What Is the Actual Purpose of the Church?

Matthew 24:14 — The Mission That Defines the Church

After seeing the pattern of the early Church in Acts of the Apostles 2:42–47, a deeper question rises:

Why does the Church exist at all?

Is it:

• To gather believers?
• To create community?
• To worship together?

Yes… but those are not the ultimate purpose.

To understand the true purpose, we must listen to the words of

Jesus Christ Himself.

The Defining Statement

In Gospel of Matthew 24:14, Jesus makes a powerful declaration:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

This is not just a prophecy.

It is a mission statement.

A Purpose Bigger Than Gathering

Notice what Jesus did not say:

• He did not say, “When churches are built…”
• He did not say, “When believers gather every week…”
• He did not say, “When sermons are preached in buildings…”

He said:

“This gospel will be preached… to all nations.”

The focus is not inward.

It is radically outward.

Understanding “All Nations”

The word “nations” here is not about political countries.

It refers to ethne—people groups, tribes, cultures.

This means:

• Every language
• Every tribe
• Every unreached community

must hear the Gospel.

This aligns perfectly with the command in

Gospel of Matthew 28:18–20:

“Go and make disciples of all nations…”

The Church Exists for a Mission

This changes everything.

The Church is not an end in itself.

It is a means to an end.

It exists to:

• Proclaim the Gospel
• Make disciples
• Multiply into every people group

If we misunderstand this purpose, we risk:

• Building systems that maintain believers
• instead of
• Movements that multiply disciples

A Sobering Reflection

If Jesus tied His return to this mission:

“…and then the end will come”

Then we must ask:

• How much of our time is spent on this mission?
• How much of our resources are invested in reaching the unreached?
• How many disciples are we actually making?

Not just converts.

Not just attendees.

But disciple-makers.

Where Does Most Church Energy Go Today?

In many cases:

• Time is spent organizing services
• Money is spent maintaining structures
• Energy is spent running programs

None of these are inherently wrong.

But the real question is:

Do they serve the mission—or replace it?

The Early Church Alignment

In the book of Acts of the Apostles, we see something powerful:

• Believers were scattered—and the Gospel spread
• Ordinary people preached—not just leaders
• Churches multiplied rapidly—not centrally

They understood something critical:

The Church does not exist to gather people into one place…

but to send people into every place.

House Church and the Mission

This is where the house church becomes significant.

Why?

Because it naturally:

• Multiplies easily (no heavy structure required)
• Releases every believer (not just leaders)
• Penetrates communities (homes are everywhere)

It aligns with the mission of reaching:

• Neighborhoods
• Villages
• Cities
• Nations

A Necessary Shift

We must move from:

• Church as a destination
• to
• Church as a movement

From:

• Come and see
• to
• Go and tell

From:

• Addition
• to
• Multiplication

A Confronting Question

If your current model of church cannot realistically reach all nations…

Is it aligned with the mission Jesus gave?

The Core Truth

The purpose of the Church is not primarily:

• Comfort
• Routine
• Tradition

It is:

To ensure that every people group hears the Gospel of the Kingdom.

The Unfinished Task — A Global Reality Check

If the mission of the Church is to take the Gospel to all nations (ethne), then we must ask:

How close are we to finishing the assignment?

The answer is both sobering and urgent.

The Scale of the Unreached World

Today, the global reality is staggering:

• Over 3.3–3.5 billion people live in unreached people groups ()
• That is about 42% of the world’s population ()
• There are more than 7,000 unreached people groups worldwide ()

These are not just people who haven’t believed the Gospel…

These are people who have little to no access to it.

Many:

• Have never met a Christian
• Have no Bible in their language
• Have no church among them

In fact:

• 86% of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists do not personally know a Christian ()

Where Is the Greatest Need?

Most unreached people live in a region known as the 10/40 Window—

stretching from West Africa to East Asia.

This region contains:

• The highest concentration of unreached people
• The greatest spiritual darkness
• The least access to the Gospel

Over 95% of unreached people groups are located there ()

The Great Imbalance

Now comes the most confronting part.

While nearly half the world is unreached…

• Only 3% of missionaries are working among them ()
• About 98% of missionaries serve already reached areas ()
• Less than 1% of Christian giving goes to the unreached ()

Let that sink in.

The vast majority of resources are spent where the Gospel is already known…

while billions remain without access.

A Sobering Picture

In practical terms:

• There is roughly 1 missionary for every 216,000 unreached people ()
• Thousands of people groups still have no Scripture at all ()
• Entire generations are being born, living, and dying
• without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ

What This Means for the Church

This reveals something deeply important:

The issue is not lack of resources…

It is misalignment of focus.

The Church is active.

The Church is gathering.

The Church is spending.

But the question is:

Is the Church aligned with the mission of Jesus Christ?

A Necessary Awakening

If nearly half the world is still unreached…

Then the Church cannot afford to be:

• Comfortable
• Inward-focused
• Program-centered

We must become:

• Mission-driven
• Disciple-multiplying
• Globally conscious

Why This Matters for House Church

This is where the house church becomes not just a model…

but a strategy for finishing the mission.

Because:

• It multiplies rapidly
• It requires fewer resources
• It empowers every believer
• It can penetrate unreached communities easily

The traditional model often adds.

But the early Church—and house churches—multiply.

A Final Question

If:

• Billions are still unreached
• Resources are mostly spent elsewhere

Then we must ask:

Are we truly doing church in a way that can finish the mission?

Transition

Now that we have seen:

• The pattern (Acts 2)
• The purpose (Matthew 24:14)
• The urgency (global unreached reality)

The next question becomes unavoidable:

Why do we do what we do in church today?

And the answer may take us into history…

where we begin to uncover how the Church shifted from a movement

into a system. PART 3

Summary: Elohim has a plan to make humanity in His own likeness and image. For this purpose, He placed humans in the Garden of Eden to be processed through two trees: the Tree of Life, which symbolizes the Life of Christ, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which symbolizes the kind of “death” life ruled by the devil. Through a long process, humanity will ultimately become like Elohim in His likeness and image.

Call to Action: As believers, let us live the Life of Christ day by day so that we may grow to become like Him in His likeness and image.

Many Christians assume that when God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, they were already in His likeness and image. Then, when Adam and Eve fell into sin by disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge, God acted to save humanity by designing the redemption of Jesus on the cross. This view has been widely accepted in the Christian world for centuries.

The reasoning behind this view is that although God created Adam and Eve in His likeness and image, He gave them free will, allowing them to choose between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. Free will has become the basis for why this perspective is so popular and accepted as truth among Christians.

This concept of free will also forms the basis of the doctrine of the fall of the devil, who is said to have originally been a good angel, Lucifer (the morning star). Because of his free will, he rebelled against God and became the evil devil. There is even a belief that he persuaded a third of the angels in heaven to join him in rebellion against God.

I will not immediately refute this view. Instead, by explaining the plan of Elohim from the beginning to the end, we may begin to see how unusual this perspective actually is.

Let us begin by looking at Genesis 1:26–28: “Then Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So Elohim created man in His image; in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them. Then Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion…’” (ILT).

There are several points that show that Genesis 1:26–28 is still a plan—namely, the Father’s plan to make humanity in His image and likeness and to give them dominion over all things—and that Adam and Eve were not yet in that full likeness.

First, verse 27 uses the Hebrew word ‘bara’ (create), which is not in the past tense (completed action), but carries a present progressive sense — ‘is creating’, an ongoing process.

Second, Adam and Eve were still in a state of innocence (neither sinful nor holy). They had not eaten from the tree of life, which symbolizes the divine life (the holy character of Elohim), yet they had also not sinned by eating from the tree of knowledge. Thus, they were in a neutral condition—neither holy nor sinful.

Third, Adam and Eve did not yet know good and evil, so they were not yet like Him. Only after eating from the tree of knowledge was it said that they became “like one of Us” (Gen. 3:22).

Fourth, Genesis 1:26–28 is still a plan because the Father intended humanity to multiply and subdue the earth, while Adam and Eve in Eden were still in process.

Therefore, Genesis 1:26–28 represents Elohim’s plan: to create humanity in His image and likeness, to fill the earth, and to exercise dominion over all things.

We now understand that this plan applies to all humanity. Elohim’s intention is that all people become like Him and exercise dominion. Even from Genesis 1:26 alone, when Elohim says, “Let Us make man…,” it implies all humanity—not just a portion. However, let us consider further points.

First, the Bible teaches the concept of ‘headship’. This means that when one man is designated as the head, all his descendants are included in him. If the head is righteous, all are counted as righteous; if the head is sinful, all are counted as sinful. This principle is seen in Romans 5:18–19. Just as Adam, the first man, came from the dust, so all his descendants are from the dust. Scripture says that through one trespass all men were condemned, so through one act of righteousness all men receive justification of life (Romans 5:18). Thus, based on this principle, all will ultimately receive justification. All people will become citizens of heaven, just as Jesus, the head of the second humanity, is from heaven. Therefore, it is reasonable to understand ‘man’ in Genesis 1:26–28 as all humanity.

Second, consider Hebrews 2:6–9. Verses 6–8 describe how Elohim crowned man with glory and honor, placing him over the works of His hands and subjecting all things under his feet. The passage clearly refers to all humanity. Yet we do not yet see all things subjected to humanity. However, verse 9 says: “But we see Jesus… crowned with glory and honor… that He might taste death for everyone” (ILT). The Greek word translated ‘everyone’ is ‘pas’, meaning all, the whole, every kind—referring to all races and nations. These verses affirm that Jesus died for all humanity, so that all will ultimately be crowned with glory and honor. Elohim fulfills His plan through a process: first the firstfruits, then all humanity. Thus, Elohim’s plan is for all humanity to become like Him and to have dominion over all things.

We have seen that Genesis 1:26–28 is a plan and that it applies to all humanity. Next, we must understand that Elohim is a God of process. God does not work instantly. His plans are fulfilled through a process, as stated in Isaiah 55:11: ‘His word will accomplish what He desires’.

So what process did God use with Adam and Eve? He placed them in the Garden of Eden to undergo that process. God Himself placed the two trees in the garden and commanded them not to eat from the tree of knowledge. He also placed the serpent there as an instrument to test humanity.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed, was this outside God’s plan? According to Romans 8:20, creation was subjected to futility not by its own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it. This shows that Adam’s fall was not outside God’s plan. God designed it so that creation would experience futility. He had already prepared the sacrifice of the cross before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Nothing took God by surprise. He did not react suddenly to Adam’s fall. Everything happens according to His will—even a sparrow does not fall apart from the Father (Matthew 10:29). “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things…” (Romans 11:36).

Many Christians struggle to accept that Adam’s fall is part of God’s process. Why? Because of the belief in free will. They believe humans—and even the devil—have independent free will. I conclude this section by stating: if any creature truly has absolute free will, then God’s sovereignty would be limited. God cannot create a being whose will is beyond His control, for that would mean He ceases to be fully sovereign.

Previously we saw that Adam’s fall is part of God’s process. Now, let us examine the serpent in Eden. Genesis 3:1 states: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field…” The serpent spoke and tempted Eve. After being cursed, it was said to eat dust all its life. Clearly, this is not an ordinary physical snake.

This serpent is the same as the “dragon” in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. The book of Revelation uses symbolic language. The dragon is called the “ancient serpent” (archaios), meaning original or from the beginning. Thus, this dragon is the same serpent in Genesis—and this serpent or dragon is the devil, or Satan.

Then, Genesis 3:1 affirms that the serpent was MADE BY GOD, meaning that God Himself created the devil. Therefore, the serpent or the devil was not a being who was originally good and then, by his own free will, made himself evil. Both John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8 affirm that the devil has been sinning, a liar, and a murderer from the beginning—not that he was once good and later became evil by his own free will.

Theologians often quote Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to prove that the devil was originally a good angel named Lucifer, who then became proud, fell, and turned into the devil. This interpretation is a serious violation of the principle of context, because the context of Isaiah 14 is the king of Babylon, while the context of Ezekiel 28 is the king of Tyre. On what authority do these theologians take verses out of context and apply them to the devil? If we arbitrarily pick verses out of context, perhaps I too could create a story about the devil that is even more dramatic than those of these great theologians…

However, I understand that the motive behind these “theologians’ tales” is an attempt to absolve God of responsibility for the existence of evil, sin, disease, calamity, and disasters in this world. They believe that God, who is love, could not possibly create suffering and catastrophe in the universe. We need not concern ourselves with what these theologians say—whoever they are—because Amos 3:6 says, “…Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done it?” Likewise, Isaiah 45:6–7 says, “…I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.”

Have we seen this important principle—that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him? If we grasp this principle, then we can easily understand the process God uses to make humans in His image and likeness.

Before continuing, let us briefly review what we have discussed. First, Genesis 1:26–28 is still the Father’s plan to make humanity in His image and likeness and to give them dominion over all things. Second, this plan includes all humanity. Third, the Father began this process by placing humans in the Garden of Eden, providing two trees, and also the serpent to test them. In the previous writing, we discussed that the serpent is the devil created by God as His instrument in the process of shaping humans into His likeness. Now, we will discuss a bit more about the serpent or the devil, because many Christians wonder how a loving Father could create such a cruel and wicked being.

I will attempt to explain this by looking at nature, because Jesus often used nature to explain His teachings. For example, He said, “consider the birds of the air,” and “consider the lilies.” Paul also said that nature itself teaches that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair. Thus, the physical universe was not created carelessly or randomly. It was designed in such a way that it can illustrate spiritual realities.

Let us consider the experiment conducted by Isaac Newton (1642–1727). Using a prism, Newton demonstrated that sunlight can be broken down into a spectrum of colors, from red to violet. If we apply this natural phenomenon to the idea of a loving Father who created the devil, the analogy would be something like this: the Father, who is love, is like sunlight. Yet this light of love is refracted into forgiveness, provision, goodness, and so on. But it does not stop there—there is also discipline, correction, even wrath, and so on. The devil was created as an instrument to carry out this wrath. Throughout the Bible, there are examples of how God uses the devil to execute discipline or judgment upon individuals. Saul, David, and Job are good examples, though we will not explore them further here.

Thus, the serpent or the devil was created as God’s instrument in the process of shaping humanity into His image and likeness. I must again address the concept of free will, which many believe to be true, even though the Bible does not support it. This concept greatly disturbs people’s understanding and even their knowledge of God Himself. Let us look at Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” Paul said this to unbelievers in Athens while preaching the gospel. Yet he clearly stated that ‘we live, move, and exist’ IN HIM. He is the One who causes us to live, move, and exist. Once again, ‘we’ here refers not only to believers, but to ALL HUMANITY. And Paul says that every human being is God’s offspring (Greek: ‘genos’, meaning generation or origin). Not only humans come from Him—even the devil comes from Him and was created with a purpose.

Therefore, there is no free will. People live, move, and make decisions entirely under God’s control. Nothing exists outside His control—even the devil can only act if God permits it. This should be clear, and in the next writing we will discuss the two trees placed in the Garden of Eden as part of God’s process.

There is still one more matter to address before discussing the two trees: creation itself. If someone believes in the doctrine of ‘creatio ex nihilo’, it will be difficult to understand this theme. Unfortunately, this doctrine has been widely accepted and taught in theological schools and is believed by almost all Christians as truth. According to L. Berkhof (author of Systematic Theology, widely used in seminaries, especially among Evangelicals), Augustine (354–430), recognized as a Church Father, strongly supported this doctrine.

This doctrine asserts that creation comes from nothing into something. Let us examine Romans 4:17: “…calls into existence the things that do not exist.” The Greek word translated ‘calls’ is ‘kaleo’, which appears 148 times in the New Testament and is never translated as ‘create’. It means to call, name, invite, or summon. Therefore, Romans 4:17 does not support ‘creatio ex nihilo’. In fact, it speaks about Abraham’s faith in a living God who can call or move things—even mountains—from one place to another.

However, Hebrews 11:3 does speak about creation: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was made from what is not visible.” The word ‘formed’ comes from the Greek ‘katartizo’, meaning to create, prepare, or arrange. Thus, creation is making something visible from something invisible. What is visible is the universe; what is invisible is God. Therefore, creation is the visible coming from the invisible God. Romans 11:36 affirms: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things…”.

Creation does not come from ‘nothing’, but from the invisible God. It is as if God Himself is the “substance,” and everything originates from Him. This is not pantheism, which fails to distinguish between Creator and creation. Rather, creation EXISTS IN HIM. God does not dwell in the universe; the universe dwells in Him. Everything exists in Him. That is why the Bible says not a single bird falls outside the Father’s will. Everything is within His will and under His control. Therefore, THERE IS NO FREE WILL. The concept of free will comes from philosophers who nearly deny God as Creator.

What, then, is the connection between God’s plan and creation? Because everything exists in Him, moves because of Him, and lives because of Him, His plan must succeed. It is impossible for God to cast away His creation into eternal hell. The doctrine of eternal hell also comes from Augustine…

If I make a chair, that chair exists OUTSIDE of me. If I no longer like it, I can throw it away. But God’s creation is not like that. The heavenly Father loves His creation deeply because it exists within Him. It is impossible that God would create humans and then, because of their rebellion through so-called free will, cast them into eternal hell. That is a foolish tale of theologians—yet sadly believed by most Christians.

Let us stop here for now… may we discard the concept of ‘creatio ex nihilo’ so that we can more easily receive the truth of God’s plan.

Now we turn to the two trees in the Garden of Eden as God’s method of shaping humanity. The Bible often likens humans to trees, especially in the Psalms. For example, Psalm 1:1–3 describes a person who delights in the law of the Lord as a tree planted by streams of water. Likewise, Psalm 148:9 calls fruit trees and cedars to praise the Lord—clearly referring to people.

In the Garden of Eden there were two trees: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. Genesis 2:17 says, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat… for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The Hebrew phrase for ‘surely die’ is ‘mut tamut’. This cannot be translated simply as ‘die’. It implies a double sense: ‘dying, you shall die’. This means that the moment Adam ate the fruit, he immediately entered into a state of death—a kind of life that leads to physical death. ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). Many Christians think this refers only to physical death, but it does not. Death here refers to a kind of life dominated by the devil (Hebrews 2:14), which eventually results in physical death. Thus, Adam’s sin brought a life dominated by death, which ultimately led to physical death—930 years later.

Therefore, the tree of knowledge represents a life of death under the control of the devil. Adam and Eve became like that tree—living according to their knowledge of good and evil.

What, then, does the tree of life represent? Jesus said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven… whoever eats of this bread will live forever.” The word ‘life’ here is ‘zoe’, the kind of life that God Himself has. Thus, the tree of life represents the life of God—‘zoe’. Whoever partakes of this tree becomes a ‘zoe-human’, living out this divine life daily. And through this ‘zoe’ life, one can truly know God (John 17:3).

If that is the case, did Adam need to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to become in His likeness and image? The answer is yes—Adam needed to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, because by eating it he became like “…one of Us…” (Genesis 3:22). This expression, “one of Us,” indicates that Adam also needed to eat the fruit of the tree of life in order to become in His likeness and image. When Jesus came, He gave ‘zoe’ life to those who believe (John 10:10). Therefore, Adam needed to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge and also the fruit of the tree of life in order to become in His likeness and image.

This is the process the Father carries out in humanity so that they may become in His likeness and image—by eating from both trees in the Garden of Eden. The next writing will explain why humanity must eat from the tree of knowledge and the tree of life.

Now we will discuss why humanity needs to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to be processed into the likeness and image of Elohim. First, because this is the will of the Father. Romans 8:20 affirms that “…the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope” (ILT). If so, why did God forbid Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, while He Himself designed Adam’s fall? The Father’s purpose in all this is that Adam and all his descendants might experience the kind of life of death symbolized by the tree of knowledge. This kind of life of death stands in contrast to the life that Jesus would give to every believer (John 10:10). This life of death is under the dominion of the devil (Hebrews 2:14). Adam and all his descendants needed to experience the bitterness of living a life of death under the dominion of the devil in order to know the sweetness of the life (zoe) given by Jesus, which is symbolized by the tree of life.

A person cannot know sweetness without first knowing bitterness. One cannot understand happiness without experiencing suffering. In fact, happiness cannot truly be called happiness without its opposite—suffering. That is why God created something as the counterpart to Life (the tree of life), namely the tree of knowledge. Therefore, the Father’s purpose in designing Adam’s fall was so that Adam and all his descendants, through that fall, might come to know Life, and in turn become in His likeness and image.

Second, humanity that is in His likeness and image is humanity that possesses authority and is able to subdue all things, as God commanded (Genesis 1:28). The Hebrew term translated ‘subdue’ is ‘kabash’, meaning ‘to tread down’. This implies that there is an enemy to be trampled. Romans 16:20 states, “…crush Satan under your feet…”. How can humanity subdue and trample the devil if they do not know and experience the life of death in which the devil has authority? Humanity must first live under the life of death ruled by the devil, and then overcome it (trample it) through the authority of the life of Christ. Thus the Word of God is fulfilled: Life swallows up death, and light dispels darkness.

Third, humanity in His likeness and image is humanity that understands and experiences the freedom of the glory of the sons of Elohim (Romans 8:21). Indeed, this is the Father’s plan: to place humanity under futility and under the bondage of the devil. Humanity eats from the tree of knowledge and becomes enslaved to the devil, but then Jesus comes to set humanity free, so that humanity may become in the likeness and image of Elohim.

This is the process humanity must go through by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge in order to become in the likeness and image of Elohim. We have also emphasized that humanity must eat from both trees in the Garden of Eden. The next writing will explain how humanity can eat the fruit of the tree of life.

We have discussed why humanity needs to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to be processed into the likeness and image of Elohim. Now we will explain why humanity must also eat the fruit of the tree of life to be processed into His likeness and image. But first, we will briefly discuss the meaning of being in His likeness and image.

Genesis 1:26 states, “…Let Us make man in Our image (TSELEM) and according to Our likeness (DEMUTH)…”. The Hebrew term TSELEM, translated ‘image’, means ‘representative figure’, that is, ‘to represent’. Humanity as the image of Elohim means that humanity represents God on this earth. Meanwhile, DEMUTH, translated ‘likeness’, refers to the resemblance between two things. When paired with TSELEM, DEMUTH carries an important theological meaning: humanity (male and female), as DEMUTH, shares with Elohim in ruling over creation and in multiplication. Just as Elohim creates, so humanity can also “create” in the sense of multiplying or producing offspring. This is what it means to be in His likeness and image: to represent God on earth and to multiply.

We have understood that the two trees in the Garden of Eden symbolize two kinds of life. The tree of knowledge represents the life of death under the dominion of the devil, while the tree of life represents the life of ‘zoe’. This ‘zoe’ is in His Son; whoever has the Son has life. Jesus clearly said, “I am the Life (zoe)…”. For humanity to become in His likeness and image, they must possess the same kind of life that Elohim has—‘zoe’. In fact, humanity cannot truly know Him unless they live the same kind of life as He does. John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life (zoe), that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (ILT). Therefore, humanity must eat the fruit of the tree of life in order to know Him and become in His likeness and image.

What we must always remember is that Jesus Himself is the ‘zoe’ (Life), and He is the One symbolized by the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. However, this life could not be given by Jesus unless He died. Jesus said, “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). The death of Jesus was planned by the Father even before the foundation of the world—“…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Young’s Literal). Jesus came into the world to give Life (John 10:10).

How can all humanity eat the fruit of the tree of life? This is what we will now discuss. We know that the tree of life in the Garden of Eden symbolizes Jesus Christ, the Son of Elohim, in whom is ‘zoe’. We also know that Jesus had to die, rise again, and sit at the right hand of the Father in order to give His Life. I Corinthians 15:45 says, “…the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit” (ILT). John 10:10 also affirms, “…I have come that they may have life (zoe), and have it abundantly.” “Having it abundantly” does not speak of material abundance at all, but of the growth of ‘zoe’. The life given by Jesus to believers is initially a “seed” that must grow to maturity. That is why Jesus, as the life-giving Spirit, continually imparts His Life so that it may grow within believers and reach its fullness. This is what it means to “have life (zoe) abundantly.”

This life enables believers to know Elohim and to become in His likeness and image. Jesus as the Son of Man is the perfect human in His likeness and image. As a man, Jesus died and tasted death for all humanity (Hebrews 2:9). As the One in His likeness and image, He experienced death and overcame it through His resurrection. But we, as His chosen people, are still undergoing the process of becoming in His likeness and image. We are being shaped so that His Life overcomes “death” within us. We are still in the process of overcoming death. Even our physical bodies will surely die (Romans 8:10). But in due time, we will overcome death, receive a new body like Jesus, and be revealed to all creation. This is the moment when the sons of Elohim are manifested (Romans 8:19).

For what purpose will the sons of Elohim—those who are already in His likeness and image—be revealed to all creation? Romans 8:19–21 answers: “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). This clearly affirms that the revealed sons of Elohim will liberate all creation from the bondage of corruption. Those who have first become in His likeness and image will bring freedom to all humanity, so that all may become in His likeness and image. Thus the plan of Elohim is fulfilled: “…Let Us make man (all humanity) in Our image and likeness…” (Genesis 1:26).

In the end, all humanity will eat the fruit of the tree of life. Jesus said that whoever eats Him will have Life within (John 6:53–54). He also said in John 12:32, “I will draw all people to Myself.” However, in this present age, Jesus does not draw everyone yet. In this age, He draws only His chosen people who will be revealed to all creation, as written in Romans 8:19–21. But ultimately, all people will come to Jesus and eat the fruit of the tree of life, becoming in His likeness and image. Hallelujah.

What Do You Do at Church?

Before we define what a house church is… before we defend it… before we even describe it—

let’s slow down and ask some honest, uncomfortable, and deeply revealing questions.

Not to criticize.

Not to condemn.

But to awaken.

Because sometimes the greatest barrier to truth is not ignorance…

it is assumption.

Thought-Provoking Questions

Take a moment. Don’t rush. Reflect deeply.

1. What do you actually do when you go to church? Is it participation… or observation?
2. What is the true purpose of the Church? Is it gathering… or going?
3. Why do you do what you do when you go to church? Is it Scripture-based… or tradition-shaped?
4. What do you expect to happen as a result of attending church? Information… or transformation?
5. What percentage of your church is fully engaged in serving the Lord? Is it a body… or an audience?
6. Who does most of the work in your church? The many… or the few?
7. How do you attract people to your church? Programs… or power?
8. What is your vision for your church? Growth in numbers… or multiplication of disciples?
9. How do you train leaders—and what happens after they are trained? Do they sit… or are they sent?
10. How is leadership structured in your church? Is it hierarchical… or servant-based?
11. If someone fully funded a new church for you, what would you need? A building? Equipment? Staff? Or something else?

A Different Kind of Learning

These questions are not meant to be answered quickly.

They are meant to unsettle you—in the best way possible.

The early Church did not begin with buildings, budgets, or branding.

It began with people who encountered Jesus and were transformed.

In Acts of the Apostles, we see something radically different from what many experience today:

• People were devoted, not just present
• They were participating, not spectating
• They were sharing life, not attending events
• They were multiplying, not maintaining

And perhaps the most challenging truth of all:

They did not need most of what we think is essential today.

Why Start with Questions?

Because questions expose foundations.

When you ask:

• Why do we do this?
• Where did this come from?
• Is this in Scripture?

You begin to uncover whether your understanding of church is built on:

• Biblical revelation, or
• Cultural adaptation

This is exactly how Jesus taught.

Jesus Christ often asked questions that forced people to think deeply, examine their hearts, and confront truth for themselves.

The Journey Ahead

In the sections that follow, we will not rush to conclusions.

Instead, we will:

1. Return to Scripture
2. Examine each question carefully
3. Compare our current practices with biblical patterns
4. Rediscover God’s original design for His Church

We will explore passages like:

• Acts 2:42–47
• Matthew 24:14
• Matthew 28:18–20
• Ephesians 4:11–13
• 1 Corinthians 12

Not to gather information…

but to recover transformation.

A Gentle but Honest Warning

If you walk this journey sincerely, you may discover that:

• Some things you assumed were essential… are not
• Some things you overlooked… are central
• Some practices you defend… are not found in Scripture

And that can feel uncomfortable.

But it is also liberating.

Because truth does not destroy the Church—

it restores it.

Transition

So before we define house church,

before we defend its structure or model…

Let’s answer the most important question first:

What does God say His Church is supposed to be?

Let begin with the early believers in Acts—and carefully examine what they actually did.

Acts 2:42–47 — The Blueprint of the Early Church

In Acts of the Apostles 2:42–47, we encounter the purest expression of the Church after the coming of the Holy Spirit.

*“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

All the believers were together and had everything in common.

They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad

Before we build anything new…

we must return to what was original.

Not the modern church model.

Not denominational systems.

Not inherited traditions.

But the first expression of the Church—fresh, pure, Spirit-birthed.

The Foundational Text

In Acts of the Apostles 2:42–47, we are not given a theory…

we are given a living picture.

A Church not organized around a building—

but around Jesus Christ.

A Living Snapshot of the Early Church

This passage describes ordinary people…

living an extraordinary life together.

Let’s walk through it slowly.

1. “They Devoted Themselves…” — A Life of Total Commitment

The passage begins with a powerful phrase:

“They devoted themselves…”

This was not casual Christianity.

This was not occasional attendance.

This was intentional, continuous, wholehearted pursuit.

They were not consumers of spiritual content.

They were participants in a shared life.

What Were They Devoted To?

Four pillars define the early Church:

• The Apostles’ Teaching
• Fellowship
• Breaking of Bread
• Prayer

Let’s examine each one deeply.

2. The Apostles’ Teaching — More Than Listening

Today, teaching is often reduced to sermon listening.

But in the early Church, teaching meant:

• Impartation of life
• Obedience-based learning
• Transformation, not information

When Jesus Christ taught His disciples, He did not say, “Listen and take notes.”

He said, “Follow Me.”

The apostles continued this model.

👉 Teaching was:

• Discussed
• Practiced
• Reproduced

Question to reflect:

Are believers trained to obey, or just to know?

3. Fellowship — Shared Life, Not Social Time

The word “fellowship” (koinonia) means deep partnership in life.

This goes far beyond:

• Greeting each other on Sunday
• Casual conversations after service

It means:

• Walking through struggles together
• Sharing burdens
• Living in spiritual and practical unity

In many settings today, fellowship is an event.

In Acts, fellowship was a lifestyle.

4. Breaking of Bread — More Than a Ritual

This included:

• Regular meals in homes
• The Lord’s Supper
• Celebrations of Christ’s finished work

It was not:

• A monthly ritual
• A symbolic act detached from daily life

It was:

• Relational
• Frequent
• Integrated into everyday living

Meals became moments of:

• Teaching
• Healing
• Unity

The table was central—not the stage.

5. Prayer — A Culture, Not a Program

Prayer was not scheduled once a week.

It was:

• Constant
• Corporate
• Expectant

Because of this, something powerful happened:

“Everyone was filled with awe…”

God’s presence was not theoretical.

It was tangible.

6. Power and Presence — The Natural Outcome

The text says:

“Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”

This was not manufactured.

There were:

• No marketing strategies
• No event promotions

Just a people:

• Devoted to God
• Yielded to the Spirit

And God moved.

7. Radical Generosity — A Different Economy

One of the most challenging aspects:

“They had everything in common…

They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”

This was not forced socialism.

It was love-driven generosity.

Their mindset was:

• “What is mine is yours”
• Not:
• “Protect what is mine”

Why?

Because their identity had shifted from ownership… to stewardship.

8. Daily Life Together — Not Weekly Gatherings

“Every day they continued to meet together…”

Church was not:

• Once a week
• One location
• One event

It was:

• Daily
• Relational
• Decentralized

They met:

• In homes
• In public spaces

Life and faith were integrated.

9. Joy and Simplicity — The Atmosphere of the Church

“They ate together with glad and sincere hearts…”

There was:

• Joy
• Authenticity
• Simplicity

No performance.

No pressure to impress.

Just real people living real faith.

10. Evangelism — A Natural Overflow

“And the Lord added to their number daily…”

Growth was not:

• Engineered
• Forced
• Program-driven

It was:

• Organic
• Spirit-led

People were drawn not by:

• Advertising
• But by:
• Authentic transformed lives

A Powerful Contrast

The house church is not a new idea.

It is a return.

A return to:

• Simplicity
• Participation
• Multiplication
• Spirit-led living

It removes unnecessary structures…

and restores biblical function.

A Confronting Question

If we removed:

• Buildings
• Budgets
• Programs

Would what remains still look like the Church in Acts?

Transition

Now that we have seen the pattern…

the next question becomes unavoidable:

What is the actual purpose of the Church?

In the next section, we will explore:

👉 Matthew 24:14 — The Mission That Defines the Church

And you may discover that the Church is not primarily about gathering…

but about finishing a global assignment. Part 2

Summary: The fall of humanity caused the glory of Elohim to diminish or be lost.

Call to action: As believers, let us do everything for His glory.Our theme at this time is the glory of Elohim.

This is an important theme found throughout the entire Bible, from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. The Hebrew term ‘kabod’, meaning ‘glory’, appears about 200 times in the Old Testament. The translators of the Old Testament (Hebrew) into the New Testament (Greek) chose the term ‘doxa’ to translate ‘kabod’.

In Greek culture, the term ‘doxa’ originally referred to the ‘opinion’ others held regarding a person’s actions and achievements. A high opinion or high regard would elevate someone above others, and this became the goal of many Greeks—to be glorified and praised by others. However, the meaning of ‘doxa’ changed when it was used to translate ‘kabod’. It no longer referred merely to human opinion but came to signify glory related to the personal revelation of Elohim. The term ‘doxa’ appears 166 times in the New Testament.

Let us begin by exploring the meaning of ‘kabod’ in the Old Testament. We will use the ‘first mention principle’, which holds that the first occurrence of a concept in the Bible carries a foundational meaning that remains consistent throughout Scripture. Although the term ‘kabod’ first appears in Genesis 31:1, its ‘demonstration’ appears much earlier.

Consider Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory (‘doxa’) of Elohim” (ILT). Therefore, to understand ‘kabod’, we must examine the ‘demonstration’ of humanity’s first fall in the Garden of Eden. By understanding this, we will grasp the meaning of ‘kabod’. According to the first mention principle, this meaning becomes the foundational meaning, while later occurrences only expand or complete it.

Now let us look at Genesis 2:25: “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Meanwhile, Philippians 1:20 states: “My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed in anything, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” In this verse, Paul connects ‘shame’ with the matter of Christ being glorified through his bodily suffering. Through Paul’s suffering, Christ is magnified and glorified. Because Christ is glorified through both his life and death, Paul is not ashamed.

However, Adam and Eve, who were not ashamed of their nakedness before, became ashamed after they fell into sin. From this, we conclude that their shame resulted from sin and from falling short of the glory of Elohim. Nakedness itself was not a problem as long as the glory of Elohim ‘covered’ them. But after they sinned and lost that glory, they experienced shame.

From this ‘demonstration’ of the fall, we understand that when a person is filled with the glory (kabod) of Elohim, they will not feel or experience shame. Therefore, the basic meaning of ‘kabod’ (of Elohim) is a ‘quality’ or ‘presence’ of Elohim that causes a person to be free from shame.

Let us continue examining the fall in Eden. Genesis 3:7 says: “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Before the fall, humans had no awareness of their naked condition. The knowledge they gained from eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil gave them an awareness of themselves—what we call ‘conscience’. The function of conscience is to inform humans about good and evil.

Paul speaks about a pure, clean, and renewed conscience (1 Timothy 1:5; 1:18–19; 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). But he also warns about a conscience that has been “seared with a hot iron,” becoming insensitive and impure because it pays attention to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1–2).

We see that Adam and Eve’s conscience, after being deceived by Satan, caused them to no longer look at the glory of God but instead focus on themselves. This opened the way for Satan to accuse them regarding their naked condition. In reality, their nakedness was not a problem as long as they beheld the glory of God.

Next, Adam and Eve acted on their own to cover their shame and nakedness by making coverings from fig leaves. God was not pleased with this action. Therefore, Elohim made garments of animal skin to cover them (Genesis 3:21). Here we see that an animal was sacrificed, which many scholars believe symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

We know that the glory of Elohim is seen in the face of Christ, and that Christ is the image of Elohim (2 Corinthians 4:4,6). Thus, when Elohim clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins, it was an act of covering their shame and nakedness with the glory of Elohim.

What, then, do the fig leaves represent? Clearly, they symbolize human glory. They also represent religion—human effort to cover nakedness. Religion is knowledge of good and evil, originating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve used religion as a ‘covering’ to replace the lost glory of Elohim.

Now let us consider: did Jesus come to establish the Christian religion? Jesus said He came so that humanity might have life (‘zoe’), symbolized by the tree of life (John 10:10). He did not come to teach knowledge of good and evil (religion), because only Elohim is truly good. He came to give His life. In other words, Jesus came as the ‘garment of skin’ to cover the loss of Elohim’s glory caused by sin. The solution to humanity’s fall is the ‘garment’ of Elohim’s glory.

As we conclude this section, let us reflect: has Christianity become a religion? Those who observe carefully will recognize that it has. Human glory produced by false teachings—Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans—has become a kind of ‘covering’ that hides spiritual nakedness.

We have seen that the result of the fall is the loss of Elohim’s glory. We have also seen Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their shame with fig leaves, representing human glory, in contrast to the garments of skin, which symbolize Christ’s sacrifice and glory. Fig leaves represent religion—human effort to cover nakedness. Religion, born from the knowledge of good and evil, is essentially human glory covering human shame.

Now let us consider Christianity. If Jesus did not come to bring a religion, where did the Christian religion come from? Revelation chapters 2 and 3 help explain this. The churches addressed by the apostle John had already changed in ‘nature’ from the early church of Peter and Paul. In the time of Peter and Paul, although the church faced many challenges, there was no call to ‘the one who overcomes’ as found in Revelation 2–3. This indicates that the earlier church had not yet fallen from its original nature. It was still an organism led directly by the Holy Spirit. That is why the Book of Acts contains around 70 expressions such as ‘led by the Spirit’, ‘the Spirit said’, ‘the Spirit forbade’, and ‘filled with the Spirit’.

However, the churches in Revelation 2–3 had changed in nature due to three false teachings: Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. Briefly:

* The teaching of Jezebel justifies the usurpation of the Spirit’s authority by leaders.

* The teaching of the Nicolaitans justifies leaders dominating God’s people, dividing the church into ‘laity’ and ‘clergy’.

* The teaching of Balaam justifies leaders exploiting and profiting from the people of God.

These teachings transformed the church from a Spirit-led organism into thousands of denominations led by human leaders. This shift marks the transformation of Christianity from a life of fully following Christ into a system where people follow leaders, movements, or denominations. This is why Christianity can be called a religion today.

Religious leaders naturally receive human glory—at least from their followers—and this glory is outward. This contrasts with the inward glory described by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.

Let us continue examining this contrast. The first appearance of ‘kabod’ in Genesis 31:1 refers to Jacob’s material wealth. Thus, ‘kabod’ can refer either to the glory of Elohim or to human glory—such as wealth, splendor, or outward appearance.

Now we will discuss “human glory” as obtained by religious (Christian) leaders, and the inward glory explained by Paul in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Paul explains about himself and his ministry because there were some false teachers who preached another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4).

Paul uses several terms/expressions to describe his ministry, which he received based on the mercy of Elohim (II Corinthians 3:6–9). We will look at some of them. First, the ministry of the New Covenant. Paul explains the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. It is emphasized that the New Covenant does not consist of written law, but of the Spirit. The written law kills, but the Spirit gives life. This ministry of the New Covenant is an “inward ministry,” because it is not focused on outward and external things. This ministry is focused on how a person’s inner being is renewed day by day through the work of the life-giving Spirit.

Second, Paul uses the term ‘ministry of the Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:8). This ministry of the Spirit is contrasted with the ministry of the Old Covenant that leads to death. This ministry that leads to death was accompanied by the ‘glory of Elohim’, which was reflected on the face of its servant, Moses, so that the Israelites could not endure looking at it. Paul affirms that if the ministry that leads to death was accompanied by such glory of Elohim, how much more the glory of Elohim that accompanies the ministry of the Spirit. However, the glory of the ministry of the Spirit is an inward glory, ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’.

Therefore, the ‘glory of Elohim’ that accompanies the ministry of the Spirit is not reflected on Paul’s face in such a way that the Corinthian believers could not bear to look at him. Why was the glory of Elohim reflected on Moses’ face so that the Israelites could not endure looking at him? This is because the ministry of the Spirit is an “inward ministry”, whereas the ministry of Moses was an “outward ministry.” The glory of Elohim that accompanies the ministry of the Spirit resides within the inner being of its servant. Of course, there were those who could see the glory of Elohim radiating from within Paul. But those who could see it were surely those who also had the glory of Elohim within them.

Now, let us look at the glory of man that radiates within Christianity. We will take the example of the church in Laodicea to explain human glory within fallen churches. Revelation 3:17 states, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Why did the church in Laodicea not realize that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked? This is because they saw the glory of man that they possessed. However, the Lord saw the glory of Elohim within their inner being.

The seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2–3) represent churches throughout the ages, where the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans have been widely accepted. His chosen people can certainly discern the difference between the glory of Elohim and the glory of man within a Christianity that has become merely a religion.

We have discussed the demonstration of the glory of Elohim in the case of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. From this demonstration, we understand that if a person is filled with the glory (kabod) of Elohim, then they will not feel or experience shame. Therefore, the basic meaning of kabod (Elohim) is a ‘quality’ or ‘being’ of Elohim that causes a person not to feel shame. In fact, the root meaning of the term ‘kabod’ is ‘heaviness’, ‘weight’, or ‘worthiness’. This root meaning is figurative language referring to a person’s value or worth.

Let us continue by looking at the demonstration of the glory of Elohim in the case of Moses. We will not cover all occurrences of ‘kabod’ in Moses’ story, but we will consider three aspects related to the glory of Elohim.

First, in the event of the golden calf. Exodus 33:18–23 states, “Please show me Your glory… you cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live… you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” From this we learn that humans cannot see the glory of Elohim in the full manifestation of His presence. Even Moses could only see “His back.” That is why Paul says that He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16).

Second, in worship. Leviticus 9:6 states, “…this is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do, and the glory of the LORD will appear to you.” Here Moses instructed Aaron and his sons to minister in the tent of meeting according to the commands of the Lord. The manifestation of God’s glory often appeared as a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17). When Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire, which He had not commanded, they died before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1). From this we learn that worship must be according to His command so that His glory does not consume His servants.

Third, concerning the Tabernacle. Exodus 40:34 states, “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Likewise, Leviticus 16:2 says that Aaron must not enter the Most Holy Place at just any time… “for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.” The cloud of Elohim’s glory was above the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place. Therefore, the glory of Elohim was in the Most Holy Place. Aaron, as High Priest, could only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 30:10).

Let us apply this. When Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem, He found people trading in the temple courts (Matthew 21:12). The Jewish leaders conducted trade in the outer courts, not in the Most Holy Place. That is why Revelation 11:2 says the outer court is given to the nations to be trampled.

In the context of Christianity, where the teaching of Balaam (commercialization in the church) has become widespread, we understand that such practices cannot occur in the Most Holy Place, where the glory of Elohim dwells. If by God’s grace we move from the outer court into the Most Holy Place, following our High Priest Jesus Christ according to the order of Melchizedek, then we will not engage in such practices in our ministry.

Now let us consider the demonstration of the glory of Elohim in the salvation of Israel as a nation. Exodus 14:4 says, “I will gain honor over Pharaoh… and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” Here we see the connection between Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the glory of the Lord. God revealed His glory through mighty acts.

After Israel’s rebellion in the incident of the twelve spies, Numbers 14:22–23 declares that those who had seen His glory and miracles but tested Him repeatedly would not enter the promised land. Again, we see that Israel’s salvation is closely tied to the glory of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1–2 declares that although darkness covers the earth, the glory of the Lord rises upon His people. Not only Israel, but also the nations are brought to God through His glory (Zechariah 2:5–11). Thus, salvation is closely connected to the glory of the Lord. This aligns with the earlier discussion of Adam and Eve—Christ, as the radiance of Elohim’s glory (Hebrews 1:3), covers human shame.

Applying this to the church, Israel symbolizes the church. Just as Israel’s salvation is tied to the glory of Elohim, so is the church’s salvation. Paul explains salvation in Romans: justification by faith (chapters 1–5:11), sanctification by faith (5:12–7), and glorification by faith (chapter 8).

In Christianity today, ‘glorification by faith’ is rarely preached, though it is the climax of salvation. If salvation is preached only as justification, it is incomplete. True salvation culminates when we are glorified with Christ at His coming, and creation itself is set free into the glorious liberty of the children of Elohim (Romans 8:19–21).

Finally, let us consider the case of the Ark being captured by the Philistines and the departure of God’s glory in Ezekiel. In 1 Samuel 4, Israel brought the Ark into battle, but instead suffered defeat; 30,000 soldiers died, and the Ark was captured. Eli died upon hearing the news, and Phinehas’ wife named her son Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel’. This teaches us that humans cannot force the presence and glory of Elohim according to their own will. His servants must follow His ways for His glory to be present.

In Ezekiel, after idolatry filled the temple, the glory of the Lord gradually departed (Ezekiel 10:18; 11:23). This shows that idolatry will surely cause the glory of the Lord to leave His dwelling place.

Let us apply the two cases above concerning the ‘glory of Elohim’ to the context of the seven churches described in Revelation 2–3. Consider Revelation 2:14, regarding the false teaching of Balaam: “…there are some who hold to the teaching of Balaam…so that they eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.” Likewise, concerning the teaching of Jezebel: “…you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and deceives My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20). Note that the false teachings of Balaam and Jezebel have caused ‘idol offerings’ to enter the church. In such a condition, it is not surprising that the ‘glory of the Lord’ departs from the churches described in Revelation 2–3.

Many Christians, including Bible teachers, do not pay attention to the false teachings of Jezebel and Balaam, even though these teachings are precisely what have allowed idol offerings to enter the church. It is no wonder that the glory of Elohim has been replaced by human glory within Christianity, as mentioned earlier.

Now we will discuss the ‘manifestation’ of the glory of Elohim in the prophecy of the prophet Haggai concerning the glory of the Temple. Haggai 2:4, 8 states: “Is there anyone among you who saw this house in its former glory (‘kabod’ = glory)?… I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory (‘kabod’ = glory), says the LORD of hosts.”

This prophecy of Haggai was delivered to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as to the remnant of Israel who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and were rebuilding the Temple on its original site. This prophecy was given

so that the returning Israelites would be strengthened and continue rebuilding the Temple, which had been delayed for about 14 years.

We need to understand some historical background to properly grasp Haggai’s prophecy. When the Israelites returned from Babylon to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel’s leadership to rebuild the Temple, their number was very small (only about 50,000) compared to the Israelites who remained in Babylon, Assyria, and surrounding regions. Scholars estimate that there were about 2–3 million Jews scattered throughout Babylon, Assyria, and nearby areas during the time of Esther, which coincided with Nehemiah and Ezra. Most Jews were unwilling to return to Jerusalem because the journey was risky. Moreover, they had already established synagogues where they gathered and studied the Law. Only a small number, moved by God, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:5).

Under such circumstances, the Temple built by Zerubbabel could not compare in glory with the Temple built by King Solomon, which had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, the Jews rebuilding the Temple became discouraged because its glory seemed insignificant. It is in this context that Haggai prophesied: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former…” (Haggai 2:9).

When was this prophecy fulfilled? It was not fulfilled in the Temple renovated by King Herod. Rather, its fulfillment occurred when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again…,” but He was speaking of the temple of His body (John 2:19, 21). Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies; therefore, Haggai’s prophecy that the latter glory would surpass the former refers to the glory of the body of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, the physical body of Jesus was “expanded” into the Body of Christ, which is the church. Thus, whereas the glory of Elohim was manifested in the Temple building (Old Testament), now it is manifested in and through His people (New Testament).

In the New Testament context, the glory of Elohim is manifested in and through the individuals who follow Christ. Colossians 1:27 states: “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Therefore, the glory of Elohim dwells within the inner being of His people.

Some denominational leaders within Christianity teach that the fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy occurs when the wealth of nations flows into church buildings (Haggai 2:8–9). Such teaching arises from a misunderstanding of the glory of Elohim. In Christianity in general, the glory of Elohim that dwells within believers has often been replaced by human glory in its leaders.

Now we turn to the manifestation of the glory of Elohim in the person of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:3 states: “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” The meaning of ‘radiance’ here is like the shining of the sun. Jesus Christ, the Son of Elohim, is the radiance of the Father’s glory—the expression of who the Father is.

Let us consider Philippians 2:7 and John 2:11. Philippians 2:7 states: “…but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Many have discussed the Greek term ‘kenoo’ (emptied). Marvin R. Vincent, in Word Studies of the New Testament, vol. 3, p. 433, writes: “His personality remained the same. His self-emptying did not involve the cessation of His person, nor did His divine nature change into merely human existence.” In relation to our discussion, the glory of Jesus Christ as the Son of Elohim remained inherent in Him, but as the Son of Man, His glory could not be seen by unbelievers.

John 2:11 says: “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” The miracle at Cana was a manifestation of His glory before His disciples, leading them to believe. However, when Jesus raised Lazarus before the Jews, some reported it to the Pharisees (John 11:46). Truly, to see the glory of Elohim, one must believe (John 11:40). The Pharisees and teachers of the Law did not see the glory of Elohim in Jesus; instead, they regarded Him as a deceiver and put Him to death. Yet Jesus prayed for His disciples: “…that they may behold My glory which You have given Me…” (John 17:24).

The glory of Elohim cannot be seen by just anyone. In the Old Testament, the glory of Elohim was often visible to the physical eye. Exodus 24:17 states: “The appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the Israelites.” Anyone among Israel could see it. But in the New Testament, the glory of Elohim can only be seen by those who believe.

John 1:14 declares: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…” When Jesus, the Logos, became flesh, His disciples saw His glory. Yet as the Son of Man, He likely had little outward human glory. The prophecy of Isaiah 53 states: “…He has no form or majesty that we should look at Him…” (v. 2). Nevertheless, His disciples could still see the glory of Elohim in Him.

We conclude with the manifestation of the glory of Elohim in and through the church. Hebrews 2:9–10 states: “…Jesus…was crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death…bringing many sons to glory.” To understand this, we must grasp the overall context of Hebrews.

The writer of Hebrews addresses Jewish Christians who were inclined to return to Judaism. He emphasizes that “we have a High Priest, Jesus” (Hebrews 8:1). From chapters 1–10, he compares the New Testament priesthood (order of Melchizedek) with the Old Testament priesthood (order of Aaron), concluding that the New Covenant is ‘better’. Because they were slow to hear (Hebrews 5:11), chapter 11 explains faith, and chapters 12–13 provide practical exhortations.

Returning to Hebrews 2:9–10, Jesus was crowned with glory through suffering and, as High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, brings many sons to glory (doxa). This glory is the culmination of salvation, described in Romans 8 as glorification by faith. As the forerunner (Hebrews 6:20), Jesus leads many into the Most Holy Place where the glory of Elohim dwells—something the Aaronic priesthood could not accomplish.

Thus, the manifestation of the glory of Elohim in the church occurs when the children of Elohim experience full freedom and complete salvation in His glory. This glorification is described in Romans 8:19–21, where all creation longs for the revealing of the sons of Elohim.

Applying this to Christianity today, many—including leaders—fail to realize the severe damage caused by the false teachings of Jezebel and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3), especially to the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). Many believers follow leaders, movements, or denominations instead of following the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). In such a condition, how can Jesus bring all believers into the glory of Elohim?

Indeed, many are called but few are chosen. By His grace and sovereignty, the Father has been pleased to give the kingdom to a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). While most believers hope to leave the earth for a distant heaven, His chosen people will be glorified on this earth to bring liberation to creation from its bondage to decay. Amen.

Summary: The seven feasts of Israel are only a shadow, and their fulfillment takes place within the inner being of believers in the context of the New Testament. In Revelation 2–3, there is a reward for the overcomers in the church in the form of a spiritual experience with Christ. Indeed, this spiritual experience is the fulfillment of the seven feasts of Israel.

Call to Action: The Lord calls His overcomers in every age of the church. May we hear the Lord’s call to rise up and experience a spiritual life together with Christ.

Today we will discuss the feasts of Israel and their fulfillment. There are seven feasts of Israel, three of which are commonly called the major feasts. Three times a year the Israelites had to come to Jerusalem to celebrate them. Deuteronomy 16:16 affirms: “Three times a year every male among you shall appear before YAHWEH your Elohim in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Sukkot…” (ILT).

Let us look directly at these feasts. First, the Feast of Passover (Leviticus 23:4–5). Second, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6–8). Third, the Feast of the Sheaf of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9–14). Fourth, the Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15–22). Fifth, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23–25). Sixth, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26–32). Seventh, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33–44). The Feast of Passover occurs in the first month, the Feast of Pentecost in the third month, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh month.

Thus, briefly, these are the feasts of Israel. Before we proceed, we must first establish the interpretive principle we will use to understand the fulfillment of these feasts. Some interpreters understand the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel as an ‘external event’ that the church will experience. For example, based on this principle of interpretation, the church will experience the “rapture” at the fulfillment of a certain feast. Likewise, the fulfillment of certain feasts is associated with the concept of the “second coming of Jesus,” and so on.

However, we will understand the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel as an ‘inner spiritual experience’ of believers (the church). In general, the fulfillment of these feasts corresponds to Romans 8:19–21 and Galatians 2:20. We will not quote these verses here, but they speak about the experience of believers in which “Christ within, who is our life,” grows and is manifested.

Certainly we are not referring to spiritual experiences such as shaking, falling, convulsing, or jumping, and immediately interpreting them as experiences of the ‘fullness of the Holy Spirit’. True spiritual experience must have its foundation in Scripture. We know that all the furnishings in the Tabernacle of Moses or the Temple are symbols of the spiritual experiences of believers. Therefore, we should not interpret every ‘supernatural’ experience as a true spiritual experience.

But we must also avoid the other extreme, where all ‘supernatural’ experiences are rejected on the grounds that what matters is only the understanding of Scripture. Let us consider Jesus’ words to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29: “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of Elohim.” (ILT) Thus, a person is in error if he does not understand the Scriptures ‘and’ does not have genuine spiritual experience with the power of Elohim.

Every true spiritual experience will cause a person to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and His plan, to grow in love for the Lord, and to grow in ‘Christ within’. Therefore, our interpretive principle concerning the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel is ‘inward in nature’.

We have affirmed that the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel is an inward experience of believers (the church). In general, this fulfillment corresponds to Romans 8:19–21 and Galatians 2:20. This means that ‘Christ within, who is our life, grows and is manifested’ The church will experience an ‘inner experience in Christ’ as the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel.

However, as we know, the church has fallen and has been divided into thousands of denominations. This fall of the church has been revealed in the books of the New Testament, especially in Paul’s words in Acts 20:28–30, and also in the revelation received by the apostle John on the island of Patmos concerning the fall of the church (Revelation 2–3). Fierce wolves have attacked the leaders of the church so that these leaders draw followers after themselves with false teachings and establish their own kingdoms. In Revelation 2–3, a trilogy of false teachings is described: the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, which have resulted in the condition of the church as we see today.

In this fallen condition of the church, the Word of God calls ‘the overcomers’ in every type or age of the church (Revelation 2–3). In the seven churches of Asia Minor, which represent the church throughout the ages, there is the call: “To him who overcomes…” Then, after this call, it is followed by the portion or reward for the overcomers. This portion or reward is an ‘inner experience with Christ’ and represents the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel.

Let us examine further who these overcomers are so that we do not misunderstand them and assume that they are “great and famous people” in the Christian world. Luke 12:32 declares: “Do not fear, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.” The context of this verse is Jesus’ words to His disciples not to worry about food and drink. Jesus commanded them to seek the Kingdom of Heaven first (verse 31). Then Jesus revealed the Father’s decision that He was pleased to give them the Kingdom of Heaven.

Here, the disciples of Jesus—to whom the Father was pleased to give the Kingdom of Heaven—are called a “little flock”. The Greek word ‘mikros’, translated ‘little’, does not only mean small in number or quantity but also small in ‘dignity’ (glory and honor). This is very meaningful because in the Christian world, where the church has split into thousands of denominations, many are called, but few are chosen. Those few who are chosen are often the “simple” people in the Christian world.

We must be clear about this before we discuss the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel. The overcomers, or this “little flock,” receive the Kingdom of Heaven solely by the decision and sovereignty of the Father. Not because they are great, famous, possess many spiritual gifts, or are “mightily used by God.” Rather, this “little flock” receives grace and the Kingdom of Heaven freely from the Father in heaven.

The Kingdom of Heaven has been given by the Father to the “little flock” now, at this moment, here on this earth. “The Kingdom of God is within you.” The little flock has already tasted and experienced the Kingdom of Heaven now on this earth, although the Kingdom has not yet been fully manifested. While the “large flock” in the Christian world waits for “heaven far away somewhere,” a pleasant place supposedly received after death, the “little flock,” by the Father’s grace, has already received and enjoyed it now—though not yet fully manifested on earth.

We know that the “little flock” receives grace and the Kingdom of Heaven freely from the Father in heaven, purely by His sovereign decision. Yet although it is given freely, the Father forms and processes the “little flock” so that they may function as kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek. This is because the Kingdom of Heaven described in the Bible is very different from the concept of heaven commonly believed by most Christians.

The concept of heaven often preached from Sunday pulpits is usually described as a pleasant place far away where people simply sing forever. In such a concept of heaven, no preparation is required at all. Spiritual babies—or anyone—could enter such a heaven. However, the heaven revealed in the Bible is ‘a kingdom that will be established on earth’, where there are responsibilities and great tasks to be fulfilled (Revelation 4–5).

In the book of Revelation we see how the Kingdom of Heaven is established on earth, leading the earth toward the New Heaven and New Earth, where there will be no more death, which is the wage of sin. The “little flock,” to whom the Father has been pleased to give the Kingdom of Heaven, must therefore be formed and processed so that they may function properly. Consider Revelation 5:10: “And You have made us kings and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign on the earth.” (ILT)

The “little flock,” symbolized in Revelation 4–5 by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, must undergo a process so that they may become priests and kings who will reign on the earth. There is a great task written in the book sealed with seven seals, and only the Lamb is worthy to open that book. We know that this great task is to restore all things so that the Father’s original will may be fulfilled.

Therefore, the “little flock” must experience the Father’s special formation—a process not experienced by the “large flock” in the Christian world. The “little flock” undergoes a process that, in principle, is the same as that of the Lamb: ‘learning obedience through suffering’ (Hebrews 5:8). The Father in heaven uses suffering—sometimes in unusual ways—so that the “little flock” becomes obedient, without complaint, and able to follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4).

Following the Lamb wherever He goes cannot be done within the systems of the Christian world, because those within such systems are no longer free. The “little flock” is formed by the Father to become free people, yet also captives of the Spirit. Thus the “little flock” can hear the voice of Jesus, the true Shepherd, and follow Him wherever He goes (John 10).

The Father’s process of formation causes the “little flock” to walk a path different from that usually taken by Christians. Jesus spoke about the ‘narrow gate and the narrow way’ when He preached on the mountain to His disciples (Matthew 7:13–14). The “little flock” is formed by the Father so that they are able to pass through the narrow gate and walk the narrow path, because wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Thus, once again, although the “little flock” is given the Kingdom of Heaven freely by the Father, they must still pass through a process of suffering in order to be prepared for a great responsibility in the future.

We will look a little further at the process that the “little flock” must go through. We will consider the case of Gideon as an illustration of the process—or more precisely, the filtering—of this “little flock.” The account of Gideon is recorded in Judges 6–8.

The story of Gideon took place when Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years. Gideon was chosen to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian, so he called the Israelites to battle. Gideon gathered 32,000 Israelites to fight. But the Lord said to Gideon that the people with him were too many. Then the Lord told Gideon to proclaim to the people: “Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return home…” (Judges 7:3). As a result, 22,000 people returned, leaving 10,000. But the Lord said that there were still too many.

Then the Lord filtered the remaining people by having them drink water from the river. Those who drank by lapping like dogs numbered 9,700, while those who drank by bringing water to their mouths with their hands numbered only 300. The Lord said that with these 300 men He would begin the deliverance of Israel.

From Gideon’s story we learn the principle that many are called, but few are chosen. Thirty-two thousand Israelites were called to battle, but only three hundred were chosen. In Gideon’s case, the process was indeed a kind of filtering. These 300 were chosen because they were not afraid and because they had self-control, so that they did not drink like dogs lapping water.

In reality, these 300 chosen men were not selected because they were better than the others. When we consider the whole Bible, especially the teaching of God’s election, we know that God’s choice of a person is always based solely on His decision and grace. Even regarding God’s choice of Israel, Deuteronomy 7:7 says: “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples—for you were the fewest of all peoples.”

Therefore, the 300 who accompanied Gideon had actually already been appointed and chosen by God beforehand. The filtering process we discussed above was simply God’s way of identifying those 300 men. They had already been prepared by God beforehand so that they were not afraid and had the self-control we observed.

Let us return again to the “little flock” whom the Father has appointed to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Once again, we emphasize that the “little flock” is not chosen because they are better than the “large flock” in the Christian world. However, through the Father’s process of formation, the “little flock” does indeed become different from the “large flock.”

The Christian world will also experience a “filtering” process in the future, similar to what we saw in Gideon’s story. The parables about the Kingdom of Heaven in the Gospel of Matthew explain this filtering process. The parable of the weeds among the wheat, the parable of the net, the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, and the parable of the talents—all these parables about the Kingdom of Heaven speak about filtering.

In the Kingdom of Heaven many are called, but then a filtering process takes place and only a few are chosen. Those chosen by the Lord are those who receive grace to be processed in such a way that they become different from others and are enabled to participate in the spiritual warfare with the Lamb of Elohim in His Kingdom.

Now we come to the first feast of Israel, the Feast of Passover. Let us look at Exodus 12:1–14 to understand this feast. We will quote only several portions: “…this month shall be the beginning of months for you… a lamb for each household… some of its blood shall be taken and put on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it… you shall not leave any of it until morning… your waist shall be girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste.”

There are several things we must note here.

First, the month in which Passover was celebrated became the first month for Israel. This marked the beginning of God’s salvation for Israel. Salvation is a journey, a journey toward an inheritance in the Promised Land.

Second, the Passover lamb was for each household, therefore salvation begins in each household. Third, the blood of the lamb had to be applied to the “doorposts” of each house. This blood was primarily for Elohim. When Elohim saw the blood on the “doorposts” of each house, that house would be saved from the angel of death who would kill the firstborn. Fourth, the flesh of the Passover lamb had to be completely eaten by that household. Fifth, the flesh of the lamb had to be eaten in haste, because Israel would soon depart and leave Egypt.

How do we apply the Feast of Passover to our spiritual life? Our Passover Lamb is clearly Jesus Christ. When we believe in His sacrifice on the cross, that is the ‘beginning’ of our spiritual journey. Believing in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is only the beginning. Believers must “continue walking” toward their inheritance in the “Promised Land.” Furthermore, the flesh of the Passover lamb had to be eaten completely. Jesus said, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life…” (John 6:54). The term ‘life’ here is translated from the Greek word ‘zoe’, which means the kind of life that Elohim lives. Salvation occurs when believers begin to eat this ‘zoe’ through the Spirit and faith. Believers must consume the “flesh of Christ” completely so that they are prepared for the next stage of the journey of salvation.

Next, believers must be ready to leave “Egypt,” or the world, in order to obtain their inheritance. Let us speak briefly about “leaving Egypt.” Why did the first generation of Israel that came out of Egypt fail to obtain their inheritance, except for the families of Joshua and Caleb? Joshua 5:9 gives the answer: “…Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you…”. It turns out that the first generation carried the “reproach of Egypt,” so they tended to want to return to Egypt whenever difficulties arose during the journey. The first generation had left Egypt, but Egypt had not left them. This fact is something we must carefully reflect upon.

Christianity has also become a world (kosmos = system). It is no wonder that Revelation 18:4 says, “…Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins…”. What this verse means is that His chosen people must come out of the “worldly” church symbolized by the harlot (Revelation 17:1). The harlot here refers to the “worldly” church that not only receives the seed of God’s word but also the seeds of the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans—just as a prostitute receives the “seed” of many men.

The “little flock,” to whom the Father gives the inheritance of salvation—namely, the kingdom of heaven within—has been processed in such a way that there is no longer any “reproach of Egypt” within them. Therefore, the “little flock” does not partake in the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans, which have indeed been widely accepted in the world of Christianity. We will not discuss here the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans.

We continue our discussion about the first feast of Israel, the Feast of Passover. We have emphasized that the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel is related to our ‘inward’ experience as His chosen people. Now we will look at the ‘reward’ or the ‘inward’ experience of the overcomers in the church age, which is the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel. There are seven churches in Revelation chapters 2–3, and each corresponds to the fulfillment of the seven feasts of Israel.

The ‘inward’ experience of the overcomers in the first church (the church in Ephesus) corresponds to the fulfillment of the first feast of Israel, namely Passover. Revelation 2:7 affirms, “…To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of Elohim” (ILT). The Tree of Life is a symbol of Jesus Christ as our life (‘zoe’). That is why Jesus said, “…Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life (zoe) in you.” Thus, to the overcomers, the Father gives His grace so that we may “eat the life of Christ” within our inner being.

Eating the life of Christ every day will fulfill all our spiritual needs. That is why the apostle John affirms, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you…” (1 John 2:27). The apostle John said this because there were people trying to deceive God’s chosen ones (verse 26). In the world of Christianity, where the church has split into thousands of denominations, there are many false teachers, false prophets, deceitful instructors, and false shepherds who attempt to mislead and take advantage of God’s people. But Jesus affirms that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27). Where is the voice of Jesus heard? Within the inner being of His chosen people, because they “eat the life of Christ” every day.

The sheep of Jesus do not follow this or that leader to fulfill their spiritual needs. All our spiritual needs are fulfilled solely because we “eat the life of Christ” within our inner being every day. The apostle John firmly said, “…you do not need that anyone teach you.” This does not mean that we should not learn from others, because the apostle John himself wrote his letters so that God’s chosen people could learn something from him. Rather, it means that His chosen people ultimately hear and follow Jesus alone, and cannot be “stolen” by any leader (John 10:28).

The overcomers in the first church (Ephesus) do not partake in “…the deeds of the Nicolaitans…” (Revelation 2:6). The word ‘Nicolaitans’ comes from two Latin terms: ‘niko’, meaning ‘to conquer’, and ‘laos’, meaning ‘the people’ or ‘laity’. Thus, ‘Nicolaitans’ means ‘to conquer the laity’. In the world of Christianity, the church has been divided into two groups because leaders have conquered the laity. In Catholicism, priests “conquer” the people, and in Protestantism, pastors “conquer” the congregation. What is damaged by this Nicolaitan behavior is the priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:9). But His chosen people, because they eat the life of Christ, can learn to become priests according to the order of Melchizedek in their daily lives, and do not follow any “priest” or “pastor.” Thus, when the Israelites ate the Passover lamb, we eat the true “Passover Lamb,” namely Jesus Christ, and enjoy fellowship with Him every day.

Now we enter the second feast of Israel, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6–8). This feast lasted for seven days after the Passover. During these seven days the Israelites had to eat unleavened bread. Exodus 12:15 affirms, “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.” Thus, when celebrating Passover and preparing to leave Egypt, the Israelites had to eat unleavened bread and bring out dough without leaven and eat it for seven days.

Why did Israel have to eat unleavened bread when leaving Egypt? What does “leaven” symbolize in the context of the New Testament, namely the church? Paul clearly explains it in 1 Corinthians 5:6–8: “…a little leaven leavens the whole lump… therefore purge out the old leaven, that you (THE CHURCH) may be a new lump… you (THE CHURCH) truly are unleavened… therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the LEAVEN OF MALICE and WICKEDNESS, but with the unleavened bread of SINCERITY and TRUTH.” It is clear that leaven symbolizes something evil and wicked. The church should be unleavened.

Then, in more detail, Jesus explains what leaven is. Matthew 16:6,12 explains: “…Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees… the TEACHING of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Thus, leaven symbolizes the ‘false teaching of leaders’, which in the context of Jesus refers to the Pharisees and Sadducees. Throughout the New Testament, leaven always symbolizes something evil and corrupt.

Let us pay attention to the parables about the kingdom of heaven in the book of Matthew. Matthew 13:33 says, “…The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Who is the “woman” in this parable? The Bible consistently affirms that a woman symbolizes the church—from Eve (Genesis) to the Bride of the Lamb (Revelation). Thus, the woman in this parable is the church, and particularly its leaders. Church leaders have inserted “leaven” into the dough. In Revelation 2–3, three false teachings are explained: Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. The early church eventually split into tens of thousands of denominations and became the world of Christianity as we know it today because of the “leaven” inserted by its leaders.

That is why in the book of Matthew there are many parables about the kingdom of heaven whose essence is “separation” or “filtering”: the parable of the weeds among the wheat, the net, the wedding feast, the faithful and evil servant, the wise and foolish virgins, the talents, and the sheep and the goats. Why does this filtering occur? The explanation is this: the church is something visible, because the church consists of people who believe. But the kingdom of heaven is something within the inner being of believers. ‘The Kingdom of God is within you’. Not everyone in the church will later be accepted into the kingdom of heaven, because the church has fallen into the world of Christianity as it exists today due to the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans.

The kingdom of heaven is given by the Father in heaven to the “little flock” from this large world of Christianity (Luke 12:32). We know that leaven causes the dough to “expand greatly,” and thus it becomes easy to consume. We must be careful of teachings from leaders that make things “easy” for the masses to accept and digest. Teachings that are “leavened” will surely be welcomed by many in the world of Christianity.

But because of His choice and grace, the Father forms a “little flock” to become an “unleavened dough.” The inner being of this “little flock” is processed by the Father so that it becomes pure without mixture.

We have seen that there are seven churches in Revelation 2–3, each corresponding to the fulfillment of the seven feasts of Israel. We have now come to the second feast of Israel, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, whose fulfillment is the process by which the Father in heaven forms the “little flock” so that their inner being becomes “unleavened dough,” that is, pure.

Let us speak a little more about this ‘purity’ before continuing to the reward of the overcomers in the second church, the church in Smyrna. Because of the Father’s process, the “little flock” becomes pure in its devotion and service to Elohim. Pure does not mean perfect, but “not mixed.” After being processed by the Father, the motivation of the “little flock” in serving becomes pure, and they do not seek personal gain in their ministry.

In the world of Christianity where “leavened teachings”—namely the teachings of Jezebel, the Nicolaitans, and Balaam—have become widespread and accepted as “truth,” leaders generally find it easier to seek profit from their ministry. Leaders in the world of Christianity are now justified and facilitated in obtaining money, position, and human glory—things that were never obtained by Peter, Paul, John, and other leaders in the early church. Indeed, it is the “leavened” teachings of Jezebel, the Nicolaitans, and Balaam that have caused the church to split into tens of thousands of denominations and have made it easier for leaders to profit from ministry.

Purity has become a rare commodity in the world of Christianity. Leaders not only equip the disciples of the Lord (Ephesians 4:11–12), but they also draw disciples to themselves, to their movement, or to their denomination (Acts 20:28–30). Not only the disciples are drawn, but also their money is drawn through various “leavened” teachings such as tithing, firstfruits (money), faith pledges, and others. Such behavior by leaders was never practiced by Peter, Paul, John, or other leaders of the early church.

We have also seen, through several parables about the kingdom of heaven, that not all “people in the church” will be accepted into the kingdom of heaven. In the world of Christianity it is commonly proclaimed that “believe in Jesus, go to heaven.” But if we carefully examine all the books of the New Testament, there is not a single verse that supports such a concept. The correct concept is “believe in Jesus, receive the seed of the life of Christ (zoe),” and this concept is repeatedly stated especially in the Gospel of John. The seed of the life of Christ (zoe) within the inner being of believers must grow. It is the growth of this “seed of Christ” that will ultimately determine whether a person is accepted into the kingdom of heaven or not.

Let us once again consider the parables about the kingdom of heaven in the book of Matthew, where the teaching about the kingdom of heaven is the main theme. The parables of the weeds among the wheat, the net, the wedding feast, the faithful and evil servant, the wise and foolish virgins, the talents, and the sheep and the goats all speak about the disciples of the Lord.

For example, if we interpret the wise virgins as the Lord’s disciples, then the foolish virgins must also be the Lord’s disciples, because both groups are equally called “virgins.” One is not a virgin while the other is, for example, a widow. The difference is that one is wise and the other is foolish. Likewise with the weeds and the wheat—both are disciples of the Lord, because they are all in the Lord’s field (Matthew 13:24). Only over time will it become clear which is wheat and which is weeds. Similarly, the “servants” in the parable of the talents and the “fish” in the parable of the net—all the fish and all the servants are disciples of the Lord and have already been called.

In the parable of the sower we also see that some seeds grow and bear fruit, but others do not. We should not quickly assume that the “famous people” in the world of Christianity are the ones who bear fruit. For Matthew 7:21–23 affirms that on the last day Jesus will openly declare who does the will of the Father and who does not. Those who do not do the will of the Father are often the “famous people,” because they have performed many miracles, prophesied in the Lord’s name, and cast out demons in their ministry.

Once again, the “little flock” within the world of Christianity receives the kingdom of heaven solely because of the Father’s choice (Luke 12:32). The “little flock” is not only called but also chosen by His sovereignty and grace. However, the Father prepares and forms the “little flock” so that they become worthy to serve in the kingdom of heaven in the future. The Father processes the “little flock” so that they become pure and do not become involved in the “leavened” teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans.

Now we will discuss the Lord’s promise (reward) to the overcomers in the church of Smyrna, which corresponds to the fulfillment of the second feast of Israel, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Let us look at Revelation 2:11: “…He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” This verse does not say that the overcomers will not experience the “second death,” but that they will not be harmed by the “second death.”

Let us understand what the “second death” mentioned in the book of Revelation means so that we do not interpret it according to our own understanding. We know that the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ given to the apostle John, and it is conveyed through symbolic language (Revelation 1:1; ‘signified’ comes from the Greek word ‘semaino’, meaning ‘symbol’ or ‘sign’).

The meaning of the “second death” is written in Revelation 20:14 as follows: “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.” This verse clearly defines the second death as the lake of fire, into which death and Hades are thrown. Death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). When Adam fell into sin and received the consequence of death, all of his descendants also experienced death.

Notice Romans 5:18: “Therefore, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” Thus, when the first Adam committed transgression, all people received the wages of death (the first death), and through the ‘second death’ borne by the second Adam—Jesus Christ, who carried sin—all people receive justification for life.

Let us return to the meaning of the ‘second death’ above. The ‘second death’ is the lake of fire, into which death and its realm (the first death) are thrown. In other words, the ‘first death’ (death) is thrown into the ‘second death’ (the lake of fire). Why do the overcomers suffer no harm from the ‘second death’? It is not because the overcomers do not experience the second death, but because the ‘second death’ of the overcomers HAS BEEN REPRESENTED AND CARRIED OUT BY JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

Now we come to the meaning of the ‘lake of fire’, which is the ‘second death’. Many people interpret the ‘lake of fire’ as eternal hell forever. Thus, according to many, ‘death and Hades’ are eternal hell, and then this eternal hell is thrown into the lake of fire, which they also consider eternal hell. In other words, eternal hell is thrown into eternal hell, and the result is eternal hell again. This is the doctrine of eternal hell as understood by the majority within the Christian world. Bible teachers who preach this are making a “private interpretation” and violating the hermeneutical principle that “Scripture must interpret Scripture.” All meanings of the ‘first death’, the ‘second death’, and the ‘lake of fire’ must be interpreted by the Bible itself.

Now let us enter into the meaning of the ‘lake of fire’. Remember that the book of Revelation uses symbolic language. The meaning of the ‘lake of fire’ is not a literal physical lake of fire like what we know in this world. The ‘lake of fire’ is a symbol.

The teaching about the ‘lake of fire’ appears only in the book of Revelation, namely in Revelation 14:10–11; 19:20; 20:10; 20:13–15; and 21:8. Let us quote Charles Pridgeon regarding the meaning of fire and brimstone found in Revelation 14:10–11: “…the Greek term THEION, translated as brimstone, is the same word that means ‘divine’… The verb derived from THEION is THEIOO, which means to purify or to make divine… thus the lake of fire and brimstone means a lake of divine purification… Divine purification and divine sanctification are the clear meanings in ancient Greek….” Therefore, if we understand the ‘lake of fire’ as a symbol, its meaning is divine purification.

Based on this understanding, we can see why the overcomers do not suffer anything from the second death, which is the lake of fire. Because by the choice and grace of the Father, the overcomers or the “little flock” have already been purified through a process in their daily lives. Indeed, this process of divine purification is painful, but in the end the “little flock” becomes pure like “unleavened dough.”

Now we will enter the third feast of Israel, namely the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9–14). Verses 10–11 state, “…you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest… The priest shall wave it on the day after the Sabbath.” The Feast of Firstfruits occurs on the day after the Sabbath, and this corresponds with the resurrection of Jesus, which occurred after the Sabbath. Thus, the death and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Firstfruits.

I Corinthians 15:22–23 states, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Him.” This passage explains the ‘firstfruits of the resurrection’. Jesus Christ is the ‘firstfruits of the resurrection’, because He was the first to rise from the dead. Then, at His coming, ‘those who belong to Him’ will also be raised and receive resurrection bodies. But the resurrection continues until the last enemy is destroyed, namely death (1 Corinthians 15:26), which is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). When there is no longer any enemy in His creation, then the Father will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Let us apply the matter of ‘firstfruits’ to the church. James 1:18 states, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (ILT). James declares that we become the ‘firstfruits’ of His creation. In relation to the firstfruits of resurrection, Jesus is the firstfruits. But in relation to the church, ‘we’ are appointed by the Father to become the firstfruits.

Every farmer in Palestine knows that the firstfruits are a harvest that ripens earlier, with the later harvests following afterward. But we know that because of the attacks of fierce wolves, the church has been divided into thousands of denominations, where some of the Lord’s disciples

follow one leader and others follow another. And in the seven types/ages of the church in Revelation 2–3, there is a call to the overcomers, which clearly shows that only some are victorious. Therefore, the understanding of ‘firstfruits’ in James 1:18 does not refer to all of the Lord’s disciples or all members of the church throughout the ages.

The matter of ‘firstfruits’ in the church becomes clearer if we look at Revelation 14:4: “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 as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb” (ILT). Those who are the firstfruits here are those who do not defile themselves with women and who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

We must always remember the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation. The “women” here are not literal women, but the women mentioned in Revelation 17:5—namely the harlot churches. The firstfruits do not defile themselves with these “harlot women,” meaning churches that receive the seed of Christ but also accept the seeds of the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. The firstfruits follow only the Lamb wherever He goes, and not human leaders as commonly seen in the Christian world.

Once again we emphasize that becoming overcomers or the firstfruits of the church is not because the firstfruits are better than other church members. Rather, it is because of the decision of the Father in heaven that we are appointed to become the firstfruits. The heavenly Father processes us in such a way that we do not follow this leader or that leader, nor defile ourselves with the teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, or the Nicolaitans, but instead hear the voice of the True Shepherd and follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

We have discussed the third feast of Israel, the Feast of Firstfruits. We have also seen the ‘firstfruits’ of the resurrection—Jesus Christ—and the ‘firstfruits’ within the church, namely those who receive grace before the Father to become ‘the first harvested’ or the overcomers in each church age. In the Christian world many are called, but few are chosen. Likewise, in the Christian world there is a “little flock” to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the Christian world has not yet been fully harvested as the ‘firstfruits’ of creation.

We have already learned that the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel is the ‘inner spiritual experience’ of the overcomers in every church age. Now we will look at the overcomers of the third church (the church in Pergamum) as the fulfillment of the third feast of Israel (the sheaf of firstfruits). Revelation 2:17 states, “…To the one who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”

In general, within the Christian world, preachers teach that one day we will enter heaven after our physical death. But for the “little flock,” even now they are already in the kingdom of heaven, because the kingdom of heaven is within us, though we have not yet experienced it fully since the kingdom has not yet been fully manifested on earth.

Thus, all the ‘rewards or portions’ for the overcomers in the verse above can already be experienced now as an inner spiritual experience. Let us consider the first one: receiving the ‘hidden manna’. This hidden manna is not the manna eaten by the first generation of Israel in the wilderness. They all failed to receive their inheritance, the Promised Land, except the families of Joshua and Caleb. This hidden manna was kept inside the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place of Moses’ Tabernacle. These overcomers are processed by the Father in such a way that they can enjoy this ‘hidden manna’ day by day. This hidden manna is none other than the life of Christ within the inner being.

We eat this manna daily so that all our spiritual needs are fulfilled. Thus the words of John are fulfilled: “…you do not need anyone to teach you” (1 John 2:27). Of course we learn from everyone, but we will not become followers of any leader or belong to any denomination for our spiritual growth, nor will we build a denomination. This is the main characteristic of those who eat the ‘hidden manna’ every day.

Next, we are given a ‘white stone with a new name written on it’. Basically, we are “clay” that easily breaks, complains, becomes disappointed, and loses hope. But the Father makes us like “stone,” which though struck down is not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9). The Father in heaven will even allow us to experience blows, hardships, and conflicts to prove that we are “stone.” The white color shows the Father’s approval.

We are also given a ‘new name’. A name represents a person’s character, work, and reputation. Because of the Father’s work in shaping us, the name of Elohim is sealed within our inner being, which no one else knows, for this is the personal work of the Father in each of us. We will not seek to preserve our own reputation, because we have a “new name” forged by the Father within us. Thus the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits has already taken place within us as an inner experience today.

Now we move to the fourth feast of Israel, the Feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:9–14). Several other names are also used for the Feast of Pentecost, such as the Feast of Harvest (Exodus 23:16), the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22), and the Feast of Firstfruits of the wheat harvest.

Thus, in church history, the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost occurred when the harvest of firstfruits took place—the outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the apostles and believers gathered together in one place, about 120 people (Acts 1:15). However, this ‘harvest of firstfruits’ did not stop there, because at the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles there will be a gathering of the harvest, as written in Exodus 34:22. We are not discussing the Feast of Tabernacles now, but what we need to understand is that both Pentecost and Tabernacles are times of ‘harvesting the firstfruits’.

Let us look at the experience of the disciples when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. In fact, the disciples had already received the Holy Spirit when, after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to them, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Nevertheless, after forty days of repeatedly appearing to them, Jesus firmly commanded the disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, namely, “…you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). From these two cases we can see that the disciples experienced two experiences with the Holy Spirit—first after Jesus’ resurrection, and second on the day of Pentecost.

From this case, some streams within Christianity state that there are two experiences with the Holy Spirit: first, when someone believes in Jesus and is born again (receiving the seed of the life of Christ); second, when someone receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Some Pentecostal denominations even say that the sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. We are not discussing the outward signs of this experience here, because we have firmly stated that the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel is ‘inner’, a spiritual experience with the Holy Spirit within us.

What must be emphasized is that the experience of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is indeed a real inner experience, meaning a believer certainly understands that he or she has experienced it. Whether someone who is baptized in the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues or not, or whether a person’s tongues are genuine or false, we will not discuss that in this short writing.

However, perhaps we can take one example of an outward sign after someone receives and is filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us read Acts 4:31: “…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness” (ILT). Here we see one outward sign when someone receives the Holy Spirit—boldness in proclaiming the word of God. The context here is not preaching from a pulpit, but boldly declaring God’s word in daily life, because this was the lifestyle of the early church.

We continue our discussion of the Feast of Pentecost. The meaning of the term “Pentecost” is actually ‘fiftieth’. Let us observe what happened to Israel on this day. Israel left Egypt during the Feast of Passover in the first month (Abib or Nisan). After traveling for fifty days, they arrived at Mount Sinai in the third month (Sivan) and celebrated Pentecost (Exodus 19–20).

At Mount Sinai they were given the two tablets of stone (the Ten Commandments), the regulations of the Tabernacle, the Aaronic priesthood system, and all the sacrificial laws. Here Israel was established as the “assembly in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38). When Yahweh descended on Mount Sinai on the third day (Exodus 19:16–20), Israel celebrated it as the ‘Feast of the Giving of the Law’ or the ‘Birth of Judaism’, because on this “fiftieth day” Yahweh wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger on two tablets of stone.

Let us apply this event of the giving of the Law to Israel in our own context. The difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is clearly written in Jeremiah 31:31–34: “…I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts…”.

In the Old Testament (OT), the Law was written on two tablets of stone, but in the context of the New Testament (NT), the Law is written within the inner being. The writer of Hebrews also explains this (Hebrews 8).

The writing of the Law into the inner being of believers can be seen in the case where Jesus was confronted with the woman caught in adultery (John 8). The scribes and the Pharisees said that according to the Law, this woman must be stoned, because that is what Moses commanded. But Jesus did not answer them and only wrote with His finger on the ground. The Bible does not explain what Jesus wrote, because it is indeed not important. What is important is understanding the meaning of Jesus’ action of writing on the ground. Jesus’ act of writing on the ground clearly shows that the Law (especially the law of stoning) would be written by Jesus into the inner being (“the ground”) of believers.

And when He was pressed for an answer, Jesus gave the meaning of what it would be if the law of stoning were written in the inner being of believers. First, whoever is without sin should be the first to throw a stone at this woman. Second, Jesus, who was without sin, forgave the woman’s wrongdoing and did not condemn her. Third, Jesus warned the woman not to sin anymore. This is the meaning of the law of stoning written in the inner being.

However, it must be remembered that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. The coming of Jesus was to fulfill the Law. That is why on the cross Jesus said, ‘It is finished’. His primary meaning was that everything written in the Law had been fulfilled. Therefore, when Jesus confirmed the New Covenant with His disciples on the last night, He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another…” (John 13:34). Thus, in the OT the law was the Law of Moses, and in the NT the law is love.

Within the Christian world, generally the leaders of denominations say: you must give tithes, you must give firstfruits, you must give faith pledges, you must come to a certain building on a certain day, you must do this and that so that you may grow and be blessed by God. In reality, this reflects the principle of the Law written on stone tablets, namely: you must… you must… you must… so that… so that… so that…. But the principle of the Law written in the inner being is the principle of love. Everything must be done in love and led by the Spirit within the inner being. There is no coercion that says you must do this or that.

We have known that the fulfillment of the feasts of Israel is the ‘inner spiritual experience’ of the overcomers in every church age. Now we will see the overcomers of the fourth church (the church in Thyatira), as the fulfillment of the fourth feast of Israel, namely the Feast of Pentecost.

Let us consider the word to the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:26–27: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron…”

To the overcomers of the church in Thyatira, corresponding to the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost, a power over the nations is given. The word ‘power’, or the Greek term ‘exousia’, means an ability (spiritual authority) or the right to govern the nations. However, we should not think that this authority will be exercised by the overcomers with an ‘iron rod’ in the sense of forceful, harsh, authoritarian rule, or for personal gain. This ‘rod of authority’ is exercised by the overcomers to serve as servants in the true sense (cf. 1 Peter 5:3).

We have always emphasized that the overcomers in every church age are not those who are “great and famous,” but rather simple people who do not participate in the decline or sin of the church in their time. In the time of the church in Thyatira, there were people who claimed to be prophetesses and taught the teaching of Jezebel that misled God’s servants (Revelation 2:20).

What is the teaching of Jezebel? Jezebel here is certainly symbolic, because such is the language of Revelation (1:1). Historically, Jezebel was someone who seized the authority of her husband Ahab in the case of Naboth’s vineyard. Even though Jezebel intended to support her husband’s desire, she nevertheless usurped authority by “writing letters in Ahab’s name and sealing them with the king’s seal” (1 Kings 21:8). Therefore, the teaching of Jezebel is a teaching that justifies the seizure of the authority of the “husband of the church,” namely the authority of Jesus.

Jesus firmly told His disciples in Matthew 23:1–12, in the context of the ‘seat of Moses’, that they should not be called leaders, rabbis, or spiritual fathers. According to the context, Jesus meant that the disciples should not seize authority (“the rod of Moses”) within the church.

In fact, the seizure of church authority by its leaders was already stated by Paul in Acts 20:28–30. Some church leaders, through false teachings (especially the teaching of Jezebel), ‘draw disciples after themselves’. This is the seizure of Jesus’ authority over the church carried out by leaders. Previously, the disciples were on the right path, meaning they heard the voice of Jesus, followed the leading of the Spirit within their inner being, and submitted to the authority of Life over the Body of Christ. But now some disciples follow this leader, while others follow another leader.

However, in the Christian world this situation has been justified. Denominations are groups where some disciples follow one leader while others follow another. Today, these denominations are called churches, even though in reality they are the result of the seizure of Jesus’ authority by leaders. The teaching of the ‘visible and invisible church’, initiated by Martin Luther, is essentially the teaching of Jezebel, namely a teaching that justifies the seizure of Jesus’ authority over the church.

But the overcomers, or the little flock, in the Christian world do not take part in this seizure of Jesus’ authority over the church. The little flock today exercises Jesus’ authority to govern their own inner being. The authority of Jesus is exercised by the little flock to regulate their own thoughts, feelings, and desires. They do not seize Jesus’ authority over His church by drawing disciples after themselves or by building denominations.

In due time, when Jesus reveals Himself openly, He will give His authority over the nations to some disciples and reject others who practice lawlessness (‘anomia’, illegality), namely those who currently exercise ‘illegal authority’ over the church (Matthew 7:21–23).

Now we come to the fifth feast of Israel, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23–25). We will immediately see the need for the sounding of trumpets for Israel. Numbers 10:2 states: “Make two trumpets of silver. Of hammered silver you shall make them, that you may use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.”

In the following verses we see the importance of Israel hearing the trumpet sound properly, because each specific trumpet sound had a specific meaning.

First, the verse above emphasizes that the purpose of the trumpet blast is to call the people of Israel.

Second, verses 3–6 declare a call to gather before the Tent of Meeting. The trumpet sounds differed according to their purpose: a call for the leaders only, a call for the camps on the east, a call for those on the south, and a call for the whole congregation.

Third, verse 9 emphasizes a call to war, so that Yahweh would remember and save Israel from their enemies.

Fourth, verse 10 speaks of a call to celebrate the feasts so that Israel would be remembered before the Lord.

Thus, the essence of the trumpet blast is to call the people of Israel. Israel had to learn to hear and understand the different trumpet sounds.

Now let us apply this to the church. The meaning of the trumpet blast for the church is hearing the voice of the Lord and understanding His commands. These commands differ for each member of the Body of Christ, just as in Israel.

First, this trumpet sound must come from one source. If there are trumpet sounds from many sources, confusion will arise because the church will not know which voice to follow.

Second, because the trumpet sound must not come from various sources, it means that only one person should blow the trumpet. Who should blow the trumpet for the church? Certainly we all agree that Jesus Christ, as the head of the church, must blow it.

Let us look at the current condition of the Christian world. Are there not many “trumpet blowers” today, corresponding to the tens of thousands of denominations? And the number continues to grow along with the increasing divisions in Christianity. Some disciples hear the “trumpet blast” from one leader, while others hear it from another. Of course each “trumpet blower” believes his own sound is the most biblical. But the problem is that these “trumpet blowers” draw disciples after themselves (Acts 20:28–30) and build groups where the disciples eventually can only hear and follow their trumpet alone. They even debate to prove that their trumpet sound is the most correct.

Nevertheless, saying this does not mean leaders should not “blow the trumpet.” Paul clearly said: preach the word in season and out of season. Every leader must proclaim the word, but they must not draw disciples to themselves, let alone exploit them financially through various teachings.

So how should leaders function in the Body of Christ? Colossians 2:19 teaches that leaders should function like “ligaments and joints” in the Body, allowing the authority of Life (one trumpet sound) to direct the movement of the Body. Trumpet blowers are only permitted to equip the church (Ephesians 4:11–12). In this way the church grows in Christ, who is the Life of the church.

But by His grace, the little flock is processed by the Father in heaven so that they can hear the voice of Jesus within their inner being, and follow the Lamb wherever He goes (John 10:27; Revelation 14:4).

We are still discussing the fifth feast of Israel, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23–25). Numbers 10:2 states that the trumpets must be made of silver. In the Bible, silver symbolizes redemption. The number two speaks of witness. It also speaks of Christ in union with His people as the new man created in Him.

Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit…”

Romans 9:1 also states, “…my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit.”

Therefore, the sounding of two silver trumpets speaks of the perfection of Christ’s redemption proclaimed by His chosen people in the power of the Holy Spirit. Within the inner being of His chosen people there is a witness that Christ’s redemption for them is complete.

Now let us compare this inner experience with the overcomers of the fifth church (Sardis), corresponding to the Feast of Trumpets. Revelation 3:5 says: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Jesus promised the overcomers white garments, that their names would not be erased from the Book of Life, and that He would confess their names before the Father.

In the Christian world, some teachers mistakenly emphasize faith as the determining factor of salvation or Christ’s redemption. This concept leads many people to say, ‘It depends on your faith’ or ‘It depends on your response’, as if humans were the final determinant of salvation. But who actually creates faith and brings it to perfection if not Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)?

In reality, salvation is a matter of ‘the authority of Jesus’. After His resurrection Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. That is why Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, follow Him, and no one can snatch them from His hand (John 10:27–28). These verses clearly speak about the authority of Jesus.

Likewise Luke 12:32 says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Whether someone receives the kingdom depends entirely on the will of the Father. The Father gives the kingdom to the little flock. Many are called, but few are chosen.

The church has fallen and split into tens of thousands of denominations. Therefore, among those who are called, the Father chooses a small number, the little flock, who will be processed to become faithful. Thus Revelation 17:14 is fulfilled: the overcomers are those who are called, chosen, and faithful.

The little flock becomes overcomers solely by the decision of the Father and the authority of Jesus that guarantees their salvation. Therefore they are given white garments, which are the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8). In the context of the seven churches in Revelation 2–3, the works of the little flock are not defiled by three false teachings: Balaam, Jezebel, and the Nicolaitans.

All these portions of the overcomers in the church of Sardis have already been experienced within the inner being of the little flock today. Within them there is a testimony confirmed by the Holy Spirit that their names will not be erased from the Book of Life and that Jesus will confess them before the Father.

Now we come to the sixth feast of Israel, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26–32). On this feast, celebrated once a year in the seventh month, the High Priest offered burnt offerings and entered the Most Holy Place to sprinkle the blood of atonement upon the mercy seat (Leviticus 16). This was done to make atonement for himself, his household, and all the congregation of Israel.

Jesus fulfilled the Day of Atonement through His sacrifice on the cross. Hebrews chapters 8–10 explain in detail how Jesus, as the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, entered heaven itself to appear before God on our behalf. He did not enter repeatedly as the high priests under the order of Aaron did, because those priests were only symbols or shadows (Hebrews 10:24–26). Jesus offered His blood once for all, then sat down at the right hand of God and became a forerunner for us (Hebrews 6:20).

Let us look at the Greek term for ‘forerunner’, which is ‘prodromos’. It appears only once in the New Testament and means ‘one who runs ahead’. In the book Word Studies in the New Testament (Vol. IV, p. 453), Marvin Vincent explains the meaning of this term as Very good. He explains that this term expresses a new idea, completely outside the understanding of the Aaronic priestly system. The High Priest of the order of Aaron did not enter the Most Holy Place as a ‘forerunner’, and therefore the people of Israel were not allowed to follow the High Priest into the Most Holy Place. But Jesus entered the Most Holy Place as a ‘forerunner’, meaning that all members of the church must follow in His footsteps. For the entire church consists of priests according to the order of Melchizedek, and they must follow Jesus’ footsteps to enter the ‘Most Holy Place’.

What does it mean to enter the Most Holy Place, as Jesus did? This does not mean that we must also offer our own blood to make “atonement” before Elohim. For atonement or redemption has already been perfectly accomplished by Jesus alone. Rather, entering the Most Holy Place, as Jesus did, means experiencing ‘fellowship’ with Elohim at a ‘different level’ from being in the ‘outer court of the Temple’ or in the ‘Holy Place of the Temple’.

Let us take an example from the Old Testament to explain this, namely the case of Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14). Why were Caleb and Joshua able to inherit the Promised Land? Verse 24 explains: “…Caleb, because he has a different spirit (soul/inner being) in him and has followed Me fully….” The inner being of Caleb and Joshua was different from that of the Israelites as a whole. Outwardly, Israel had indeed left Egypt, but inwardly Egypt had not left Israel. That is why, in the wilderness, the Israelites constantly grumbled, did not believe, and rebelled against the Lord, and tended to want to return to Egypt.

Now let us apply this matter to the Christian world. In general, Christianity has divided the church into two parts according to the ‘teaching of the Nicolaitans’ (Niko = to conquer, Laos = the laity). In Catholicism a distinction is made between “priests” and “the people,” while in Protestantism a distinction is made between “pastors,” or “full-time ministers,” or whatever they may be called, and “the congregation.” Thus, in general, the Christian world cannot follow the footsteps of Jesus as the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek to enter the ‘Most Holy Place’.

However, the little flock, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, will be formed in such a way that they follow Jesus wherever He goes, including following Him into the “Most Holy Place” (Revelation 14:4). Because of the Father’s formation, the inner being of the little flock is different from the inner being of the majority of the Christian world.

We have discussed the sixth feast of Israel, the Day of Atonement, which Jesus fulfilled by entering heaven to appear before Elohim as a forerunner for us. We have also seen that the little flock, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, will experience a “level of fellowship” in the Most Holy Place. All of this can happen to the little flock because Jesus has made us “…kings and priests to Elohim and His Father…” (Revelation 1:6). Certainly the priests referred to here are priests according to the order of Melchizedek, since Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

To better understand the inner experience of this little flock, let us look at the sixth church in the Book of Revelation (Philadelphia), which corresponds to the sixth feast of Israel, the Day of Atonement. Revelation 3:12 states, “The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim, and he shall never go out again, and I will write upon him the Name of My Elohim, and the name of the city of My Elohim, the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim, and My new Name” (ILT).

There are two things we need to discuss from this verse. First, Jesus forms us in such a way that we become a “pillar” in the Temple. This is a process that occurs within our inner being. We who were once “clay” are formed into “pillars” of the Temple. And not only that, but it is emphasized that we will never go out again. This means there is an ‘inner certainty’ that we are already in the kingdom of heaven, and that the kingdom of heaven is already within our inner being. This inner certainty is different from the assurance of entering heaven that we often hear in the Christian world, namely, “believe in Jesus and you will surely go to heaven.” What is meant by “entering heaven” is something that happens after we die physically, when we enter a “pleasant place,” where, it is even said, there may still be dogs.

If we carefully examine the books of the New Testament, there is not a single verse that speaks of the “concept of entering heaven” as it is commonly preached in the Christian world. What the Bible proclaims is ‘believe in Jesus and you will receive eternal life’ (receive the life of Christ—zoe). And this ‘zoe’ is the kind of life lived by Elohim, given to believers as a SEED. It requires growth, just as all seeds require growth. That is why in the Gospel of Matthew, whose main theme is the kingdom of heaven, there are many parables, such as the parable of the sower, the “tares among the wheat,” the “dragnet,” the “faithful servant and the evil servant,” the “wise and foolish virgins,” and the “talents.” All these parables speak about believers who have received the seed of ‘life—zoe’. But not all grow, because in the Christian world many are called but few are chosen. Thus, to the little flock is given an ‘inner certainty’ now and at this very moment, without needing to die physically first. For to the little flock is given the grace to be both ‘called and chosen’.

Second, Jesus will write the Name of Elohim, the Name of the City of Elohim, and the new Name of Jesus. The ‘Name’ written in our inner being is not a name consisting of certain letters, because the “Name” here means the character, reputation, and work of Elohim Himself. Jesus writing the name of Elohim within us is the same as what Hebrews 8:10 means when it describes the New Covenant. As a result of the “writing of the Name of Elohim” within us, we experience a true knowledge of Elohim. By His grace, the little flock experiences this inner writing process so that they may know the plans, ways, works, and character of Elohim.

Now we come to the seventh and final feast of Israel, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33–44). The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the feast of the ‘ingathering’ (Exodus 23:16). It is also called the feast of the ‘seventh month’, where the number seven speaks of ‘fullness or perfection’ (Nehemiah 8:14). If we observe the three main feasts of Israel—Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles—these major feasts are related to the “harvest.” In Passover we have only the ‘sheaf of firstfruits’. In Pentecost we find the ‘harvest of firstfruits’ In Tabernacles we receive the ‘harvest of firstfruits in its fullness’.

We have discussed that in church history the fulfillment of the feast of Pentecost occurred when the “harvest of firstfruits” took place, namely the outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the apostles and believers gathered in one place, numbering about 120 people (Acts 1:15). But because the Holy Spirit continues to work throughout the church age, Elohim actually has “firstfruits” of the church throughout the ages. Thus, the Feast of Tabernacles is essentially the feast of gathering the “firstfruits” throughout the church age.

How is the Feast of Tabernacles fulfilled in the church? We know that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the 120 disciples was a “partial” outpouring of the Holy Spirit as a pledge or guarantee. Ephesians 1:14 states, “…you who believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance… (ARRABON = pledge, guarantee, or down payment)” (ILT). Therefore, in the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, the “firstfruits” of the church will experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in its fullness. And because the Feast of Tabernacles is called the feast of the ‘ingathering’, all the “firstfruits” of the church in every age will be gathered and experience the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

This event of the “full outpouring of the Holy Spirit” is not the same as what is generally understood in the Christian world as a “great harvest of souls,” as is often preached about an end-time revival. For this event of the “full outpouring of the Holy Spirit” is the harvest of the church’s “firstfruits” throughout the ages. Thus, not all members of the church throughout the ages will experience the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The “firstfruits of the church” are those members of the church who have “matured earlier,” according to the meaning of “firstfruits.” James 1:18 states, “…that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creation…” (ILT). This verse also emphasizes that becoming “firstfruits” is the decision and determination of the Father.

The full outpouring of the Holy Spirit is what Paul calls ‘glorification by faith’ (Romans 8). In the book of Romans, Paul explains salvation with three expressions: justification by faith, sanctification by faith, and glorification by faith. Glorification by faith is something eagerly awaited by all creation (Romans 8:19–21). When the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurs, the “firstfruits” of the church will be revealed (manifested) to all creation. Romans 8:19–21 states that the purpose of revealing the “firstfruits” of the church is to liberate creation. It is no coincidence that James uses the expression “firstfruits of creation,” because what will be liberated by the “firstfruits” of the church is ALL CREATION.

We will continue our discussion of the seventh feast of Israel, the Feast of Tabernacles. We have seen that the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles is the gathering of the church’s “firstfruits.” And this gathering of the “firstfruits” occurs when the “full” outpouring of the Holy Spirit arrives. Indeed, at present the “full” outpouring of the Holy Spirit has not yet been experienced by the “firstfruits” of the church, but the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles has already been experienced “inwardly” by the “firstfruits” of the church. In fact, the “firstfruits” of the church are the little flock to whom the Father in heaven is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven (Luke 12:32).

We will discuss the overcomers of the seventh church (Laodicea), which corresponds to the fulfillment of the seventh feast of Israel, Tabernacles. Revelation 3:21 states, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” In fact, the little flock, as the “firstfruits” of the church, has already experienced inwardly the experience of being seated together with the Lord Jesus on His throne.

We will explain this inner experience through the letter to the Ephesians. Watchman Nee, in his book ‘Sit, Walk, Stand’, clearly explains this experience. Ephesians 2:6 states, “and He raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (ILT). The Greek term ‘epouranios’, translated ‘heavenly realms’ in this verse, actually means ‘in the heavenly sphere’, that is, a DIMENSION where Elohim establishes His throne. Heaven is not a pleasant PLACE “far away out there” in the universe, as it is often understood in the Christian world. Heaven is a ‘heavenly dimension’ where the throne/kingdom of heaven exists. And in fact, this “heavenly dimension” is within our inner being.

Jesus told the Pharisees that ‘the kingdom of heaven is within you’ (Luke 17:21; the Greek word ‘entos’ here should be translated ‘within’). Thus, the kingdom of heaven exists in our ‘inner’ dimension. But for the Pharisees, they would not experience the kingdom of heaven, nor would they enter it, because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. But for the little flock who receive grace before the Father, the kingdom of heaven is a present reality. The little flock is already in the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven is already being experienced now.

The inward experience of being seated together with Jesus on His throne is indeed the experience of the overcomers in the church of Laodicea. In the Christian world, generally, the concept of “entering heaven” is thought to occur when a person dies physically. In reality, if Christians do not experience the inward reality of sitting together with Jesus in heaven now, then even when they die physically they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Physical death adds nothing to a person’s inward condition. Physical death actually reveals the true inward condition of a person. Therefore, if someone does not enter heaven now, they will not enter heaven after death either.

We will continue and conclude this short writing by continuing our discussion about the ‘inner experience’ of the little flock as the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. We have seen that at present the little flock, to whom the Father is pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, has experienced inwardly being “seated” together with Christ on His throne. Inwardly, the little flock has entered the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven already exists within them. We will see the next experience of the little flock in the book of Ephesians, namely the experience of “walking.”

Ephesians 4:1 says, “…that you should live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” The Greek term ‘peripateo’, translated ‘live’, actually means ‘walk’ (a verb). The meaning of the verse above is that your ‘walk of life’ should correspond to your calling. The walk of life referred to here means one’s daily way of living, whether in family life, business, or anything else. This verse does not refer to a particular ritual, religious method, or form of worship.

The lives of Jesus and John the Baptist illustrate the meaning of this “walk.” Both Jesus and John the Baptist did not “walk” within the religious world that existed at that time (Judaism). They lived their daily lives outside Judaism. This was not because Jesus and John the Baptist were not from the tribe of Levi, but because there was a certain truth explaining why they did not “walk” within Judaism.

In fact, there was “new wine” (new revelation) that could not be contained in “old wineskins” (old structures). In other words, Jesus and John the Baptist brought a new revelation about the kingdom of heaven that could not be accepted by Judaism. That is why both Jesus and John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Why must they repent? Because Judaism needed to change its thinking about the kingdom of heaven.

Likewise, the little flock cannot walk within the existing religious world. The little flock walks in daily life outside the structures of the Christian world. They walk in daily life according to the values and guidance of the kingdom of heaven within their inner being. The Christian world has become full of religious rules—“you must do this, you must do that”—in order to enter heaven. But the little flock, to whom the Father has been pleased to give the kingdom of heaven, is learning and continuing to learn to express the kingdom of heaven on earth in their daily lives.

The next experience of the little flock is to “stand.” Ephesians 6:11 says, “…that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The Greek word ‘histemi’, translated “stand,” actually means ‘to stand’ or ‘to remain’. This means we do not seize something, but only maintain it against the attacks of the devil. We simply maintain and remain in the victory of Christ. We are already in the kingdom of heaven, and we only need to stand and maintain it against the deceptions of the devil. The little flock does not to ‘do this and that in order to enter heaven’, but rather ‘to preserve the kingdom of heaven that has already been given by the Father in heaven’.

In conclusion to our theme, the seven feasts of Israel have been fulfilled by Jesus, and they have also been fulfilled inwardly for the little flock. What remains is the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the sense of the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that the kingdom of heaven within us may be manifested on this earth, and we may serve on this earth in a glorified body. Amen.

Summary: Church history shows that every new movement from Elohim eventually becomes dry and rigid, so Elohim begins a new movement again. And this new movement is like “new wine that cannot be received by old wineskins.” That is why the new and fresh movement of Elohim is always found “outside the camp” of the old movement.

Call to action: May we receive His grace to serve Him within the new and fresh movement of Elohim.

Our theme this time is ministry outside the camp. Many Christians, including those who are called “full-time” ministers within the Christian world, do not realize that there is a ministry outside the Christian religious system in this age. There is “new wine” that cannot be contained in “old wineskins.” There is new revelation that cannot be received by the Christian religious world. This happens in every age, because God continually moves and works to give new revelation. This does not mean that God is not working and pouring out His blessings into the “old wineskins.” It is hoped that through the principles and examples found in the Bible, we will understand this theme. In fact, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, the Bible speaks about ministry outside the camp. We will discuss this through this brief writing.

Let us begin with the ministry of the Lord Jesus and also the ministry of John the Baptist. In the time of Jesus, there was already a ministry in the Temple in Jerusalem. The ministry in the Jerusalem Temple was not a random ministry without clear regulations, because it was based on the covenant of Moses. Likewise, the ministry in the Temple had its own magnificence. Here the scribes and the Pharisees established a religious court called the Sanhedrin, whose high priest at that time was Caiaphas, with seventy members. Within the Sanhedrin were people such as Gamaliel, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and other figures who were respected by the people. They also had their own rabbinical schools. The Temple in Jerusalem was also very magnificent because it had been renovated by King Herod for 46 years, not to mention the synagogues spread throughout Israel. The Sanhedrin also had authority not only in religious matters but also in the social life of the Jewish nation. We can already imagine how magnificent and solid the ministry of the Temple in Jerusalem was. That is why the scribes and Pharisees proudly said to the man who had been healed by Jesus, “…You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this Man, we do not know where He is from” (John 9:28–29).

Even though the ministry in the Temple of Jerusalem was so magnificent, both Jesus and John the Baptist ministered ‘outside the camp’ of the Jerusalem Temple. Neither Jesus nor John the Baptist had position, human glory, or even money within the ministry of the Jerusalem Temple, which was obtained not only through tithes and other offerings, but also through the “trade” carried out by the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus and John the Baptist ministered outside the camp of the Jewish religion (Judaism).

Why did Jesus and John the Baptist not “take part” in the ministry of the Jerusalem Temple? The main reason was not because Jesus was not from the tribe of Levi, but because Jesus and John the Baptist brought a revelation that could not be accepted by Judaism. The revelation of Jesus and John the Baptist was the kingdom of heaven. It was emphasized that both Jesus and John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

Judaism had to repent before it could receive the revelation of the kingdom of heaven. Once again it was proven that “old wineskins” cannot contain “new wine.” Jesus and John the Baptist, who ministered outside the camp of Judaism, were eventually rejected. From the example above, we can see that there is a ministry outside the camp of the established religious world.

We have seen the example of the ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist as ministries outside the camp. We have also understood that these two categories of ministry cannot be reconciled, because the revelation contained in the ministry outside the camp cannot be received by those who minister inside the camp. For the Bible says that “new wine” cannot be put into “old wineskins.”

Matthew 9:14–17 speaks about the revelation or regulation of fasting among the disciples of the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist. Since John was the forerunner of Jesus’ ministry, in this case John belongs to the category of ‘ministry inside the camp’, even though as a forerunner he brought a new revelation about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ answer to John’s disciples proves that the revelation of fasting in the ministry inside the camp cannot be applied to the ministry outside the camp. The ministry outside the camp has its own revelation and its own regulations. That is why “…new wine is not put into old wineskins…” (Matthew 9:17).

Let us look at the book of Hebrews, regarding the case of those who had believed in Jesus but came from a Jewish background. Hebrews 13:9–13 states: “Do not be carried away by various and strange teachings. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest 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 to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”

Let us consider the entire context of the book of Hebrews so that we may understand the exhortation of the writer who says, “let us go to Him outside the camp and bear His reproach.” The book of Hebrews is an exhortation to believers of Jewish background not to return to the teachings of Judaism brought by false teachers. The writer emphasizes that God has spoken through Jesus, and this is better than before. That is why, from chapters 1 to 10, Jesus is compared with angels, with Moses (as an apostle), and with Aaron (as the High Priest), and it is shown that the New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant. Of course we will not discuss these comparisons here, but the problem was that these Hebrews were slow to hear (Hebrews 5:11). Therefore, in chapter 11 the writer gives examples of heroes of faith, because they heard the voice of God, and faith comes from hearing. Then in chapters 12–13 the writer gives practical exhortations. We should understand the context of Hebrews before entering the exhortation in Hebrews 13:9–13.

The writer of Hebrews firmly says that we have an ALTAR. This altar is not the altar in the tabernacle of Moses, 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, namely the cross of Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. But because Jesus fulfilled the Law, and since the Old Testament regulation required that the bodies of sacrificial animals be burned outside the camp, therefore Jesus was also crucified outside the camp. The ministry of Jesus was a ministry outside the camp, even though it involved reproach. Then comes this extraordinary exhortation that we should go to Him outside the camp and bear His reproach.

Let us apply this exhortation to our present situation. For those who can see, we know that the Christian world is full of regulations, both those taken from Old Testament rules (tithes, firstfruits, etc.) and those from the organizational rules of each denomination. But notice the exhortation above: “For it is good that the heart be established by GRACE and not with various foods which have not profited those who are occupied with such RULES.” If we want to live under grace, then we must go to Him outside the camp, even though there is reproach, because the ministry inside the camp is full of regulations.

We have discussed the ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist as ministries outside the camp. So far we have seen that the ministry outside the camp and the ministry inside the camp do not simply “coexist peacefully.” From the example of Jesus and John the Baptist, their message to those ministering inside the camp (the Pharisees and scribes) was: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In reality, those ministering inside the camp not only did not repent but also rejected the ministry outside the camp—and in the case of Jesus, they even killed Him. Why? Because there is a principle that “new wine cannot be put into old wineskins.” New revelation cannot be received by old structures. It is also written: “And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5:39).

This means that the Pharisees and scribes who had drunk the “old wine”—those who had enjoyed money, position, and the applause of the crowds (human glory)—would certainly not accept the revelation of the “new wine.” If they accepted the “new wine,” they would have to give up everything they had been enjoying. That is why Hebrews 13:13 says, “Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear His reproach.”

We will continue our discussion about ministry outside the camp by looking at examples and principles, starting from the ministry of Cain and Abel to the symbolic woman (the church) in the book of Revelation.

Let us begin with the ministries of Cain and Abel. Each of them built an altar. They both offered sacrifices, and they were brothers. But Cain’s offering was rejected by God, while Abel’s offering was accepted. Cain’s offering was rejected not because he offered the fruit of the ground (since he was a farmer) while Abel offered livestock. God rejected Cain’s offering because Cain did not have faith. Hebrews 11:4 calls Abel a hero of faith. Besides lacking faith, Cain’s deeds were evil (1 John 3:12). And Cain killed his brother Abel.

From the example of Cain’s offering (ministry) that was rejected by God, we should not quickly conclude that Cain was not blessed by God. God blessed Cain, because he built a city and named it Enoch after his son. Cain’s descendants also built human civilization, because from his lineage came the world of livestock (Jabal), the world of music (Jubal), and the world of industry (Tubal-Cain) (Genesis 4:17–22). The works of Cain and his descendants were very meaningful for humanity.

If we compare this with the works of Seth’s descendants (as the replacement for Abel), we find that their works are not recorded at all (Genesis 5:6–32). The descendants of Seth are only recorded by their ages, and Enoch is mentioned as one who walked with God, and Noah is said to have found grace. What is interesting here is that none of Cain’s descendants have their ages mentioned. Age in the context before the New Testament was very meaningful. Abraham’s journey from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran is not recorded in terms of duration, because Abraham was not fully obedient to God’s command to leave his father’s house (Terah). Therefore, the ages of Cain’s descendants were not recorded because their lives were not valuable before God, even though they built human civilization. On the other hand, the detailed ages of Seth’s descendants prove that their lives were valuable before God, even though their works were not as great as those of Cain’s descendants. For those who can see, we can understand that Cain’s ministry represents ministry inside the camp, while Abel’s ministry represents ministry outside the camp.

Now we will discuss the ministry of Noah as a ministry outside the camp. Noah was a man who found grace (Genesis 6:8). Because Noah found grace in God’s eyes, the next verse says: “…Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).

There is something in verse 9 that we must pay attention to carefully. The Bible says that Noah was blameless among the people of his time. Why is this stated? If we look at the previous verses, the context becomes clear: in Noah’s time there was intermarriage between the sons of God and the daughters of men, and God considered this a great evil (Genesis 6:5).

Who are the sons of God and the daughters of men? Some think the sons of God were angels, because Job 1:6 says, “the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.” However, if we interpret the sons of God as angels, several difficulties arise. First, are angels male, or do they have male bodies and sexual desires like human men? Second, how do we reconcile this with what Jesus said, that angels in heaven do not marry? (Matthew 22:30). Third, the passage itself does not speak about angels at all, and after the intermarriage God Himself said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…” (Genesis 6:3). Therefore we can understand that the sons of God in this passage are humans.

But which humans are these sons of God? In the earlier chapters the Bible records two human lineages: the descendants of Cain who went away from God, and the descendants of Seth who walked with God. The descendants of Cain are called the daughters of men, while the descendants of Seth are called the sons of God. Then in Noah’s time there was intermarriage, where the sons of God took the daughters of men as wives—any they chose (Genesis 6:2). God regarded this as evil. Noah did not take a wife from Cain’s lineage; that is why it says Noah was

blameless among the people of his generation (the descendants of Seth who took wives from Cain’s lineage).

Noah, who found grace in God’s eyes, had the ministry of building the ark. Noah’s ministry judged the earth at that time, because the earth had been corrupted by this intermarriage. However, the concept of judgment should not be understood only in the sense of punishment. The Bible says that when God judges the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). Therefore Noah’s ministry, which judged the earth—especially the “mixed generation”—also means a ministry of restoration, so that they might learn what is right.

With this explanation of Noah’s ark ministry, we should not quickly assume that there was no ministry among the “mixed generation.” Since the mixed generation also came partly from the descendants of Seth, and Cain himself offered sacrifices, it is certain that the mixed generation also had ministries, or at least some of them did. It is easy to understand that the ministry of the mixed generation represents ‘ministry inside the camp’, while Noah’s ministry, which judged the earth, represents ‘ministry outside the camp’.

As a closing of this discussion, we can understand that the ministry outside the camp is very much a minority—only eight people were saved. We may also assume that those who like to shout “do not judge” are those who minister inside the camp.

Next, we will discuss the ministry of Abraham as a ministry outside the camp. To understand Abraham’s ministry as a ministry outside the camp, we must look at the context of Abraham’s calling. If we do not understand why Abraham was called out of his country, from his relatives, and from his father’s house, then we cannot see that Abraham’s calling was a calling to build a ministry outside the camp.

Let us read Genesis 12:1–3: “Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

There are three things we must carefully observe about Abraham’s calling in relation to our theme. First, Abraham was promised a land. Second, Abraham would become a great nation. Third, Abraham had to leave his country, his relatives, and his father’s house. Why did Abraham have to go out? To answer this, we must clearly see the context of Abraham’s calling.

We know that Noah’s ministry judged the earth through the flood, at a time when the earth had become corrupt because of the “intermarriage” between the descendants of Seth and the descendants of Cain (Genesis 6:11–12). When Noah came out of the ark, there were only eight people: Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives. After Elohim made a covenant with Noah, his three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—had children, and from them the whole earth was populated (Genesis 9:19).

However, Noah later became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent, and Ham saw his father’s nakedness. In the end, Noah cursed Ham, as recorded in Genesis 9:25–27. Noah’s curse upon his son Ham was actually a failure, because a father should bless his son.

Next, we know that Ham begot Cush, and Cush begot Nimrod. Concerning Nimrod it is written that he was the first mighty ruler on the earth, and that he was a mighty hunter before the Lord (Genesis 10:8–9). Many people think that Nimrod served and lived before the Lord. However, Strong’s Concordance reveals that the Hebrew term PANIM, translated as ‘before’ (verse 9), has a wide range of meanings. In Genesis 10:9, as in Numbers 16:2, the Hebrew term PANIM, translated ‘before’, can also literally mean ‘to rebel’. In the Jewish Encyclopedia, the name Nimrod means ‘the one who made all people rebel against God’. The Indonesian Literal Translation (ILT) Bible gives a footnote for the word ‘before’, translating it as ‘boldly against’. From this we can conclude that Nimrod was a rebel who stood defiantly against God. Nimrod established his own kingdom, one of which was Babel.

In building his kingdom, Nimrod influenced and led not only the descendants of Ham but also those of Shem and Japheth, so that the whole earth rebelled against God. In such a situation, God confused the language of the whole earth (which had previously been one language) and broke apart the kingdom built by Nimrod, so that each nation descended from Noah had its own language, its own kings, and even its own gods.

It was in this context that God called Abraham to leave his father’s house (Terah), his people, and the land where he lived. The land where Abraham lived, beyond the Euphrates River, was one of the fragments of Nimrod’s kingdom, which certainly had its own king, its own language, and its own god. Terah worshiped the god of the land beyond the Euphrates (Joshua 24:2).

Yet God chose Abraham to build a kingdom—the kingdom of Israel (physical)—as a symbol of the kingdom of the Messiah (spiritual). That is why Abraham had to leave his people, including his father Terah. In reality, Abraham’s calling was a calling to build a kingdom that would become a blessing to all the families of the earth.

After understanding the context of Abraham’s calling, we can see that Abraham’s calling (ministry) was indeed a ministry outside the camp. Meanwhile, the ministry inside the camp refers to the descendants of Noah who had declined because of Nimrod’s rebellion in building his own kingdom.

As we close this section, we can understand that a ministry inside the camp is not a “random ministry,” but a ministry that originally came from God (from the Spirit), which later declined because of human lust (the flesh). In the case of Noah’s descendants (“Noah’s camp”), the decline occurred because of Nimrod’s ambition to build his own kingdom.

Now we will discuss Joseph’s ministry in Egypt as a ministry outside the camp. The story of Joseph begins when Jacob and his twelve sons had settled in the land of Canaan, a land promised to Abraham as his possession and the possession of his descendants. Specifically, God also promised Jacob that the land of Canaan would belong to him and his descendants when Jacob had his dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:13–14).

Jacob and his twelve sons lived in Canaan while waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled, though it would certainly take a long time for Jacob to have descendants numerous enough to become a nation that would inherit the land of Canaan. While waiting for God’s promise, when Joseph was seventeen years old, he brought a bad report to his father about his brothers. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons, and this caused Joseph’s brothers to hate him.

In this situation, God gave Joseph a dream about sheaves of grain, in which his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheaf (Genesis 37:5–8). Joseph also told another dream about the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to him. Although these dreams made his brothers jealous, they were actually the beginning of Joseph’s ministry, which we call a ministry outside the camp.

Joseph was hated and rejected by his brothers, and we know the story of how he was sold into Egypt. In Egypt, Joseph was prepared and shaped by God so that he could carry out his ministry outside “Jacob’s camp.” Meanwhile, in the Promised Land (Canaan), Jacob continued to multiply according to God’s promise to make him into a nation. Yet God was doing another work in Egypt through Joseph. In short, Joseph became the second ruler under Pharaoh.

Then, by God’s arrangement, a famine occurred in the land of Canaan, while Egypt had an abundance of food. Because Joseph was second under Pharaoh, he was entrusted with managing and distributing food not only to the people of Egypt but also to other nations who came to Egypt to obtain food. Joseph’s brothers also came to Egypt for food, and eventually Joseph brought his father Jacob and all his descendants to Egypt, numbering seventy persons at that time.

Joseph sustained Jacob and all his descendants in Egypt with abundant food. Joseph summarized his ministry in Genesis 50:20: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but Elohim meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to preserve the lives of a great people” (ILT). Thus, Joseph’s ministry, as a ministry outside the camp, ultimately served to feed his brothers who were inside “Jacob’s camp.”

So far, our discussion shows that ministry inside the camp often declines for various reasons. In the case of Seth’s descendants, the decline occurred because of intermarriage. In the case of Noah and his descendants, the decline occurred because of Nimrod’s rebellion. In the case of Jacob and his descendants in Canaan, the decline occurred because of the wickedness of Joseph’s brothers. In these situations of declining ministry inside the camp, God chose certain people to begin a ministry outside the camp.

This decline of ministry inside the camp results in a “famine of the word,” as prophesied in the book of Amos: “…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” (Amos 8:11).

Let us apply this to our situation today. The Christian world has also experienced decline, as prophesied by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1–9. As a result, the Christian world has begun to hunger for a fresh word from God, a hunger for new revelation from Him. And we know that in Revelation 2–3, the Lord chooses His overcomers to carry out a ministry outside the camp.

Ultimately, the purpose of the ministry outside the camp is to feed the brothers inside the camp who have begun to hunger for the word, because outside the camp there is abundant food. In God’s time, His overcomers will be manifested and will become a blessing not only to the Christian world but also to all people (Romans 8:19–21).

Now we will discuss the Tabernacle of Moses, which was set up outside the camp of Israel. As we know, only the tribe of Levi was allowed to minister in the Tabernacle of Moses. Therefore, the ministry of the tribe of Levi in the Tabernacle was actually a ministry outside the camp.

Let us read Exodus 33:7: “Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of Meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD went out to the Tabernacle of Meeting which was outside the camp.”

The background of why Moses set up the tent outside the camp of Israel was that the people of Israel had fallen into the worship of the golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:1). Simply because Moses delayed coming down from Mount Sinai, the people asked Aaron to make a golden calf. Aaron followed their request, made the golden calf, built an altar before it, and even proclaimed a feast day for the calf they worshiped as their god. Israel had fallen into idolatry, even shortly after Yahweh made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai.

However, at God’s command, Moses came down from the mountain and stood at the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!” Then all the sons of Levi gathered themselves to him (Exodus 32:26). Moses stood outside the camp of Israel, which had fallen into idolatry, and challenged the people to stand with the Lord. As our verse says, only the tribe of Levi came out of the camp and came to Moses. Moses then commanded the Levites to consecrate themselves from that day forward (verse 29).

We know the rest of the story: eventually the Lord appointed only the tribe of Levi to serve as priests and minister in the Tabernacle of Meeting (the Holy Tent) outside the camp of Israel. In fact, God had originally intended for all Israel to become kings and priests, as it is written: “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (Exodus 19:6).

Israel was meant to be a separated (holy) nation and serve as priests to other nations—bringing Yahweh to the nations and bringing the nations to Yahweh. However, this covenant was conditional: if Israel obeyed the Lord, then all Israel would become priests to other nations (Exodus 19:5). But in reality, only the tribe of Levi stood with the Lord (Exodus 32:26).

Many Christians think that God chose the tribe of Levi purely by His sovereignty. Indeed, God’s choice is sovereign, but within that sovereignty God moved the tribe of Levi to come to Moses at the entrance of the camp, as in the story above. Therefore, the ministry of the tribe of Levi in the Tabernacle of Meeting was a ministry outside the camp.

Does this mean that the other tribes of Israel did not serve the Lord? Of course they did. The other tribes served the Lord in relation to the Tabernacle of Meeting. They gathered offerings for its construction. They brought their sacrifices to the Tabernacle. And when fighting to conquer the Promised Land, all the tribes of Israel went to battle together. The whole nation of Israel still served Yahweh, but the ministry inside the Tabernacle was specifically assigned to the tribe of Levi. Therefore, in conclusion, the ministry of the tribe of Levi was a ministry outside the camp. The other tribes continued to serve Yahweh, but they served within the camp of Israel.

We will continue our discussion of ministry outside the camp by comparing the ministries of David and Saul. Specifically, we will examine the attitude of Jonathan, Saul’s son, when he learned that the kingdom of Israel would pass into David’s hands.

The background of Saul being chosen as the first king of Israel was the declining condition of Israel during the time when the Judges ruled. Later, Samuel was called and served as a judge all his life (1 Samuel 7:15). When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. However, his sons did not walk in Samuel’s ways, because they pursued dishonest gain, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.

In this situation, the elders of Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king. Saul was then anointed as the first king of Israel. The Bible records that Saul reigned for two years (1 Samuel 13:1), but in Acts it is stated that Saul reigned for forty years (Acts 13:21). This indicates that Saul’s rule functioned properly only during the first two years. Saul initially did great things, delivering Israel from their enemies. But when the Philistines attacked, Saul did not follow the command of the Lord delivered through Samuel. Therefore Samuel said: “The LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever… but now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…” (1 Samuel 13:13–14).

Although the Lord had declared that Saul’s kingdom would not continue, Saul remained on the throne of Israel for forty years, even after God had chosen David as his successor.

At first Saul liked David, because David succeeded in every battle wherever Saul sent him. But later, when the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” Saul became jealous of David because he feared that the throne would pass to him (1 Samuel 18:7–9). Saul even attempted to kill David, forcing David to flee from him. Yet the Lord did not deliver David into Saul’s hand.

At that time, Israel seemed to have two kings. Saul still occupied the throne of Israel until his death, but the ‘divine choice and anointing’ had already shifted from Saul to David. This was known by Jonathan, Saul’s son. Jonathan said, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you” (1 Samuel 23:17).

Up to this point we can conclude that David’s ministry was a ministry outside the camp, while Saul’s ministry was a ministry inside the camp. As we have discussed, a ministry inside the camp is a ministry that at the beginning runs well, but because of one thing or another it declines. Then God begins a new movement, and this new movement is usually opposed by those who serve within the camp.

But there is something interesting here concerning Jonathan. Jonathan was Saul’s son who, in fact, would automatically become king after his father Saul died. Yet Jonathan knew that the divine choice and anointing had shifted into the hands of David. Jonathan even strengthened David’s confidence when David felt afraid because Saul had gone out to kill him. Ideally, Jonathan should have followed David even though he would have had to be pursued by Saul’s soldiers. But Jonathan was not with David when David was being chased by Saul’s troops. The Bible says, “…David remained at Horesh, but Jonathan went home” (1 Samuel 23:18). When the time came for Saul’s reign to end and Saul died at the hands of the Philistines, Jonathan also died together with his father… inside the camp. This is truly a valuable lesson for those who have already known the truth about the ministry outside the camp, yet for one reason or another still continue to serve inside the camp.

Let us continue our discussion about the ministry outside the camp. Now we will compare the ministry of the true prophets with the false prophets in the days of King Ahab. Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years. King Ahab took Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, as his wife, so that he worshiped Baal and Asherah, which provoked the God of Israel to anger (1 Kings 16:29–33).

We know that the kingdom of Israel was divided into the northern kingdom consisting of ten tribes (usually called the kingdom of Israel) and the southern kingdom consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (called the kingdom of Judah). The Northern Kingdom (Israel) never had a good king. In the days of King Ahab, idolatry became extremely widespread because Jezebel was deeply devoted to Baal and Asherah. We must mention the deeds of Jezebel so that we can see the “ministry” of these false prophets and also the condition of the true prophets at that time.

First, because of her commitment to Baal and Asherah, Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord and supported the prophets of Baal, four hundred and fifty in number, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, feeding them at the table of her palace (1 Kings 18:19). If Obadiah, a God-fearing man who served as the palace administrator, had not hidden one hundred of the Lord’s prophets and supplied them with food, there might have been no prophet of the Lord left in Israel except Elijah.

Second, Jezebel had a very dominant character, so that she was able to persuade her husband Ahab to become a devoted idol worshiper as well (1 Kings 21:25). Ahab’s palace had become a place where false prophets were maintained.

Third, Jezebel seized the authority of King Ahab in the case of Naboth’s vineyard, where she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with the king’s seal, even though her purpose was to fulfill Ahab’s desire (1 Kings 21:8).

Under such conditions in Israel, it can be said that the ministry of the true prophets was very restricted and hardly influenced the people at all. Meanwhile, the false prophets were numerous and were supported in the palace of King Ahab. In reality, the ministry of the true prophets—who were a very small minority—was a ministry outside the camp. Meanwhile, the “ministry” of the false prophets, which flourished because it was supported by the facilities and power of the king, we may call a ministry inside the camp.

It was in such circumstances that God raised up the prophet Elijah to challenge the false prophets with a demonstration: whoever answered with fire, He would be the true God (1 Kings 18:20–40). And we know that in the end God answered with fire, and the idols were proven false. As a result of Elijah’s appearance in this demonstration on Mount Carmel, the many false prophets were destroyed. It is written, “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God’” (1 Kings 18:39).

There are several lessons we can learn from the ministry of the true prophets and the “ministry” of the false prophets, especially in the days of King Ahab.

First, those who serve in the context of a ministry outside the camp are generally a minority. Indeed, in almost every age, whether in the time of the kingdom of Israel or in the age of the church, false prophets and false teachers have always been the majority.

Second, the “ministry” of false prophets and teachers is usually supported by the power of the king, and they receive support and food from “Jezebel’s table.” Meanwhile, the ministry of true prophets such as Elijah was sustained and fed directly by God, whether through the widow of Zarephath or through ravens.

But there comes a time when, through the appearance of an “Elijah,” God proves which ministry is acceptable to Him—the ministry outside the camp or the ministry inside the camp.

Now we will continue the discussion concerning the “famine of the word” that occurs in the ministry inside the camp by looking at an example in the case of the ministry of the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 6:24 – 7:19. As we already know, the famine of the word was prophesied in the book of Amos: “Behold, the days are coming… when 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” (Amos 8:11). This has been fulfilled in every age of ministry inside the camp. Why can we be certain that ministry inside the camp experiences a famine of the word? The explanation is as follows.

The ministry outside the camp begins precisely because there has been a decline in the ministry inside the camp, as we have discussed so far. In the case of the ministry of the descendants of Seth, decline occurred because of intermarriage. In the case of Noah and his descendants, decline occurred because of the rebellion of Nimrod. In the case of Jacob and his descendants in the land of Canaan, decline occurred because of the wickedness of Joseph’s brothers. In such conditions of decline within the ministry inside the camp, a famine of the word arises.

The famine of the word referred to here is a famine of fresh and new revelation—a revelation that God unveils to His servants, a new movement because the old movement has become hardened, rigid, and no longer able to contain new revelation. Just as old wineskins cannot receive new wine, so the old structure (the old movement) cannot receive fresh and new revelation of the word (Luke 5:36–39).

Now let us see that there was abundant food outside the camp in the example of the ministry of the prophet Elisha. At that time there was a famine in Samaria because Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, besieged Samaria (2 Kings 6:24–25). We know that the kingdom of Israel was divided into two because King Solomon fell into idolatry. The northern kingdom (ten tribes) with its capital in Samaria never had a good king. All the kings in the northern kingdom worshiped idols. Meanwhile, the southern kingdom (two tribes) with its capital in Jerusalem was led by the dynasty of David. In the condition of the northern kingdom, which had greatly declined, the siege by the army of Aram (King Ben-Hadad) took place. Yet God still sent His prophets to the northern kingdom.

Then the prophet Elisha prophesied concerning the city of Samaria, declaring that there would be an extraordinary deliverance from God so that Samaria would be spared and would receive food. But what is interesting here is that God used four lepers who were outside the camp of the city of Samaria. According to the Law of Moses, those who had leprosy were not allowed to enter the camp and had to cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” (Leviticus 13:45). By God’s arrangement, these four lepers were used by God to announce that there was abundant food outside the city of Samaria. Thus Samaria was saved.

What lessons can we learn from the case of these four lepers?

First, there is indeed abundant food outside the camp, while there is famine inside the camp because of decline.

Second, God wants to use His servants who minister outside the camp to feed those who are inside the camp—but according to God’s own time and way.

Third, the servants whom God used in the case of the famine in Samaria were four lepers. Lepers, as we know, were people who were cast out and marginalized outside the camp. Likewise, those whom God uses to feed the people inside the camp will often be those who are rejected and marginalized. For those of us who serve outside the camp, we certainly realize how abundant the food is outside the camp. Fresh and new words are always available to us.

At present we will compare the ministry of the people of Israel during their exile in Babylon with the ministry of the people of Israel who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem. From this comparison, we can understand which ministry can be categorized as a ministry outside the camp and which is called a ministry inside the camp.

We know that the return of the people of Israel from Babylon to Jerusalem occurred in three groups. The first group was led by Zerubbabel with the ministry of rebuilding the Temple. The second group was led by Ezra with the ministry of restoring Israel’s love for the Law. The third group was led by Nehemiah with the ministry of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

Perhaps many of us do not realize that while the people of Israel were in exile, they actually began to serve Yahweh, their Elohim, and no longer worshiped idols as had been their habit in the land of Israel before the exile. The emergence of synagogues (places of gathering) began during the time of exile. In exile, Jewish families formed synagogues (usually for about ten Jewish families), where they studied the Law of the Lord under the leadership of rabbis (teachers). Indeed, in the synagogues they did not perform sacrificial rituals, because according to the command of the Law, sacrificial rituals had to be carried out in the Temple in Jerusalem, the place where Yahweh had placed His name.

Even in exile, Yahweh still preserved His people. In the time of Esther, Yahweh’s preservation of His people can be clearly seen. The events in the time of Esther occurred between the return of the first group led by Zerubbabel and the second group led by Ezra. As we know from the book of Esther, Yahweh miraculously preserved the lives of the Jewish people from the mass killing planned by Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Also in exile there were people like Mordecai who possessed strong faith, and of course Esther as well. So, even in exile, the people of Israel could still be said to be serving Yahweh. However, in the book of Esther, the name of God is never mentioned. Why is this so? Because even though Yahweh continued to preserve His people in exile, He had placed His name in the place He had chosen, namely Jerusalem.

Now let us look at the ministry of those who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezra 1:5 affirms: “Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, even everyone whose spirit Elohim had stirred, arose to go up to build the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem.” Here we see that those who were willing to return to Jerusalem for the ministry of rebuilding the Temple were people whose spirits were stirred by Elohim. Why was this so? Because, besides the long journey and the many risks involved, God’s people in exile had already begun to live settled lives. They had built houses, owned gardens and fields, and also had their ministries in the synagogues. That is why those who were willing to serve in Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple had to be people whose spirits were stirred by Elohim. And only a small number returned from exile to Jerusalem. The group of Zerubbabel alone numbered only about 50,000 people. The groups of Ezra and Nehemiah consisted of only a small number as well. Meanwhile, the Jews scattered throughout the Persian Empire at that time were estimated to number between two and three million people.

From the facts above, let us summarize several points.

First, the number of Jews serving in Jerusalem was very small compared to those scattered in Babylon and the surrounding regions.

Second, although they were few in number, the Jews who served in Jerusalem were carrying out the original will of Yahweh, in which He had chosen Jerusalem as the place where His Temple would be established and His name placed.

Third, the ministry of the Jews in Jerusalem would bring forth the Messiah to establish His kingdom, because the Messiah would not come to Babylon to establish His kingdom.

If we remember the characteristics of a ministry outside the camp, we can conclude that the ministry of the Jews in Jerusalem was a ministry outside the camp—a new and fresh ministry in which the Jews who were stirred by Elohim began to rebuild the Temple in its original place. Meanwhile, although Yahweh continued to preserve and work for His people in Babylon, Babylon was not the place for His people. Israel was in Babylon because of the decline and idolatry they had practiced in Jerusalem previously. Therefore, their ministry in Babylon can be categorized as a ministry inside the camp.

Now we will discuss the ministry outside the camp of the Christian world. In order to understand the ministry outside the camp of the Christian world, we must truly understand what the Christian world is. If someone considers the Christian world to be the natural development of the early church, then he will not understand what the ministry outside the camp of the Christian world is. For, as we have discussed previously, the existence of a ministry outside the camp occurs because a decline has taken place within the camp. That is why we must first describe the decline that occurred, so that the early church described in the book of Acts has become the Christian world as we see it today.

Let us see what happened to this early church. Paul said 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 men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Here Paul clearly says that fierce wolves will come and attack the church leaders, especially the elders of the church in Ephesus, to whom Paul was speaking. These fierce wolves would cause church leaders to teach false doctrines in order to draw the disciples away from the true path. Previously, the disciples followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit, but because they were drawn by the leaders, the disciples then followed the leaders. Some disciples followed this leader, while others followed that leader.

This resulted in divisions within the church. This is what has actually happened in the Christian world. Some of the Lord’s disciples follow this leader, while others follow that leader. The denominations that exist in the Christian world are groups of disciples who are following their respective leaders. There are even denominations that are named after their leaders. For example: Lutheran, Calvinist, Wesleyan, Mennonite, and so on. Others are named based on doctrine, such as Reformed, Pentecostal, and so forth. Others again are named according to their form of human governance, such as Presbyterian, Episcopal, and so on.

The Christian world that we see today is not a natural development of the early church, but a continuous division that has occurred because the leaders in every age of the church have drawn disciples after themselves. In a condition where the church continues to be torn apart by “savage wolves,” what is the action of the Lord Jesus as the Head of the church?

The action of the Lord Jesus is to call His overcomers in every age of the church (Revelation 2–3). In each of the “seven church ages,” the Lord calls His overcomers with the appeal, ‘He who overcomes…’. These overcomers are not great and famous people in the Christian world, but rather simple people who receive God’s grace so that they do not take part in the decline of the Christian world. From Revelation chapters 2 and 3, we know that there are three false teachings that have already been widely accepted in the Christian world, yet these teachings are precisely what cause the fall of the church. These false teachings are the teaching of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. We will not elaborate on them now. What we emphasize here is that the ministry of His overcomers in every church age is a ministry outside the camp of the declining Christian world.

Let us continue our discussion concerning ministry outside the camp of the Christian world. We have explained that the ministry of His overcomers in every age is a ministry outside the camp of the Christian world. Why is this so? Because we know that ministry outside the camp arises due to decline within the camp. In Revelation chapters 2 and 3 it is clearly stated that there are three false teachings that caused the church to decline and develop into the Christian world that we know today. These three false teachings are the teaching of Jezebel, the teaching of the Nicolaitans, and the teaching of Balaam.

Perhaps we need to review a little about these three false teachings, especially the teaching of Jezebel. Of course, we will not explain all the teachings of Jezebel that have been justified in the Christian world, but we will briefly discuss her action of seizing authority from her husband Ahab in the case of Naboth’s vineyard. The Lord Jesus clearly said to His disciples, “Nor are you to be called leaders…” (Matthew 23:10). Does this mean there are no leaders in the church? Of course there are, but there is no “seat of Moses,” such as the one held by the Jewish religious leaders in His time. In the context of the Old Testament, there indeed was a “seat of Moses,” meaning an authority of Yahweh delegated to the leaders. In the context of the New Testament, however, the Lord Jesus did not delegate His authority to leaders. The authority of the church is the authority of the ‘Life of Christ’. That is why, in the church, “…you are all brothers” (Matthew 23:8). Yet church leaders have seized the authority of Jesus by drawing disciples to follow themselves (Acts 20:30).

This is what has happened with the tens of thousands of denominations that exist today. The leaders of these denominations draw disciples to their own denominations, so that the disciples become divided. This is what is called the seizure of the authority of Jesus. The disciples in the early church truly followed the leading of the Spirit of Christ, but after being drawn by leaders, they proudly feel that their group is the most correct. Yet these denominational groups are now considered normal in the Christian world. Why? Because “Jezebel” has become a ‘teaching’ in the Christian world, not merely a practice. One form of the teaching of Jezebel that has been widely accepted in the Christian world is the doctrine of the “visible and invisible church.” Through this teaching, the church has been equated with denominations. The actions of denominational leaders who seize the authority of Jesus have been justified and even taught.

The other two false teachings support this teaching of Jezebel. The Nicolaitans represent the actions of leaders who not only draw disciples but also ‘subdue’ them (Niko = to conquer; Laos = the people, the laity). The manifestation of the teaching of the Nicolaitans appears in various teachings about false submission. Balaam, of course, represents ‘merchandising’, serving for wages. These three teachings are not only practiced by denominations but have also been taught and regarded as correct.

In a Christian world that has been dominated by these three false teachings, the Lord Jesus, in every age, raises up His overcomers to minister outside the camp. What does the ministry of these overcomers look like? Or what is the ministry outside the camp like? We will take one example from the churches in Revelation 2–3 to explain the ministry of these overcomers. Let us look at the church in Laodicea, where the Lord Jesus stands ‘outside the camp’ of the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:20). What Jesus offers to the church in Laodicea is “to eat,” meaning to fellowship with Him. From this example it is clear that ministry outside the camp, or the ministry of the overcomers, is focused on “eating,” that is, fellowship with the Lord Jesus. The Laodicean church was focused on works (Revelation 3:15)—in modern terms, programs, rituals, buildings, and all kinds of activities that made them feel rich and lacking nothing. Thus, the ministry of the overcomers, or ministry outside the camp, is not focused on works but on fellowship.

We will conclude this brief discussion about ministry outside the camp by examining the symbol of the woman in Revelation chapters 12 and 17. Just as Adam is a symbol or type of Christ Jesus (Romans 5:14), so the woman is a symbol or type of His bride, namely the church. We will look at the characteristics of these two women in the book of Revelation. But we must remember that the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ—and therefore also of His church—using symbolic language (Revelation 1:1; the Greek word ‘semaino’ comes from ‘sema’, meaning symbol). We will describe the characteristics of these two women only in relation to our theme, namely ministry outside the camp. By observing these characteristics, we will know which represents ministry outside the camp and which represents ministry within the camp.

We begin with the symbol of the woman in Revelation 12:1, which says: “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.”

Let us observe several characteristics of this woman.

First, she is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet. The sun and the moon here are symbols: the sun represents Christ as our true Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2), while the moon only has reflected light. The worship of this woman is worship in spirit and truth (New Testament), not worship that is a mixture of the New Testament and the Old Testament, as we commonly see in the Christian world.

Second, this woman is led by the twelve stars. Twelve is the number of divine government, and stars in the book of Revelation represent the sons of God. These sons of God (plural) form a crown, which signifies divine authority. The divine authority in the church is the authority of ‘Life’, therefore this woman is led by the authority of Life.

Third, this church is in heaven, meaning it exists in a heavenly dimension and cannot be seen physically. The Christian world that we can see physically—its buildings, rituals, and forms of worship—is not the woman described here.

Next, let us look at the characteristics of the woman in Revelation chapter 17.

First, this woman ‘sits on a beast’ (verse 3). In the book of Revelation, the beast is a symbol of human government, not divine government as in the woman of Revelation 12. The name (characteristic) of this woman is ‘Babylon’ (verse 5), a city of human kingdom originally built by Nimrod. The church supported by systems of human government is represented by the denominations we know in the Christian world.

Second, this woman is called a ‘harlot’ (verse 1). A harlot here means a woman who receives the “seed” not only from her husband but also from other men. The Christian world receives the word of God but also the “seeds” of the teachings of Jezebel, the Nicolaitans, and Balaam, as we have described earlier.

Third, this woman ‘sits upon many waters’ (verse 1). The waters here represent “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (verse 15). Thus this woman represents the majority. Ministry outside the camp, of course, is a minority compared to ministry inside the camp.

Therefore, it is clear that the woman in Revelation 12 represents God’s people who minister outside the camp, while the woman in Revelation 17 represents God’s people who minister inside the camp.

We will close this brief writing by looking at the final outcome of these two women. The woman in Revelation chapter 12 will, in due time, give birth to the sons of God who will shepherd all nations (verse 5), while the woman in Revelation 17 will, in due time, be judged by the Lord.

Let us remind God’s chosen people who are still within the camp: “Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins” (Revelation 18:4). Amen.

Summary: The most important thing in proclaiming the Good News and in understanding the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is recognizing the natural–spiritual principle. By understanding this principle, we can understand the stories in the Bible in their proper context.

Call to action: By His grace, we can come to know this natural–spiritual principle and proclaim the Gospel correctly.

The Natural–Spiritual Principle is a very important principle, because it is not only a gospel principle but also a principle for understanding both the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). Let us read 1 Corinthians 15:46: “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” This means that what comes first is the natural (physical or fleshly), and only afterward comes the spiritual. Let us consider the context of this verse.

First Corinthians is easier to understand in its structure than Second Corinthians, because First Corinthians discusses issues one by one in sequence. Our verse above is part of the issue discussed in chapter 15, namely the issue concerning the gospel (verse 1). Specifically, there are two issues addressed here. First, some among the Corinthians said that there is no resurrection of the dead (verse 12). In response to this issue, Paul answers from verse 13 through verse 32. Second, some asked, “With what kind of body will they come?” (verse 35). Here Paul explains that there is a heavenly body (a spiritual body), and there is also an earthly body (a natural body). It is in this section that our verse appears, namely that what comes first is the natural body, and afterward the spiritual body.

The Natural–Spiritual Principle is very general and broad in nature. For example, in the creation of humanity, the first man was from the dust of the earth, while the second Man is from heaven. In terms of covenants, the first covenant (OT) is physical in nature, whereas the second covenant (NT) is spiritual in nature, as we will see later. When we elaborate on this matter of covenants, we find that the sanctuary (OT) is physical in nature, while the sanctuary (NT) is spiritual in nature. And the same applies to worship, blessings, law, enemies, inheritance, warfare, weapons, and so on. Everything related to the OT is physical in nature, whereas the NT is spiritual. And what comes first is the physical, the natural (OT), and only afterward the spiritual (NT). Such is the Natural–Spiritual Principle.

This Natural–Spiritual Principle is a gospel principle, as we see in the chapter above (1 Corinthians 15, especially verse 1). If a preacher of the gospel does not understand this principle, then he will preach a “mixed gospel,” namely a mixture of the OT (physical) and the NT (spiritual). Meanwhile, we see that “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Elohim…” (1 Corinthians 15:50, ILT), and that “For the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ILT). Does this mean that the gospel does not include the restoration of physical matters? Does God not care about our physical needs? We will answer this question by looking at the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, recorded in John 6:1–58.

In John 6 it is clear that Jesus greatly cared about the physical needs of the multitude who followed Him. Notice verse 5, which says, “…Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” The crowd did not ask Jesus for bread, yet Jesus thought about and acted to meet their needs. In fact, in other parts of the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ disciples tried to avoid the responsibility of meeting these physical needs. Does this not clearly prove that Jesus cared about the physical needs of the people? Not only the need for bread, but also healing from sickness, deliverance from demon possession, and even death—all were met by Jesus.

Nevertheless, Jesus rebuked the people who sought Him because of the matter of “eating bread and being filled.” Jesus said that they should work for the food that endures to eternal life (verse 27). Jesus desired the people to believe in Him and to RECEIVE THE BREAD OF LIFE. Thus, although Jesus would certainly meet the physical needs of the people, they must still follow Jesus BECAUSE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE. Why is this so? Because Jesus, as the second Man, offers the bread of life to the people. This is in accordance with the gospel principle, or the Natural–Spiritual Principle: first comes the physical, and second comes the spiritual. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Now we will apply the Natural–Spiritual Principle to our understanding of the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). As we have seen, what comes first is the natural, and afterward the spiritual. Therefore, when this principle is applied to the OT and NT, the OT is natural in nature, and the NT is spiritual in nature. Let us look at several examples in the OT and NT that prove that the OT is natural and the NT is spiritual.

First, the Temple or the house of God, the place of His dwelling. The OT Temple was clearly a physical building, whether the tabernacle (the tabernacle of Moses and the tabernacle of David) or the Temple building constructed by King Solomon and Zerubbabel. Meanwhile, in the NT, the Temple—the dwelling place of the Spirit of Elohim—is the church, that is, the people who believe (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). The house of God or the Father’s house is us (Hebrews 3:6).

Second, concerning worship. In the OT, worship was regulated by the Law of Moses and centered in the Temple. Regulations concerning sacrifices, the priesthood, and other ordinances were written and could not be violated if one wanted one’s worship to be acceptable to Yahweh. But worship in the NT is spiritual, namely in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). This does not mean that worship in the NT context is careless or arbitrary, but that it is governed by the law of the Spirit of life. This means that the daily life of God’s chosen people in the NT context is governed by the law of the Spirit of life within them. That is their worship. In short, being led by the Spirit in daily life is worship in the NT context.

Third, concerning blessings. In the OT, Yahweh’s blessings to Israel were primarily physical, material, and related to outward matters. If we observe Deuteronomy chapter 28, we can understand that Israel’s blessings were physical in nature. But blessings in the NT are spiritual. We read in Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ” (ILT). Again, this does not mean that God does not care about our daily physical needs. We have already seen how Jesus blessed and fed bread to the five thousand, even though the people did not ask Him for bread.

Fourth, concerning inheritance. Israel’s inheritance was the promised land (the land of Palestine), according to God’s promise to Abraham. But our inheritance is the Holy Spirit, in His fullness. This is affirmed in Galatians 3:14: “Jesus Christ did this so that in Him the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations, so that by faith we might receive the promised Spirit.” And we know that the Spirit given to us at the time we believed is still a pledge, a down payment, as written in Ephesians 1:14: “Who is the guarantee (ARRABON = down payment, pledge) of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it…” Thus, our inheritance is the fullness of the Spirit or the fullness of Christ.

Fifth, the way to obtain the inheritance. For Israel, physical warfare against the seven nations in the land of Canaan was the way to obtain their inheritance. But our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Our warfare to obtain the inheritance is spiritual warfare, against the devil and his evil spirits. Our weapons are not worldly weapons, but spiritual weapons empowered by the power of Elohim (Ephesians 6:13–18).

Sixth, concerning glory. Israel’s glory was clearly outward glory, or human glory, because the blessings they received were physical. But the glory of God’s chosen people is inward. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The glory of God’s chosen people is within. Nevertheless, our inward glory will be manifested when Christ reveals Himself, as written in Colossians 3:4: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” In His time, we will be revealed together with Him in the glory of Elohim.

From the examples above, it can be concluded that the OT is physical (Natural), and the NT is spiritual (Spiritual).

Now we will apply the Natural–Spiritual Principle specifically to our understanding of the kingdom, which we believe to be the main theme of both the OT and the NT. As we have seen, what comes first is the natural, and afterward the spiritual. Therefore, when this principle is applied to the kingdom, what comes first is the kingdom of Israel (a physical, natural kingdom), and afterward the kingdom of heaven (a kingdom in the heavenly dimension).

The leaders of Judaism—the scribes and the Pharisees—did not understand this Natural–Spiritual Principle at all. They, even to this day, still expect the coming of the Messiah (Christ) who will establish a physical kingdom of Israel, in which this awaited Messiah will build a physical Temple, defeat Israel’s physical enemies (the surrounding nations that were enemies of Israel), and bring peace to the world, in the sense that Israel will be the head and the other nations the tail, according to Yahweh’s promise in the Torah. They only understood that the Messiah is the son of David; therefore, just as the kingdom of David was a physical kingdom, so the Messiah’s kingdom must also be a physical kingdom, like David’s.

Jesus tried to change the understanding of these Pharisees and scribes when He asked, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” (Matthew 22:42). The scribes and Pharisees only knew that the Messiah is the son of David, as though the Messiah were lower than David and His kingdom merely a physical one like David’s. When Jesus asked, quoting Psalm 110:1, why David calls the Messiah his Lord, the scribes and Pharisees could not answer Him. What Jesus meant by this was that the Messiah is greater than David, and that the Messiah’s kingdom exists

on a higher dimension than David’s kingdom. The Messiah’s kingdom is spiritual and exists in a higher dimension than the kingdom of David. That dimension is the heavenly dimension.

When Pilate asked Jesus whether He was a king, Jesus answered that He was a king, but that His kingdom was not of this world. His kingdom is the kingdom of heaven, a kingdom that exists in the heavenly dimension. That is why it is written, “For the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ILT). And we have also discussed how Jesus rebuked those who sought Him because of eating bread and being filled (John 6:26–27).

It is hoped that through this brief explanation concerning the kingdom, we can begin to understand the Natural–Spiritual Principle. Next, we will discuss whether the Christian world understands this Natural–Spiritual Principle.

We have discussed how the leaders of Judaism (scribes and Pharisees) understood the Messiah—that the Messiah must establish a physical kingdom of Israel, build a physical Temple, and maintain world peace with Israel as the head and the nations as the tail. This understanding of a “physical” Messiah arose because they only understood that the Messiah is the son of David. Now we will discuss whether the Christian world, in general, also has a “physical” understanding like the leaders of Judaism, or not.

Let us begin with the understanding of denominational leaders, in general, regarding church authority. In Matthew 23:1–12 it is written: “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore do and observe whatever they tell you, but do not do according to their works… But you, do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Nor be called leaders; for One is your Leader, the Messiah…’”

The context of Matthew 23 is Jesus’ rebuke of the Jewish religious leaders before He ended His ministry to the Jewish nation. Beginning in Matthew 24, Jesus spoke only to His disciples until He was finally crucified. Thus, Matthew 23 contains Jesus’ final words to the Jewish leaders and also to the crowds.

In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke to the crowds and also to His disciples. To the crowds, Jesus said that they should obey and do whatever the scribes and Pharisees taught, because they sat on “Moses’ seat.” What Jesus meant by “Moses’ seat” is the authority of the scribes and Pharisees over the people. This authority was God’s authority delegated to the Jewish leaders, similar to the “rod of Moses” given by God when Moses was sent to bring Israel out of Egypt. The rod of Moses was a symbol of God’s authority delegated to Moses.

The authority of “Moses’ seat,” or the authority of the “rod of Moses,” is not the same as the authority that applies to Jesus’ disciples. That is why, in verse 8, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not be called Rabbi; you are all brothers.” Are there no teachers (rabbis) in the church? Of course there are, but teachers do not have “Moses’ seat,” and Jesus never delegated His authority over the church to teachers. Are there no spiritual fathers in the church? Of course there are, but Jesus never delegated His authority to spiritual fathers in the church. Are there no leaders in the church? Of course there are, but again, Jesus never delegated His authority to church leaders. In the church, ALL ARE BROTHERS. That is why the church is an organism, in which the authority that operates is the authority of Life. Jesus said, “I am the Life.” Jesus governs His church directly through His Life. Jesus never delegated His authority to church leaders, as happened in the OT context (the authority of “Moses’ seat”).

Now what about denominations? What authority operates within a denomination? We all know what an organizational structure is. Have you seen chains of command within an organizational structure? Those chains of command are the authority that operates within an organization. Who is responsible to whom, who governs whom, is determined by that chain of command. Everything is arranged accordingly, and everyone within those “organizational boxes” is governed by an authority of ‘chain of command’. Now, this ‘chain of command’ authority is not the authority of Life. It is authority created by leaders (read: managers), because one of the tasks of managers is organizing (creating organizational structures).

Perhaps some may object that organization is merely a tool. True—organization is a tool, but it is a tool in the hands of leaders, not a tool in the hands of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus does not need an organization as a tool. Jesus governs His church directly through His Life, or the Spirit who gives life, just as the early church was directly governed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus never delegated the authority of His Life to leaders to govern His church. In fact, the authority of Life cannot be delegated. Life is in Jesus. Christians can only ‘have Jesus’ and submit to the authority of Life to govern the course of his life. The same thing happened to the Apostle Paul. Paul was a prisoner of the Spirit, or a prisoner of Life. Paul had no authority whatsoever over the church. Paul was a servant, or a slave (doulos) of the church. Such a thing is impossible within an organizational context.

This kind of “chain-of-command” authority, or organizational authority, I call “human” authority, or “fleshly” authority. The Christian world does not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle, because the authority that operates within denominations is “fleshly” or Natural authority. In some denominations, perhaps, the authority in force is a mixed authority—both Natural and Spiritual. This is the “fleshly” understanding within the Christian world concerning church authority.

We have discussed how the Jewish religious leaders had a “fleshly” or Natural understanding of the Messiah. The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the Messiah because they could not accept that Jesus was “greater” than David. David established a “fleshly” kingdom; Jesus established the “kingdom of heaven” on earth. David defeated Israel’s “fleshly” enemies; Jesus defeated the devil who has power over death. David built a Temple that was a fleshly tent; Jesus built a Temple that is His church (people who receive His Life). The Jewish leaders continued to hold the concept that the Messiah must be like David—fleshly. Why? Because they did not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle: what comes first is the Natural, and afterward comes the Spiritual. David was indeed ‘natural’, but Jesus, who came later as the Son of David, is ‘spiritual’.

We have also discussed that denominational leaders have a “fleshly” concept of church authority. They do not understand what is written in Matthew 23, which we have discussed. They do not understand the difference between authority in the Old Testament context (the authority of “Moses’ seat”) and authority in the New Testament context (the authority of Life). The authority of Moses’ seat is fleshly, natural, and delegated authority. Meanwhile, the authority of Life is spiritual authority and is not delegated.

If these denominational leaders understood the difference between Old Testament and New Testament authority, they certainly would not introduce ‘chain-of-command’ authority, which is clearly visible in the organizations they build. Each denomination has its own ‘chain-of-command’ authority. Unconsciously, they have shifted the authority of Life, which is Spiritual, and replaced it with ‘chain-of-command’ authority, which is natural, human, and fleshly. They do not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle: what comes first is the Natural (authority in the Old Testament context), and afterward comes the Spiritual (authority in the New Testament context).

Is this lack of understanding among denominational leaders a small and trivial matter? No, my brother… This is a serious matter. This issue is the usurpation of Jesus’ authority over His church. The authority of Jesus over the members of His church has been taken away by denominational leaders. These leaders draw disciples to themselves, so that the disciples follow them (Acts 20:30). By placing disciples into the “organizational boxes” of their denominations, the disciples can no longer follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). Added to this are false teachings about submission, spiritual covering, and the like, whereby disciples are required to submit to the leaders and become “confined” within the walls of their denominations. In such a condition, how is it possible for disciples to hear the voice of Jesus? Instead, disciples are trained to hear the voices of their leaders. They are trained to learn the theology of their denomination. Unconsciously, these disciples no longer follow Jesus, but the denominational stream of their leaders.

What these denominational leaders do corresponds to what Jezebel did in the case of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21). Jezebel usurped the authority of King Ahab, her husband (verse 8). Indeed, Jezebel acted in order to support the intentions and purposes of King Ahab. Nevertheless, what Jezebel did was an act of usurpation of authority. The same is true of denominational leaders. They usurp Jesus’ authority over His disciples, even though their goals may resemble Jesus’ goals. Certainly, every denomination has goals, missions, and visions derived from the teachings of Jesus. But the issue is not the goal. The issue is not whether they support Jesus’ purposes or not. The issue is whether Jesus’ authority over His church is upheld or usurped.

Jezebel’s act of usurping her husband’s authority is given meaning in Revelation 2:20. The meaning is that a church in which its leaders usurp the authority of Jesus is called THE WOMAN JEZEBEL. The woman symbolizes the church. Jezebel symbolizes the usurpation of authority. Therefore, a denomination is the Woman Jezebel, or the Jezebel church.

We have briefly explained how denominational leaders shift the authority of Jesus (the authority of Life) and replace it with ‘chain-of-command’ authority (organizational authority), which is in fact their own authority. They do this because they do not understand that church authority is spiritual authority, namely the authority of Life, which is the authority of Jesus Himself (I am the Life). This authority of Jesus has never been, and will never be, delegated to any church member, whoever that person may be. Jesus said that whoever is the lowest and becomes a servant to others is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

If so, what then is the role and function of church leaders (as an organism) who must act as servants (doulos = slaves) in the true sense—not servants who become managers in a church organization, with the right to dismiss others, even their own deputies? Let us consider Colossians 2:19, ILT version: “And not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, through joints and ligaments, being supported and knit together, grows with the growth of God.”

The joints and ligaments here are the church leaders, who are part of the body of Christ. Notice that their function is to support and knit the body together so that the body grows with the growth that comes from Elohim. Observe carefully the function of these leaders of the body of Christ (the ligaments and joints). They do not govern the body or have authority over the body; rather, they are part of the body, fellow members with all other members. They submit to the authority of Life that governs all members of the body.

Under such conditions, the body of Christ “grows with the growth that comes from Elohim.” The Greek expression is AUXANO HO AUXESIS HO THEOS, which should be translated, ‘to grow the growth of Elohim’. This means that if the ligaments and joints support and bind the body in such a way, the body will experience the growth of Elohim, which is the growth of Life, because Elohim is Life. This is the role and function of leaders within the body of Christ as an organism. Here, the authority of Life is upheld—the authority of Life that governs the movement of the body, as happens in every organism.

Therefore, the actions of denominational leaders who draw disciples to themselves (Acts 20:30), causing the church as an organism to be torn apart into thousands of organizations, are actions that damage the authority of Life. As a result, the body does not grow with the growth of Elohim. Each church member does not increasingly know Elohim. Church members may indeed know their leaders, know their leaders’ theology, know their denominational streams, and know their organizational rules, BUT THEY DO NOT GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF ELOHIM. Why? Because the authority of Life, which is the key to the growth of the body, has been damaged by the introduction of ‘chain-of-command’ authority, organizational authority, or the authority of those leaders.

That is why the strength of Christianity today has declined far below the strength of the early church. In just 200 years, the early church conquered the known world of that time—without church buildings, without evangelistic committees, without fundraising, whether tithes, firstfruits, faith pledges, or anything else; without man-made programs, without organizations—indeed, the term ‘organization’ does not even exist in the New Testament. Again, why? Because the authority of Life was upheld. The authority of Jesus was exercised.

If only church leaders understood the Natural–Spiritual principle, understood authority in the Old Testament context and authority in the New Testament context, understood delegated Natural authority and non-delegated Spiritual authority, then the church would long ago have won the world for the glory of the Lord Jesus.

We have discussed the general understanding of Christianity regarding church authority. Now we will discuss whether Christianity in general also has a “fleshly” understanding, like the leaders of Judaism, regarding the kingdom. Let us examine and question several things that commonly exist within denominations.

First, the authority that operates within denominations. We have already discussed that church authority is the authority of Life, spiritual in nature, not delegated to leaders, and that all church members are brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8) in the true sense. When Jesus said, “I will build My church,” this means that only Jesus has the authority to govern His church (there is no delegated authority as in the Old Testament context), only Jesus is able to build His church, and only Jesus can cause the church to grow by His Life. Jesus DIRECTLY GOVERNS His church, and there must be no managers in His church who plan, organize, regulate, and control as managers generally do. No church leader should feel that Jesus has given him authority to perform managerial tasks. All are brothers, all are ‘doulos’ (slaves of the church = servants of the church), all are prisoners of the Spirit who gives Life (like Paul). ALL HAVE NO AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER OVER THE CHURCH THAT BELONGS TO JESUS. But what happens in denominations? Who holds authority within denominations? We already know the answer, but let us continue our discussion.

Second, are denominations the same as fleshly kingdoms, like the fleshly kingdom of Israel? To answer this, we must understand the difference between church and kingdom. The church is clearly people—something tangible, visible to the physical eye. A kingdom, however, consists of a KING and a DOMAIN (kingdom in English). Do denominations have a physical king, in the sense of a supreme leader? Of course they do. You can easily find this when you visit a denominational building. In fact, denominations are often named after their king. And the authority of that king is clearly not the authority of Life, but the organizational authority of that denomination. Perhaps even all the ‘worship facilities’ belong to the king. He has a clearly defined domain. Some denominations have kings with small domains; others have large ones.

Third, let us briefly discuss the church that belongs to Jesus—as an organism in which the authority of Life operates—and also the kingdom of heaven, which is spiritual, where Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” We need to discuss this in order to compare it with denominations.

The New Testament says that the kingdom of heaven is within you. I have previously discussed the Greek term ENTOS, which appears only twice in the New Testament, namely in Matthew 23:26 and Luke 17:21. The golden rule in understanding the meaning of a term is to see how it is used in a sentence. The use of ENTOS in Matthew 23 must clearly be translated as ‘inside’ the cup. However, in Luke 17, ENTOS is translated as ‘among’ in both the Indonesian Bible (LAI) and the ILT version. This is a translation error. In several literal English translations, Luke 17 is translated as ‘within’. Thus, the correct translation is: “The kingdom of God is within you.”

This does not mean that the kingdom of heaven is near our physical heart or kidneys, because the kingdom of heaven is not of this world, as Jesus said. Rather, the kingdom of heaven exists ‘within the heavenly dimension’. Why is the kingdom of heaven said to be within us? Because God’s principle of working or governing is from the inside out, whereas Satan works from the outside in. This means that the kingdom of heaven governs the church (as an organism) from within the inner being of each of His chosen people.

That is why worship in the church as an organism must be in spirit and in truth. The glory of the church as an organism is inward glory (Christ in you, the hope of glory). Members of the church as an organism need not be taught by anyone (1 John 2:20, 27). Members of the church as an organism hear the voice of Jesus and follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). Jesus does not delegate His authority to any leader of the church as an organism. The church as an organism has its own leaders, symbolized by the “stars” in Revelation 12:1; we will not discuss this further.

If we are chosen by God—not merely called, for in Christianity many are called but few are chosen—if we are granted the grace to be CHOSEN BY GOD, then we understand what has been explained above. We are able to compare and conclude that DENOMINATIONS ARE FLESHLY KINGDOMS. Thus, in general, denominational leaders are the same as the leaders of Judaism (who killed Jesus): they have a FLESHLY UNDERSTANDING. What they build is not the church, but their own kingdoms. He who has ears, let him hear…

We have discussed the ‘fleshly’ understanding of Christianity in general regarding church authority. Now we will discuss Christianity’s general understanding of God’s blessings. In almost all denominations, especially in charismatic circles, there is a view that if a person truly follows God, his life will be blessed—meaning prosperity, wealth, and success in marriage, business, or any other aspect of human life. Of course, there are various forms of prosperity teaching. But at its core, the blessings of God received by believers are expected to be physical in nature, in addition to spiritual blessings, without emphasizing or focusing on the spiritual (Ephesians 1:3).

When this prosperity teaching is related to the Natural–Spiritual principle, it is clear that the two are incompatible. The Natural–Spiritual principle requires that God’s blessings in the Old Testament context are Natural (physical), whereas God’s blessings in the New Testament context are Spiritual. If we do not properly understand this principle, we tend to think that believers who are truly blessed in the New Testament context are those who experience hardship, poverty, sickness, and various physical sufferings. To understand this issue, we need to discuss New Testament teaching regarding the sufferings experienced by Jesus and His saints.

Let us quote several passages of Scripture related to suffering:

Romans 8:17, “…if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Philippians 1:29, “For to you it has been granted not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His sake.”

2 Thessalonians 1:5, “…you who are suffering for that kingdom.”

2 Timothy 1:8, “…join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.”

2 Timothy 2:3, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Acts 14:22, “…that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

There are many more New Testament verses that speak about the suffering that followers of Christ will experience. Jesus Himself told His disciples on the final night that in the world (the religious world) they would experience persecution, just as He did.

The understanding of prosperity teaching, which has already become rampant in the Christian world, clearly contradicts the verses above. Those verses actually emphasize that we, as followers of the Lord, will experience persecution. In fact, the New Testament does not place much emphasis on material blessings as prosperity teaching does—especially when such blessings are made the main focus. The central theme of the New Testament is the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Kingdom of Heaven is not a matter of food, drink, or other material things (Romans 14:17). There is one thing I am confident will help us understand what we are discussing here, namely the choice of grace, when we experience suffering in following the Lord.

Peter and his companions rejoiced because they were considered worthy, or were granted grace, to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:40–41). Paul and Silas also sang praises to God in prison, not in order to be set free, but because they rejoiced in receiving grace to suffer for His Name. For when the prison doors were opened, Paul said, “We are all still here” (Acts 16:28). Many saints throughout church history likewise rejoiced because they suffered persecution in following Christ. Let us take just one example: Richard Wurmbrand. This servant of God suffered for fourteen years in a communist prison in Romania, where dozens of his bones were broken—injuries that, according to doctors, should have caused his death. Wurmbrand said, “Suffering is holy… do not discard even its smallest fragments….” Why is this so? Why do God’s chosen people rejoice when they suffer for following the Lord? The answer is because suffering in Christ is grace. God’s chosen people glory in the Lord… they feel ‘honored’ because they are chosen and granted grace to suffer for the Lord. Not all Christians receive this grace…

Those who are chosen and granted grace to suffer for the Lord are the ones who understand the Natural–Spiritual principle. God’s chosen people understand that the blessings of the Old Testament are natural, while the blessings of the New Testament are spiritual. They understand this principle not because they are sickly, poor, or constantly lacking food and drink, but because of the choice of grace.

We have briefly discussed that those who are granted grace to suffer for the Lord Jesus are the ones who can correctly understand the Natural–Spiritual principle. They understand that God’s blessings in the context of the Old Testament are natural and physical, whereas God’s blessings in the context of the New Testament are spiritual. Now we will continue by explaining a little more about the suffering that will be experienced by God’s chosen people.

Before we continue, I want to repeat that there are many people who follow the Lord Jesus because they want to obtain physical bread (John 6:26). In the Christian world there are also many Christians—even the majority—who follow the Lord Jesus in order to receive blessings of health, prosperity, wealth; in short, to receive material, natural blessings. Such Christians will not understand the Natural–Spiritual principle, because they have not been granted the grace to joyfully suffer for the Lord Jesus, as the apostles and the other disciples of the Lord did.

So that we do not misunderstand this matter of suffering—as though we must suffer as martyrs (die as martyrs), or like Richard Wurmbrand who suffered for many years in a communist prison—it must be emphasized here that the suffering of God’s chosen people is unique for each individual. I will give an example of the suffering experienced by Mary, the mother who gave birth to Jesus Christ into this world. When the Holy Spirit said that Mary would conceive and bear a child, can you imagine the suffering and shame Mary experienced at that time? How could she explain to her family that the child she was carrying came from the Holy Spirit? No one would believe that the child Mary was carrying came from the Holy Spirit, because from the time of Adam until now, no woman has ever become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, as Mary’s betrothed, had also decided to divorce her (to break the engagement), had the angel not spoken to him. Moreover, in the Law of Moses it is written that a young woman who committed sexual immorality in her father’s house could be punished by stoning. Mary could not tell her story to anyone, because no one would be able to believe or understand her hardship. This kind of suffering is what God’s chosen people usually experience. They cannot tell anyone, because no one would be able to understand them. The suffering of God’s chosen people can only be endured patiently, but no one truly understands it. We too, as God’s chosen people, will surely experience suffering that no one else can understand. Yet it is precisely through this suffering that we are assured by God that we are His chosen people, and that God has a special plan for us. For us, the Natural–Spiritual principle is very easy to understand. We understand that God’s blessings in the context of the Old Testament are natural, while God’s blessings in the context of the New Testament are spiritual.

There is one kind of suffering experienced by God’s chosen people, such as that experienced by the apostle Paul, namely suffering for the sake of the building up of the Body of Christ, or the church. In Colossians 1:24 it is written, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church.” Paul did not say that he took part in Christ’s suffering to redeem the sins of humanity. Rather, he said that he experienced suffering for the building up of the church.

As God’s chosen people, the Lord also designs the suffering that we must go through for the building up of the church. God’s chosen people will not trade or seek profit in their ministry of building the Body of Christ. God’s chosen people will not teach prosperity teaching, which often materially benefits the teachers themselves. These are the chosen people of God who build the church, and they are the ones who can understand the Natural–Spiritual principle.

Now we will apply the Natural–Spiritual principle specifically to our understanding of the process of the creation of humanity. Let us return to 1 Corinthians 15:45–49: “So it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul’; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. But the spiritual is not first; the natural comes first, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the dust of the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven… Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

Let us carefully consider the context of 1 Corinthians 15. In this chapter Paul reminds the readers of the gospel he preached, which is focused on Christ’s death for our sins and Christ’s resurrection. But in the Corinthian church there were some who said that there is no resurrection (verse 12). Others asked, “With what kind of body will the dead come?” Here Paul answers by presenting an important principle that we have been discussing thus far, namely the Natural–Spiritual principle.

Now we will apply this Natural–Spiritual principle to the process of the creation of humanity, or perhaps more accurately, to the process of human salvation. Let us look at two important facts in this chapter. The first fact: the first man, Adam, became a living being (a living soul). But we then know that this first man, Adam, fell into sin (the realm of death) and brought ALL HIS DESCENDANTS into the realm of death as well. Then Christ Jesus, as the LAST Adam, settled the ENTIRE debt of sin of Adam’s descendants. Through His death, Christ Jesus paid in full all the debt of sin and all the consequences of Adam’s fall. Then, through His resurrection, Christ Jesus became the last Adam—that is, the life-giving Spirit, or the Spirit who gives Life. The Greek term translated ‘to give life’ is ZOOPOIEO (a verb), which means to give zoe life. Thus, Christ Jesus is the Spirit who gives Life to ALL THE DESCENDANTS of Adam who have fallen, each in their proper order (verses 23–24).

The second fact: the first man is from the dust of the earth, while the second man is from heaven. This speaks of headship. Just as the head of the first humanity fell and brought ALL HIS DESCENDANTS with him, so also the head of the second humanity will bring ALL HUMANITY to become heavenly humanity. The second man is a new creation. Jesus Christ is the head of the second humanity. That is why in the book of Revelation Jesus is called the beginning of God’s creation (Revelation 3:14). This does not mean that Jesus is a created being or was created.

Rather, Jesus is the head of the SECOND HUMANITY, and the second humanity is God’s creation, just as the first humanity was also God’s creation.

So, from these two facts we see how the process of human creation unfolds. First, God created humanity, Adam, and Adam together with all his descendants fell into the realm of death. Then God made a new creation, namely the second humanity. And the head of this second humanity is Jesus Christ, who through His death and resurrection became the life-giving Spirit. And Jesus, as the life-giving Spirit, will give His Life to ALL THE DESCENDANTS of the first humanity, according to their order. Jesus Himself affirmed, “…and I, when I am lifted up from the earth (through His death and resurrection), WILL DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO MYSELF” (John 12:32).

Thus, the Natural–Spiritual principle applies to the process of human creation as we have seen above. For the one who came first was Adam, who was natural and from the dust of the earth, and the One who came afterward is Jesus Christ, who is from heaven (spiritual). Amen.

Summary: God’s arrangement speaks of His sovereignty in determining all things. Although human beings possess will, thoughts, and feelings as persons, they cannot determine the course of their own lives; everything has already been arranged by God for them.

Call to Action: We must use our thoughts, feelings, and will to learn to cooperate with God so that His will may be fulfilled in us.

Our title this time is the ordinance of God. What is meant by ‘ordinance’ is that everything has been arranged beforehand. There is no event that can be called ‘coincidental’. Whether great or important events, or small events that even escape human attention—such as a bird falling to the ground—all of these have been arranged beforehand. The ordinance of God means that everything that happens is arranged by God. Both great and small matters, both important and trivial matters in this universe, are all arranged by God. The Bible says that not a single bird falls to the ground apart from the will of the Father. The Bible even says that the hairs on our heads are all numbered by Him. This proves that God’s ordinance is extraordinary and extremely detailed.

Why is the matter of God’s ordinance important for us to discuss? This is because there is a concept that has generally prevailed in the Christian world, namely the view that bad events do not come from God; bad events come from the Devil. For example, the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, or other bad events that befall the children of God, such as accidents, disasters, being fired from work, and so on. Through this understanding, it is as if there are two forces governing events in the universe. If something evil happens, it comes from the power of the Devil. If something good happens, it comes from the power of God.

This concept or understanding is known as ‘dualism’. According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (second edition), page 357, dualism means an interpretation or understanding of certain events as a struggle between two opposing forces or two conflicting principles. According to this dictionary, Christian theology generally accepts this understanding of dualism as follows: it acknowledges God as the ultimate source of goodness, and acknowledges Satan as a fallen creature and the source of evil. Of course, there are variations of this dualistic understanding among different denominations. But essentially, Christian theology accepts the existence of two sources of power, acknowledging that the ultimate source of goodness comes from God, while the source of evil comes from the Devil.

In everyday life, the children of God who accept this dualistic understanding, whether consciously or not, will give thanks when good things happen in their lives, because they think God is at work in their lives. But when bad things happen, they find it difficult to give thanks, because they think they are “under attack by the Devil.” Such a believer will then rebuke or drive out the Devil for the bad events that occur in their life.

I will give a real example from a well-known pastor in the Christian world. Since it has been widely circulated on YouTube, I will mention his name, namely Pastor Niko Njotorahardjo. Pastor Niko rebuked or drove out Covid-19 as an attack from the Devil. From his attitude, his understanding of dualism is clearly visible. Because Covid-19 caused worship services in church buildings to be prohibited by the government at that time (as far as I remember, starting in March 2020), and

also caused an economic crisis, then Covid-19 must have come from the Devil. Is it true that Covid-19 came from the Devil? Or did it come from God with certain hidden purposes of God?

Let us continue our discussion of dualism. This dualistic understanding causes Christians to believe that there are two forces fighting in the universe. The good force is God, while the evil force is the Devil. Although all Christians certainly acknowledge God as the only incomparable power, the Devil, as an evil power, is still believed to be able to operate and occasionally attack human life. Why is the Devil given such a place, as if he can carry out his attacks according to his own will? Does the Devil have such ‘free will’ that he can act outside God’s control and occasionally launch his attacks? In Christian theology (the concept of dualism) that we have discussed earlier, it is as if the Devil is a “god” who has his own power apart from Elohim, even though he is certainly not omnipotent.

In my opinion, all these understandings about the Devil as if he were like “God” are caused by the doctrine of the fall of Lucifer, which has been widely accepted in the Christian world. The core of the doctrine of the fall of Lucifer is roughly as follows. Supposedly, there was an angel named Lucifer, meaning son of the morning, and this angel suddenly became proud and wanted to be like Elohim (Ezek. 28:2). Then he fell from heaven (Isa. 14:12), or was cast out of heaven by God and became the Devil, who is exceedingly evil. Furthermore, Lucifer supposedly drew one-third of the angels to rebel against God (Rev. 12:4). Of course, this story of the fall of Lucifer was embellished further, becoming a sensational drama. It is said that Lucifer was an angel of praise, a leader of worship in heaven. Some even say that his entire body was full of heavenly musical instruments…and so on…and so on. Thus goes the tale of Lucifer, which has been believed as truth in the Christian world.

Why do I call it a tale? Quite simply, because it is the fabrication of theologians in order to free God from responsibility for the existence of evil in the universe. These theologians think that Elohim is love; therefore, how could a loving Elohim cause evil to occur in the universe? So, as a solution, a “scapegoat” was sought for the existence of evil in the universe. By plucking verses here and there, the tale of the “fall of Lucifer” was formed and then believed by the majority of people in the Christian world.

Why do I say they pluck verses here and there? Because the verses cited above do not speak about angels at all. The context of Ezekiel 28 is the king of Tyre, a human being. Verse 2 explicitly states, “…though you are a man…”. Verse 13 even says, “You were in Eden, the garden of God…”. If one were to take this verse out of the context of the king of Tyre, it would be more fitting to apply it to Adam, because only Adam was in the Garden of Eden and then fell. But I do not wish to take this verse out of its context regarding the king of Tyre. On what authority do those theologians pluck these verses and apply them to a fabricated story of their own making about the Devil?

The same is true of Isaiah 14:1–23. All these verses speak about the king of Babylon. Why do those theologians dare to violate a very important principle of hermeneutics, namely the principle of context, and violate it in order to support the tale about the Devil that they have created? Likewise with Revelation 12:4, concerning the stars. The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ and His church delivered to the apostle John in symbolic language (Rev. 1:1). And the stars are symbols of the sons of Elohim, not angels as heavenly beings. In Revelation 12:1, there is a woman (a symbol of the church) led by twelve stars, namely the sons of Elohim. Thus, in the book of Revelation, stars are symbols of God’s people—His sons.

We have discussed how theologians constructed a story about the “fall of the Devil” and then searched for verses to support the story they had already made. They took verses about the king of Tyre and the king of Babylon and applied them to a story they had previously fabricated. Although their aim in creating the story of the “fall of the Devil” was to remove God’s responsibility for the existence of evil, their actions clearly violate sound hermeneutical principles. What they did is commonly called ‘eisegesis’, that is, inserting their own understanding into the biblical text by plucking verses out of context to justify their own tale. Now we will do the opposite, namely ‘exegesis’, which means drawing out from the biblical texts an understanding of where the Devil comes from.

Let us begin with Genesis 3:1, which says, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Yahweh, Elohim, had made…” (ILT). It is stated here that the serpent is a creature that was made by Elohim. Who is the serpent in Genesis chapter 3? It is said that it can speak, has offspring (verse 15), and its food is the dust of the ground. We know that a physical serpent cannot speak. A physical serpent also does not eat dust. Therefore, the serpent described in Genesis chapter 3 is not a physical serpent.

Then who is this serpent? There are two passages of Scripture that speak about this serpent. First, Matthew 3:7, where John the Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “…You brood of vipers…”. Then Jesus also said to the Pharisees and scribes, “You have the Devil as your father…” (John 8:44). The vipers that John the Baptist referred to are clearly not physical snakes, because physical snakes do not have offspring who are Pharisees and Sadducees. But since Jesus said that the father of the scribes and Pharisees was the Devil, it is clear that the serpent John the Baptist referred to was the Devil.

Second, Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 clearly state that the dragon (the great serpent or the ancient serpent) is the Devil. So if the serpent is the Devil, and the serpent was made by Elohim, then the conclusion is that Elohim created the Devil, or Elohim created Satan. The Devil was not a good angel who turned himself into an evil Satan. The Devil was evil from the beginning. John 8:44 says, “…he was a murderer from the beginning…”. First John 3:8 says, “…the Devil has been sinning from the beginning…”. Thus, the Devil was not originally good and then became evil due to pride, as in the theologians’ tale. Rather, the Devil was created from the beginning as an evil creature. The Devil has two titles: murderer and liar. When these titles are combined, the Devil murders humans by means of lies. That is why what we must beware of is the Devil’s lies. The Devil has even deceived the Christian world through theologians who teach that he was once a good angel, Lucifer.

Some may ask, how can Elohim, who is love, create a Devil who is so evil? I will try to explain this using Newton’s experiment called the Spectrum. Newton directed white sunlight into a prism, and the white light was dispersed into various colors like a rainbow. I used to remember it as MeJiKuHiBiNiU (red, orange, yellow…to violet). Let us liken the love of Elohim to the white light of the sun. Elohim, who is love (white light), creates / expands Himself / “disperses” Himself into “various colors.” When love is dispersed, it becomes goodness, justice, mercy, but also discipline, chastening, and painful formation. Thus, Elohim created the Devil to be an instrument in His hand to discipline, chastise, and shape His people. This is seen in the case of Job. The Devil did not have free will to attack Job at will. The Devil attacked Job only after God gave him permission. Therefore, the Devil is God’s servant. Here we also see the error of the concept of dualism.

We have explained how Elohim created the Devil with a purpose, namely as His instrument to discipline, chastise, and shape His people. The Devil cannot act at will without God’s command. The case of Job clearly shows that the Devil does not have free will. His will is governed by God according to His will. God is the One who governs everything according to His will.

Because of the concept of dualism we have discussed, many Christians do not want to believe that God is the One who made everything, God is the One who governs everything, God is the One who created everything. All of this is done so that He may be known and glorified by His creation. Romans 11:36 says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” There is nothing in this universe that can move, act, or plan anything outside of God’s control and ordinance. “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed His offspring’” (Acts 17:28). Elohim does not dwell in the universe; rather, the universe dwells in Elohim. That is why the universe moves in Him. He is the cause of all things. He causes everything to happen. He governs everything for His glory.

Isaiah 45:6–7 declares, “…I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” For those who hold a dualistic concept, it is very difficult to accept this word of God. How can a loving God create darkness and create calamity? Even Amos 3:6 says, “…Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?” This means that God is the One who brings disaster upon a city.

For God’s chosen people, the explanation above should be sufficient to believe that God is the One who governs everything. There is no free will; no one has the power to determine the direction of his own life. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” Proverbs 21:1 also declares, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wills.” To Moses, God said, “I will harden whom I will harden, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” That is why Paul said, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).

Job is a good example of one who acknowledged God’s omnipotence—that God is the One who governs everything, that God is the One who gives and takes away. Many Christians, even denominational leaders, do not acknowledge that God who gives is also the God who takes away. Meanwhile, the Bible clearly states that Job did not sin when he said, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away.” Job did not sin with his lips when he said, “…Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 1:10).

We have explained how Elohim created the Devil with a purpose, namely as His instrument to discipline, chastise, and shape His people. We have also seen several verses that explain God’s ordinance and the case of Job, so it can be concluded that in all these things, God is the One who governs, plans, and determines everything. Now we will look at the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Did Adam have free will? Was Adam’s fall due to his own will, or due to God’s will and His ordinance?

Let us look at Romans 8:20–21: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” The context of these verses is glorification by faith. In the previous chapters, Paul has explained justification by faith and sanctification by faith. In the Christian world, many teachers emphasize justification by faith only, and almost never touch on glorification by faith. Yet the climax of salvation is when we, as His chosen people, experience glorification by faith.

Let us look at several extraordinary truths revealed in these verses. First, all creation has been subjected to futility NOT BY ITS OWN WILL, BUT BY THE WILL OF GOD. What is this futility? Futility is a TYPE OF LIFE (DEATH) symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Book of Ecclesiastes explains this futility as something lived by humans “under the sun” or “under heaven.” Everything done by humans “under the sun” is futile. All humans live a futile life because all humans live the TYPE OF LIFE OF DEATH, because Adam ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

The question is: did Adam eat the fruit of that tree by his own will, or by God’s will? Pay close attention. Who plunged all humanity into this realm of futility? Look again at the verses above. If we observe them carefully, it becomes clear that THE LORD designed Adam and his descendants (all humanity) to fall into the realm of futility. ADAM DID NOT HAVE FREE WILL IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, BECAUSE HIS FALL WAS THE WILL OF GOD. But God had a purpose. Let us move to the second point from the verses above.

Second, all creation fell into the realm of futility, BUT WITH HOPE. What hope? The hope that in His time, ALL CREATION WILL BE SET FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION. Do you see God’s astonishing arrangement here? All creation was subjected to the realm of futility through Satan, as A SERVANT OF GOD, so that all creation might experience the bitterness of the realm of death. Then, in His time, all creation will also experience the sweetness of the LIFE OF CHRIST.

Why did God subject all creation to the realm of futility (the realm of death), which is ruled by Satan (Hebrews 2:14)? Because how can one know sweetness if one has never tasted bitterness? Sweetness cannot be called sweet if there is no bitterness. Something cannot be called something if there is no opposite to it. That is why God designed the fall of Adam and all his descendants so they would experience the bitterness of the type of life of death. Then, when Jesus came and gave the type of life of Christ (ZOE)—symbolized by the tree of Life—humanity could give thanks and glorify God. There is still a third point from the verses above that is no less important.

Third, God uses His chosen people (the firstfruits) to liberate all creation from the realm of futility. In the Christian world, many are called, but few are chosen. Those who receive grace to be called, chosen, and faithful are the ones God will use to liberate all creation into the realm of glory. Have you seen God’s arrangement in all of this?

Let us look at God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity and His plan for mankind. Many Christians believe that Adam and Eve had free will, and they also embrace the doctrine of the fall of Satan, making the story of the Garden of Eden somewhat touching, or perhaps tragic. How could it not be? When God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness and gave them free will to choose, then Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan, the creation fell and everything became chaotic. Then, hastily, as an “emergency measure,” God planned the redemption of humanity through the death of Jesus on the cross. And according to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, God chooses some to be saved, while others are left to eternal hell forever. That is roughly the story believed by the majority in the Christian world.

This story is believed by the majority of Christians because they do not understand God’s arrangement. Let us look at God’s plan and God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity. Genesis 1:26–27 (ILT) says: “And Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea…’ And Elohim is creating man in His image…” These verses are still only God’s plan for humanity. When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the Garden of Eden, they had not yet fulfilled God’s plan at all, because Adam and Eve were still in an innocent condition (pure), meaning they were not yet holy, because they had not eaten from the tree of Life, and not yet sinful, because they had not eaten from the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve were truly pure and did not yet know good and evil. Nor had they multiplied to rule over and subdue the entire earth.

Perhaps many Christians assume that when Adam and Eve were created, they were already in His image and likeness, because verse 27 says, “And Elohim created man in His image.” Actually, the Hebrew term translated ‘created’ is in the present progressive form, not the past tense. This means that the creation itself was still in process and not yet completed. In English, ‘created’ in this verse is IS CREATING, not CREATED. Thus, God’s plan to process humanity into His image and likeness was still a long process. And God used two trees in the Garden of Eden to process humanity. Both trees had to be eaten by humans so that humans could become in His image and likeness.

We have already discussed how God Himself designed Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Romans 8:20). Then, after Adam and his descendants experienced the bitterness of the realm of death, Jesus came to give the sweetness of the life of Christ. The life of Christ swallowed up death in such a way that ultimately all humanity would become in His image and likeness. Thus the plan of God for humanity is fulfilled.

Pay close attention again: when God said, “Let Us make MAN in Our image and likeness,” this plan CANNOT FAIL. Once God says, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS,” it must surely happen. Isaiah 55:11 affirms: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish what I desire, and it shall succeed in what I send it to do.” WHAT I DESIRE and WHAT I SEND IT TO DO—this is God’s arrangement that cannot fail.

We have briefly explained God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity. Once God says, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS,” it must happen. God did not say, “Let Us make SOME HUMANS in Our image and likeness.” For if we follow Calvinist doctrine, then indeed only some chosen humans will become in His image and likeness, while others perhaps will become in the image and likeness of Satan, the inhabitant of hell.

May we see God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ARRANGED BEFOREHAND. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN PLANNED BEFOREHAND. Even Adam’s fall was arranged, and even the death of the Lamb was prepared beforehand. Young’s Literal Translation states: “…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

Let us look further into the issue of human free will, which has been so deeply believed by the majority of Christians. We have discussed Romans 8:20, which affirms that humanity’s fall (Adam’s fall) into the realm of futility was not by his own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it. Thus, even in the Garden of Eden, Adam did not have free will. What about Adam’s will after he fell into the realm of futility? We know that this realm of futility, symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, is actually the type of life of death ruled by Satan (Hebrews 2:14). How can we speak of human free will in this realm of futility ruled by Satan? The Bible says that humans are dead in sin. Thus, Satan and evil spirits govern human life, insofar as God allows. Even Satan is not free to do anything to humans unless God commands him to do so.

The conclusion is clear: humans do not have free will. But why must humans be responsible for their actions? The answer is because God established the law of sowing and reaping in this realm of futility. Even though Adam’s fall was not by his own will, what Adam sowed is what he had to reap. That is why Adam could be held accountable and had to reap what he himself sowed.

Then Jesus came and gave His Life (John 10:10), symbolized by the tree of Life. If a person lives by His Life, there is freedom. Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). This freedom, according to the context, is freedom from the bondage of sin—freedom from the bondage of Satan—not freedom in the sense of having free will. For even in the realm of the Life of Christ, humans (God’s chosen people) do not have free will. But humans (His chosen people) have and experience freedom in carrying out His will.

Consider Isaiah 7:15: “He will eat curds and honey until he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.” This verse applies to one called Immanuel. It means that this chosen one of God will continually receive grace to enjoy God’s love and goodness, so that he is enabled to refuse evil and choose good. Again, this does not mean that humans (the one called Immanuel) have free will, but by the grace of God, the will of His chosen people, which was once dead and enslaved by Satan, is now enabled to choose or carry out God’s will, in freedom.

Why do we firmly say that humans, whether they live the life of the “tree of knowledge” or the life of the “tree of Life,” still DO NOT HAVE FREE WILL? Because if free will truly existed, then the OMNIPOTENCE OF ELOHIM WOULD CEASE. If Elohim truly gave free will to a creature—whether Satan or humans—and He could no longer arrange or exercise control over that creature, then He would cease to be the omnipotent Elohim. And this is impossible. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ELOHIM TO GIVE FREE WILL TO HIS CREATURES, BECAUSE IF THIS HAPPENED, ELOHIM WOULD CEASE TO BE HIMSELF. Therefore, the conclusion again is that THERE IS NO FREE WILL. The idea or concept of “free will” exists only in the minds of philosophers who are one step away from denying the existence of God. Sadly, this concept of free will has been adopted into Christianity.

We will conclude this brief discussion of God’s arrangement by talking about His arrangement for those who are called, chosen, and faithful (Revelation 17:14). This verse speaks of those who are with the Lord Jesus, waging war and overcoming. They overcome in battle because, in God’s arrangement, they receive grace not only to be called, but also to be chosen and faithful. Because the church has fallen into thousands of denominations, God calls His overcomers (Revelation 2–3).

In Calvinist teaching, summarized in TULIP, we are taught about ‘Unconditional Election’, that some people, by God’s sovereignty (will) and not by their own condition, are chosen to be saved and will be with the Lord Jesus in heaven forever. And those who are not chosen will go to eternal hell forever. Let us see what the Bible says. First, the Bible says that those who will be with the Lord Jesus to wage war and overcome are those who are CALLED, CHOSEN, AND FAITHFUL. In this fallen Christian world, many are called, but few are chosen. Second, the Bible says that this war continues until every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. And Jesus also assures that He will DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO HIMSELF (John 12:32). And the last enemy to be destroyed by Jesus and His overcomers is DEATH, as the wages of sin. For the wages of sin is death, not eternal hell, as taught by Augustine, Calvin, and even the majority of Bible teachers today.

We now affirm that those who are called, chosen, and faithful are those who, through God’s arrangement, are ENABLED to live as the called, chosen, and faithful. This is purely God’s DECISION in His arrangement to grant grace to those who are called, chosen, and faithful—not by human effort, not by human response, and not by human FREE WILL.

I will close this exposition by reminding us: “For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:28, ILT). Paul spoke these words when he was evangelizing the Athenians. Thus, whether the Athenians believed or not, Paul affirmed that WE ALL live, move, and exist IN HIM. Elohim does not dwell in the universe; rather, the universe and all humanity dwell, move, and exist IN HIM. This means that it is not HUMAN FREE WILL that determines everything, but God’s arrangement that determines all things. This does not mean that humans do not have will as persons, but that humans do not POSSESS FREE WILL to determine the direction and course of their lives. ALL IS GOD’S ARRANGEMENT. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ARRANGED BY GOD. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen.