The Concept of the New World.

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There is a concept of the arrangement of people in the new world that is entirely scriptural, straightforward, and easy to understand. Yet the concept is new to many believers, and so they sometimes have a difficult time understanding it. It is that there are two main classes of people in the new world: the royal priesthood, and the saved people from the nations who are not of God’s elect.

(6/3/2007) We spoke today concerning the concept of "Israel." We all know under the old covenant, God chose the nation of Israel and called it out from the other nations of the earth. He revealed Himself and gave His moral law to the Israelites, while the remainder of mankind carried on to the best of their ability.

We may not have thought much about what calling out one nation like this says about God. It tells us that He does what He will among the peoples of the earth, and no one can successfully prevent His actions or call them into question.

The choosing of one nation, and destroying another nation in order to put into motion a great illustration to serve as a guide to other chosen people over two thousand years later, is not exactly according to the idea of democracy and "fairness." We just have to settle in our mind that what God considers to be fair is truly fair, and let it go at that.

After the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, God continued to call out from the world a people for His own purposes. God calls both Jews and Gentiles, but not all Jews and not all Gentiles, only those whom God has selected.

What is God doing? He is forming a governing priesthood, people who will bring God’s ways and Presence to the remainder of the inhabitants of the earth.

The new elect do not come out of Egypt but out of sin.

The new elect do not wander through the desert between Egypt and Jordan but through numerous obstacles, problems, and battles that come upon them during their discipleship on the earth.

The land of promise of the new elect is first, God and Christ themselves. After that, the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth. They are God’s king-priests who will govern forever, under the Lord Jesus Christ, all the works of God’s hands.

The sixtieth and sixty-first chapters of Isaiah are clear concerning the relation of God’s Israel to the other peoples of the earth. The task of the elect is to bring God’s Presence, Glory, and blessing to people who choose to obey Christ but are not of the elect. They have to be taught God’s ways.

Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

An enormous job of teaching will have to be done from now until God’s will is being done throughout the earth.

The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation portray the end result of all God’s labours. By that time the Church has been perfected in the spirit world. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God creates a new sky and a new earth. Living on the new earth are the people of the nations who have chosen to obey Christ. Some will be citizens on the new earth because they assisted Christ’s brothers during their sufferings on the earth. These are the sheep nations of the twenty-fifth chapter of the Book of Matthew.

The nations of saved people on the earth will be governed by righteous kings over whom Christ is the supreme King. King of kings!

Then down through the new sky will descend the perfected Church, the Wife of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem. These are God’s elect from all covenants. The names of the apostles are in the foundation of the wall and the names of the tribe of Israel are on the gates that open into the city.

Now we can see clearly that there are two classes of saved people on the new earth. There are those of the nations whom God has chosen to save, and then there is the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem is Zion, situated on God’s holy hill. This is the city that shall govern the earth for eternity.

I think it is helpful to us realize while the world of today is chaotic, filled with every imaginable evil, God is in control. Every event of history, including the current events, are working together for good for those whom God has called. The good is that each one of the called has been or is being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.

When a firstfruits of the brothers have met God’s standard, Christ shall appear and they shall appear with Him. The nations of the earth shall see the revealing of God’s sons. There shall be a great light upon the saints. All the ends of the earth shall flock to that Light. God has come to the earth. God is here! God is present in His Church, His elect, His called out holy ones (holy by calling and then by transformation.)

Let us not grow weary in well doing. Each trial, each frustration, each denial of what we desire, each imprisonment in which we are being held, is working for our good, that we might be transformed into the image of Christ and be His brothers for eternity.

One day, if we will remain faithful, God shall give us the desires of our heart. We shall receive fullness of joy and pleasures forever. This is God’s promise to those who abide faithfully in Christ and do all He commands.

You can hear the morning sermon at morning. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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