will speak plainly to the Christian world (Matthew 7:21–23). At present we do not yet know who are servants of God and who are servants of Mammon. But Paul firmly states that if he were still trying to please people, he would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). Let the Lord Jesus Himself reveal on His day who are His servants and who are not.

We continue our discussion in chapter 19 concerning the ‘song of victory in heaven’ related to the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. Revelation 19:4–6 affirms, “And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped Elohim who sits on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Hallelu-YAH!’ And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Praise our Elohim, all you His servants, and you who fear Him, both small and great… Hallelu-YAH! For YAHWEH, Elohim Almighty, reigns’” (ILT).

After the ‘song of victory in heaven’ related to the judgment of the “great harlot” (the Christian world) takes place, the ‘song of victory in heaven’ continues with the worship of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, as written in the verses above. We have discussed that the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures are symbols of the saints from all nations who have been processed by God to become kings and priests and who will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:9–10). Then a voice comes from the throne calling “all His servants, and you who fear Him, both small and great” to praise our Elohim, because Elohim, the ruler of the universe, reigns.

We know that the judgment upon the Christian ‘kosmos’ does not mean rejecting God’s people within it. The churches symbolized as “Babylon” are still God’s people who have been called out (ekklesia). God judges His people in the Christian world so that they may be freed from the slavery of the Babylonian system. Just as Israel, God’s people, was cast into Babylonian captivity because of their idolatry, so God’s people in the Christian world have fallen into bondage to the Babylonian system because of idolatry through the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans from their leaders. But in the end, God’s people in the Christian world will be freed from the slavery of the Babylonian system, and then from His throne a voice will go forth calling everyone, both small and great, to praise Elohim.

The command or voice from the throne of Elohim for everyone to praise Him is related to the coming of Elohim’s reign on this earth. This is a truth that is generally hidden in the Christian world. Many Christians have the concept that the focus of God’s plan is heaven—praising God forever in heaven. But in fact, this misconception is caused by bondage to the Babylonian system, where it is commonly preached that “believe in Jesus and go to heaven.” In reality, the focus of God’s plan is the earth. He will reign on this earth through the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures as kings and priests.

The old system in the Christian world, where the church was equipped by apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors, has collapsed and fallen into bondage. Even though praises are continually offered in the Christian world, it is like when Israel was by the rivers of Babylon and cried out, “How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4). But in time, through the judgment of Elohim, God’s people in the Christian world will be freed and will praise Him solely because Elohim will reign on the earth.

Let us continue chapter 19 concerning the song of victory in heaven, related to the ‘marriage of the Lamb’. Revelation 19:7–9 states, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself… Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (ILT). Who is the bride of the Lamb, and who are those who are called to the marriage supper? This is what we will discuss in this section.

We will explain the identity of the Lamb’s ‘bride’ from the basic nature of both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Concerning the Old Covenant, Jeremiah 31:32 states, “not like the covenant that I made with their fathers (the Old Covenant)… which they broke, though I was a husband to them” (ILT). It is clear here that the basic nature of the Old Covenant is a husband-and-wife covenant: Yahweh as the husband and Israel as His wife. Meanwhile, the New Covenant has the nature of a father-and-children covenant. Jesus taught His disciples to call God “Father” in their prayers. Paul also taught that those who are bound to Elohim through the New Covenant are heirs. As children, we will certainly receive an inheritance from our Father in heaven.

Therefore, the ‘bride of the Lamb’ in particular comes from the nation of Israel as the wife of Yahweh. But as we have discussed concerning the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel as the “firstfruits” or the overcoming church, so also the bride of the Lamb comes from the overcoming church. We know that Galatians 3:7 states, “… those who are of faith, these are sons of Abraham.” Thus, the bride of the Lamb comes from Israel and also from other nations who are part of the overcoming church.

But it must be emphasized that the ‘bride of the Lamb’ is the ‘virgin’ church described in Revelation chapter 12, not the ‘harlot’ church described in Revelation chapter 17. Indeed, the marriage of the Lamb takes place after it becomes clear who His bride is. At present it is not yet clear or prepared who His bride is. But at His coming, when He judges His people, then it will be made clear and His bride will appear.

One more point we need to remember concerning the ‘virgin’ church described in Revelation chapter 12. In Revelation 12, it is explained that the ‘virgin’ church (feminine) gives birth to the sons of Elohim (masculine) who will shepherd all nations with a rod of iron (12:5). Just as the ‘bride of the Lamb’ is corporate (many people), so also the bridegroom is corporate. Thus, at the marriage of the Lamb, Jesus and the sons of Elohim (masculine) will be united with the bride, the ‘virgin’ church.

Now, who are those who are invited or called to take part in the marriage supper of the Lamb? Certainly, these are not the ‘bride’ of the Lamb herself. We are reminded of the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). It is possible that the five wise virgins come from the ‘harlot’ church that has been judged and thus comes to know what is true. They take part in offering the praises commanded by the voice from the throne (Revelation 19:5).

In closing this section, we should not think that the ‘marriage supper of the Lamb’ is a physical wedding feast as we know it in this world. The marriage is a symbol of ‘union’. I Corinthians 6:17 affirms, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” The marriage supper of the Lamb is the union of the Lord with His people in the Spirit.

We have discussed in chapter 19 the ‘song of victory in heaven’ related to the judgment of the great harlot, the worship of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, and the marriage of the Lamb. Next, heaven is opened and we are shown the next revelation of Jesus Christ related to the “white horse.” Revelation 19:11–15 states, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war… having a name written that no one knows except Himself… And the armies in heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And from His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He may strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron…” (ILT).

There are several things we need to note from these verses. First, Jesus Christ is seated on a white horse. We have discussed the rider on a white horse at the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6:1–2. There, Jesus Christ wages war alone to conquer. But in chapter 19, Jesus Christ wages war together with the armies of heaven to conquer.

These armies of heaven are not winged angels, because it is emphasized that they wear “fine linen, white and clean,” which is a symbol of the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). Thus, Jesus Christ with His saints will wage war and conquer all things. This fulfills the prophecy of Enoch in Jude 14–15: “Behold, YAHWEH comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all…” (ILT).

Second, Jesus Christ has a name that no one knows except Himself. A name speaks of one’s character, glory, reputation, and works. Thus, here Jesus Christ has works, glory, and a reputation that people do not know. But to His overcomers, the name of Elohim, His Father, will be written (Revelation 3:12; 14:1). For many Christians, Jesus Christ is known as Lord and Savior: whoever believes in Him goes to heaven, and whoever does not believe will be cast into eternal hell. Christians who hold the concept of eternal hell clearly do not know the true name of Jesus. After Jesus Christ and His overcomers conquer all things, including ‘death’ (the wages of sin), which is the last enemy, then all people will know the name of Jesus.

Third, the verses above affirm that Jesus Christ will strike the nations with the ‘sharp sword that comes out of His mouth’. For interpreters who read the text ‘physically’ or ‘literally’, this is understood as Jesus punishing and destroying the nations at His coming. Such interpreters do not understand the ‘symbolic language’ of the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:1). Even the expression ‘lake of fire’ in Revelation is understood as eternal hell. We will discuss this later.

But in truth, the meaning of these verses is that Jesus Christ together with His overcomers will judge and shepherd the nations with the word of Elohim, so that the nations may come to know what is true. The Messianic Kingdom—Jesus and His overcomers—will come and be fully manifested on earth not to destroy the earth, but to shepherd the nations with the word of Elohim so that the earth moves toward the New Earth and the New Heaven where righteousness dwells.

We now enter chapter 20, after the revelation of Jesus Christ in chapter 19 that Jesus with His overcomers will wage war to conquer all things. We will discuss Revelation 20:1–3: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended; after that he must be released for a little while.”

Here we see that the Devil is cast into the ‘abyss’ so that he cannot deceive the nations. The expression ‘abyss’ comes from the Greek term ‘abussos’, meaning a ‘bottomless pit’. Because this pit has no ‘bottom’, the Devil has no ‘footing/foundation/ground’ to operate. That is why he cannot deceive the nations.

Let us take an example of how the Devil could not operate or do anything because he had no “ground” in the life of Jesus. John 14:30 states, “… the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” Even though the Devil did work through Judas, the Jewish Religious Court, and many others who took part in the crucifixion of Jesus, against Jesus Himself the Devil could do nothing. Why? Because within Jesus there was no ‘ground’ for the Devil to attack Him.

In Jesus there was not the slightest ‘opening’ or sin that would give the Devil any ‘ground’ to act. This is different from the case of Job. Notice Job 3:25: “For the thing I feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.” Here we see that within Job there was fear and anxiety about certain things that eventually came upon him. Job’s fear and anxiety became a ‘ground’ that allowed the Devil to attack him.

But we should not quickly conclude that the Devil has the freedom to attack anyone he desires. The Devil could attack Job and his family because the Father in heaven indeed had a plan for Job—that Job might come to know Him truly (Job 42:5). The Devil is merely a ‘servant’ or an ‘instrument’ in the hands of the Father in heaven to process Job. The Devil was not free to attack Job unless permitted by the Father in heaven (Job 1:12; 2:6).

In the verses above, the Devil is bound only for a thousand years. Then he is released for a little while, because the Father in heaven has a certain plan for him. The Devil is bound for a thousand years because during this thousand-year period Christ and His overcomers will reign as kings and priests on the earth (Revelation 20:4).

We see that against Christ and His overcomers, the Devil can do nothing during the thousand years. What about our lives today? Can the Devil do anything to attack our lives now? By His grace, even now we can say as Jesus did, that the Devil can do nothing in our lives. What can happen in our lives now is only His will and His plan. For us, THE DEVIL IS AS IF HE DOES NOT EXIST. Everything that happens in our lives is the will of the Father; therefore, all is good. Amen.

We continue our discussion of the ‘thousand-year kingdom’ by looking at Revelation 20:4–5: “And I saw thrones, and those who sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of JESUS and for the word of Elohim, and those who had not worshiped the beast… had not received its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… This is the first resurrection” (ILT).

There are several things we can observe from these verses. First, to His overcomers, in the thousand-year kingdom, grace is given to judge on the earth (Revelation 5:10). The purpose of the judgment of Elohim entrusted to them is, “… when You come to judge the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). Therefore, their judgment is ‘corrective’ in nature, not merely ‘punitive’, because indeed, whatever a person sows, that he will also reap.

Second, it is emphasized here that His overcomers were “beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus.” This does not mean that His overcomers are people whose ‘physical heads’ were cut off. The beheading here is a symbol that speaks of replacing the ‘carnal mind’ with the ‘mind of Christ’. Furthermore, His overcomers do not worship the beast nor receive the mark of the beast, because on the foreheads of His overcomers are written the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father in heaven. This means that His overcomers possess the mind of Christ.

Third, His overcomers reign for a thousand years together with Christ because they experience the ‘first resurrection’. I Corinthians 15 explains to us about the resurrection. Of course, we will not discuss the entire chapter, but only a few facts.

The first fact: all people die in union with Adam, and likewise all people will be made alive in union with Christ.

The second fact: each person will be raised in his own order (verse 23).

The third fact: Christ Jesus as the ‘firstfruits’, meaning the first to be raised (verse 23).

The fourth fact: at His coming, the group of His overcomers will be raised (verse 23). In Revelation 14:4, the group of His overcomers is also called the ‘firstfruits’. This means that His overcomers partake ‘earlier’ in the resurrection of Christ.

The fifth fact: according to the context of 1 Corinthians 15, in the end ALL people will be raised in Christ, so that the Father may be ALL in ALL (verse 28).

Paul also explains this matter of the resurrection in the book of Romans. In this letter, Paul explains salvation with three consecutive expressions: justification by faith, sanctification by faith, and glorification by faith. Glorification by faith is hardly discussed in the Christian world, yet it is precisely the culmination of salvation. Romans 8:18–30 explains it as follows. Glorification by faith is the same as adoption as sons and the redemption of our physical bodies (verse 23). The sons of Elohim will be revealed on the earth with bodies of glory in order to liberate creation (Romans 8:19–21).

When the millennial kingdom is established on this earth, it is the time when the sons of Elohim as the ‘firstfruits’ are glorified (revealed) to all creatures. This also means the coming (the full manifestation) of the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Let us continue our discussion of the millennial kingdom in relation to the ‘second death’. What is the meaning of the expression ‘the second death’? Revelation 20:6 states clearly, “Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no authority.

But they shall be priests of Elohim and of Christ, and they shall reign with Him a thousand years” (ILT).

The common view in the Christian world considers the ‘second death’ as following the ‘first death’ (the fall of Adam and all humanity into sin), and then for those who do not believe in Jesus to be cast again into the ‘second death’, commonly called ‘eternal hell’. Is this really so?

To understand the meaning of the ‘second death’, we must know the meaning of the ‘first death’. Genesis 2:17 says that on the day you (Adam) eat of it, you shall die. The term ‘die’ is translated from the Hebrew expression ‘mut tamut’, which means that at the moment you eat it, you immediately receive the kind of life called ‘death’ (for the wages of sin is death), and then you will proceed toward physical death. This is the meaning of the ‘first death’.

The term ‘death’ often used in the Bible does not have to mean physical death. Paul affirms that a person (a widow) who “lives in pleasure and self-indulgence is dead even while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6). This means that a person who lives a kind of life characterized by ‘death’ is already ‘spiritually’ dead, even though physically he is still alive on the earth.

In fact, death is a ‘transition’—a ‘movement’ from one realm to another. When Adam fell into sin, he actually moved from the realm of the ‘Garden of Eden’ (the heavenly realm) into the ‘realm of death on earth’. Adam continued to live on earth until he eventually died physically.

Consider 1 Corinthians 15, where the entire context of the chapter speaks about the ‘resurrection’ of all people, which we have briefly mentioned. Verses 45–47 state, “…The first man, Adam… but the last Adam… The first man is from the dust of the earth… the second man is from heaven.”

The term ‘man’ and the expression ‘the last Adam’ used by Paul here are extremely important. Adam in the Garden of Eden is called the FIRST MAN, meaning Adam is the HEAD of all humanity (the human race); therefore, Adam’s fall means the fall of all humanity. Jesus is called the LAST ADAM, meaning that through His death on the cross as the LAST ADAM, Jesus erased (put to death) all the consequences of Adam’s death in the Garden of Eden. Jesus is also called the SECOND MAN, meaning that Jesus is the HEAD of a new human race. If we understand this very important truth, then we will understand why Paul says in Romans 5:18–19 that through one trespass all people received condemnation, and through one act of righteousness all people receive justification for life.

Therefore, the meaning of the ‘second death’ is not eternal hell as commonly understood in the Christian world. RATHER, THE SECOND DEATH IS THE DEATH THAT ERASES ALL THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FIRST DEATH.

We have discussed the meaning of the second death as the death that erases all the consequences of the ‘first death’. Let us speak a little more about the ‘second death’. We have affirmed that ‘death’ means a transition (a movement) from one realm to another. Thus, in reality, a person who experiences the ‘second death’ together with Christ moves from the realm of death to the realm of life, from the realm of death to the realm of resurrection, from the realm of worldly thinking to the realm of the mind of Christ.

Paul expressed his longing to move from the realm of death to the realm of resurrection, saying, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10–11). Here Paul speaks of death and resurrection WITH JESUS. Paul longs to know the ‘fellowship of His sufferings’ so that he may know the ‘resurrection together with Jesus’.

The process of sharing in His death and His resurrection will certainly be experienced by ALL HUMANITY. Why is this so? Consider Hebrews 2:9, which states, “But we see JESUS… by the grace of Elohim He might taste death on behalf of everyone” (ILT). In fact, the death of Jesus as the LAST ADAM is the SECOND DEATH. And all people have experienced the second death together with Jesus, but the resurrection of all people together with Jesus is determined by the ‘order’ of each person (1 Corinthians 15).

Consider Revelation 2:11, “…He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” The overcomers, or the ‘firstfruits’, are those who are called and chosen by the sovereignty of the Father Himself. The overcomers are not people who do not experience the ‘fellowship of His sufferings’; rather, by the grace and process of the Father in heaven, they experience it ‘earlier’, so that they experience the resurrection to reign with Christ for a thousand years.

As we know, in the Christian world many are called, but few are chosen. These called ones are truly Christians who have been born again. Let us look at the following verse, where Christians who have been called suffer or are wounded by the process of the ‘second death’. Matthew 25:30 states, “And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The context of Matthew 25 concerns the kingdom of heaven, especially at the coming of Jesus, commonly called the second coming. Both the parable of the talents and the wise and foolish virgins speak about Christians. Yet some are received to reign together with Christ for a thousand years, while others are not. Christians who do not take part in the millennial kingdom experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” meaning they are wounded by the process of the ‘second death’. We need to know that the coming of the Lord Jesus to this world is not to evacuate or rapture Christians to heaven far away. Rather, the coming of the Lord is to ‘judge His people’, where those who are chosen will reign together with Jesus on the earth for a thousand years, while those who are not will experience the process of the ‘second death’. This is the meaning of the process of the ‘second death’ that must be experienced by all people.

We have discussed the ‘millennial kingdom’, as well as the ‘second death’. Now we come to Revelation 20:11–12, which states, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it… And the dead were judged according to their works…”

Let us look at several thrones written about in the Bible. Revelation 4:2 says, “…a throne stood in heaven…”. Revelation 3:21 says, “He who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 20:4 says, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them…”. Revelation 22:1 says, “…the throne of the Lamb…”. And Matthew 19:28 says, “…you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Revelation 4:4 says, “…twenty-four thrones…”.

We see here that there are several thrones: the great white throne, the throne in heaven, thrones in the millennial kingdom, the throne of the Lamb, twelve thrones, and twenty-four thrones. Are these thrones different from one another? In reality, Elohim has only ‘one throne’. The various thrones speak only of different aspects or foundational attributes of the one throne, namely the ‘Throne of Elohim’. Clearly, a throne is a ‘symbol’ of authority to judge, and it also speaks of a kingdom.

Let us consider the ‘great white throne’ in the verse above. White is a symbol of purity and truth. Let us look at the following verses. Proverbs 16:12 says, “…a throne is established by righteousness.” Psalm 89:15 says, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before You.” Proverbs 20:28 states, “…by mercy a throne is upheld.” From these verses we see that the foundation of the throne of Elohim is JUSTICE and LAW, and the supporting pillar of His throne is LOVE. Therefore, the judgment of Elohim (the throne) does not violate justice and law, nor does it violate the principle of love.

That is why Isaiah 26:9 says, “…for when You judge the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn what is right.” The judgment of Elohim aims to ‘correct’ so that people may know the truth, not to punish and cast people into hell forever. Therefore, the dead who are judged in the verse above are judged so that they may come to know the truth.

Let us close this section by looking at the case where Jesus was brought by the religious leaders to a woman caught in adultery (John 8). The intention of these religious leaders was to accuse Jesus (verse 6). Jesus’ response or judgment toward this woman was forgiveness and counsel to sin no more. Jesus did not ignore sin, but His redemption indeed takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2). Jesus’ counsel to sin no more was so that the woman might learn what is right. Thus, Jesus’ judgment does not violate the principle of JUSTICE (sin must be dealt with at the cross for all people), nor does it violate the principle of LOVE (forgiveness).

In the Christian world, religious leaders generally teach the doctrine of ‘eternal hell’. This teaching fails to understand the foundational nature of the throne of Elohim, which is love and justice. How could Elohim entrust such religious leaders to carry out His judgment or to sit together on His throne? No wonder Jesus said to the religious leaders of His time that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom of heaven before them (Matthew 21:31).

Let us continue our discussion of the judgment of the ‘great white throne’. Revelation 20:13–15 states, “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death: the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” These verses are very important for us to understand correctly, because after the judgment of the ‘great white throne’, the apostle John sees a ‘new heaven and a new earth’.

There are two things we must pay attention to in order to understand the judgment of the great white throne, namely the lake of fire and the second death. We have discussed the meaning of the second death in relation to the first death, as the death that erases all the consequences of the first death. Now we will discuss the second death in relation to the lake of fire. Observe the verse above that defines the second death very clearly: THE SECOND DEATH IS DEATH AND HADES BEING THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. We must not arbitrarily define the second death as eternal hell forever, as is commonly understood in the Christian world.

The teaching about the lake of fire is found in the Bible only in the book of Revelation (Revelation 14:10–11; 19:20; 20:10; 20:13–15; and 21:8). Therefore, the lake of fire is a symbol, consistent with the nature of the book of Revelation, which uses symbolic language (Revelation 1:1). Let us carefully understand the meaning of the lake of fire, which in other parts of Revelation is also called the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 14:10; 19:20; 21:8).

Let us quote the writing of J. Preston Eby on this topic:

“The Lake of Fire and Brimstone refers to fire burning with brimstone. The word ‘brimstone’ or sulfur defines the nature of the fire. The Greek word THEION, translated ‘brimstone,’ is the same word that means ‘Divine.’ Sulfur was something sacred to the gods among the ancient Greeks, and was used to fumigate, purify, cleanse, and consecrate to the gods. For this purpose sulfur was burned in their censers…. The verb derived from THEION is THEIOO, which means ‘to sanctify,’ ‘to make divine,’ or ‘to consecrate to a god’ (see the Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott, 1987 edition). To the Greeks, or to those trained in the Greek language, the ‘lake of fire and brimstone’ meant a ‘lake of divine purification.’ The idea of judgment need not be set aside. Divine purification and divine sanctification are the plain meanings in ancient Greek. But in the everyday understanding of our language, the basic meaning of the word has been removed and associated with eternal torment” (end quote).

Please take note again of the definition of the second death above, namely death and the realm of death being thrown into the lake of fire. We know that the wages of sin is death, not eternal hell (Romans 6:23). Those who are in ‘death and the realm of death’ are clearly identified in Revelation 21:7–8, which says, “The one who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be Elohim to him, and he shall be a son to Me. But as for the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their portion is in the lake which burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (ILT).

Only those whom the Father has appointed to be overcomers and to inherit the kingdom of heaven (Luke 12:32) are the ones who do not experience the judgment of the “lake of fire and sulfur.” But all others will experience ‘divine purification’ through the judgment of the great White Throne. Such is the meaning of the ‘second death’ in connection with the ‘lake of fire’.

We have discussed the meaning of the “second death,” both in relation to the first death and in relation to the “lake of fire.” We know that the “second death” was carried out by Jesus on the cross as the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15). The death of Jesus has removed all the consequences of Adam’s death. However, the removal of all the consequences of Adam’s death upon all humanity does not occur without a process. The process of removing all the consequences of Adam’s sins is through the “lake of fire,” which we have discussed.

After the process of divine purification through the “lake of fire,” the apostle John then sees a new heaven and a new earth. Note Revelation 21:1, which says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” At this point we will discuss the new heaven and the new earth.

Isaiah 65:17–18 affirms, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth… for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy….” Elohim’s creation of the new heaven and the new earth here is not like His creation of the first heaven and the first earth. THE CREATION OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH OCCURS BECAUSE OF REDEMPTION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. The new heaven and the new earth created by Elohim are not entirely ‘unrelated’ to the first heaven and the first earth. The term ‘new’ in Revelation 21:1 is translated from the Greek term ‘kainos’, not ‘neos’. Kainos means new in the sense of fresh, unused, and VERY CONTRASTING with the former, whereas neos refers to new in relation to age (young). Thus, the new heaven and the new earth are created by Elohim in the sense that a ‘very radical change’ has occurred to the first heaven and the first earth. This very radical change takes place because of Christ’s redemption.

2 Peter 3:12–13 states, “…on that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and the elements will melt with intense heat. But according to His promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Here Peter affirms that the heavens and the elements of the world will be destroyed and melted by blazing fire. There is a process carried out by blazing fire to bring forth the new heaven and the new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Let us consider 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, the new has come.” The Greek term translated as ‘new’ here is also ‘kainos’. When believers are made new in Christ, do not their personality and consciousness remain? Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” This certainly does not mean that Paul’s personality disappeared and Elohim created an entirely different Paul. Thus, emphatically, the new heaven and the new earth are presented/created by Elohim through a process of radical transformation, and this radical transformation occurs because of Christ’s redemption.

In the Christian world, it is common for people to hope that Jesus will come and take them to a ‘place’ called heaven. In fact, Jesus never promised at all that He would take us to a ‘place’ called heaven. Even in His conversation on the last night with His disciples (John 13–17), Jesus mentioned the term heaven only once, and that was in the context of His prayer to the Father. Thus, Jesus did not speak about ‘heaven’ to His disciples on that last night. Jesus came to give us new life (zoe), and this ‘zoe’ life continues to grow in such a way that at His coming, Jesus together with His overcomers will restore all things (the first heaven and earth), so that they become the new heaven and the new earth.

We continue our discussion of the new heaven and the new earth. We have seen that the creation of the new heaven and the new earth occurs through Christ’s redemption. In fact, the new heaven and the new earth are symbols of the new humanity, humanity newly created in Christ. Elohim affirms that He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).

Let us again consider 2 Peter 3:12–13, which states, “…on that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and the elements of the world will melt with intense heat. But according to His promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” The term ‘element’ in this verse is translated from the Greek ‘stoicheion’, which means ‘basic principles’. The Greek term ‘stoicheion’ is used seven times in the New Testament. Paul uses this term to describe Christians who have not yet ‘come of age’ and are subject to the basic principles of this world (Galatians 4:3; 4:9; Colossians 2:8; 2:20). Even though a Christian is an heir, if he has not yet ‘come of age’, he is no different from a slave (Galatians 4:1).

Indeed, Elohim uses the ‘basic principles’ of this world to educate His children in the early stages. But Elohim sent Jesus, His Son, into this world precisely to redeem us and bring us into a higher level (order, principle), and to give us His life (zoe), in which we are placed as His children and become joint heirs with Him.

Note Paul’s warning to the Colossian church: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, according to human tradition and the elemental spirits (stoicheion = basic principles) of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). The Colossian believers tended to subject themselves to various regulations such as rules about food and drink, festivals, new moons, and Sabbaths—all of which are only shadows, while the reality, the substance, the fulfillment, is Christ (Colossians 2:16–17).

If we understand Elohim’s purpose in giving the Old Testament and the New Testament to His people, we know that the Old Testament is only an ‘initial stage’ to lead His people to the truth. But there comes a time when Elohim destroys the ‘basic principles’ (stoicheion) with ‘blazing fire’, as written in Peter’s letter above, in order to bring forth the new heaven and the new earth in which righteousness dwells.

It seems that God’s people indeed have a tendency to ‘go back’, as did the Hebrew Christians. The author of Hebrews exhorts the believers to look forward to what Elohim has done. We can explain this tendency to ‘go back’ by remembering that humans naturally like religion. Christians generally feel ‘comfortable’ when bound by religious regulations such as having to go to a certain building on a certain day, having to tithe, having to do this and that, and so on.

In fact, this tendency to ‘go back’ actually brings God’s people into religious bondage. The term ‘religion’ itself comes from the Latin ‘religare’, where ‘re’ means ‘again’ and ‘ligare’ means ‘to bind’. Thus, Christians who are religious or who submit to religious regulations are essentially bound again and enter into religious bondage. But in the age of the new heaven and the new earth, God’s people are freed from religious bondage through ‘blazing fire’.

We are still discussing Revelation 21:1, which says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” We have seen that Elohim’s creation of the new heaven and the new earth does not mean that the first heaven and the first earth are completely abolished, as if the new heaven and the new earth were entirely unrelated to the first. Rather, Elohim brings forth or creates the new heaven and the new earth through a ‘process of radical transformation’ because of Christ’s redemptive work. Peter’s letter and the book of Revelation call this radical transformation process ‘blazing fire’ or the ‘lake of fire’, which we have discussed.

Now we will speak about the new heaven and the new earth in which ‘the sea is no more’. Certainly, the ‘sea’ here is symbolic. In Revelation 13, we see a beast coming out of the ‘sea’, which is a symbol of worldly systems of government (unrenewed humanity). The ‘sea’ can mean ‘a multitude of people’, or in a personal sense, it can symbolize human turmoil or fleshly passions. Thus, in the order/age of the new heaven and the new earth, there is no longer any human governmental system, and there is no longer any turmoil of fleshly passions. All have been renewed by the redemptive work of Christ.

To better understand the new heaven and the new earth where there is no longer a ‘sea’, we need to discuss briefly about ages and dispensations. The Hebrew term ‘olam’ and the Greek term ‘aion’ should be translated as ‘age’ or ‘era’, which has a beginning and an end. Meanwhile, the term ‘dispensation’ is translated from the Greek ‘oikonomia’. It is hoped that an understanding of ‘ages’ and ‘dispensations’ will help us see that the first heaven and the first earth are not completely abolished, but are still ‘connected’ to the new heaven and the new earth where there is no longer a ‘sea’.

The Bible distinguishes between ages (Greek: ‘aion’) and dispensations (Greek: ‘oikonomia’). In the Bible there are at least four ages: the first age, written in 2 Peter 2:5 (the ancient world); the second, found in Galatians 1:4 and 2 Corinthians 4:4 (the present wicked age); the third, written in Mark 10:30 (the coming age); and the fourth, written in Ephesians 3:21 and Hebrews 1:8 (the age of the ages).

The term dispensation (‘oikonomia’) appears in 1 Timothy 1:4, which in the ILT Bible is translated as ‘the stewardship of Elohim’. The Greek term ‘oikonomia’ consists of two words: ‘oikos’ (house) and ‘nomos’ (management or distribution of laws, blessings, food, etc.). Thus, ‘oikonomia’ means the arrangement or distribution of laws/blessings within a household. The ILT translation, “the stewardship of Elohim,” is quite accurate. Therefore, the dispensation we mean is the way Elohim arranges, manages, or deals with humanity in a particular period. We identify the following seven dispensations: first, the Adamic dispensation (from the Garden of Eden to the Flood); second, the Noahic dispensation (from the Flood to the Tower of Babel); third, the Abrahamic dispensation (from the Tower of Babel to Israel’s bondage in Egypt); fourth, the Mosaic dispensation (from Egyptian bondage to the coming of Jesus); fifth, the dispensation of the overcomers (from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the “second coming” of Jesus); sixth, the millennial kingdom dispensation; and seventh, the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth.

In each dispensation, Elohim deals with humanity in a particular way. Next, we will discuss what happens and what exists in the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’. Ephesians 1:10, in Young’s Literal Translation, states, “in regard to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to bring into one the whole in the Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth—in him.” The dispensation of the fullness of times is none other than the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth, in which all things, both on earth and in heaven, will be brought into unity in Christ.

Generally, in Christianity, we are taught that God’s grace ends after the second coming of Jesus. But in fact, in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth, as we will see later, the water of life is offered freely to whoever is thirsty (Revelation 22:17).

We are still discussing the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation 21:2 states, “And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from Elohim out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (ILT). Here we see that in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth there is a holy city called the New Jerusalem. This is certainly a symbol, consistent with the basic nature of the book of Revelation. Whom does the New Jerusalem symbolize?

Consider Revelation 21:9–10, which says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim” (ILT). From these verses it is clear that the New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb, because when the angel was about to show the bride of the Lamb, he showed the city of the New Jerusalem. If so, who is the bride of the Lamb?

We must understand that there are two women described in the book of Revelation: the first in chapter 12, and the second in chapter 17. These two women have very different basic characteristics. The woman in chapter 12 is a virgin who gives birth to the sons of Elohim, just as Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of Elohim. But the woman in chapter 17 is a prostitute (17:5). This prostitute woman is also called Babylon the Great, or the great city (18:2).

There are three facts we need to discuss to understand who the bride of the Lamb is. First, the one who comes to John to show him the bride of the Lamb is one of the angels who holds the seven bowls of the wrath of Elohim (Revelation 15:5–7). This angel is not a winged creature, but a messenger of Elohim, and this messenger comes out of the Temple, which is a symbol of the church. This angel also wears clean white linen, which is a symbol of the righteous deeds of the saints (19:8). If we consider the sequence of revelation received by John, we know that this church is the overcomers (chapters 2–3), or the sons of Elohim (chapter 12), or the firstfruits (chapter 14), or those who are given authority to judge (20:4).

Second, we know that these bowls of the wrath of Elohim are poured out upon the earth, as opposed to the ‘sea’, which is a symbol of worldly people (16:1). Then, the seventh bowl is poured specifically upon the great city, namely Babylon, which is the prostitute woman (16:17–19). Thus, the judgment of Elohim carried out by His overcomers (the firstfruits) is directed against the ‘prostitute woman’, or the ‘prostitute’ church.

Third, consider again Revelation 21:9–10 above. After the seven angels have finished carrying out the judgment of Elohim against the ‘prostitute’ church, then one of these angels introduces the bride of the Lamb to the apostle John. Do we not see an interesting fact here? IN TRUTH, THE BRIDE OF THE LAMB IS THE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE THE RESULT OF THE MINISTRY OF ELOHIM’S JUDGMENT CARRIED OUT BY THE OVERCOMERS.

As a conclusion to this section, let us once again look at the meaning of the ‘prostitute’ who receives much seed from many men. From the messages to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, we know that His overcomers are Christians who, by His grace, do not partake in three false teachings, namely Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. Briefly, the teaching of Jezebel is a false teaching that justifies the seizure of Ahab’s authority (church leaders who usurp the authority of the Church’s ‘husband’, namely the Lamb). The teaching of Balaam is a false teaching that justifies commerce within the church. The teaching of the Nicolaitans is a false teaching that draws the Lord’s disciples to build their own kingdoms, and of course equips them with the Word of God. This teaching of the Nicolaitans destroys the priesthood of all believers, so that the church is divided into two groups: the clergy–laity group (Protestant), and the priest–people group (Catholic). Originally, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers were meant only to equip the saints, not to draw the Lord’s disciples to build their own denominations or kingdoms, or to divide the church into two groups. Up to this point, we certainly know that the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans have been widely accepted in the Christian world.

We continue our discussion of the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation 21:3 states, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself will be with them as their Elohim’” (ILT).

At this time we will discuss the ‘tabernacle of Elohim’ or the ‘House of Elohim’, where He dwells. We need to understand the basic concepts of the ‘House of Elohim’ from the books of the Old Testament. The striking difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is that

the Old Testament consists of symbols, shadows, and prophecies, whereas the reality is found in the New Testament.

We will briefly look at the basic concepts of the ‘House of Elohim’ from the Old Testament, namely in the case of Jacob’s dream at Bethel, because in this case the expression ‘House of Elohim’ appears for the first time. The first basic concept is that Elohim wants to build His House on earth by uniting heaven and earth through a ‘ladder’, and this ‘ladder’ is Jesus, the Son of Man. Second, Elohim makes a covenant and gives His law to the person or community He will use to build the ‘House of Elohim’. His covenant and His law differ in each dispensation (age).

Third, the House of Elohim consists of ‘living stones’ poured out by the Holy Spirit and arranged neatly so as to become a ‘pillar’, to remember the work of Elohim on earth. The stone that Jacob used as a pillow was the ‘cornerstone’, namely Jesus, upon whom the other stones are built. These are the three basic concepts of the ‘House of Elohim’ upon which other understandings are built, according to the principle commonly known as the ‘first mention principle’.

The next understanding is found in the case of Moses’ tabernacle, namely that Elohim will give spiritual experiences to His chosen people, and all these spiritual experiences are symbolized by the furnishings of Moses’ tabernacle. Then, all His chosen people must follow only the ‘cloud of the Lord’s glory’. Next, in the case of David’s tabernacle, in building His House, Elohim will form His chosen people into kings and priests. Then, in the case of Zerubbabel, what is called the ‘House of Elohim’ must be built in the place He has chosen.

We now directly enter into the understanding of the ‘House of Elohim’ that is the ‘reality’, not a symbol, shadow, or prophecy. The reality of the ‘House of Elohim’ is the physical body of Jesus, and through His death and resurrection it is ‘expanded’ into the physical body of His people, in whom Elohim, who is the ‘True Family’ (Father, Son, and the Spirit who has a feminine nature), dwells within the inner being of His people. This is the ‘reality’ of the House of Elohim or the ‘tabernacle of Elohim’ where He dwells.

The verse above explains the reality of the ‘House of Elohim’ or the ‘tabernacle of Elohim’ in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation 21:22 states, “And I saw no sanctuary in it, for YAHWEH, Elohim Almighty, is its sanctuary, and the Lamb” (ILT). All symbols, outward regulations, buildings, specific places—anything symbolic—are no longer seen in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Thus the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman in John 4:23 are fulfilled: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (reality) …”

We continue our discussion of the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation 21:3 states, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men. And He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and Elohim Himself will be with them as their Elohim’” (ILT).

At this time we will discuss the ‘tabernacle of Elohim’ or the ‘House of Elohim’, where He dwells. We need to understand the basic concepts of the ‘House of Elohim’ from the books of the Old Testament. The striking difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is that the Old Testament consists only of symbols, shadows, and prophecies, whereas the reality is in the New Testament.

We will briefly look at the basic concepts of the ‘House of Elohim’ from the Old Testament, namely in the case of Jacob’s dream at Bethel, because in this case the expression ‘House of Elohim’ appears for the first time. The first basic concept is that Elohim wants to build His House on earth by uniting heaven and earth through a ‘ladder’, and this ‘ladder’ is Jesus, the Son of Man. Second, Elohim makes a covenant and gives His law to the person or community He will use to build the ‘House of Elohim’. His covenant and His law differ in each dispensation (age).

Third, the House of Elohim consists of ‘living stones’ poured out by the Holy Spirit and arranged neatly so as to become a ‘pillar’, to remember the work of Elohim on earth. The stone that Jacob used as a pillow was the ‘cornerstone’, namely Jesus, upon whom the other stones are built. These are the three basic concepts of the ‘House of Elohim’ upon which other understandings are built, according to the principle commonly known as the ‘first mention principle’.

The next understanding is found in the case of Moses’ tabernacle, namely that Elohim will give spiritual experiences to His chosen people, and all these spiritual experiences are symbolized by the furnishings of Moses’ tabernacle. Then, all His chosen people must follow only the ‘cloud of the Lord’s glory’. Next, in the case of David’s tabernacle, in building His House, Elohim will form His chosen people into kings and priests. Then, in the case of Zerubbabel, what is called the ‘House of Elohim’ must be built in the place He has chosen.

We now directly enter into the understanding of the ‘House of Elohim’ that is the ‘reality’, not a symbol, shadow, or prophecy. The reality of the ‘House of Elohim’ is the physical body of Jesus, and through His death and resurrection it is ‘expanded’ into the physical body of His people, in whom Elohim, who is the ‘True Family’ (Father, Son, and the Spirit who has a feminine nature), dwells within the inner being of His people. This is the ‘reality’ of the House of Elohim or the ‘tabernacle of Elohim’ where He dwells.

The verse above explains the reality of the ‘House of Elohim’ or the ‘tabernacle of Elohim’ in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation 21:22 states, “And I saw no sanctuary in it, for YAHWEH, Elohim Almighty, is its sanctuary, and the Lamb” (ILT). All symbols, outward regulations, buildings, specific places—anything symbolic—are no longer seen in the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Thus the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman in John 4:23 are fulfilled: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (reality) …”

We continue our discussion of the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth. Ephesians 3:21 states, “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” The Greek expression translated ‘forever and ever’ is ‘aion ho aion’. We know that ‘aion’ refers to time, which has a beginning and an end. The Greek expression ‘aion’ (singular) ‘ho aion’ (plural) cannot be translated as ‘forever and ever’ in the sense of having no end, nor as ‘eternal’ in the sense of endlessness. This Greek expression must be translated as ‘age of the ages’, meaning the ‘culmination’ of an age that is different from the previous ages. Therefore, the dispensation of the New Heaven and New Earth is the ‘culmination’ of all previous ages.

The context of Ephesians 3:21 above is Paul’s prayer for the church (Eph. 3:14–21), not only that the church might know the Father, but also that the church might understand the ‘eternal purpose’ or the purpose of the ages, according to the meaning of the Greek text in Ephesians 3:11, namely that through the church the manifold wisdom of Elohim might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Eph. 3:10).

So that the church may understand what it means to ‘make known the manifold wisdom of Elohim to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms’, let us look at what happens in this ‘culminating’ age, namely the age of the New Heaven and New Earth. Many Christians think that in the age of the New Heaven and New Earth (commonly understood as ‘heaven’), the church will have nothing to do except sing and praise God forever. But as we will see later, in this ‘culminating’ age, the church (the Bride of the Lamb) will reign and offer the ‘water of life’ freely to whoever is thirsty (Revelation 22:17).

Let us begin to see what happens, or the conditions of this ‘culminating’ age of the New Heaven and New Earth, as a result of the ministry of the Bride of the Lamb (the church). Revelation 21:4 states, “And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” This verse affirms that there will be no more death, and that all former things have passed away. Death is the wages of sin (Romans 3:23). And if there is no more death, then there will be no more things that are the consequences of sin. Through the ministry of the Bride of the Lamb, ‘death’ as the wages of sin will be subdued.

Sadly, in the Christian world, the majority of Christians believe that some people enter ‘heaven’ and sing there forever, while those who do not believe in Jesus will be thrown into hell forever. The doctrine of eternal hell, which has been so widely believed, causes Christians not to know the Father, nor to know the ‘eternal purpose’ or the purpose of the ages, which is precisely what Paul prayed for the church in the verses above.

Indeed, the Christian world must experience the judgment of Elohim at the coming of Jesus, as we have discussed. This judgment will cause the Christian world to know the Father and His purpose in creating the ages (Hebrews 1:2; Ephesians 3:11).

We continue our discussion to see what happens, or what the conditions are, in the ‘culminating’ age of the New Heaven and New Earth, as a result of the ministry of the Bride of the Lamb (the church). Revelation 22:3–4 states, “And there shall be no more curse. And the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (ILT).

First, we see that there will be no more curse. The curse pronounced in the Garden of Eden when Adam fell into sin will be no more, because Elohim ‘makes all things new’. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Elohim has the authority to begin all things and to end all things as He wills. Romans 11:36 states, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things …” (ILT).

Many Christians think that the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden happened because humans have ‘free will’, and therefore Elohim could do nothing when Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan. Let us set aside human opinions, whoever they may be, and pay attention to Romans 8:20: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but BECAUSE OF HIM WHO SUBJECTED IT IN HOPE” (ILT). To be subjected to futility means to be subjected to the realm of death, which is the wages of sin.

Who willed to subject creation to the realm of death? NOT ADAM, BUT ELOHIM. Thus, the fall of Adam and all creation into the realm of death WAS PART OF HIS DESIGN. Elohim indeed willed and planned the fall of Adam with a purpose. He subjected all creation to the realm of futility (the realm of death), not without reason, but IN HOPE. What is that hope? Look at the next verse, Romans 8:21: “that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of Elohim” (ILT). The hope is clear: that all creation will ultimately be delivered by the ministry of the children of Elohim. All creation will ultimately enter into the glory of the children of Elohim, who are the firstfruits of creation (James 1:18).

Thus, Elohim is the Alpha. He is the One who begins and designs all things. His will is sovereign and determines everything. There is no free will, even though this has been believed by the majority of Christians. As individuals, we certainly have will, but our will is ORDERED and DIRECTED by HIS WILL. Proverbs 21:1 states, “The king’s heart is like streams of water in the hand of YAHWEH; He directs it wherever He desires.” Romans 9 also explains the sovereignty of Elohim in determining all things. If Elohim determines everything, why must humans be responsible for their actions? The answer is because Elohim has indeed established the law of sowing and reaping that applies to humans.

Furthermore, He is also the Omega. He has the authority to bring all things back to Himself. The curse upon all creation because of Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden will end in the glory of the children of Elohim. Jesus Christ bore the curse of all creation resulting from sin. And Jesus Christ together with the children of Elohim (the firstfruits) will bring all creation into His glory, where there is no more curse.

We continue our discussion of the condition of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’ in Revelation 22:3–4: “And there shall be no more curse. And the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (ILT). We have discussed that there is no more curse in the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’; now we will discuss the next point.

Second, from the verses above we see that the end of the curse is due to the presence of the throne of Elohim and the throne of the Lamb. We have previously emphasized that Elohim has only one throne. If the Bible mentions many thrones, these thrones merely explain aspects of that one throne of Elohim. Yet there is an important truth revealed by the presence of the throne of Elohim and the throne of the Lamb in the verse above.

The throne of Elohim in the verse above speaks of the sovereignty or authority of Elohim in determining all things. Matthew 10:29 states, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father’s will.” This verse speaks of the sovereignty of Elohim in determining everything. Next, Psalm 139:16 affirms, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; and in Your book all of them were written—the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” This verse speaks of the fact that all the days of every human being have been determined beforehand by Elohim. It also speaks of the sovereignty of Elohim in determining the course of every human life. For this reason, we have emphasized that although human beings possess a will as personal individuals, they do not have freedom in determining the course of their lives. Jeremiah 10:23 also affirms this, saying, “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

Then, the throne of the Lamb in the verse above certainly speaks of the Messianic Kingdom. How did Jesus build His Kingdom? Through His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, Jesus was able to impart His life (‘zoe’) into the inner being of believers, because unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone (John 12:24). Jesus, as the Son of Elohim, who is in the image and likeness of the Father, through His death, resurrection, and ascension, ‘reproduced’ many sons of Elohim who are likewise in the image and likeness of the Father. This Messianic Kingdom (Jesus and the sons of Elohim) is the one that will reign and subdue all things. Certainly, after the Messianic Kingdom has subdued all things, Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to the Father, so that the Father may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24, 28).

Therefore, the throne of Elohim speaks of the sovereignty of the Father in determining all things, while the throne of the Lamb speaks of Elohim reigning over all things ‘through and within His chosen people’. The curse and death as the wages of sin will no longer exist once the throne of the Lamb has been fully manifested on earth. This is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray for the Kingdom of heaven to come and be fully manifested on earth.

In the Christian world, many people hope that one day they will enter heaven and leave the earth behind, even leaving those who have not believed in Jesus in hell forever. Such a concept is certainly strange and foreign, and is not found at all in the book of Revelation. Rather, His chosen people will continue to pray and hope for the coming of the Kingdom of heaven on earth.

We continue our discussion regarding the condition of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’ in Revelation 22:3–4: “And there shall be no more curse. And the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (ILT). We have discussed the ‘curse’ and ‘the throne of Elohim and the throne of the Lamb’. We will now discuss the next matters in these verses.

Third, it is affirmed that His servants shall serve Him. The Greek verb ‘latreuō’, translated as ‘serve’ in the verse above, can also be translated ‘worship.” However, we must remember that in the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’, there is no longer a Temple in it, as affirmed in Revelation 21:22: “And I saw no sanctuary in it, for YAHWEH, Elohim Almighty, is its sanctuary, and the Lamb” (ILT). Therefore, the meaning of ‘worship’ here is not related at all to rituals, regulations, or anything connected with the Temple.

Let us look into the Old Testament to understand the meaning of ‘worshiping’ Elohim. We will use the principle of ‘first mention’. This principle is used to obtain the basic meaning of a term. This means that later meanings found in subsequent occurrences must be built upon that basic meaning. The basic meaning must not be ignored or eliminated by later interpretations.

Let us consider the Hebrew term ‘shachah’, translated as ‘worship’, which first appears in the account of Abraham offering Isaac in Genesis 22:5: “…I and the lad will go over there, and we will worship (shachah)….” Notice that Abraham did not do anything such as singing praises or performing rituals in worshiping Elohim, except offering Isaac according to what God required. From this account, we understand that to ‘worship’ Elohim is none other than ‘offering our Isaac’ according to the leading of God. Worshiping Elohim involves sacrifice. There is a price to be paid, but all of it must be in accordance with God’s leading. This is the basic meaning of ‘worshiping’ Elohim. Later meanings, such as David adding singing and music to worship, do not eliminate this basic meaning.

It is interesting to note that in the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’, the Person of Yahweh and the Lamb themselves are the Temple, as affirmed in Revelation 21:22. Worship in this dispensation is focused on the Person of Elohim Himself. Consider Jesus’ conversation with His disciples on the last night before His crucifixion (John 13–17). We know that a person’s final conversation before death is extremely important. Yet Jesus did not speak at all about heaven to His disciples, even though heaven is commonly considered the goal of Christian life. In fact, the term ‘heaven’ appears only once in John 17:1, and even then only in Jesus’ prayer to the Father. Thus, Jesus did not speak to His disciples about heaven at all.

However, on that last night, Jesus spoke extensively about ‘personal relationship’—the relationship of the disciples with the Holy Spirit, with the Father, with Jesus, with the world (the religious system that hated Jesus), and also the relationship among the disciples themselves, that they might love one another. The goal of the Christian life is the Person of the Father, and the way to that goal is also the Person of the Lord Jesus. John 14:6 affirms, “…no one comes to the Father (a Person) except through Me (the Person of Jesus).”

Therefore, worship of Elohim in the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’ is focused on the PERSON OF THE FATHER AND THE LAMB. The Person of the Father and the Lamb is the Temple. His servants will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads.

We continue our discussion of the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’, where the city of the New Jerusalem—the Bride of the Lamb—is located. We will discuss the ministry of the Bride of the Lamb in this dispensation. Consider Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come; and whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

We see in the verse above that the Spirit of Elohim and the Bride of the Lamb both cry out, ‘Come!’ But in chapters 2–3, only the Spirit of Elohim cries out to the churches. We see that the churches mentioned in chapters 2–3, which had indeed been polluted by the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, could not cry out together with the Spirit of Elohim to offer the water of life. However, after the church undergoes the judgment of Elohim, as we have discussed, then the Spirit of Elohim and the church can together cry out, ‘Come!’

Even in the dispensation of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’, it is not only the Spirit of Elohim and the church that cry out ‘Come’, but everyone who hears is also commanded to join in crying out to offer the water of life. In the end, the ‘water of life’ that is continually offered in this dispensation will ‘swallow up’ death, so that there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4). Thus is fulfilled what is written in 2 Corinthians 5:4: “…so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

Next, consider Revelation 22:1–2: “And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life… and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (ILT). Notice that this river of the water of life flows from the throne of Elohim. The throne speaks of a kingdom and of authority to judge. Yet it is precisely from the throne that the ‘water of life’ (grace) flows.

We must understand that salvation is not a matter of ‘human response’, but a matter of the authority of Elohim. Jesus said in John 12:32, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” Then, after Jesus was ‘lifted up’ in the sense of dying, rising, and sitting at the right hand of the Father, He said that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). By His authority, Jesus will draw all people to Himself. Therefore, the water of life that flows from the throne and is offered to whoever is thirsty cannot be rejected by anyone. Why? Because authority is in the hands of Jesus. All people, in the end, will receive the water of life for their salvation. It is also affirmed that there is the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

This is the ministry of the Bride of the Lamb, which in the end will cause all people to come to Jesus. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (kurios = sole ruler). In the Christian world, it is commonly believed that the present age is the age of grace, and that after the coming of the Lord there will be no more grace. But we see in Scripture that grace continues to apply and is given, even into the age of the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’.

We will discuss the coming of the Lord Jesus as written in Revelation 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” We will discuss the meaning of the ‘coming of the Lord Jesus’, especially in the book of Revelation. In the Christian world, it is generally believed that Jesus will come “physically,” and many also believe that He will rapture the saints to heaven. It is also believed that the Lord Jesus comes only twice, hence the expression “the Second Coming,” even though the New Testament never uses the expression “the Second Coming of the Lord.”

To gain a correct understanding of the coming of the Lord Jesus, we need to examine six Greek terms that are usually translated as ‘coming’.

First, PAROUSIA. This term appears 24 times in the New Testament and comes from the verb paremi, meaning ‘to be present’. The noun means ‘presence’. Parousia never indicates the act of coming or arrival, but rather the presence of someone who has already come. Its use in the New Testament is never related to a “physical” coming of the Lord. Thus, parousia means presence. Where two or three are gathered in His name, there the Lord is present. That is His presence. That is His coming.

Second, APOKALUPSIS. Revelation 1:1 uses this term. It comes from the verb apokaluptō, meaning ‘to unveil’ or ‘to reveal’, emphasizing a revelation. It means the unveiling of someone who was previously concealed. Thus, the apokalypsis of the Lord Jesus is the unveiling of the Person of the Lord Jesus, which in the context of Revelation is the unveiling of His redemption as the Lamb of Elohim, which had previously been concealed.

Third, EPIPHANEIA. This term appears six times in the New Testament. It comes from a verb meaning ‘to bring into the light’ or ‘to make manifest’. The noun means ‘manifestation’. This term is used to express the glory and splendor manifested by the Lord’s coming.

Fourth, PHANEROO. This term means ‘to make visible’ or ‘to make manifest’. It does not necessarily mean a presence visible to the eyes, but rather a perception.

Fifth, ERCHOMAI. This term is used to indicate the actual act of coming. It is not the same as parousia, which refers to the presence of one who has already come. Erchomai is used in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming (AN ACTUAL COMING) with the clouds….” This term is also used in Revelation 22:20.

Sixth, HEKO. This term emphasizes coming to a particular place. It appears in Revelation 2:25: “But what you have, hold fast until I COME.”

Of course, these six Greek terms do not mean that there are six different kinds of the Lord’s coming. Rather, their different uses help us understand the meaning intended by a text that speaks of the Lord’s coming. For now, it is sufficient to understand that the coming of the Lord does not have to take the form of a physical coming.

In the New Testament, Christ is said to come “with the clouds,” to come “as lightning,” to come “as a thief,” to come “as the voice of an archangel,” to come “with the trumpet of Elohim,” to come as “the bridegroom,” to come as “King,” to come as “the morning star,” to come as “judge,” to come as “Savior,” to come into “His Temple,” to come “to the Mount of Olives,” to come riding on a “white horse,” to come as “the good shepherd,” to come in “His Kingdom,” to come “in glory,” to come “upon His throne,” to come with “His angels,” to come with “His saints,” to come to “His saints,” to come ‘in’ “His saints,” and so on and so forth. None of these comings refer to a so-called “second coming.” Our understanding of His coming becomes extremely confused if we limit it to only two comings: His coming 2,000 years ago, and a “second coming” in the future. In fact, Scripture affirms that the Lord ‘has come’, ‘is coming’, and ‘will come’. He comes continuously, and He progressively reveals Himself until His entire plan is fulfilled. Therefore, the meaning of the coming of the Lord Jesus in the book of Revelation is the ‘coming’ of a progressive revelation of His Person and His redemption.

We continue our discussion of the coming of the Lord Jesus and bring this brief writing to a close. Let us again consider Revelation 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” We have discussed that the Lord’s coming is progressive and continuous until the entire will and plan of the Father in heaven are fulfilled. In the context of Revelation, the Lord’s coming is the ‘coming’ of the revelation of the PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS AND HIS REDEMPTION.

Let us now consider what the Father’s plan and will actually were when He created humanity. This understanding is necessary in order to properly understand the meaning of the coming of the Lord Jesus. Genesis 1:26–28 affirms: “And Elohim said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion… over all the earth… fill the earth and subdue it…” (ILT). The Hebrew term translated ‘subdue’ is ‘kabash’, which means ‘to bring into bondage’ or ‘to tread down’. Clearly, the Father in heaven willed and planned to create humanity in His image and likeness so that they might rule and have dominion over the whole earth, in the sense of treading down and bringing all things into subjection. This implies that there are enemies to be subdued by humanity on the earth.

Therefore, the coming of the Lord Jesus was never intended to take His people to heaven, as many Christians believe. After the Lord Jesus prepares His Bride, He comes to subdue all things on earth according to the Father’s plan. The Lord Jesus together with His Bride will bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth. The earth remains the focus of the Father’s plan, and the Lord Jesus together with His Bride will fulfill it. They will subdue all things so that the ‘First Heaven and First Earth’ move toward the ‘New Heaven and New Earth’.

In the book of Revelation it is written concerning His coming in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him… and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Yes, Amen.” The coming of the Lord Jesus ‘with the clouds’ is His coming IN AND THROUGH HIS PEOPLE, for the clouds (plural) are a symbol of the Lord’s witnesses. This is also what is meant in Romans 8:19–21, where the Lord Jesus comes in and through the sons of Elohim to deliver creation from its bondage to corruption.

The apostle John cries out in the verse above, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Every son of Elohim longs for the coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth, not in order to be “raptured” to heaven, but in order to subdue all things on earth, so that the earth moves toward the new earth—and, of course, also the new heaven.

The context of Romans 8:19–21 is ‘glorification by faith’. Paul explains salvation by the redemption of Christ in the letter to the Romans using three important expressions: ‘justification by faith’, ‘sanctification by faith’, and ‘glorification by faith’. Just as justification by faith and sanctification by faith are experienced by the saints on earth, so glorification by faith is also experienced by the saints on this earth. Indeed, ‘glorification by faith’ is the coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth ‘in and through His chosen people’. Hallelujah—the Kingdom of heaven will be established on earth, and His chosen people together with the Lord Jesus will subdue all things and bring forth the New Heaven and New Earth. Amen.

Summary

The Greek, lecture-centered model of education has deeply shaped the modern church, turning it into a space for listening and knowledge accumulation rather than obedience, discipleship, and mission. While powerful, this model reflects Athens more than Galilee, producing informed believers but weak disciple-makers. A true return to the church Jesus established requires redeeming education itself, restoring life-on-life, obedience-based, and mission-centered formation.

Call to action

If education reshaped the church, it can also restore it. We must abandon spectator Christianity and reform our training to produce obedient, multiplying disciples. At CKMC, we commit to using academics to recover the church Jesus left—rooted in homes, driven by mission, and faithful to making disciples of all nations.

Education Shapes Civilizations—and the Church Is No Exception

As a Bachelor of Education holder, one of the most formative and fascinating disciplines in my training was the History of Education. It exposes a simple but sobering truth: education does not merely transfer knowledge; it shapes how societies think, organize power, define success, and reproduce themselves across generations. Today's education system has been greatly influenced by Greeks philosophy.

You are who you are as a result of education you attained weather formal or informal. 'As man thinks so is he'. Nothing else reshapes our thinking more than Education.

Few civilizations illustrate this better than ancient Greece. Through education, Greece conquered the world without armies. Athens and Sparta present a striking contrast: Sparta trained the body for dominance; Athens trained the mind for influence. History vindicated Athens after Sparta physically conquered Athens but over time Athens transformed Spartan through Education, they literally conquered them mentally. Mental formation outlived physical force. Ideas traveled farther than spears.

That same educational power—ideas shaping reality—has profoundly influenced the modern church, often in ways we have failed to critically examine.

The Greek Educational Model: Powerful, Persuasive, and Persistent

Greek education was not neutral. It was intentionally designed to produce a certain kind of person and society. Central features included:

- Teacher-centered instruction (the philosopher as authority).

- Lecture-based knowledge transfer.

- Formation of elite thinkers rather than whole communities.

- Audience gathered to listen, not to reproduce the message.

Plato lectured. Aristotle reasoned. Students listened, admired, debated—but rarely replicated the philosopher’s life or mission. Education produced intellectual heirs, not movement carriers.

This model proved remarkably effective—and dangerously adaptable.

When Greek Philosophy Entered the Church

As Christianity moved from the margins to the mainstream, especially after Constantine, it unknowingly baptized the Greek educational model. Over time:

- The teacher became the center.

- The lecture replaced apprenticeship.

- The sermon replaced obedience-based discipleship.

- The church gathering became a weekly classroom.

Today, many churches function like philosophical academies:

- One elevated speaker

- A passive audience

- Weekly lectures

- Minimal expectation of imitation, obedience, or mission

Every Sunday, we reproduce Athens—not Galilee.

Even Bible schools, seminaries, and theological institutions—often with sincere intentions—have largely adopted this same framework. We train students to know, explain, and defend theology, but rarely to obey, model, and multiply disciples.

The result is devastating: a knowledgeable church that does not disciple, a theologically articulate church that does not multiply, and a well-taught church that does not finish the mission.

The Church Jesus Left Was Not Greek

Jesus did not start an academy. He formed a movement.

His model of education was radically different:

1. Life-on-life apprenticeship (“Follow Me”)

2. Obedience-based learning (“Teach them to obey”)

3. Reproducible training (ordinary people, everywhere)

4. Mission-centered formation (“I will make you fishers of men”)

Jesus taught while walking, eating, traveling, healing, praying, and suffering. Knowledge was always tied to practice. Revelation demanded response. Learning was incomplete until obedience occurred.

The early church continued this model:

- They met house to house.

- Every believer participated.

- Leadership was plural, local, and relational.

- Growth came through multiplication, not attraction.

This was not philosophical education. It was kingdom formation.

Why Structural Reform Without Educational Reform Fails?

Today, many are calling for a return to:

House churches

Disciple-making movements

Missional communities

Organic expressions of church

These instincts are right—but often with challenges.  

Why?

Because you cannot build a biblical church using an unbiblical educational model. I have met people practicing home churches but also in conventional bible schools. This the danger.

Those bible schools courses, curricula, and training systems still:

- Elevate the expert.

- Reward information over obedience.

- Produce listeners rather than disciple-makers.

Then structural change alone will collapse. Old wineskins cannot hold new wine.

A return to the biblical church requires a return to biblical education.

Education Is Powerful—So It Must Be Redeemed

If Greek education reshaped the world, then redeemed, biblical education can restore the church.

This means designing courses that:

- Measure success by obedience and fruit, not grades.

- Require learners to practice immediately what they learn.

- Emphasize spiritual formation, not academic performance.

- Train believers to teach others, not impress audiences.

- Integrate theology, mission, community, and daily life

Biblical education must be:

1. Missional, not merely informational.

2. Reproducible, not elite.

3. Relational, not institutional.

3. Spirit-dependent, not lecture-dominated.

CKMC: Using Academics to Undo Academic Damage

At CKMC, this is the mission we are committed to.

Not to abandon learning—but to redeem it.

We use academic tools, frameworks, and discipline against the very distortions they created. Our goal is not to produce philosophers of Christianity, but obedient disciples of Jesus who can:

- Live out the gospel

- Multiply house churches

- Engage mission cross-culturally

- Integrate faith with real life (work, family, community)

Our courses are designed to:

- Restore obedience as the measure of learning.

- Return theology to the streets and homes.

- Form disciple-makers, not sermon consumers.

- Recover the church Jesus actually left behind.

This is not anti-intellectualism. It is rightly ordered education—where the mind serves obedience, and knowledge fuels mission.

From Athens Back to Galilee

1. The church does not need better lectures, It needs better formation.

2. It does not need more philosophers in pulpits. It needs faithful disciple-makers in homes, marketplaces, and nations.

The future of the church will not be secured by refining Greek methods—but by recovering Jesus’ model.

And that recovery must begin where the damage began: education.

If education is powerful enough to shape empires, it is powerful enough—when redeemed—to restore the church.

From Athens, we learned how to think.

From Galilee, we must relearn how to follow.

“Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:20)

Yours in Christ 

Onesmas Murithi

By a theologian and educationist committed to discipleship, mission, and the recovery of the church Jesus left.

Summary: The Gospel of Matthew presents the Messianic Kingdom to the Jewish people. In this book, there are teachings about the Messianic Kingdom that will be established on earth.

Call to action: By His grace, let us learn to live out the Kingdom of Heaven on earth now, in our daily lives, day by day.

Our theme this time is the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew. This brief writing does not intend to interpret the book of Matthew verse by verse, but only to discuss the theme of the ‘kingdom of heaven’ found in this book. Indeed, Matthew is the gospel for Christians of Jewish background, in which its main theme is the kingdom of heaven. In fact, the central theme of the books in the New Testament is the kingdom of heaven, because Jesus and His apostles proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the subject of the kingdom of heaven is very important for us to understand together.

Unfortunately, within Christianity the expression “believe in Jesus and go to heaven” has become commonly accepted, where “heaven” is usually understood as a certain geographical place somewhere in the universe. It is also taught that Christians will be raptured when the Lord Jesus returns, although not all Christians hold this teaching. Through this brief writing, we will attempt to understand what Jesus and His apostles actually proclaimed regarding the kingdom of heaven.

Let us begin with the genealogy of Jesus Christ written in Matthew 1:1–17. We will not discuss this genealogy in detail, but we will observe a kind of conclusion found in verse 17: “So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the exile to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.”

If we count these sets of fourteen generations, we find that from Abraham (1) to David (14), then from Solomon (1) to Jeconiah (14), and next from Shealtiel (1) to Jesus we only find (13), meaning the fourteenth is Christ. Verse 16 says: “and Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Thus, Jesus (13) “begot” Christ (14). What does this mean?

In Paul’s letters, the term ‘Christ’ does not only mean ‘the Anointed One’ (Greek: Christos = the anointed), but carries several meanings we should see. First, Christ is corporate in nature (1 Corinthians 12:12). This means Christ is a body composed of the Head (Jesus) and the Body (the church). Second, Christ is the kingdom (Ephesians 5:5). Third, Christ is our life (Galatians 2:20). Fourth, Christ is within our inner being (Colossians 1:27). Therefore, the kingdom of Christ is within our inner being, and it is our hope of the glory of God (Colossians 1:27).

After understanding the meaning of Christ, what does it mean that Jesus “begot” Christ? Consider Isaiah 53:10: “…If he would place his soul as a guilt offering, he will see his seed; he will prolong his days…” (ILT). This verse is a prophecy of the Messiah as a guilt offering. After the Messiah offers Himself as a guilt offering, He will “see His seed” and prolong His days. The Hebrew word for ‘seed’ is ‘zera’, which means offspring. Thus, through His death and resurrection, Jesus has ‘offspring’, which is Christ, and through Christ He prolongs His days on earth.

Jesus once said that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Jesus also told His disciples that they would do greater works than He did. Furthermore, Jesus said to Pilate that His coming into the world was to establish His kingdom on earth (John 18:37). If we understand these statements, then we see that Jesus as King prolongs His days on earth through Christ, who is His ‘offspring’. The kingdom of heaven will be fully manifested on earth through Christ, the offspring of Jesus. And the kingdom of Christ will accomplish even greater works on the earth.

Let us continue our discussion on the kingdom of heaven in Matthew by looking at the Magi from the East. Matthew 2:2 says, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” The Magi from the East had received a vision concerning the ‘star’ of Christ, as it is written: “…a star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel…” (Numbers 24:17). By the grace of God, the Magi saw the “star” of Christ, but they assumed that the King of the Jews must be born in Jerusalem, the city chosen by Yahweh for Israel to establish His Name.

When the Magi inquired, the chief priests and scribes confirmed from Scripture that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, according to the prophecy of Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… from you One shall come forth for Me who will rule over Israel…” (Micah 5:2). After hearing the scriptural prophecy, the Magi went to Bethlehem to worship Him.

Here we observe an interesting fact. The Magi received a vision regarding the “star” of Christ, but that alone was not enough for them to know where the King would be born. They still needed the guidance of Scripture. Conversely, the chief priests and scribes knew exactly from Scripture that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, yet they did not come to worship Him. Why?

The answer is in Matthew 22:29: “And answering, JESUS said to them, You are mistaken, because you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God” (ILT). The Magi, by God’s grace and power, were ready to worship the newborn King, but they were misled in Jerusalem because they did not know the Jewish Scriptures. Conversely, the chief priests and scribes knew the Scriptures, but they refused to worship Him because their hearts had not experienced the power of God.

The Magi then offered gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). Gold symbolizes the divine nature. The aroma of frankincense symbolizes resurrection. Myrrh symbolizes suffering and death. The gifts of the Magi portray the journey of Jesus’ life, who possesses the divine nature and through His suffering, death, and resurrection is seated at the right hand of the Father.

From this brief description, we learn that to worship Jesus, the King, one needs not only knowledge of Scripture but also the transforming power of God in the heart day by day. Scriptural knowledge has its place, but we must not think that knowing Scripture alone enables a person to worship Him or enter His kingdom. Christians need to study the Scriptures well, but they also need grace to experience the power of God in their inner being day by day. Only after understanding Scripture and experiencing God’s power can someone worship Him and enter His kingdom.

Now let us reflect on the phrase that appears frequently in Matthew’s Gospel: “so that what was written might be fulfilled.” The Greek term ‘pleroo’ (verb), translated ‘to fulfill’, appears 86 times in the New Testament. In Matthew, similar expressions appear about 13 times; in Mark, once; in Luke, twice; and in John, six times. Matthew uses this phrase more often because his gospel is addressed to the Jews. The Jewish people needed to understand that the coming of Jesus and His proclamation of the kingdom of heaven (the Messianic kingdom) was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

All Old Testament prophecies indeed focus on Jesus and His kingdom, but we will look at only a few, especially those in Matthew. First, Matthew 4:15–16: “…Galilee… the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great Light, and upon those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, Light has dawned.” Jesus began proclaiming His kingdom in Galilee to fulfill this prophecy. The prophecy emphasizes that the region was overshadowed by “death” (Greek: ‘thanatos’ = physical and spiritual death). Thanatos is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). The proclamation of Jesus’ kingdom will defeat death, just as light overcomes darkness.

Many Christians think that the Messianic kingdom, as the kingdom of Light, defeats the kingdom of darkness only partially and not completely. It is as if the kingdom of Light and the kingdom of Darkness must always coexist. But consider the prophecy of Isaiah 9:7 concerning the Messianic kingdom: “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon His kingdom…” (ILT). The kingdom of the Messiah, as the kingdom of Light, will never cease its advance over darkness, just as physical light, traveling at nearly 300,000 km/second, continually eliminates darkness. That is why Scripture affirms that in the new heaven and new earth, there will be no more ‘death’ (thanatos—Revelation 21:4). The victory of the Messianic kingdom over the kingdom of darkness is absolute, complete, and final. His chosen people must proclaim this absolute victory.

Second, Matthew 21:5: “Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold, your King is coming to you, meek and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” At first glance, Jesus riding a donkey may seem insignificant. But in the Old Testament, horses symbolize the “strength trusted in by man,” and God disapproves of this (Isaiah 30:16; 31:1). Meanwhile, a donkey is a slow-moving animal, yet God has His own timing for every step. Every citizen of the Messianic kingdom must learn God’s timing in all things. The advancement of the Messianic kingdom cannot be forced according to our desires. His chosen people must grow in the meekness of Christ and therefore understand God’s timing. These are some examples of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messianic kingdom that Jesus fulfilled.

Now we turn to Matthew 3 concerning John the Baptist: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1–2). Compare John’s proclamation with Mark 1:1,4: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God… John… preached…” Clearly, the beginning of the gospel—the good news—of the kingdom of heaven was proclaimed by John the Baptist.

But John the Baptist himself was not ‘in’ the kingdom of heaven. Jesus makes this clear in Luke 16:16: “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone is forcing his way into it” (ILT). Likewise, Matthew 11:11 states: “…Truly, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Let us observe some facts about John the Baptist. First, the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven began with John the Baptist. Second, John himself was not in the kingdom of heaven. What does this mean? We must clearly distinguish between the SOVEREIGNTY of God and the GOVERNMENT of God. God is sovereign, meaning He determines all things—even the fall of a sparrow does not happen apart from the Father’s will (Matthew 10:29). But the government of God proclaimed by Jesus is not something that previously existed. The government of God proclaimed by Jesus is the kingdom of heaven within the human inner being. “The kingdom of God is within you.” We will discuss this later. God sovereignly determines all things OUTSIDE of man, but He governs and arranges all things THROUGH and WITHIN man.

John the Baptist was not in the kingdom of heaven because he only proclaimed the WORD concerning the kingdom of heaven. All prophets before John proclaimed the word of God. But Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of heaven, and then died, rose, ascended, and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within the human inner being to govern man and through man govern all things. John the Baptist was “greater” than all previous holy men who proclaimed God’s word. But the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Third, John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus, so he began his ministry at about age thirty. He ministered perhaps only one to two years before being imprisoned and beheaded. Yet his preparation as the one who would prepare the way for the Lord likely took about thirty years. John was prepared by the Father in the wilderness like an “ascetic.” John did not grow up like other Jewish children, who from an early age learned the Torah in the synagogues from the rabbis. Yet clearly John had fellowship with the heavenly Father. This fact is worth reflecting on.

Let us apply this to our context today. In Christianity, generally, anyone who wishes to serve “full-time” must go through formal theological schools. We are not against theological schools, but Christianity has indeed become a religion. And as a religion, Christianity is filled with rules established by man. Strangely, the teaching of the kingdom of heaven in Christianity is generally summarized as: “believe in Jesus, go to heaven,” meaning to be evacuated to “a beautiful place far away” called the Father’s House. As we shall see later, neither the Gospel of Matthew nor the books of the New Testament proclaim such a thing.

Continuing our discussion of John the Baptist, let us examine the message he preached. Matthew 3:1–2 says, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” We know that John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord. More precisely, John “made straight the path” so that the kingdom of heaven could arrive, for it was already very near.

John made straight the path for the kingdom of heaven by calling the Jewish people to repent. The Greek verb translated ‘repent’ is ‘metanoeo’, meaning ‘to change the mind’ or ‘to change one’s concept’, particularly regarding the acceptance of God’s will. A person must change his mind or concept in order to receive God’s will, or to receive the kingdom of heaven.

The change of mind here concerns not only evil behavior but also religious behavior. Let us reflect carefully on this. John the Baptist and Jesus both preached the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven was not something previously proclaimed. The good news of the kingdom of heaven was something extremely radical, and the Jewish people had never heard of this before. Although the Old Testament prophetically spoke of the Messiah and His kingdom, in reality they did not understand it.

The kingdom of heaven that will be manifested is the governance of Elohim within the human inner being. The way of worship of those who receive the kingdom of heaven within their inner being is not the same as the worship practices of the Jewish religion (Judaism). The Jewish people had to radically change their thoughts and concepts, especially their religious concepts, in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. Worship within those who receive the kingdom of heaven is worship in spirit and in reality. Jesus emphasized to the Samaritan woman that worship is not about this ritual or that ritual, not about this place or that place. Worship is a matter of the heart that obeys the governance of Elohim within.

It was not easy for the Jewish people to receive the kingdom of heaven, especially their religious leaders. They thought that the Messiah was the son of David, and therefore the Messianic kingdom must be a physical kingdom like that of David. The Messianic kingdom, in their view, had to deliver Israel from their physical enemies, and in that era, those enemies were the Roman Empire. Meanwhile, the kingdom of heaven that was about to come was a kingdom from the heavenly dimension. The kingdom of heaven would liberate humanity from the slavery of sin and the slavery of destruction. That is why the Jewish people needed to repent not only from evil behavior, but also from their religious behavior.

When the Jewish religious leaders came to John the Baptist, John rebuked them sharply, saying, “…You brood of vipers… therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance. And do not think that you can say within yourselves: ‘We have Abraham as our father…’” (Matthew 3:7–9). Notice here that John did not point to certain specific sins of these religious leaders, but rather to their ‘religious pride’—their pride as Yahweh’s chosen people for having Abraham as their father. We will later see that the coming of the kingdom of heaven would end the dispensation of the Law of Moses with all its rituals. In 70 A.D., the Temple was destroyed, and practically all Jewish religious rituals ceased. If the Jewish religious leaders were willing to change their religious concepts, only then could they receive the kingdom of heaven. That is why they needed to repent.

Today, the Christian world has also become a religion with its own rituals and rules. A person who receives the kingdom of heaven within and follows the governance of Elohim inside cannot

fit into the present Christian system. Religious leaders in the Christian world must also repent in order to worship according to the governance of Elohim within.

We now move on to discuss Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. Matthew 3:13–15 states, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him… But in response Jesus said to him, Permit it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness…” (ILT). We must remember that John’s baptism was a baptism with water ‘unto repentance’ (Matthew 3:11). And we have emphasized that repentance means a change of thought and concept—not only regarding evil behavior but also religious behavior.

The reason Jesus was baptized by John was ‘to fulfill all righteousness’. Surely Jesus was not baptized because He had sinned. But at least two important matters must be considered here. First, Jesus was baptized as a sign of ‘identification’. Jesus, as the Lamb who would become the atoning sacrifice, had to identify Himself—becoming ‘the same’ as sinners—in order to die on behalf of sinful humanity. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “For He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of Elohim in Him” (ILT).

Second, Jesus was baptized by John in His ‘identification as a Jew’ who needed to undergo the process of ‘changing religious thinking’. The salvation program of Elohim was moving forward. Hebrews 8:13 states, “In that He says, ‘a new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” About ten years after the writing of Hebrews, the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed. The Old Covenant with all its rituals could no longer be practiced. And God’s salvation program for the Jewish people and the nations would now be ‘in and through the New Covenant’. Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, and He never prophesied the building of a third Temple. All the Jewish people had to undergo a ‘change of mind’ (repentance) from their religion (Judaism) in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus identified Himself with them by being baptized by John.

Since the early church fractured into tens of thousands of denominations, there has been a ‘decline’ in the church. The church no longer fully preserves the New Covenant. The Christian world, with all its ‘mixed rituals’—organizational rules, Old Testament rules such as tithing, firstfruits, and others, as well as rules imposed by leaders—has become a kind of ‘new religion’. This ‘new religion’ is not Judaism, nor is it Christianity in the sense of ‘following Christ wherever He goes’ (Revelation 14:4). Rather, it is the religion ‘called Christianity’. Jesus did not come to establish any religion, including the Christian religion; He came so that we may receive ‘Life (zoe)’, and so that our daily living would be governed by the Life of Christ. We live as the organism of Christ, His Body, and there is no authority other than the authority of the Life of Christ governing the Body. The authority in the Christian world is a mixed authority—the Life of Christ plus the authority of leaders who draw God’s people to themselves and build their own kingdoms, i.e., denominations. If someone receives grace and is appointed by the Father to receive the Kingdom—as stated in Luke 12:32, “Do not fear, little flock! For your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom”—then we will repent and leave behind the religious behaviors found in the Christian world.

We continue by looking at what happened to Jesus after He was baptized by John the Baptist. Matthew 3:17 states, “And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Here we see that the Father in heaven was already pleased with Jesus ‘before’ He began His ministry. For about 30 years of Jesus’ life, the Father was already pleased with Him. A person does not need to be visibly performing “religious activities” in order to be pleasing to the Father. If our daily life is led by Christ within, then we are pleasing to the Father. Once again we observe that religious activities themselves do not automatically please the Father.

Next, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4:1–11). We will not examine the temptations in detail, but we will observe how Jesus faced them. The first and second temptations invited Jesus to “act independently” as the Son of Elohim to meet His own needs. But Jesus rejected these temptations by saying, ‘It is written’. Jesus, as the Son of Man, depended entirely on the Father. In the third temptation, the Devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory if He would worship him. Jesus again rejected it with, ‘It is written’. Here we clearly see that Jesus depended fully on the Father. Jesus would not act based on His own initiative or His own will. The Father sent Jesus as the Son of Man to redeem humanity, and as a human being, He depended completely on the Father.

This is different from the temptation of Adam and Eve in Eden. Adam and Eve acted independently to gain the knowledge of good and evil. Before the Devil tempted them, they knew nothing about good and evil. They depended entirely on the Father in determining what was good or evil. If the Father said something was good, they said it was good; if the Father said something was evil, they agreed it was evil. Their fall, at its essence, was ‘deciding for themselves what is good and what is evil’.

In truth, the Christian world has become a religion—the Christian religion. Through the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, Christianity—which was originally an organism governed directly by the Life of Christ—has been transformed into a religious world (a ‘kosmos’). And essentially, the Christian world, through its leaders, has determined for itself what is good and what is evil. Every denomination has its own concepts of good and evil according to its leaders. Certainly, each leader will say, ‘it is written’. But at His coming, Jesus will speak plainly and will judge the Christian world so that we may all know the truth—what is right and what is wrong according to Jesus.

After being tempted by the Devil, Jesus began proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 4:17 states, “From that time Jesus began to preach and say: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near.” The Greek term ‘eggizo’, translated ‘has drawn near’, actually means ‘an action begun in the past whose effect continues until now’. This means the kingdom of heaven has arrived, and does not need to be awaited in the future. The essence of Jesus’ message is: God’s time has come—now. His Kingdom has now arrived and has broken into the world where humanity lives.

Luke 17:21 states, “Neither will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst” (LAI). The Greek term ‘entos’, translated ‘in your midst’, actually means ‘within’. So the kingdom of heaven is truly ‘within’ you. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom from the heavenly dimension; it has already come and is within the human inner being. A person must repent from sins and from religious practices, and believe in Jesus, in order to enter the kingdom of heaven and experience the power of its presence within.

Jesus came into the world proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Note Matthew 4:23, “And Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and weakness among the people” (LAI). Jesus did not preach any other gospel except the gospel (the good news) of the kingdom of heaven. Observe the sequence: first, teaching; second, proclaiming; and then demonstrating the power of that kingdom by removing diseases and weaknesses.

The first step Jesus took was to teach about the good news of the kingdom of heaven, then to proclaim the kingdom. One teacher explained the difference between teaching and proclaiming in this way: Teaching is always orderly and systematic. Someone who teaches the kingdom of heaven must explain the what, why, and how of the kingdom. But proclaiming the kingdom is like making a declaration—“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near!” This is the proclamation of the kingdom. After the kingdom is taught and proclaimed, then its power is demonstrated.

In the Christian world people often say, “What matters is that the gospel is preached.” But do we realize that the phrase ‘preaching the gospel’ is incomplete? The question is: ‘Which’ gospel? There are many ‘good news’ messages in the world. But Jesus and His apostles proclaimed only ‘one’ good news—the good news of the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus taught, proclaimed, and demonstrated it.

Today, as the people of the Kingdom, we must teach the good news of the kingdom of heaven, according to the gifts/talents God has given us. We must also proclaim it. And finally, we must demonstrate the power of the kingdom of heaven in our daily lives. Jesus promised, “You will do greater works than these.” We believe that when the sons of Elohim are manifested on earth in glorified bodies, we will perform greater works, according to the promise of the Lord Jesus.

We have seen that the kingdom of heaven has already come to Earth. Jesus is the beginning of the kingdom’s manifestation on Earth. In fact, Jesus is the kingdom of heaven on Earth—Jesus is the governance of Elohim dwelling within humanity. When Jesus came 2,000 years ago, the kingdom of heaven arrived on Earth. Jesus stated that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces many fruits. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 disciples. These are the ‘many fruits’ Jesus spoke of, for He died, rose, and ascended to the Father.

Next, we will discuss Matthew chapters 5–7, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. Of course, we will not discuss them verse by verse. But before we begin, let us observe Matthew 5:1–2: “Seeing the crowds, He went up the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to speak and teach them, saying…” The term ‘them’ in this verse refers to ‘His disciples’. Jesus was not speaking to ‘the crowds’. It even appears that Jesus avoided the crowds by going up the mountain. Although eventually the crowds listened and were astonished at His teaching (Matthew 7:28), it is clear that the Sermon on the Mount was not addressed to the crowds. Why?

In the Gospels, Jesus’ followers are of various kinds. There were ‘the crowds’, His ‘disciples’, and also the ‘apostles’. Even among the apostles, there were three—Peter, James, and John—whom Jesus brought along in certain situations.

Consider the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in John 6. These crowds eventually sought after Jesus (John 6:1–27). We must understand that they followed Jesus because “…they saw the miracles of healing He performed on the sick” (v. 2). Even so, Jesus still blessed the crowds by giving them bread. But when these crowds who had eaten the miraculous bread returned to look for Jesus, He rebuked them, telling them to work for the food that does not perish—the ‘bread of life’ that He would give them (vv. 26–27). So we see that the ‘crowd’ were followers of Jesus, but they followed Him because of miracles and physical bread. Jesus still blessed them, but He also rebuked them.

Returning to the Sermon on the Mount: the Sermon on the Mount is teaching about the kingdom of heaven addressed specifically to Jesus’ disciples. This does not mean that Jesus did not bless the crowds who followed Him, but the teaching of the kingdom of heaven was not intended for the ‘crowds’.

In the Christian world, there are also ‘crowds’ and also the Lord’s disciples. The crowds in the Christian world seek Jesus for physical bread and miracles. Once again, Jesus still blesses the crowds, but the teaching of the kingdom of heaven is not for the ‘crowds’ of the Christian world. That is why, in the Christian world, there are many are called, but few are chosen. Everything depends on the Father’s sovereignty in giving the ‘kingdom’ to whomever He pleases (Luke 12:32).

Let us return to reflect on Matthew 5–7, where we have seen that the Sermon on the Mount is specifically addressed to Jesus’ disciples. This sermon is Jesus’ teaching concerning the kingdom of heaven. We will see later that Jesus repeatedly contrasts His teaching with Judaism, which is, of course, based on the Law of Moses. We may call Jesus’ teaching on this mountain the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven. We refer to the Sermon on the Mount as the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven because in Matthew 7:21–23 there are people who violate the Law of the Kingdom. Notice the Greek term ‘anomia’ in verse 23, which means ‘lawlessness’ or ‘violation of law’. Thus, Matthew 5–7 contains Jesus’ teaching on the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps we could title the Sermon on the Mount as “The Law of Moses and the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

However, we must be very clear in distinguishing the Law of Moses from the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven. Galatians 3:23–25 states, “Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

How can the Law of Moses lead someone to Christ? The Law functions to make a person aware of sin. Notice Romans 7:7: “…Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law…” If, by God’s grace, someone becomes aware of his sin and realizes that he cannot fulfill God’s law, he will come to Christ to be justified by faith. Thus, the Law serves as a tutor leading a person to Christ. The Law of the Kingdom of Heaven taught by Jesus in Matthew 5–7 does not function like the Law of Moses, which exposes sin. Rather, by understanding the Law of the Kingdom, a person will live by faith and depend entirely on God’s grace.

Here is another way to distinguish the Law of Moses from the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven. When Jesus came and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom, He opened a new dispensation, which we may call the dispensation of the kingdom of heaven. The old dispensation—the dispensation of the Law—lasted until the time of John the Baptist (Luke 16:16). Although John the Baptist also proclaimed the kingdom of heaven as a forerunner, he himself lived and ministered within the dispensation of the Law and the Prophets. Therefore, when Jesus taught the Law of the Kingdom, it had nothing to do with the dispensation of the Law of Moses. This does not mean that the Law of Moses was violated; rather, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law, and now the dispensation of the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived.

Some prefer to call this new dispensation the dispensation of ‘grace’ or the dispensation of the ‘church’. This is acceptable as long as we have a proper understanding of the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, the kingdom of heaven HAS come in the person of the Lord Jesus, IS COMING because wherever two or three gather in His name He is present, and WILL COME in fullness when the sons of God are manifested on earth in glorified bodies (Romans 8:19–21). Thus, the kingdom has already come to earth, is continually coming, and will be fully manifested on earth when the Lord Jesus comes ‘the second time’

We continue discussing the ‘Law of the Kingdom of Heaven’ taught by Jesus in Matthew 5–7. We have emphasized that the Law of the Kingdom is directed specifically to Jesus’ disciples. Let us compare the Law of the Kingdom with what Paul states in 1 Corinthians 9:21: “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” Paul clearly states here that he lives under ‘the law of Christ’.

The term ‘Christ’ (‘Christos’) appears 529 times in the New Testament, meaning ‘Messiah’ or ‘the Anointed One’. Matthew uses the term ‘the Christ’ with the definite article to prove that Jesus is the expected Messiah (Matthew 2:4). The Jewish readers of Matthew’s Gospel understood this well. Paul’s writings are filled with the term ‘Christ’ used as a name, as in Romans 5:6; 1 Corinthians 1:6, 13, 17; Ephesians 2:5; Philippians 1:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:11. And Paul frequently uses the expression ‘in Christ’ to describe the believer’s relationship with the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:3–14; Philippians 3:8–9). When Paul uses the term ‘Christ’, it carries several meanings. Let us observe a few of them so we may better understand the expression ‘living under the law of Christ’.

First, Christ is the kingdom. Ephesians 5:5 says, “…has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ…”

Second, Christ is our life. Philippians 1:21 states, “For to me, to live is Christ…” Colossians 3:4 affirms, “When Christ, who is your life…”

Third, Christ is the Spirit. Romans 8:9 states, “…And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

Fourth, Christ is within us. Colossians 1:27 states, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Considering these meanings of ‘Christ’ as used by Paul, we can understand that living under the law of Christ is nothing other than living under the law of the kingdom of heaven. But this law of Christ is within us as our Life (‘zoe’). As ‘zoe’ grows within us, our understanding of the law of Christ grows. Thus, day by day, we increasingly live under the law of Christ.

The Law of the Kingdom of Heaven taught by Jesus in Matthew 5–7 is not carried out by our own ability, but by the law of Christ within us. We cannot possibly obey the Law of the Kingdom written in Matthew 5–7. But as the law of Christ grows within us, we become increasingly enabled to fulfill the Law of the Kingdom. It is not we who perform the Law of the Kingdom, but Christ in us.

Therefore, the disciples of Jesus who live out the Law of the Kingdom in Matthew 5–7 are not like the Jews living under the Law of Moses. Jesus’ disciples are not under the Law, but under grace. Jesus taught the Law of the Kingdom to His disciples, but Christ within us fulfills it.

Let us continue our discussion of the ‘Law of the Kingdom’ in Matthew 5–7. We have seen that the Law of the Kingdom is identical to the law of Christ within us. And as the life of Christ (‘zoe’) grows within us, we increasingly live under the law of Christ or the law of the Kingdom. We need not fear or try to escape the demands of the Law of the Kingdom in Matthew 5–7, nor attempt to ‘lower the standard’ of its demands. For these demands are fulfilled by Christ within us.

Let us take one example of these demands in Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Notice this demand: “you must be perfect,” and the level of perfection required is ‘as’ the Father’s perfection. We should not immediately think that such perfection is impossible. Certainly, it cannot be attained as long as we live in this body, even with the help of the Holy Spirit. Paul states that he feels ‘absent’ from the Lord while in the body (2 Corinthians 5:6). In Philippians 3:12 Paul also says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on…” Paul means that he presses on to know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, to be conformed to His death, and thus attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10–11).

Nevertheless, Paul writes that a person may be saved because righteousness is credited to him through faith. By God’s grace, we BECOME the righteousness of God. Not only do we become God’s righteousness, but we also become the Father’s PERFECTION through faith. Thus, legally—or ‘de jure’—we have ALREADY attained the Father’s perfection. But experientially—or ‘de facto’—we are in the process of arriving there. If so, who is responsible for bringing us to the Father’s perfection ‘experientially’?

Notice Luke 12:32: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” It is emphasized here that inheriting the kingdom is a matter of whether the Father is pleased to give it—not of human effort. If so, who is responsible for making the ‘little flock’ receive the kingdom? Or who is responsible for bringing the ‘little flock’ to the Father’s perfection? Of course, it is the Father in heaven who is responsible for enabling the ‘little flock’ to fulfill the requirements of the kingdom—that is, to be perfect as the Father is perfect.

The requirement of salvation—or of receiving the kingdom—is the Father’s responsibility, not ours. Certainly, we are trained and disciplined by the Father so that we may be worthy of the kingdom. But this remains the Father’s matter. This does not mean that we do not actively work out our salvation, as Philippians 2:12–13 says, but the responsibility for granting the kingdom lies with the Father.

In the Christian world, religious leaders commonly ‘demand’ God’s people to do this or that in order to enter heaven—give tithes or firstfruits or ‘faith pledges’, attend certain buildings regularly, and so on. Such religious demands are not the demands found in the Law of the Kingdom or the Law of Christ. These religious requirements enslave God’s people, although we may understand why religious leaders impose them. But citizens of the kingdom cannot be enslaved by such religious demands.

We continue discussing the Law of the Kingdom in Matthew 5–7. We have emphasized that it is God who demands, but also God who fulfills the demands within and through us. The demands of the Law of the Kingdom cannot be met by us. Yet by His grace we are empowered to fulfill them in His time and way. We will not discuss every point in Matthew 5–7. At this time we will discuss the nine beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3–12. Let us examine these nine statements briefly.

First, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (v. 3). The original text says “poor in spirit,” meaning those who have no desire to be rich.

Second, blessed are those who mourn—those who feel sorrow over the condition of the world where injustice exists, where God’s word is rejected, and where the Lord Jesus is rejected. These cause grief in the hearts of the kingdom people.

Third, blessed are the meek—those who do not resist and can bear pressure.

Fourth, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Righteousness here refers to right behavior. This verse does not say, “Blessed are the righteous,” because no one can claim perfectly righteous behavior. But those who long for righteous behavior will be satisfied.

Fifth, blessed are the merciful—those who give something to those who do not deserve it.

Sixth, blessed are the pure in heart. The original text says “those whose heart is pure,” meaning those with a single purpose—to do the Father’s will and glorify His name.

Seventh, blessed are the peacemakers. The Father reconciled the world to Himself through Christ’s sacrifice. Blessed are those who bring this message of peace to the world.

Eighth, blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake. This refers to the past—saints in the Old Testament persecuted for righteousness will inherit the kingdom.

Ninth, the final beatitude addresses New Testament saints who are persecuted, insulted, and slandered because of Christ.

If we notice the nine beatitudes, all are related to the inner condition of the kingdom people. Not one blessing is associated with having wealth, worldly honor, worldly success, or high achievements. Why? For several reasons. The New Testament focuses on spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), while the Old Testament—being symbolic, prophetic, and typological—focuses on material blessings. Furthermore, Christ dwells within His people (Colossians 1:27). The kingdom of Christ is within us today. Therefore, the nine beatitudes concern our inward condition before God.

Nevertheless, the kingdom within us will be manifested on earth at His coming (commonly called the second coming). Therefore, it is stated that the meek will inherit the earth. For at His coming, the kingdom people will reign on earth with the Lord Jesus.

We continue with the nine beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–12. But before that, we will divide the Sermon on the Mount into six sections and assign a main theme to each.

Section 1: Matthew 5:1–16 — The identity or fundamental character of the kingdom people.

Section 2: Matthew 5:17–48 — The fulfillment of the Law.

Section 3: Matthew 6:1–18 — The worship of the kingdom people.

Section 4: Matthew 6:19–34 — The devotion of the kingdom people regarding mammon.

Section 5: Matthew 7:1–12 — The fellowship of the kingdom people.

Section 6: Matthew 7:13–29 — The kingdom people, the crowds, and the deception that will occur.

Let us look again at the beatitudes related to the kingdom of heaven and the earth. It is emphasized that the kingdom people inherit both the kingdom of heaven and the earth. What does it mean to inherit the kingdom of heaven and also the earth? We know that the kingdom people are already citizens of the kingdom of heaven, and that the kingdom is already within them. The kingdom people do not need to die physically to enter the kingdom. Even now, by the

Father’s grace and pleasure, the kingdom people (“the little flock”) have inherited the kingdom (Luke 12:32).

At the coming of Jesus, the kingdom people will be manifested on earth with glorified bodies to reign and possess the earth (Revelation 5:10; 20:4; Romans 8:19–21). The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of the Lord and His people (Revelation 11:15). Together with the Lord Jesus, the kingdom people will reign on the earth, subduing all things until the Father becomes all in all (1 Corinthians 15:21–28). The last enemy, which is death, will be the wages of sin have been subdued. Through the ministry of the people of the kingdom, the earth moves toward the new earth and the new heaven as well. Thus the people of the kingdom inherit the kingdom of heaven and also possess the earth, according to Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

At the moment the people of the kingdom indeed do not possess many things, yet Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:10, “…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” Paul’s words here seem contradictory, but the people of the kingdom fully believe the promises of the Lord Jesus that we will inherit the earth and will subdue all things so that the Father may be all in all.

In the Christian world, generally, it has been taught and believed that Christians will leave this earth and go to “heaven far away” when they die physically. Some Christians even believe that they will be “raptured” from the earth in order to escape the great tribulation that will come upon the world. All such concepts and beliefs are foreign to the Gospel of Matthew.

Let us take just one example from Matthew 24:37–42 concerning the coming of the Son of Man. Notice verse 24, which emphasizes that the coming of the Son of Man corresponds to the days of Noah. We know that in the days of Noah, the wicked were “taken away” by the great flood, while Noah and his household inherited the earth. Therefore, at the coming of the Son of Man, the wicked will be “taken away” from the earth, while the people of the kingdom will inherit the earth, as in the sermon on the mount. Thus the people of the kingdom possess the earth.

Now we will discuss Matthew 5:13–14 regarding the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This section belongs to the first division in our outline, Matthew 5:1–16, whose main theme is ‘the identity or fundamental nature of the people of the kingdom’. It was emphasized earlier that the identity of the people of the kingdom is ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’. The people of the kingdom do not need to do anything to become salt and light. Jesus plainly said, ‘You are the salt of the earth’ and ‘You are the light of the world’. Their identity is clear.

After Jesus declares the identity of the people of the kingdom, then come the facts and the commandments: if the salt loses its flavor, it is no longer good for anything. Concerning the light of the world, Jesus commands, ‘Let your light shine before others’. Here we see a very important principle for the people of the kingdom: their identity precedes the commandments. They are not given commandments in order to become salt and light. Rather, because they already ‘are’ salt and light, the commandments come so that they may act in accordance with their identity.

The principle for the people of the kingdom is: they have ALREADY become salt and light, THEREFORE they must act according to that identity. This principle is crucial because being salt and light is entirely due to the grace and choice of the Father in heaven. Inheriting the kingdom of heaven is likewise solely by the Father’s choice and pleasure (Luke 12:32). We become salt and light not because of our works, but solely because of the Father’s choosing.

Paul also says in Ephesians 5:8, “…for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” This principle is the same: you are light and ALREADY light, THEREFORE walk as children of light. This ALREADY–THEREFORE principle is a principle of pure grace.

Consider 1 Corinthians 15:10, “…on the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” Even though Paul worked harder than the others, he said, “not I, but the grace of God.” The principle behind Paul’s words is the same ALREADY–THEREFORE principle we are discussing. There is no grounds for boasting, for everything is grace. The people of the kingdom ‘boast only in the Lord’ because of His grace.

Why do we emphasize this principle? Because Christianity has fallen into merely being the ‘Christian religion’, the prevailing principle in the Christian world is IF–THEN. Religious leaders often say: if you give money, then you will be blessed. If you pray, then you will be blessed. If you faithfully attend a certain building, then you will grow in faith. If… if… and if. Each denomination typically has its own IF–THEN principles. This is the religious attempt to earn heaven or to be pleasing to God. The Christian religion is no different from other religions, for every religion in the world is humanity’s attempt to please God. The IF–THEN principle is the principle of human effort. But the people of the kingdom live solely by His grace.

We will now discuss the second section of the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:17–48, whose theme is ‘the fulfillment of the Law’. Verse 17 states, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” In verse 18, Jesus emphasizes that not even one iota or one dot will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

The Law and the Prophets here refer to the entire Old Testament. The Old Testament is prophetic, symbolic, typological, and all has been fulfilled through the coming of Jesus. Not a single iota or dot is left unfulfilled, because Jesus said none may pass away ‘until all is accomplished’, meaning until all is fulfilled. Thus the entire Old Testament has been fulfilled by Jesus.

Consider Luke 16:16, “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” This verse affirms that after John the Baptist a new ‘dispensation’ or ‘era’ in God’s administration began, in which the gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed. Although John preached the gospel of the kingdom, he himself did not belong to this new dispensation.

In this new dispensation, the message preached is the good news of the kingdom of heaven. All the books of the New Testament have only one central theme: the kingdom of heaven. Jesus and His apostles proclaimed only one good news—the good news of the kingdom. Once again, the Old Testament is not abolished; it is fulfilled.

How did Jesus fulfill the Old Testament? Through His death, resurrection, ascension to heaven, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the entire Old Testament was fulfilled. Not a single iota or dot remains unfulfilled. With the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament, Jesus then presented something new: the laws of the kingdom of heaven. Notice this section (Matthew 5:21–48) in which Jesus says six times, “You have heard … but I say to you” (vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). This does not mean Jesus cancelled the previous word, but since He has fulfilled it, a new word comes—the law of the kingdom.

Jesus warns that whoever annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (v. 19). The meaning is not that Jesus brings the commandments of the Law into the law of the kingdom, but that whoever teaches the Law WITHOUT teaching its fulfillment will be least in the kingdom.

In the Christian world, we see some Bible teachers insisting that tithing laws or first-fruits laws (money)—interpreted as financial obligations—still apply in the New Testament, using various arguments. But the people of the kingdom will teach the Law along with its fulfillment in the context of the New Testament.

We are still discussing the second section of the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:17–48, focusing on the ‘fulfillment of the Law’. Let us look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:20: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The Greek term ‘dikaiosune’, translated ‘righteousness’ or ‘your religious life’ in some versions, actually means ‘righteousness’.

The ‘righteousness’ referred to here is not the ‘objective righteousness’ received by a believer through faith in Jesus (justification by faith), but ‘subjective righteousness’—the righteousness of Christ formed in the believer’s inner being, which leads and governs daily life, and becomes his or her righteousness. This subjective righteousness grows only by living out the ‘Life of Christ’ in our inward being day by day. This subjective righteousness relates to the ‘wedding garment’ in the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1–14), whose conclusion is many are called, but few are chosen.

This subjective righteousness grows day by day, as Paul affirms in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Christians who live by the Life of Christ daily will grow in their subjective righteousness. This is how believers can keep the laws of the kingdom of heaven taught by Jesus. It is not the Christian who performs these laws, but Christ within them. Thus is fulfilled, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Let us look again at Matthew 5:20: unless our righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. How can our righteousness surpass theirs? The scribes and Pharisees in the New Testament era kept the Law externally. They emphasized outward rituals—fasting, tithing, lengthy prayers, sabbath-keeping, washings, sacrifices, broad phylacteries, long fringes—to appear zealous for Yahweh.

Jesus rebuked them repeatedly as ‘hypocrites’ (Matthew 23). Hypocrisy is presenting an outward appearance of godliness while being inwardly corrupt, like whitewashed tombs beautiful on the outside but full of dead men’s bones inside (Matthew 23:27). Christian righteousness in worship must surpass the outward righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Christians must worship daily in spirit and truth (reality), as Jesus said in John 4. Paul prophesied that a time would come when people would have ‘a form of godliness but deny its power’ (2 Timothy 3:5).

Look at today’s Christian world, where worship generally takes place in church buildings on Sundays. Honestly, Sunday services provide wide opportunities for hypocrisy. Not all Christians behave hypocritically, of course, but hypocrisy is far more easily expressed in church buildings than in daily life at home. This is one reason why, in the Christian world, many are called but few are chosen.

Let us again consider Matthew 5:20. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. These men zealously kept the Law but lacked true understanding. Romans 10:3 states, “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” In Romans 3:21 Paul confirms that we obtain God’s righteousness only through faith in Christ Jesus, and by this we meet God’s standard. We do not build our own righteousness by keeping the Law or religious regulations, but through faith in Christ. Thus our righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees.

The righteousness of God is the standard required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. No one can achieve this standard by keeping the Law—or even by keeping the laws of the kingdom Jesus teaches in the sermon on the mount. Because they did not understand God’s righteousness, the scribes and Pharisees kept the Law outwardly, which not only failed to meet God’s standard but also rendered them hypocrites as they tried to establish their own righteousness.

Indeed, anyone who attempts to please God or reach His standard by keeping His commandments, or religious rules, or any human-devised religious practices, will end up only with hypocrisy and pretense. This is exactly what Paul foretold in 2 Timothy 3:5: “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” This prophecy applies equally to Christians at the end of the age.

To better understand God’s righteousness obtained through faith, let us consider 1 Timothy 1:4, “…rather than the stewardship of God that is by faith.” The term ‘stewardship’ is translated from the Greek ‘oikonomia’, made up of ‘oikos’ (household) and ‘nomos’ (law or regulations). Thus the stewardship of God means the way God arranges His household by giving laws or regulations appropriate for each era. In the Old Testament era, God gave the Law to His people Israel. In the

New Testament era, God has given the laws of the kingdom to the church. But we must remember: this stewardship of God is ‘by faith’. Meaning: both keeping the Law in the Old Testament and keeping the laws of the kingdom in the New must be by faith.

The saints of the Old Testament were called men and women of faith because they believed in Yahweh and expressed their faith through the Law. Likewise, the church today consists of people of faith who express their faith through the laws of the kingdom of heaven. Truly, in every age, from the time of Abel to the era of the New Testament, all the saints were people of faith (Hebrews 11).

Today, the church has fallen into tens of thousands of denominations, each with its own religious regulations. Yet the people of the Kingdom still worship in spirit and in truth, and do not fall into the error of the Pharisees and scribes, who practiced the Law externally.

We now enter the third section of the Sermon on the Mount, whose main theme is the worship of the people of the Kingdom (Matthew 6:1–18). In this section, Jesus teaches about the practice of worship in giving alms, prayer, and fasting. In His teaching, Jesus compares the common worship practices of the scribes and Pharisees with the practices that should characterize the people of the Kingdom.

Let us observe these three acts of worship. First, giving alms (6:1–4). Here Jesus emphasizes giving alms in such a way that “your left hand does not know what your right hand is doing,” meaning it is done secretly. The Pharisees and scribes liked to carry out their religious practices openly so that they would be seen and praised by others. Jesus calls such people ‘hypocrites’. These hypocrites have already received their reward and will not receive any reward from the Father in heaven.

Second, praying (6:5–15). Here too Jesus warns not to pray in order to be seen by others, for such people have already received their reward. Jesus also teaches a prayer we commonly call “the Lord’s Prayer,” which we will discuss later. Third, fasting (6:16–18). Jesus also teaches that we should not look somber or show outward signs when fasting, but fast in secret. Thus we receive our reward from the Father in heaven and avoid hypocrisy.

Jesus’ teaching regarding ‘acts of worship’ here places strong emphasis on the reward from the Father in heaven. Likewise, those who worship must not fall into hypocrisy. The Pharisees and scribes have already received their reward from people—money, position, and human honor.

So then, how should the people of the Kingdom worship? Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4 explains the worship of the people of the Kingdom. Jesus stresses that worship is not about “on this mountain or in Jerusalem” (verse 21). Worship is not a matter of externals or outward forms. Worship must be done ‘in spirit and in truth’ (verse 23). The Greek term ‘aletheia’, translated ‘truth’, also means ‘reality’. Reality is the opposite of symbols, shadows, and outward forms. Worship in ‘reality’ means worship in essence, not in symbols, shadows, or outward rituals.

Old Testament worship was indeed filled with symbols, shadows, and outward forms because the Old Testament itself is symbolic, shadowy, and prophetic. But Jesus came to fulfill the Law; therefore, the people of the Kingdom no longer worship through symbols, shadows, and outward forms.

The essence of worship is in the spirit, in our inner being. Colossians 2:17 emphasizes that Christ is the substance of all Old Testament symbols, shadows, and prophecies. And Christ is in our inner being as our Life (Colossians 1:27; 3:4). Worship for the people of the Kingdom is inward: living out the Life of Christ in daily life—living each day under the leading of ‘Christ within’. The worship of the people of the Kingdom is not ‘on this or that mountain’, nor on this or that day. Their daily life is their worship. Of course, the people of the Kingdom also gather to praise the Lord together as the Spirit leads, just as the early church did.

We know that the church has fallen because of the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans. These three false teachings have turned the church into the world (a system) of Christianity, where hypocrisy can easily arise in worship, and where leaders can easily benefit from religious activities. Certainly not everyone in the system of Christianity is hypocritical or seeks profit from ministry, but the system created by the three false teachings makes such possibilities very widespread.

We will now discuss the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught in Matthew 6:9–13. But we will not discuss the entire prayer, only the parts that directly concern the Kingdom of Heaven. Observe verse 10: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We have already discussed that the Kingdom of Heaven came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. However, in verse 10 Jesus teaches that we should pray for the Kingdom of Heaven to come to earth so that the Father’s will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 18:20 affirms, “For where two or three gather in My name, there am I in their midst.” Thus, whenever two or three believers gather in the name of Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven comes to earth. But Revelation 5:10 and 20:4 affirm that after this age, believers will rule on this earth. This means the Kingdom of Heaven has come, continues to come, and will one day come in its fullness upon the earth. Scripture affirms that Jesus Christ will return to establish His Kingdom on earth.

We see here that the earth is the focus of the Father’s plan. Even in the nine Beatitudes we previously discussed, the meek are promised that they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). From all these facts, we learn that the Father’s plan for humanity centers on this earth, even though in the world of Christianity people are commonly focused on “going to heaven after death.”

Let us consider Genesis 1:26, which says, “…Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have dominion… over all the earth…” God’s purpose in making humanity in His image and likeness is that they may rule over the earth. The Hebrew term for ‘have dominion’ here is ‘radah’, meaning ‘to rule’. This refers to human government over the earth. Verse 28 adds not only ruling but also ‘subduing’ the earth. The Hebrew term here is ‘kabash’, meaning ‘to trample’. From Genesis 1:26–28 we learn that God’s purpose for humanity is to rule and subdue the earth. There is an enemy to be subdued and trampled underfoot.

Jesus taught us to pray for the Kingdom of Heaven to come to earth so that humans may rule over the earth and subdue the kingdom of darkness. Romans 8:19–21 explains that when the Kingdom of Heaven is fully manifested on earth through the sons of God, not only will the Father’s will be done ‘on earth as in heaven’, but all creation will also be freed from the bondage of corruption. Notice Romans 8:20–21: “For the creation was subjected to vanity… the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (ILT). Thus, the sons of God, manifested on the earth in glorified bodies, will liberate the entire creation from corruption. This is the purpose behind Jesus’ teaching for us to pray for the Kingdom of Heaven to come to earth.

We will now discuss the fourth section of the Sermon on the Mount: “the devotion of the people of the Kingdom concerning mammon” (Matthew 6:19–34). Matthew 6:22–24 states: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness… No one can serve two masters. For he will either hate the one and love the other… You cannot serve God and mammon.” The word ‘serve’ here is the Greek ‘douleuō’, a verb meaning ‘to serve as a slave’.

Thus Jesus clearly states that no one can be both a ‘servant of God’ and a ‘servant of Mammon’. We must not quickly assume that ‘servants of God’ are Christians who serve on pulpits or in full-time religious activities, while ‘servants of Mammon’ are Christians working in business or the ‘secular world’. We must first understand who the Pharisees really were in God’s eyes. Luke 16:14 says: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they derided Him.”

When Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13), the religious leaders of His day mocked Him. Thus, whether someone is a servant of God or a servant of mammon is not determined by their occupation or religious service in the Temple. It is determined by a person’s ‘eye’—their vision, life purpose, and focus. Since the ‘servants of Mammon’ in Jesus’ day were religious leaders, we will discuss servanthood only in relation to the ‘religious world’, not Christians working in business or secular fields.

To understand the ‘religious world’, we must understand John’s writings concerning the ‘world’ (‘kosmos’), which carry deep theological meaning. The term ‘kosmos’ appears 186 times in the NT; more than half of these are in John’s Gospel (78) and his epistles (24). The basic meaning of ‘kosmos’ is ‘order’ or ‘system’. To understand its meaning in John’s writings, we must look at context. In John 3:16, ‘kosmos’ refers to all humanity loved by the Father. But in John 15:18–25, where the world (‘kosmos’) hates Jesus and His disciples, the reference is to the religious world (Judaism), since verse 25 cites a prophecy from their Law.

This religious world is exactly what John refers to in Revelation 2–3, where the churches in Asia Minor (representing the church age) have become a ‘kosmos’ through the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. This religious world arose because the early church fell, resulting in the Lord calling forth His overcomers. Christianity, originally an ‘organism’ (the Body of Christ), has become a ‘system’, a ‘kosmos’. If we receive grace from the Lord, we will understand that the early church split into tens of thousands of denominations because of the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans.

Let us discuss only one, according to our theme: the teaching of Balaam, which has spread throughout denominations. The core of Balaam’s teaching is the support of a wage system for serving God. Many verses appear to support this, such as ‘the worker is worthy of his wages’, or ‘do not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain’. But the teaching of Balaam is false; therefore, there must be a true version. Those who teach ‘Balaam’s doctrine’ often take verses about wages for service to support their teaching. But it is certain that such teachers are servants of mammon.

Before continuing with John’s vision of the scroll that only the Lamb of God can open, let us first discuss the 24 elders and the four living creatures around God’s throne, who will reign on earth (Revelation 4–5). Some say that the 24 elders and the four living creatures are angels or heavenly beings, not saints redeemed and chosen from every tribe, nation, people, and tongue. We must address this view, because it obscures our understanding of Revelation and the Father’s original purpose. Several points must be considered.

First, Genesis 1:26–28 clearly states that God’s original plan for humanity is to rule and subdue the earth. Thus, the earth is the focus of His plan.

Second, God’s plan in choosing Israel was that the entire nation would be ‘a kingdom of priests’, that is, kings and priests to all nations (Exodus 19:5–6). But after Israel fell into the worship of the golden calf, only the tribe of Levi came to Moses when he asked who was on the Lord’s side (Exodus 32:26). Thus God selected only the Levites to serve as priests, representing all the tribes. But God’s original plan was for all tribes of Israel to be kings and priests to the nations.

Third, God’s plan in the NT for all the saints is to make the entire church ‘a royal priesthood’ (1 Peter 2:9). But through the false teaching of the Nicolaitans, the church was divided into clergy and laity, or pastors and congregations. Yet the Father has chosen a “little flock” within Christianity and is forming them into kings and priests (Luke 12:32; Revelation 1:6).

Thus it is clear that the Father’s purpose is to form humanity so they may rule and subdue the earth—and this begins with His chosen people. Therefore, the view that the 24 elders and four living creatures are angels or heavenly beings, not humans, obscures the Father’s original plan. It also makes the focus of Revelation unclear. Why? Because Revelation unveils the person of Jesus Christ. And there are four stages in the revelation of Jesus Christ to His church:

1. Christ revealed TO us — we know Him outwardly.

2. Christ revealed IN us — we experience Him inwardly.

3. Christ revealed AS us — as Paul says in Galatians 2:20, Christ lives as Paul.

4. Christ revealed THROUGH us — Christ expresses Himself through His chosen ones on earth.

In truth, the “second coming” of Christ means Christ is manifested to creation through the sons of God (Romans 8:19–21).

Thus, Revelation is indeed the unveiling of Jesus Christ, but His coming ‘through His chosen people’ is the ‘central’ focus of Revelation. And at this time, His chosen ones are being formed into kings and priests. Not angels, not heavenly beings, but the saints. For how can Jesus come as King of kings if His people remain spiritual infants? How can He come as High Priest if His people still rely on “pastors” or “priests” to meet their spiritual needs? Therefore, the 24 elders and the four living creatures symbolize God’s chosen people, formed into kings and priests.

Let us now discuss a little more about the ‘system’ or ‘kosmos’ in John’s writings, because it is this ‘system’ that hates Jesus and His disciples (John 15:18, 25). We must recognize what this ‘system’ is, because Christianity, which was originally an ‘organism’ (the early church = the Body of Christ), has become a ‘system’ or ‘kosmos’.

In the Indonesian dictionary, a system is ‘a set of elements that are interconnected in an orderly manner to form a totality’. In English, a system is ‘a group of things or parts working together in a regular relationship’. To simplify the concept of a system, we may imagine gears of various sizes, however, each one is connected by a belt. If a certain wheel is turned, then the other wheels will certainly turn as well, although of course at different speeds according to their diameters. If we apply this illustration to the world (system) of Christianity, then the wheels (parts) of this system are the denominations, theological schools, synods, and other components of Christianity. What we must understand well is that there must be energy or power to exert effort so that this system operates. What, then, is the energy or power that drives the Christian system?

Before we answer that, let us first look at John’s writings that speak about this ‘system’ (kosmos). 1 John 5:19 affirms, “… the whole world (kosmos) lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 John 2:15–16 says, “Do not love the world (kosmos) or anything in the world… For everything in the world (kosmos)—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father…” 1 John 5:4 states, “… And this is the victory that overcomes the world (kosmos): our faith.” If so, what drives the Christian system? The answer is, of course, money, because a system will not function without money.

The early church had not yet fallen into a ‘system’ (kosmos). The revelation that the church had become a kosmos was given to the apostle John when the church was dominated by three false teachings: Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). The early church, which was an organism, was moved solely by the Holy Spirit, or the Life of Christ. Indeed, the servants of the early church also needed money, but only for daily necessities and travel needs such as Paul’s. There was no wage system (the teaching of Balaam) that drove the servants of the early church. This is very different from what happens in the Christian system today.

To conclude this section, the journey of Israel out of Egypt toward the Promised Land may clarify what ‘system’ means. Israel in Egypt is essentially a symbol of God’s people inside a system (the world), for in Scripture, Egypt represents the world. Although the Bible calls Egypt ‘the house of bondage’, God still cared for and greatly blessed the Israelites in Egypt so that they multiplied abundantly. But the inheritance of Israel was not Egypt—it was the Promised Land. Therefore, Israel had to leave the house of bondage to obtain their inheritance. And we know that only the families of Joshua and Caleb received their inheritance because they had faith. Thus, Israel in Egypt symbolizes God’s people enslaved by the system, whereas Israel in the Promised Land symbolizes God’s people receiving their inheritance—the kingdom of heaven.

Likewise with the Christian system today. God’s people within the Christian system are still cared for and abundantly blessed. But that is not proof that the Father’s plan for Christians is to remain inside the system (kosmos). The Christian system (kosmos) will be destroyed at the coming of the Lord Jesus. The kingdom people who receive grace to inherit the kingdom will reign on earth, replacing all worldly systems (political, economic, religious, etc.), including the Christian system (Revelation 11:15).

We now continue our discussion into the fourth section of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:19–34, with the main theme being ‘the devotion of the kingdom people concerning mammon’. Matthew 6:33 states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (ILT). We have already discussed that no one can serve two masters—God and mammon (6:24), and we have also discussed the Christian system (the world = the Christian kosmos). After teaching that one cannot serve two masters, Jesus immediately continues into the teaching about worry (6:25–34). Why is that? We will explore this matter of worry in the context of ‘the devotion of kingdom people concerning mammon’.

Once again, we must remember that this teaching on the mount was addressed to Jesus’ disciples. Jesus certainly knew that the root issue that might cause His disciples to serve mammon was their worry about their daily needs. The essence of Jesus’ teaching here is that the Father knows our needs and will surely meet them; therefore, we do not need to worry.

To interpret this matter of worry correctly, we must return to how the early church eventually fell into the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans in the days of the apostle John (Revelation 2–3). We will focus especially on the teaching of Balaam because this false teaching is what caused the church to implement a ‘wage system’ for those who serve God. Let us look at Numbers 22–24 to understand this false teaching of Balaam.

Balaam appears to be a servant of God because he first asked God when the elders of Moab came to him with ‘the diviner’s fee’ to curse Israel (Numbers 22:7–8). God clearly said that Balaam must not curse Israel (22:12). But when the king of Moab sent more distinguished princes with a much larger diviner’s fee, Balaam asked God the second time (22:19). When Balaam asked God the second time, it became clear that he was actually a servant of mammon and loved the wages of divination. Why? Balaam already knew God’s will not to curse Israel, but because the fee increased, he acted as if he were seeking God’s will by asking again. Because God already knew Balaam’s heart loved the wages, He allowed Balaam to go. And when Balaam went, God’s anger burned against him (22:22).

From this story, it may seem that God changed His mind—initially forbidding Balaam but later allowing him to go. In fact, God did not change His mind; He allowed Balaam to go because He saw that Balaam’s heart loved the wages. This case is similar to Matthew 19:3–8, where the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce. Jesus answered, “… Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (19:8). Sometimes God allows His people to take a path that He did not intend from the beginning, but He allows it because of the hardness of their hearts.

If we reflect on why God allowed the false teaching of Balaam into the church—even though it was not His original intention—it is because in the Christian world, the Balaam teaching opened wide opportunities for servants of mammon disguised as servants of God, who appear to seek God’s will but actually seek and love the wages of their ministry. God allowed all this to happen because of the hardness of His people’s hearts.

But for the kingdom people, God speaks: “Do not fear, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms…” (Luke 12:32–33). This does not mean that we may not own anything in this world, but the Father in heaven is emphasizing that our true treasure is in heaven and that we should not worry about our daily needs.

We now enter the fifth part of the Sermon on the Mount on the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 7:1–12, with the theme ‘the fellowship of the kingdom people’. Several matters are discussed here: do not judge, do not give what is holy to dogs, prayer, and principles of relationship with others.

Let us begin with the matter of judging. Many Christians do not distinguish between judging and rebuking or pointing out error. Paul advised Timothy to “… rebuke and exhort with all patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Jesus also taught how to rebuke a brother who sins (Matthew 18:15–17). Therefore, rebuking or pointing out a brother’s sin is not wrong—indeed, as fellow brothers and sisters, we are encouraged to admonish, rebuke, and build one another up.

But judging is something forbidden for kingdom people. Judging is not only pointing out wrongdoing but also pronouncing a verdict or penalty on a brother we consider guilty. That is the task of a judge—to declare guilt and to deliver a sentence.

Jesus’ disciples would never judge one another if they obeyed His teaching in Matthew 23:1–12. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to the crowds and to His disciples (v.1). Jesus says that the Pharisees and scribes sit in “Moses’ seat,” meaning they have authority over the people; therefore the people must do what they teach, though Jesus warns not to follow their deeds.

Then, in verses 8 to 10, Jesus speaks to His disciples, telling them not to let anyone be called Rabbi, father, or leader. In context, Jesus is teaching His disciples that among them there is no “seat of Moses.” No one has authority over another. All members of the kingdom community are brothers—meaning there is no “Moses’ seat.” There is no hierarchy among the kingdom people,

unlike the fallen Christian world. If there is hierarchy among God’s people, a leader can judge his brother because he can not only rebuke but also impose penalties.

In other words, in the context of an ‘organization’, someone can judge his brother. But kingdom people live in the context of an ‘organism’, and therefore they will not judge one another. Kingdom people only admonish, rebuke, and build one another up as fellow members of an organism. Therefore, Jesus’ command not to judge our brother can indeed be obeyed by kingdom people. In fact, it is Christians who live in an organizational context who violate Jesus’ command not to judge.

Another matter in this section is the instruction not to give what is holy to dogs or throw pearls before swine. The teaching of the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven is like ‘what is holy’ or ‘pearls’, meaning this teaching is not for the general public. This is why Jesus first went up the mountain and only taught when His disciples came to Him. We also need to seek God’s wisdom to know when and how to share the teaching of the kingdom of heaven.

We now reach the sixth part of the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 7:13–29, with the theme ‘kingdom people and the crowds, and the deception that will occur’. Let us begin with Matthew 7:13–14: “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it; but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The Greek term translated ‘destruction’ here is ‘apoleia’, which means ‘ruin or loss’. The term ‘apoleia’ does not necessarily mean destruction in the sense of losing salvation or eternal damnation in hell. In Matthew 26:8 and Mark 14:4, concerning the woman who anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume, the term ‘apoleia’ is translated ‘waste’. Indeed, the meaning of a term depends on how it is used in its context. We know that the Sermon on the Mount was addressed especially to Jesus’ disciples (Matthew 5:1–2), although eventually the crowds also listened in awe (Matthew 7:28).

Thus, the listeners of the Sermon on the Mount were Jesus’ followers consisting of His disciples and also the crowds. In John 6 we read that the crowds followed Jesus because they sought physical bread, and Jesus rebuked them for this (John 6:26–27). Therefore, the term ‘apoleia’ must be understood as ruin or loss FOR JESUS’ FOLLOWERS. 1 Corinthians 3:13–15 explains this loss or ruin for followers of Jesus: “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

So, there are two gates and two roads that may be taken by Christians or followers of Jesus. Jesus affirms that the gate leading to life is narrow and the road is difficult, and few find it. We may reasonably conclude that the ‘crowds’ following Jesus will take the wide gate and broad road. Why?

In the Gospels, the crowds consistently followed or sought Jesus for physical bread, healing, miracles, and other material benefits. These things are not wrong as long as they first seek the kingdom of heaven and work for the food that does not perish. The issue lies in the hearts of the followers. If their hearts already prioritize bread, miracles, healing, and other physical matters, then they will naturally choose the easy path—the wide gate and broad road—which will bring loss at the judgment seat of Christ.

The remaining verses in Matthew 7 speak of deception or false prophets, and also of Christians who have performed many miracles, prophesied, and cast out demons but are rejected on the last day. We may conclude that Christians who focus on worldly and outward matters will not stand at the judgment seat of Christ.

Now let us continue this sixth part of the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven regarding ‘kingdom people, the crowds, and the coming deception’. We will discuss the deception that will occur among followers of Jesus. Matthew 7:15 states, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Now we will discuss or identify who these false prophets are. This is very important because in the Christian world there is a tendency to assume that false prophets or false teachers are Christians who have not been born again and do not know Jesus at all. In other words, they are assumed to be ‘outside’ the Christian world—commonly called ‘not insiders’ or ‘not church people’.

The term ‘false prophet’ is translated from the Greek word ‘pseudoprophētēs’, which appears 11 times in the New Testament. Let us look at 2 Peter 2, which speaks extensively about these ‘pseudoprophētēs’. Note verses 15, 20, and 21: “They have forsaken the right way and have gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness… For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them… It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”

We see several facts about the ‘pseudoprophētēs’ here. First, they are people who have FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY, meaning they once walked in the right way but then went astray into the way of Balaam. Second, they ONCE KNEW Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and had escaped the defilements of the world, yet became entangled in them again. Third, they are those who TURNED AWAY FROM THE HOLY COMMAND (THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS) and then followed the way of Balaam. From Peter’s description of these ‘pseudoprophetes’, the identity of these false prophets or false teachers becomes clear: they are Christians who have been born again, have personally known Jesus Christ, have once walked in the way of righteousness, and have even escaped the defilements of the world.

The statement in Matthew 7:15 above, that these false prophets “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves,” should not be misunderstood as if their true identity is that of SAVAGE WOLVES pretending to be SHEEP. Not so. Paul spoke to the leaders of the church that savage wolves would attack, causing church leaders to teach false doctrines in order to draw the Lord’s disciples away (Acts 20:28–30). Revelation 2–3 mentions three false teachings: the doctrines of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. Therefore, false prophets or false teachers are church leaders who ARE TRUE SHEEP but are attacked by SAVAGE WOLVES, which refer to the devil. Thus, to be clear, false prophets or false teachers are SHEEP who have been ATTACKED BY SAVAGE WOLVES.

In the Christian world today, the teachings of Balaam, Jezebel, and the Nicolaitans have been widely accepted in many denominations. So, in the context of today’s Christianity, who are the “sheep attacked by savage wolves”? They are church leaders who teach false doctrines in order to draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves.

We continue our discussion of the sixth section in the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven, written in Matthew 7:13–29, concerning ‘deception’. Let us observe Matthew 7:16: “You will know them by their fruits…” Jesus clearly declares that false prophets or false teachers are recognized by their fruit. Many Christians assume that the fruit refers to a person’s character or to the results of a false prophet’s ministry.

However, seeing the context of Matthew 5–7, which speaks about the ‘teaching’ of the Kingdom of Heaven, it is more fitting to interpret the ‘fruit’ of false prophets or false teachers as their teaching. It is from their teaching that we can know who they truly are. We have already discussed from 2 Peter 2 the characteristics of false teachers, namely that they follow ‘the way of Balaam’ (verse 15). In Revelation 2–3, Balaam has become one of the false doctrines, a doctrine that supports and gives opportunity to those who love the wages of their “ministry.” These false teachers or prophets indeed seek personal gain in their ministry. So, it becomes quite easy to recognize these “Balaam-teachers.” If a “servant” of God frequently preaches about how he obtained money, it can be certain that he is a “Balaam-teacher.”

Let us take two false doctrines that are popular in Christianity today, though not accepted by all groups: the false doctrines of tithing and first fruits (money), which are generally understood as monetary offerings from the congregation to their leaders. Although in the books of the New Testament there is not a single example of the early church practicing tithing or first fruits—let alone a specific command to give monetary tithes or first fruits—these “Balaam-teachers” continue to teach them. Sometimes these teachers interpret Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:23, “You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former,” as though Jesus were recommending tithing for the church. But we know that the context of this verse is a rebuke to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who were under the Law of Moses. Therefore, those living under the Law must tithe, but the church does not live under the Law; it lives under Grace.

In Acts 20:28–30, Paul reveals the motivation of these church leaders in teaching false doctrines: to draw disciples to themselves. These false teachers build their own kingdoms, and for that they need money—to build buildings and support anything that advances “their ministry.” Such things were never practiced by the Apostles or by the servants of the early church.

Thus, we can test the teaching of “Balaam” from Scripture. But then, how can the people of the kingdom recognize them, since not all of them have wide and detailed understanding of Scripture? In truth, the people of the kingdom have been equipped with the ‘anointing within’, enabling them to recognize true teaching (1 John 2:27). His anointing teaches all things to the people of the kingdom. In this way, they can discern these false teachers.

After speaking about the ‘deception’ His followers must face, Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing judgment (Matthew 7:21–27). 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” Yet we must see God’s judgment in two aspects: the aspect of punishment (what a person sows, he reaps), and the aspect of restoration, as written in Isaiah 26:9: “…for when Your judgments come upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

Let us begin with the first judgment in Matthew 7:21–23: “Not everyone who says to Me: Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day… we prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and performed many miracles in Your name… Then I will declare to them… you workers of lawlessness.” Here it is clear that the judgment depends on whether someone does the will of the Father in heaven—not on prophesying, casting out demons, or working miracles in His name. The followers of Jesus who are denied participation in reigning with Him when the Kingdom of Heaven is fully manifested on earth (commonly called the millennial kingdom) are those who commit ‘lawlessness’, meaning they do not do the Father’s will.

The Greek term translated ‘lawlessness’ is ‘anomia’, meaning the absence of law. It means these followers of Jesus carry out their ministry in His name but violate the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven. The term ‘anomia’ also appears in the parable of the wheat and the tares: “…all who practice lawlessness (anomia) will be gathered out of His kingdom” (Matthew 13:41). Thus, these followers of Jesus are indeed in the Kingdom of Heaven, but during their earthly ministry they did not do the Father’s will and violated the Law of the Kingdom, and therefore they are rejected from reigning on earth at the Lord’s “second coming.”

The next judgment is written in Matthew 7:24–27 concerning two foundations. Followers of Jesus who hear His words and do them are likened to a foundation built on rock. Those who do not are likened to a foundation built on sand. The Lord’s judgment is likened to “the rain descending and the floods coming.” Naturally, the house built on the rock stands firm.

A similarity appears in both judgments: those who endure in the day of judgment are those who do the Father’s will or hear and obey Jesus’ words. At present, it cannot yet be seen whether a Christian performs ministry according to the Father’s will or not. Likewise, whether a Christian is building on rock or sand is invisible, for the foundation cannot be seen. For now, we only see that all Christians are building a ‘house’. Concerning this, Paul’s counsel in 1 Corinthians 4:5 is fitting for reflection: “…do not judge anything before the appointed time, before the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

Before we continue our discussion on the Kingdom of Heaven in the Gospel of Matthew, we need to observe the structure of ‘discourses’ or ‘teachings’ intentionally arranged by Matthew. There are five major discourses in Matthew, with the remaining content being ‘narrative’—stories about Jesus and the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us observe these five divisions, each ending with the phrase “when Jesus had finished saying these things…” The first section, Matthew 5:1–7:29, commonly called the Sermon on the Mount, has already been discussed. The second, Matthew 9:35–11:1, contains the ‘commissioning of the twelve apostles’. The third, Matthew 13:1–52, contains the seven parables of the Kingdom of Heaven. The fourth, Matthew 18:1–35, concerns forgiveness and the parable of the unforgiving servant. The fifth, Matthew 23:1–25:46, contains the rebuke to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, as well as teachings about the end times.

We know that Matthew’s Gospel is especially directed to readers of Jewish background. Matthew intentionally divides the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven into five sections, as if presenting Jesus as the ‘new and greater Moses’. The five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are known as the books of Moses or the Law of Moses. Thus, by dividing the teachings of the Kingdom into five sections, Matthew shows his Jewish readers that, just as Moses was sent by Yahweh, Jesus is sent by the Father to give the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven to the Jewish people.

The comparison Matthew makes between Jesus and Moses is seen in the Sermon on the Mount through the repeated expression, “You have heard that it was said to those of old… but I say to you…” (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). Thus, by dividing Jesus’ teaching into five discourses, Matthew shows that, just as Moses was sent by Yahweh, Jesus was sent by the Father to give the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven to the Jews. Yet we must remember: “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Before entering the second discourse, let us recall what is recorded in Matthew 9:35: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages… teaching… proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven and healing every disease and sickness.” The sequence is clear: teaching, proclaiming, then healing. Teaching and proclaiming the Kingdom are primarily the King’s concern; healing and removing weaknesses serve primarily human concerns. As His followers, we must first teach the laws of the Kingdom, then attend to human needs. We must not reverse this order.

Many in Christianity focus on human needs. Preachers commonly like to preach what appeals to human interests. But Matthew 26:10, 13 states: “…for she has done a beautiful thing to Me… wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” The woman who broke her alabaster jar did a good deed ‘to Jesus’. And Jesus required that her act be told whenever the gospel is preached. Why? So that we understand that the preaching of the Gospel must produce people willing to break their “alabaster jar” (something precious to them) to do good ‘to Jesus’. Thus, the Gospel is preached so that we may do good to Jesus, not primarily to show how good God is to humans. The Gospel is preached primarily for Jesus’ sake, not for human benefit. By His grace, the people of the kingdom will first teach the laws of the Kingdom so they can do good to Jesus—even breaking their “alabaster jar”—and then attend to the needs of others.

Now we enter the second discourse on the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven: Matthew 9:35–11:1, which concerns the ‘commissioning of the twelve apostles’. The background of this mission is Jesus’ compassion on the crowds, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd, and because the harvest was plentiful but the laborers were few (9:36–37). Therefore, Jesus called His twelve disciples, gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and heal every disease and weakness, and sent them to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Let us examine the instructions Jesus gave when He sent them. First, Matthew 10:5–15 explains the mission of the twelve at that time. Second, Matthew 10:16–23 explains the difficulties they would face in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom—then and in the future. Third, Matthew 10:34–42 explains what Jesus asks of us.

There are at least two things we must notice to avoid directly applying these instructions to our current context. First, this commissioning was directed only to the Jews (Matthew 10:5–6), whereas the commissioning for all of Jesus’ disciples throughout history is directed to all nations (Matthew 28:19–20). Second, Luke 22:35–36 shows that Jesus cancelled His earlier instructions regarding taking gold, silver, copper, a bag, extra clothes, sandals, or staff (Matthew 10:9–10).

However, not all the Lord’s instructions in this commissioning were cancelled. His warnings about difficulties and opposition in proclaiming the Kingdom remain true today. Likewise, His demands in Matthew 10:34–42 still stand: that we prioritize the Lord’s interests above everything—even above our own lives.

One more point must be noted carefully: the authority given to the twelve apostles at that time to perform miracles, cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. At that time the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out on believers because Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:39), meaning He had not yet died, risen, and sat at the Father’s right hand. At that time, the twelve apostles were commanded only to perform miracles and proclaim the Kingdom—proclaim, not teach. Meanwhile, we see that the central teaching of the apostles ‘after’ Jesus was glorified was the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, the entire New Testament has the Kingdom of Heaven as its main theme.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 emphasizes, “…make disciples of all nations… and teach them…” meaning: make all nations disciples of Christ by teaching them the Kingdom of Heaven, for this is the central theme of the New Testament. In today’s Christianity, in general, a shift has occurred in the preaching of the Gospel. The teaching about the kingdom of heaven is no longer a primary matter. Emphases on miracles or worldly success often shift the importance of Christ’s disciples properly understanding the teaching of the kingdom of heaven. But the people of the kingdom receive grace to understand the kingdom of heaven and to exercise its power in daily life.

We have seen that there are five sections of dialogue or teaching about the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew, where the third section speaks about ‘the seven parables of the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 13:1–52). But before we enter the third section, we need to reflect on chapter 12, where Jesus is accused by the Pharisees, saying, “…It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man drives out demons” (12:24).

This accusation by the Pharisees is very serious, because in the following verses Jesus speaks about the sin of blaspheming/opposing the Holy Spirit (12:32), that the Pharisees are a brood of vipers (12:34), and that they are an evil and adulterous generation (12:39,45). Yet we must remember that they were God’s people bound by the covenant of Moses. Even in Matthew 23:2, Jesus explicitly says that the Pharisees and the scribes sit on Moses’ seat (Moses’ authority), so the crowds must obey them. Thus, when Jesus says they are a brood of vipers, it does not mean they are not God’s people. They remain God’s covenant people under Moses.

Let us look more closely at Jesus’ response in the following verses after the Pharisees accuse Him. First, the devil and the spirits form a kingdom (12:26). Satan is the ruler of this world/system = kosmos (John 12:31). The devil and evil spirits are rulers of the darkness of this world/kosmos or world-system (Ephesians 6:12). Second, because Jesus firmly states that the Pharisees are a brood of vipers, it means that the religious world (system = kosmos) of His day was ruled or influenced by the kingdom of the devil. Third, Matthew 12:43–44 is still part of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and scribes, meaning that “the evil generation” (the religious world of His time) will be inhabited by “seven spirits” more wicked than the first.

What lesson do we learn here? Many Christians do not understand or recognize the religious world during Jesus’ time, which we usually call Judaism. In truth, it was this religious world that crucified Jesus—not Pontius Pilate, who represented the political world of that era. Repeatedly Pilate tried to release Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes stirred up the crowds to have Jesus crucified and Barabbas released. The religious world of Jesus’ time was clearly dominated by the kingdom of darkness.

How about the Christian world? Is the Christian world also ruled or influenced by the kingdom of darkness? If we want to understand the Christian world, we must look, and certainly ask for the revelation of the Holy Spirit, to understand the revelation found in the writings of the apostle John. Many Christians—perhaps including Bible teachers—do not see that the New Testament books must be divided into three sections (a trilogy): revelation through Peter and his team, revelation through Paul and his team, and revelation through John and his team.

The revelation given to the apostle John came when the church had already fallen/declined. Revelation 2–3 clearly describes how the church had become the Christian world through the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans. Because of this decline, the Lord calls His overcomers to be the representatives of the fallen church. John is the one who frequently uses the term ‘world’/kosmos/system, where the ruler of the ‘world’ is the devil. We will not discuss John’s revelation about the kosmos/world here, but for now we must see that the ‘religious world’ is ruled by the kingdom of darkness, because the devil is the ruler of the world/kosmos.

Now we will study the third section in the Gospel of Matthew that speaks about ‘the seven parables concerning the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 13:1–52). Let us glance through Matthew chapters 1 to 12 so that we may understand chapter 13 well. Matthew 1 speaks about the birth and genealogy of Jesus as King. Matthew 2 speaks about the coming of the Magi and their offerings to the King. Matthew 3 speaks about the forerunner of the King and the baptism of the King. Matthew 4 speaks about the temptation of the King and the calling of His four disciples. Matthew 5, 6, and 7 speak about the King’s Sermon on the Mount concerning the laws of His Kingdom. Matthew 8 and 9 speak about the demonstrations and power of His Kingdom. Matthew 10 speaks about the sending of the twelve apostles. Matthew 12 speaks about how Jesus the King was completely rejected by the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 13:1 states, ‘On that day’, meaning, on the day after Jesus was fully rejected by the Jewish religious leaders—ON THAT DAY JESUS DEPARTED FROM THE MIDST OF THE ISRAELITE FAMILY AND SPOKE IN PARABLES.

The parables of the kingdom of heaven taught by Jesus were not meant to be understood by all Jews. Notice Jesus’ reason for teaching in parables when asked by His disciples: “…To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Thus it is clear that Jesus taught the kingdom of heaven in parables so that only those who received His grace would understand. To the Jewish people in general, or what the Gospels call ‘the crowds’, the parables of the kingdom of heaven were given ‘not’ so that they might understand. Their sight and understanding were closed so that the word of God might be fulfilled, in this case the prophecy of Isaiah (Matthew 13:14–15).

This does not mean that the Jewish people will forever be rejected from participating in the kingdom of heaven. But only a few from among the Jews are accepted into the kingdom of heaven ‘in this dispensation’, namely the chosen ones to whom the Father in heaven is pleased to give the kingdom (Luke 12:32). These chosen ones are called “the little flock” in Luke 12:32, in contrast to the “multitude” or “great flock” of the Jewish nation.

Let us begin with the first parable in Matthew 13—the parable of the sower. In fact, this parable does not yet speak about what the kingdom of heaven to be established on earth will look like. The parable of the sower merely speaks about the ‘response’ of people to whom the “seed” of the word of the kingdom, or the “seed” of Jesus as Life (zoe), is sown.

But the other six parables in this chapter are all introduced with the phrase, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” (verses 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47). Therefore, these six parables tell us what the kingdom of heaven to be established on earth will be like.

Let us summarize the parable of the sower. Jesus as the sower—and later His disciples as well—sows the ‘seed of the word of the kingdom’ and receives different responses depending on the “type of soil” (the heart of a person) where the seed falls. There are four types of soil: first, the path; second, rocky ground; third, thorny ground; and fourth, good soil.

The soil on the path represents those who hear the word of the kingdom but do not understand it, so the evil one snatches it away, and it never grows (v. 19). Rocky ground represents those who hear the word of the kingdom and initially grow because they receive it with joy, but they have no root (v. 21). When trouble or persecution arises because of the word of the kingdom, they quickly fall away. Thorny ground represents those who hear the word of the kingdom and begin to grow, but bear no fruit because of the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth (v. 22). Good soil represents those who hear the word of the kingdom and understand it, and thus bear fruit—some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

There are several lessons from this parable. First, Jesus—and of course His apostles—preached the word of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus certainly also spoke about the church, but the ‘focus’ of His teaching was the word of the kingdom. Second, this parable shows that a person’s response determines whether the word of the kingdom will bear fruit or not. But we must not quickly draw the conclusion that everything depends on human response, as is often taught in the Christian world.

Notice again verse 11, which we have discussed: some receive grace to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, while others do not. Thus the conclusion is that everything depends on the will of the Father in heaven—whether He is pleased to give someone the kingdom (Luke 12:32). Human hearts that have fallen into sin are corrupt and no one seeks God (Romans 3:11). If someone understands the word of the kingdom, it is because the Father works in his heart.

The third lesson we must see concerns “fruit.” In the Christian world we often hear about the “fruit” of a Christian—how many souls he wins, his character, or even material blessings resulting from his “ministry.” These are ‘not’ the fruit meant here.

The fruit referred to is what James 1:18 describes as becoming part of the ‘firstfruits’ of creation. The firstfruits in the NT context are the chosen ones who mature earlier and are ready to be harvested by the Lord Jesus to reign with Him in establishing the kingdom of heaven on earth, so that the earth moves toward the new earth. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has sown Himself as Life into His chosen people, and therefore He will receive fruit—those who will carry out the Father’s will with Him on the earth.

Now we enter the second parable in Matthew 13—the parable of the weeds among the wheat. This parable says that the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. The Lord Jesus is the one who sows the good seed, and the wheat represents the children of the kingdom. The devil is the one who sows the bad seed, and the weeds are the children of the evil one.

Generally in the Christian world “weeds” are understood as people who claim to be Christians but are not born again or have not received the “seed” of Christ or Christ’s Life (zoe). Such an interpretation does not understand the fall of the church described in Revelation 2–3. The revelation given to John concerns the fall of the church from John’s time onward—throughout church history—as represented by the seven churches of Asia Minor. After the church fell, the Lord calls His overcomers, and we will see that the “wheat” represents these overcomers.

We must understand that the devil sowed the bad seed ‘in the Lord’s field’, so that both weeds and wheat are in the Master’s field. At first, weeds and wheat are very similar, making it impossible to distinguish them. Therefore the Master forbids His servants from pulling up the weeds before the harvest, lest they uproot the wheat as well.

This parable describes what the kingdom of heaven is like, because it begins with “the kingdom of heaven is like…” At the beginning, only Jesus sowed the good seed—the children of the kingdom. When the church was born at Pentecost, only “good seed” was sown. But later the devil sowed bad seed into the church, causing it to split into thousands of denominations—the Christian world today. Initially the church consisted only of “wheat-seed,” but it expanded into the Christian world containing both “weed-seed and wheat-seed.” Within the Christian world there are “weeds,” meaning people who commit lawlessness (Matthew 13:41).

It is interesting that the word ‘lawlessness’ (v. 41) is ‘anomia’ in Greek, the same term used in Matthew 7:21–23, where people say ‘Lord, Lord’ and perform many miracles, prophesy, and cast out demons in the Lord’s name—but are rejected by Jesus because they practice ‘anomia’ (lawlessness). Clearly the people described in Matthew 7:21–23 are from within the Christian world—perhaps even famous figures who conduct large miracle-filled meetings.

Furthermore, verse 41 states that at the harvest, everything that ‘causes stumbling’ will be gathered. We must pay attention to the term ‘causes stumbling’ (Greek: ‘skandalon’) in this verse, also used in Revelation 2:14: “…you have there those who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cause Israel to stumble (skandalon) so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.” Thus, causing others to stumble refers to false teaching (Balaam) sown by the devil into the church, leading God’s people to idolatry and immorality. In fact, there are three false teachings sown by the devil into the church as described in Revelation 2–3: the teaching of Jezebel (usurping the authority of Life in the church), Nicolaitans (subjugating the laity so the church is divided into two classes), and Balaam (a doctrine that legitimizes commercialism in the church).

Such is the condition of the kingdom of heaven, where “weeds” and “wheat” exist together. In truth, the “weeds” are Christians who have been born again but have accepted or even teach the false doctrines of Balaam, Nicolaitans, and Jezebel. But at the time of the harvest, weeds and wheat will be separated, so that “…the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father…” (Matthew 13:43).

Now we enter the third parable in Matthew 13—the parable of the mustard seed (13:31–32): “…the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… Although it is the smallest of all seeds, when it has grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

We must understand that the mustard seed is a type of ‘vegetable seed’, the smallest of them. And when this vegetable seed is planted, it should produce a ‘vegetable plant’ according to the law of growth God established: “…each yielding seed according to its kind…” (Genesis 1:11). But when this mustard seed is planted in the Lord’s field, it becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches (13:32).

The growth of the mustard seed into a tree is unnatural, abnormal, and violates the ‘law of growth’ established by God. Indeed the kingdom of heaven established on earth begins as merely a ‘seed’ in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. But after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the kingdom of heaven then bore fruit into 120 people (the church) on the day of Pentecost. The church should have grown and produced ‘fruit according to its kind’, which in this parable is the type of vegetable. If the church later grows into a ‘large tree’ so that birds nest on its branches, then there is a ‘violation of the law of growth here’.

A ‘tree’ in the Bible is a symbol of people (Psalm 1:1–3; 52:8; 92:12–14; 128:3). Meanwhile, “birds” are a symbol of the evil one in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:4,19). But the Bible also speaks of good birds, as the Holy Spirit is symbolized as a “dove” (Matthew 3:16). Therefore, the church that grows into a “large tree” is the result of both the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of the devil.

God’s chosen people certainly understand how the church has become this big Christian world. The church, which should have manifested the ‘kingdom of heaven on earth’, is now presenting “little kingdoms” (denominations) belonging to their leaders. If someone objects, saying that God also works and blesses within the Christian world, this is indeed true, because the Christian world has become large due to the work of the Holy Spirit, but also due to the work of the devil. On one hand, the church has indeed become large and blessed by the Holy Spirit, just like the Christian world today; but on the other hand, this remains a violation of the law of growth God has established.

Jesus has declared the laws of the kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). At the end of His sermon, Jesus stressed that on the last day there would be many who say ‘Lord, Lord’, and who perform many miracles, prophecies, and cast out demons in His name. But at that moment Jesus frankly declares, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). The term ‘lawlessness’ comes from the Greek ‘anomia’, which means ‘without law’ or ‘violation of the laws of the kingdom’, which in the parable above refers to the ‘law of church growth’. So this is not ‘evil’ in the sense of murder, adultery, or other crimes, but that these ‘servants of God’ violate the laws of the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven on earth will indeed grow, and its expansion will have no end (Isaiah 9:6). However, its growth or expansion must follow the laws of the kingdom established by God. Matthew 15:13 affirms, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” The denominations, which are the “little kingdoms” belonging to their leaders, are not the “plants” planted by the Father in heaven, even though God indeed blesses them. In the Christian world there is a misunderstanding—one might even call it a “blunder”—that God’s blessings are proof of His approval. The Father in heaven has blessed the whole world by giving His only Son to take away the sin of the world. But this does not mean the Father is pleased with the way of life of sinful people. TO BLESS and TO BE PLEASED are two completely different things. In His time, the Father in heaven will uproot the plants that He did not plant.

Next, we enter the fourth parable of the kingdom of heaven, the ‘parable of the woman and the leaven’ (Matthew 13:33). This parable begins with the expression ‘the kingdom of heaven is like’ a woman who mixes leaven into three measures of flour until all of it is leavened. To understand this parable, we must understand what the “woman” and the “leaven” symbolize here.

Throughout the Bible, a woman always symbolizes the church as the bride of Christ. Meanwhile, leaven appears about 38 times in the entire Bible, and the expression unleavened appears 60 times. In the OT context, Israel understood leaven as something evil before Yahweh, because there were many prohibitions against using leaven. However, Israel did not understand why leaven was forbidden.

But in the NT context, we understand why leaven is something ‘evil’ in God’s sight. Jesus and Paul reveal this. First, Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the ‘leaven’ (teaching) of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:5–12). Luke 12:1 defines leaven as the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Second, Jesus warned about the ‘leaven’ of Herod, which is his wicked lifestyle (Mark 8:15). Third, Paul advised the church in Corinth to celebrate with ‘unleavened bread’, meaning purity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8). Fourth, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul warned about the ‘leaven’ of Judaistic teaching that is legalistic and ritualistic (Galatians 5:9). So clearly, ‘leaven’ always depicts a teaching, lifestyle, or hypocrisy that is displeasing to God.

Thus, the woman who inserts ‘leaven’ into the dough is the church, particularly its leaders, inserting ‘leavened/false teachings’ into it. The NT reveals very clearly how leaders insert ‘leaven’ into the church. Paul in Acts 20:29–30 explains how savage wolves attack the church so that leaders DRAW the disciples of the Lord to themselves with false teaching. Revelation 2–3 also explains to us three false teachings: the teaching of Jezebel (usurping Jesus’ authority), Balaam (commerce/merchandising), and the Nicolaitans (dividing the church into two classes: Priest–People, Pastor–Congregation).

For the “little flock” or kingdom people to whom the Father has been pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, it is not difficult to understand the parable of the ‘woman and the leaven’. We must understand that leaven works secretly, slowly, but inevitably will leaven the whole dough. Since the days of the apostle John, the church has been leavened by the three false teachings above. Therefore, Scripture calls for the overcomers—simple people who do not take part in these three false teachings.

Indeed, the Christian world has been entirely leavened; therefore the Lord calls the kingdom people to “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).

We now discuss the fifth parable of the kingdom of heaven, the parable of the ‘hidden treasure’ in Matthew 13:44: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

It is emphasized that the kingdom of heaven is like a ‘treasure hidden in a field’. Thus, it is clear that the ‘hidden treasure’ is the kingdom of heaven. The verse states that this ‘hidden treasure’ or ‘kingdom of heaven’ is found by a man. Who is this man who, upon finding this ‘hidden treasure’, rejoices, sells all he has, and buys the field where the treasure is?

If we remain consistent in interpreting the parables in Matthew 13, then we know that the man who buys the field containing the ‘hidden treasure’ is Jesus Christ. The sower in the first parable is Jesus; the one who sows good seed in His field is also Jesus; therefore it is natural to interpret the man who buys the field containing the hidden treasure as also Jesus. Besides, no one can ‘buy’ the hidden treasure (the kingdom of heaven) except Jesus Christ.

The field in this parable is, of course, the world. Jesus, as the ‘Lamb of God’, has redeemed the sin of the world/taken away the sin of the world (John 1:29). 1 John 2:2 affirms that Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Jesus is the Savior of the world—not just of believers. Although Jesus ‘bought’ the field (the world), His attention is directed toward the ‘kingdom of heaven’ (the kingdom people) ‘hidden’ within the world.

Some interpreters say that the ‘hidden treasure’ is the church, meaning the Christian world as a whole. But if we observe all NT teaching about the church and the kingdom of heaven, we know that this is not correct. Jesus indeed said, ‘I will build My church’, but the Christian world is not the church as built by Jesus. The Christian world is the early church that has been fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations by the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3).

So then, who are the kingdom people or the ‘hidden treasure’? Luke 12:32 explains: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” This is the decision and sovereignty of the Father, who has been pleased to give the kingdom of heaven to the little flock. The kingdom of heaven is given by the Father to the little flock ‘freely’, because Jesus has ‘bought’ and fully paid for the ‘hidden treasure’ with His own blood.

One more thing to remember about this parable: Jesus did not only buy the ‘hidden treasure’, but also the field (the world). This means all humanity has been bought and redeemed by His blood. That is why Jesus said in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” All people have been bought and redeemed by the blood of Jesus; therefore all people rightfully belong to Jesus, no longer to the devil. It is only in this present age that Jesus’ focus is on the kingdom people. How will Jesus draw all people to Himself? The Bible teaches that Jesus, together with the “little flock,” will take back the captives of the devil in the ages to come. Hallelujah.

We continue with the sixth parable, the ‘merchant and the fine pearl’, in Matthew 13:45–46: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

This sixth parable is essentially the same as the fifth parable of the ‘hidden treasure’. The fine pearl here is certainly the ‘kingdom of heaven’, and the merchant seeking it is ‘Jesus Christ’. It is emphasized that when the merchant found the pearl of great value, he sold all he had to buy it.

Let us consider briefly how Jesus ‘sold all He had’ to obtain the kingdom of heaven. Philippians 2:6–8 affirms: “He, being in the form of God… emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant… He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (ILT). It is affirmed that He existed in the form of God and was equal with God. This speaks of His existence before incarnation—equal with God. But in that equality, He “emptied Himself” by taking the form of a servant. The meaning of “emptied” (‘kenoo’, a verb) does not mean He “abandoned” His divine equality, but rather that He ADDED the form of a servant (humanity) to His divine existence. The apostle John explains that the Word (‘Logos’) became flesh (John 1:1,14). He, who is equal with God, became a human named JESUS. That Jesus died on the cross is the meaning of ‘selling all He had’.

We must always remember that the price of the fine pearl (the kingdom of heaven) has been bought/paid in full by JESUS. The kingdom people, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, DO NOT PAY ANYTHING TO RECEIVE IT (Luke 12:32). If so, why did Jesus say that those who want to follow Him must take up their cross (Matthew 10:38; 16:24)?

To answer this, we need a correct concept of the ‘kingdom of heaven’ that has been ‘bought’ and paid in full by Jesus on the cross. Christians struggle to understand the kingdom of heaven because in the Christian world it is commonly accepted that “believe in Jesus and go to heaven.” The “heaven” meant here is a pleasant place where the streets are made of gold, where believers merely sing, and even the famous Pastor Erastus Sabdono claims there will still be dogs in heaven—in that pleasant place.

Such a concept of “heaven” is far from the meaning of the ‘kingdom of heaven’ as revealed to John in Revelation. Consider Revelation 5:10: “You have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth” (ILT). The term ‘us’ refers to the kingdom people symbolized as the ‘twenty-four elders’ and the ‘four living creatures’ (Revelation 4:4,6). At the coming of Jesus, the kingdom people, with glorified bodies, will function as kings and priests (according to the order of Melchizedek) and will serve ON EARTH UNTIL THE EARTH MOVES TOWARD THE NEW EARTH AND THE NEW HEAVEN.

In order for the kingdom people to function as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek, they must be processed or shaped by the Father in heaven. When the Father processes, trains, and shapes us, we will experience much tribulation (Hebrews 12:11; Acts 14:22). But these trials and sufferings are not the price we pay to enter the kingdom of heaven—they are the shaping of the Father so that we can function as kings and priests when the kingdom

of heaven is established on earth. JESUS DESCRIBES THE SUFFERING OF THE KINGDOM PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW HIM AS “TAKING UP THEIR CROSS.” Thus, it is clear that we pay no price at all to enter the kingdom of heaven, for the price has been paid in full by Jesus on the cross.

We will discuss briefly the ministry of the High Priest, Jesus, symbolized by ‘another angel’ in Revelation 8:1–3. Let us observe verse 3: “…And he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne.” Notice the symbolic action of this ‘other angel’—he not only offers much incense but also the prayers of all the saints. What is the meaning of this symbolic act?

We must look at several NT verses regarding the function of Jesus as our High Priest. John 17:9 affirms, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” This prayer was offered by Jesus on the last night He gathered with His disciples, and Judas—the betrayer—was no longer with Him. Note that Jesus prays only for His disciples—those given to Him by the Father. Here Jesus explicitly says He does not pray for the world. Who is the ‘world’ that Jesus means here?

We must assign the correct meaning to the term ‘world’ according to its context in the writings of the apostle John. If the term ‘world’ appears in John 3:16, then we know that the world here means all human beings, that is, all those whom the Father loves. If the term ‘world’ appears in 1 John 2:15–16, where we are forbidden to love the world, then the ‘world’ referred to there is the religious system. Pay attention to the entire context of Jesus’ discourse on His final night with His disciples. When Jesus said that the world hated Him and His disciples, the ‘world’ referred to is the religious world, namely Judaism, which possessed the Torah (John 15:25). Thus, if we observe the entire context of Jesus’ conversation on that last night, we know that the ‘world’ Jesus referred to in His prayer is the religious world—Judaism. Therefore, we understand what Jesus meant in His prayer above: that He was not praying for the world, that is, the religious world (Judaism), which killed Him and hated His disciples.

This does not mean that Jesus, as the High Priest, will not save the religious world, or the world in the sense of all humanity. For in John 12:32, Jesus clearly stated that He will draw ALL PEOPLE to Himself. However, the work of Elohim has its own stages or order, just as written in 1 Corinthians 15:23–28. So, in the end Jesus will save the whole world, as He has been given the title ‘Savior of the world’.

But in this age, as the High Priest, Jesus prays for and forms only those who have been given to Him by the Father. As the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, Jesus forms those given to Him by the Father so that they themselves become priests according to the order of Melchizedek. Thus, at His coming, Jesus will be the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek among priests—those given to Him by the Father.

Observe Jesus’ next prayer in John 17:21: “that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, SO THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE that You have sent Me.” When, at His coming, His chosen people have been formed into priests and kings, and Jesus has become the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek among the priests, and the King above all kings, then the stage will have arrived in which the whole world will be saved.

Thus, the symbolic act of ‘another angel’ offering incense and the prayers of all the saints (priests and kings) is the offering of ‘fragrant’ prayers before the Father for the salvation of the world. The prayers of His chosen ones (the kings and priests) are included in the offering of ‘incense’ that rises as a sweet aroma before the Father, through Jesus Christ as the High Priest.

We conclude the teaching on the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13 with a question and statement by Jesus to His disciples (vv. 51–52): “JESUS said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ And He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who brings out of his treasure things new and old’” (LITV).

Here Jesus emphasizes that a ‘scribe’ who receives and understands the teachings of the kingdom of heaven is likened to a householder who brings out treasures both old and new. This means that Jesus’ disciples who understand the teachings of the Kingdom of Heaven are like “scribes” who teach and distribute their “treasures,” both new and old. The treasure of Jesus’ disciples is stored in “earthen vessels,” which is “the kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21). These disciples teach the message of the Kingdom of Heaven with an understanding expressed as “the new and the old.”

The Jews understood the expression “the new and the old,” for it appears several times in the Old Testament. Let us take a few examples. First, in the case of Yahweh’s blessing (Leviticus 26:10). Second, in the case of “manna” (Joshua 5:12). Third, in the case of “the beloved” (Song of Songs 7:13). Fourth, in the case of the covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 8). Jesus also used the expression “new and old” when He taught (Matthew 9:17; Luke 5:36–39). Therefore, the expression “new and old” carries important meaning in the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us look at two key meanings within the expression “the new and the old” in relation to the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven. First, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Every teacher or proclaimer of the Kingdom of Heaven understands that the OT is merely symbols, prophecies, and shadows, while the NT is the fulfillment or reality of the OT—its fulfillment being “Christ, or the kingdom of heaven within the believer” (Colossians 1:27; 2:17; Luke 17:21). Second, the expression ‘New Heaven and New Earth’ (Revelation 21:1–4). We know that Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ given to the Apostle John in symbolic language (Revelation 1:1). The New Heaven and New Earth are actually symbols of the new man, where there is no longer the consequence/wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:4). Therefore, the first (old) heaven and earth created by Elohim in Genesis 1:1 are in fact all human beings who possess the ‘heavenly’ and ‘earthly’ dimensions—the spiritual and the physical. Thus, the Father’s plan is to create humanity (in two dimensions), then through a process of “falling,” bring all humanity to be restored as new human beings. This is the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven proclaimed by its messengers.

Generally, the Christian world does not understand the expression ‘new heaven and new earth’, teaching instead an eternal hell where some human beings who are not chosen (possibly the majority) are cast into a place to be tormented forever. Likewise, the Christian world fails to understand the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven by mixing the worship systems of OT–NT, priesthood models of OT–NT (Aaron vs. Melchizedek), God’s blessings in OT–NT forms, and even doctrines such as a “fairy-tale heaven” far away, tithing and firstfruits (money), ‘visible and invisible church’, and the doctrines of Jezebel, Nicolaitans, and Balaam in Revelation 2–3.

The people of the kingdom will certainly be outside the ‘system (cosmos) of Christianity’ that has been deeply influenced by the teachings above. Just as Jesus, John the Baptist, and His apostles stood outside the religious system of Judaism, so also are the people of the kingdom.

Before we enter the fourth teaching on the kingdom of heaven in Matthew’s Gospel—namely Matthew 18—let us look at the moment when Jesus asked His disciples at Caesarea Philippi about who the Son of Man is (Matthew 16:13–20): “… Simon Peter said, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim!’ … ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…’”

Here we limit our discussion to Jesus’ words about ‘the church’ and ‘the kingdom of heaven’. We have learned that Jesus, John the Baptist, and also the twelve apostles (Matthew 10), all proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is near. Indeed, Jesus would build His church, but His proclamation—the good news—was the kingdom of heaven.

The term ‘church’ appears only twice in Matthew’s Gospel, in chapters 16 and 18, but the term ‘kingdom’ appears about 58 times. Notice Jesus’ words above: “I WILL build My church.” This means that at the moment Jesus spoke, the church He would build did not yet exist. However, as we know, the kingdom of heaven was already present on earth in the person of Jesus Christ. When Jesus cast out demons by the power of Elohim, the kingdom of heaven had already come upon the earth (Matthew 12:28). The church was born at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem.

To bring the church into existence on earth, Jesus had to die, rise, sit at the right hand of the Father, and pour out His Holy Spirit upon the disciples. Many Christians speak of the Holy Spirit as the power of Elohim equipping the church to be witnesses of Jesus. But in truth, the Holy Spirit is the LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT. Note 1 Corinthians 15:45: “… the first man, Adam, became a living soul; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” The last Adam is certainly Jesus Christ, and the expression “life-giving spirit” (Greek: ‘pneuma zoopoieo’) should be translated as THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT (the life of Christ = ‘zoe’). This is why John 10:10 affirms that Jesus came to give His life—‘zoe’—and that His disciples may have ‘zoe’ abundantly. This means that this ‘zoe’ life must grow, for indeed this ‘zoe’ life, when given, is still a “seed.” The seed of ‘zoe’ life must grow so that we may know the true Elohim and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3).

Now let us come to our theme: the kingdom of heaven. The parable of the sower, which we previously discussed, illustrates Jesus sowing the life of ‘zoe’. There are two types of soil—stony and thorny—where the seed of ‘zoe’ does not grow or bear fruit. These two soils represent Christians who have been born again, for they have received the seed of Christ’s life (‘zoe’). We will see later that the entire teaching of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew’s Gospel proves that NOT ALL BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS WILL BE RECEIVED INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Unfortunately, in the Christian world it is widely believed that “BELIEVING IN JESUS MEANS GOING TO HEAVEN.” The concept “believe in Jesus, go to heaven” does not exist at all in the New Testament writings—much less the notion of a “fairy-tale heaven” far away. What is true is: BELIEVE IN JESUS, RECEIVE ‘ZOE’ LIFE. In the Gospel of John, there are many expressions stating that believing in Jesus results in eternal life (‘zoe’). Whether the seed of ‘zoe’ life grows or not is another matter altogether.

Furthermore, born-again Christians will not be evacuated (taken away) from the earth to a “faraway heaven.” What the NT writings proclaim is that the kingdom of heaven will be established on this earth to liberate creation, and only those to whom the Father in heaven is pleased to give the kingdom will partake in it (Luke 12:32; Romans 8:19–21).

Let us continue the narrative where Jesus asked His disciples at Caesarea Philippi who the Son of Man is. Matthew 16:21 states: “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” The phrase ‘from that time’ means that from the moment Jesus revealed His identity as the Messiah to His disciples, He then declared that the Messiah must suffer, die, and rise on the third day.

To the average Jew, a suffering Messiah was not the Messiah they expected, for they awaited a Messiah who would liberate Israel from surrounding enemies, bring peace to the world, and of course rebuild the Temple. Therefore, Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him, hoping that Elohim would spare Him from suffering (16:22). Jesus’ response must have shocked him. Jesus said that Peter’s human thinking was Satanic and a stumbling block to Him. Jesus then laid down the requirement for anyone who would follow Him: they must deny themselves and take up their cross.

In truth, Peter’s thought was good from a human perspective. Perhaps driven by love for Jesus, he wished that Jesus be spared from suffering. Here we learn that even the best of human thoughts can become a “stumbling block” for anyone following Jesus. Following Jesus means thinking what Elohim thinks. Following Jesus means doing His will, regardless of what humans think about it. Isaiah 55:8 affirms: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the LORD.”

Indeed, whatever humans think, feel, or decide is ultimately an effort to preserve their ‘life’, or to preserve themselves—perhaps their reputation, honor before others, possessions, or anything highly valued. But it is precisely this self-preservation that hinders them from following Jesus. This is why Jesus insists that anyone who wants to follow Him must not preserve themselves or their ‘life’. Each person must deny themselves for the sake of following Jesus.

If so, can the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven still be called good news (gospel)? If following Jesus involves self-denial, bearing the cross, and suffering, can this still be called good news? Yes, certainly—because whether something is good must be determined by Elohim. Humanity, having eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, indeed has its own criteria for good and evil. But in truth, no one is good except Elohim alone (Mark 10:18).

The good news (gospel) of the kingdom of heaven cannot be separated from suffering for following Jesus. Paul states clearly: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul even urges Timothy: “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3). If the preaching of the gospel aims to spare humans from all suffering in this world, then it is certainly not the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.

Let us now enter the fourth section of the kingdom of heaven teachings, namely Matthew 18:1–35, concerning forgiveness and the parable of the unforgiving servant. This entire chapter actually concerns fellowship among members of the kingdom, and especially emphasizes how precious the lost or straying member is.

Matthew 18:1 states: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” This question concerns the relationship among members in the kingdom of heaven—and who is the greatest? Jesus answers with several points of teaching. First, one must become like a little child (vv. 2–4). Second, one must not become a “stumbling block” to another member (vv. 5–9). Third, one must not despise even the smallest member, for the Father in heaven greatly values the least and does not will that they perish (vv. 10–14). Fourth, if a member sins, he must listen to the church (vv. 15–20). Fifth, one must forgive other members wholeheartedly (vv. 21–35).

Let us begin with the first. Verse 3 states: “… Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” From this verse we see that a person must repent and become like a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Let us see the context of the entire chapter so that we can understand what “entering the kingdom of heaven” means. Notice the term ‘in’ in verse 1. This means that the disciples were asking Jesus about members who were already in the kingdom of heaven. Also note the terms ‘your brother’ in verse 15, ‘the church’ in verse 17, and Peter’s reference to ‘my brother’ who sins (verse 21). All of these show that the context of Matthew 18 is the relationship among members who are already in the kingdom of heaven.

If so, what does the expression ‘enter the kingdom of heaven’ in verse 3 mean? If we look at the parables in chapter 13 that we have discussed—the parables of the sower, the wheat and tares, and the net—we know that Christians who have been born again are already IN the kingdom of heaven, but that on the day of judgment, not all these Christians who are born again will be accepted to reign and ENTER the kingdom of heaven that will be established on earth. That is why Christians who are already in the kingdom of heaven in this present age are not necessarily guaranteed to enter the kingdom of heaven in the next age, namely the age of the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:4). On the day of judgment, when the Lord Jesus returns, all Christians who have been born again will be judged by the Lord Jesus. Whether a person is found to have repented and become like a little child—this is what determines whether someone enters the kingdom of heaven or not.

From the explanation above, it seems as if entering the kingdom of heaven is determined by the behavior of Christians, namely whether they have repented and become like little children or not. However, we must look at all the books of the New Testament to gain proper understanding of this matter. All the New Testament clearly speaks of grace. Paul testifies that even though he worked harder than the others, he still said that all of this was by the grace of God. Luke 12:32 also clearly states, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.” Therefore, the Father in heaven forms the people of the kingdom in such a way that they can repent and become like little children, meaning fully entrusting themselves to the Father’s care, and thus be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Let us continue our discussion regarding the disciples’ question to the Lord Jesus about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (18:1). In verse 3, which we have already discussed, Jesus does not immediately answer who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, He first emphasizes that unless one repents and becomes like a little child, he will not even enter the kingdom of heaven, nor reign with Him in the millennial kingdom on earth.

In verse 4, Jesus finally answers the disciples’ question regarding who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Indonesian Bible (LAI) uses the word ‘and’, making it appear as if there are two criteria Jesus gives in verse 4—first, to humble oneself, and second, to become like a little child. The translation of the original text should read, ‘humble himself as a little child’. The Greek term translated ‘humble oneself’ here is ‘tapeinoō’, which means to humble oneself both in condition and in heart. Let us consider the meaning of ‘humbling oneself’ according to the context of Matthew chapter 18. We have seen that the context of Matthew 18 concerns the relationships among fellow members of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, humbling oneself here not only means having humility, but also one’s ‘condition’ before fellow members of the kingdom.

What is the meaning of one’s ‘condition’ before fellow members of the kingdom? Scripture explains very clearly why the church has fallen and become tens of thousands of denominations as we see today. The cause is the pride of certain church leaders. Paul explains the beginning or root cause of the church’s fall in Acts 20:28–30. The context of this passage is Paul’s address to the leaders (elders) of the church in Ephesus. In verse 29, Paul emphasizes that he knows—meaning what he says next is certain to happen after he leaves—namely, that fierce wolves will attack some leaders. This attack will cause some church leaders to draw disciples (members of the kingdom) away from the true path to themselves so that they become their followers (verse 30).

What does it mean to draw disciples away from the true path? Notice once more the goal of these leaders in verse 30: “so that they will follow them.” Therefore, the ‘true path’ referred to in this verse is being a follower of Jesus Christ alone. Church leaders must not draw disciples to themselves; they may only ‘equip’ the disciples (Ephesians 4:12). This is the meaning of the ‘condition’ of some leaders before members of the kingdom—drawing disciples to themselves.

Let us apply this matter of ‘humbling oneself’ before fellow members of the kingdom to the context of the Christian world. We know that the Christian world is essentially groups of disciples, some following one leader and some following another. Certainly, this is not only the responsibility of leaders who draw disciples, but also of church members who sometimes proudly mention the leaders they follow. Paul rebukes this behavior in 1 Corinthians 1:10–13.

Paul strongly opposes divisions in the church. For division in the church destroys the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). There are cases where Paul says, “Be imitators of me.” But what he means is to follow Paul’s ‘example’ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Unfortunately, in the Christian world, drawing disciples is not only a PRACTICE by certain leaders but has become a DOCTRINE—the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15). The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is a teaching that justifies the ‘dominion of leaders over other members’. This doctrine divides the church into two classes: priest–laity (Catholic) and clergy–laity (Protestant). When it becomes a ‘doctrine’ and not merely a practice, it has been taught, widely accepted, justified, and no longer questioned. Whatever justification leaders may give, drawing disciples to themselves is an act of pride—not humbling oneself before fellow members, as Jesus taught.

Let us move on to the second point in the teaching of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 18—do not be a ‘stumbling block’ to fellow members (verses 5–9). Matthew 18:6 affirms, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

The term ‘cause to stumble’ in this verse comes from the Greek ‘skandalizō’, meaning ‘to cause someone to sin’. But we must remember that the entire context of chapter 18 concerns relationships among members of the kingdom. Therefore, the meaning of ‘causing to stumble’ is making fellow members of the kingdom of heaven sin. Specifically, Jesus emphasizes those He calls ‘these little ones who believe in Me’.

This matter of ‘skandalizō’ is extremely serious among members of the kingdom. Jesus even states that any member of the kingdom who commits ‘skandalizō’ should be drowned in the sea. So serious is this matter that Jesus says if your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away (verse 8). Likewise, if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out (verse 9). Of course, this must not be interpreted literally; Jesus is emphasizing the seriousness of committing ‘skandalizō’.

Matthew 18:7 declares, “...for offenses must come, but woe to the one through whom they come.” This is consistent with what Jesus says about Judas: “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man who betrays Him. It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24). Likewise, the Lord has decreed that stumbling offenses will occur among members of the kingdom—but woe to the member who causes them.

We recall the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13). It is said that not only the Son of Man sows seed, but the devil also sows his. What is interesting is that wheat and tares are almost indistinguishable at first. Thus, the member of the kingdom who causes others to stumble is almost indistinguishable from one who does not, at least in the early stages. But at His coming, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (skandalon) and all who commit lawlessness” (13:41). It is extremely serious for members of the kingdom who cause others to stumble, for they “will be thrown into the blazing furnace; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (13:42). Therefore, we must earnestly seek His grace so that we do not commit ‘skandalon’ or become stumbling blocks to fellow members in the kingdom, whether through our behavior or through our teaching.

Let us continue discussing the kingdom teachings in Matthew 18. It has been emphasized that there are five points of kingdom teaching in this chapter. We have discussed the first two, and now we will discuss the next two: third, do not despise even the smallest member, because the Father in heaven greatly values the smallest member and does not want them to go astray (verses 10–14); and fourth, if a member sins, he must listen to the church (verses 15–20).

Let us consider these two points. Verses 10–14 teach us not to despise even the smallest member of the kingdom, and that we must give special attention so that they do not go astray. Paul also teaches us to give special honor to the members of the Body who seem less honorable (1 Corinthians 12:23). This is emphasized because not only did the Son of Man come to save the lost, but the Father in heaven also greatly cares for the one who is lost and rejoices more over the one who is restored than over those who were not lost.

The next teaching is that we must rebuke our brother who sins (verse 15) privately. The purpose of rebuking is clear—to win him back, if he listens to you. If he does not listen, the rebuke must continue until it is brought before the congregation. The point is clear: do not let our brother be lost. In today’s age of information technology, this “private” rebuke is not always necessary, because anyone can teach errors or misleading ideas on social media, affecting many Christians, especially if they have many followers. In such situations, the member of the kingdom who is moved by God must publicly correct the error, in order to save the person and those who hear them.

In the Christian world, people often equate ‘rebuking/correcting’ with ‘judging’. Rebuking or correcting a fellow member is a command from God. Correcting someone is not judging them. The difference is this: judging is not only pointing out faults but also pronouncing sentence on our brother. In today’s fallen Christianity, judgment is reserved for organizational leaders who have ‘positional authority’ over their subordinates. We will discuss this further in Matthew 23 regarding “Moses’ seat,” because Jesus does not want ‘hierarchy’ (positional authority) in the church.

Verse 19 in this section states, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” This verse is not about prayer in general, because the context is prayer concerning the restoration of a sinning brother. Thus, if two members of the kingdom agree in prayer regarding anything related to the restoration of a sinning member, the Father in heaven will grant it. This shows how precious a lost member of the kingdom is in the sight of the Father.

Let us continue the kingdom teachings in chapter 18 and consider the final point, the fifth—namely, that we must forgive fellow members who wrong us wholeheartedly (verses 21–35). This final point begins when Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive a brother who sins against him. Jesus’ answer—“seventy times seven”—means we must always forgive. Jesus then explains why we must always forgive with a parable.

Matthew 18:23 says, “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.” Many kingdom parables in Matthew emphasize that there will be an accounting or judgment for all members of the kingdom on the last day. For example, the parables of the wheat and tares, the dragnet, the wise and foolish virgins, the talents, and the faithful and wicked servants—all of these teach us that there will be an accounting on the last day. As a result, some members of the kingdom will be accepted, and others rejected. In the parable we are discussing, what determines whether a member of the kingdom is accepted or rejected is whether he always forgives his brother wholeheartedly.

Generally, in the Christian world, there is difficulty in accepting the kingdom teaching that one member of the kingdom may be rejected while another may be accepted. One cause is slogans or expressions that are widely believed, such as “once saved, always saved,” “believe in Jesus, go to heaven,” and other sayings or teachings that prevent Christians from seeing the plan of the Father in heaven. If by God’s grace a Christian understands the plan of the Father, he will not struggle to understand the kingdom teachings proclaimed by Jesus and His apostles.

Let us step back briefly to consider the Father’s plan so that the parable about ‘forgiveness’ above can be better understood. Genesis 1:26–28 tells us that the focus of the Father’s plan is the earth, not heaven. His plan never changes, for He is God who does not change. His plan is that humanity should subdue everything that creeps on the earth. We know that ‘everything that creeps on the earth’ refers to the kingdom of the devil and his evil spirits. Man as an individual cannot subdue the devil’s kingdom; it must be a ‘kingdom of humans’ confronting the ‘kingdom of the devil’. That is why Jesus came as a man to establish His kingdom on earth. This is the plan of the Father—to establish the kingdom of the Messiah on earth in order to subdue the kingdom of the devil. The entire New Testament explains how the Father’s plan unfolds in establishing the Messiah’s kingdom on earth.

One crucial element in how the Father establishes the Messiah’s kingdom on earth is through ‘settling accounts’ with His servants, or with the members of the kingdom. If a member of the kingdom is rejected on the ‘day of accounting’, it means he will not take part in the Messiah’s

kingdom that will be established on earth. This does not speak of whether he is saved or not, nor whether he will be thrown into eternal hell forever, as taught in the traditional doctrine of eternal hell which many Christians widely accept. If there are members of the kingdom of heaven who are accepted on the day of reckoning, then they will take part in the Messianic kingdom that will be established on this earth. This Messianic kingdom will surely conquer the kingdom of the devil, because Jesus as the King has already defeated the devil. All human beings who are captives of the devil will be seized by Jesus and His kingdom. That is why Jesus said that He would draw all people to Himself (John 12:32).

Therefore, on the day of reckoning, the question will be whether Christians will take part in the Messianic kingdom that will be established on the earth or not. May this explanation of the Father’s plan help us better understand the parable about forgiveness above.

Before we enter the final section (the fifth section) of the teaching of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23–25), let us look at several cases or stories. For now we will discuss the case of a rich young man who asked Jesus about how to obtain eternal life (Matthew 19:16–26). In this case there is something very important that Jesus taught about the difference between ‘obtaining eternal life’ and ‘entering the kingdom of heaven’.

Let us first discuss ‘obtaining eternal life’. The young man begins with a question about what good deed he must do in order to obtain eternal life (verse 16). This question is certainly incorrect, because no human being can obtain eternal life through good deeds. That is why Jesus corrected this question with the statement that no one is good except God alone (verse 17).

However, in order to teach this young man that he could not obtain eternal life by his good deeds, Jesus continued by giving him a requirement to obtain life, namely obeying the Law of Moses (verses 17–19). The young man, so proud and unaware of his true condition, replied, “All these things I have kept; what do I still lack?” (verse 20). Jesus immediately exposed the young man’s inability by saying that he must be perfect, sell all he had, and follow Jesus (verse 21). Here the young man’s inability is revealed. It turns out he could not meet the requirement Jesus gave in order to follow Him. The young man was bound to his wealth, and thus he went away sorrowful (verse 22).

The lesson here is that obtaining eternal life (‘zoe’) cannot be achieved through good deeds, but only by believing in Jesus. This lesson is also shown in the people’s question to Jesus in John 6:28–29: “What must we DO…?” Jesus answered, “…that you BELIEVE in Him…” Throughout the Gospel of John there are many statements that by believing, one receives eternal life (‘zoe’). However, the ‘zoe’ received by believers is still only a “seed” and needs to grow. That is why John 10:10 emphasizes that we must receive ‘zoe abundantly’, meaning it must grow to maturity and bear fruit.

Then Jesus continued His teaching to His disciples about ‘entering the kingdom of heaven’ (verse 23). Jesus stressed how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, to the point that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The point is clear: for man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (verse 26).

Now we come to the important point in this section, namely the difference between ‘obtaining eternal life’ and ‘entering the kingdom of heaven’. In Christianity, these two matters — obtaining eternal life (‘zoe’) and entering the kingdom of heaven — are generally considered the same. A false statement that has long been accepted within Christianity is that BELIEVING IN JESUS GUARANTEES ENTERING HEAVEN. Jesus and His apostles never taught this. What is true is that BELIEVING IN JESUS GIVES ETERNAL LIFE (ZOE). Whether that zoe-life grows and bears fruit is an entirely different issue.

The parable of the sower, which we have discussed, explains that Christians who have believed in Jesus and received zoe-life (categorized as ‘rocky ground’ and ‘thorny ground’) do not grow and do not bear fruit. And other parables about the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew — indeed the entire New Testament — also explain that NOT ALL CHRISTIANS WHO ARE BORN AGAIN WILL NECESSARILY BE ACCEPTED INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN THAT WILL BE FULLY ESTABLISHED ON EARTH. Jesus will come “the second time” as the righteous Judge to judge us all (the church). On that ‘day of reckoning’, everything will become clear.

It seems that the Christian world has indeed preached another gospel. Jesus and His apostles preached only one gospel, the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. THERE ARE NOT TWO GOSPELS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, ONLY ONE: THE GOOD NEWS (GOSPEL) OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. At His coming, Jesus and the citizens of the kingdom will fully establish the kingdom of heaven on earth. And the expansion of the kingdom of heaven on earth will not cease (Isaiah 9:6). The kingdom of heaven on earth will subdue all things so that the world moves toward the new earth and new heavens.

Let us continue the story in Matthew 19, where Peter asked Jesus: “…We have left everything and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?... Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (verses 27–28).

We have discussed the previous story about the rich young man in which Jesus stressed how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ statement shocked the disciples, and therefore Peter asked what they would receive for following Him. Jesus affirmed that the disciples would receive a reward at the ‘renewal of all things’, namely sitting on twelve thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Let us discuss the reward that the disciples of Jesus will receive. This reward is clearly given at the ‘renewal of all things’. The Greek word translated ‘renewal’ here is ‘palingenesia’, which appears only twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is in Titus 3:5, translated by the Indonesian Bible as ‘rebirth’.

The concept contained in the term ‘palingenesia’ is broader than merely ‘rebirth’ or ‘renewal’. ‘Palingenesia’ also means ‘the restoration of all things’, and even ‘the ending of the old age and the beginning of the new’. Jesus used this term in the sense of the beginning of a total restoration process from the fallen first creation toward the new creation. And this process begins when He comes in His glory (commonly called the second coming) and gives rewards to His disciples.

In the case of the twelve apostles, their reward is sitting on twelve thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel. What about the reward for other disciples who follow Jesus? Revelation 20:4 affirms: “Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge…” The people mentioned here are the overcomers of the church throughout the ages. See Revelation 3:21: “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne…” Thus, the overcomers in the church are the ones given authority to judge.

We must understand that the authority to judge given by Jesus to the overcomers is within the context of ‘palingenesia’, that is, within the context of ‘the renewal of all things’. So it does not mean judging in the sense of declaring condemnation. Consider Isaiah 26:9: “…for when Your judgments come upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” Therefore, the authority to judge means the authority to carry out ‘the restoration of all things’, so that the world learns what is right.

The reward Jesus gives to His disciples is clearly based on each disciple’s deeds. Revelation 22:12 states: “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each person according to what he has done.” Nevertheless, all of this remains by the grace of God. Paul said that he worked harder than the others, but ‘not I’, he emphasized, ‘but the grace of God that was with me’ (1 Corinthians 15:10).

We are still discussing the reward of following Jesus, which is related to ‘entering the kingdom of heaven’. This matter is important because in Christianity there is a widely accepted belief that all born-again Christians will certainly enter heaven and will only stand before Christ’s judgment to determine the size of their reward. In other words, all born-again Christians will surely receive a reward and enter the kingdom of heaven. Is this true?

Before discussing rewards, we need to be clear about the stages of the Father’s plan in heaven in establishing His Son’s kingdom on earth. First, the kingdom of heaven came to earth in and through the person of Jesus Christ. At His coming, the church had not yet been born, which is why Jesus said, “I will build My church.” Second, through His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit (the Spirit who gives ‘zoe’-life) was poured out upon 120 people in Jerusalem. This was the birth of the church, the ‘called-out ones’. The church becomes the instrument called to bring forth the kingdom of heaven on earth. Third, the kingdom of heaven will be fully manifested on earth at the second coming of Jesus. This is where the judgment of Christ takes place. The parables related to the second coming of Jesus in Matthew are the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant (Matthew 24), the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, and the parable of the talents (Matthew 25).

Let us pay attention to Paul’s statement related to the theme we are discussing. 1 Corinthians 3:14–15 says: “If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss, but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” From these verses we see that some Christians, whose service endures the test of God’s fire, will receive a reward. But others, whose service is burned up, will suffer loss, even though they will still be saved “as through fire.” In other words, some Christians will receive a reward; others will fail to receive a reward. This understanding aligns with the parables we mentioned above (Matthew 24–25), and it also aligns with the revelation of the kingdom of heaven throughout the New Testament.

Therefore, the belief that all born-again Christians will certainly receive rewards and enter the kingdom of heaven that will be established on earth has no foundation in the revelation of the New Testament. The reward for Christians at the coming of Jesus is to reign on earth as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek. See Revelation 5:10, which speaks of this: “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

The event in which Christians receive their reward is explained by Paul in Romans 8:19–21: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God… the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” This is the event in which Christians receive their reward and are manifested on the earth with glorified bodies to liberate creation. This is also the meaning of entering the kingdom of heaven, not in the sense of “a faraway heaven,” but in the sense of the kingdom of heaven that will be fully manifested on earth. This is the beginning of the ‘restoration of all things’, or ‘palingenesia’, the renewal we have discussed.

Let us discuss a bit more about the reward of following Jesus. After Jesus answered Peter’s question about rewards, He continued: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30). Then Jesus explained this statement through the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16).

This parable describes the kingdom of heaven as like a landowner seeking laborers for his vineyard. The parable is very simple, and we will not discuss the entire story, but we will take several important points from it.

First, the landowner — who of course represents the Father in heaven — acts very justly, especially toward the workers who came first. This is because he had already agreed with them on the wage of one denarius for the day. Second, the landowner has full freedom to use his belongings as he wishes (verse 15). This speaks of the sovereignty of the Father in heaven to do whatever He pleases. Third, the error of the workers who came first was that they grumbled against the landowner’s decision. There was envy in the hearts of the first workers. Because of this envy, the parable ends with the conclusion: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (verse 16).

In the teaching of the kingdom of heaven, the sovereignty of the Father in heaven is very important — indeed, it may be said to be the foremost. This sovereignty of the Father is evidence that everything is by His grace. There is nothing in humans that can be boasted. Paul also firmly said that whoever boasts should boast in the Lord, meaning boast in what God has done in us.

Let us take two verses to clarify what we are discussing. Luke 12:32 says: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” Luke 17:9–10, speaking of service, emphasizes: “Does he thank the servant because he did what he was commanded? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

The teaching of the kingdom of heaven — even our entire lives — becomes simple and easy when we see that everything has been predetermined by the Father in heaven. Psalm 139:16 also affirms the Father’s sovereignty in determining all things: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

In Christianity there is a teaching about free will that has gone “too far.” To prove that humans have responsibility before God, it is claimed that they must have ABSOLUTE free will. This doctrine of “absolute free will” is also what gave birth to the myth about the fall of Satan, from a good angel (Lucifer) into an evil devil. We will not discuss all of that here.

However, by teaching that the Father in heaven determines all things, we do not deny that every creature possesses a will. Angels, humans, animals, and even trees all have a will. That is why Jesus ‘rebuked’ the fig tree that bore no fruit, because even though it was only a tree, it still had “responsibility” to bear fruit. Therefore, all of us must take responsibility because we have a will, but our ‘will’ is determined ENTIRELY by the Father in heaven.

Thus, even our “reward” is entirely determined by the sovereignty of the Father in heaven. Even whether we will take part in the kingdom of heaven that will one day be fully manifested on earth—this too is determined by the decision of the Father in heaven. For those of us who fully trust in the Father’s love, what we are discussing here is not difficult to accept.

We will now examine the story of Jesus and His disciples entering the city of Jerusalem and being rejected by the chief priests and the scribes (Matthew 21). This rejection by the Jewish leaders is recorded in Matthew 21:15: “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did, and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.” Of course, not everyone rejected Jesus. When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the crowds welcomed Him, crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” However, since the Jewish nation as a whole was represented by its leaders who occupied “Moses’ seat,” the rejection by the leaders was regarded as the rejection of the entire nation of Israel.

There are several events in Matthew 21 that we need to note. First, Jesus cleansed the Temple, which had been turned into a den of robbers by the Jewish leaders (v. 13). Second, Jesus “rebuked” the barren fig tree, which symbolized the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 24:2,5,8). Third, the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders was exposed when they questioned Jesus’ authority. Jesus asked them about John’s baptism—was it from man or from heaven? And they lied, because they feared the people who regarded John as a prophet (vv. 25–26). All these events prove the corruption of the Jewish religious leaders, and for this reason they rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus then told two parables: the parable of the two sons and the parable of the tenants. These parables were directed at the Jewish leaders who rejected Him. The parable of the two sons explains that Israel, as the firstborn son (Exodus 4:22), did not do the Father’s will, while ‘tax collectors and prostitutes’, which can be understood as representing the church, did the Father’s will and thus entered the kingdom of heaven (v. 31).

The parable of the tenants was also directed at the Jewish leaders who rejected Him. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven would be taken away from the Jewish nation and given to a people (the church) who would produce the fruit of that kingdom (v. 43). In fact, the Jewish nation had been entrusted with the kingdom of heaven, though only in symbolic form (the Davidic kingdom as a symbol of the Messianic kingdom). But when the reality of the kingdom arrived in the person of Jesus, they rejected Him. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven was taken from them. Until today, the kingdom of heaven has not been given back to the Jewish nation because its leaders continue to reject Jesus as their Messiah.

The consequences of Israel’s rejection of Jesus were immense. In A.D. 70 the Temple was destroyed by General Titus, and since then there has been no Temple, which was the core of the Mosaic covenant. The synagogues scattered everywhere cannot replace the function of the Temple for Israel. Synagogues are merely places for gathering and studying the Law, but sacrificial ceremonies cannot be performed there.

What lesson does this hold for the church, which has now been entrusted with the kingdom of heaven? Has the church produced the ‘fruit of the kingdom’ for the Lord Jesus? Has the church manifested the kingdom of heaven on earth? These questions are extremely important for the church.

We continue our study with the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1–14). Apparently, this parable continues Jesus’ conversation with the chief priests and the Pharisees in the previous chapter (21:23–46). Jesus begins the parable by saying that ‘the kingdom of heaven’ is like a king (the Father in heaven) who prepared a wedding banquet for his son (Christ Jesus).

The parable emphasizes that those who had already been invited refused to come for various reasons. Therefore, the king sent his servants to the crossroads to invite anyone they found. After the wedding hall was filled, the king entered to meet the guests and found one who was not wearing wedding clothes. It must be remembered that in Eastern custom, the host provided wedding garments for all guests. Thus, if someone refused to wear the garment provided by the host, it was considered an insult. For this reason, the king commanded his servants to bind the man hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness. The parable concludes with the statement, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (22:14).

This parable tells us that those who had been invited but refused to come represent the Jewish nation as a whole. They had been invited to the wedding banquet because they were bound to Yahweh through the Mosaic covenant. Meanwhile, those invited from the crossroads who entered the banquet hall represent the church. But not all within the church who are ‘called’ will partake of the wedding banquet, because only a few among the called are chosen.

The term ‘called’ means having been saved, born again, and having received the seed of Christ’s life (‘zoe’). Passages such as Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2, and Ephesians 4:1 clearly show that ‘called’ means made holy—set apart for God’s purposes. But ‘chosen’ means becoming an overcomer who will reign with Christ (Revelation 17:14). Jesus said to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit…” (John 15:16). Thus, being called and being chosen are both acts of grace. The “wedding garment” in the parable is also provided by the host. Everything is grace.

Again, we see that not every born-again Christian will take part in reigning with Christ at His coming. Only those who have been granted grace to be called, chosen, and appointed to bear fruit will reign with Him during the millennial kingdom on earth.

We continue with Jesus’ question to the Pharisees who were gathered: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” They answered, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’? For he says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’ If then David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be his son?” (Matthew 22:42–45).

In the preceding verses, Jesus had been tested by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes with questions about ‘paying taxes to Caesar’, ‘the resurrection’, and ‘the greatest commandment’. He answered all of them perfectly, and when it was His turn to ask them a question, they could not answer.

Jesus’ question about the Messiah was meant to correct their concept of who the Messiah is. The Pharisees and scribes understood only the physical aspect—that the Messiah would be the son of David. Therefore, they expected a Messiah who would restore a physical kingdom like David’s, rebuild a physical Temple like David’s (though built by Solomon), deliver Israel from physical enemies, and bring earthly peace.

Such a physical understanding proves they did not grasp the nature of the Mosaic covenant (OT), which consisted of symbols, shadows, and prophecies. The awaited Messiah was to fulfill all those symbols, shadows, and prophecies. The Messiah would be the ‘reality’ of all OT symbols, shadows, and prophecies. Colossians 2:16–17 states, “… with regard to food and drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day; these are a shadow of the things that were to come, but the reality is Christ.” Colossians 1:27 also affirms, “… Christ in you…” Thus, Christ dwelling within the believer is the ‘real substance’ of all OT symbols, shadows, and prophecies.

Notice how the Pharisees equated the Messianic kingdom with the kingdom of David. Yet Jesus affirmed that David called the Messiah ‘Lord’. This means the Messiah is greater than David. Therefore, the Messianic kingdom belongs to a higher dimension than the Davidic kingdom. The Messianic kingdom is heavenly (the kingdom of heaven), while David’s kingdom was earthly (a physical kingdom). This is one of the main reasons the Jewish religious leaders (Judaism) rejected Jesus as their Messiah. While Israel expected deliverance from physical enemies—the Roman Empire at the time—Jesus came to deliver Israel from the bondage of sin, Satan, and evil spirits.

How about the Christian world today? Does Christianity fail to understand that Jesus fulfills all OT symbols, shadows, and prophecies? It appears that much of Christianity is not far different from the religious leaders of that time. Consider the nature of Christian worship today. Jesus said true worship must be in spirit and in truth (reality). This means that worship is the daily life led by Christ within the believer.

Whether a believer is led to work here or there, gather with fellow believers in this place or that, or simply gather with family at home—all must be done based on Christ’s inward leading. This is the real worship in spirit. But Christian worship today has become full of regulations: must do this, must do that… organizational rules, leaders’ rules, and even rules taken from the OT such as tithing, firstfruits, faith pledges, and so on. In essence, Christian worship has become similar to Jewish worship with its rituals and regulations.

As we know, the Gospel of Matthew contains five major divisions of teaching about the kingdom of heaven, while the rest consists of narratives about Jesus and the good news of the kingdom. Let us recall these five sections: first, Matthew 5:1–7:29 (the Sermon on the Mount); second, Matthew 9:35–11:1 (the commissioning of the twelve apostles); third, Matthew 13:1–52 (the seven parables of the kingdom); fourth, Matthew 18:1–35 (forgiveness and the parable of the unmerciful servant)—and we have discussed these four. We now enter the final section, the fifth, in Matthew 23–25—Jesus’ rebukes of the Pharisees and scribes, and His teaching on the end times and the judgment of God’s servants.

Let us begin with Matthew 23:1–12, which is the introduction to this teaching about the kingdom of heaven. Notice Matthew 23:1: “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples.” In this teaching, Jesus is speaking to two groups: the crowds and His disciples. We must clearly see this distinction, because Jesus’ teachings differ between these two groups.

To the crowds, Jesus taught them to obey everything the scribes and Pharisees taught, because they sat on “Moses’ seat,” but they were not to imitate their actions (vv. 2–3). Jesus then explained why the crowds should not imitate the works of the scribes and Pharisees (vv. 4–7).

But starting in verse 8, Jesus spoke to His disciples, for the verse begins with, “But you…” If we carefully observe the context, we will see that Jesus was essentially speaking about “Moses’ seat.” It is this seat that caused Jesus to say the crowds must follow the Pharisees’ teachings, while His disciples were given completely different instructions because they were not under “Moses’ seat.” Understanding what Jesus meant by “Moses’ seat” is crucial.

What is “Moses’ seat”? It refers to the authority of Moses—meaning a religious authority that applied only under the Mosaic covenant (OT). For this reason, the crowds had to obey the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, regardless of their bad behavior. The authority of Moses that the scribes and Pharisees held is what required the crowds to obey their teaching.

But among Jesus’ disciples (the church), there must be no “Moses’ seat.” The church has its own authority. Jesus’ teaching to His disciples is very clear: THERE MUST BE NO AUTHORITY OTHER THAN THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS. We see here that Jesus’ authority over the church is not delegated to ‘church rabbis/teachers’, or ‘church fathers’, or ‘church leaders’. Jesus’ words in verse 8, “You are all brothers,” in context means there must be no “Moses’ seat” in the church. No religious office, no religious authority, no human leader’s authority may exist in the church apart from Jesus. JESUS HIMSELF DIRECTLY GOVERNS EVERY MEMBER OF THE CHURCH. In other words, THERE MUST BE NO RELIGIOUS OFFICE OF ANY KIND IN THE CHURCH.

Let us continue our discussion about “Moses’ seat” in Matthew 23:1–12. We have emphasized that “Moses’ seat”—a religious office or religious authority—applied only under the Mosaic covenant (OT) and not under the New Covenant (the church). Therefore, in the church there must be no “Moses’ seat,” no religious office, no religious authority, no authority of leaders, except the authority of Jesus. Jesus directly governs every member of the church through His own authority. Jesus never delegated His authority to leaders. The concept of delegated authority exists only in human governmental systems. So why does the modern church use the idea of delegated authority? This is what we will now examine.

There are two things we must understand clearly. First, how Jesus directly governs every member of the church. When Jesus said, “I will build My church,” it means He Himself will build His church. He Himself directly governs and builds His church. Of course, Jesus uses leaders as His instruments. For this reason, Jesus gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to EQUIP the church so that it may grow to maturity (Ephesians 4:11–12).

We must always remember that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers HAVE NO AUTHORITY whatsoever over the members of the church. So how does Jesus exercise direct authority over His church? Through His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, Jesus has given The ‘Life-Giving Spirit’ to establish His church. On the day of Pentecost, when the Life-Giving Spirit was poured out, the church was born on this earth. Therefore, the authority of Jesus over His church is what we call ‘the Authority of the Life of Christ’. The Life of Christ (‘zoe’) directly governs every member of the church, because the church is an organism (the Body of Christ).

Colossians 2:19 explains to us how the church as an organism can grow: “and not holding fast to the head, from whom all the body, through the joints and ligaments, being supplied and knit together, grows with the growth that is from God” (ILT). We see from this verse that the “joints and ligaments” are the leaders of the church (as an organism) who supply and knit the organism together so that the Body (the organism) can grow with ‘the growth of God’.

The Greek expression ‘auxano ho auxesis ho theos’, translated as ‘grows with the growth that is from God’, actually means ‘may increase with the increase of God’. The meaning is that through the function of the “joints and ligaments,” the church grows with GOD’S OWN GROWTH AS LIFE. The growth of the church is the growth of Life because the church is an organism. Thus, through the authority of Life within the organism, Jesus directly governs His church. The leaders merely function as “joints and ligaments” that supply and unify the Body. These leaders are what we call the ‘leaders of the organism’, as opposed to the ‘leaders of organizations’ within the Christian world.

If so, how did the church, which began as an organism, fracture into tens of thousands of organizations? We will discuss this in point two.

We continue to discuss whether leaders have authority over other church members. Why, in the Christian world, is there a notion of ‘delegated authority’, as if leaders possess an authority that can be delegated to subordinates? In the first point, we already explained that Jesus directly governs every member of His church through the authority of Life—His own authority—because Jesus is Life (I am the ‘zoe’). This is why the apostle John said, “But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you…” (1 John 2:27). The anointing within the inward being of every believer is the ‘zoe’ (the Life) that Jesus has given. This inward Life of Christ teaches Christians everything. Thus, through His Life, Jesus governs every member of the church, for each member lives being led by Life, or by the Spirit who gives Life.

If so, does the church not need leaders? Of course the church needs leaders, because Jesus Himself gives leaders to the church—but only to equip every member so that all the members may, in turn, build up the Body of Christ by obeying ‘the inward anointing’ (Ephesians 4:12; 1 John 2:27). In this way, the church remains in its essence an organism (a Body) directly governed by the authority of the Life of Christ, even though there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers, elders/overseers, and deacons. This was the condition of the early church in the Book of Acts, where we find seventy expressions such as ‘led by the Spirit’, ‘the Spirit said’, ‘the Holy Spirit forbade’, and so on. All church members—including the leaders—were governed solely by the Holy Spirit, even as Paul called himself ‘a prisoner of the Spirit’.

Now we come to the second point: how did the church, which began as an organism, become divided into tens of thousands of organizations/denominations? The New Testament explains plainly the beginning of this process, though it is generally not taught by religious leaders in the Christian world. In fact, Christian religious leaders often obscure this by means of the false teaching of the ‘visible–invisible church’, or by claiming that denominations are ‘the church’.

The initial cause of why the church (as an organism) became tens of thousands of denominations is written in Acts 20:29–30: “I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from among your own selves will arise men who speak perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” The context of these verses is Paul’s farewell to the elders of the church in Ephesus.

The earliest disease of the church’s downfall is clearly revealed in these verses: the attack of “savage wolves” upon some leaders. The motivation of the “savage wolves” is obvious—they do not spare the church (the flock), and their method is to attack the leaders who can be attacked. The impact of this attack is twofold: first, it caused certain leaders to teach FALSE TEACHINGS; second, they DREW disciples to follow them. Disciples who had previously followed the true way—that is, following the authority of Jesus by being led by the inward Life (the anointing John referred to)—were, after being DRAWN by these leaders, turned into ‘followers of the leaders’. Consequently, Jesus could no longer directly lead them. This is what has occurred in the Christian world. The tens of thousands of denominations are no longer the church built by Jesus, because multitudes of disciples follow this leader or that leader, this stream or that stream; therefore, the denominations are religious kingdoms established by leaders. Or, perhaps more accurately, each denomination is a leader’s kingdom with its respective followers.

We continue discussing Matthew 23:1–12 concerning the “seat of Moses,” yet it seems we must diverge briefly to discuss ‘the blessing of the Father in heaven’. Why so? Because to speak about the “seat of Moses” is to speak about religious leaders—both the religious leaders of Judaism and the religious leaders within the Christian world.

Many of Jesus’ rebukes toward the Jewish religious leaders in chapter 23 can also, in several cases, be applied to religious leaders within Christianity. And it has become a common view among Christians that ‘God’s blessings’ serve as proof that a person’s life is pleasing to God. We often hear statements such as: “See, he is blessed—there is the evidence… that means he is pleasing to God.” This is the issue that requires us to speak about the blessing of God before we continue to the discussion of the “seat of Moses.”

In truth, all humans have already been blessed by the Father in heaven. John 3:16 affirms that God so loved the whole world that He gave His only Son to remove the sin of the world. Jesus did not remove only the sins of Christians, but also the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). This is why John the Baptist said that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). If the Father in heaven has loved the world so greatly, how could He also be cursing the people of this world? Truly, the Father in heaven has blessed all people, but His blessing must not be used as evidence that He is pleased with the way each person lives.

The Father in heaven is a Father who blesses. Consider the following facts. Isaac was blessed, but Ishmael was also blessed (Genesis 17:20). Jacob was blessed, but Esau was also blessed (Hebrews 11:20). Both Ishmael and Esau were blessed by the Father in heaven; nonetheless, the Father made His covenant only with Isaac, and chose Jacob—not Esau. Therefore, the Father’s blessing cannot be used as proof that He is pleased with someone’s way of life.

Let us consider an example of an earthly father—Jacob, who blessed all his sons at the end of his life (Genesis 49). Verse 28 states, “… he blessed each one with the blessing appropriate to each.” When Jacob blessed all his sons at the end of his life, was this proof that all his sons pleased him? Certainly not. Likewise, the Father in heaven, who is the Father of spirits, blesses all humans simply because He is a loving Father.

Is the Christian world blessed by the Father in heaven? Of course. Not only the Christian world—indeed, the entire world is loved by the Father and blessed by Him, much more so the Christian world. But are all His children within Christianity walking in ways that please the Father? This is precisely what must be reflected upon: the blessing of the Father upon a Christian’s life is not proof that the Father is pleased with his way of life. The Father’s blessing merely proves that He is a loving Father.

In the parable of the prodigal son, both the younger and the older son are loved by the Father. This concept is difficult for many Christians to accept. Religious leaders in Christianity usually like to teach: if you give a tithe, you will receive financial blessings; if you attend services regularly, your faith will grow; if you pray much, you will receive many blessings; and so forth. This IF–THEN principle is indeed a religious principle—whether in Judaism or in Christianity, which has fallen into the state of being a religion.

The New Testament principle is not IF–THEN but ALREADY–THEREFORE. We have already been blessed; therefore, let us be a blessing. We are already salt and light; therefore, let us behave according to our identity as salt and light. If these explanations help us understand that the blessing of the Father cannot be used as evidence of His pleasure, then we are ready to continue the discussion concerning the “seat of Moses.”

It seems we still need to speak a bit more about the blessing of the Father in heaven before moving on to the “seat of Moses.” This is because Christians commonly believe that “all worldly pleasures come from the devil because the devil is the ruler of the world.” This statement is only half true. It is true that the devil is the ruler of the world in the sense of the ruler of the ‘kosmos’ (the system), but heaven and earth belong to the Father in heaven. Therefore, every pleasure experienced by humans in this world comes from the Father in heaven—it is the ‘blessing of the Father’.

Ecclesiastes 2:25 affirms, “For who can eat and who can have enjoyment apart from Him?” This verse clearly states that the enjoyment someone feels when eating comes from God—that is the blessing of the Father. Yet if a person steals the food he enjoys, then the devil works as the ruler of the ‘kosmos’, and the flesh (the old man) of the thief gives the devil opportunity to act. Thus, the devil cannot give enjoyment to humans, because the devil is only ‘a liar and a murderer’.

In the Christian world, it has become widely accepted—almost as truth—that the devil was once a good angel named Lucifer who rebelled against God and became the evil being he is. Even further, the story has been embellished with the claim that the devil drew a third of the angels with him.

To understand the blessing of the Father in heaven, we must know accurately who the devil actually is. Jesus states clearly in John 8:44 that the devil is a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies. Thus, the devil was not originally good and later became evil; he has been evil ‘from the beginning’. First John 3:8 also states that the devil has been sinning ‘from the beginning’.

If so, who created the devil, who has been a liar and a murderer from the start? Consider Genesis 3:1, which states that the “serpent” was made by the Lord God. The serpent there could speak, was cunning, and tempted Eve. This is obviously not a physical serpent like one at the zoo. The Book of Revelation, in symbolic language, explains that the serpent (or dragon) is the devil (Revelation 12:9; 20:2). Thus, the serpent of Genesis 3:1 is a symbol of the devil, and he was CREATED BY THE FATHER IN HEAVEN. The Father created a being named the devil to serve as His instrument for processing humans so that they might become His image and likeness.

Many Christians cannot understand why a loving Father would create such an evil being. Therefore, theologians began creating tales about the fall of the devil, misusing verses from Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28—passages that actually refer to the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre. Anyone can create dramatic stories by snatching verses out of context.

These theologians meant well: they wished to absolve God of responsibility for the existence of evil in the universe. According to them, evil, calamity, disaster, or anything that causes human suffering cannot come from the loving Father in heaven. Meanwhile, Isaiah 45:6–7 and Amos 3:6 explicitly state that calamity, misfortune, and darkness come from the Father and are done by Him.

These theologians did not stop with their tales but proceeded to invent the doctrine of absolute free will. Supposedly, since the Father in heaven has granted absolute free will to the angels, the devil rebelled freely against Him. This doctrine of absolute free will is terrifying. What if another angel suddenly rebels? What if the devil hits us on the head, and the Father cannot help us because He has granted the devil absolute free will? This doctrine utterly insults the sovereignty of the Father in heaven. The people of the Kingdom believe only that all things are FROM HIM, THROUGH HIM, caused by Him, and TO HIM—to His glory and His purposes.

We could speak at great length on this subject. But for now, it is enough to understand that every blessing, enjoyment, or anything obtained and experienced by humans comes from the Father—it is the blessing of the Father. The Jewish religious leaders were greatly blessed by the Father. All the pleasures the Pharisees and scribes enjoyed—wealth, position, and human honor—came from the Father and were His blessings to them. The question is not the blessings themselves but how they obtained money, position, and honor—through their ‘kosmos’ (religious system). This is what we will address later.

We have established that the church needs leaders, but these leaders possess no “seat of Moses” or any authority over other members. Now we will look into church history to see how the “seat of Moses” eventually entered the church.

History records that a man named Ignatius (A.D. 117) is regarded as the first to teach a distinction between elders (‘presbuteros’) and bishops (‘episkopos’). Ignatius, a church leader in Antioch (Syria), died as a martyr under Emperor Trajan. He wrote letters during his journey to Rome to be martyred. We will quote portions of his letters that reveal something deeply hidden within the flesh—namely, the desire to rule or to exalt oneself above God’s people.

Here are some quotations in English (so the meaning is clearer), from The Apostolic Fathers (1956) by J.B. Lightfoot:

* Plainly therefore we ought to regard the bishop as the Lord himself (p. 65).

* Therefore as the Lord did nothing without the Father, (being united with Him), either by Himself or by the Apostles, so neither do you do anything without the bishop and the presbyters (p. 70).

* … submitting yourselves to your bishop and presbytery, you may be sanctified in all things (p. 64).

*Be obedient to the bishop (p. 72).

*He that does anything without the bishop and the presbytery and deacons, this man is not clean in his conscience (p. 74).

*Do all of you follow your bishop, as Jesus Christ followed the Father, and the presbytery as the Apostles (p. 84).

*He that does anything without the knowledge of the bishop renders service to the devil (p. 84).

In the book The History of Christianity, 1990, Lion Publishing, p. 83, Ignatius insisted that there must be one ‘bishop’ who leads each congregation in order to prevent divisions within the church and to ensure that right beliefs are preserved. Ignatius was a leader who followed the Lord until his martyrdom in Rome, but through this teaching the Body of Christ fell into human government with all its hierarchy and organization. When the movement begun by the Lord Jesus and His apostles as an organism became a solid organization, a new era in church history began—an era commonly called the ‘dark age of the church’.

Ignatius’ intention was good, for he desired that each congregation be preserved from false teachings by having one bishop leading it. But the question is: does the Bible teach that one leader should be exalted above the others, or that one person should have authority over the congregation?

Let us take one example: the elders (‘presbuteros’) and the bishops (‘episkopos’) are not distinguished at all and are used interchangeably. In Titus 1:5–7 it is written, “…that you should appoint elders (presbuteros) in every city… For a bishop (episkopos) must be a steward of God’s household…” It is clear here that ‘presbuteros’ is the same as ‘episkopos’. These two terms refer to the same person. Presbuteros means a mature person, while episkopos denotes his function as an overseer or watcher. Thus, a church leader must be mature and able to spiritually “see” the “savage wolves” that will attack the church.

Therefore, it is clear that Ignatius’ view that there must be one bishop who rules over the elders violates the Word of God. This violation continued so that among the bishops of each city there had to be an archbishop; among the archbishops, a cardinal; and among the cardinals, a pope. Thus the “seat of Moses” entered the church, and the dark age of the church came, in which hierarchy or human government ruled over the church.

Let us continue our passage on the “seat of Moses” (Matthew 23:1–12), and close it with the conclusion found in the last verse: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (v. 12). In understanding Scripture, the principle of context is extremely important. Without it, one may interpret ‘exalting oneself’ as referring to someone’s speech, appearance, friendliness, or anything that makes others think he is humble. Such an interpretation is wrong. Jesus is not speaking about someone’s words, appearance, ministry, wealth or poverty, or number of followers.

We need to discuss briefly the meaning of ‘context’. Context comes from two Latin words: con (together) and textus (woven), meaning something woven together. Applied to literature, context refers to the ‘connection of thoughts’ in a work or writing. This flow of thought must be discovered so that one does not interpret a verse—or even a single word—outside its context. The flow of thought in this passage is clearly about the “seat of Moses.” The “seat of Moses” clearly speaks of leadership authority, for Jesus commanded the crowds to obey the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees who sat in that seat. Thus, Jesus is speaking about leader authority.

We have also discussed that in the church there is no “seat of Moses” (vv. 8–10). So when Jesus speaks of ‘exalting oneself’, this is directly related to the issue of the “seat of Moses,” that is, the issue of leader authority. There are two types of leader authority described here: first, the authority of the scribes and Pharisees; second, the authority of church leaders.

The authority of the scribes and Pharisees over the crowds is clearly ‘positional authority’, or ‘hierarchical authority’, or authority based on rank within a hierarchy. This kind of authority must not exist in the church. This is the meaning of Jesus’ words to His disciples—that none of them should be called leader, rabbi, or father. All followers of Jesus are brothers, meaning that there must not be positional authority or hierarchical authority. Anyone who pays attention to the context—both within the passage and within Scripture as a whole—can easily understand this.

Therefore, what does Jesus mean when He says that whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted? Clearly, He means that any church leader who holds the “seat of Moses” is exalting himself.

Such church leaders will surely be humbled by Jesus. But this will take place at the judgment seat of Christ, where the church will be judged by Him. This is the clear meaning of Matthew 23:1–12.

Now we will compare Matthew 23:1–12 on the “seat of Moses” with Matthew 20:20–28 on the request of the mother of James and John. The reason for comparing these passages is that both speak of a “seat.” The first about the “seat of Moses,” the second about the “seat of the heavenly kingdom.”

Consider the request of the mother of James and John: “Jesus said, ‘What do you want?’ She said to Him, ‘Command that in Your Kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left’” (20:21). To sit in the kingdom of Jesus obviously refers to “heavenly seats.” Clearly, this mother’s concept of “the seats of the heavenly kingdom” was very earthly. Perhaps she imagined Jesus’ kingdom to be like David’s kingdom, with close associates sitting beside his throne. Perhaps she imagined that if her sons received power and authority, she too would receive glory.

We will later see that this mother’s understanding is not very different from that commonly found among leaders in the Christian world. Let us demonstrate this. Are not organizational positions or hierarchical ranks in Christian institutions commonly fought over by leaders? Consider the common causes of division in Christianity—are they not because leaders fight over position? And indeed, such divisions will continue as long as the “seat of Moses” exists. Each leader wants the highest position. Why? Because sitting on the “seat of Moses” brings money, facilities, and the respect of the people.

Let us look at three points of Jesus’ response:

First, the church is not like the governments of the nations (20:25). In the church, which is an organism, all are brothers, and the authority at work is the authority of the Life (zoe) of the organism—that is, Jesus Himself, because He is the Life of the church. Therefore, there must be no “seat of Moses” in the church. Some leaders may argue that positions and hierarchy are only tools. True—they are tools… but not tools in the hands of Jesus; rather, tools in the hands of leaders who act as managers of the organization. Indeed, organization is one of the tasks of a manager. But again—there must be no managers in the church; all are brothers. Jesus does not need an organization to govern His church. He governs each member directly through His own Life.

Second, church leaders are free people who become servants to other members (20:26–27). The difference between a servant and a manager needs no explanation.

Third, Jesus as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. This is the example for us who follow Him.

As a closing for this part, consider verse 23: “…it will be given to those for whom My Father has prepared it.” The Father in heaven has prepared those who will “sit on the seats” of the heavenly kingdom. Luke 12:32 states, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.”

Before we discuss Jesus’ rebukes to the Jewish religious leaders in Matthew 23:13–36, let us summarize our study so far on the difference between the “seat of Moses” and the “seat of the heavenly kingdom.” The religious leaders who sat on the seat of Moses clearly had authority over the crowds, so their teaching had to be obeyed. Meanwhile, Christians prepared by the Father to sit on the seats of the heavenly kingdom are ‘servants’ (doulos=slave or servant, Matthew 20:27). Here doulos means servant to God’s people, not servant before God. Thus, the “seat of the heavenly kingdom” is the seat of a servant, and those prepared by the Father to sit there are those who have no authority over God’s people. They do not draw God’s people to themselves as followers, nor exercise authority over them.

Those who receive the grace to sit in the heavenly seat surely understand that the Christian world is the fallen early church, corrupted by the entrance of the “seat of Moses.” The leaders of Christianity are those who sit on the “seat of Moses.” We all understand that they are not doulos—servants—to God’s people. They are managers who govern God’s people with authority they possess because they sit on that seat. The authority of Christian religious leaders over God’s people is clearly ‘illegal authority’. But today it is widely accepted in Christianity, even taught as doctrine. Truly, this is the false teaching of Jezebel described in Revelation 2–3, where Jezebel usurped King Ahab’s authority in the case of Naboth’s vineyard. Likewise, these Christian leaders “usurp” the authority of Jesus over His people.

Now we are ready to examine Jesus’ rebukes to the Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 23:13–36). We needed first to discuss how the “seat of Moses” entered the church because Jesus’ rebukes are directed to religious leaders. To what extent these rebukes apply to Christian leaders today we leave to Jesus, who will judge us all. Our part is to uncover and convey what Scripture says.

There are eight rebukes of Jesus that begin with the phrase “Woe to you… you hypocrites,” except in verse 16, where the word ‘hypocrites’ does not appear. Thus, seven times Jesus uses the term ‘hypocrites’ for the Jewish religious leaders. Let us see what Jesus means by this term. The Greek word for ‘hypocrite’ is ‘hupokrites’, meaning someone who plays a role that is not truly himself—acting or pretending. We will note three forms of their pretense:

First, they pretend to be spiritual by deceiving people with long prayers (23:14).

Second, they pretend to be clean, cleaning the outside while inside are full of robbery and greed (23:25).

Third, they pretend to be righteous, appearing righteous externally but full of hypocrisy and lawlessness inside (23:28). Jesus likens their hypocrisy to a “tomb”—beautiful outside but within full of bones and all uncleanness (23:27).

One major characteristic of these religious leaders is hypocrisy. They pretend to be spiritual (23:14), pretend to be clean (23:25), pretend to be righteous (23:28). Their hypocritical behaviors naturally lead their teachings to be external and not inward.

Let us take one example of their outward-focused teaching. Matthew 23:23 states, “…for you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, but neglect the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These you should have done without neglecting the others.” These religious leaders emphasized tithing rituals, but neglected the inward condition of the heart—mercy, justice, and faithfulness. Their outward teachings and behaviors matched their goal—to be seen by others (v. 5).

Their outward religion is like cleaning the outside of a cup and dish while inside are full of greed and self-indulgence (v. 25). God is concerned with the inward condition and heart. The saints in the Old Testament were people who had faith and love for Yahweh and expressed this by obeying the Law. They were not people who obeyed the Law without faith or love, for in every age Elohim seeks faith. The saints in every age are people of faith. But the Pharisees and scribes in Jesus’ time cared only about outward forms of worship and ignored inward matters. This is the chief characteristic of their behavior and teaching—externality, neglecting the inward.

Let us apply this matter to the Christian context. Jesus said that worship must be in ‘spirit and truth’ (John 4). Worship in spirit means worship must be inward. Paul prophesied that in the last days Christians will have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). Many perform outward forms—attending church buildings, giving certain offerings, performing rituals—yet inwardly they are empty, with no spirit burning for the Lord.

Next, worship ‘in truth’, or worship ‘in reality’, means worship that is not in symbols, rituals, and shadows, as worship was in the context of the Old Testament. All regulations concerning food, drink, festivals, new moons, Sabbaths, and others in the context of the Old Testament were merely shadows, while the reality is Christ within (Colossians 2:16–17).

Therefore, worship in spirit and truth is worship in the sense of following the inward leading of Christ in our daily lives. Christian worship is not ritualistic, outward, nor filled with regulations of ‘must this’ and ‘must that’, as in the Old Testament context. But let us reflect on the main characteristics of the teachings of religious leaders in the Christian world: are they inward or outward?

Now we will discuss the second characteristic of these Jewish religious leaders—blindness. Certainly, Jesus did not mean physical blindness, but spiritual blindness, so that they could not “see” the matters of God (Elohim).

Let us examine the blindness of these Jewish religious leaders. First, their blindness caused them to be unable to distinguish what is more important and what is not (23:16–22). They did not understand that the Temple is more important than the gold of the Temple (vv. 16–17). They also did not understand that the altar is more important than the offering on it (vv. 18–19).

Second, their blindness caused them to strain out “a gnat” and swallow “a camel” in their drink (vv. 23–24). We have discussed that they practiced tithing, but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Some religious leaders in the Christian world “pick out” this verse to prove that Jesus

commands the tithe to His church. These leaders completely fail to “see” the context of the verse. In this verse, it is clear that Jesus is speaking to Jewish religious leaders connected to the Mosaic Covenant, not speaking to His disciples (the church) who are connected to the New Covenant. Why is such an ‘obvious’ truth something they cannot see?

Third, the blindness of the Pharisees and scribes caused them to clean only the outside of the cup and dish, while neglecting the inside (vv. 25–26). The disease of these religious leaders is that they love the honor of man more than the honor of God (Elohim), so their deeds are aimed at being seen by others.

Let us now discuss more deeply this spiritual blindness. The church in Laodicea was also blind, thinking they were rich and lacking nothing, while in fact they were blind (Revelation 3:17–18). Their sickness was because their “eyes” were not anointed with the “oil” of the Holy Spirit. Let us also consider the case of the prophet Balaam, whose donkey had sharper vision than he did. The donkey had already seen the Angel of the Lord, while Balaam—who loved the wages of unrighteousness—could not see Him. The Pharisees and scribes are also said to “devour widows’ houses,” which clearly refers to taking money from the weak—perhaps through tithes, temple taxes, or other means—while they themselves lived in abundance (v. 14). Indeed, the Pharisees were lovers of money (Luke 16:14). It seems that love of money, or receiving payment for ministry, causes leaders to become blind. A prophet who ought to be a “seer,” and church leaders (episkopos = overseer = seer), who ought to see the attacks of “fierce wolves” upon the flock, become blind and dull because they love the wages of ministry.

Another point we should add here is that the key to seeing ourselves or seeing the condition of God’s people is seeing the Lord (Isaiah 6:1, 5). Here, Isaiah received grace to see Him. Everyone is born “blind.” May we receive His grace to see the Lord, and therefore come to know ourselves and the condition of God’s people.

Now let us discuss the next characteristic of these Jewish religious leaders written in Matthew 23:33: “You serpents, you brood of vipers! How can you escape the sentence of hell?” Jesus calls the Jewish religious leaders who “sit in Moses’ seat” serpents and a brood of vipers, and says they cannot escape the judgment of hell.

There are several things we need to understand here so that we may apply Jesus’ words to our present condition. For if Jesus’ words have no relevance to us today, what purpose is there in having them written in Scripture? His words must be applicable to the Christian world, but we must first understand what Jesus meant.

First, we must understand that Jesus was not insulting the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus never insulted any human being, for He loves all people just as the Father in heaven does. Second, the serpent Jesus referred to is obviously not a physical serpent like those seen in zoos, because it is said that these human religious leaders are the offspring of serpents. Third, therefore, Jesus calling the Pharisees and scribes the offspring of serpents reveals a truth or a reality—as it is. Indeed, they truly were the offspring of vipers.

If so, who is the serpent Jesus meant? John 8:44 clearly states that the devil is the father of these Jewish religious leaders. Jesus also reveals here the identity of the devil—he is a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies. It was proven that Jesus was killed by the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus was not killed by Pontius Pilate and the Roman soldiers. They were merely instruments in the hands of the Jewish Sanhedrin, headed by the High Priest Caiaphas, because the Sanhedrin did not have permission from Rome to execute someone regarded as a deceiver.

Now we come to a very important question—what did the devil do to these Jewish religious leaders? Let us first look at the case in which Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23). In that verse Jesus explains why He said this to Peter: “You are not thinking about the things of God, but the things of man.” We know that Peter’s action came from his affection for Jesus, not wanting Jesus to be killed by the elders, chief priests, and scribes. So Peter was thinking “good thoughts” about Jesus, but these were human thoughts. Here the devil sowed “seeds” of good human thoughts into Peter, which were contrary to the will of the Father in heaven.

Thus, the devil sowed his “seed” into these Jewish religious leaders—whether humanly good thoughts, hatred, or anything else. The clear purpose of the devil is deception unto destruction, for that is his identity.

Before applying this discussion to the Christian world, let us recall the parable of the ‘Wheat and the Tares’, which we have already discussed, where the devil also sows his seed. We see that both tares and wheat are within the kingdom of heaven, and the Lord allows them to grow together. Only at His appointed time—at the coming of Christ—will the Lord separate the tares from the wheat.

In the Christian world there are “tares” sown by the devil and “wheat” sown by Jesus. Revelation 2–3 explains to us that the “seed” sown by the devil includes the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, which have been widely accepted in Christianity. At the coming of Jesus, these “tares” will be cast into the furnace of fire, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42). For now, it is not yet the time for Christians to know who is “tare” and who is “wheat.” What is clear is that both “tares” and “wheat” are born-again Christians and members of the kingdom of heaven. All are in the Lord’s field. At the coming of Christ, all will be made clear.

After Jesus finished rebuking the Jewish religious leaders, He declared, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you… Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, from now on you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matthew 23:37–39). Here Jesus affirms that the “house” of the Jewish nation is left desolate until they finally welcome Him who comes in the name of the Lord. Because the Jewish nation as a whole rejected Jesus as the Messiah, He left the Temple and began teaching several matters to His disciples. This teaching is commonly called the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25).

Jesus’ teaching was in response to His disciples’ question: “…Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus’ teaching in chapters 24–25 speaks about the Jewish nation, about the nations, and also about His coming.

Let us begin discussing His coming. In the Christian world, the expression “the second coming of Jesus” has become very popular. From this expression arises an understanding of a “physical coming” of Jesus—first physically 2,000 years ago, visible to physical eyes, and then a “second time” physically, again visible to physical eyes. In reality, the New Testament never uses the expression “second coming,” nor “the second coming of Jesus.” This “physical” understanding causes us to miss the essence of His coming. We have written about the coming of the Lord elsewhere; here we will only highlight some points necessary for grasping the essence of Jesus’ coming.

There are six Greek terms translated as ‘coming’ in the New Testament. They are:

1. PAROUSIA. This term appears 24 times in the NT and comes from the verb ‘pareimi’, meaning ‘to be present’. The noun means presence. Parousia never refers to the act of coming or arrival, but to the presence of someone who has already come. The term is never used for a physical coming of the Lord. Thus, Parousia means presence. Where two or three are gathered in His name, He is present. That is His PRESENCE. That is His COMING.

2. APOKALUPSIS. From ‘apokaluptō’, meaning ‘to uncover’, indicating a revelation—something formerly hidden being unveiled.

3. EPIPHANEIA. Appears six times. From a verb meaning ‘to bring to light’ or ‘to appear’. The noun means ‘manifestation’. It expresses the manifested glory and splendor of the Lord’s coming.

4. PHANEROO. Meaning ‘to make visible’ or ‘to make apparent’, not in the sense of physical sight, but perceptual revelation.

5. ERCHOMAI. Used for the actual act of coming. Unlike ‘parousia’, which denotes presence, ‘erchomai’ refers to arrival. It is used in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming (an act of coming) with the clouds…”

6. HEKO. This term emphasizes arrival at a particular place, as in Revelation 2:25: “Hold fast what you have until I come.”

These six Greek terms do not indicate six different kinds of comings, but different emphases that help us correctly understand what a passage means when speaking of the Lord’s coming. For now, it is enough to understand that His coming does not have to be physical.

We continue our discussion of the Lord’s coming. As we have seen from the six Greek terms, His coming does not have to be physical. Let us look at an example from Matthew—part of our passage—Matthew 24:27: “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

This verse seems to say that the coming of the Son of Man is a sudden event in the sky, with His coming flashing like lightning from east to west. But that is not the meaning. The key lies in the Greek term translated ‘lightning’, ‘astrapé’. Strong’s defines it as ‘a flash of lightning, brightness, luster’, derived from ‘astraptō’, meaning ‘lightning; by analogy, glare’. Scholars understand the term to refer to the ‘shining rays’ of a source of light, not a physical flash of lightning leaping from one location to another. If the Lord’s coming were like lightning flashing in one particular place, it would contradict verses saying ‘every eye will see Him’.

Before drawing our conclusion, let us reflect: What light shines from east to west? Is it not sunlight? And we know that the Lord is a sun to us (Psalm 84:11–12). His light illuminates our spirit, soul, and body so that all are preserved completely…

Thus the verse should be understood: “For as the lightning shines from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the PRESENCE (Parousia) of the Son of Man.” This means His PRESENCE is like sunlight growing ever brighter, shining upon our entire being. The presence (parousia) of the Lord continues within us until our entire being is fully saturated with Him.

Here again we see that the concept of the Lord’s coming is not physical. His coming is an inward matter. If our understanding of the Lord’s coming is a physical descent of Jesus visible to physical eyes, we lose much of the true meaning of His coming. It is time to see the ESSENCE of the Lord’s coming—it occurs spiritually within our inner being.

Thus, the Lord’s coming is progressive—ongoing and advancing, deeper and deeper, until the Father’s entire plan is fulfilled: the new heaven and the new earth. The Lord has come, is coming, and will come. Where two or three gather in His name, there He is (Parousia).

By stating that the Lord’s coming occurs inwardly in our spirit, we do not mean that His coming, which marks the ‘end of the age’, is something occurring only in the spiritual realm. Next, we will discuss what will take place on earth at His coming, as explained in Matthew 24.

We continue our discussion of the Lord’s coming. As we have seen from the six Greek terms, His coming does not have to be physical. Let us seeing an example that speaks about His coming in the book of Matthew—which is part of our current discussion—namely Matthew 24:27, which says, “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

At first glance, the verse above seems to say that the coming of the Son of Man is like a sudden event in the physical sky, where His coming happens like lightning flashing from east to west. That is not what this verse intends to say. The key to understanding this verse lies in the Greek term translated “flashes of lightning,” namely ASTRAPE. Strong’s defines it as ‘a flash of lightning, brightness, luster’, where ASTRAPE comes from ASTRAPTO, meaning ‘lightning; by analogy, glare’. Scholars understand this Greek term as referring to a ‘bright ray’ from a source of light, and not a sudden lightning bolt that strikes from one location to another. If the Lord’s coming were like a lightning flash, meaning it occurs only in one specific location, then it would contradict other verses that say “every eye will see Him.”

Before we draw any conclusions about the meaning of this verse, let us consider: what light shines from east to west? Is it not the light of the sun… and we know that the Lord is our sun (Psalm 84:11). His light illuminates our spirit, soul, and body, so that our whole being is preserved perfectly…

Therefore, this verse should be translated as: “For as the lightning flashes from the east and shines to the west, so will be the PRESENCE (Parousia) of the Son of Man.” This means that His PRESENCE is like sunlight that grows continually brighter, shining upon our entire being. Thus, the Lord’s presence (parousia) continues progressively within us until our whole being is fully saturated by Him.

Again, we see here that the concept of the Lord’s coming is not physical. The Lord’s coming is an inward matter. If our understanding of the Lord’s coming is that Jesus descends from heaven in a way visible to physical eyes, then we have lost much of the true meaning of His coming. It is time for us to see the ESSENCE of the Lord’s coming, which occurs spiritually within our inner being.

Therefore, the Lord’s coming is progressive, meaning ongoing and advancing—deeper and deeper—until the entire plan of the Father is fulfilled, namely the New Heaven and the New Earth. The Lord has come, is coming, and will come. Where two or three gather in His name, there the Lord is present (Parousia).

By stating that the Lord’s coming happens inwardly within our spirit, this does not mean that His coming—which marks “the end of the world”—is something that happens only in the spiritual realm. Next, we will discuss what happens on earth at His coming, as explained in Matthew 24.

We continue with the ministry of the seventh angel who pours out his bowl into the air (Revelation 16:17–21), where this ministry is related to the judgment of “Babylon.” Indeed, the explanation of the seventh angel’s ministry regarding “Babylon” continues until chapter 18, and is concluded with the “song of victory in heaven” in Revelation 19:1–5. Why is this section so long? Because after the judgment of “Babylon” is completed, the ‘marriage of the Lamb’ can take place. The true Bride of Christ must be prepared and revealed (19:7). For after the ‘marriage of the Lamb’, the kingdom of Christ (Head and Body) begins to judge and wage war in righteousness to restore all things (19:11–16). It is this kingdom ministry of Christ that ultimately brings forth the New Heaven and New Earth, where there is no more ‘death’, which is the wages of sin (21:4).

Let us now enter into this judgment of Babylon. Revelation 17:1 affirms: “And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters’” (ILT). Who is this “great harlot” who will be judged? Revelation 17:18 confirms that the woman John saw is a “great city,” and that great city is Babylon (18:2). Thus, the “harlot woman” IS the “great city,” namely Babylon.

We must remember that the city of Babylon described in Genesis 10–11 was a literal city that truly existed in history. Meanwhile, the “city of Babylon” in Revelation is a symbol. We can know the meaning of a symbol by considering its historical background. Babylon was one of the kingdom cities built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10). Nimrod was the first person to rule on earth and was “a mighty hunter before the Lord…” (Genesis 10:9).

Many people assume that this means Nimrod served and lived ‘before the Lord’ (Gen. 10:9). But we have seen that Strong’s Concordance reveals that the Hebrew term PANIM, translated ‘before’, has a wide range of meanings. In Genesis 10:9—as in Numbers 16:2—the Hebrew PANIM, translated ‘before’, can literally mean ‘in rebellion against’. And according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the name Nimrod means ‘he who made all men rebel against God’. The ILT (Indonesian Literal Translation) Bible even gives a footnote for ‘before’, explaining it as ‘stubbornly against’. We may conclude that Nimrod was one who rebelled against God, and Nimrod built his own kingdom, one of which was Babylon.

The harlot woman and the city of Babylon seen by John carry the same meaning. Both symbols refer to the ‘church’, but the church that will be judged. The church symbolized as the “harlot woman” or “city of Babylon” is judged so that the true Bride of the Lamb may appear.

We have emphasized that the essence of the coming (Parousia = presence) of the Lord Jesus occurs ‘spiritually within our inner being’. This does not mean that His presence affects only the spiritual realm. Now we will examine the coming of the Lord Jesus as written in Matthew 24:29–30: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

The coming of the Lord Jesus here is the same as the end of the world (24:3). But we must understand the meaning of “the end of the world,” because otherwise we will imagine the total destruction of the earth. Imagine the stars falling from heaven, the sun darkened, the moon not giving light—surely we would imagine the earth utterly destroyed. But that is not the meaning of these verses.

We must examine the writings of the apostle John regarding the meaning of “the end of the world,” because John’s writings use the term ‘world’ with a highly important theological meaning. The term ‘world’ (Greek: ‘kosmos’) means a system. In dictionaries, a system means a group of elements that work together according to a certain order. In today’s world, there are political, economic, social, and religious systems. All these systems are interrelated, because the ruler of this system is the devil (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1 Corinthians 2:6, 8; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12).

If so, what is the meaning of the end of the world? The end of the world means the end of the system ruled by the devil, and its replacement by another system. Consider the following verses in Revelation: Revelation 3:21, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne…” Revelation 5:10, “And You have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the

earth” (ILT). Revelation 20:4, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was committed to them…” From these verses, we understand that the end of the world (the end of the system) means that the old system, currently ruled by the devil, is taken over by His overcomers, who function as kings and priests. Jesus is the King of kings and the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, leading the priests. Thus is the meaning of the “end of the world,” where the old system ruled by the devil is replaced with a new system ruled by Jesus and His overcomers.

Therefore, the meaning of the stars falling from heaven, the sun being darkened, the moon not giving light, should not be taken literally. Stars, the sun, and the moon are symbols of rulers of the old world-system. The old system is shaken at the coming of the Lord Jesus. It is also emphasized that the Son of Man comes on the clouds. Throughout Scripture, when the term “cloud” appears in singular form, it refers to the cloud of the Lord’s glory, but when it appears in plural form—clouds—it refers to the witnesses or the saints. Thus, the coming of the Lord Jesus occurs ‘in and through His overcomers’. This is the meaning of “the Son of Man coming on the clouds.” Paul explains this event in Romans 8:19–21.

We have seen that the coming of the Lord Jesus (commonly called “the second coming”), or the end of the world, means the replacement of the old system ruled by the devil with a new system where Jesus and His overcoming church exercise the function of kings and priests on earth. Observe Revelation 11:15: “Then the seventh angel sounded, and loud voices were heard in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His anointed, and He shall reign forever and ever.’” The Indonesian translation (LAI) uses a capital ‘His’, as if referring to Jesus Christ. But it should actually be lowercase ‘his’, referring to the overcoming church. This aligns with other verses in Revelation that state that Jesus and His overcomers will reign in the coming age.

Let us now consider the words of Jesus—or the prophecies of Jesus—concerning His coming. First, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes (24:7). For the Jewish people, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple would occur, which was fulfilled in AD 70. And the gospel of the kingdom must be proclaimed to all nations as a testimony (24:14).

Second, Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man will be as in the days of Noah (24:37–42). For those who hold to the doctrine of the “rapture,” this passage is often used as evidence that at His coming, the saints will be “taken up” to meet the Lord, while the wicked are “left behind” on earth.

But if we examine this passage carefully, the opposite is actually true. Those “taken away” from the earth by the flood were the wicked, while Noah and his household were saved from the flood and returned to earth, for the earth is indeed the inheritance of the meek (Matthew 5:5).

Third, Jesus affirms that no one knows when the Son of Man will come—that is, when the end of the world will occur. Therefore, Jesus advises us to be ready, for the Son of Man comes at an hour we do not expect (24:44). How do we stay ready? By being faithful and wise servants, always carrying out the task of giving food to God’s people. Faithfulness refers to our attitude toward God, while wisdom refers to our attitude toward His people.

Jesus also warns the wicked servants, who beat their fellow servants and eat and drink with drunkards. “Beating” here does not necessarily mean physical violence, but treating fellow servants unjustly. Eating and drinking are normal activities, but eating and drinking with drunkards indicates living a hedonistic lifestyle. Servants influenced by prosperity teachings will inevitably lean toward ‘hedonism’—the view that worldly pleasure and material enjoyment is life’s goal. Jesus warns these wicked servants that at His coming He will assign them a portion with the hypocrites (24:51).

We now continue our discussion about what will happen at His coming to earth. We know that the purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth is to establish His kingdom. That is why Jesus proclaimed only the good news of His kingdom (the kingdom of heaven) and taught us to pray for His kingdom to come to earth. Matthew 25:1 emphasizes, “At that time…” meaning that at His coming, the matters of the kingdom of heaven that will be established on earth will be like the ‘wise and foolish virgins’, also like the ‘servants entrusted with talents’, and the ‘separation of the nations’.

Let us begin with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Of course, this story is a parable. Whom do the virgins represent? The virgins clearly represent the saints who believe in Jesus and are born again. Several reasons can be given here. First, throughout Scripture, virgins always represent believers. Sinners are never depicted as virgins. Second, sinners do not long for the coming of the Lord Jesus, as these virgins do. Third, sinners do not possess lamps (light), nor oil (the Holy Spirit). Fourth, sinners would not hear the voice saying ‘the bridegroom is coming’, much less go out to meet Him as all the virgins do in this parable. Thus, it is clear that all the virgins represent born-again believers. The only difference is that some are wise and some are foolish.

What distinguishes these true Christians (the virgins) so that some are called wise and others foolish? Verse 3 explains that the foolish virgins brought their lamps, but did not bring oil. The lamp here refers to the human spirit (Proverbs 20:27), and the “oil” symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins did not prepare oil so that their lamps could continue burning, while the wise virgins prepared oil so that when the bridegroom came, their lamps were still burning.

Thus, from the story above, how do we distinguish foolish Christians from wise Christians who await the coming of the Lord Jesus? Notice that the difference lies only in whether their “lamp” continues to burn or not. Wise Christians always “provide/allow” the Holy Spirit to work in their spirit, so that their spirit remains burning for the Lord. Foolish Christians, although their spirits burn at first, do not endure. Over time, foolish Christians eventually “grow dim,” and their spirits no longer burn for the Lord.

Now we come to a very important question: how can the Christian spirit remain continually burning for the Lord? Let us look at the example of the early church, for the early church is written in the book of Acts to serve as an example for us. In the book of Acts, which has only 28 chapters, we find expressions such as “hearing the voice ‘Spirit’, ‘the Spirit whispers’, ‘led by the Spirit’, ‘the Spirit forbids’, and so on—such expressions appear about 70 times. This means that ALL early Christians, both their leaders and their members, were led by the Holy Spirit. That is why all members of the early church were always burning with zeal for the Lord.

Let us look at the condition of the Christian world today. We are certainly aware that there are many “ID-card Christians” who have not been born again. However, we are not talking about these “ID-card Christians”. What we are discussing are born-again Christians (“the virgins”) within the Christian world. The ESSENCE of the fall of the Christian world is the SEIZURE of the Holy Spirit’s authority over ALL church members by its LEADERS (Acts 20:30). When the Holy Spirit’s authority over the church members is taken away, the members no longer LISTEN DIRECTLY to the voice of the Holy Spirit. No longer can all church members be led by the Holy Spirit as in the early church. Some Christians listen to and follow one leader, while others follow another. These leaders have created “boxes” of denominations, causing their members to no longer be directly led by and hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Such behavior from leaders in the Christian world has created “foolish” Christians whose spirits no longer burn for the Lord. The “lamp” of these foolish Christians goes out because they run out of the “oil” of the Holy Spirit, since they no longer follow the Spirit, but their leaders. Such has been the condition of Christianity throughout the church age.

However, by His grace, the people of the kingdom exist outside the institutional Christian world, so they can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit wherever He desires to take them. At His coming, Jesus will judge all of us, including church leaders who have seized the Holy Spirit’s authority over His people.

Let us continue our discussion about what will happen at His coming. Matthew 25:14 affirms, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” In this passage, three servants are entrusted with 5 talents, 2 talents, and 1 talent (Matthew 25:14–30). The number of talents given corresponds to each servant’s ability. Therefore, each of them should have been able to develop what the Lord entrusted to them.

The servant entrusted with 5 talents traded with them and gained 5 more. Likewise, the servant with 2 talents gained 2 more. But the servant with 1 talent did not develop what belonged to his master. When the “day of reckoning” came, both the servant with 5 talents and the one with 2 talents received the same praise from their master: ‘well done, good and faithful servant’. But the servant with 1 talent, because he did not develop what was entrusted to him, was called wicked, lazy, and worthless (vv. 26, 30).

How do we apply the story of the three servants entrusted with talents? One phrase opens our understanding: many things or great matters (vv. 21, 23). We must understand that Christians are called “virgins/brides” because of our relationship with Jesus in terms of Life (‘zoe’). But Christians are also called servants because of our relationship with Jesus in terms of service/ministry. Thus, the greater things mentioned in verses 21 and 23 refer to a ministry or responsibility the Master will give His servants when He returns.

Therefore, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will give great works/ministries in the coming age to His servants whom He deems good and faithful. Let us look at Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 to understand what this future work will be. Revelation 1:6: “and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father…” (LITV). Revelation 5:10: “and You have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (LITV). Thus, when Jesus returns, He and His servants will establish His kingdom on earth, and His servants will function as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek, just as Jesus Himself is High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

This means Jesus is not coming to take us to a “pleasant place” commonly called “heaven” in Christian teaching, where there are nice houses, streets of gold, and endless singing. Instead, Jesus comes to assign us a great ministry as kings and priests to subdue the earth, so that the earth moves toward the new earth—and, of course, the new heavens. This is the concept of heaven in the form of a kingdom, as revealed by Jesus to John in Revelation.

It seems that Christians who hold the concept of “heaven” as they have heard it in Christianity will not be prepared to function as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek in the coming age. These Christians will become like the “1-talent servant,” deemed “unprofitable,” not because they lack a high position or theological degree, but because they did not develop the grace God gave them to function as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek.

We now move to the final section of Jesus’ teaching regarding His coming in Matthew 24–25: the judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31–46). Matthew 25:31–32 says: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

Here it is stated that Jesus will come in His glory with all the angels. In fact, not only the angels will be with Him, but we who are chosen will also appear with Him, as Colossians 3:4 affirms: “When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” We will appear with Christ in glory.

This event—our appearing with Christ in glory—is what Paul describes in Romans as ‘glorification by faith’. Note Romans 8:17, 23: “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him… waiting eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” These verses indicate that when Jesus comes in His glory, we as co-heirs will also appear with Him in glorified bodies.

We must realize that when Jesus returns, the earth enters a new age commonly called the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:4). In the millennial kingdom there are three realms or conditions: (1) the earthly realm, where God’s blessing in Genesis 1:28–30 is manifested; (2) the realm of Israel, where saved Israel will rule the whole earth (Isaiah 60:10–12; Zechariah 14:16–18); and (3) the heavenly realm, where the kingdom of heaven is fully manifested on earth, and the overcoming church reigns as kings and priests.

Now, let us enter the passage on the judgment of the nations. In Matthew 25:31–46, we see how individuals within the nations are separated into two categories: sheep and goats. The sheep are those who did good to “the least of Jesus’ brothers,” while the goats are those who did not. We need to understand that this judgment is not the final judgment (the great white throne) described in Revelation 20:11, which occurs after the millennium. The judgment of the nations in Matthew 25 occurs before the millennial kingdom.

This judgment concerns those who are still alive in their physical bodies at Jesus’ coming. This judgment determines who will enter as ‘inhabitants’ of the earth during the millennial kingdom. Those categorized as “sheep” are told: “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (25:34). These inhabitants live in physical bodies, in the earthly realm, and enjoy the blessings of Genesis 1:28–30. Thus is the condition of the earth at Jesus’ “second coming.”

We have now concluded the five kingdom-of-heaven discourses in the Gospel of Matthew. Let us review these five sections, each ending with the phrase, “When Jesus had finished saying all these things…”

1. Matthew 5:1 – 7:29 — the law of the kingdom of heaven, and the judgment of God’s servants on the last day.

2. Matthew 9:35 – 11:1 — the commissioning of the twelve apostles to seek the lost sheep of Israel.

3. Matthew 13:1–52 — the seven parables of the kingdom of heaven.

4. Matthew 18:1–35 — forgiveness and the parable of the unmerciful servant, emphasizing the value of the lost sheep.

5. Matthew 23:1 – 25:46 — the law of the kingdom, the authority of “Moses’ seat,” rebukes to the Pharisees, and end-time teachings.

When we observe these five discourses, we see a chiastic parallel pattern (He Gave Us Stories, Richard L. Pratt, p. 247). Matthew arranges the five teachings in chiastic structure (A–B–C–B’–C’) to create emphasis. That is, sections 1 and 5 parallel each other, as do sections 2 and 4, while section 3 is the “center.” This is the meaning of the chiastic parallel pattern.

We may compare this to the five books of Moses—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy—which are also structured chiastically. We will not discuss this further, but those interested can listen to the explanation on the “Verbum Veritatis” channel titled “Leviticus,” where it is stated that the “peak” of revelation in the books of Moses is in Leviticus, especially chapter 16, which describes the Day of Atonement performed once a year by the High Priest.

It seems the writer of Matthew intentionally compares Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, with Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant. In Leviticus 16, High Priest Aaron enters the Holy of Holies with the blood of animals to make atonement for all Israel; likewise, Jesus, the High Priest according to Melchizedek’s order, enters the True Tabernacle with His own blood before the Father in heaven to make atonement for all humanity.

Now let us observe the chiastic structure of Matthew’s kingdom teachings:

Section 1 parallels Section 5: the law of the kingdom and judgment of kingdom servants.

Section 2 parallels Section 4: the lost sheep, emphasizing their value.

Section 3 is the central section: the seven parables.

As we have discussed, these seven parables emphasize that deception will occur within the kingdom of heaven; not all born-again Christians—including leaders—will partake in the full manifestation of the kingdom on earth at Jesus’ coming. The teachings of Section 3 form the “peak” or center of Jesus’ kingdom teaching.

In the Christian world it is widely believed that “believing in Jesus guarantees heaven”—a distant place of beauty (“the Father’s house”) where Christians will praise God forever. Such fairy tales do not appear anywhere in Matthew. Instead, the people of the kingdom, by His grace, will partake in the kingdom of heaven which will be fully established on earth. Therefore, they will stay alert and anticipate the coming of the kingdom of Jesus on earth.

We now enter Revelation 20, after Revelation 19 reveals Jesus Christ as He and His overcomers wage war to subdue all things. Revelation 20:1–3 says: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, locked and sealed it over him, so that he could no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be set free for a short time.”

We see here that Satan is cast into the “Abyss” so he cannot deceive the nations. The term “Abyss” is from the Greek ‘abussos’, meaning “bottomless pit.” Since this pit has no “bottom,” Satan has no ground or foundation to operate on, thus he cannot deceive the nations.

Let us consider how Satan cannot operate when there is no “ground” in a person’s life. John 14:30 states: “… the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” Although Satan worked through Judas, the Jewish Sanhedrin, and many others involved in Jesus’ crucifixion, Satan could do nothing to Jesus Himself. Why? Because in Jesus there was no “ground” or opening for Satan to attack.

In Jesus there was absolutely no sin or flaw that could give Satan a foothold. This differs from Job’s case. Job 3:25 says: “For the thing I feared has come upon me, and what I dread befalls me.” In Job there was fear and anxiety—these became a “ground” that allowed Satan to afflict him.

Yet we must not conclude that Satan is free to attack anyone he wishes. Satan could attack Job because the Father had a purpose—to bring Job to a true knowledge of God (Job 42:5). Satan is merely a “tool” in the Father’s hand. He cannot attack unless permitted by God (Job 1:12; 2:6).

In our passage, Satan is bound for a thousand years. Afterward he is released for a short time because the Father has a specific plan for him. During the thousand years, Satan is bound because Christ and His overcomers will reign as kings and priests on earth (Revelation 20:4).

We see that with regard to Christ and His overcomers, the Devil can do nothing for a thousand years. What about our lives today? Can the Devil do anything to attack our lives now? By His grace, even now, we can say as Jesus did, that the Devil can do nothing in our lives. What can happen to our lives now is only His will and His plan. For us, THE DEVIL IS AS IF HE DID NOT EXIST. Everything that happens in our lives is the Father’s will; therefore all is good, amen.

Let us continue our discussion about the last supper between Jesus and His disciples in Matthew 26:26–29: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘Take, eat, this is My body.’ Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, from now on I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’”

On His last night, Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples. Our verse above emphasizes that while they were eating (eating the Passover meal), suddenly Jesus performed a symbolic act regarding His death. He took bread and distributed it to His disciples, saying, “This is My body.” Then He took the cup and commanded His disciples to drink from it, saying, “This is My blood, the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.” We see here that Jesus was celebrating Passover and at the same time fulfilling it.

There are two things we must reflect on in this event. First, Jesus spoke of the “blood of the covenant.” Certainly, this refers to the New Covenant sealed by His own blood, as written: “...This cup is the new covenant in My blood...” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Second, Jesus said He would not drink the fruit of the vine again until He drank the new one with His disciples in His Father’s kingdom. These two matters are related, and we will now look at their connection.

What is the meaning of the New Covenant Jesus made with His disciples? Consider Hebrews 8:10–12: “...YAHWEH declares, I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.... For they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.... I will by no means remember their sins anymore...” (ILT).

We see here that the New Covenant Jesus made with His disciples is deeply inward. The Law of Moses in the Old Testament, written on stone tablets, is now written by Him in the hearts of believers. Therefore, we will know Him inwardly, and our sins will no longer be remembered. We are no longer governed by outward rules or regulations, such as worshiping in this building or that building, paying tithes/first fruits/faith pledges, and so on. We worship in spirit and reality,

and are led by the law within our inner being. We become a people belonging to God and citizens of His kingdom (2 Thessalonians 1:5).

Jesus promised His disciples that He would drink again the new fruit of the vine in His Father’s kingdom. What does this mean? It means that Jesus will return (commonly called the second coming) and establish His kingdom on earth, where we who believe will take part in it. We who follow the leading of His inward laws will one day, when the Lord Jesus returns, “drink” together with Him in His Father’s kingdom.

Let us now continue our discussion about the crucifixion of Jesus and its meaning. Let us first consider two facts concerning His crucifixion.

First, Jesus was crucified because He chose the will of the Heavenly Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed and struggled to confirm the Father’s will. There was the cup of suffering, and there was also the Father’s will. Certainly, Jesus expressed His desire that if possible the cup of suffering would pass from Him. However, after praying three times, Jesus understood that this cup of suffering was the Father’s will for Him (Isaiah 53:10). That is why, in John 18:11, Jesus said, “...Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?”

Second, Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious court (Matthew 26:57–66). And because the Jewish Sanhedrin did not have the authority under Roman rule to execute someone, they brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate to request permission. Pilate actually wanted to release Jesus, because he knew Jesus had been handed over out of envy (Matthew 27:18). As an attempt to release Jesus, he offered the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas. But through the persuasion of the chief priests and elders, the crowd chose Barabbas (Matthew 27:20). So Jesus was killed by the Jewish religious leaders, while the execution itself was carried out by Roman soldiers. The Apostles’ Creed, which says “suffered under Pontius Pilate,” actually hides an important fact that Jesus was crucified by the Jewish religious leaders — the covenant people under the Mosaic Law.

Now we will discuss the meaning of these two facts. Matthew 16:24 states, “...If anyone desires to follow Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross...” How can we deny ourselves and take up our cross? Jesus’ struggle in Gethsemane teaches us to always choose the will of the Heavenly Father and to bear its consequences — this is our “cross.” This is the meaning of “taking up our cross”: by His grace we are enabled to always choose the Father’s will in our daily lives.

Next, we have seen that the Jewish religion crucified Jesus. Does this mean that religion is always opposed to Jesus? Did Jesus come to establish the Christian religion? Where did religion actually come from? Let us observe the fact that Jesus came to give His Life (‘zoe’) to whoever believes (John 10:10). This ‘zoe’ life (the Life of Christ) is symbolized by the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Jesus said that whoever eats Him has ‘zoe’ within. Thus, the Tree of Life symbolizes the ‘zoe’ life given by Jesus to us.

If so, what does the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represent? Since Adam and Eve ate of this tree, humanity has been led by its own knowledge of good and evil. Religion is humanity's attempt to approach God, but guided by its own knowledge of good and evil. The holy people of the Old Testament were not “religious people” in this sense. They were people of faith who expressed their faith through obedience to the Law. This is very different from the scribes and Pharisees who crucified Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees were religious people, but they were not like the holy people of the Old Testament.

Now we come to an important question: Has Christianity become a religion? If we receive His grace, we will know that Christianity has indeed become a religion — the Christian religion. Of course, the Christian religion did not crucify Jesus physically, but the Spirit of Jesus is greatly hindered by religious rituals, human regulations, the false teachings of Jezebel, Nicolaitans, Balaam, and the religious rules made by its leaders.

We now enter the final chapter of Matthew and discuss the resurrection of Jesus. Matthew 28:6 states, “He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said...” The resurrection of Jesus is a crucial fact, because “...if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). From this verse we see that the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of gospel proclamation and also the foundation of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection of Christ, both the preaching of the gospel and Christian faith are meaningless.

However, we must not only believe in the historical fact of Christ’s resurrection. We must understand what the ‘word of God’ says about the resurrection of Christ, because faith comes not from historical facts but from hearing the word of God. Let us discuss 1 Corinthians 15, which speaks about the resurrection of Christ.

The background of 1 Corinthians 15 is that some people in the Corinthian church did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Paul emphasized that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ Himself has not been raised. But the truth is that Christ has been raised as the “firstfruits” (v. 20). Farmers in ancient Palestine understood that if there is a harvest of firstfruits, then more harvests will follow. This means there will be more resurrections.

Let us look at 1 Corinthians 15:22–23: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward those who belong to Him at His coming.” It is emphasized here that ALL will be resurrected, each in his own order. The reason all will be resurrected is clearly written here: all died in Adam, therefore all will be made alive in Christ. This is a matter of ‘headship’.

In the Christian world, generally, people do not believe that all will be made alive in Christ. If we refuse to believe that all will be resurrected in Christ, then this makes Adam more powerful than Christ. But the truth is that the grace of God is far greater than Adam’s transgression; therefore all will be raised in due order (Romans 5:15).

Another reason all will eventually be made alive in Christ is because the final enemy — death — will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26). Yet death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). Therefore, there will no longer be any ‘trace’ of sin in the universe. All humanity will eventually be resurrected and receive a glorified body. Sadly, most Christians believe that the wages of sin is eternal hell, meaning that some people who are not called by Jesus will be tormented forever. They do not believe that Christ has conquered death. But His chosen ones believe that in the end all humanity will be resurrected and receive glorified bodies, so that the Father may be ALL in ALL (1 Corinthians 15:28). The Heavenly Father will fully express His glory in and through ALL humanity.

Now let us discuss the command to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom — to make all nations disciples of the Lord Jesus — commonly called the Great Commission, written in Matthew 28:18–20: “...All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” There are several points we need to discuss from this ‘Great Commission’.

First, the basis of Jesus’ command to His disciples is that ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Many Christians believe that human salvation depends on their “response” to the gospel. This is a strange idea. How can a person respond when he is dead in sin? A “dead” person cannot hear or respond to anything. The truth is that salvation DEPENDS ON THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS.

When Jesus says to someone, ‘Follow Me’, that person will certainly rise and follow Jesus. When Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Follow Me’, they immediately rose and followed Him (Matthew 4:19; 9:9). No human being can refuse the call of Jesus — why? Because Jesus has authority.

Many evangelists like to quote Revelation 3:20 to claim that salvation depends on human response: Jesus “knocks on every person’s heart,” and whoever responds will be saved. Such preaching greatly insults the authority of Jesus. It portrays Jesus as a “beggar” knocking on every human heart to “eat together.” In fact, Revelation 3:20 has nothing to do with evangelism. In that verse, Jesus is speaking to the church in Laodicea, which no longer had fellowship (koinonia) with Him.

The truth is that salvation depends on Jesus’ authority. John 12:32 says: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”

This verse speaks of Jesus’ authority. Jesus has already declared that He will draw all people to Himself. If not all come to Jesus, then only two possibilities exist: either Jesus is unable and lacks authority to draw all people, or He lied. In truth, all people will come to Jesus—but in their own order, as we have discussed (1 Corinthians 15).

Second, many Christians believe that the phrase “I am with you always, to the end of the age” means that grace or evangelism ends when Jesus returns (commonly called the “second coming”). Such a view is held by Christians who believe in eternal hell — that those who are not called by Jesus now will be tormented forever. Here, we are not discussing the Greek expression ‘heos sunteleia ho aion’, translated ‘until the end of the age’. Those who are serious may study Louis Abbott’s book An Analytical Study of Words.

In this writing, we will reflect on two verses related to the matter: Ephesians 1:10 and Revelation 22:17. Ephesians 1:10 states that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, God will unite all things — in heaven and on earth — in Christ. Revelation 22:17 also declares that the ‘water of life’ continues to be offered freely in the New Heaven and New Earth.

God always uses an ‘instrument’ to accomplish His purpose, and that instrument is the overcoming church. Therefore, the overcoming church rejoices, for one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Amen.

Summary: There are three principles by which God works: the principle of faith, the principle of process, and the principle of the Old and New Covenants.

Call to action: As the church, by His grace, we need to learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in carrying out these three principles.

Within the Christian world there is considerable confusion regarding how God works in the context of the Old Testament (OT) and in the context of the New Testament (NT). What principles govern the way God works in the OT and in the NT? Does God still desire that His laws in the OT be applied to believers in the NT context? Were the saints in the OT justified by faith or by works of obedience to the Law? Do certain regulations of the Mosaic Law still apply to NT believers, such as the law of tithing, firstfruits (money), the celebration of Passover, or other regulations related to the OT?

We will begin our discussion by examining a Greek term used in 1 Timothy 1:4, namely OIKONOMIA. We will quote the ILT (Indonesian Literal Translation) to see how this term is rendered: “nor give heed to myths and endless genealogies, which produce disputes rather than the stewardship (oikonomia) of Elohim that is in faith” (I Timothy 1:4). In several English translations, ‘oikonomia’ is also translated as management, dispensation, economy, or administration.

The Greek term OIKONOMIA is derived from the root words OIKOS and NOMOS. Oikos means house or household, while nomos refers to the distribution of rules or laws. Thus, when combined, these roots convey the meaning of a way of managing a household—an administration, a dispensation, or a management. In other words, Elohim manages His household or governs His people in a particular way, and the manner or principle of His working is found in faith.

Scholars have attempted to divide Elohim’s administration of His people into several ages. Some divide it into seven ages, while others divide it into only four. I divide it into seven ages: the age of Adam, the age of Noah, the age of Abraham, the age of Moses, the age of the overcomers, the age of the Kingdom (the thousand years), and the age of the new heaven and new earth. In this writing, however, we will focus only on two ages, namely the OT age and the NT age, in accordance with our title.

What is the principle by which God works in the OT age and in the NT age? From the verse above we see that Elohim administers His people according to the principle of faith, because the ‘oikonomia’ of Elohim exists in faith. By understanding this principle of faith, we can understand that whatever Elohim does in every age, He always leads His people to believe in Him. God works and governs both OT believers and NT believers so that they may believe in Him. The saints of the OT age and the saints of the NT age are all justified by faith. All are formed and processed by God so that they may believe and possess faith in Him.

What, then, about His laws? Since ‘oikonomia’ also means the distribution of laws, in governing His people God dispenses His laws in each age in a particular way. The law in the OT context is what is called the Mosaic Law, whereas the law in the NT context is the law of the Spirit who gives life (Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15:45).

God gives or dispenses His laws so that His people may express their faith by carrying out the laws applicable in each age. In the OT context, those who believed expressed their faith by observing the Mosaic Law. In the NT context, those who believe express their faith by living according to the law of the Spirit who gives life, or by living their daily lives under the leading of the Spirit.

If someone does not understand the principle of Elohim’s working, he tends to mix the laws of the OT context into the NT context. Thus we see confusion in the Christian world caused by introducing regulations, laws, or even celebrations from the OT context into the NT context. We see how God’s people in the NT context are required to pay tithes, firstfruits (money), celebrate Passover, regularly attend meetings in certain buildings, perform specific rituals, adhere to certain creeds, and so forth.

We have seen that Elohim administers His people according to the principle of faith, because the ‘oikonomia’ of Elohim exists in faith. Therefore, the principle by which God works is the principle of faith. By understanding this principle of faith, we can understand that whatever Elohim does in every age, He always leads His people to believe in Him. God works and governs both OT believers and NT believers so that they may believe in Him. The saints of the OT age and the saints of the NT age are all justified by faith. All are formed and processed by God so that they may believe and possess faith in Him.

The second principle concerning how God works that we will now discuss is the ‘principle of processing’. In the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language), the term ‘process’ means a sequence of changes in the development of something, and ‘processing’ is the act of processing. It is God who performs this act of processing, because the principle of God’s working is not “abracadabra.” He is not an “instant Elohim,” but a “process Elohim.” Thus, processing is God’s action of carrying out change upon change in order to reach a certain development or goal.

Let us look at an example of how God makes humanity into His likeness and image. In Genesis 1:26–27 (ILT) it is written: “And Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule … over all the earth…’ (v. 26). And Elohim is creating man according to His image… (v. 27)”. In verse 26 we see Elohim’s plan to create humanity according to His image and likeness. In verse 27 we see the process that Elohim carries out, because the Hebrew term translated ‘create’ is in the present progressive form, not the past tense. Thus, the term ‘create’ in English should be rendered as ‘is creating’, not ‘created’.

We then see the act of processing that God carried out with Adam and Eve by making the Garden of Eden and placing them in it to cultivate and keep it. Elohim designed the Garden of Eden to process humanity by creating two trees and also the serpent, which is a symbol of the devil. Many people assume that Adam and Eve were already in the likeness and image of Elohim, whereas in

fact Adam and Eve were still in a state of innocence—neither evil nor holy—because Adam had not yet partaken of the tree of life, which symbolizes Christ, nor did Adam yet know good and evil. Adam and Eve had also not yet multiplied to fill the earth and subdue it. Adam and Eve were still in process, and that process began in the Garden of Eden, where they were to cultivate and rule it.

What about the fall of Adam? Many people also do not understand that Adam’s fall was part of God’s process. Romans 8:20 states that all creation was subjected to futility (the realm of death, as the wages of sin), not by its own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope. God was not “surprised” by Adam’s fall; in fact, the Lamb of Elohim was slain before the foundation of the world (“the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” – Revelation 13:8, Young’s Literal Translation). Thus, God is sovereign over all things. God is the cause of all things. God designed all of this, including Adam’s fall.

If we all understood this principle of God’s processing, then there would actually be no such thing as “the fall of Adam” as something that ruined all creation. Adam did not fall. Adam and all his descendants are being processed by God. And God’s process will certainly succeed. Adam and all his descendants will surely become in His likeness and image, because God’s plan to make humanity (all humanity) in His likeness and image CANNOT FAIL. God simply has stages in His process. First, the firstfruits—those whom He has chosen—then in turn all creation, so that the Father may become ALL in ALL.

We have discussed that our God is a God of process. The principle of God’s working is the principle of processing. This processing refers to God’s action of carrying out change upon change in order to reach a certain development or goal. We will now discuss faith as it is processed by God until it reaches its full development.

Romans 1:17 states: “For in it the righteousness of Elohim is being revealed from faith to faith, as it has been written, ‘And the righteous one shall live by faith’” (ILT). The phrase ‘from faith to faith’ comes from the Greek expression ‘ek pistis eis pistis’. The preposition ‘ek’ means ‘from’ or ‘out of’, while ‘eis’ means ‘to’ or ‘into’, pointing toward a goal. Marvin Vincent, in Word Studies in the New Testament, states that the idea behind the expression ‘from faith to faith’ is progress in faith itself (Vol. 3, p. 14). In other words, faith is a progressive principle.

If so, how can faith be progressive or grow? The Epistle of James provides the explanation. James 2:22 says: “You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected.” This means that works that arise from faith, in turn, cause the existing faith to develop. Then, the developed faith produces works, which in turn perfect the existing faith. Thus a cycle occurs: faith produces works, and works perfect faith; perfected faith produces works again. In this way, faith grows until it reaches its fullness.

This process of the growth of faith is in God’s hands. That is, God Himself performs this process for His chosen people, and therefore this process will certainly succeed. The faith of God’s chosen people will continuously grow until it reaches perfection. God cannot fail in doing this, because our God is indeed a God of process. He who has begun this process will continue it until it is completed.

The faith we are discussing applies in both the OT and NT contexts, because we have discussed the stewardship of Elohim that exists in faith, whereby both the saints in the OT context and the saints in the NT context are justified by faith. Romans 3:20 also affirms: “For by works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight…” (ILT).

So far, we have discussed the principles of how God works: the principle of faith and the principle of processing. In order to further understand God’s working principles in the OT and NT contexts, we need to understand the difference in principle between the Mosaic Law (OT) and the law of the Spirit (NT), or the law of the Spirit who gives life.

The Mosaic Law was given by Yahweh to the nation of Israel as part of a covenant known as the Old Covenant. The content of the Old Covenant is recorded in Exodus 19–20, when Yahweh made His covenant with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai through Moses. I refer to the pattern of the Old Covenant as the IF–THEN pattern, meaning: “…IF you will indeed obey My voice… THEN you shall be My treasured possession… a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (Exodus 19:5–6).

This is a conditional covenant: if Israel obeyed His voice, then Israel would become Yahweh’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. Because this Old Covenant was conditional, Yahweh gave His laws, known as the Mosaic Law, to be obeyed. Naturally, the pattern of the Mosaic Law is also an IF–THEN pattern. This does not mean that the saints in the OT context were justified by keeping the Law. The principle of faith applies in all ages or dispensations, as Hebrews 11 explains from the time of Abel throughout the OT era. The saints of the OT age were still justified before Yahweh by faith. However, the saints of the OT age had to express their faith by observing the Mosaic Law.

This is different from the New Testament pattern, which is bound by El Elyon to His chosen people through the mediation of Jesus Christ. The New Testament pattern, including the pattern of the Law of the Spirit, is different from the IF–THEN pattern found in the Old Testament and the Mosaic Law. Why is this so? Because the IF–THEN pattern in the Old Testament and the Law has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, when He said, “… I did not come to abolish (the Law and the Prophets) but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

The Law of the Spirit in the New Testament context is the Law of Moses written into the inner being of believers by the work of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 8:10 affirms, “… I will put My laws (the Law) into their minds and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (NKJV/LAI). It is God Himself who works to place and write the Law into the inner being of believers. Therefore, the pattern of the Law of the Spirit is not an IF–THEN pattern, but an ALREADY–THEREFORE pattern. On the cross Jesus cried out, “IT IS FINISHED,” which means that the entire Old Testament and the Law have been fulfilled. All the demands of the Law have been fulfilled. Thus, the New Testament offers the ALREADY–THEREFORE pattern to everyone who is willing to believe the gospel.

The New Testament follows the ALREADY–THEREFORE pattern. The proclamation is roughly like this: “Your sins have already been forgiven; therefore, sin no more.” “You are the light of the world; therefore, live as children of light.” “You have already been blessed; therefore, share God’s blessing according to your willingness and His leading.” And so on, and so on. If there are preachers in Christianity—indeed, the majority—who preach an IF–THEN pattern, they are the scribes and Pharisees of our time, who seek to please God and be justified by God through performing God’s laws. “Give your tithe, then you will be blessed.” “If you do not attend church because you were offended by the pastor’s words, then you bring curses and judgment upon yourself.” Such voices are the voices of the Pharisees and scribes of this age.

Having distinguished the Old Testament pattern—IF–THEN—from the New Testament pattern—ALREADY–THEREFORE—we will now look at the differences and also the relationship between the law of the Old Testament (the Law) and the law of the New Testament (the Spirit who gives life).

Let us read several New Testament passages that speak about the law related to New Covenant believers. Romans 8:2 states, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (ILT). The expression ‘the law of the Spirit of life’ in Greek is ‘nomos ho pneuma ho zoe’, where ‘zoe’ is the kind of life lived by Elohim Himself; in other words, ‘zoe’ is the life of Elohim, distinguished from human life (‘psuche’) and a lower or common life (‘bios’). Thus, the law of the Spirit of life is the law of the Spirit of the life of Christ.

Next, let us examine 1 Corinthians 15:45: “… the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit” (ILT). The phrase ‘life-giving’ comes from the Greek ‘zoopoieo’, meaning to make what is dead alive, or to give life by imparting the life of Christ. The last Adam here is Jesus Christ, and through His death as the last Adam and His resurrection, He came as the life-giving Spirit by imparting His life. That is why in John 10:10 Jesus said, “… I came that they may have life (‘zoe’) …”

Furthermore, let us look at 2 Corinthians 3:6: “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The entire context of this chapter speaks about the ministry of the New Covenant in contrast to the ministry of the Old Covenant, which brings death. Why? Because the law of the Spirit gives life, whereas the Law of Moses leads to death.

Does this mean, then, that the Law of Moses (Old Testament context) is completely separate from the law of the Spirit (New Testament context)? Absolutely not, because the law of the Spirit is the Law of Moses written by the Holy Spirit into the inner being of New Covenant believers. Hebrews 8:10 says, “… I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts …” Therefore, the law of the Spirit (NT) is the Law (OT) written into the inner being of believers. The law of the Spirit is not a law unrelated to the Law of Moses, for Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the Law, and by His resurrection He poured out His Spirit to impart life and to fulfill the Law within the inner being of believers.

We, as New Covenant people, follow the law of the Spirit, follow the leading of the Spirit, and worship in Spirit and truth—not by violating or ignoring the Law, but by following the Spirit and living by the law of the Spirit, WE HAVE ALREADY FULFILLED THE LAW IN CHRIST. For Colossians 2:17 says of the Law, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is Christ.” We who live IN CHRIST HAVE ALREADY FULFILLED THE LAW, because the fulfillment or reality of the Law is Christ. Therefore, we do not have to perform “one iota” (like a comma in Hebrew) of the Law—not because we violate it, but because in Christ all of it has been fulfilled. As long as we live by the law of the Spirit, we are already fulfilling the Law.

Religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees of our time, who teach the laws of tithing, firstfruits (money), Passover celebrations, various liturgies, and insist that worship must be in this building or that building—do not understand at all what Jesus said on the cross: ‘tetelestai’, ‘It is finished’. The entire Old Testament, as prophecy, symbol, and law, HAS BEEN FULFILLED. Not only do they fail to understand this, but by teaching parts of the Law to be practiced by believers, they enslave, bind, and even bring death to God’s people.

So far, we have briefly discussed the principles by which God works: the principle of faith and the principle of processing, in relation to the Old and New Testament contexts. Now we will discuss another principle, namely the principle of ‘better’. This principle is expounded at length in the book of Hebrews. The key word in this book is ‘better’.

In this book, Jesus is compared with angels as messengers of Elohim, with Moses as an apostle, with Aaron as the high priest, and the Old Covenant is compared with the New Covenant, including their worship and laws. The result of all these comparisons is ‘better’. Thus, God’s way of working, in relation to the Old and New Testaments, is the principle of ‘better’. God never does the same thing twice. God always does something new and better than before. “I will make all things new,” as expressed in the book of Revelation. God’s way of working always produces what is new and better.

Now we will focus on the law in the Old Testament context—the Law of Moses—and the law in the New Testament context—the law of the Spirit who gives life. Let us look at the case of the golden calf in Exodus 32–34. When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the two stone tablets and saw Israel worshiping the golden calf, he became angry and threw the tablets down, breaking them. Then God commanded Moses to carve two new stone tablets and to make an ark of wood to place the new tablets in (Deuteronomy 10:1–5). This was not the Ark of the Covenant made by Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 35:30–35). This wooden ark was made by Moses so that the new tablets could be placed in it. Here we see God’s working principle—the principle of ‘better’. First, only two stone tablets; second, two new stone tablets and also a wooden ark to contain them.

What is the meaning of the new tablets placed inside a wooden ark made by Moses? It means that God’s law is placed into our humanity, because wood is a symbol of humanity. This aligns with Hebrews 8:10: “… I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts …” We

see here that God never makes the same thing twice. He always makes something better. God’s law written into our inner being is better than God’s law written on two stone tablets.

God’s law written on stone tablets is the law in the Old Testament context, while God’s law “written” into our inner being is the law in the New Testament context. This does not mean that the Law in the Old Testament is abolished. Jesus did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it. For those of us who are in Christ, the Law has been fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit has written, is writing, and will continue to write the Law into our inner being. The Law must not be applied directly to New Covenant believers who are in Christ. The Law must first be “written” by the Holy Spirit into our inner being; then we will act according to the meaning given by the Holy Spirit.

A good example of the Law written into our inner being is found in the case of the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. In this chapter, the scribes and Pharisees pressured Jesus—indeed, attempted to trap Him—regarding whether He would obey the Law, because according to the Law this woman should be stoned. The context here is the law of stoning. We see that Jesus wrote on the ground in response to their pressure. What was the meaning of Jesus writing on the ground? It meant: I came to fulfill the law of stoning and to write it into the inner being of believers. When the Pharisees continued to press Him, He said that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. When no one did so, Jesus spoke to the woman about forgiveness and warned her not to sin again. Thus, the law of stoning “written” into the inner being of believers takes on the meaning of ‘do not judge, forgiveness, and a warning not to sin again’. Such is the result when the law of stoning is written into the inner being of believers.

Likewise, all other laws in the Torah must be “written” into the inner being of believers. The law of tithing, the law of firstfruits, or any other law must not be imposed on those who are in Christ. The law of tithing and firstfruits “written” into the inner being of believers is Christ Himself (those anointed by God), because we are the firstfruits of creation—the tenth of those who are called, chosen, or faithful.

Religious leaders in Christianity like to impose the Law (tithing, firstfruits-money) on God’s people. Apart from not understanding God’s working principles, their motivation is often related to the “stomach,” human glory, and other fleshly matters. May this brief writing be a blessing to God’s chosen people. Amen.

Summary

Song of Songs 1:5–8 invites us into the honest beginning of intimacy with Christ—where weakness is no longer hidden, shame loses its power, and love becomes the defining truth. The Bride discovers that she is both dark and lovely: marked by life’s pressures yet deeply desired by the Shepherd. This passage calls us out of performance-driven religion and into a life of rest, presence, and personal communion, where intimacy is nurtured not by striving, but by abiding.

Call to Action

Lay down the cages of shame, busyness, and borrowed spirituality.

Stop tending everyone else’s vineyard while neglecting your own soul.

Turn your heart toward the Shepherd, seek where He rests, and choose intimacy over performance—today.

The journey of intimacy does not begin with confidence.

It begins with honesty.

After the Bride cries out for the kiss of His mouth (v.2) and the drawing of His love (v.4), the light of His presence exposes what has long been hidden within her. Intimacy always brings illumination. Love reveals before it heals.

1. “I am dark, but lovely…” (v.5) — The Paradox of Grace

“I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem…”

This is not self-pity.

This is not insecurity.

This is truth spoken in the presence of love.

The Bride does not deny her darkness. She names it. Yet she refuses to let darkness be the final word. Grace gives her the courage to say both things at once:

• I am dark — marked by weakness, failure, pressure, and exposure.
• But I am lovely — desired, wanted, accepted, and pursued.

This is the paradox of the gospel.

In Christ, we are fully known and fully loved.

Not dark then lovely—but dark and lovely at the same time.

Religion teaches us to hide the darkness until we become acceptable.

Intimacy teaches us to bring the darkness into the light of His gaze.

Watchman Nee, in The Song of Songs, writes that the Bride’s confession is the mark of early spiritual awakening—when a believer sees both their condition and Christ’s affection simultaneously. This is not condemnation; it is maturity beginning to form.

2. “Do not stare at me…” (v.6a) — Escaping the Cage of Shame

“Do not look at me, because I am dark, because the sun has gazed on me.”

Here the Bride turns away from the gaze of others.

She is no longer seeking validation from the “daughters of Jerusalem”—those who represent religious spectators, cultural expectations, and comparison-driven Christianity.

Shame is a cage built from other people’s eyes.

She has been “burned by the sun”—exposed by life’s heat:

• responsibilities,
• disappointments,
• pressure,
• spiritual labor,
• unchosen burdens,
• emotional exhaustion.

Yet she is learning a holy freedom:

she does not need to explain herself to spectators when she is loved by the Shepherd.

Dead religion thrives on observation.

Intimacy thrives on presence.

3. “They made me keeper of the vineyards…” (v.6b) — Overworked, Under-loved

“My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.”

This is one of the most piercing confessions in the entire Song.

She has been faithful.

She has been responsible.

She has been productive.

But she has been busy at the cost of her own soul.

She kept other people’s vineyards:

• expectations,
• family demands,
• religious duties,
• ministries,
• obligations,
• systems that consumed her strength.

And in doing so, she lost touch with her own vineyard—her inner life, her affections, her intimacy with God.

This is the tragedy of institutionalized spirituality:

service without presence.

Jesus warned Martha of this danger (Luke 10:41–42).

Paul described it as having “a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5).

The Bride is not confessing rebellion—she is confessing exhaustion.

And exhaustion is often the fruit of serving God without resting in God.

4. “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves…” (v.7) — Choosing Presence Over Performance

Her confession leads to a turning point:

“Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where you feed your flock, where you make it rest at noon…”

She no longer asks:

• How do I do more?
• How do I fix myself?
• How do I meet expectations?

She asks only one thing:

“Where are You?”

This is the cry of a soul leaving cages:

• the cage of shame,
• the cage of performance,
• the cage of comparison,
• the cage of borrowed spirituality.

She wants pasture, not programs.

Rest, not reputation.

Presence, not productivity.

Andrew Murray, in Abide in Christ, teaches that true fruitfulness only flows from rest in the Shepherd’s presence. Noon—the hottest part of the day—symbolizes life’s pressures. She wants to know where Christ rests in the heat of real life, not just in ideal moments.

5. “Why should I be like one who veils herself?” (v.7b) — Removing the Mask

The veil represents spiritual pretense—hiding, acting, performing.

She refuses to live disguised among “the flocks of your companions”—secondary voices, substitute shepherds, secondhand intimacy.

This is the rejection of Christianity without Christ.

No more hiding behind:

• routines,
• titles,
• systems,
• spiritual language,
• public faith without private fire.

She wants Him.

6. “O fairest among women…” (v.8) — Identity Restored

The Shepherd responds—not with rebuke, but with revelation:

“O fairest among women…”

Before instruction comes affirmation.

Before direction comes identity.

He does not address her darkness.

He addresses her beauty.

This is how intimacy heals shame.

He gently leads her:

• to follow the ancient paths,
• to care for small beginnings,
• to remain near shepherds,
• to grow without pressure.

Not striving—shepherded growth.

Conclusion — The Weak but Willing Heart

Song of Songs 1:5–8 reveals a profound truth:

Christ is not searching for strong hearts.

He is searching for willing ones.

He is not intimidated by darkness.

He is drawn to honesty.

This passage calls us out of:

• dead religion,
• performance-driven faith,
• overworked spirituality,
• external obedience without internal love.

And it invites us into:

• rest,
• presence,
• intimacy,
• truth,
• abiding love.

The Bride is dark—but she is lovely.

And so are you.

Summary: The expression “believing in Jesus, receiving the Life of Christ (zoe)” appears repeatedly in the Gospel of John. In fact, Jesus came to give zoe life, and this zoe life continues to grow unto abundance (John 10:10). Through zoe life we can know the true Elohim, and know Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3).

Call to action: Believe in Jesus so that we may do the works desired by Elohim (John 6:28–29).

Today we will discuss the theme of the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is very different from the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. ‘Synoptic’ means they can be read together because they are nearly the same. The three Synoptic Gospels tell of Jesus’ ministry beginning in Galilee and continuing until His crucifixion in Jerusalem. From the three Synoptics it seems as though Jesus only came to Jerusalem once, namely to be crucified. However, in the Gospel of John, Jesus comes to Jerusalem at least three or even four times. John indeed records much of Jesus’ ministry in Judea.

In the Gospel of John, the cleansing of the Temple is placed at the beginning of the gospel, while the three Synoptics place it at the end. John also records many conversations or debates between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders—whom John refers to as the Jews—while the Synoptics do not.

All of these facts are important for us to pay attention to, because John wrote his gospel with a certain purpose. Indeed, in John 20:31 it is written, “But these have been written so that you may believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, and that by believing you may have life in His Name” (ILT). However, this does not mean that the Gospel of John has the sole purpose of leading its readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. There are other purposes in this gospel, and we must understand several points along with the background of John’s writing in order to grasp the full meaning of the Gospel of John.

Let us look at several points to understand John’s purposes. First, John wrote his gospel around AD 90, at a time when the church had already fallen because of three false teachings—Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). Second, Jesus proclaimed only one gospel—the gospel of the kingdom. In John chapter 3, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about the kingdom of heaven, saying that a person must be ‘born again’ in order to see and enter the kingdom of heaven. We will discuss this later. Third, in the Gospel of John the expression “believe in Jesus and receive eternal life” appears repeatedly. This expression is crucial to understand, and we will examine it in due course.

Fourth, it is very clear that the focus of the Gospel of John is on the Jewish religious leaders. What happened to the Jerusalem Temple, where these leaders served, is John’s special concern; that is why the cleansing of the Temple is placed at the beginning. This is also why John records many discussions or confrontations between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. John strongly highlights the behavior of these leaders. For example, Joseph of Arimathea, who is mentioned positively in the Synoptics, is mentioned negatively in the Gospel of John (John 19:38). Likewise, John emphasizes that Nicodemus came to Jesus “at night”—clearly to avoid being seen by many, out of a desire to “save face” as a religious leader.

From the points above we can see that besides leading readers to believe in Jesus and receive eternal life, the main purpose of John’s writing is to expose the behavior of the Jewish religious leaders who rejected Jesus and His message of the kingdom of heaven.

As we study this gospel chapter by chapter, we will increasingly understand why the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven was rejected by the Jewish leaders.

We have established that the main purpose of the apostle John in writing his gospel was to highlight the Jewish religious leaders who rejected the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Why is this? We know that John lived and ministered in Asia Minor, perhaps in Ephesus, where the seven churches had already fallen due to the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans—all of which were spread and taught by church leaders. This is why John wrote his gospel focusing on the Jewish religious leaders, so that the church throughout the ages might apply the truth of this gospel, especially to church leaders. Once again, the Gospel of John is not directed only to church leaders, but to anyone so that they may believe in Jesus and receive eternal life.

There are several messages conveyed by John. First, Jesus is portrayed as the Son of Elohim. The relationship between Jesus as the Son and His Father in heaven is dominant. This is the reason the Jewish leaders gave to Pilate to have Jesus executed: “…We have a torah, and according to our torah, He must die because He made Himself the Son of Elohim” (John 19:7, ILT).

Second, the deity of Jesus is explained through the seven ‘I am…’ statements, as well as in the declaration “the Word was Elohim” (John 1:1). Third, John records seven miracles—‘signs’—performed by Jesus. A sign means that behind each physical miracle is a spiritual truth. Fourth, the key word in this gospel is ‘believe’ (a verb). The Gospel of John strongly emphasizes this verb. Fifth, there is a term that appears frequently—‘world’ (kosmos). Out of its 186 occurrences in the New Testament, John uses this word 78 times in his gospel and 24 times in his letters. This shows that the term ‘world’ has an important theological meaning for John.

Although the Gospel of John contains several major themes, we must remain focused on how the good news of the kingdom of heaven was rejected by the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus did not preach two gospels—only one: the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of heaven. And we will later see how this good news confronted Judaism, especially its leaders.

Let us analyze this gospel before examining it chapter by chapter. We have stated that this gospel focuses on the Jewish religious leaders, represented by the Jerusalem Temple. Therefore we will divide the gospel by paying attention to references to the Temple. After the prologue (1:1–18), John records Jesus’ ministry ‘in the Temple’, until He “hid Himself and went out of the Temple” (John 8:59, ILT). Then John describes Jesus’ ministry ‘outside the Temple’, until “Jesus hid Himself from them” (John 12:36). The following chapters describe Jesus’ ministry to His disciples only (13–17), ending with His death and resurrection. So we may divide the Gospel of John into three parts: chapters 1–8, chapters 9–12:36, and finally chapters 12:37–21.

We now turn to a frequently appearing expression in this gospel: ‘believing in Jesus and receiving eternal life’. In Christianity, this expression is rarely heard—whether in conversation among believers or from Sunday pulpits. Therefore many Christians change this expression into, “believe in Jesus and you will surely go to heaven,” referring to a distant, beautiful place where we imagine ourselves singing forever.

Let us look carefully at the expression ‘believe in Jesus and receive eternal life’. The term ‘believe’, from the Greek ‘pisteuō’, appears 241 times in the NT, and 98 times in John. Meanwhile the term ‘life’, from the Greek ‘zoe’, appears 135 times in the NT, and 36 times in John. Matthew uses ‘zoe’ only 7 times, Mark 4 times, and Luke 5 times. This frequency is important because Jesus came precisely to give ‘zoe’ (John 10:10).

In the Gospel of John, believing in Jesus in connection with receiving ‘zoe’ appears roughly 36 times. How important this expression is! In Greek, there are three terms translated as ‘life’. First, ‘bios’—a low and common kind of life, such as that found in plants (hence biology). Second, ‘psuchē’—the life possessed by all descendants of Adam (hence psychology). Third, ‘zoe’—the kind of life lived by Elohim, represented by the Tree of Life in Eden.

Man must receive ‘zoe’ in order to fellowship with and truly know Elohim. John 17:3 affirms, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true Eloah, and YESUS the Messiah whom You have sent” (ILT). If a person only has ‘psuchē’, inherited from Adam and Eve, he cannot know Elohim, even if he can speak and possess knowledge about Him. In Christianity, this knowledge is called ‘theology’. Understanding theology is not the same as knowing Elohim, because theology can be studied by anyone—even those who do not live in ‘zoe’ daily.

There are two crucial facts for understanding eternal life. First, the ‘zoe’ received when one believes in Jesus is still a “seed”—it must grow in order for one to grow in the knowledge of Elohim. This is the meaning of John 10:10, where Jesus says He came so believers may have ‘zoe’ abundantly—not referring to material prosperity, as taught in prosperity theology, but to growth in ‘zoe’.

Second, the term ‘eternal’, translated from Greek ‘aionios’ (from *aion*), actually means ‘age-lasting’, not endless time. Aion refers to a period with a beginning and an end. Thus, ‘eternal life’ should be understood as ‘age-lasting zoe’, meaning the life of Elohim entering the dimension of time. Anything within time must grow; so ‘zoe’ in us must also grow. This is the meaning of ‘zoe of the ages’.

Eternal does not mean endless time; eternity is Elohim’s dimension. Scripture says no one can see Elohim, and that He dwells in unapproachable light. We do not yet know His eternal dimension. When time ends in the New Heaven and New Earth, we will enter His dimension—eternity. Thus, believing in Jesus means receiving the seed of ‘zoe’. Whether this ‘zoe’ grows or not is another matter. The parable of the sower explains this, though we will not discuss it here.

We continue with the expression ‘believe in Jesus and receive eternal life’. We have established that ‘eternal life’ is ‘age-lasting zoe’, and that the ‘zoe’ received is still a seed requiring growth so that believers may truly know the Father and the Lord Jesus. We also stated that ‘believe’ (pisteuō) is a verb—an action, a working process. This is why Jesus says in John 6:27, “Work, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life…” For ‘zoe’ to grow in us, there must be ‘work’ or ‘deeds’ from believers—not human effort, but works born from faith.

Paul explains in Romans the idea of faith that ‘works’ and grows. Romans 1:17 states, “…from faith to faith…,” from the Greek ‘ek pisteōs eis pistin’. This cannot simply be translated ‘faith’, because it conveys the idea of progress. As Marvin Vincent notes in Word Studies, “the idea is that of progress in faith itself… faith is a progressive principle.” Faith grows; it is not static. Faith that does not produce growth in ‘zoe’ is not true faith. James emphasizes, “…faith worked together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect” (James 2:22). These works are not merely human efforts, but works born from faith. Paul and James thus complement each other: true faith grows toward perfection, producing ‘zoe’.

What then is the relationship between ‘believe in Jesus and receive eternal life’ and entering the kingdom of heaven? Let us review what we have learned about entering the kingdom of heaven. It does not mean being taken to a faraway pleasant place. Entering the kingdom means functioning as kings and priests under the order of Melchizedek in the coming age, when Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth. This requires the growth of ‘zoe’, so that believers may reign with glorified bodies. This is what we call ‘glorification by faith’ in Romans 8.

In reality, not all believers grow in ‘zoe’. At the end of the age, when Jesus returns, all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Those who have grown and are ready will reign with Him. But those who are not ready cannot yet be manifested to creation (Romans 8:19–21). This is the message of the parables in Matthew. Thus, ‘believing in Jesus and receiving zoe’ does not automatically mean ruling with Jesus in the coming kingdom. The popular Christian phrase “believe in Jesus and you will surely go to heaven” is mistaken.

Before entering the prologue of John (1:1–18), we must once more affirm that Jesus, as the proclaimer of the kingdom of heaven, was rejected and condemned by the Jewish leaders (the Sanhedrin), though the execution was carried out by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate and his soldiers. For in those days, the Roman authorities did not permit the Sanhedrin to execute anyone they deemed heretical.

We must understand that the Jewish religion could not accept the message of the kingdom of heaven. Why is it important for us to discuss the rejection of the kingdom message by the Jewish religious leaders? The clear answer is because Christianity has also become a religion—the Christian religion. Jesus, the proclaimer of the kingdom of heaven, never founded the Christian religion. As we already know, Jesus came to impart His Life (zoe) to everyone who believes (10:10). We will see that the Christian religion, just like the Jewish religion, cannot accept the message of the kingdom of heaven.

Let us begin by briefly discussing the sects or parties within Judaism that rejected the Lord Jesus. First, the Pharisees. In the thinking of the Pharisees, religion and politics blended together. The pioneers of the Pharisees were the Hasidim during the Maccabean era—a group of devout people who disagreed with John Hyrcanus and separated themselves from him. The Pharisees emphasized outward rituals such as fasting, tithing, lengthy prayers, ritual washings, sacrificial offerings, and Sabbath observance. Essentially, they focused on what was outward and neglected what was within the heart.

Second, the Sadducees. Generally, scholars believe that the name ‘Sadducee’ comes from ‘Zadok’, who was appointed as High Priest by King Solomon. The priests who served in the Temple mostly came from the Sadducean group. Nevertheless, the Sadducees denied the existence of angels, demons, spirits, and the resurrection. The mastermind behind the killing of the Lord Jesus came from this group, because Annas and Caiaphas were Sadducees.

Third, the Scribes. The most renowned scribe was Ezra the priest. The duties of the scribes were to copy the Scriptures, interpret religious laws, and teach the Law. There were also the Zealots, the Herodians, and the Essenes. We will not discuss them here. In short, these were the groups that condemned the Lord Jesus to death.

Why could the Jewish religion not accept the message of the kingdom of heaven? Paul explains this in Romans 9:32 and 10:3: “… because Israel pursued it not by faith, but as though it were by works… they sought to establish their own righteousness…”. Indeed, the message of the kingdom of heaven can only be received by faith. From faith to faith, as we have discussed. Religion always emphasizes outward things and attempts to build its own righteousness.

Now we enter the world of Christianity. Has Christianity become a religion? At least four reasons show that Christianity has indeed become a religion. First, due to the attack of savage wolves, the church leaders drew the disciples to themselves through false teachings (Acts 20:29–30). Second, the false teaching of Jezebel, which justified the seizure of the authority of the church as an organism by the leaders. This Jezebel doctrine brought human governmental systems into the church (hierarchies and organizations as tools in the hands of leaders).

Third, the false teaching of Nicholas, which justified the priest–laity system (Catholicism) and the pastor–congregation system (Protestantism). Fourth, the false teaching of Balaam, which justified a wage system in serving God, so that the position of pastor became a profession, where pastors must receive a regular salary like any other profession. These three false teachings—Jezebel, Nicholas, and Balaam—caused the church to fall, such that it no longer had fellowship with the apostle John (1 John 1:3; Revelation 2–3).

Is not the Christian world shaped by these four things? That is why we affirm that the Christian world has become the Christian religion, and the Christian religion cannot possibly accept the message of the kingdom of heaven proclaimed by the Lord Jesus.

Now let us enter the prologue of the Gospel of John (1:1–18). The prologue is the introduction to the entire content of the Gospel of John. We will discuss who the ‘Word’ (Logos) mentioned by John is. Let us look at John 1:1,14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (Elohim), and the Word was God (Elohim). And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only One from the Father, full of grace and truth” (ILT).

This verse affirms that the Word is Elohim, and the Word became flesh (a human), that is, Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is Elohim who became a human. In the Christian world, debates have gone on for centuries regarding who or what Elohim is. The majority believe that Elohim consists of three persons but one essence (the Trinity). Others believe that Elohim is one person with three manifestations. There may be other variations.

We certainly will not discuss these debates here, but personally, I am not satisfied with these views about who or what Elohim is. It is understandable that no human being, with limited language, can fully explain who or what Elohim is. After all, even explaining what a human being truly is can be difficult. Yet for this short writing, we must still offer a personal perspective.

Our personal view regarding who or what Elohim is can be summarized as follows: ‘Elohim is Family’. The reasons are: First, throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus makes many statements about the relationship between the Father and the Son. The revelation of Father–Son was something entirely new to the Jewish religious leaders. Indeed, the Jews knew Yahweh as Father, but only in the sense of “originator” (Creator), not as Father in the way Jesus meant. Thus, the Jews considered Jesus a blasphemer, or one who made Himself equal with Yahweh, when He claimed to be the Son of Elohim (10:33).

Second, there is a “feminine” aspect in the being of Elohim. Genesis 1:2 says, “… the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the surface of the waters” (ILT). The word ‘hovering’ is translated from the Hebrew ‘rachaph’, which can also mean ‘brooding’, as a mother hen broods over her eggs. This speaks of a feminine aspect of Elohim. Third, one of the names of Elohim is ‘El Shaddai’, where ‘El’ means ‘the Almighty’, while the root of ‘Shaddai’ is ‘Shad’, meaning ‘breast’. This also speaks of a feminine aspect of Elohim. Fourth, humankind created in the image and likeness of Elohim consists of male (masculine) and female (feminine). From these four facts, we conclude that Elohim is Family.

Let us continue our discussion of the prologue. John 1:12–13 affirms: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of Elohim, to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood nor of the will of man, but of Elohim” (ILT). We have stated that Elohim is Family. From these verses, we see Elohim’s plan: to “increase” His children. Ephesians 1:5 affirms, “having predestined us to adoption as sons to Himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will” (ILT). The term ‘adoption’ here does not refer to a couple adopting a child from an orphanage, where the adopted child has no “blood relationship.”

Return to John 1:12–13: it clearly states that those who receive Him and are given authority to become children of Elohim are those who are born of Elohim. Being born of Elohim means receiving the Life of Christ (zoe), the very Life that Elohim Himself lives today. Thus, believers have a “blood relationship” with Elohim. As children of Elohim, we possess the Life of Christ (zoe) within us—we have the same kind of Life as Elohim; therefore we have a “blood relationship” with Him. In truth, believers become God’s children in the real sense, not like adopted children who have no blood relation with their adoptive parents.

Becoming children of Elohim speaks of both the life relationship and the position as children. The life relationship means we have the same kind of Life as Elohim. The position as children speaks of our right as heirs. For now, we will not discuss the inheritance of God’s children, but reflect on Jesus’ statement in John 14:12: “... whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these he will do...” Jesus affirms that we, as children of Elohim, will do even greater works.

When will the children of Elohim do these greater works? Certainly when the children of Elohim are glorified and revealed on the earth with glorified bodies to liberate creation. Consider Romans 8:19–21: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of Elohim... because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of Elohim” (ILT). When the Lord Jesus returns (commonly called the second coming), the children of Elohim will be manifested on the earth with glorified bodies to liberate creation. These are the greater works Jesus meant—the liberation of creation. When Jesus came as the Passover Lamb, He did not yet liberate creation. But when the children of Elohim are glorified, they will liberate creation from the bondage of corruption. This is Elohim’s beautiful plan for His children.

We continue discussing the prologue, which introduces the entire Gospel of John (1:1–18). John 1:10–11 says, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, and His own people did not receive Him.” John frequently uses the Greek term ‘kosmos’, translated ‘world’, in his writings. The term appears 186 times in the New Testament—78 times in the Gospel of John and 24 times in his epistles, more than half occurring in John’s writings.

The frequent use of this term in John’s writings shows its special significance in Johannine theology. The meaning of a term is determined by how it is used in context. When ‘world’ appears in John 3:16—“For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (ILT)—we understand ‘world’ to mean all humanity.

But when ‘world’ appears in 1 John 2:15—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him”—then ‘world’ does not mean all humanity, but a ‘system’ whose values oppose God’s values. In fact, the Greek word ‘kosmos’ literally means ‘system’.

Returning to our verses (1:10–11), the term ‘world’ appears three times. When it says He was “in the world,” it refers to the region of Palestine, because Jesus came and ministered in that region. When it says “the world was made through Him,” it refers to the universe. When it says “the world did not know Him,” it refers to the ‘religious system of Judaism.’. The next verse confirms this, stating that His own people did not receive Him.

We must understand what ‘system’ (kosmos) means. A system is a group of things working together under certain rules or values. Economics, politics, social structures, and even religion in this world have become systems. And the ruler of this world is the devil (John 16:11; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). Therefore the values of this world contradict God’s values. That is why 1 John 2:15–16 affirms: “Do not love the world or the things in the world… For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

As we conclude this section, we must reflect: Has Christianity become the world? Has Christianity become a religious system? Has the church fallen? These questions must be answered honestly, especially by God’s chosen people.

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, three false teachings infiltrating the church are clearly described: the teachings of Nicholas and Jezebel, in which hierarchy entered the church and leaders usurped the authority of the Lord Jesus as the Head. This caused the church to divide into clergy and laity, or congregation and pastors. And the teaching of Balaam, in which there was commerce. Is not the Christian world full of commerce, just as the Temple was full of commerce in Jesus’ day? If we have ears to hear God’s Word, we will know that Christianity today has become a religious system, and it certainly marginalizes the disciples of Jesus.

We are still discussing the prologue as the introduction to the entire Gospel of John (1:1–18). John 1:4–5,9 affirms: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” We will now discuss the term ‘light’, used metaphorically by John. The Greek word ‘phos’, translated ‘light’, appears 72 times—23 of them in John’s Gospel. There is an important theological concept we must understand here.

Verse 4 states, “In Him was life,” and because verse 3 speaks of creation in Genesis 1, we naturally understand ‘life’ here as something symbolized by the Tree of Life. This is confirmed by John’s discussion of the Tree of Life in Revelation 22. It is affirmed that “the life was the light of men,” meaning that the Tree of Life is indeed the light of humanity. When Adam and Eve chose the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, humanity fell into darkness and lived in darkness.

Verse 5 states that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” meaning that light will always overcome darkness. In fact, darkness exists because of the absence of light. When light has come, darkness will disappear by itself. Verse 9 affirms that the true light has come into the world and enlightens everyone.

Let us compare Paul’s concept of light and darkness. Colossians 1:12–13 states, “giving thanks with joy to the Father, who has qualified you to share in what is reserved for the saints in the kingdom of light. He has delivered us from the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Here it is clear that light takes the form of a kingdom, just as darkness also takes the form of a kingdom over which the devil rules. Second Corinthians 4:4 declares, “among them, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of Elohim, would not shine on them” (ILT). This means that if a person does not believe and does not see the light of the gospel, it is because his mind has been blinded by the kingdom of darkness.

Let us reflect again on John 1:9, which states that the true light that has come into the world is enlightening everyone. This means that eventually everyone will be enlightened by the true light. This corresponds to what is stated in Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David…” (ILT). This verse affirms that the expansion of the Messianic kingdom—the kingdom of light—will never cease. Light will surely swallow up darkness. Every human being who is under the rule of the kingdom of darkness will eventually enter the kingdom of light. That is why John 12:32 affirms, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”

Let us continue the prologue of the Gospel of John to discuss the ‘Law’ and ‘grace’. John 1:16–17 declares, “For from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace; for the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Generally, Christians view the Law as something “negative” and grace as something “positive.” But we must understand that both the Law and grace were given by the loving Elohim. We must understand God’s purpose in giving the Law to Israel.

Let us view the Law in its context. Exodus 19:4–6 states, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. And now, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples… you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (ILT). Here we see that Yahweh had already given His grace to Israel through His mighty works in Egypt and His wonderful promises before giving the Law in the next chapter (Exodus 20). Then Yahweh sealed His covenant with Israel and gave the Law, saying, “I am YAHWEH your Elohim who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me…” (Exodus 20:2–17, ILT). So even in the time of Moses, Yahweh still gave grace to His people.

If so, what was Yahweh’s purpose in giving the Law to Israel? Consider 1 Timothy 1:4: “nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to controversies rather than to the stewardship of Elohim that is in faith” (ILT). This verse speaks of “the stewardship of Elohim that is in faith,” meaning that Elohim has a way of managing His people in every dispensation, but all of it ‘is in faith’. In every age, Elohim seeks faith in His people—from the time of Abel to the time of the New Heaven and New Earth.

Paul affirms that righteousness by faith is grace (Romans 4:16), and in the early chapters of Romans Paul affirms that no one is justified by works. Thus, Yahweh sought faith within Israel, expecting Israel to express that faith through obedience to the Law. This was how Israel maintained the Mosaic Covenant.

But the Pharisees and scribes did not understand righteousness through faith, which is grace. They tried to obey the Law to establish their own righteousness (Romans 9:31–32). Yet in every age Elohim has always given His grace. Noah, for example, found grace in His sight (Genesis 6:8). Therefore, the Law should be understood as Elohim’s way of managing His people, and the giving of the Law does not mean that Elohim withheld grace in the time of Moses. Rather, Yahweh expected Israel, who had already received His grace, to express their faith through obedience to the Law. In this way, righteousness through faith—which is grace—remained upheld.

Thus, the meaning of the statement “for the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” is not that there was no grace in the time of Moses. The Law given to Moses was a symbol/shadow, whereas its fulfillment or reality (‘aletheia’ = truth = reality) came through Jesus Christ. For example, the kingdom of David was a symbol, while its reality is the Messianic Kingdom.

We will now conclude our discussion of the prologue of the Gospel of John, which serves as an introduction to the entire gospel. The narrative of John begins at 1:19 and continues to 21:25. Let us review the key points of the prologue that we have discussed so far.

First, John presents Jesus in His divinity by declaring that the Word is Elohim, and the Word became flesh. Jesus as the Messiah is the living Son of Elohim. In fact, the Jews did not expect a Messiah who was the living Son of Elohim. The Jewish leaders believed the Messiah would be a son of David and would therefore have an earthly kingdom like David’s. The Jews expected the Messiah to deliver them from Israel’s enemies, rebuild the Temple, and bring peace to the world. When Jesus came revealing His relationship with Elohim as Father—thus making Himself equal with Elohim—they rejected Him.

Second, Jesus came into the world—that is, the world of Jewish religion (Judaism)—but they rejected Him. Jesus came to the Jews, His own people, but they did not receive Him. The story of the Jewish rejection, especially by their leaders, colors the entire Gospel of John. The debates between Jesus and the Jewish leaders are clearly displayed by John. At first Jesus ministered “in the Temple” (up to John 8:59), then “outside the Temple” (up to John 12:36), and finally He ministered only to His disciples, culminating in His death and resurrection.

Third, the expression frequently found in John’s Gospel is, ‘believe in Jesus and receive eternal life’. Yet John also highlights the behavior of the Jewish religious leaders who rejected Jesus and the message of the kingdom of heaven He proclaimed.

Fourth, note verse 5, which states that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Since light and darkness are kingdoms, this speaks of how the Messianic Kingdom (the kingdom of light) will conquer and overcome the kingdom of the devil.

Fifth, we have seen that grace and truth (‘aletheia’ = reality) came through Jesus Christ. Reality is the essence of a thing. Reality is not a symbol or shadow but the actual substance. The coming of Jesus fulfilled all symbols, shadows, and prophecies in the Old Testament. When Jesus cried ‘It is finished’ on the cross, this meant that all prophecies, symbols, and shadows in the Old Testament were completely fulfilled. The symbol, shadow, and prophecy have been fulfilled, and the reality has come.

Sixth, the prologue also mentions John the Baptist as a witness to testify about the light so that through him all might believe. This is the prologue as an introduction to the gospel.

Now let us enter the narrative of the Gospel of John and discuss John the Baptist. John 1:22–23 states, “They said to him, ‘Who are you?’… He replied, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.’” John the Baptist’s ministry was to make straight the way of the Lord, so that through him all might believe. Luke 1:17 affirms, “and he will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah… thus making ready for the Lord a people prepared for Him.”

Jesus states in Luke 16:16, “The Torah and the Prophets were until John; from that time the kingdom of Elohim is proclaimed, and everyone forces his way into it” (ILT). Here we see that John’s ministry closed the era of ‘the Law and the Prophets’. Thus, even though John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” and even though he was the greatest among those born of women, he himself was not in the kingdom of heaven, because the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11). The manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth began in the person of Jesus Christ and continues in those who believe in Him.

Now let us apply the case of John the Baptist as the one who “made straight the way of the Lord,” resulting in the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth in the person of Jesus Christ. As discussed in other parts of this series, the kingdom of heaven has already come in Jesus, continues to come in and through believers throughout the age of the church, and will ultimately come to earth in its full manifestation when Jesus returns.

We see a beautiful pattern or fact in the case of John the Baptist’s ministry. If we look at Revelation 11–12, we see a similar pattern. Let us first quickly discuss Revelation 11 and 12. Revelation 12:5 affirms, “She gave birth to a male child, who is to shepherd all nations with a rod of iron… and he was caught up… to His throne.” Throughout Scripture, a woman is a symbol of the church. Here, the woman (the church) gives birth to a male child who will rule. We know that at Jesus’ return, He will establish His kingdom on earth together with His overcomers. Thus, Revelation 12 describes how the church gives birth to Christ’s overcomers who will rule on earth. This is the fulfillment of the Lord’s prayer that His kingdom come to earth.

But before the kingdom of heaven fully comes to earth, there is a ministry described in Revelation 11—a ministry often called the prophetic ministry of “Elijah–Moses” (Revelation 11:5–6). Just as John the Baptist (individual) made straight the way of the Lord Jesus (individual), the prophetic ministry of “Elijah–Moses” (collective) makes straight the way for the male child (collective) who will rule on earth. This is what we mean by a ‘pattern’ in the case of John the Baptist’s ministry.

Thus, as the full manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth approaches, Elohim is raising up a “John the Baptist” ministry to prepare the way for the kingdom of heaven to come to earth. Just as John’s ministry was in the wilderness and outside the deteriorated Jewish religious system, so this end-time “John the Baptist” ministry is outside the fallen world of modern Christianity.

Now let us consider John the Baptist’s testimony concerning the Lord Jesus. John 1:29 affirms, “The next day John saw JESUS coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world’” (ILT). This verse clearly states that Jesus’ death on the cross has taken away the sin of the world. ‘World’ here means all humanity, as Jesus affirms in John 3:16—that because the Father so loved the ‘world’, He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

First John 2:2 also affirms, “He is the atonement for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Christians who do not believe that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has taken away the sin of the world usually hold fast to Calvin’s doctrine of “limited atonement” (the ‘L’ in TULIP), which teaches that Christ’s atonement applies only to God’s elect.

We will not discuss the doctrine of atonement in detail here, but we will discuss the kingdom of the Messiah—the kingdom of light—which will surely overcome the kingdom of darkness. As we have seen in the prologue, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it (1:5). Likewise, the true light that enlightens ‘everyone’ is coming into the world (1:9).

Many Christians assume that salvation depends on human response to Christ’s sacrifice. In other words, Christ has provided salvation freely, but it depends on whether a person chooses to accept it. Those who hold this view do not realize that humanity is dead in sin and enslaved by the power of darkness. Humans have been blinded by darkness so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of God’s glory. How can a person who is blind, dead in sin, and enslaved by the devil be expected to respond to God’s offer of salvation? It is impossible! Jesus already declared that no one can come to Him unless drawn by the Father (6:44). Therefore, salvation does not depend on human response but on the mercy and grace of the Father.

John 12:32 affirms, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” In this age, Jesus has not yet drawn all people to Himself, but in the ages to come, when He establishes His kingdom on earth together with the overcoming church, He will draw all people to Himself so that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

The Messianic Kingdom, as the kingdom of light, will continue to expand and conquer the kingdom of darkness, as written in Isaiah 9:7: “Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom…” (ILT). Thus, the Lamb of Elohim has indeed taken away the sin of all humanity, as John the Baptist testified about Jesus. But in this age, Jesus chooses a portion of humanity as “firstfruits,” and in the ages to come He will draw and save all people.

Let us continue our discussion regarding the testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus. John 1:33 affirms, “… Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” Here John the Baptist testifies that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

When did Jesus baptize with the Holy Spirit? Acts 2:33 states, “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which you now see and hear.” Thus, it is clear that Jesus baptized the disciples with the Holy Spirit after He was exalted and seated at the right hand of God in heaven.

However, before the event on the Feast of Pentecost, Jesus had already given the Holy Spirit to His disciples after His resurrection. Consider John 20:22, which says, “And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” The Holy Spirit received by the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection had a different purpose from the one received on the Day of Pentecost. Consider 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord JESUS Christ, who, according to His great mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of JESUS Christ from the dead” (LITV). The Holy Spirit the disciples received after Jesus’ resurrection caused them to experience being ‘born again’. But the Holy Spirit they received on the Day of Pentecost empowered them to become witnesses of the Lord (Acts 1:8).

Yet, we must understand that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was only an “earnest” or “down payment.” The Greek word translated ‘guarantee’ in Ephesians 1:14 is ‘arrabon’, which means a payment given in advance as a guarantee that the full payment will later be given. Thus, the Holy Spirit poured out upon the church on the Feast of Pentecost was only “in part,” unlike what Jesus received, as written in John 3:34, that the Father gives the Spirit “without measure.”

For this reason, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the church began to experience attacks from “savage wolves,” causing some leaders to draw away disciples with false teachings so that they would follow them (Acts 20:29–30). During the time the apostle John ministered in Asia Minor around AD 95, the church had already fallen into the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. The church no longer had fellowship with the apostle John (1 John 1:3). However, the apostle John calls the overcomers in every age and church type.

Let us now look at the prophecy of Joel quoted by Peter during the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out. Acts 2:17 says, “And it shall be in the last days, God says, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh…” (LITV). The Greek phrase translated ‘all flesh’ is PAS SARX, where PAS means all, and SARX means human nature, or humanity. Therefore, the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy at that time, as quoted by Peter, was not yet complete, or was only “partially fulfilled,” because not all humans had experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

If so, when will the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon every human occur? This will happen at the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, when all souls are harvested. The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the feast of unity (Leviticus 23:40, 42), the feast of rejoicing (Deuteronomy 16:14), the feast of ingathering (Exodus 23:16), the feast of rest (Leviticus 23:39), and the feast of glory, restoration, and His appearing.

The harvesting of all souls or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon every person will occur through the ministry of the overcoming church (the sons of God), as written in Romans 8:19–21: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity… in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (LITV). Through the ministry of the sons of God, all creation will also be liberated from the bondage of corruption and will experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Now we will discuss the first disciples of Jesus as written in John 1:35–51. There are several principles we can learn from this passage about the first disciples of Jesus. First, all these disciples came to Jesus because they had been chosen beforehand. Jesus clearly said to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” (15:16).

Indeed, no one can come to Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father in heaven (6:44). John strongly emphasizes the sovereignty of the Father in heaven, who has determined everything beforehand. This is in accordance with Psalm 139:16, which says, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book all of them were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

Second, the first words Jesus spoke in the Gospel of John to His two disciples were, “What do you seek?” (1:38). These words are very important. What a person seeks in life is an accurate portrayal of who he is. If someone follows Jesus but seeks money, position, popularity, or human honor, then in reality he is not following Jesus, but his own desires, using Jesus for his own benefit. But because His disciples were chosen by Jesus Himself, Jesus took responsibility for shaping them so that they would seek only what pleases the Father. These first words of Jesus reveal what He would do in forming His disciples—namely, that they would eventually seek only what delights the heart of God. This formation by Jesus can be seen when He changed Simon’s name to Peter (1:42).

Third, to Nathanael, Jesus said He would reveal even greater things, “… from now on you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (1:51, LITV). These words of Jesus fulfill Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:12, which says, “… a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it” (LITV). Jesus fulfilled Jacob’s dream by saying that the angels of God ascend and descend ‘upon the Son of Man’, meaning that JESUS, AS THE SON OF MAN, IS THE TRUE LADDER. The ladder seen in Jacob’s dream was only a shadow or prophecy. Its reality and fulfillment are in Jesus as the Son of Man.

This ladder not only opens the door of heaven but also UNITES heaven and earth. Through Jacob’s dream fulfilled in Jesus, we know that the ‘House of God’ is the UNION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. And truly, Jesus as the Son of Man is that ‘House of God’. This is why Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees to ‘destroy this temple’, and in three days He would raise it up again, for the temple was His own body (John 2:21).

These, then, are the three principles we can see from the case of Jesus’ first disciples. Jesus chose the disciples and formed them such that Jesus and His disciples became the House of God or the Temple of God. This House of God is the kingdom of the Messiah that unites heaven and earth.

Let us now continue our discussion and examine the ‘first sign’ Jesus performed at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11). At this wedding, Jesus turned water into wine. In the Gospel of John, the miracles Jesus performed are usually called ‘signs’, meaning there is a certain message behind each sign. And the miracle at the wedding in Cana is the ‘first’ sign Jesus performed. In hermeneutics, there is a principle called the ‘first mention principle’, meaning that the first mention of a concept reveals a fundamental understanding, which should be carried into later mentions.

Let us now see the meaning behind the sign of Jesus turning water into wine. Before interpreting the meaning behind this sign, we must understand the purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world as written in the Gospel of John. Consider John 10:10, “… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly.” Here we see that the purpose of Jesus’ coming to the world is to give life. The Greek word used here is ‘zoe’, meaning the kind of life lived by God.

This ‘zoe’ life is symbolized by the “Tree of Life” in the Garden of Eden. In reality, the “Tree of Life” is Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus said that whoever “eats” Him will have life (‘zoe’) within him (John 6:53). Jesus gives ‘zoe’ to believers through His death, resurrection, and exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Jesus once compared Himself to a “grain of wheat,” which must die to produce many grains (John 12:24). But the ‘zoe’ life given to believers is still in the form of a “seed” and must grow. This is the meaning of “having it abundantly” in John 10:10—‘zoe’ must grow to its fullness.

If so, what is the meaning behind the miracle of “water becoming wine” as the first sign? Clearly, “water” symbolizes the human life, whereas “wine” symbolizes ‘zoe’. “Water” as human life is symbolized by the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” in the Garden of Eden. Human life that has fallen into sin is called death, because the wages of sin is death. Death here does not mean only physical death, because Adam continued to live physically after he sinned, but death is the human life under the power of the devil (Hebrews 2:14). Thus, Jesus turning water into wine means Jesus transforming ‘human death’ into ‘life in Christ’.

Next, let us observe verse 6: “Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.” Since mankind ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, humans have tended to be religious to cover their “nakedness.” Religion is human effort to cover his lack or loss of God’s glory, as Adam and Eve did by making loincloths. The ritual purification according to Jewish tradition is a religious ritual—human effort to cleanse oneself. But Jesus removes these religious or human efforts to cleanse oneself and replaces them with ‘zoe’, which cleanses man from within his inner being. Thus, the purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world is to abolish religious efforts—namely the efforts of the Jewish religion to cleanse themselves—and to replace them with ‘zoe’.

Now we will discuss Jesus cleansing the Jerusalem Temple (John 2:13–22). In the synoptic Gospels, the cleansing of the temple is placed at the end of the narrative. But the apostle John places it at the beginning of his Gospel. Why? We know that the focus of John’s Gospel is the behavior of the Jewish religious leaders who opposed Jesus and the message of the Messianic kingdom. Therefore, the cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple is placed at the beginning of the narrative to show the main focus of John’s Gospel, and to highlight the importance of exposing the behavior of these Jewish religious leaders.

Verse 16 states, “… Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” The synoptic Gospels record it as “you have made it a den of thieves.” What actually happened in the Jerusalem Temple so that Jesus called it a “den of thieves”? We know that the Jews were required to come to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, and they had to bring an offering to the Lord (Deuteronomy 16:16). At that time, if someone wanted to offer an animal sacrifice, it would be difficult to travel to Jerusalem carrying the sacrificial animal. To help those who wanted to offer animal sacrifices, the Jewish religious leaders sold sacrificial animals in the temple courts.

These leaders claimed that the animals they sold were already inspected and declared without blemish. They also prepared money-changing tables for Jews of the diaspora who used foreign currencies. It seemed that the Jewish leaders were serving and helping those who wanted to worship at the Temple. But in reality, they were doing business in the Temple and taking profit, because the animals they sold were “more expensive” than market price. Yet the worshipers considered this normal. The problem was that Jesus saw that they had changed the fundamental nature of the Temple—from the Father’s House into a “Den of Thieves.”

Let us apply the case of Jesus cleansing the Jerusalem Temple to our current context. Certainly, the Temple in the NT context is the church, that is, the believers. Are church leaders today also doing business in such a way that they have changed the fundamental nature of the church from the Father’s House to a “Den of Thieves”?

Let us consider several facts recorded in the NT to see whether church leaders have changed the fundamental nature of the church because of commerce. Paul said to the elders of the church in Ephesus, “Even from among your own selves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw

away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30). One of the false teachings we discuss here is the false teaching of Balaam (Revelation 2:14). One characteristic of Balaam’s false teaching is legalizing a system of wages in serving God, because Balaam indeed loved the wages of unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11). The ‘salary system practiced in the Christian world, making the title of pastor or minister a “profession” like that of a doctor, engineer, or civil servant, is in fact a ‘wage system in serving God’. Those who have spiritual insight can clearly see that the Christian world has become a world of commerce and profitable business for its leaders because of the legalized wage system introduced by the teaching of Balaam. In such a condition, the fundamental nature of the church has indeed changed. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Christian world cannot accept the message of the Messianic kingdom or the kingdom of heaven, just as the Jewish religion could not accept it.

We will now discuss the conversation between the Lord Jesus and the Jewish religious leader Nicodemus (John 3:1–13). The theme of this conversation is the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. The meaning of the kingdom of heaven is the same as the meaning of the kingdom of God, because the phrase kingdom of heaven refers to the kingdom in the heavenly realm, while kingdom of God means the kingdom belonging to God.

John 3:3 affirms, “JESUS answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (ILT). In fact, Nicodemus was quite familiar with the concept of the kingdom of God. In his understanding, he was already in—or had already taken part in—the kingdom of God because he was born as part of Yahweh’s chosen nation, Israel. Therefore, when Jesus said, “you must be born again or born from above,” Nicodemus wondered how it could be possible for a person to be born again when he is already old.

Nicodemus’ understanding, like the general understanding of the Israelites, was very physical. The Israelites perceived the Messianic kingdom as a physical kingdom. They awaited the Messiah as a descendant of David who would deliver Israel from physical enemies, rebuild the physical temple, and sit on David’s physical throne. They had strong reasons to expect this, because the prophecies of the Old Testament promised the Messianic kingdom as a kingdom like David’s. Yet Jesus sought to open their eyes to the truth that the Messianic kingdom existed in a dimension higher than the kingdom of David. Even though Nicodemus was puzzled about how an old man could be born again, Jesus still emphasized that “unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (v. 5).

What is the true meaning of being born again, or born from above, or born of the Spirit? The meaning of being born of God is receiving the life of God, just as a baby who is born into the world receives the life-type of his parents. Being born again also means that a person enters the family into which he is born. A baby born into the Silitonga family automatically becomes part of the Silitonga family. Likewise, a person who is born of God automatically enters the family of God, or enters God, who is a Family. The newborn baby receives a new identity as part of a particular family. In the same way, a person who is born of God receives a new identity as a child of God.

We have repeatedly emphasized that the life of God (‘zoe’) which we receive when we are born again is still in the form of a “seed.” Yet even though it is still a “seed,” within this ‘zoe-life’ is contained the entire character of Christ—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and Christ’s self-control. When the seed of ‘zoe-life’ grows within a child of God, he becomes like God and knows God truly (John 17:3). A person who is born again also receives a new citizenship, which is heavenly (Philippians 3:20). Therefore, to see the kingdom of God, a person must be born of God and receive the seed of ‘zoe-life’.

Let us continue our discussion of the conversation between the Lord Jesus and the Jewish religious leader Nicodemus (John 3:1–13). We have established that being born again, or born from above, or born of God means that a person receives the seed of ‘zoe-life’ into his inner being. Being born again also means that a person receives a new identity as a child of God and enters the family of God.

We know that the heavenly Father has a plan for His Family. The Father has a clear purpose for His children. What is the purpose of the heavenly Father for us, His children? If we observe John 3:3—“… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (ILT)—we will understand that the Father’s purpose is His kingdom.

Before we continue discussing the Father’s purpose for His children, let us compare two children born into this world—one who has a clear purpose, and one who does not. Some children are very fortunate because they are born into a family whose father has a clear purpose for them. This child is accepted, loved, and raised with a certain intention. But some children are very unfortunate, for they are born without a clear purpose—indeed, their birth is unwanted, resulting from an irresponsible man and woman. This child is born without a clear purpose, and he is neither accepted, loved, nor raised for any particular intention.

We have seen above that the Father’s purpose for His children is His kingdom. Yet in the Christian world today it is commonly believed that Christians will be taken to heaven to praise and worship God forever, with no work, no responsibility, and no ministry except praising God. If we reflect on this, is this truly the Father’s purpose for us? If this were truly the Father’s purpose, then Christians would seem like children born without a clear destiny.

But praise the Lord… we see that the Bible does not say this. Scripture unveils the plan of the heavenly Father throughout the ages to establish the kingdom of His Son on earth. And this kingdom of His Son will subdue everything, so that the Father may be all in all. The Father will express Himself in and through all creation. In this age, the Father is preparing a people who will reign together with the Lord Jesus on earth until death—as the wages of sin—is subdued and no longer exists.

Thus we who are born into the family of God are being shaped, trained, and processed to be worthy to rule with the Lord Jesus on earth and to subdue all things. We are being formed into kings and priests so that we may function properly in the coming age. Our responsibilities today are merely “training” so that we may learn to be faithful in small things. We are children who have a clear purpose, clear responsibilities, and a clear ministry.

We continue to discuss the conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:1–13, and we will reflect on verses 3 and 5: “… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (ILT). We see here that the requirement for seeing and entering the kingdom of God is being born again or born from above. Jesus did not say that once a person is born again, he will ‘fully’ see and enter the kingdom of God. The seed of ‘zoe-life’ must grow for a person to fully see and enter the kingdom of God.

Let us again reflect on the meaning of being born again. A person who has not been born again and lives in the natural (soulish) realm cannot understand spiritual matters. Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “… the soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God…” (ILT). The kingdom of God is a kingdom that exists in the spiritual dimension and is beyond the reach of the natural human mind. A soulish person may talk about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God, but he does not understand what he is talking about.

Then how can one understand the kingdom of God? Only through the growth of ‘zoe-life’ can a person see and enter the realm of the kingdom of God. Let us take the illustration of the growth of a tree, because man is compared to a tree in Psalm 1:3. As we know, within the seed of a plant there is life. This life grows and “reaches for” or “draws in” elements from the soil, producing a tree. That tree is not merely the seed that contains life, nor is it merely the soil—it is a ‘new creation’ resulting from the growth of the seed that absorbs elements from the ground.

Likewise, a person who has the seed of ‘zoe-life’ in his inner being grows as this life “reaches for” and “takes in” the natural elements of his mind, emotions, will, and even his physical body. Such a person becomes a ‘new creation’ in Christ. It is this new creation who can see and enter the kingdom of God. But all this requires time and the process of the growth of ‘zoe-life’.

What is the meaning of “seeing” the kingdom of God? The meaning of “seeing” here certainly does not refer to physical sight. For example, if we explain something to a blind person and he says, “I see,” this does not mean he sees something physically but that he understands what we have explained. Thus, to see means to understand, to know, or to recognize. When the growth of ‘zoe-life’ within a person reaches a certain level, he begins to “see” or understand or recognize the kingdom of God.

Yet all of this is by grace. Observe Matthew 13:11: “… To you it has been given the grace to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Therefore, seeing the kingdom of God is the result of the growth of ‘zoe-life’, and the growth of ‘zoe-life’ within a person is an act of grace.

We have discussed “seeing” the kingdom of God, and now we will discuss “entering” the kingdom of God. To differentiate between “seeing” and “entering” the kingdom of heaven, we may observe the example of Moses, who was only allowed to see the Promised Land from Mount Nebo. Because of his mistake, Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land, but Caleb and Joshua entered.

We have also explained that “seeing” the kingdom of heaven requires the growth of ‘zoe-life’ within the believer. Naturally, entering the kingdom of heaven also requires the growth of ‘zoe-life’. Yet we must understand several matters so as not to be mistaken in thinking that entering the kingdom of heaven occurs only after physical death. This concept is very common in the Christian world. But let us see what the Bible says.

First, the beginning of the arrival of the kingdom of heaven on earth was in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth. Then, through His death, resurrection, and ascension, the seed of His life (‘zoe’) was given into the inner being of believers. Therefore, the reality of the kingdom of heaven is in the inner being of believers.

Second, Colossians 1:13 affirms that we have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9 also states, “I, John… in the kingdom…” (ILT). Thus, even now we are already in the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven is within our inner being.

Third, the growth of ‘zoe-life’ is our covenant with God. Hebrews 8:10–11 states, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days… I will put My laws into their mind and write them on their hearts… for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them” (ILT). How does God put His laws into our mind and write them on our heart? Through the growth of ‘zoe-life’. Through the growth of ‘zoe-life’, we come to know Him. This matter of “knowing” Him is extremely important, because Matthew 7:21–23 shows that there are people who prophesied in the name of the Lord, cast out demons in His name, and performed many miracles in His name, yet were rejected from entering the kingdom of heaven. The reason: they did not do the will of God and were not known by Him.

Fourth, we have not yet fully entered the kingdom of heaven because we have not yet fully known Him. Let us look at the example of Paul in Philippians 3:10–12: “My desire is to know Him… Not that I have already obtained this or have already been perfected…”.

Fifth, when we partake in the manifestation of the sons of God with glorified bodies to deliver creation in the coming age, then we will fully enter the kingdom of heaven manifested on earth (Romans 8:19–21).

In truth, entering the kingdom of heaven is grace. Consider Luke 12:32: “Do not fear, little flock! For your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” Therefore, all Christians who have been born again are already in the kingdom of heaven, even though not fully. Yet only the “little flock” will be manifested when the Lord returns. In the Christian world many are called, but few are chosen. All of this is the sovereignty of the Father who is pleased to give the kingdom.

We continue our discussion of the conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus. Observe the terms “water” and “Spirit” in John 3:5: “… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (ILT). This verse clearly states that the new birth occurs through water and Spirit.

What does “water” mean here? Consider 1 Peter 1:23: “for you have been born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living word of God…” (ILT). Peter said that the new birth occurs through the living word of God. Therefore, “water” here means the word of God. Some argue that “water” refers to water baptism. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a verse supporting that water baptism causes a person to be born again. A person is born again by hearing the word of God, believing, and receiving the seed of ‘zoe-life’.

Next, ‘Spirit’ here clearly refers to the Spirit of Christ or the Holy Spirit. Thus there are two “agents” involved in bringing about the new birth. Let us take the illustration of marriage between a man and a woman, which then results in the birth of a child. We know that when the man’s sperm meets the woman’s egg cell, a ‘new human cell’ is formed. That cell then grows and becomes a baby.

The important truth when Jesus said the new birth occurs by water and Spirit is this: The Spirit here is masculine—the Spirit of God (the Father), while the “water” or the word of God is feminine—the Mother. Why do we refer to “water” or the word of God as feminine? Consider once again 1 Peter 1:23 above. The term “seed” used by Peter comes from the Greek word ‘spora’, not ‘sperma’, which refers to a father’s seed. That is why we say that the word of God is feminine—the mother.

We receive the Spirit of Life directly from the heavenly Father (Luke 24:49). Galatians 4:6 also affirms, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father!” (ILT). Meanwhile, the word of God has been entrusted to the church to be proclaimed so that a person may experience the new birth. Observe once again 1 Peter 1:23–25: “for you have been born again… through the living word of God… And this is the word which was preached to you” (ILT). Thus, the church proclaims the word of God. This true church is “… the free woman, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:26).

The Spirit of Life—the “sperm” of the Father—whom we receive from the heavenly Father is perfect. 1 John 3:9 affirms, “Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed (Greek = ‘sperma’) remains in him…” (ILT). But the church that proclaims the word of God is not perfect, for indeed the church has fallen and become tens of thousands of denominations. Each denomination preaches a Word that is “defective” and imperfect. Therefore, the children born from it also become “defective.”

In the Christian world, it is generally believed that people who are not chosen by the Father in heaven will be thrown into hell forever. This is like a mother portraying the father as cruel, even sadistic. And the children who listen to and are taught by such a mother will believe that the father is indeed cruel.

But praise the Lord, there is a restoration of the Word, in which the proclamation delivers the good news of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven (the Messiah) will subdue all things, so that the Father becomes all in all. The Father in heaven is portrayed as a loving Father, so that in the end, all creation is restored, and the Father can express Himself in and through all human beings (creation).

We will continue a bit more and conclude the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:1–13. As we already know, the core or main theme of this conversation is the kingdom of heaven—how a person can “see” and “enter” into the kingdom of heaven. We must remember that this conversation took place between Jesus, the herald of the kingdom of heaven, and Nicodemus, who represented the religious world at that time (Judaism).

The result of this conversation did not make Nicodemus a disciple of Jesus, unlike Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, who is called a disciple of Jesus even though secretly, for fear of the other Jewish leaders (John 19:38). Indeed, Nicodemus seemed to defend Jesus when he said, “Does our Law condemn a man without first hearing him and finding out what he has been doing?” (7:51). Also, Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes during Jesus’ burial (19:39). Yet Nicodemus is still not called a disciple of Jesus.

Let us examine briefly why Nicodemus, as a religious leader, found it difficult to believe in Jesus, to become His disciple, and to follow Him openly. John 12:42 explains, “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (LAI).

It appears that one of the reasons Nicodemus, as a Jewish religious leader, found it difficult to believe in Jesus was that he preferred the praise of men rather than the praise of Elohim. Jesus also affirmed in John 5:43–44, “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, when you receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (LAI). Here Jesus clearly states why many Jewish religious leaders did not believe in or receive Him—they loved human praise.

Let us apply this truth to the context of the Christian world. Repeatedly we have emphasized that Christianity has become a religion. Church leaders who draw disciples to themselves with false teachings—Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaitans—have caused the early church to break into tens of thousands of denominations as we see today (Acts 20:28–30; Rev. 2–3). Undeniably, the Christian world has been infiltrated by commerce, titles, and human honor.

The leaders of the early church did not draw disciples to themselves; instead, they all merely ‘equipped’ the disciples so that they might follow the Lord Jesus wherever He went. The early church leaders did not hold authority over the Lord’s disciples. They did not take the church’s money for themselves or for their ministries as is common today. Money, position, and human honor did not reign in the early church. For this reason, the early church not only received the message of the kingdom of heaven but also proclaimed it.

Since the days of the apostle John, the church has fallen. Leaders like “Diotrephes-Diotrephes” excommunicated—not only the apostle John, who proclaimed the kingdom of heaven—but throughout Christian history, the heralds of the kingdom of heaven have been cast out. Truly, the religious world cannot accept the good news of the kingdom of heaven preached by Jesus and His apostles.

We have established that the religious world—both Judaism and Christianity—has been infiltrated by commerce, titles, and human honor. This is what causes the religious world to reject those who proclaim the good news of the kingdom of heaven. For if they accepted it, they would have to abandon the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans—which means they must abandon the ‘wage system’ (Balaam’s false teaching), the pursuit of titles (the false teachings of Jezebel and the Nicolaitans), and of course, human honor. All this is almost impossible for Christian leaders who have received grace only ‘to be called’ and to be born again (receiving ‘zoe’ life). But God’s chosen people receive grace to abandon all false teachings and to serve the Lord in their daily lives according to what He has appointed for them. For in the Christian world, many are called, but few are chosen.

Now we will discuss the good news of the kingdom of heaven written in John 3:16: “For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but may have eternal life” (ILT). There are several things we must understand from this verse to grasp the good news of the kingdom of heaven.

First, the term ‘world’ here clearly means all people, for indeed all have been loved by the Father in heaven. All people have been blessed by the Father in heaven to such an extent that He gave His only Son to take away the sin of the world.

Second, generally, religious leaders or Bible teachers within Christianity believe that Jesus’ death atoned only for the sins of God’s chosen people. Therefore, they say, the majority of people not chosen by the Father in heaven will be cast into eternal hell—this is a commonly accepted doctrine in the Christian world. Meanwhile, John 1:29 states, “…Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (ILT). And 1 John 2:2 says, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” The doctrine of “eternal hell” has portrayed the Father in heaven—who so loves all humanity—as a terrifying “monster” who cruelly throws people into everlasting torment. Yet this is what the majority in Christianity believe.

Third, the phrase ‘whoever believes’ is widely misunderstood as if people dead in sin can respond to God’s call—making salvation dependent on human choice, whether to believe or not. But Jesus clearly said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Thus salvation depends entirely on the Father in heaven. And the Father desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Therefore, in His time, all humanity will be saved by the Father.

Who will the Father in heaven use to save all humanity? Of course, the Messianic kingdom, in which His chosen people will function as priests and kings in the age to come (Revelation 20:4–6). This is the good news of the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of the Messiah.

Let us continue discussing the good news of the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of the Messiah. Consider these verses in the Gospel of John. John 3:34: “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit” (LAI). John 14:12: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do, and even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 16:7: “…for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

From these verses, we understand the following: First, the Holy Spirit given to Jesus, as the One sent by Elohim, is the unlimited Spirit. Second, Jesus promised each believer that he would do greater works than those Jesus Himself performed. Surely these works are not the work of redemption on the cross, for no one can share in that work. Third, the reason believers can perform greater works than Jesus is that ‘Jesus goes to the Father’. Fourth, the purpose of Jesus going to the Father is that He might send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to the church.

We see that the Holy Spirit given to Jesus was ‘the unlimited Spirit’, while the Holy Spirit poured out upon the church on the Day of Pentecost was only the Spirit as a “pledge/down payment.” See Ephesians 1:13–14: “…when you believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…” The Greek term translated ‘guarantee’ is ‘arrabōn’, meaning a pledge or down payment, a guarantee that the full payment will follow. So, in time, the church will receive the Holy Spirit without limit, just as Jesus did when He ministered on earth. This is the true inheritance of the church—to receive the unlimited Holy Spirit.

When will the church perform the greater works Jesus mentioned? The answer, of course, is when the church receives the outpouring of the unlimited Holy Spirit, just as Jesus did. When, then, will the church receive this unlimited outpouring?

Throughout the New Testament, it is evident that at the coming of Jesus (commonly called the “second coming”), Jesus will establish His kingdom on earth. At that time the church will receive the unlimited outpouring of the Holy Spirit and will perform the greater works that Jesus promised—except for the redemptive work on the cross, as mentioned earlier.

However, not all members of the church will share in these great works, because the church has fallen and split into tens of thousands of denominations. Also, in the parables of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew—such as the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, the talents, the faithful and evil servants, the sower, and the wheat and tares—it is clear that only a portion will take part in these great works. The church has fallen, and the Lord is calling His overcomers (Revelation 2–3). When Jesus returns, He will judge the church, and the ‘overcoming church’ will partake in these great works, which include delivering creation from the bondage of corruption, causing the earth to move toward the new heaven and new earth (Romans 8:19–21).

We now turn to the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:4–26. We will see later that this conversation is essentially similar in principle to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, the Jewish religious leader. We will clearly see the difference between those who live in a religious realm and those who live in the realm of the kingdom of heaven. Thus, in principle, this conversation is between Jesus, the herald of the good news of the kingdom of heaven, and the Samaritan woman with her religious concepts.

Jesus began the conversation by asking the Samaritan woman for physical water. After a brief exchange, Jesus said, “…Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (4:13–14). Of course, the water Jesus referred to was not physical water, as the Samaritan woman thought, but the “living water” given to those who believe.

Consider John 7:38–39: “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive…” Thus, for those who believe in Jesus Christ, within their innermost being resides the Holy Spirit, the giver of “rivers of living water,” or in other words, within the believer there is a “spring of living water” that continuously wells up unto eternal life.

In 1 John 2:27, the apostle John refers to this “spring of living water” as “the anointing within the believer.” Note the verse: “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you need that no one teach you…” This anointing within teaches the believer all things—how to pray, read the Scriptures, serve, follow the Lord, even how to eat, drink, sleep, work, conduct business, and everything related to daily life. Therefore, the apostle John says, “you do not need anyone to teach you.” Of course, John does not mean that we should not learn from others, for he himself wrote letters so that the church might learn from him. But the life of the believer must depend entirely on the “spring of living water” within his inner being, not on something outside himself.

After Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman about the “spring of living water” within the believer, she responded in almost the same way Nicodemus did—thinking in physical terms. Her response in verse 15: “…Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty nor have to come here to draw water.” Just like Nicodemus’ physical response when Jesus spoke of being “born of the Spirit.”

It appears that religious people like the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus always think in earthly, physical terms. Religious people always depend on something outside themselves to fulfill their spiritual needs. They are unaware that the “spring of living water” is within them—in their inner being. In Christianity, religious people always need religious leaders, church buildings, programs of all kinds to support their spirituality. They do not realize that a “spring of living water” exists within them, and that this is enough.

Certainly, it is not wrong for Christians to gather to encourage one another in the Lord. But if Christians feel they cannot live spiritually without “something outside themselves”—whether it be religious leaders (pastors), buildings, programs—then such Christians are still being religious, not living by the life of Christ. Such Christians have not realized that within them is a “spring of living life.” In fact, he was not yet aware that within his inner being there was the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of God is within you.

Let us continue our discussion of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4:4–26. After the Samaritan woman realized that Jesus was a prophet, she asked a “religious question” about worship, saying, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth…” (4:20–23).

For the Samaritans, their place of worship was Mount Gerizim. The Jews, however, based on the Law of Moses, were required to worship in Jerusalem, the place Yahweh chose to put His name. Thus, three times a year every Jewish man had to come to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. But all these regulations belonged to the religious realm and were only temporary.

Religion is always full of rules regarding worship, including Judaism. Many people are unaware that Judaism, related to the Mosaic Covenant, was actually only a symbol, a shadow, and a prophecy. When Jesus came, He fulfilled every prophecy, symbol, and shadow. None was left unfulfilled. On the cross, all prophecies, symbols, and shadows of the Old Testament were fulfilled when He cried, ‘Tetelestai’, meaning ‘completely complete’ or ‘perfectly perfect’, that is, utterly perfect and utterly complete. The fulfillment of all Old Testament symbols, shadows, and prophecies is ‘Christ within the inner being’ of every believer (Colossians 2:17; 1:27). Christ is the Life-giving Spirit. That is why Jesus said, “I came that they may have life—zoe” (John 10:10).

Hebrews 8:13 states, “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” Thus, Judaism related to the Old Covenant was near its disappearance. Indeed, when in A.D. 70 the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army, Judaism practically ceased to exist. The synagogues were merely gathering places where Jews prayed and studied the Law of Moses. All the symbols and shadows of sacrifices performed in the Temple were gone. Their fulfillment had come: Christ within every believer. This is the meaning of ‘worship in spirit and truth’—worship in the inner being, and in ‘reality’ (truth = ‘aletheia’ = reality). Reality means no longer symbols or shadows, but the essence itself.

Therefore, when Jesus came, He abolished worship in the religious realm and replaced it with reality, the essence, what a thing truly is—no longer symbols or shadows. For us, the people of the kingdom, worship is a daily life led by ‘Christ within’. There are no more rules such as “you must worship on that mountain” or “on this mountain.”

The early church, whose worship was spontaneous and Spirit-led, has now changed into the world of Christianity, in which each denomination has its own rules, its own rituals, its own buildings—all of which have departed from ‘worship in spirit and truth’.

We have seen that Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman was a conversation between Jesus, the herald of the kingdom of heaven, and a Samaritan woman who represented the “religious mindset” of that time. Now we will discuss Jesus’ conversation with His disciples, who at that time also still possessed a “religious mindset.” Notice John 4:27: “At this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He was speaking with a woman…” Their amazement did not come from a “normal mindset.” For if someone had a normal mindset, it would be perfectly natural for a man to speak in public with a woman he did not know.

Clearly, the disciples’ astonishment was caused by the “religious mindset” still attached to them. For Jews, associating with other nations was strange. At that time, their social hierarchy was heavily influenced by Judaism. For Jews, the High Priest held the highest rank, followed by the Levites, including the Pharisees and scribes. Next came the educated and wealthy people, and at the very bottom were tax collectors and prostitutes.

Foreigners were considered even lower than tax collectors and prostitutes. That is why when Jesus spoke to the Syrophoenician (Canaanite) woman using the parable that “it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” the Jews did not consider it an insult (Matthew 15:26). Even the Pharisees would not eat (or associate) with tax collectors and prostitutes, even though they were fellow Jews. The Samaritans were not considered pure Jews; thus, influenced by their “religious mindset,” Jews did not associate with Samaritans.

Let us continue Jesus’ conversation with His disciples when they urged Him to eat. Jesus answered, “…I have food to eat that you do not know about… My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” (4:32,34). Why did Jesus say they did not know His food? Because to the disciples, who still thought religiously, worship was not food. For Jesus, worship in spirit and truth—doing the will of Him who sent Him and completing His work—is food. The disciples did not yet understand this “food.” To them, and to the Jews with their religious mindset, worship meant performing rituals and everything commanded in the Law.

At one point Jesus cried out, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (6:54). After Jesus said such things, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him (6:66). Even His disciples with a religious mindset turned away because they could not grasp the meaning of the “eating” Jesus spoke of.

We know that eating produces energy for a person. For Christians who “serve full time” and feel tired, weary, and in need of refreshing, they have not yet understood the principle of “eating” Jesus taught. Perhaps they have only practiced the Christian religion—performing religious rules, religious programs, rituals, and services. The herald of the kingdom of heaven does not teach people to have a “religious mindset,” but urges them to “eat” Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood, that they may have zoe-life and grow in the knowledge of the Father.

After Jesus said that “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me,” He continued: “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then comes the harvest’? But I say to you, look around you and see the fields; they are already white for harvest.” (John 4:35). The “harvest of souls” is directly related to the will of the Father who sent Jesus. The proclamation of the kingdom of heaven is inseparable from the harvest of souls. But we must understand what the harvest of souls means, because in modern Christianity there is a belief that before Jesus returns (often called the “second coming”), there will be a massive harvest of souls—meaning mass conversions. Scripture does not support this idea. In Scripture, harvest always refers to fruit that is already ripe. Thus, the souls harvested are souls that have matured.

We will examine what Scripture teaches about the harvest of souls, because this is important in proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. We will explain the harvest of souls in relation to the three major feasts of Israel: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Generally, the harvest of souls related to Passover refers to Jews (under the Mosaic dispensation) who believed in Jesus and received the New Covenant mediated by Him. Of course, God also had mature souls in the Old Testament era before Jesus came—His chosen ones of that time. Next, the harvest related to Pentecost refers to all of God’s chosen people throughout the church age, who will be manifested at the end of the age as “firstfruits” (Romans 8:19–21). Finally, the harvest related to Tabernacles refers to all humanity being harvested through the ministry of the sons of God (the ministry of the firstfruits), as described in Romans 8:19–21.

Let us explain further the “harvest of souls” related to the fulfillment of Passover, according to our previously cited verse (John 4:35). The Greek term translated ‘harvest’ is ‘therismos’, meaning ‘the process and season of reaping’. Jesus said the time of harvest had come. The Indonesian translation says “ripe for harvest.” Thus, the harvest of souls related to the fulfillment of Passover occurred in Jesus’ generation.

Who were the reapers? John 4:38 says, “I sent you to reap…” The disciples were the reapers. But the sowers were not the disciples. Verse 38 says, “…others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” The “others” Jesus meant were all the servants of God in the Old Testament—prophets, priests, kings, and all God’s chosen ones who had served Yahweh. But Jesus added that both sower and reaper rejoice together and receive their reward.

What about the harvest related to Pentecost and Tabernacles? Consider Exodus 23:16 (ILT): “Also the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.” The Hebrew word translated ‘firstfruits’ is BIKKURIM, meaning firstfruits. The harvest of firstfruits points to the fulfillment of Pentecost, while the “Feast of Ingathering” points to Tabernacles, when all the produce of the field is gathered. This shows that the fulfillment of Tabernacles occurs when all the work of the field is gathered—in other words, when ALL SOULS ARE HARVESTED as the result of the labor of the reapers. Thus is the good news of the kingdom of heaven proclaimed by Jesus, wherein ultimately all souls are harvested for the glory of the Father.

Now we will discuss the ‘second sign’, where Jesus healed the royal official’s son (John 4:46–54). We have discussed the ‘first sign’, when Jesus turned water into wine, whose meaning was that Jesus transformed ‘human death’ into ‘life in Christ’. The second sign continues the first, with its focus on the physical body of the official’s son.

Notice verse 53: “Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son lives.’ So he and his entire household believed.” The word “lives” here is the Greek ‘zao’, a verb meaning ‘to live’ or ‘be alive’. Although the child could return to healthy life, he would still eventually die physically. This miracle was only a sign. There is meaning behind this sign. Let us look at its meaning.

When the father knew his son had recovered, he believed. Throughout the Gospel of John, we see the theme “believing in Jesus results in receiving eternal life—zoe.” Jesus’ purpose for coming to this world was not merely to perform healing miracles, but by performing miracles as “signs,” people could believe and receive zoe-life. Giving zoe-life is the purpose for which Jesus came (John 10:10). Thus, the meaning behind the miracle of healing the boy’s physical body is that Jesus will give zoe-life in such a way that a person will no longer die. But we must understand how this process occurs.

Let us explain this through Romans 8, which speaks of ‘the redemption of the body’ or ‘glorification by faith’. The redemption of the body—glorification by faith—is the peak of salvation provided for us in Christ. Romans 8:10 states, “But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin…” Paul states clearly that our physical body will certainly die because of sin—even though we have experienced justification by faith and sanctification by faith, as Paul explained in the first seven chapters of Romans. Thus, if someone has only experienced justification and sanctification by faith, their salvation is not yet complete.

What then is the meaning of the redemption of the body or glorification by faith, which we call the peak of salvation? Consider several verses in Romans 8 (ILT). Verse 23: “…eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.” Verse 17: “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Verses 19–21: “For the earnest expectation of creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God… creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

Clearly, the redemption of the body is the moment when our mortal physical body is replaced with a ‘glorified body’ like the glorified body of the Lord Jesus Christ. At His coming, we who believe will be manifested to all creation to deliver it from corruption. This is the good news of the kingdom. This is the meaning behind the sign of Jesus healing the boy’s physical body.

Now we will discuss the third sign, when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–18). We have discussed the meaning behind the ‘second sign’—healing the boy’s body—which pointed to the giving of zoe-life resulting ultimately in a glorified body.

Let us observe what happened in this third sign. The apostle John frequently used symbols in his writings, in which behind each symbol lies a meaning to be understood. Even the book of Revelation is written in symbolic language (Revelation 1:1, ‘semaíno’, translated ‘to show’, from the root ‘sema’, meaning symbol or sign). Thus it is appropriate for us to look for symbolic meaning in the healing at the pool of Bethesda.

John 5:2 states, “Now in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate there is a pool, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda; it has five porticoes.” The “Sheep Gate (sheepfold)” signifies “an entrance into a religion that keeps the law,” just as in John 10:1, the term “sheepfold” refers to Judaism as a religion of law by which Israel was governed.

Bethesda means house of mercy, signifying that God’s people who practice law-keeping need God’s mercy because of the inability and weakness of the flesh (Romans 7:7–24). A “portico” signifies a place of rest for those who practice a “law-keeping religion.” The number 5 means responsibility. Thus is the meaning behind the symbols in verse 2.

Verse 3 states, “In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the waters.” This verse points out that those who live under the religion of the Law of Moses experience blindness, lameness, and paralysis, because human beings cannot be justified by the Law.

Verse 8 says, “Jesus said to him: Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” This is the good news of the kingdom of heaven, in which those who are sick because of the religion of the Law are healed. Jesus did not impose any requirements on this sick man, except to ask whether he wanted to be healed. This question is very important, because generally those who are sick due to the “religion of the Law” no longer desire or expect to be healed. They have become accustomed to and comfortable with religious rituals, even unaware that they are spiritually paralyzed, blind, and lame.

What, then, is the meaning behind this third sign Jesus performed? Jesus not only imparted His life (zoe) to the sick, but specifically healed those living under the religion of the Law. Yet the difficulty for religious people is that they have become too comfortable with their condition.

How is the Christian world today? As we know, Christianity has become a religion full of rules—organizational rules, denominational rules, rules imposed by religious leaders, and even rules imported from the Old Testament, particularly the laws of tithing (money), firstfruits (money), and many others. As in the case of the pool of Bethesda, Christians today are generally very comfortable with their condition and unable to receive the good news of the kingdom of heaven which is given without conditions.

We continue our discussion of the third sign, in which Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–18). After Jesus healed him on the Sabbath, “… the Jews persecuted Jesus because He did these things on the Sabbath” (5:16). But Jesus answered that His Father is

working until now, and He also works (5:17). Here we see a conflict between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders concerning the meaning of the Sabbath.

Let us speak about the meaning of the Sabbath for Israel. For Israel within the Mosaic Covenant, the Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel (Exodus 31:12–17; Ezekiel 20:10–26; Leviticus 23:3). God reminded Israel that He created the heavens and the earth in six days and sanctified the seventh day as a ‘day of rest’. Israel had to follow this pattern: six days of work and rest on the seventh day. Anyone in Israel who violated the Sabbath was to be put to death.

The Jewish religious leaders did not understand that Jesus came as the Messiah to establish the New Covenant with Israel and to ‘fulfill’ the covenant sign of the Sabbath. Here we will see several facts about the Sabbath in relation to the New Covenant.

First, Jesus explained that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Its purpose was to give true rest, not to be a religious ritual. The ritual observance of the Sabbath was only symbolic and temporary for Judaism until its fulfillment arrived.

Second, Jesus declared that He is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). This means He is greater than the ritual of keeping the Sabbath. He Himself would fulfill the Sabbath and bring true rest to those who believe Him (Matthew 11:28–30). The fulfillment of the Sabbath and other symbols is “Christ in you” (Colossians 2:16–17; 1:27). If a believer lives in Christ and obeys His inner leading, then even while working he still experiences “true rest” day by day.

Third, all the moral laws of the Law (the Ten Commandments) are not abolished but fulfilled in the law of loving one another given by Jesus to His disciples on the night before His death (John 15:12). But the Sabbath law has been annulled/fulfilled for believers. There is no “Christian Sabbath” in the context of the New Covenant. Every believer has already entered the ‘true Sabbath rest’ in Christ.

We have stated that the Sabbath was the covenant sign between Yahweh and Israel. So, what is the covenant sign between believers and God in the New Covenant? The sign or seal of the New Covenant is the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13–14; 2 Corinthians 1:22). The Holy Spirit within the believer is the sign or seal of the New Covenant. That is why believers worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). Next, we will discuss “Sunday,” which is often misunderstood as the Christian “Sabbath.”

We have explained the meaning of the Sabbath in the light of the New Covenant. The debate between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders was that they observed the Sabbath literally, while Jesus brought the essence of it—the fulfillment. Religious people always try to follow rules to gain favor from God.

The Gospel of John records many conversations or debates between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders. We must understand the meaning of these debates, because Christianity too has become a religion with many religious rules in each denomination. Now we will discuss ‘Sunday’, often misunderstood as the Christian “Sabbath.” In Christian practice, Sunday worship has become a rule that must be obeyed by every Christian—almost replacing the meaning of the Sabbath for Israel. This is important to examine because the worship Jesus taught is worship in spirit and truth (John 4).

Let us consider a few verses or reasons commonly used to support the requirement of Sunday worship. Note that if Christians feel led by the Lord to gather on Sunday, that is not wrong at all. What we should question is making Sunday worship a mandatory rule for all Christians.

The common argument is that Sunday (the first day of the week) is the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Therefore Christians must celebrate the resurrection every Sunday. But Jesus instructed us to remember ‘His death’ through the symbols of bread and wine. The early church did this daily, from house to house, in rotation (Acts 2:46).

There is also a case where believers gathered on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7). There is no indication in the New Testament that Christians are commanded to hold Sunday worship to commemorate the resurrection. Next, Paul instructed the Corinthians to set aside money on the first day of every week (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul was not commanding them to gather for worship on the first day. He was telling them to set aside money at home on that day so that collections would not need to be made when he arrived. There is no other New Testament passage that supports a rule requiring Sunday worship.

Some interpret ‘the Lord’s Day’ in Revelation 1:10 as Sunday, and therefore claim Christians must worship on Sunday. This interpretation is forced. The term ‘the Day of the Lord’ in the Old Testament often means a day of darkness or judgment (Amos 5:18; Isaiah 22; Jeremiah 30:1–17; Joel 1–2; Zephaniah 1).

In the New Testament it can mean judgment or a time when God visits His people (Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). Thus “the Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10 is best understood as the day the Lord visited John and gave him revelation.

What, then, is the motivation behind making Sunday worship a requirement? We know that the fall of the church occurred because certain leaders, with false teachings, tried to draw the Lord’s disciples after themselves (Acts 20:28–30). It cannot be denied that a useful way to bind people to follow leaders is to create religious rules. One such rule is mandatory Sunday worship. These religious rules actually hinder believers from worshiping in spirit and truth as Jesus taught.

We continue discussing the third sign in John 5:1–18. We have explained that the meaning behind this sign is that Jesus heals those who live under the religion of the Law. Because He healed on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders opposed Him. We have examined the Sabbath and the requirement of Sunday worship. Now we consider another reason the Jewish leaders opposed Him. John 5:18 states: “For this reason the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because not only did He break the Sabbath, but He also called God His Father, making Himself equal with God.”

Another issue for the Jewish leaders was “blasphemy,” because by calling God His Father, Jesus made Himself equal with God. This revelation about the relationship between Jesus and the Father was new. The Jewish leaders understood Yahweh as “Father” only in the sense of Creator or Originator. But when Jesus brought new revelation, they could not accept it. Why could they not accept new revelation?

To explain this, we must first understand the nature of religion, in this case Judaism. In one sense, Judaism began with the ‘revelation to Moses’. The Jewish leaders proudly called themselves ‘disciples of Moses’. They were convinced that God had spoken and given His revelation through Moses (John 9:29). This is true—but what they failed to understand is that divine revelation is ‘progressive’. Religious people cannot accept new revelation.

In the Synoptic Gospels we find the saying that “old wineskins cannot hold new wine” (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37). The context is a question about fasting. We must remember that John the Baptist belonged to the dispensation of the Law, even though he preached that the kingdom of heaven was near. The “old wineskin” is the dispensation of the Law; the “new wine” is the new revelation of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus proclaimed. Naturally, those of the Law cannot accept the “new wine” of the kingdom. They believe “the old wine is better” (Luke 5:39). Those who have drunk the old wine of religion do not want the new. Such is the nature of religion. Religion is static. Religious people remain in their comfort zone. They do not advance—and indeed cannot.

Let us apply this understanding of religion to Christianity. Christianity has become a religion—the Christian religion. Consider the history of the church for the last 2,000 years. Whenever a new movement or new revelation emerged, those of the established Christian religion persecuted it, because they could not accept “new revelation.”

So it is today. The revelation of the ‘kingdom of heaven’ cannot be accepted by Christian religious leaders. Those who proclaim the good news of the kingdom will stand outside the “camp” of institutional Christianity. But those who receive grace—who do not have a ‘Christian religion’ but Christ’s ‘life’—can receive new revelation.

We now come to the ‘fourth sign’, recorded in John 6:1–15. This sign is the miracle in which Jesus fed five thousand men with only five loaves and two fish. After the crowd witnessed this miracle, they sought to take Him by force and make Him king. Notice verse 15: “Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and seize Him to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself.” Indeed, Jesus came into the world as King, as He told Pilate (18:37). But the crowds who experienced His miracle did not understand God’s ways. Let us examine why Jesus withdrew alone to the mountain.

The crowds understood the Messianic kingdom as a physical, earthly kingdom like David’s. This concept was taught by the Jewish religious leaders. Once, Jesus tried to correct their concept of the Messianic kingdom. Matthew 22:41–46 states: “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying: What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is He? They said to Him: The Son of David. He said to them: How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: The LORD said to my Lord…? If David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?”

The Jewish leaders could not answer because they believed the Messianic kingdom must be like David’s earthly kingdom. They did not understand that David’s earthly kingdom was only a ‘symbol’ or ‘shadow’ of the spiritual kingdom of the Messiah (the kingdom of heaven). Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

That is why both Jesus and John the Baptist cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To repent, or ‘metanoia’, means to change one’s concept or way of thinking. If the Jewish religious leaders did not change their concept of the Messianic kingdom, they would not be able to receive Jesus.

Indeed, religion is inherently physical. Religion can always be observed with the physical eyes. The Jewish religion (Judaism) could be clearly seen. They had the Temple with all its visible rituals. They were completely unaware that all of these were merely symbols. When Jesus came and brought the ‘reality’ or ‘essence’ behind all those symbols, they rejected Him and considered Him a deceiver, a blasphemer, and so on.

Let us now look at Christianity today. Has Christianity not also become a religion? When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, Christianity had not yet become a religion. Why? Because even though the early church (its people) could be seen physically, their movement was not easily visible, for they all moved according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. There are 70 occurrences of expressions like ‘the Holy Spirit led’, ‘the Holy Spirit forbade’, ‘the whisper of the Spirit’, and so on, in the 28 chapters of the book of Acts. History records that roughly 200 years later, the early Christians had conquered the then–known world, moving only from house to house—without buildings, without organizations, without the trappings that are commonly found in a religion.

Then, after Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity in 313 AD, buildings and cathedrals began to be built, rituals, creeds, rules, and all things typical of an established religion. This has continued in Christianity to this day. The Christian religion is visibly clear—its denominational buildings, the robes of its religious leaders, its rituals, its organizational rules, and so on. Certainly, the Christian religion cannot receive the good news of the kingdom of heaven.

Before we enter into the fifth sign, in which Jesus walks on water, let us continue the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Because Jesus knew that the ‘crowd’ would come and try to take Him by force to make Him king, He withdrew to the mountain by Himself. The next day, the ‘crowd’ searched for Jesus, found Him on the other side of the sea, and asked, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” (6:25).

Jesus answered the crowd firmly, “…Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking Me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life…” (6:26–27). From this verse we see that the miracles of Jesus have spiritual intentions behind them. Certainly Jesus loved the crowd and met their physical need for bread. But the primary purpose of Jesus’ coming to the world was not merely to perform miracles. Jesus came so that we may receive His life (John 10:10).

His life, symbolized by the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, is what we need to resolve the root of our problem caused by sin. The devil seeks to trap humans so that they focus only on physical needs. Meanwhile Jesus stated clearly that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. In the Gospels, those who followed Jesus—called “the crowd”—followed Him because of the miracles they saw. They were unable to perceive the meaning behind each miracle Jesus performed.

Jesus rebuked the attitude of the crowd that followed Him merely because of His miracles. That is why Jesus said, “Work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” Physical bread is needed only as long as we live in our physical bodies. But our spirit needs the life of Christ (‘zoe’) in order to become like Him in image and likeness.

Let us talk briefly about the role of miracles in the preaching of the Word. Many people assume that miracles can make people believe in Jesus. This is not the case. Notice John 12:37: “Though Jesus had performed so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him.” Miracles may confirm or strengthen the Word preached (Acts 14:3), but miracles themselves cannot make someone believe in Jesus. A person can believe in Jesus only because he receives grace from the Father in heaven. Truly, the faith we have is ‘faith in Christ’, a faith granted to us by the Father in heaven. Our part is only to ‘keep’ the faith given to us, as Paul testified at the end of his life (2 Timothy 4:7).

Jesus desires that a person follow Him because he sees the signs/miracles He performs. If someone sees the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, then he can understand that Jesus is the true food. Jesus is the bread of life. If someone works and seeks Jesus, who is the true food, then this is pleasing to Him.

Let us continue the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (John 6). After Jesus rebuked the crowd for not seeing the sign behind His miracle, He said, “…I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst” (6:35). The term ‘life’ here is ‘zoe’, the kind of life that Elohim lives. This is the primary purpose of Jesus’ coming to the world—to give ‘zoe’-life to everyone who believes (10:10).

This ‘zoe’ life is related to the matter of “eating,” meaning that we must “eat” ‘zoe’ life so that we will never hunger or thirst again. How can we eat His life? Many Christians think that by reading the Bible, they automatically “eat” ‘zoe’ life. Not so, my brother. The Pharisees and scribes studied their Scriptures (the Old Testament), yet they did not come to Jesus to receive ‘zoe’ life (5:39–40). Why? Because “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life” (6:63).

The term ‘flesh’, translated from the Greek ‘sarx’, does not mean the human body. We can understand the meaning of ‘sarx’ by examining Romans 8:6: “For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (ILT). The flesh has a mindset, and this mindset is death. Therefore, if someone reads the Bible with a ‘fleshly mindset’, he cannot eat ‘zoe’ life. A person with a fleshly mindset will find only the “written law” of Scripture, which brings death (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Thus the Pharisees and scribes had a fleshly (physical) mindset, not a spiritual one. They assumed that the Messianic kingdom had to be like the physical kingdom of David, for the Messiah is the son of David. This mindset is what led them to kill Jesus, who is ‘zoe’ (“I am the life,” 14:6), even though they diligently studied the Scriptures. Truly, the flesh is a mindset, and the mindset of the flesh is a physical mindset, not the mindset of the Spirit. The Pharisees and scribes, having a ‘fleshly mindset’, not only failed to eat ‘zoe’ life, but even killed Jesus, who is the very ‘zoe’.

If so, how can we eat ‘zoe’ life? Jesus clearly said that no one can come to Him unless he is drawn and taught by the Father in heaven (6:44–45). Therefore, we must be drawn and taught by the Father; then we will be able to eat ‘zoe’ life. All of this depends on the grace and favor of the Father who draws us and gives us His teaching.

Let us apply this truth to the Christian world. Do most church leaders have a fleshly mindset? Let us examine the origin of the many denominations in Christianity. Paul warned the church leaders (elders) in Ephesus that fierce wolves would come, causing some leaders to draw the Lord’s disciples after themselves (Acts 20:28–30). Church leaders are supposed only to equip the Lord’s disciples so that they may build up the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–12). But because leaders drew disciples to themselves, some of the Lord’s disciples followed this leader, and others followed that leader.

Observe why the Church (a woman) is symbolized by Babylon in Revelation 17:5. We know that Babylon was the kingdom built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:10). If a person can see spiritually, he will realize that denominations are nothing other than earthly (human) kingdoms built by each church leader. Every denomination will draw the Lord’s disciples, and every denomination will have its own “Nimrod.” The existence of denominations in the Christian world proves that church leaders have a fleshly mindset.

The fleshly mindset builds earthly kingdoms for themselves. Denominational leaders are not building the kingdom of heaven (the Messianic kingdom), but are building a physical ‘kingdom of David’. That is why the good news of the kingdom of heaven cannot be understood or accepted by denominations. How could leaders accept the spiritual message of the kingdom of heaven when they are busy building their own kingdoms?

We will now discuss the expression that frequently appears in the Gospel of John: “I am…” We know there are seven ‘I am’ statements in the Gospel of John. We have discussed the ‘bread of life’ in the statement “I am the bread of life”; therefore, let us now focus on the expression ‘I am’.

The expression ‘I am’ is translated from the Greek ‘ego eimi’. In John 8:58 we read, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” The phrase ‘I am’ here is ‘ego eimi’. With this declaration, Jesus linked Himself to Yahweh, who declared Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14: “… I AM WHO I AM…” (ILT). The Hebrew expression for I AM WHO I AM is ‘Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh’, meaning Elohim who is ‘actively, eternally present’. Truly, the declaration ‘I am’ (ego eimi) may only be spoken by Jesus. The Jewish religious leaders understood this expression, which is why they accused Jesus of equating Himself with Yahweh and of blaspheming Elohim when He said ‘I am’ (ego eimi) in Mark 14:61–62.

We have stated that one of the messages of the Gospel of John is the relationship between Jesus, as the Son of Elohim, and the Father in heaven. This was the reason the Jewish religious leaders gave to Pilate to have Jesus put to death: “…We have a Torah, and according to our Torah, He must die because He made Himself the Son of Elohim” (John 19:7, ILT).

Jesus’ declaration ‘I am’ reveals what Elohim truly is. Is Elohim two—Father and Son? Or is Elohim three, yet one in deity? Is Elohim Triune or One? It seems necessary to repeat the author’s view of what Elohim is. According to the author, based on Jesus’ declaration ‘I am’, Elohim is actually a Family. There is the Father, the Son, and the Mother in one family.

Let us repeat the basis for this view:

First, throughout the Gospel of John there are many statements of Jesus regarding the Father–Son relationship. This revelation of the Father–Son relationship was new to the Jewish leaders. The Jews indeed knew Yahweh as Father, but as Father in the sense of Creator (originator), not as Father in the way Jesus meant.

Second, there is a “feminine” aspect within Elohim. Genesis 1:2 states, “… the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the waters” (ILT). The word ‘hovering’ (‘rachaph’) may also mean ‘brooding’, like a hen brooding over her eggs. This speaks of the feminine aspect of Elohim.

Third, one of the names of Elohim is ‘El Shaddai’, where El means ‘the Almighty’, while the root of ‘Shaddai’ is ‘shad’, meaning ‘breast’. This also refers to the feminine aspect of Elohim.

Fourth, humans created in the image and likeness of Elohim are male (masculine) and female (feminine).

Fifth, the expression “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8) implies a feminine aspect of the Spirit.

Therefore, based on these reasons, the author believes that Elohim is a Family. Thus, Jesus’ declaration ‘I am’ reveals that Elohim is a family.

We have emphasized that Jesus’ declaration ‘I am’ reveals that Elohim is a Family. Therefore, the expression “I am the bread of life” shows that Elohim as a Family provides “bread of life” for all members of His Family. All who receive Him are given authority to become children of Elohim—meaning believers become part of the Family of Elohim, or part of Elohim who is the Family, and surely receive “bread of life” to meet their needs. This is what we must meditate on continually

that Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” and therefore, we as members of His Family will always receive the “bread of life.”

The Church, as believers, can be described in various aspects. For example, the church is the bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, members of the Messianic kingdom, and so on. But in relation to Jesus’ declaration “I am the bread of life,” the church is the member of His Family and will always receive the supply of “bread of life.”

We should not mix the truth of “the church as members of the Family of Elohim” with “the church as members of the Messianic kingdom.” As members of the Family of Elohim, all church members surely receive the supply of the “bread of life.” But as members of the Messianic kingdom, believers who have not matured in ‘zoe’ life cannot yet reign with Christ in the coming age when Christ will fully establish His kingdom on earth.

In Christianity, these two truths—the church as the Family of Elohim and the church as the Messianic kingdom—are mixed together. The expression “believe in Jesus, go to heaven” proves this confusion. As we know, throughout the Gospel of John there are many statements that “whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life” (the seed of ‘zoe’ life). The bread of life is ‘zoe’ life, because Jesus said, “I am (‘ego eimi’) zoe” (John 14:6). Therefore, believing in Jesus only gives the seed of ‘zoe’ life. And as members of His Family, every believer surely receives the supply of ‘zoe’ life or the bread of life daily. However, to reign with Christ as members of the Messianic kingdom in the coming age, believers whose ‘zoe’ life has not matured cannot yet reign on earth.

In general, the difficulty in understanding the church as the Family of Elohim and the church as the Messianic kingdom arises from the concept of heaven in Christianity. In Christianity, it is commonly understood that believing in Jesus leads to heaven “far away, up there,” whereas its streets are made of gold and its only activity is to praise and worship God. Such a concept of heaven is very misleading. The Christian world does not understand that the Messianic Kingdom will be established entirely on earth, and only the mature members of the Messianic Kingdom will take part in it. The Church, as the mature members of the Messianic Kingdom who can function as priests and kings, are the ones who will reign on earth in the age to come (Revelation 5:10; 20:4).

Thus, the Church as the members of the family of Elohim will surely be blessed and receive the “bread of life” every day. But the Church, as members of the Messianic Kingdom, must grow to maturity so that they may reign together with Christ in the coming age (often called the thousand-year Kingdom or the Millennium) which will be established on earth.

We are still discussing the ‘fourth sign’ concerning the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, and concluding it with the response of the crowds and also Jesus’ disciples, when Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” The crowds (the Jews) grumbled and said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:42).

Naturally the crowds murmured, because their motivation in following Jesus was that they had eaten physical bread, and had seen the miracles of healing He performed on the sick (6:2). But it turns out that some of Jesus’ disciples also “stumbled” when Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Notice verse 60: “This is a hard saying; who can accept it?” Even verse 66 states, “From that time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”

After Jesus saw that many of His disciples no longer followed Him, He asked the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” (6:67). Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed…” (6:68–69). Peter’s answer proves that he had received grace and had been taught by the Father (6:44–45). Peter understood that Jesus’ words were eternal life (‘zoe aionios’), and he ‘believed’. Indeed, the important revelation in the Gospel of John is: ‘those who believe in Jesus receive the seed of zoe life’. If a disciple has received revelation as Peter did, then he will not “stumble” at the hard sayings of Jesus.

Let us briefly discuss the expression ‘zoe aionios’, which is translated above as ‘eternal life’. We need to discuss this expression because, generally in the Christian world, “eternal life” is understood as going to heaven “far away up there” (often called the Father’s House or the New Jerusalem) and living forever with the Lord Jesus. Such an understanding comes from not knowing the truth of the good news (gospel) of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As we already know, ‘zoe’ is the kind of life that comes from Elohim, which is given into the inner being of every believer. This ‘zoe’ life causes us to truly know the Father and to know Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3). The ‘zoe’ life given by Jesus to each believer is still in the form of a seed, and it must grow (the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 13). If the heart of a believer is like “good soil,” meaning that he hears the word of the Kingdom and understands it, he will bear fruit. Certainly, there are Christians who are born again (having received ‘zoe’ life), but do not grow because there are “rocks” in their hearts so that the word of the Kingdom does not take root. There is also “thorny soil” so that the word of the Kingdom does not grow because of the deceitfulness of wealth and worries. Therefore, not all born-again Christians will reign together with Jesus in the thousand-year kingdom that will be established on earth at His coming.

Furthermore, the term ‘aionios’ is also misunderstood by the majority of Christians and translated as “eternal,” meaning “forever.” The term ‘aionios’ comes from ‘aion’, which must be translated as ‘age-long’ or referring to a period of time. Thus, ‘zoe aionios’ is the life of Elohim that enters into the dimension of time. And everything that enters into the dimension of time must grow, just as human bodies, animals, and plants grow. Therefore, ‘zoe’ life must also grow within the believer.

If a Christian receives grace not only to be called the Church (‘ekklesia’ = the called-out ones) but also ‘chosen and faithful’ (Revelation 17:14), then he will take part in the Kingdom of Heaven that will be fully established on earth at His coming.

Now we enter the ‘fifth sign’ in John 6, where Jesus walks on water. The disciples were crossing the lake without Jesus, heading toward Capernaum. In the middle of the journey, they were struck by a storm because a strong wind blew, and the sea became rough (6:18). In such a condition, suddenly Jesus came walking on the water toward the boat, and the disciples were frightened, but Jesus said, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Verse 21 states, “Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”

As we know, the apostle John uses the term “sign” for the miracles Jesus performed. A “sign” means there is a spiritual meaning behind it. And because we know that a recurring theme in the Gospel of John is that believing in Jesus brings ‘zoe’ life, we should understand the event of Jesus walking on water as the solution provided by ‘zoe’ life for certain conditions.

The turbulent sea can be understood as human life experiencing various storms, whatever the cause. The solution to the storms of human life is still the ‘zoe’ life. The ‘zoe’ life within the believer’s inner being is the solution Jesus provides. In the seed of the ‘zoe’ life there is the love of Christ, the joy of Christ, the peace of Christ, the patience of Christ, the kindness of Christ, the goodness of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ, the gentleness of Christ, and the self-control of Christ (Galatians 5:22). These are the fruits of the Spirit we greatly need in facing the storms of life. But we must remember that the term ‘fruit’ is singular in Greek. This means that God does not give love, joy, or peace as separate gifts. Jesus gives only one thing: the ‘zoe’ life. If the ‘zoe’ life continues to grow within us, we will possess all nine fruits of the Spirit in abundance. This is the meaning of ‘abundance’ in John 10:10.

Furthermore, the sign/miracle of Jesus walking on water also means that the ‘zoe’ life can overcome problems in the physical realm. Any physical problem can be overcome or subdued by the ‘zoe’ life. Truly, the ‘zoe’ life within us is the Kingdom of Heaven within us. Why is this so? Luke 17:21, which says that the Kingdom of God is “in the midst of you,” is actually a mistranslation of the Greek term ‘entos’. This Greek term appears only twice in the New Testament; the other occurrence is in Matthew 23:26, where ‘entos’ is correctly translated as ‘inside’ (in Indonesian LAI), or ‘within’ in many English versions. Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, and this Kingdom of Heaven within our inner being can subdue difficulties and challenges in the physical realm.

However, at this time the Kingdom of Heaven has not yet been fully manifested on earth. But at Jesus’ coming, the Kingdom of Heaven that is within us will be fully manifested on earth. The people of the Kingdom will also be manifested on this earth with glorified bodies (Romans 8:19–21). Thus, the manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven and the manifestation of the sons of Elohim will subdue everything on earth, including physical matters. Through the ministry of the sons of Elohim, this earth will move toward the New Earth, and of course also the New Heaven. This is the meaning behind the fifth sign.

We enter John 7 and discuss Jesus’ words to His brothers, who did not yet believe in Him, before the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1–9). Notice verse 7: “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that its works are evil.” Who or what is the ‘world’ Jesus refers to here?

We have discussed that the Greek term ‘kosmos’ means ‘system’, which in Indonesian is often translated ‘world’. In a dictionary, a system is a group of things working together under certain rules or shared values. Economics, politics, society, and also religion in this world have all become systems. And the ruler of this ‘world’ or ‘system’ is the devil (John 16:11; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). That is why 1 John 2:15–16 states, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.”

If so, who is the ‘world’ in verse 7 that hates Jesus? Clearly, the world that hates Jesus here is the ‘religious system of Judaism’. Those within the system of Judaism, especially its leaders, are the ones who hated Jesus. Why did they hate Jesus? The answer is clear in verse 7: because Jesus testified that the works of those within the religious system were evil.

Let us look directly at the condition of the Church after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, three false teachings that entered the Church are clearly described: the teachings of the Nicolaitans, Balaam, and Jezebel. We will not examine these three false teachings in detail, but only briefly.

The teachings of the Nicolaitans and Jezebel caused ‘hierarchy’ to enter the Church, and leaders seized the authority of the Lord Jesus as the Head of the Church. This divided the Church into clergy and laity, or congregation and pastors. The teaching of Balaam caused the practice of commerce within the Church to be legitimized (in the form of ‘teaching’). That is, business practices within the Church were justified and even taught. Are not these three false teachings officially practiced, justified, and even taught in theological schools within Christianity today?

The early Church in the time of Peter and Paul, who were martyred around AD 67, had not yet been infiltrated by these false teachings. Later, in the time of the apostle John, around AD 90–95, the Church finally embraced these three false teachings. Leaders like “Diotrephes–Diotrephes” began to appear in the Church, who even rejected the apostle John and his team. This fall of the Church was foretold by Paul in Acts 20:29: “I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth (Jezebel, Balaam, Nicolaitans) in order to draw away disciples after them.”

Let us observe Church leaders today and compare them with how early Church leaders ministered. Colossians 2:19 states, “They have lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and joints, grows with God’s growth.” Notice the function of the “ligaments and joints” in a body (the organism = the Church). These ligaments and joints represent the leaders of the Body (the organism = the Church) who function to “support and hold the Body together,” so that the Body experiences divine growth.

However, the nature of Church growth changed after some leaders began to ‘draw Jesus’ disciples to follow themselves’. Instead of equipping the disciples, as Ephesians 4:11–12 commands, these leaders attracted followers to themselves and taught the three false doctrines mentioned above. Thus today the Church is fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations. The growth of the Church is no longer the ‘growth of the Body’, but the ‘growth of “parts of the Body” (denominations)’.

When Jesus came into the world, He testified that the deeds of the leaders of Judaism were evil. Therefore they hated Jesus. Similarly, throughout the ages, the disciples of Christ who preach the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven and refuse to participate in these three false teachings will be ostracized and rejected by the Christian world.

Before we continue our discussion in John 7, we must clarify and apply Jesus’ words about the religious system of Judaism that hated Him to the Christian world. We learned that Judaism hated Jesus because He testified that their works were evil (7:7). This must be emphasized because in the Christian world (the Christian religious system) it is commonly believed that denominations are the Church. Generally, Christian leaders teach that denominations are the Church.

In theological schools, it is typically taught that the Church has two aspects: the “visible Church” and the “invisible Church.” The “visible Church” is the Church that is seen by the physical eyes, such as people worshiping in Lutheran, Calvinist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and other traditions. The “invisible Church” refers to Christians all over the world who are “born again” (true Christians), and only God can see and know them. This teaching began with Martin Luther and has been accepted widely in Christianity. Thus, people no longer distinguish between the Church and denominations.

But for the people of the Kingdom who love the Scriptures, this cannot be accepted. Why? Clearly, the emergence of denominations is caused by leaders who draw Jesus’ disciples to follow themselves. Paul firmly states that such behavior is the result of an attack from savage wolves (Acts 20:30). The behavior of denominational leaders divides the Body of Christ. And dividing the Body of Christ is an evil deed.

Let us briefly observe the teaching of Jezebel related to the behavior of Church leaders who draw Jesus’ disciples to themselves. We know that “Jezebel” in the book of Revelation is a symbol, because the book of Revelation reveals Jesus Christ and His Church using symbolic language (Revelation 1:1). Yet Jezebel was a real woman in history, the wife of King Ahab. Why was “Jezebel” chosen as a symbol of false teaching in Revelation 2:20, as it is written, “…that woman Jezebel…teaches and misleads My servants…”? It is because one of Jezebel’s actions was usurping her husband’s authority in the case of Naboth’s vineyard, by “…writing letters in Ahab’s name and sealing them with the king’s seal…” (1 Kings 21:8). Jezebel’s action was an act of usurping the king’s authority.

Although Jezebel’s intention was to “support” her husband’s wicked desire, her act of usurping her husband’s authority was made a symbol in Revelation. In principle, the behavior of Church leaders who draw Jesus’ disciples to themselves and build denominations is the same as Jezebel’s action. These leaders place themselves in authority over the congregations they draw. This is an evil act that divides the Body of Christ.

In truth, Jesus does not distinguish Himself from the church. When Saul persecuted the church, Jesus said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Certainly, dividing the church is an act that wounds the Lord Jesus as the head of the church who has direct authority over each of its members.

Does the Father in heaven not bless the Christian world because of the behavior of leaders who divide the church? Not only the Christian world—even the world in general is greatly blessed by the Father in heaven. The Father willingly gave His only Son to redeem the sins of the world. Therefore, the Christian world is greatly blessed by the Father. However, the Father’s blessings cannot be used as proof that the actions of leaders who divide the Body of Christ are right. The Father’s blessings simply prove that He is a good Father.

At the coming of Jesus, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is here that Jesus will speak frankly as written in Matthew 7:21–23. Truly, to seize Jesus’ authority over His church is the same as rejecting His Lordship over His church, even though the mouths of the leaders cry out, “Lord… Lord.”

How does the Father in heaven respond to the condition of the church, which has been divided into tens of thousands of denominations? The Father appoints His overcomers—simple people in the Christian world who refuse to take part in the false teachings of Jezebel. Throughout the ages of the church, the Father has had His overcomers who will appear when the kingdom of heaven is fully manifested on earth (Romans 8:19–21).

Let us continue our discussion in John 7. Note verses 38–39: “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

These verses emphasize that from within the church—that is, from the hearts (inner being) of those who believe—rivers of living water will flow. These rivers (streams) of living water are the Spirit. We must distinguish the term ‘Spirit’ here, because this Spirit had not yet come when Jesus spoke these words. Indeed, the Holy Spirit has always existed and has been present with the Father and the Son from eternity. But ‘the Spirit’ here had not yet come because Jesus had not yet died and risen—He had not yet been glorified.

After Jesus died and rose again, then the Spirit was given to His disciples. In John 20:22 we read: “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Later, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples also received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that the disciples received two different Spirits. Rather, the function of these impartations of the Spirit had their own specific characteristics. After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples received the Spirit who imparts ‘zoe’, because 1 Peter 1:3 affirms that we are born again (receive ‘zoe’ life) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But on the day of Pentecost, the disciples received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that they might become His witnesses. The first relates to the impartation of the seed of ‘zoe’ life within the inner being, while the second relates to the gifts of the Spirit that empower them to be witnesses.

Let us compare the facts above with the truth we have already discussed—that the kingdom of heaven is within the church (Luke 17:21 and Matthew 23:26; the Greek term ‘entos’ must be translated as ‘within’). The kingdom of heaven was already manifested in the person of Jesus when He was on earth. After His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the church was born, and within the inner being of its members exists the reality of the kingdom of heaven. The church is the “instrument” to bring the kingdom of heaven into full manifestation on earth.

But as we know, the church has fractured into tens of thousands of denominations. In such a condition, the church can no longer fully function as the instrument to manifest the kingdom of heaven on earth. Why is this? Note that these denominations are actually human kingdoms built by the leaders of each denomination.

If we observe the symbol of the woman in Revelation 17–18, it becomes clear that the woman (symbolizing the church) is given the name (characteristic/identity) “Babylon” or “the great city” (Revelation 17:5,18). Why? Because Babylon was the human kingdom established by Nimrod as its leader (Genesis 10–11). Therefore, the church here is given the characteristic of a human kingdom built by “Nimrods.” The church described in Revelation 17–18 consists of denominations built by these “Nimrods.” This is why we say that denominations are human kingdoms established by their leaders. The church should be the instrument to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, but instead it has built human kingdoms on earth. Under such conditions, the church certainly cannot fully manifest the kingdom of heaven on earth. The prayer Jesus taught—“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth”—cannot be fulfilled by human kingdoms (denominations).

Next, we will examine the woman in Revelation 12 to understand how the Father brings the kingdom of heaven into full manifestation on earth.

We have briefly discussed the woman (the symbol of the church) in Revelation 17–18. We have affirmed that within the inner being of every church member there flow rivers of living water (the Spirit), and that within their inner being lies the reality of the kingdom of heaven. The church as a whole is the instrument to manifest the kingdom of heaven in fullness on the earth. But we know that the church symbolized by the woman in Revelation 17–18 is a human kingdom built by denominational leaders, and therefore cannot bring the kingdom of heaven into full manifestation.

We will understand why the church in Revelation 17–18 cannot fully manifest the kingdom of heaven on earth at His coming by examining the woman (also symbolizing the church) in Revelation 12. It is written in Revelation 12:5: “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne.” This verse is not referring to Mary giving birth to Jesus, because the Book of Revelation is inherently prophetic (Revelation 22:19). Thus, the woman here is the church, but with a different nature than the church described in Revelation 17–18. This church gives birth to a male child who will shepherd all nations, meaning that he will bring the kingdom of heaven into full manifestation on the earth. This male child possesses a throne and will reign on earth as kings and priests (Revelation 20:4; 5:10).

We can clearly see the final outcomes of the two women (two types/natures of the church). The church in Revelation 12 ultimately gives birth to the sons of God who will reign on earth, whereas the church in Revelation 17–18 receives the judgment of God (18:10). We will not discuss in detail the characteristics of these two types of churches. However, for our current topic, it is sufficient to say that although the reality of the kingdom of heaven exists within the inner being of all church members, not all church members will ‘give birth’ to the sons of God who will reign on earth at the coming of the Lord Jesus (commonly called the second coming).

Many genuine Christians in the Christian world are unaware of this truth. Generally, pulpits every Sunday convince their congregations that Christians who are born again are “certain to enter heaven.” “Believe in Jesus, you will certainly go to heaven” has become a very popular statement in the Christian world. Another commonly repeated phrase is “do not judge.” We suspect that these expressions became popularized by the “Nimrods” who build their own kingdoms. As a result, congregations often become uncritical, because they have been conditioned to follow their leaders faithfully and “submit” to them. We say this because there is a command in Revelation 18:4: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins…” God’s chosen people are commanded to come out of the woman described in Revelation 17–18.

Let us summarize our discussion in John 7. Note verses 38–39 again: “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: From within him shall flow rivers of living water. By this He meant the Spirit that those who believed in Him were later to receive; for the Spirit had not yet come because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” Truly, these “rivers of living water” are the anointing within described in 1 John 2:26–27: “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to mislead you. But the anointing that you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things…”.

Certainly, John’s statement that “you do not need anyone to teach you” does not mean that believers should not learn from others, because John himself wrote his letters for the purpose of teaching the church. We must understand the background of why John said this. In John’s time, the condition of the church had declined due to the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). The “Diotrephes” figures attempted to draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves, and Diotrephes even rejected the apostle John and his coworkers (3 John 9). In a situation where some leaders were trying to mislead the believers—in the sense of drawing Christ’s disciples to follow them—John reminded the believers that they had the anointing within them that would teach them all things.

The believers were exhorted to follow only Jesus, and not be dragged into following leaders, let alone becoming their fanatical followers. Jesus emphasized in John 10 that His sheep hear His voice. If we truly are Jesus’ sheep, then we follow Jesus wherever He goes. As Revelation 14:4 says, “…These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes…”

We have briefly mentioned the term ‘kosmos’ (world = system), which John used to describe the fallen condition of the church. We know that ‘kosmos’ is the Jewish religious system that hated and even killed Jesus. And this is the term John used for the church that had already fallen in his time. Since John’s time, Christianity had become a ‘kosmos’. Truly, John and his coworkers no longer had fellowship (‘koinonia’) with the churches in Asia Minor that had declined (1 John 1:3). This background or condition is generally not understood by Christian leaders today.

Is not the condition of the Christian world today similar to the condition of the churches in John’s time? Are there not many, if not all, denominational leaders who try to draw the Lord’s disciples to become their followers? Sadly, congregations often boast in human leaders, as the Corinthians did when they said, “…I follow Paul… I follow Apollos… I follow Cephas…” (1 Corinthians 1:12). But the people of the kingdom follow only Jesus wherever He goes.

The condition of the Christian ‘kosmos’ described above can no longer receive the good news of the kingdom of heaven. For as members of the kingdom of heaven, we are all brothers. No member has authority over another. There is no “Moses’ seat” in the church (Matthew 23:1–12). Although there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, they are all merely functions within the ministry of the Body of Christ. They are only “ligaments and joints” within the Body of Christ (Colossians 2:19). There are no ranks, no hierarchy in the church. This is the good news of the kingdom of heaven—one that the Christian world can no longer accept.

We now enter chapter 8 to discuss the debate between Jesus, the proclaimer of the kingdom of heaven, and the Jewish religious leaders. Note verse 2: “At dawn He appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him, and He sat down to teach them” (ILT). We know that there is only one gospel—the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus and His apostles did not preach two gospels, but only one. That is why the main theme of the New Testament is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, it is certain that Jesus was teaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven in the “temple” in this verse.

We have discussed that the term “temple” in the Gospel of John carries an important meaning. The temple in John represents the Jewish religious leaders. And in his Gospel, John is depicting the deterioration of the temple because of the behavior of these leaders. John wrote his Gospel this way because, in his time, the church had declined due to the false teachings of Balaam, Jezebel, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3).

Thus, the entire debate between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in chapter 8 is essentially a debate between the message of the kingdom of heaven and the Jewish religion as taught by the scribes and Pharisees. Again, we must emphasize that Judaism itself was not wrong, because it originated from the Mosaic Covenant, and Moses was truly a servant of Yahweh. However, Judaism must be understood as a symbol, prophecy, and shadow, while the fulfillment, reality, and essence is Christ (Colossians 2:17).

Let us look at the case of the woman caught in adultery in this chapter. The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for His judgment on the matter, since Moses in the Law commanded that such women should be stoned. Clearly, their motivation was to find grounds to accuse Jesus. But Jesus did not answer; instead, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. We do not need to know what He wrote, because that is not the important point. What we must understand is the meaning behind His action of stooping and writing on the ground.

We know that Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Let us observe Hebrews 8, which explains the New Covenant. Verse 10 states: “…I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts…” When Jesus came into the world and established the New Covenant, He “wrote” His laws into the hearts of believers. This act of writing the Law into the inner being of believers is what Jesus demonstrated before the Jewish religious leaders. Truly, when Jesus fulfilled the Law, He “wrote” the Law into the inner being of believers. This is the meaning of Jesus writing on the ground.

Once the Law of Moses—specifically the law concerning stoning in this case—had been “written” into the inner being of believers, its meaning becomes: first, that whoever is without sin may cast the first stone at the woman; second, forgiveness and restoration so that she sins no more. Truly, this is the law of the kingdom of heaven.

We have discussed Jesus’ act of writing on the ground in the case of the woman caught in adultery (John 8). Jesus would “write” the Law of Moses into the inner being of every believer. Now we will explore further which law Jesus wrote into the inner being of every believer as the fulfillment or essence of the Law of Moses. This is important to discuss because within Christianity across various denominations, tithing, first fruits (money), and laws concerning worship on certain days, in certain buildings or ceremonial rituals, are still practiced. When Jesus “wrote” the Law placing the Law of Moses into our inner being, and then still worshiping in the same manner as the Old Testament Jews in the Jerusalem Temple?

To answer this, let us remember that the fulfillment of the rituals of the Old Testament is Christ within (Colossians 2:17; Romans 10:4). The term ‘Christ’ is often used by Paul to mean the Kingdom (Ephesians 5:5), the Spirit (Romans 8:9), our ‘zoe’ life (Colossians 3:4), or the corporate Christ—Christ the Head and Christ the Body. Thus, the fulfillment of the Law written in the inner being of believers is the Law of Christ, the Law of ‘zoe’ Life, the Law of the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Law of the Spirit.

Let us now look at the matter of the Law written in our inner being from the perspective of priesthood. We know that priesthood cannot be separated from the law that regulates that priesthood system. Consider Hebrews 7:11–12: “So then, if perfection were indeed through the Levitical priesthood—for under it the people had received the torah—what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not said to be according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, a change of torah also takes place out of necessity” (ILT). The Levitical priesthood was clearly regulated by the Law of Moses, but the

Melchizedek priesthood can no longer be regulated by that Law. If the priesthood changes, then the law regulating that priesthood must also change.

Since Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, the law regulating that priesthood must be changed. On His final night, Jesus clearly gave a new commandment to His disciples: that they love one another (John 13:34). Indeed, this ‘law of loving one another’ is what governs the Melchizedek priesthood. In the New Testament there are several ‘one another’ expressions: washing one another’s feet (John 13:14), outdoing one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10), not judging one another (Romans 14:13), building one another up (Romans 14:19), admonishing one another (Romans 15:14), caring for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25), helping one another (Ephesians 4:2), forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32), stirring one another toward love (Hebrews 10:24), confessing sins and praying for one another (James 5:16).

This ‘one another’ law proves that in the Melchizedek priesthood system there is equality among members. In the Levitical priesthood, not all members were priests, but in the Melchizedek priesthood, all members are priests (1 Peter 2:9).

In the Christian world, the priesthood system—and its law—became unclear because of the false teaching of Nicolaus. The teaching of Nicolaus justified dividing the church into clergy–laity (Catholicism) and pastor–congregation (Protestantism). Such a priesthood is clearly neither Levitical nor Melchizedek. If the priesthood becomes unclear, then its law also becomes unclear. The laws functioning in denominations are the laws of that denomination, that organization, and the regulations imposed by its leaders. An unclear priesthood inevitably results in unclear laws.

The law of worship in the Melchizedek priesthood is “…to worship the Father in spirit and in truth…” (John 4:23). There is no requirement concerning certain buildings or certain rituals. The worship gathering is a ‘one another’ gathering, as written in 1 Corinthians 14:26: “…Whenever you gather, let each one bring something…”

This is what happens when the Law of Moses is “written” in the inner being of believers. Believers will be led by the Spirit—in giving, in gathering, in serving the Lord. In short, the daily Spirit-led life of believers is their worship. This is the law of the Kingdom of Heaven.

After the incident of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus declared, “…I am the light of the world; whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Jesus’ statement “I am the light of the world” is His second “I am” declaration after “I am the bread of life.” We know that the expression “I am = ego eimi” shows that Jesus linked Himself with Yahweh, who revealed Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14: “…I AM THAT I AM…” (ILT). The Hebrew expression ‘Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh’ means ‘the Elohim who is eternally present and active’. Indeed, the “I am” statements (ego eimi) may be spoken only by Jesus. The Jewish religious leaders understood this, which is why they viewed Jesus as equating Himself with Yahweh and thus blaspheming.

After stating, “I am the light of the world,” Jesus declared that whoever follows Him will have “the light of life”—the ‘light of zoe’. We know that the ‘zoe’ life given at new birth is still a seed that must grow. As this ‘zoe’ life grows, a person will increasingly see everything in the light. Psalm 36:10 states: “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” Only in the light of ‘zoe’ life do we see the light of this life. We will not walk in darkness; we will understand everything within the light of ‘zoe’ life.

The context of Jesus saying, “I am the light of the world,” was His confrontation with religious people who understood the Law only as “black and white” in the case of the woman caught in adultery. These religious people were unable to interpret the written Law, for only Christ can interpret it. If Christ (‘zoe’) grows within the believer, that person will increasingly understand the essence or reality of the written Law.

But this ‘zoe’ life or ‘zoe’ light grows only as one follows Jesus. Why emphasize this? Revelation 14:4 says: “…These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to Elohim and to the Lamb” (ILT). Here the “firstfruits”—those who mature earlier and are ready for harvest—are the ones who follow Jesus wherever He goes. These “firstfruits” do not follow human programs, denominational currents, certain leaders, or organizational rules, but follow Jesus alone in daily life.

Jesus said His sheep hear His voice. These early-matured Christians hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him. They walk in the light of ‘zoe’ life day by day. They are not religious people who merely perform rituals, human programs, and denominational rules. They worship in the light of ‘zoe’ life—in spirit and in reality. All this is grace from the Father for those appointed to be “firstfruits” (James 1:18).

We continue with John 8 and Jesus’ debate with the Jewish religious leaders. Observe verses 43–44: “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are unable to hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks lies, he speaks from his own, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Perhaps this is Jesus’ most shocking statement to the scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish religious leaders. Let us consider some implications of Jesus’ words.

First, the term “father” used by Jesus here clearly does not mean a physical father. The devil cannot physically father human children. Thus, “father” here means something else.

Second, Jesus called the devil their father because they could not grasp His word and because they wanted to do the devil’s desires—namely, to kill Jesus (8:37).

Third, calling the devil their father does not change their identity. The Jewish people, including their leaders, remain Yahweh’s chosen nation. They made a covenant with Yahweh at Sinai, and regardless of their behavior, their status does not change. Yahweh is faithful to His covenant.

Paul affirms that in due time all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). John also saw the New Jerusalem—the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9–10). The New Jerusalem is not a physical city as many Christians assume; it is a symbol specifically applied to Israel as the Bride of the Lamb. Thus Israel’s status and identity as God’s chosen nation remain. Like the prodigal son of Luke 15, whose status remained “son,” though he could not enjoy his father’s riches. When the prodigal returned, the father immediately restored him as son. Thus, even when Jesus said the devil was the father of the Jewish leaders, their identity as God’s chosen people remained.

If so, what does Jesus mean by calling the devil the father of the Jewish religious leaders? We must understand the term ‘kosmos = system = world’ as used by John throughout his Gospel. The term ‘kosmos’ appears 186 times in the NT, 78 times in John’s Gospel and 24 times in his letters—over half in John’s writings. This shows how central this concept is in Johannine theology.

Who rules this ‘kosmos’? John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” Revelation 12:9: “And the great dragon… the devil or Satan, who deceives the whole world (kosmos), was thrown down…” Likewise John 16:11: “…the ruler of this world (kosmos) has been judged.” Thus, the devil is the ruler of the world—meaning the religious system—and he deceives the religious world. The Jewish religious leaders had been deceived by the devil, so they hated and killed Jesus. In this sense, Jesus said that the devil was their father.

Let us continue discussing Jesus’ statement. We must deal with this clearly and firmly because Christianity has also become a ‘kosmos’, and we know the devil is the father of the ‘kosmos’. Religious leaders within Christian ‘kosmos’ will not discuss such matters.

Before we go further, remember that both John the Baptist and Jesus cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” To whom was this especially directed? To the Jewish religious leaders so they would ‘repent’ (change their thinking) and thus receive the good news of the Kingdom that John and Jesus proclaimed. The Gospel of the Kingdom could not be received by the Jewish leaders because they did not repent or change their concept of the Kingdom. The same occurs within the Christian ‘kosmos’, as we shall see.

Let us begin with the important question: Why has Christianity become a ‘kosmos’? It began with Paul’s prophecy in Acts 20:28–30, where some leaders DRAW disciples to become FOLLOWERS of themselves. Paul states this happens due to the attack of SAVAGE WOLVES—meaning the devil. Leaders must not draw disciples to themselves; rather, they must EQUIP the saints to build the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–12).

Because of this behavior, the church changed from an ‘organism’ directly governed by the Holy Spirit into an ‘organization’ (hierarchy of human authority) governed by a top leader. Many say the organization is just a tool. True—but the tool is in the hands of leaders, not in the hands of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not need organization, because He directly governs each member of the church from within.

Because leaders drew disciples, false teachings entered—Jezebel, Balaam, and Nicolaus (Revelation 2–3). Christian ‘kosmos’ is upheld by these three false teachings. Without them, the ‘kosmos’ would collapse. These false doctrines are taught by leaders within the Christian ‘kosmos’.

We have often discussed these in other writings, but for this section, let us review briefly. Jezebel’s teaching justifies ‘seizing the authority of the Holy Spirit’ over the church by leaders. Nicolaus’ teaching justifies dividing the church into clergy–laity (Catholic) and pastor–people (Protestant). Balaam’s false teaching justifies a wage system (salary) to support leaders’ ministry.

We may need to elaborate Balaam’s teaching because there is an original principle: servants of God occasionally receive financial support from believers moved by the Spirit. There is no doctrine of tithing, no “firstfruits offering,” no faith pledge, and no other teaching designed to extract money from believers. These are all part of Balaam’s teaching. For now, it is enough to understand that Peter, Paul, John, and the other early church workers did not receive salaries from any congregation. The salary system did not yet exist—it belongs to Balaam’s teaching.

Let us return to discussing ‘kosmos’. A ‘kosmos’ (system) is a group of elements working together under a certain rule-set. What drives a ‘kosmos’? Money. A ‘kosmos’ cannot operate without money. That is why the Pharisees were called lovers of money (Luke 16:14). The Christian world also runs on money. The early church also needed money—but mainly to support widows and the poor, not to build buildings or support leaders’ ministries. All this is clear to those outside the Christian ‘kosmos’. Those who are part of the ‘kosmos’ cannot understand it.

We continue our discussion in John 8. Observe verses 30–32: “After Jesus said these things, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him: If you remain in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In the context of chapter 8 regarding Jesus’ debate with the Jews, the ‘freedom’ Jesus refers to is freedom from the slavery of sin (8:34), and freedom from the slavery of the ‘kosmos’, where the devil is its ruler (8:44). Let us see what is meant by ‘truth’. The term ‘truth’ comes from the Greek word ‘aletheia’, which means ‘reality’. Reality is ‘the thing as it actually is’. Reality is not a symbol, a shadow, or an illusion. Jesus affirms that if someone abides in His word, he will know things as they truly are, and this understanding will bring him into freedom.

Let us take one example of the ‘actual reality’ of ‘our identity’ as those who believe in Him. His Word affirms that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This is our identity as believers in Him. We are a new creation; the old of our being has passed away, our old man has been crucified with Christ. Our identity is also that we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. When we know the reality of ‘our true identity’, this reality will set us free from the slavery of sin. Indeed, growth is needed in our understanding of reality (truth), but the more we understand our identity in Christ, the more we are freed from the slavery of sin.

Furthermore, if we abide in His word, we will also be freed from the slavery of the ‘kosmos.” To explain the slavery of the ‘kosmos’, we need to see how Israel, although being God’s people, was enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt. In the Bible, Egypt is the symbol of the world (kosmos). Israel’s identity remained God’s people even while they were enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt. But the land of Egypt was not Israel’s inheritance. Israel’s inheritance was the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. Israel could not worship in Egypt (Exodus 4:23; 8:1). Israel had to leave Egypt, journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, and worship Yahweh in the place He chose.

Likewise, the church cannot worship in spirit and reality if it is enslaved by the ‘Christian kosmos’. The Christian kosmos is full of rules—rules of organizations, rules of the Law adopted into Christianity (tithing, firstfruits, mandatory attendance at certain buildings, etc.), and rules made by the leaders of that ‘kosmos’. Take note of Colossians 2:20–21: “If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world (kosmos), why do you submit to regulations, as if you were still alive in the world: do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.”

If we know reality, then we will be freed from the slavery of the Christian ‘kosmos’ full of rules telling us what we must or must not do. We can worship in spirit and reality; we can live daily life under the inward guidance of Christ. We can follow the Lamb wherever He leads (Revelation 14:4). We can hear the voice of our Shepherd (John 10). May we receive grace before Him to be freed from the slavery of the Christian ‘kosmos’.

We shall close Jesus’ debate with the Jewish religious leaders in chapter 8 by quoting the last verse (v. 59): “Therefore they picked up stones that they might throw them at Him. But JESUS hid Himself and ‘went out of the temple,’ passing through the midst of them, and thus went His way” (ILT). At least two things caused Jesus to ‘go out of the temple’. First, by declaring “I am (‘ego eimi’) the Light of the world,” Jesus equated Himself with Elohim (‘ehyeh asher ehyeh’ = I AM WHO I AM, Exodus 3:14). Second, by declaring that the devil was the father of the Jewish religious leaders, and therefore they could not understand His word.

We have discussed that the Gospel of John is divided into three sections by observing the phrase “went out of the temple.” This phrase indicates that in chapters 1–8, Jesus was still ministering “inside the temple,” meaning He had not yet been rejected by the Jewish leaders. But after the debate in chapter 8, Jesus went out and was already cast out, thus ministering “outside the temple.” Then, in chapter 12:36, Jesus withdrew from the crowds and ministered only to His disciples.

We have discussed somewhat that Christianity has also become a ‘kosmos’. Christianity in such a condition can no longer receive the good news of the kingdom of heaven proclaimed by Jesus and His apostles. The Christian world generally has its own concept of heaven: “Believe in Jesus (be born again), and you will surely go to heaven”—meaning “a heaven far away (the Father’s house), with streets of gold, where we will sing and worship forever.” Meanwhile, those who do not believe in Jesus are said to be thrown into “eternal hell,” meaning endless torment in hell. Such concepts of “heaven and hell” were not taught by Jesus and His apostles.

Therefore, the people of the kingdom who proclaim the good news of the kingdom of heaven as taught by Jesus and His apostles will automatically be “outside the temple,” that is, outside the Christian world. This revelation is indeed a major theme in the writings of the Apostle John. John’s exile on the island of Patmos symbolizes that he ministered outside the seven churches of Asia Minor, which had already fallen by the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans.

The writer of Hebrews also speaks of this matter of exclusion. Hebrews 13:9–13 states: “Do not be carried away by various strange teachings. For it is good that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which do not benefit those who observe such regulations. ‘We have an altar’ from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of the animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people with His own blood. ‘Therefore let us go out to Him outside the camp and bear His reproach.’”

The writer of Hebrews firmly says that we have an ALTAR. This altar is not the altar of Moses’ tabernacle, which was only a symbol. This altar is the fulfillment of Moses’ altar, because Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. This altar is the altar of burnt offering, the cross of Jesus as the atoning sacrifice. But because Jesus fulfilled the Law, the regulation of the Law that the body of the sacrificed animal must be burned outside the camp was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified outside the camp. Jesus’ ministry is a ministry outside the camp, although it carries reproach. Then comes this extraordinary exhortation that we should go to Him outside the camp and bear His reproach.

The people of the kingdom have their own “altar” outside the Christian world. There is indeed reproach, because they do not receive salary, position, or honor from the Christian world. But we are very thankful for the Lord’s word in Luke 12:32: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.”

Now we enter chapter 9, where the matter of ‘excommunication’ is discussed by John (9:22, 35). Chapter 9 speaks of a man blind from birth. Let us observe the question of His disciples, for this question represents all religious people, including Christians. John 9:2: “His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” This is the question of religious people. Within this question is the principle we call the IF–THEN principle. IF one sins, THEN he will experience this or that. For Christians, this IF–THEN principle is often assumed to be the principle of the “kingdom of heaven” proclaimed by Jesus.

To understand the IF–THEN principle, and why it is not the principle of the kingdom of heaven, we must go back and understand what is symbolized by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Truly, religion began when Adam and Eve fell into sin. Their action of covering their nakedness with fig leaves was a “religious” act, for religion is the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve “knew” that being naked was evil and shameful. The principle of religion is IF–THEN. IF naked, THEN must be covered, because it is shameful. But in truth, nakedness was not evil or shameful, for God created Adam and Eve naked in Eden. They came to ‘know’ that nakedness was evil and shameful only after eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

In reality, nakedness is not evil as long as it is “covered” by the glory of God. But after man sinned (ate of the tree), and thus lost/diminished the glory of God, man ‘knew’ that nakedness was evil and shameful (Adam and Eve were ashamed and made coverings).

Now let us see the principle of the kingdom of heaven symbolized by the Tree of Life. Jesus came to give His Life (zoe), symbolized by the Tree of Life. But Jesus had to die on the cross so that He could impart His Life, for unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone.

Consider Jesus’ last words on the cross: ‘It is finished’. What was finished on the cross was not only that the Law had been fulfilled, but also that the problem of man’s sin had been resolved. Romans 5:18–19 states: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by one Man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” This is Paul’s conclusion after his discussion in Romans 5:12–17.

However, we know that when Jesus imparts His Life (zoe) into the believer’s inner being, this Life is still a seed that must grow. How does ‘zoe’ grow? The verses following John 9:2 answer this: we must do the works of God (9:4). Thus, the principle of the kingdom of heaven is ALREADY—THEREFORE. The man blind from birth was not blind because of his sin or his parents’ sin, but so that the works of God might be manifested in him.

All people in the world have ALREADY been blessed, because the Father has given Jesus to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 3:16). All mankind has ALREADY had their sins removed; THEREFORE we must do the works of God so that all may believe and become disciples of Jesus. This is the principle of the kingdom of heaven. This is the good news of the kingdom. The disciples of Jesus, whom He commissions to proclaim the gospel, do not labor in vain, because Jesus affirms that He will draw ALL people to Himself (John 12:32).

Let us now return to the principle of Christian religion. Christianity, in its religious form, is upheld by the IF–THEN principle. Generally, Christian religious leaders DRAW the Lord’s disciples to themselves (Acts 20:30) and teach the IF–THEN principle. IF you routinely attend services in a certain building on a certain day, THEN you will be blessed and your faith will grow. IF you give tithes, THEN you will be blessed financially. Many more IF–THEN principles are taught in Christianity, which has become a religion. Truly, the religious IF–THEN principle binds and enslaves God’s people. The word ‘religion’ comes from the Latin ‘religare’—re = again, ligare = to bind, as a ship is tied by an anchor. Thus ‘religare’ means ‘to bind again’. Christian religion “binds again” God’s people with religious regulations.

Jesus came to give His Life (zoe), but Christian religious leaders bind again with the IF–THEN principle and with countless rules—perhaps as many as there are denominations, since each denomination has its own rules.

We are still discussing John 9, continuing our discussion of the Christian religious IF–THEN principle and the kingdom’s ALREADY–THEREFORE principle. We must not mix the IF–THEN principle with the universal law of sowing and reaping. Consider Galatians 6:7–8: “… For whatever a man (anthropos = the human race) sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” Thus, whoever he is (Christian or not), anyone who sows to the flesh will reap corruption, and anyone who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Paul states this universal law after opposing the false teachers who tried to insert Jewish Law regulations into the true gospel.

This universal law of sowing–reaping applies both in the context of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and in the context of the Tree of Life. Whoever’s life is characterized by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or by the Tree of Life, STILL the law of sowing–reaping applies. But what we are discussing here is the IF–THEN principle (Christian religion) in the context of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Thus, do not confuse the IF–THEN principle with the universal law of sowing–reaping.

In truth, the IF–THEN principle (the principle of religion) is a false teaching inserted by false teachers into Christianity. Why do we call the IF–THEN principle false? Because the IF–THEN principle does have an original form. The original IF–THEN system is Judaism, born from the Mosaic Covenant. The Law truly operates on IF–THEN. IF you keep the Law, THEN you are blessed. IF you break the Law, THEN you are cursed. But the Law’s principle was only a SYMBOL until its REALITY or FULFILLMENT came—namely the ALREADY–THEREFORE principle (the principle of the kingdom of heaven) taught by Jesus and His apostles.

False teachers who insert the IF–THEN principle into Christianity, turning it into the religion of Christianity, will still face the universal law of sowing–reaping. All of us as Christians will stand before Christ’s judgment seat, and Jesus as the righteous Judge will judge us according to the universal law of sowing–reaping. If we sow to the flesh, we will reap corruption from our flesh; if we sow to the Spirit, we will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

To conclude this section, let us look at the Sabbath law, which the Pharisees claimed Jesus violated. Consider John 9:16: “Therefore some of the Pharisees said, ‘This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath…’” (ILT). For the Jewish religious leaders, anyone who violated Sabbath regulations, then they are not from Elohim. They do not understand that Jesus came to fulfill the Sabbath regulations.

The Sabbath is a day of rest from work. Jesus Christ indeed fulfilled the Sabbath regulations because He had ‘rested in the Father’, even while He worked. We also, who live out Christ’s life daily, have already rested in Christ. It is not we who work, but Christ. Therefore, we do not need to designate a particular day (Saturday or Sunday) as the day of rest. We work every day in a condition of ‘resting in Christ’. If we want to rest on a certain day because our body is tired, of course that is perfectly acceptable.

In Christianity, some leaders determined that the Sabbath regulations shifted to Sunday because of Jesus’ resurrection. Yes... it is natural for religious leaders to make religious regulations—Sunday worship, tithing, first fruits offerings, and other religious rules. What we must all remember is the judgment day of Christ, when we will all be judged according to the universal law of sowing and reaping.

We are still discussing John 9, where the miracle of healing the man born blind is the sixth sign recorded in the Gospel of John. We know that a ‘sign’ means a symbol, in which there is meaning behind it. What is the meaning of this sixth sign? Observe verses 39–41: “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, ‘Are we also blind?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin; but now that you say, “We see,” your sin remains.’”

There are several things we must observe from the verses above so that we may understand the meaning behind the healing of the blind man. First, in John 3:17 it is stated that Jesus came into the world not to judge the world but to save it. This verse is in harmony with John 1:29, which states that Jesus is the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world, where the meaning of the term ‘world’ here is ‘all humanity’. But the term ‘world’ that appears in John 9:39 above refers to the religious world, particularly Judaism.

Second, the Lord Jesus will indeed judge His people—including Israel and the church—at His “second” coming. Third, the fundamental nature of His judgment here is to declare that His people’s sin remains if they say they see, and to declare them without sin if they are blind.

At first glance, the nature of His judgment seems strange, but we will understand it when we grasp the nature of religion. We have discussed that religion is the product or consequence of humanity eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Religion is a human effort to cover the shame of nakedness caused by sin. Therefore, religion is always full of human efforts that determine this or that, that this is good and that is evil.

But Jesus came to give His Life, symbolized by the Tree of Life. Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4 emphasizes the difference between worshiping Elohim according to religious concepts (the Tree of Knowledge) and according to the concept of His Life (the Tree of Life). Worship by religious concept was expressed by the Samaritan woman as a religious regulation—whether one must worship on this mountain or that mountain, in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerizim. This kind of worship is very visible to the physical eye.

Christianity that has become a religion is also visible to the physical eye—must be in this denominational building or that one; must be on this day or that day; must give tithes, first fruits, faith pledges, and so on. All of these are clearly seen by the physical eye. By looking at the building, the pastor’s robe, the style of service, the liturgy, the songs, and so forth, we can guess whether it is Protestant Christianity, Catholic, Pentecostal, Charismatic, or another.

But worship according to the concept of the Tree of Life is completely invisible to the physical eye, because the worship is in spirit and in truth (reality), not in religious regulations. Worship according to the Tree of Life is living daily life under the leading of the Spirit and truth. Just like the early church, where all their gatherings and movements were led by the Holy Spirit. The expression “the Spirit led, the Spirit spoke, the Spirit forbade,” and so on, appears 70 times in the book of Acts. All of this proves that the early church worshiped in spirit and truth, just as Jesus said.

Because religion is a human effort—including Christianity—the tendency of religious people is to feel that they “see,” or at least “see the most.” But people who worship in spirit and truth always feel “blind,” because matters of inward worship are not as “simple” as performing religious regulations. With the understandings we have discussed, we may now understand Jesus’ seemingly strange judgment.

We continue discussing John 9 and close it by addressing the issue of expulsion. Indeed, the apostle John arranged his gospel such that the issue of expulsion acts as a dividing line between sections. Chapters 1–8 describe Jesus’ ministry “inside the Temple,” and we know that after chapter 8, Jesus had been “cast out” and ministered “outside the Temple” (8:59). Therefore, in this second section (9–12:36), John begins his account with the miracle of the blind man, who eventually experiences expulsion.

Observe verses 35–38: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is speaking with you.’ And he said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped Him.”

After the blind man was cast out by the Jewish religious leaders, he met Jesus—or more precisely, Jesus met him. The blind man received revelation regarding who the Son of Man actually is. The story of the blind man being cast out and then receiving revelation was not included by John accidentally.

Let us consider the apostle John’s own experience on the island of Patmos. Many Bible interpreters believe that John was exiled to Patmos by the Roman emperor of that time. Perhaps this is true, but there is an important message to understand concerning John’s exile to Patmos.

In fact, John had been excommunicated by the seven churches in Asia Minor, where the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans had been accepted. John no longer had fellowship (‘koinonia’) with the seven churches of Asia Minor. The first epistle of John was not addressed to a particular congregation or person. It was a general letter intended for the churches in Asia Minor so that some members would receive John’s messages, and thereby have fellowship with him (1 John 1:3). John’s exile on Patmos has spiritual (symbolic) meaning—that he had been rejected by the churches in Asia Minor. Even a church leader named Diotrephes, who loved to be preeminent, had rejected John and his team (3 John 9).

But on Patmos, John received the great revelation that he wrote in the Book of Revelation. Without Revelation, the story of the Bible would be like a story with no ending. It is in Revelation that we understand the conclusion of the Father’s plan for all humanity. Likewise, the story of the blind man is written in such a way that he receives revelation ‘after being cast out’.

Let us apply this case of expulsion by the Jewish leaders to the context of Christianity. Indeed, the excommunication carried out by Christianity—which has declined because of the three false teachings above—has happened throughout the church age. The overcomers who are called out from among the churches of Asia Minor (which represent churches throughout the ages) are simple people who did not partake in the church’s decline (Revelation 2–3).

Thus, there is ministry outside the ‘Temple’ just as Jesus ministered ‘outside the Temple’ after chapter 8. The religious leaders within Christianity are certainly unaware that there is a ministry outside the Christian world. Yet simple people who are ‘cast out’ from Christianity will surely receive revelation about the kingdom of heaven that Jesus and His apostles proclaimed.

We now enter John 10 in our discussion of the kingdom of heaven. Chapter 10 continues Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees from John 9:40. We need to analyze this chapter first to make our discussion easier and clearer. First, verses 1–10: Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about the difference between a thief/robber and a shepherd. Second, verses 11–21: Jesus speaks about the difference between the good shepherd and a hired hand. Third, verses 22–39: the debate between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders, still related to the matter of Jesus’ sheep.

We will now discuss the first part—the difference between the shepherd and the thieves/robbers. Here Jesus gives a parable distinguishing the shepherd from the thieves/robbers. What differentiates them is who enters through the door and who does not. Jesus clearly states that the one who enters through the door is the shepherd (v. 2), and He also states that He Himself is the door to the sheep (v. 7).

In this section, again Jesus declares “I am” (Ego eimi) the door, where the meaning of ‘Ego eimi’ corresponds to or is connected with ‘Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh’, the name of the Elohim of Israel revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14). Thus, Jesus equates and identifies Himself with the Elohim of Israel, which was understood by the Jewish religious leaders (10:33). This is what caused them to want to stone Him.

Therefore, because Jesus is the door, it is clear that the Pharisees were not shepherds but thieves and robbers. Some preachers in Christianity claim that the thief and robber refers to the devil. Such an interpretation ignores the context, because Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, not talking about the devil.

Let us look at the identity of the thief and robber in John 10:10, where Jesus is the good shepherd: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life (‘zoe’) and have it abundantly (abundant growth of ‘zoe’).” Thus, it is clear that the Pharisees steal and rob the sheep. What they stole were the sheep themselves. That is why the sheep (the crowds) cried out for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified, after being incited by the Pharisees (Matthew 27:20). The crowds, who were innocent sheep, had been stolen by the Pharisees; therefore, they listened to the Pharisees and not to Jesus.

The Pharisees and religious leaders not only stole the sheep but also robbed them through tithes, taxes, and other offerings. That is why they are called servants of mammon in Luke 16:14. Thus the identity of the thieves and robbers is made clear in this first part.

In Christianity, the behavior of leaders who DRAW the Lord’s disciples to become ‘their own’ followers is already categorized as stealing Jesus’ sheep (Acts 20:30). Why? Because these followers listen so intently to their leader that whatever he says is assumed to be true. They no longer listen to Jesus’ voice. Some leaders in Christianity may also be categorized as robbers because they draw money from the congregation and enrich themselves through various false teachings. All of this will be exposed before Christ’s judgment, when we will all be judged by Jesus at His coming.

Let us continue with John 10. In the first section, we discussed the identity of the thieves and robbers—the Jewish religious leaders who entered the sheepfold without going through Jesus, the door. Now we enter the second section (vv. 11–21), where Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about the difference between the good shepherd and a hired hand.

Observe verse 11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Jesus clearly states the definition of the good shepherd: first, He lays down His life for His sheep (v. 11). Second, He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him (v. 14). Third, Jesus’ sheep will listen to His voice (v. 16).

If we observe this definition of the good shepherd, we will see that only Jesus can be called the good shepherd. Why? Because only Jesus, as the Word (Logos = Elohim) made flesh, has laid down His life for the redemption of sin so that the sheep may be accepted again (v. 17). No human being can be called the good shepherd, for no one has laid down their life so that the sheep may be accepted back to the Father in heaven. Jesus alone is the good shepherd. Moreover, only Jesus may say “I am” (ego eimi = Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh = I AM WHO I AM) the good shepherd. Thus it is clear that the good shepherd is Jesus.

Church leaders—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and also elders—must not say “I am the good shepherd,” as Jesus said. For church leaders are also themselves merely sheep. Yet they are prepared by the Holy Spirit to equip the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–12). They are appointed by the Holy Spirit to shepherd the church (Acts 20:28).

The Bible refers to church leaders using two Greek terms—‘presbuteros’ and ‘episkopos’. Presbuteros is a person who is elderly in age and also spiritually mature. Meanwhile, episkopos (epi = over, skopos = to see) means ‘to oversee’, referring to a person who has spiritual ability to “see from above” whether there are wolves threatening the sheep. Episkopos and presbuteros refer to the same people and are used interchangeably in Titus 1:5,7. Presbuteros is the person who is mature, while episkopos is the function of watching over the flock from danger. The leaders of a local congregation (presbuteros = episkopos) are always more than one. They form an eldership team to shepherd the local church.

Meanwhile, the identity of a hired hand is also explained in verse 12: “but a hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, when seeing the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and runs away, so the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep.”

Let us now apply the above understandings to the context of the Christian world. We know that savage wolves have attacked some leaders, so instead of equipping the saints as stated in Ephesians 4, they draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves (Acts 20:29–30). Such is the condition of the Christian world, where leaders draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves, causing the church to break apart into tens of thousands of denominations. In this condition of church division, many denominational leaders behave like hired hands, as described above in verse 12.

Let us continue discussing John 10, and now we enter the third section, verses 22–39, where a conversation/debate occurs between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders, still related to the matter of Jesus’ sheep. Pay attention to verses 26–27: “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Jesus spoke these words to the Jews (the Jewish religious leaders) after they said, “…If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (v. 24).

Here, Jesus speaks plainly regarding the reason the Jewish religious leaders did not believe in Him—they were not among Jesus’ sheep. If we reflect on this, it is quite surprising, because the Jewish nation was the people of Yahweh bound by the Mosaic Covenant. But in the Father’s arrangement, only a small portion of the Jews were given to be Jesus’ sheep (v. 29). Here we see the wisdom and sovereignty of the Father in determining all things.

Let us now see how the sheep given by the Father to Jesus behave. Verse 27 states, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” We see here that hearing Jesus’ voice is a mark of someone chosen by the Father. Furthermore, someone who follows Jesus is also a mark that he is chosen by the Father. This does not mean that someone chosen by the Father will not experience discipline and processing from the Father in heaven. These sheep will undergo discipline and shaping by the heavenly Father so they may hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him. Why must we emphasize this point?

This is because in the Christian world, the matter of hearing Jesus’ voice and following Him is something rarely discussed seriously. Let us see some facts in the Christian world. First, we know that Paul’s prophecy in Acts 20:28–30 has been fulfilled. It is emphasized that some leaders would draw the Lord’s disciples to become their followers. The Christian world has become like the church in Corinth, which said, “…I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas…” (1 Corinthians 1:12). Certainly, these factions no longer listen to Jesus’ voice, because they will listen more to the voice of their leader.

Second, the understanding of following Jesus has been equated with listening to the leader’s voice and following him. Pay attention to Revelation 14:4, which speaks of the firstfruits (Christians appointed by the Father to mature earlier, James 1:18): “…These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb” (LITV).

The verse above emphasizes that Christians appointed as the firstfruits will follow Jesus wherever He goes. Following Jesus wherever He goes is clearly something impossible for Christians who follow their leader. Religious leaders in the Christian world have made many religious rules, such as requiring that worship be held in a certain building, on a certain day; that one must follow this or that program; give tithes, firstfruits (money), faith pledges, and so on. Under such conditions, it is impossible for these Christians to follow Jesus wherever He goes, because they are already bound to obey the rules of their leader.

What then is the conclusion? Just as in the case of the Jewish religion above, where the Father chose only a portion of the sheep to hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him, so also in the Christian world, only a small portion of the sheep called “the firstfruits” will hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him wherever He goes.

Let us continue our discussion of John 10, paying attention to verse 16: “And other sheep I have, who are not of this fold; these also I must lead, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” Jesus refers here to the other sheep not of this fold—the Gentiles chosen by the Father to hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him wherever He goes. And Jesus also emphasizes that these sheep will become “one flock with one shepherd.”

Let us discuss the phrase one flock with one shepherd, paying very close attention to the context of John 10. In John 10:7 Jesus already stated plainly that He is the door to the sheep. And that the Jewish religious leaders had entered ‘by another door’ to the sheep; therefore they are thieves and robbers.

Furthermore, Jesus emphasizes that He is the only shepherd of His flock. We have discussed why Jesus alone may say, “I am (Ego eimi = Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) the good shepherd.” This means that everyone chosen by the Father is a sheep who hears Jesus’ voice and follows Him wherever He goes. We have also discussed the difference between the good shepherd, who is Jesus, and the Jewish religious leaders who are hired hands.

Many Christians do not understand the phrase ONE FLOCK WITH ONE SHEPHERD. Generally, sheep in the Christian world assume that denominational leaders are shepherds appointed by the Father to be followed and whose voices should be heard. This is actually a fatal misunderstanding, but it has been accepted as truth, because we often hear denominational leaders say, ‘If you cannot obey the voice of the leader you can see with your physical eyes, do not expect to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus whom you cannot see’.

Let us see some portions of God’s Word to clarify the meaning of “one flock with one shepherd.” First, 1 John 2:26–27: “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you…” John emphasizes here that you do not need anyone to teach you because the anointing abides in you. This does not mean you should not learn from others. John states this because there were people trying to deceive the church. If we look at Acts 20:28–30, this deception indeed occurred through leaders who were attacked by savage wolves, so that through false teaching they drew disciples to follow them.

Second, Colossians 2:19 can explain the meaning of ‘one flock with one shepherd’: “…and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the Body—being supplied and knit together by joints and ligaments—grows with the increase that is from God.” Every member of the Body must hold fast to the Head (Jesus), while the “joints and ligaments” (the leaders) must support and unify the Body so it may receive divine growth. This is the definition of the Body of Christ. This is the meaning of ‘one flock with one shepherd’. Denominations are not the Body of Christ, but fragments of the Body of Christ, because leaders have drawn disciples to themselves. But denominational leaders have taught that the denomination is the church or the Body of Christ. This is the deception.

Even though the flock has been broken into tens of thousands of denominations, the Father in His sovereignty has a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). This little flock hears Jesus’ voice and follows Him wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). This little flock receives grace to partake in the kingdom of heaven.

Now we enter chapter 11, where a miracle (a sign) occurs—Lazarus is raised after four days in the tomb. We will first focus on Jesus’ declaration that He is the resurrection and the life (v. 25). Jesus’ statement “I am” (Ego eimi = Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh), the Resurrection and the Life, is the fifth such declaration in which He equates Himself with the Elohim of Israel. John uses the term “sign” for the miracles Jesus performs, and we know that a sign is something with spiritual meaning behind it. What is the spiritual meaning behind Lazarus’ resurrection? This is what we will now discuss.

Let us study the chapter on resurrection that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15. The background here is that some members of the Corinthian church said there was no resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12). To address this problem, Paul states that Christ has been raised as the firstfruits (v. 20). The LITV translation states Christ was raised as the “firstfruit” of those who have died. This means there will be other resurrections, because the concept of “firstfruit” implies later “fruits” that will be harvested.

Paul begins his explanation with a firm statement: “For just as death came through one man, so also the resurrection of the dead comes through one man. For as ALL die in Adam, so also ALL will be made alive in Christ. But EACH ONE in his own order…” (vv. 21–23). This statement is very clear that ALL people will be raised according to their order.

How will all be raised? The following verses explain that at His coming, Christ will raise believers and establish His kingdom, and this kingdom will subdue all things until the last enemy—death—is destroyed. We know the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This means the kingdom of Christ will destroy all the effects of sin so that the Father becomes ALL IN ALL (v. 28).

The understanding above is very clear to believers who receive grace to partake in Christ’s kingdom, which He will establish on earth at His coming (Luke 12:32; Revelation 20:4). But the majority of Christians, who have long accepted the doctrine of eternal hell, interpret these verses according to that doctrine.

Let us take just one example from the interpretation of Herman Ridderbos, a New Testament scholar in Kampen, the Netherlands. His book Paul, An Outline of His Theology has been translated into Indonesian by Momentum, a publisher that spreads Reformed teachings in Indonesia. Ridderbos interprets the word ALL in 1 Corinthians 15 as follows: ‘All’ here can only mean: all who belong to Christ (p. 590). This means that when Adam fell, ALL PEOPLE suffered the consequence—death. But when the last Adam, Christ, was raised, ONLY SOME people will be raised—those chosen by God, those who belong to Christ. Those not chosen will be thrown into eternal hell forever. Such an interpretation implies that THE EFFECT OF ADAM’S SIN IS GREATER THAN THE EFFECT OF CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.

However, Romans 5:15 states, “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if many died by the trespass of one man, HOW MUCH MORE did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” (NIV). But in the Christian world, the doctrine of eternal hell is not only accepted in the Reformed tradition but by nearly all other traditions. Yet the people of the kingdom rejoice that Christ’s victory over sin (death) affects all humanity.

Let us continue our discussion in John 11 by observing the response of some Jews to the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection. Notice verses 45–46: “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.”

Now we will discuss whether a person can come to ‘believe’ by witnessing the miracles Jesus performed. We see from the verses above that only some of the Jews believed in Jesus after witnessing this extraordinary miracle. But others did not believe and instead reported it to the Jewish Sanhedrin.

After the Sanhedrin heard about this miracle, they held a meeting and eventually decided to kill Jesus, as written in verse 53: “So from that day on they plotted to take His life.” Thus the Jewish Sanhedrin had already passed a death sentence on Jesus long before they arrested Him in Gethsemane. From this fact, we know that the ones who killed Jesus were the Jewish Sanhedrin. Pilate and his soldiers were merely the executors, because the Sanhedrin did not have authority from the Roman government at that time to put someone to death (John 18:31).

Why did the Sanhedrin still not believe in Jesus, even though He performed an extraordinary miracle by raising Lazarus? John 12:37–40 explains: “Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in Him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled… For this reason they could not believe, because Isaiah said elsewhere: He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”

It is clear from these verses that God Himself blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of the Jewish Sanhedrin so they could not believe in Jesus, even though they saw many miracles. This is in accordance with Jesus’ statement that, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (6:44). Thus, whether a person can believe in Jesus or not depends entirely on the decision of the heavenly Father. Certainly, the Father has His own reasons for blinding the eyes of the Sanhedrin.

Sometimes in the Christian world we hear preachers say, “It all depends on your response—whether you want to believe in Jesus or not.” Or some say that miracles can cause someone to believe in Jesus. And some also believe that entering heaven depends on you—whether you want to believe in Jesus or not. All these viewpoints prove that a person has not truly studied the Bible well. Therefore, whether we can believe in Jesus or not depends entirely on the decision of the Father in heaven. In fact, the Father in heaven gives the kingdom only to the “little flock,” not to the “large flock” within the Christian world (Luke 12:32).

We now continue our discussion regarding the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Observe John 11:24–25: “Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.’” We see here that Martha’s understanding of the resurrection is something that will happen at the end of times. Certainly this concept is correct—that in the end, everyone will be resurrected, as we have discussed previously. However, there is something Martha did not understand about the resurrection, and this is what we will discuss now.

Notice the verses above: Jesus did not say that He would raise Lazarus ‘later’ at the end of times. Instead, Jesus said I AM the resurrection and the life, meaning that when someone believes in Him, that person immediately receives and experiences the ‘resurrection life’. Generally, religious concepts turn ‘present realities’ into something ‘future’. In the Christian world, the concept of ETERNAL LIFE is believed to happen LATER, when “we enter heaven.” Yet one of the main themes of the Gospel of John is that whoever believes in Jesus immediately receives eternal life (zoe), though still in the form of a “seed” within our inner being.

Jesus, who ‘is’ the resurrection life, is a present reality ‘on earth’. When Jesus came to earth, He was also the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth; therefore, the kingdom of heaven has already come to earth in the person of Jesus. In truth, the kingdom of heaven has come, is coming, and will come in its fullness at the end of times in the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19–21).

Likewise, the ‘resurrection life’ (zoe) is something we already experience now. This resurrection life begins working as a “seed” that continues to grow within our spirit, then revives our soul, and finally resurrects our body to become like His glorious body at the end of times when He returns.

This understanding does not contradict what Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:17–18: “…Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” Hymenaeus and Philetus taught that the resurrection had already taken place in the sense that ‘there is no longer a resurrection at the end of time’. This is, of course, a misleading teaching.

But the truth is this: when we believe in Jesus, at that very moment we have already received and experienced the ‘resurrection life of Christ’ within our inner being. The resurrection life of Christ continues to grow and “swallows up” the death-life inherited from Adam. Then, at the end of times, we will experience the full resurrection, where our bodies will become like the resurrection body of Jesus, and we will serve as kings and priests on this earth. This is the resurrection of the body, or the redemption of the body, which Paul speaks about in Romans 8. This is the meaning of Jesus’ words when He said that He is the resurrection and the life.

Now we enter John 12 and will discuss what we call ‘religious motivation’, particularly among religious leaders. To understand this, let us look at verses 10–11 and verse 19: “So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well; for on account of him many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus… Then the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!’” What we mean by the ‘religious motivation’ of the religious leaders is the tendency to kill and to seek followers. That is why the Jewish religious leaders killed Jesus—because they were losing followers, because many people were leaving them.

Let us go straight into the Christian world and see whether such ‘religious motivation’ also exists inside it. We must begin with Paul’s prophecy to the church leaders in Ephesus: “I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw disciples after them” (Acts 20:29–30). From these verses it is clear that the attack of savage wolves caused some church leaders to ‘draw’ the Lord’s disciples to themselves through false teachings.

We know that leaders must not draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves; rather, they must only equip the Lord’s disciples so that, in turn, the disciples build up the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–12). If leaders function only as “ligaments and joints” that support and unite the Body, then the Body of Christ will experience divine growth (Colossians 2:19). But if leaders draw the Lord’s disciples to themselves, then the Body of Christ will be fractured—and this is exactly what has happened in the Christian world, where the church has split into tens of thousands of

denominations. Each denominational leader not only ‘equips’ the Lord’s disciples, but ‘draws’ them to become ‘their’ followers.

Yet in the Christian world this condition—churches fractured into tens of thousands of denominations—is not discussed according to what the Bible says, so this ‘religious motivation’ we are discussing becomes invisible. Even with the three false teachings of Jezebel, the Nicolaitans, and Balaam described in Revelation 2–3, leaders in the Christian world commonly claim that denominations are the church. The condition of the seven churches in Asia Minor, having been infiltrated by these three false teachings, caused the apostle John to have no fellowship with them (1 John 1:3). Even the apostle John and his team were rejected by a leader (Diotrephes) who wanted to be prominent (3 John 9).

Let us return to the matter of having followers. When Paul says imitate me in 1 Corinthians 11:1, this does not mean Paul was seeking followers; rather, he meant follow my example’. For when the Corinthians said, “I am of Paul,” Paul rebuked them so that divisions would not occur in the church (1 Corinthians 1:10–17). But the people of the kingdom follow only Jesus wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). Kingdom people cannot follow any particular leader, nor seek followers, because they follow Jesus wherever He goes—and we know that each follower of Christ will have their own path. When Peter wanted to know what would happen to John, Jesus said, “That is not your concern; you follow Me” (John 21:22). Indeed, in the Christian world this ‘religious motivation’ is clearly visible. Is not the history of Christianity also filled with cases where certain groups “killed” members of other differing groups?

We continue our discussion in John 12 by observing the event where Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey (12:12–19). We will discuss this story from the viewpoint of prophetic fulfillment, and see how the disciples, the crowd, and the Pharisees understood—or failed to understand—this prophecy. Verse 15 states: “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion; see, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt”—a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. If we observe this narrative, no one understood that this event was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. The crowds came to welcome Jesus because they had heard that He performed the miracle of raising Lazarus (verse 18).

Likewise, His disciples did not understand that this event fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy. Only after Jesus was glorified and the disciples received the Holy Spirit did they understand this event (verse 16). Of course, the Pharisees judged this event only from the standpoint of their own interest in gaining followers. They said to one another, “See! You are accomplishing nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after Him!” (verse 19).

To understand that Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses requires revelation or unveiling. Observe 2 Corinthians 3:14: “But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Covenant, because the veil is taken away only in Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul explains the difference between the ministry of the ‘written code’ and the ministry of the Spirit. By ‘written code’, Paul means the law of Moses; the ministry of the Spirit is the ministry of the new covenant, or the ministry of the fulfillment of the law of Moses.

Colossians 2:17 states: “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is Christ.” The ‘all’ that Paul refers to in this verse relates specifically to food, drink, festivals, new moons, or sabbaths—regulations within the Mosaic Law. The reality, the substance, the fulfillment of all these is Christ. In Paul’s writings, the meaning of ‘Christ’ includes the Spirit (the Spirit of Christ), the kingdom (the kingdom of Christ), the Life (the Life of Christ), the corporate Christ (Christ Jesus and Christ the Body), and Christ dwelling within the inner being of believers. Therefore, the fulfillment of all the written laws of Moses is Christ within the inner being of believers.

All written laws have been fulfilled by Jesus; therefore, believers worship in spirit and truth (following the leading of Christ within, in daily life), not according to written codes. Such understanding enables a person to recognize Jesus as King.

The crowds who hailed Jesus as King because of His miracles are not considered to have truly recognized Him as King. The Pharisees, with their ‘religious motivations’ of seeking followers, also could not possibly understand Jesus as King. Only His disciples, who received revelation/unveiling of Christ within and follow Christ inwardly in daily life, are those who truly understand that Jesus is King.

The Christian world, filled with ‘religious motivations’ and ‘written rules’—must do this, must do that; must come on certain days, to certain buildings, give certain offerings, and so on—cannot be considered as truly understanding Jesus as King. Many will indeed call Jesus King, or call Him Lord, on the last day, but only Jesus will determine who truly knows Him and who does not (Matthew 7:21–23).

We continue our discussion of John 12 by considering the passage where some Greeks wanted to meet Jesus (12:20–36). When Philip and Andrew informed Him, Jesus gave an ‘odd’ answer—yet one that carries deep significance. By examining this passage carefully, we find the essence of Jesus’ answer: not only the Greeks, but ALL PEOPLE will see Jesus—yet they will see Him in and through His disciples.

To make Jesus’ answer easier to understand, we will divide it into three key parts:

First, verses 23–24: “But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified… Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.’” This means Jesus would die, rise, and be glorified at the right hand of the Father, and thus the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—the Life-giving Spirit (zoe)—would come upon His disciples. The Life of Christ (zoe) that the disciples receive is still in the form of a “seed” and must grow. The fruit Jesus refers to is His disciples, in whom the zoe “seed” grows, until they become like Jesus. Those Greeks who see His disciples will see Jesus Himself.

Second, for the zoe “life” to grow maximally (abundantly, John 10:10), His disciples must not love their soul-life (‘psuche’—the life of the soul), so that zoe life may grow abundantly within them (verse 25). Furthermore, His disciples must follow Jesus wherever He goes (verse 26 and Revelation 14:4). In the context of the Christian world, this means that His disciples must not follow any leader, denomination, or movement so that they can be where Jesus is. The Christian world is filled with rules of leaders, denominational rules, and many other systems. His disciples must follow the leading of ‘Christ within’ alone, so that wherever Jesus is, there His disciples will be also. Such disciples will be honored by the Father in heaven, though they may not receive ‘human honor’ within the Christian world.

Third, verses 31–32: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” This means that Satan, the ruler of the world (kosmos—the system), has been cast out. Satan binds and enslaves humanity through systems, whether social, political, religious, economic, or any system he creates in this world. But when Jesus was glorified, Satan was cast out. Therefore, Jesus will draw all people to Himself. Through whom? Through His disciples, as explained in the verses before.

Not all of Jesus’ disciples follow Him wherever He goes. Some disciples still remain inside the ‘system’ of Christianity. Just as “Pharaoh” (Satan) bound and enslaved Israel in Egypt, so also many of the Lord’s disciples are bound by the ‘system’ of the Christian religion.

At the coming of Jesus at the end of times, His disciples who follow Him wherever He goes will be entrusted to rule the earth with glorified bodies, in order to draw all people to Jesus. His disciples will function as kings and priests in the coming age (Revelation 20:4). Thus all people will see Jesus.

We continue our discussion of John 12:37–43, which evaluates the ministry of Jesus, particularly toward the Jewish religious leaders. Observe verse 36, which states: “…After Jesus said this, He departed and hid Himself from them.” This expression marks the end of Jesus’ ministry to the Jews, because the following chapters tell of His conversations with His disciples, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.

Let us observe this passage explaining why the Jewish religious leaders did not believe in Jesus: “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in Him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled… ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them’” (12:37, 40).

The apostle John clearly declares the Father’s sovereignty in determining all things. Everything that happens has indeed been written beforehand. Even Judas’s betrayal had already been written (17:12). Jesus also firmly stated, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (6:44). Throughout His ministry, Jesus did only what had been written beforehand, so that the word of God might be fulfilled.

However, declaring that the Father sovereignly determines all things does not mean that humans are not responsible for everything they say and do. Human beings were created as persons with mind, emotion, and will. Yet the human will is not absolutely free to do things that the Father in heaven has not determined. Behind all human actions, the mysterious hand of the Father is at work, determining all things. Even Psalm 139:16 states that the Father’s determinations in our lives are so detailed: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; and in Your book were written ALL the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.” All the paths we will walk have already been written. It is indeed difficult to grasp this, just as the next verse says, “How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God…” (v.17). Yet by His grace we can understand it.

It is clear from the passage above that the Jewish religious leaders did not believe in Jesus because the Father had blinded and hardened their hearts. Because the Father had blinded and hardened them, they not only refused to believe in Jesus, but also killed Him through Pilate and his soldiers. Nevertheless, both Pilate and the Jewish Council sinned and must bear their guilt. Jesus made this clear to Pilate: “… Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of a greater sin” (19:11). The sin of the Jewish Council was greater than Pilate’s.

Within Christianity there is a teaching or belief that created beings possess absolute free will, enabling them to act outside of the Father’s determinations. From this belief emerged teachings about Lucifer’s fall from a good angel into the evil Devil; teachings that salvation depends on human response—whether one repents or not, whether one chooses to accept and believe in Jesus or not. There is also the teaching of eternal hell, supposedly not because the Father sends people there, but because they ‘choose it themselves’. All these teachings arise from ignorance of the Father’s sovereignty in determining all things.

Let us move into John 13 and discuss the event of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. We must understand clearly the meaning of this act before applying it in our lives. When interpreting the meaning of this washing, we must remember that the Gospel of John refers to miracle stories as ‘signs’, meaning there is a spiritual meaning behind them. Therefore, the washing of feet should not be interpreted merely in a physical sense; there is a spiritual meaning behind it.

Let us examine verse 5: “Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” In Scripture, “water” refers to the Holy Spirit (John 7:38–39; Titus 3:5), the Word (Eph. 5:26; John 15:3), and the divine life ‘zoe’ (John 19:34). Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet with water was symbolic: He was actually “cleansing” them with the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the life ‘zoe’.

Next, verse 14 states, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” After giving His disciples an example, He commanded them to ‘wash one another’s feet’. This is the ‘one another’ law that we have discussed earlier. In the New Testament there are about twelve such expressions: ‘one another’ love, care, build up, confess sins, show honor, and so on. The most frequent is ‘love one another’, because the command to

love one another is the ‘new commandment’ in the context of the New Covenant that Jesus made for all of His disciples.

So how do we practice “washing one another’s feet”? If members of a church gather and God leads them to wash each other’s feet physically, that is fine. But what is far more important is “washing one another’s feet” in the sense of cleansing one another with the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the life ‘zoe’. We know that the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the life ‘zoe’ have been given within the inner being of every believer. The question is, in church life, are we truly cleansing one another with the Spirit, the Word, and the divine life?

To explore this, Mary’s action of anointing Jesus’ feet may help (John 12:1–8). When Mary broke the alabaster jar and poured the perfume on Jesus, the fragrance filled the entire house. Paul once said that he and his co-workers were “the fragrance of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15). Certainly not every member of the church automatically shares the fragrance of Christ. A process of divine discipline, like Paul experienced, and a process of “breaking the alabaster jar” (something very precious to us) is needed so that we may share Christ’s fragrance with our brothers and sisters and with all who encounter us.

Sharing the “fragrance” of Christ is not the same as sharing biblical knowledge. Jesus said in Matthew 22:29, “… you are mistaken because you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God” (ILT). According to Jesus, being ‘mistaken’ means not understanding the Scriptures and not experiencing God’s power. Therefore, we must not only study Scripture but also be shaped by God so that our “jar” is broken. Then we will begin to cleanse our brothers and sisters with the Spirit, the Word, and the life ‘zoe’.

Let us continue in John 13 and consider the ‘new commandment’ that Jesus gave His disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (13:34–35).

The expression ‘new commandment’ does not mean that the Old Testament lacked a command to love one another. When a teacher of the Law asked Jesus about the greatest commandment, He replied: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36–40). Verse 40 emphasizes, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Meaning, if the ENTIRE Law and the Prophets were ‘summed up’, the result would be loving God and others. So when Jesus gave the command to love one another, He was referring to a command that was the FULFILLMENT or ESSENCE of the whole Law and the Prophets, because Jesus came to fulfill them.

If so, what does ‘new commandment’ mean? We must understand that Jesus came to establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:31). This New Covenant has a new law: “… I will put My Law within them and write it on their hearts…” (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10). So this “new commandment” is a LAW WRITTEN WITHIN the hearts of His disciples.

It is the Holy Spirit—the Spirit who gives life (‘zoe’)—who writes the Law into the inner being of Jesus’ disciples. Of course, time and process are needed to grow in love or in the life ‘zoe’. As the divine life grows within the disciples, so they grow in loving one another. The peak of this growth is when we are able to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16).

This is truly the law of the kingdom of heaven, because Jesus came to establish His kingdom on earth. There is only one law of the heavenly kingdom: loving one another. This is what we call the ONE-ANOTHER LAW—washing one another’s feet, submitting to one another, encouraging one another, confessing sins to one another, and so forth. This law can only be practiced when disciples treat one another as brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8–12). If a disciple exalts himself (23:12) and draws others to himself (Acts 20:30), then the ‘one-another’ law cannot operate, for such a person becomes a “manager” or “boss” in the church. This is what happens in many denominations today. But the people of the kingdom relate to one another as brothers and sisters, without hierarchy. No managers, no bosses. They learn to grow in the ONE-ANOTHER law. Hallelujah.

Let us continue briefly with the ONE-ANOTHER law before discussing Judas’s betrayal. Hebrews 7:12 says, “For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.” We know that Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The first ten chapters of Hebrews compare Jesus’ priesthood with Aaron’s priesthood, with one key phrase: ‘better’. Hebrews 7:12 clearly states that the law changes according to the priesthood in effect. Because Jesus’ priesthood differs from Aaron’s, the law also changes—from the Law of Moses to the law of loving one another.

Those who teach tithing (money), firstfruits (money), mandatory worship days, specific buildings, and other rules are in fact “managers” or “bosses” in the church, as mentioned earlier. These “managers” and “bosses” of course need money to support their life and ministry. But let us leave this to the Lord Jesus, who will judge His church at His coming.

Now let us discuss Judas’s betrayal in John 13:18: “… But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’” Likewise, John 17:12: “… except the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Thus Judas’s betrayal was prophesied and predetermined in Scripture. Judas’s life path was predetermined, and not only his but ours also (Psalm 139:16).

If so, does that mean Judas—and we too—are not responsible for our actions because everything has been written and predetermined? Of course we are responsible, for humans are not robots. All people must be accountable for their actions because humans have their own mind, emotion, and will. This universal law applies to all: “A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7). What we must remember is that God always acts justly toward all humans. No one is treated unfairly, for He loves all.

To clarify this, let us consider how the Father has determined a “little flock” to receive the kingdom (Luke 12:32). The little flock will receive the kingdom when Jesus returns (His second coming) to establish His kingdom on earth—commonly called the one-thousand-year kingdom or Millennium (Rev. 20:4).

The “little flock” refers to a small portion of Christians who have been born again. All born-again Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for their deeds (2 Cor. 5:10). Not all born-again believers will enter the millennial kingdom to reign with Christ on earth. The parables in Matthew confirm this—the wise and foolish virgins, the talents, the wicked and faithful servants—all of these refer to born-again Christians.

Is the Father unjust because He gives the kingdom (the Millennium) only to the “little flock”? Clearly the Father is always just, because He cannot be unjust—it contradicts His nature. Consider Romans 8:17: “… that we may also be glorified together with Him, provided we suffer with Him.” Those Christians destined to receive the kingdom will undergo a kind of suffering not experienced by all other believers. This does not mean suffering is a ‘condition’ for entering heaven; rather, the Father’s justice is shown in how He forms the “little flock” through a process others do not experience.

Now we move into John 14 and discuss the ‘Father’s house’. But before examining the verses in John 14, we must clarify the meaning of this term. This topic is important because there are misunderstandings in Christianity regarding the ‘Father’s house’ and the idea of ‘going to heaven’, which ultimately lead to misunderstandings of the Father’s plan for humanity. It is common for Christians to imagine the Father’s house as a place in heaven far away, with houses like those on earth, streets of gold resembling earthly streets, and so on.

This misunderstanding is not trivial. Scripture never teaches such ideas. These misunderstandings cause Christians to desire to leave the earth and go to a pleasant place called heaven. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible teaches that the earth has been entrusted to humanity, and that the ‘heavenly dimension’ will fully descend into the ‘earthly dimension’. If believers misunderstand the Father’s plan, how can they ‘work together’ or ‘walk with’ the Father in their lives?

Genesis 1:26–28 explains that the Father’s plan focuses on the earth. Psalm 115:16 affirms, “The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth He has given to the children of man.” The Hebrew term ‘shamayim’, translated ‘heavens’, may also mean ‘heaven’. Heaven is where God’s throne is placed. The descriptions of what heaven is like, what happens there, why the Father placed His throne there, and so on, have been clearly revealed to John in Revelation, especially chapters 4–5. We will not explore that further now, but we emphasize that the earth has been given to humanity.

Now let us return to our theme: the ‘Father’s house’. The Bible not only reveals that the earth is the focus of the Father’s plan, but also that the Father will build a house for Himself on this earth. The Father desires to build a dwelling place for Himself here. How He builds this dwelling is what we will now explore.

We will use one principle in our discussion, namely the ‘principle of first mention’, commonly called the ‘first mention principle’. This principle explains that the first time something is mentioned in the Bible, it carries a meaning that will remain the same throughout the entire Scriptures. However, because biblical revelation is ‘progressive’—that is, advancing—the initial understanding of a matter ‘must be supplemented’ by subsequent understandings without altering its basic meaning. Thus, we gain a complete understanding of a topic, in this case regarding the ‘Father’s House’.

Let us begin with this principle. In the Bible, the first appearance of the expression ‘the Father’s House’ or ‘the House of Elohim’ occurs in the account where Jacob dreams at Bethel (Genesis 28:10–22). When Jacob awoke from his sleep he said, “Surely YAHWEH is in this place… This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven” (vv. 16–17, ILT). The Hebrew term ‘bayith’, translated ‘house’, does not first appear here but in Genesis 7:1; however, the expression ‘bayith Elohim’ appears for the first time in Jacob’s dream. We will examine this event and derive some understanding of the ‘Father’s House’ or the ‘House of Elohim’.

At this time, we will take several points from Jacob’s dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:10–22). We know that the first appearance of the expression ‘House of Elohim’ or ‘Father’s House’ occurs in this event. By taking several points from this passage, we gain a ‘basic understanding’ of the House of Elohim or the Father’s House as His dwelling place.

First, Genesis 28:12 describes Jacob’s dream: “... and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it” (ILT). Jesus later fulfilled Jacob’s dream when He said to Nathanael, “…you will see heaven opened, and the angels of Elohim ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51, ILT). By saying that the angels of Elohim ascend and descend ‘upon the Son of Man’, it means that JESUS, AS THE SON OF MAN, IS THE TRUE LADDER. The ladder seen in Jacob’s dream was merely a shadow or prophecy. The reality and fulfillment are found in Jesus, the Son of Man.

This ladder not only opens the door of heaven but also ‘unites heaven and earth’. Through Jacob’s dream we understand that the ‘Father’s House’ is the UNION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. And indeed, Jesus as the Son of Man is that ‘Father’s House’. For this reason Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees to ‘destroy this temple’, and in three days He would raise it up, because the Temple was His own body (John 2:21).

Jacob then named the place where he dreamed ‘Bethel’, which means ‘House of Elohim’. In Jacob’s context, the House of Elohim or ‘Father’s House’ was a physical place, specifically a physical city, for the city was previously named Luz. Yet, we must remember that even though the Father’s House in Jacob’s context was a physical place, the Father’s House still signifies the union of heaven and earth. This is the basic understanding of the ‘Father’s House’. This basic understanding aligns with the prayer Jesus taught His disciples—‘your kingdom come on earth’.

We continue our discussion of the ‘Father’s House’. We have stated that the basic meaning of the Father’s House is the union of heaven and earth. And that this union exists within the person of Jesus, the Son of Man. Now let us examine John 14:2, 3, and 23: “In My Father’s house are many dwellings; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also…. We will come to him and make Our home with him.” If someone reads these verses without the foundational understanding we have discussed, he will naturally think that the Father’s House is some delightful PLACE somewhere.

Let us pay close attention to Jesus’ words: He GOES THERE to prepare a place for us. The crucial question is: WHERE DID JESUS GO? Did He go to a PLACE—meaning a particular location? In John 13:1, 3; 14:12, 28; 16:10, 17, 28; 20:17 it is clearly written that JESUS WENT TO THE FATHER. Jesus went to the Father, not to a certain location. When Thomas said, “…we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?” (14:4), Jesus replied firmly that He is the Way, and the Father is the destination (14:6). So, Jesus was not speaking of any PHYSICAL PLACE but of a PERSON. The way to the PERSON of the Father is the PERSON of Jesus. Christians who still think in physical terms about a PLACE will not understand what the Father’s House truly is.

Let us continue with the meaning of the Father’s House from the verse: “…We will come to him and make Our home with him” (14:23). After Jesus went to the Father—through His death, resurrection, and exaltation to the right hand of the Father—Jesus and the Father would come to the believer and dwell with him. The expression ‘dwell with him’ in the original text means ‘to make a dwelling or home with the believer’. Thus, the dwelling place of the Father, the Son, and of course the Holy Spirit, is within the inner being of the believer. This is the Father’s House—‘that is, us’ (Hebrews 3:6).

Therefore, the Father’s House is not a PLACE but the INNER BEING of believers. That is why we are called the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Even now, the inner being of believers is the Father’s House. Thus the basic meaning of the Father’s House—the union of heaven and earth—is fulfilled. At the coming of Jesus as the Son of Man, Jesus Himself was the union of heaven and earth. But after Jesus went to the Father, believers became that union of heaven and earth.

At the coming of Jesus as the Son of Man, the Kingdom of Heaven was manifested for the first time on earth in His person (Luke 17:21). Even now the ‘kingdom of heaven’ is within the inner being of the Church—within believers. The Church is expected to be the instrument that brings the kingdom of heaven to earth. But because the Church has fragmented and become human kingdoms (denominations), the Lord Jesus calls His overcomers to manifest the kingdom of heaven on earth (Revelation 2–3). At His coming—commonly called the second coming—the kingdom of heaven will FULLY come and appear on earth through and within the overcoming Church to liberate creation (Romans 8:19–21).

Now let us continue our discussion of John 14 by examining verse 12: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father.” There are three matters we must discuss: first, “he who believes in Jesus”; second, doing works greater than those Jesus did; and third, Jesus going to the Father, which is the reason believers can do these greater works.

Let us begin with the third: what does it mean that Jesus went to the Father? Clearly it means His death, resurrection, and exaltation to the Father’s right hand. What was the result of Jesus being exalted? Acts 2:33 affirms: “Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (ILT). When Jesus was exalted, He poured out the Holy Spirit on the believers.

However, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost upon the Church was merely a down payment (‘arrabon’) or guarantee, as written in Ephesians 1:14: “And the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire the full possession…” When Jesus ministered on earth, the Father gave Him the Spirit without measure (John 3:34).

Next, the second point: what does it mean to do greater works than Jesus? Clearly it does not refer to redemption on the cross, for the work of redemption was done solely by Jesus and is complete. We must first understand Jesus’ purpose in coming into the world. John 3:17 states, “For Elohim did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him” (ILT). The world here means all humanity loved by the Father (3:16). That is why Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (1:29). Jesus is the propitiation not only for the sins of believers but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Therefore, Jesus’ work is to save the entire world, and believers continue His work.

Then the first and most important point: those who do the greater works in saving the world are those who ‘believe’. They believe that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. They believe that Jesus will draw all people to Himself (John 12:32). They believe that all humanity will certainly be saved, for Jesus is the Savior of the world (John 4:42). Christians who teach and believe that the unrepentant and unbelieving will certainly be thrown into eternal hell forever are not included in the category of ‘those who believe’ in this verse.

When, then, will those who believe do the greater works than Jesus? Certainly at the coming of Jesus (commonly called the second coming), when believers receive their inheritance—the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When the kingdom of heaven is fully manifested on earth, believers will function as kings and priests on the earth (Revelation 5:10; 20:4). Then, with glorified bodies, believers will do works greater than those done by Jesus.

We continue our discussion of John 14 regarding Jesus’ promise to His disciples (the eleven) concerning His coming. Note verse 18: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Many Christians believe Jesus comes only twice—first, 2,000 years ago, and second, at the end of the age to gather His saints.

If this “two comings” concept were correct, then His promise to the eleven disciples was not fulfilled, because they all died. But the truth is that Jesus fulfilled His promise to come again to the eleven disciples. How did He come? He came in the person of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to come again to the eleven disciples. If we hold the concept that Jesus comes only “twice,” we misunderstand the biblical concept of the Lord’s coming. There is no expression “second coming” in the Bible referring to the coming of Jesus. There is no such phrase as “the second coming of Jesus” in Scripture.

There are six Greek terms translated “coming.” They are as follows:

1. PAROUSIA — appears 24 times, from the verb ‘pareimi’, meaning ‘to be present’. The noun means ‘presence’. Parousia never indicates the action of arriving but the presence of someone who has already arrived. It is never used for a physical coming of the Lord. It means ‘presence’. Where two or three gather in His name, there He is. That is His PRESENCE. That is His COMING.

2. APOKALUPSIS — from ‘apokalupto’, meaning ‘to reveal’. It refers to an unveiling of someone previously hidden.

3. EPIPHANEIA — appears 6 times. It means ‘manifestation’, a bringing to light, often referring to glory manifested.

4. PHANEROO — means ‘to make visible’, not necessarily to the physical eye, but as a perception.

5. ERCHOMAI — refers to the actual action of coming. Used, for example, in Revelation 1:7: ‘Behold, He comes (AN ACT OF COMING) with the clouds…’

6. HEKO — emphasizes arriving at a particular place. Found in Revelation 2:25: “Hold fast what you have until I COME.”

Obviously these six Greek terms do not indicate six different kinds of coming, but different nuances that help us understand each passage. We will not examine each usage in detail here, but it is enough to understand that the coming of the Lord does NOT HAVE TO BE IN PHYSICAL FORM.

Now we will discuss the coming of Jesus at the end of the age as written in Romans 8:19–21 and Revelation 1:7. Revelation 1:7 states that Jesus comes “with the clouds.” Throughout Scripture, when ‘cloud’ appears in singular, it refers to the cloud of God’s glory. But when ‘clouds’ appears in plural, it refers to God’s witnesses. Thus the meaning of Revelation 1:7 is that Jesus will come ‘in and through His witnesses’. His witnesses are the sons of Elohim mentioned in Romans 8:19–21, who will liberate creation from the bondage of corruption.

Indeed, Romans 8:19–21 describes the coming of the kingdom of heaven to earth in its FULL manifestation. The sons of Elohim who will appear with glorified bodies are those to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom (Luke 12:32). They are the “little flock” within Christendom, for in Christianity many are called but few are chosen.

Now we will discuss John 15:1 regarding the vine: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” Jesus declares that He is the ‘true’ vine. If He is the true vine, this implies there is also a false vine.

In the Gospels Jesus emphasizes that no one can serve God and mammon at the same time, for no one can serve two masters. In other words, Jesus contrasts Himself with Mammon: one can only enslave himself to Jesus, or enslave himself to mammon (Luke 16:13).

We know that the Pharisees were servants of mammon (Luke 16:14). Yet even though they were servants of mammon, they were still leaders of the nation of Israel as God’s people. They had the religious court, called the Sanhedrin, in which the High Priest presided over its 70 members. These Jewish leaders are often referred to as ‘the world’ in the Gospel of John. They were the ones who hated Jesus and killed Him (John 15:18–25). Therefore, it is not incorrect to affirm that they were the false vine.

As the false vine, the Sanhedrin also had “fruit” from its ministry. The Jewish Sanhedrin had the Temple, which had been renovated by King Herod, although of course Herod did so for political reasons. Members of the Sanhedrin were usually well-educated for their time, and generally wealthy. Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in the Gospel of John as a disciple of Jesus, though secretly, for fear of the other Jewish leaders. Nicodemus and Gamaliel—Paul’s teacher—were also members of the Sanhedrin, and they were respected by many.

The Jewish Sanhedrin also possessed authority not only in religious matters, but also in political and social affairs, and to a certain degree was given power by the Roman government to punish anyone it considered guilty, functioning much like a court. The influence of the Sanhedrin over the crowds is clearly seen when they stirred up the people to choose Barabbas instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:20). Thus, from a human standpoint, the Sanhedrin had “fruit” like that of a true vine.

But Jesus declared that any plant not planted by His Father would be pulled up by the roots (Matthew 15:13). Again we see here that there are plants planted by the heavenly Father, and there are plants that are not. On the last day everything will become clear. From a human perspective, Abraham had two “fruits”: Isaac and Ishmael. But before God, Abraham had only one true “fruit,” which was Isaac. Ishmael was born from Abraham’s fleshly decision to follow Sarah’s suggestion.

Let us apply the truth of the true vine and the false vine. From a human perspective, the Christian world certainly has fruit from its ministries. But whether this fruit comes from the true vine or the false one cannot be judged at present. In God’s time, when the Lord Jesus judges the church, then everything will become clear—what was planted by the heavenly Father, and what was not. Who built his own kingdom, and who established the kingdom of heaven on earth.

We continue our discussion of the vine in John 15. Observe verse 5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” We have discussed that Jesus is the true vine, and the heavenly Father is the vinedresser. The vinedresser means that the Father is the source, the planner, the planter, the ‘zoe’ life, the substance, the soil, the water, the sunlight, and everything for the vine.

Jesus is the vine and believers are the branches. We must understand that the vine includes the root, trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit. The vine is the whole plant from root to fruit, not only the trunk. Thus, believers partake in a single vine. Believers are not separated from the vine. Therefore, Jesus and believers are Christ—Christ the Head and Christ the Body.

The picture of the vine and its branches clearly shows a ‘zoe’ life relationship between Jesus and believers. Jesus indeed came to give His life to us (John 10:10). And this ‘zoe’ life enables us to know the heavenly Father and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3).

So what does it mean to ‘abide in Me and I in him’? The meaning is clear: we must learn to live out the ‘zoe’ life in our daily living. Only when we learn to live by the ‘zoe’ life can we bear fruit for His glory. Jesus clearly said that we can do nothing apart from Him. This means that anything we do apart from Jesus is not counted as fruit for His glory.

Indeed, humans can accomplish something on their own, because by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humans began to act from their own knowledge, apart from dependence on God. Humans can develop themselves independently of God. Since eating from that tree, humans have lived relying on their own strength. They live for themselves. We see that Cain’s descendants lived far from God, yet they were the ones who developed human civilization (Genesis 4:17–24). From Cain’s line came advancements in animal husbandry, music, and industry (bronze and iron work). Although Cain’s descendants appeared fruitful, Scripture records none of their lifespans. This differs from the line of Seth, who walked with God (Genesis 5:6–32). All of Seth’s descendants have their ages recorded. In the Old Testament, lifespan carries spiritual meaning: the deeds of Seth’s descendants were valuable before God, whereas the deeds of Cain’s descendants, though impressive, were worthless and unrecognized before God.

Let us apply the matter of fruit to the Christian world. Many Christians assume that if someone has many followers, many facilities, performs miracles, casts out demons, prophesies, and so on, then he must be bearing much fruit for God’s glory. Such judgment is actually premature. We do not know whether all these works originate from the ‘zoe’ life or from human strength. The judgment seat of Christ will reveal all these things. Let us together wait for that day to determine whether our works come from the ‘zoe’ life for His glory, or from our own strength for self-glory.

Continuing in John 15, we now look at the ‘fruit’ of believers. By examining the verses in John 15, we see several ‘fruits’ manifested in the lives of believers. Before discussing the fruits themselves, verse 16 states: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.” From this verse it is clear that His disciples were chosen by Jesus to bear lasting fruit. Everything depends on Jesus’ choice and appointment. Of course, the disciples obeyed His command to go and bear fruit, but all of this was a result of His choice and appointment.

Let us look at several fruits of His disciples mentioned in John 15. First, answered prayer (verse 16). One manifestation of ‘fruit’ in a disciple’s life is prayer that is answered. A good prayer is ‘a prayer answered by God’. Believers praying is not a sign that they are disciples of Jesus; but having their prayers answered is one manifestation of fruit.

Second, possessing the joy of Jesus and practicing the “one another” command, which we have discussed—namely, loving one another among His disciples. Having Christ’s joy and love is a manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In the original text, the word ‘fruit’ is singular, meaning that love, joy, peace, and so forth are not separate. They are all manifestations of the one fruit of the Spirit. Thus, the fruit of the Spirit is truly the manifestation of the ‘zoe’ life given by Jesus and growing in His disciples’ inner being.

Third, being hated and cast out by the world (15:18–25). Many Christians may wonder why being hated by the world is a sign or fruit of Jesus’ disciples. We must discuss what ‘world’ means in this passage. Verse 25 states: “But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’” The ‘world’ here clearly refers to the Jewish religious world or the Jewish Sanhedrin, which hated and killed Jesus. In this passage Jesus affirms that the Jewish religious world would also cast out and persecute His disciples.

We know that His disciples bore witness before the Sanhedrin three times. Peter and John did so twice, and Stephen also testified and became the first martyr of the church. After this, the Jewish religious world repeatedly persecuted Jesus’ disciples. Saul, who initially persecuted the church, after his conversion, suffered much persecution from them throughout his ministry.

What about the history of Christianity through the ages? Has the Christian world also persecuted and even killed the true disciples of Jesus? Those who study church history know that the Christian world is “stained” with the blood of martyrs. The Christian world, symbolized by the “harlot” in Revelation 17:6, says: “I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.” Christianity that has become a system (‘kosmos’ = world) will always cast out and persecute the true disciples of Jesus.

Now we enter John 16 and discuss the Holy Spirit, also called the Comforter (verse 7), the Spirit of Truth (verse 13), and another Helper (14:16). Jesus stated plainly that unless He went to the Father—meaning His death, resurrection, and exaltation to the Father’s right hand—the Holy Spirit would not come to the disciples (John 7:39). After Jesus was glorified and received the promised Holy Spirit, He poured Him out on the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:33).

But we also know that after Jesus’ resurrection, “…He breathed on them (the disciples) and said: Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Here, the disciples received the ‘zoe’ life, experiencing the ‘new birth’, for the new birth is the experience of receiving the ‘zoe’ life. Why do we say they were born again only after Jesus’ resurrection? Because 1 Peter 1:3 affirms: “…He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Thus, the basis of the new birth experience is Jesus’ resurrection.

This does not mean the disciples received two Holy Spirits. Rather, it shows that the basis for receiving the ‘zoe’ life is the resurrection of Jesus, and the basis for receiving the outpouring of the Spirit is His glorification and ascension. This aligns with the prophecy of Israel’s restoration in Ezekiel 36:26–27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…. And I will put My Spirit within you….”.

We will not now discuss the roles of the Holy Spirit as described in John 16, but we will focus on the Spirit’s work in the believer’s inner being related to the growth of the ‘zoe’ life. This is necessary, for in Christianity today the work of the Spirit is usually discussed only in relation to ministry (the gifts of the Spirit), while the condition of the believer’s inner being receives little attention.

Consider 1 Corinthians 15:45: “…the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” The original text states that the last Adam, Jesus, became the ‘Spirit who gives ‘zoe’ (Young’s Literal Translation). After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, He became the Spirit who gives the ‘zoe’ life to the inner being of believers. Thus, His purpose is fulfilled: “…I have come that they may have life (‘zoe’), and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Meaning, Jesus as the life-giving Spirit will cause the ‘zoe’ life to grow within believers.

What is the relationship between the ‘zoe’ life in believers and the kingdom of heaven? Luke 17:21 states: “…For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Indonesian LAI). The Greek word ‘entos’, translated ‘in your midst’, actually means ‘within’. Thus, the kingdom of heaven is within the believer’s inner being. In the context of Luke 17:21, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. The kingdom of God was also within the Pharisees, but because they rejected Jesus as King (Messiah), it had no effect on them.

Thus, the kingdom of heaven for believers is truly the ‘zoe’ life within their inner being. As the ‘zoe’ life grows, believers become governed by the values, reality, and power of that kingdom. At the coming of the Lord Jesus (commonly called the second coming), when the kingdom of heaven is fully manifested on earth, believers appointed as “firstfruits” (matured earlier—James 1:18) will also be manifested with glorified bodies to liberate creation (Romans 8:19–21).

Now we discuss the functions of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s inner being. Notice John 16:8: “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.” There are three works of the Holy Spirit in the inner being of believers, and this is truly the gospel—the good news.

First, the Holy Spirit convicts (Greek: ‘elegcho’)—meaning to rebuke, expose, unveil—the world of sin. When the gospel is preached, the sins of the world are exposed by the Holy Spirit. ‘World’ here refers both to the world in general and the religious world (Judaism) that killed Jesus and hated His disciples.

Second, He convicts the world of righteousness (‘dikaiosune’)—meaning justice, righteousness, of which God is the source. The term ‘dikaiosune’ appears 92 times in the New Testament, 58 of

which (64%) appear in Paul’s writings. A key point in Paul’s gospel is righteousness by faith: that believers receive God’s righteousness solely through faith.

Third, He convicts the world of judgment. Verse 11 states: “concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” The ruler of the world (‘kosmos’ = system), meaning Satan, has been judged. Satan rules the ‘system’ of politics, society, economy, and religion, but has already been judged. This means that although Satan still rules these systems for now, at the coming of Jesus, “…The kingdom of the world (‘kosmos’) will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed (should be lowercase ‘h’—His anointed ones), and He will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). That is, at Jesus’ coming, the overcoming church will reign with Him in the millennial kingdom as kings and priests (Revelation 5:10; 20:4). Jesus and the overcoming church will take the ‘kosmos’ from its former ruler, Satan.

Next, observe verse 13: “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…” The term ‘truth’ here uses the Greek ‘aletheia’, which also means ‘reality’. Jesus affirms that He is the ‘Reality’. Reality is not a shadow, symbol, or illusion. Reality is the person of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will lead us to know the person of Jesus and to become united with Him.

How do we grow in the knowledge of the truth (‘aletheia’)? John 4:23 affirms, “…the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (‘aletheia’)….” Our worship must be in ‘aletheia’, not in symbols, shadows, or rituals, as understood by the Samaritan woman, who thought that worship had to take place in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerizim (4:20). Our worship must be in Christ, who is the fulfillment of all Old Testament symbols, shadows, and prophecies (Colossians 2:17). Our worship must follow the leading of Christ within, because within us there is an ‘anointing’ (1 John 2:27).

The overcomers in the church worship by following Christ wherever He goes. This is the meaning of following the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). Jesus affirmed that His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27). Therefore, the church overcomers do not follow any denomination or any human leader; they worship and follow only the voice of Jesus, the Great Shepherd. In 1 John 2:27, it is affirmed that you do not need anyone to teach you. This does not mean that we do not learn from others, but that we listen only to the voice of Jesus within and follow Him wherever He goes. This is the function and role of the Holy Spirit within us. By worshiping according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of ‘aletheia’.

Let us now enter John 17 and examine several matters in the Lord Jesus’ prayer. At this moment, we will discuss the subject of glory or glorifying, which appears repeatedly in the Lord’s prayer. The Greek noun ‘doxa’, meaning ‘glory’, appears in verses 5, 22, and 24. In these verses, Jesus affirms that He had glory with the Father before the world existed. Jesus also prays that His disciples may behold His glory. Furthermore, Jesus affirms that He has given His glory to His disciples so that they may be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one.

Then, the Greek verb ‘doxazō’, meaning ‘to glorify’, appears in verses 1, 4, 5, and 10. In these verses, Jesus prays that the Father would glorify Him, so that in return He may glorify the Father. Jesus had glorified the Father by completing the work the Father had given Him to do. Jesus also affirms that He has been glorified in His disciples.

By noting the repeated appearance of ‘glory’ and ‘glorify’ in the Lord’s prayer, we can see how important this matter is. We need to look at this from the book of Genesis in order to understand its significance. Romans 3:23 affirms, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (ILT). Sin causes humanity to fall short of God’s glory. The consequence of sin is not only falling short of God’s glory, but also producing ‘shame’ within human beings. Before Adam and Eve fell into sin, they were naked but not ashamed, because they were ‘covered’ by the glory of God. But when they sinned and fell short of the glory of God, they became ashamed and covered their nakedness with fig leaves.

However, the Father was not pleased with their attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves. Instead, He made garments of animal skin for them (Genesis 3:21). This implies an animal sacrifice, symbolizing and prophesying that Jesus Christ would become the sacrifice for sin and become the ‘garment’ that covers the nakedness of sinful humanity.

In truth, Christ is the glory of God that covers the “nakedness” of sinful humanity. Colossians 1:27 affirms, “…Christ who is in you, the hope of glory” (ILT). Young’s Literal Translation states, “…Christ in you, the hope of the glory.” Christ who dwells within the inner being of believers is the hope that we will one day receive the glory of God.

Why does Colossians 1:27 say that the glory of God is still a hope for us? Because we have not yet been fully glorified by God. Let us consider how Paul explains salvation in Romans using three terms: justification by faith, sanctification by faith, and glorification by faith. Glorification by faith, which is the redemption of our body resulting in our receiving a glorified body, has not yet occurred; it remains a hope (Romans 8:19, 23).

At this moment, Christ, the glory of God, dwells within us, but has not yet been manifested to all creation. However, at His coming, when the kingdom of heaven is fully established on earth, we will be manifested to all creation in order to set creation free from the bondage of corruption (Romans 8:19–21).

Here we see how important the glory of God is. All creation waits for the moment when the sons of God are glorified, because all creation also waits to be freed from bondage. This is why Jesus repeatedly spoke of glory in His prayer.

We now continue our discussion of the Lord’s prayer in John 17 by considering the phrase that appears repeatedly: “all whom You have given Me” (verses 2, 6, 9, 24). What does Jesus pray concerning “all whom You have given Me,” and what happens to them?

First, Jesus gives ‘eternal life’, which is the seed of ‘zoe’ life, to all whom the Father has given Him (verse 2). This ‘zoe’ life enables them to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (verse 3).

Second, Jesus has revealed the Father’s name to them (verse 6). They belong to the Father, are given to Jesus, and they keep the Father’s word.

Third, Jesus has been glorified in them, and He prays that the Father would keep them so that they may be one just as Jesus and the Father are one (verses 10–11). Jesus also sends them into the world just as He was sent into the world by the Father (verse 18).

Fourth, Jesus also prays for those who will believe through their word, and He prays that ultimately all may be perfectly one (verse 23) and behold His glory.

Fifth, verse 14 affirms, “I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” This means that the world will hate them because Jesus has given them the Father’s word. This is what will happen to “all whom You have given Me.”

Now we must reflect on who the ‘world’ is that hates those whom the Father has given to Jesus. Clearly, the ‘world’ that hates Jesus and His disciples is the ‘religious system’ of Judaism (John 15:18–25). Jesus also does not pray for ‘the world’ (15:9). Does this mean Jesus did not love the scribes and Pharisees? Of course He did. Because the Father so loved the world—meaning all people, including scribes and Pharisees—He gave Jesus, His Son, to take away the sins of the world (3:16; 1:29).

Therefore, the ‘world’ in the sense of all people is deeply loved by the Father and Jesus. But the ‘world’ as a ‘system’ controlled by the devil is not prayed for by Jesus; indeed, at His coming, that ‘world’ (system) will be taken over by the overcoming church. When the seventh trumpet is blown, the ruler of the system—the devil—will be removed and replaced by priests and kings (the overcoming church) who will reign forever with Jesus (Revelation 11:15).

What about Christianity today? Has Christianity become a ‘system’? In reality, through the three false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, Christianity has become a system controlled by the devil. Therefore, in every church age, God calls His overcomers who do not partake of these false teachings (Revelation 2–3).

Within the world (system) of Christianity, many are called, but few are chosen. Those who are chosen are “all whom You have given Me,” as we have discussed above. These chosen ones are the “little flock” to whom the Father has been pleased to give the kingdom (Luke 12:32).

Now we continue our discussion of the Lord’s prayer in John 17 by considering what Jesus means by the term ‘name’, which appears several times. Verse 6 states, “I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world….” Verse 11 states, “…keep them in Your name, which You have given Me….” Then verse 12 states, “…I kept them in Your name….” Verse 26 states, “I made known to them Your name…so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

We must consider whether God has a ‘name’ the way humans do. If we observe verse 26, it becomes clear that knowing the Father’s name is not like knowing a human name. Why? Because the purpose of Jesus in revealing the Father’s name is so that the Father’s love might be in us. This clearly is not merely learning a name as one learns a person’s name.

When Moses asked God about His name in Exodus 3:13–14, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM.” In Hebrew, ‘Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh’, meaning “God who eternally exists and actively works.” This is not a name in the human sense. Moses’ question about God’s name was more about God’s characteristics or uniqueness than a personal name.

In truth, God does not have a name in the human sense. God only has a human name—Jesus—when the Logos (God) became human. The concept of ‘Name’ for God refers to His characteristics as revealed in His works toward humanity. This is why Isaiah 63:12,14 states, “[He] who led Moses… dividing the waters before them, to make for Himself an everlasting name…. Thus You led Your people to make for Yourself a glorious name.” Jeremiah 32:20 also states, “You performed signs and wonders… and made a name for Yourself.” Thus, according to His works toward humanity, GOD MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF.

Let us look at examples of how God’s name corresponds to His works. To Noah, His name was Elohim, meaning the God of all the earth, because in Noah’s case He showed His power over the whole earth by sending the flood. To Abraham, His name was El Shaddai, where ‘shad’ means ‘woman’s breast’. Thus, the name El Shaddai has a feminine nuance, because God promised Abraham many descendants. To Moses, His name was Yahweh, the God of war, because He gave the land of promise by defeating the seven nations of Canaan.

We continue our discussion of ‘the Name of God’ that appears repeatedly in John 17. Now we examine the Father’s name as meant by Jesus. We have affirmed that God makes names for Himself according to His works toward His people. To Noah—Elohim. To Abraham—El Shaddai. To Moses—Yahweh. And now we shall see that the Father’s name Jesus refers to is El Elyon, the Most High God.

We know that Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5–6). What name of God appears in the meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20)? We must use a literal translation to see the name that appears in the passage. Genesis 14:18–19 in the ILT reads, “And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. And he was priest of El-Elyon… Blessed be Abram by El-Elyon, Possessor of heaven and earth.” The ILT footnote explains that El Elyon means ‘God Most High’. Young’s Literal Translation renders it, “Melchizedek… he is priest of God Most High… Blessed is Abram to God Most High, possessing heaven and earth.”

Thus, Melchizedek was a priest of El Elyon, the Most High God. Likewise, Jesus, as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, must also be High Priest to El Elyon. Therefore, the Father of Jesus as High Priest in the order of Melchizedek is El Elyon, the Most High God. This is why Luke 1:32 states, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest…” (ILT). Young’s Literal reads, “…Son of the Highest….”

We know that the Father–Son relationship concerns inheritance. A son receives the inheritance of the father when the time comes. Galatians 4:1–7 explains that as long as an heir is a child, he differs no more than a servant, but when the time comes, he receives the inheritance. Likewise, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, He inherited something from El Elyon, the Most High God who possesses heaven and earth. After His resurrection, Jesus affirmed, “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus inherited authority in heaven and on earth because His Father, El Elyon, is the Most High who possesses and governs heaven and earth.

Likewise, we, as priests according to the order of Melchizedek, will inherit together with Jesus if we have reached ‘maturity’. If the Father has appointed us as “firstfruits,” meaning those who mature first, then we, too, will receive an inheritance at the appointed time, as written in James 1:18, “…that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (ILT). What is our inheritance? At Jesus’ coming (commonly called the second coming), those appointed by the Father as “firstfruits” will reign on earth with Jesus for a thousand years (Revelation 5:10; 20:4).

Christians who are born again and receive the seed of ‘zoe’ life, but whom the Father has not appointed as “firstfruits,” will not yet receive the inheritance of reigning on earth with Jesus. This is why in Christianity many are called (born again), but few are chosen (firstfruits).

Now we turn to John 18 and observe the conversation between Jesus and Pilate: “…Are You the King of the Jews?… Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here. Then Pilate said to Him: “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth…” (18:33–37).

There are several things we need to notice in this conversation. First, Jesus is a king, but He did not answer firmly that He is the king of the Jews. This means Jesus is not only the king of the Jews, for the prophecies in the Old Testament affirm that He is the king over the whole earth. After His resurrection, Jesus declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him (Matthew 28:18).

Second, Jesus emphasized that His kingdom is not of this world, for if it were of this world, His servants would fight. The kingdom of the Messiah does not come from the earthly dimension (space and time), but from the heavenly dimension. This is consistent with what Paul affirmed in Ephesians 6:12: “…for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Thus, the kingdom of the Messiah will wage war against the kingdom of Satan.

Third, although the kingdom of the Messiah exists in the heavenly dimension, Jesus was born and came into this world to bear witness to the truth. Pilate once asked, “What is truth?” Indeed, truth is not merely correct theories or doctrines, but truth is a person, namely the person of Jesus Christ. Truth is the living Word of God.

Now we must pay attention to Jesus’ words that emphasize that precisely because He is a king, this is the reason He was born and came into the world. The kingdom of the Messiah indeed exists in the heavenly dimension, but Jesus was born and came into the world to establish His heavenly kingdom on earth.

The purpose of Jesus’ coming into this world is that the kingdom of the Messiah will rule this world. Revelation 11:15 declares, “…The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever” (ILT). When the seventh trumpet is blown and the mystery of God is completed (Revelation 10:7), then the governments of this world will be taken over by the kingdom of the Messiah.

At this time the Lord Jesus works through His church to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. The church must not “fight” the kingdoms of this world with worldly weapons. The church has only one weapon—the gospel or the good news of the kingdom of heaven. The church must proclaim the good news of the kingdom until the kingdoms of the world submit and become the kingdom of the Messiah.

Unfortunately, the church has fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations, and these denominations are human kingdoms built by leaders. The early church also had leaders, but they did not build their own kingdoms. The early church was an organism led directly by the Holy Spirit. Each member of the church was directly led by the Holy Spirit in their daily life. Yet the Lord Jesus has His overcomers in every era, and through these overcomers He will establish His kingdom on earth (Revelation 2–3).

We now enter John 19 and observe verses 11–12: “…Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin. From then on Pilate sought to release Him….” We know that in the Gospel of John, the term ‘world’ primarily refers to the Jewish religious world led by the Jewish Council called the Sanhedrin. In the time of Jesus, the high priest who led the Sanhedrin was Caiaphas, who presided over 70 members consisting of Pharisees, scribes, and Jewish elders. The term ‘world’ in the Gospel of John is recorded as a system (‘kosmos’) that hates Jesus and His disciples.

The apostle John structured his gospel in such a way that we understand that the Jewish religious leaders had deteriorated and became the main cause (“the mastermind”) of Jesus’ crucifixion. The cleansing of the Jerusalem temple from commerce is placed at the beginning of his gospel, while in the Synoptic Gospels it is placed at the end of Jesus’ ministry. This shows the importance of understanding the condition of the temple, which represented the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ time. In John’s gospel, Jesus is also recorded as going to Jerusalem 3–4 times, while in the Synoptics only once at the end of His ministry. This again shows the importance of Jerusalem as the center of the ministry of the Jewish religious leaders.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Council, is recorded positively in the Synoptic Gospels as a disciple of Jesus. But in John he is recorded negatively as a disciple of Jesus in secret, because he feared the other Jewish leaders (19:38). Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Jesus, is also recorded as coming ‘by night’, because he was ashamed and afraid of the Jewish leaders if they found out he came to Jesus. All these facts show that the Jewish religious leaders had declined and gone astray. John also records many conversations or debates between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, which the Synoptic Gospels do not record. Jesus even said to the Jewish leaders that their father is the devil (8:44). This does not mean the devil has children, but because the devil is the ruler of the ‘kosmos’, and the Jewish leaders ‘served’ within that kosmos (religious system), they were the children of the devil.

Why did John structure his gospel this way? Because in the time of the apostle John, the church had declined, and the decline of the church was caused by its leaders. Thus it is very appropriate that religious leaders receive primary attention in his gospel.

Now we look at the “Apostles’ Creed” in Christianity concerning the “mastermind” of Jesus’ crucifixion. Historically, the phrase ‘Symbolum Apostolorum’ (Apostles’ Creed) first appeared in A.D. 390 from a synod in Milan. Afterwards both Catholics and Protestants formulated their own creeds. But what we need to observe is the phrase found in both the Catholic and Protestant versions: “suffered under Pontius Pilate.”

Why do the creeds not mention the true “mastermind” of Jesus’ crucifixion? It is true that Jesus suffered under Roman rule, with Pontius Pilate as the authority at the time. But John 19:11–12 clearly shows us that the “mastermind” of Jesus’ crucifixion was the Jewish religious world (the Sanhedrin). And Jesus plainly stated that the sin of the Jewish Council was greater than that of Pontius Pilate. In fact, Pilate repeatedly tried to release Jesus, even presenting Jesus and Barabbas to the crowd, but due to the persuasion of the chief priests and elders, the crowd chose Barabbas, a criminal (Matthew 27:20). There is a hidden truth as to why the Apostles’ Creed in Christianity does not mention the true “mastermind” of Jesus’ crucifixion. We will discuss this further.

Continuing our discussion, perhaps—consciously or unconsciously—Christian leaders omitted the “mastermind” behind Jesus’ crucifixion because the Jewish people are God’s chosen people. Could God’s chosen people kill Jesus, the Logos (God) who became flesh? Or perhaps Christian leaders did not realize that Christianity had already become a religion since the time of the apostle John?

We know that religion arose because Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (symbol of the kind of life called “death,” the wages of sin; Romans 6:23), where Satan who holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14) operates. A religion that originates from the Tree of Knowledge always contradicts the Tree of Life, which symbolizes the divine life (zoe) that Jesus gives. These two trees must oppose each other because one is under Satan’s dominion and the other symbolizes the life of Christ (zoe) that He gives (John 10:10).

Let us look again at how Christianity became a religion. It all began with Paul’s prophecy in Acts 20:29–30: “I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you… Even from your own number (church leaders) men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” The ‘way of truth’ Paul referred to is following the leading of the Holy Spirit in daily church life, as was practiced in the early church. But after the attack of the savage wolves, some disciples followed this leader and others followed another, causing the church to break apart. Paul himself was abandoned by nearly all of Asia Minor, including Ephesus—the very city where he spoke these words—before his death (2 Timothy 1:15).

The false teachings that drew disciples away are described by John in Revelation 2–3: the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. We will not explain them here, but these three false teachings caused the churches in Asia Minor to lose fellowship (‘koinonia’) with the apostle John (1 John 1:3).

Christianity, originally an organism led directly by the Holy Spirit, eventually fractured and split into tens of thousands of denominations (organizations), which we now call Christianity as a religion. Religions always have their own rules. Thus denominations (read: Christianity as a religion) have their own rules made by their leaders, and the Lord’s disciples follow them. Of course every denomination claims to be the most biblical. But the “spirit” of denominationalism is visible to the people of the kingdom.

Returning to the question of why the Apostles’ Creed does not mention the “mastermind” of Jesus’ crucifixion: in our understanding, Christianity has “crucified” Jesus—not physically, but spiritually. Worship in spirit and truth that Jesus taught can no longer be practiced in Christianity as a religion, because the Lord’s disciples follow their respective leaders instead of following the leading of the Holy Spirit wherever He leads (John 4; Revelation 14:4). Thus, because Judaism had become “aligned” with Christianity as a religion, the “mastermind” of Jesus’ crucifixion is naturally not mentioned in its creed.

We now speak about the story of Jesus’ resurrection in John 20. There are several important points to notice. First, verses 8–9 say: “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead.” Although Mary Magdalene was the first to discover the empty tomb, verse 8 states that it was John who first believed and understood from Scripture that Jesus must rise.

Second, to Mary Magdalene Jesus said, “…go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, My God and your God’” (20:17). After His resurrection, Jesus called His disciples ‘My brothers’. Why? Hebrews 2:11 teaches that Jesus is not ashamed to call His disciples brothers, because they all come from the same source.

We have discussed that when Jesus rose, He breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). The Holy Spirit they received here caused them to experience what we call the new birth—receiving the divine life (zoe). The disciples experienced new birth because of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). After His resurrection and our receiving the ‘zoe’ life, it is fulfilled that

Jesus and His disciples come from one source. We come from the Father, the source of life. Yet we must remember that Jesus’ relationship with the Father is unique; therefore He said, “My Father and your Father, My God and your God.”

Third, when Jesus first appeared to the disciples, Thomas was absent and did not believe their testimony. Only when Jesus appeared to him and Thomas saw the Lord did he believe. Therefore Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Fourth, the apostle John states the purpose of writing his gospel: that people may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing they may have life (zoe) in His name. Believing in Jesus means receiving the divine life (zoe). This is the central point of the Gospel of John.

We have emphasized that when we receive the ‘zoe’ life, it is still in the form of a seed and must grow. That is why John 10:10 states we must receive life in abundance—meaning in its full growth. If we compare these matters with the parables in Matthew—especially the parable of the sower, the wise and foolish virgins, the talents, and the wheat and tares—we know that in the process of the growth of ‘zoe’ in Christians, not all produce mature fruit. Therefore not all Christians are prepared and accepted to reign with Him in the coming age.

In Christianity there is a statement that contradicts this teaching: “Believe in Jesus and be born again, and you will surely go to heaven.” This statement is not supported by the whole teaching of the New Testament, even though it is believed by many Christians. Truly, believing in Jesus means receiving the seed of ‘zoe’, but whether this seed grows is another matter entirely. But the people of the kingdom, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom, understand these things.

Let us continue with the discussion of Jesus’ resurrection, specifically His three appearances to His disciples. In chapter 20, Jesus appeared twice—first to His disciples, then specifically to Thomas. Then in the final chapter of John, Jesus appeared a third time and spoke particularly about the future of Peter and John.

The third appearance begins with a miracle on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (21:1–14). After breakfast, Jesus began dealing with Simon Peter by asking him three times whether he loved Jesus. Then Jesus gave Simon the task of shepherding His sheep. Next, in his ministry Peter advised the elders (the leaders of the early church) to shepherd the flock of God with devotion, that is, not by compulsion but according to the will of God, not for dishonest gain, not by lording it over others, but by being examples (1 Peter 5:1–4). Then Jesus spoke about Peter’s future, saying that he would be taken to a place he did not want to go, and that Peter would die and glorify God (John 21:18–19).

In the closing section of the Gospel of John, Jesus reveals the future ministry of John, although He does not state it explicitly. The story begins when Peter asks Jesus about John’s future: “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21). Jesus’ answer indicates that Peter does not need to know or interfere with John’s future. But implicitly, Jesus shows that the apostle John would live a long life, and, if Jesus willed it, John might even remain alive until Jesus returned.

Let us briefly discuss the role of John in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. In explaining his role, the apostle John often uses the expression or concept of ‘threefold’ (three times). And if we observe the ministries of the apostles in proclaiming the kingdom of heaven, we find this threefold concept (a Trilogy): first, Peter, who proclaimed the kingdom of heaven to the Jews; second, Paul, who proclaimed the kingdom primarily to the Gentiles; and third, John, who proclaimed the kingdom to churches that had fallen due to the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3).

We know that according to tradition, Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome around A.D. 67 during the reign of Emperor Nero. In A.D. 70, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by General Titus, and the Jewish nation was scattered throughout the world. Israel had no state until 1948, when, with the help of Britain, the nation of Israel was re-established. However, when Jerusalem was destroyed, the apostle John had already left Jerusalem and resided in Asia Minor, traditionally in the city of Ephesus. Later, between A.D. 90–95, the apostle John wrote his Gospel, his three epistles, and the book of Revelation.

To understand all the writings of the apostle John, one must understand the condition of the churches in Asia Minor, where John ministered. The churches in John’s time were fundamentally different from those in the time of Peter and Paul. In the days of Peter and Paul, the churches had not yet fallen as they later did in John’s time. Although the churches in the time of Peter and Paul faced many challenges and weaknesses, both Peter and Paul still had fellowship (‘koinonia’) with the churches and still held spiritual authority over them.

This is very different from the time of John, when he no longer had fellowship (‘koinonia’) with the fallen churches in Asia Minor. John even experienced rejection from a church leader named Diotrephes. First John is a general letter addressed to the churches in Asia Minor so that whoever receives John’s message might have fellowship with him (1 John 1:3). If someone reads all of John’s writings but does not understand the fundamental differences between the churches in the days of Peter and Paul and those in the days of John, he will not understand John’s writings well. Nor will he understand the ‘threefold’ or Trilogy concept that frequently appears in all of John’s writings.

Thus is the future of the ministries of Peter and John, revealed through Jesus’ third appearance at the shore of the Sea of Tiberias.

We will now conclude this brief writing on the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of John. We have seen that the ‘main purpose’ of John in writing his Gospel is to highlight the Jewish religious leaders who rejected the good news of the kingdom of heaven. We have also seen the concept of ‘threefold’ or ‘Trilogy’, which explains the ministries of Peter, Paul, and John in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. As a conclusion, we need to elaborate on this ‘threefold’ or ‘Trilogy’ concept so that we can better understand the role of the apostle John in proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.

Why is this ‘Trilogy’ concept important for understanding the ministry of the apostle John? At least three reasons make this concept important. First, in the Christian world, especially in theological schools, the differences between the ministries of Peter and Paul and those of John are not discussed in detail. The New Testament theology books translated into Indonesian and commonly used in theological schools do not clearly explain the differences between the ministries of Peter, Paul, and John.

The New Testament Theology by Donald Guthrie presents NT theology thematically, much like systematic theology books. The NT theology books by Leon Morris and George Eldon Ladd begin to distinguish the ministries of Peter and Paul, but when describing John’s ministry, they categorize it under “general epistles.” Such explanations obscure the highly distinctive character of John’s ministry and writings compared to those of Peter and Paul.

Second, the NT theology explanations in the above books cause the fundamental differences between the churches in the time of Peter and Paul and those in the time of John to become invisible. As a result, it has become common for Christian leaders to refer to denominations as “churches.” This only shows that they do not understand John’s writings well.

Third, because John’s writings are not well understood, the main purpose of the Gospel of John—to highlight the Jewish religious leaders who rejected the good news of the kingdom of heaven—becomes completely overlooked. Consequently, the fact that denominational leaders also reject the good news of the kingdom of heaven is not properly understood.

Let us address briefly the concept of the ‘Trilogy’. In the dictionary, a trilogy means ‘a group of three plays, novels, operas, etc., to be performed or read in succession, each complete in itself but having a common subject’. Thus, a trilogy is a set of three works, complete individually but sharing a common theme. Applied to our topic—the ministries of Peter, Paul, and John—the trilogy refers to a group of three ministries: that of Peter, then Paul, and finally John. Each ministry is complete in itself, but they all share the same overarching theme. Their shared theme is the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN or the KINGDOM OF GOD, with Jesus Christ as the King of kings, and His chosen people (the people of the kingdom) as kings.

This Trilogy concept is what the apostle John presents to explain his unique ministry, which differs from that of Peter and Paul, even though all share the same theme—the kingdom of heaven. May the understanding of this Trilogy help us better understand John’s writings.

In closing, let us recall the words of the Lord Jesus: that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Peter is the WAY, who opened the door for the good news of the kingdom of heaven to be received by the Jews (his sermon on Pentecost) and also by the Gentiles (the case of Cornelius). Paul is the LIFE, for in his writings he emphasizes that Christ (the kingdom of Christ) within us is our Life (Colossians 3:4; Galatians 2:20). John is the TRUTH, for in proclaiming the kingdom of heaven there is a balance between truth and grace (John 1:17). Amen.