Ministry Outside the Camp

Ministry Outside the Camp

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.