Three Institutions
Three Institutions
There is the institution of Judaism. There is the institution of Christianity. But these are not eternal. We will not find either institution when we die and go to Heaven.
But there is an institution that is eternal. We will find it in Heaven, and it will be the same in Heaven as it is on earth.
Its name is "Israel."
What or who is Israel?
Israel is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one Seed of Abraham.
Are there any other persons who are Israel?
Yes indeed! Every person who is part of Jesus Christ, whether they be man or woman, boy or girl, Jew or Gentile, master or slave.
All the Kingdom promises of the Old and New Testaments are made to the one true, eternal Israel. There are, however, Bible promises to the land and people of Israel, who are not always the same as the one true, eternal Israel.
It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." (Romans 9:6,7)
We become part of true, eternal Israel by being born again, and then by denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following the Lord Jesus. We take part in the antichrist spirit of the present world only in that which is necessary.
Through Christ we gain victory over the urges to sin living in the members of our body.
We obey what Christ speaks to us promptly, completely, and cheerfully.
We are not of this world. Christ has called us out of the world so we may glorify God in our body, soul, and spirit. Christ is not part of the antichrist world spirit and no member of true, eternal Israel is part of the antichrist world spirit.
There are members of true eternal Israel in the religion of Judaism who may have not been awakened as yet. The same is true of the Messianic congregations. The same is true of the Christian churches.
This is because true, eternal Israel are so by election. God has chosen each member from the beginning of the world. When their time comes, God brings them to the Lord Jesus. Then the Lord Jesus gives them eternal life.
This is not to say a member of true Israel cannot fall away and lose their crown. Experience shows they most certainly can, and it is a tragedy for God, for Christ, for mankind, and for themselves when they do. That part of God they were destined to reveal to the world has been lost forever.
Why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the Lord himself will dwell forever? (Psalms 68:16)
The "rugged mountain" was Bashan, the former habitation of the Rephaim, the offspring of fallen angels according to legend.
The mountain where God chooses to reign is Mount Zion, the place of the called-out people of God, of the Royal Priesthood.
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, (Hebrews 12:22)
Bashan was the Kingdom of Og, and noted for its giants and oaks. "Bashan" envies Mount Zion, just as the religions that are flesh-driven envy the true people of God. But Bashan, and all its stands for, finally will be burnt with fire and Zion will become the new Jerusalem.
There are three major religious institutions in our day.
There is Judaism, a religion. It was birthed in power and revelation.
There is Christianity, a religion. It was birthed in power and revelation.
And there is Israel, technically not a religion but a calling. The term "church" means "called out from." It does not refer to a building.
In this essay I use the term "Israel" when speaking of the people God calls out from the world, and also of the physical land and people of Israel. It is unavoidable. I will try to keep my usage clear.
Judaism and Christianity are driven largely by the ambitions and talents of human beings. This is not to say they do not do a lot of good in the world.
True, eternal Israel is that which is chosen of God and is operated by the Spirit of God. It is not, in the strictest sense of the term, a religion. A religion is an organized effort designed and operated by the desires of people. True Israel was designed by God Himself at the time of the beginning of the world, and is operated by the Spirit of God.
True Israel is the Royal Priesthood. It cannot be identified as an organization at the present time, because the members of true, eternal Israel are, for the most part, contained in the Christian churches and in some Messianic assemblies; and there may be some whom God has not awakened as yet who are in the synagogues of Judaism.
But when God is ready He will give the Life of Christ to the dead bones and they will constitute an army that will remove sin from the creation of God.
I like the following passage as a description of the true, eternal Israel of God.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9,10)
The passage above was written by the Jew, Peter, to Gentile believers.
True Israel are a chosen people . They no longer are distinguished as being Jewish, or Gentile, or male, or female, or slaves, or free. Being an integral part of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are the one Seed of Abraham, to whom the Kingdom promises have been made.
Numerous members of the Christian churches have not been chosen as yet. They portray this fact in the way they behave. I would say that most of us are decent, honest people. Having heard the Gospel we choose to respond by "accepting Christ."
We identify ourselves as Christians, but often we are not growing to maturity in Christ. Because of our lack of discipleship, Christ is not being formed in us.
We may remain immature church-goers for the duration of our lives.
True Israel constitutes a Royal Priesthood. There is a firstfruits of the Royal Priesthood who will be gathered to Christ when He appears. They will be resurrected, caught up to the staging area in the air where Christ and the army of angels will be waiting, and then descend with Christ to install the Kingdom of God on the earth.
I do not believe many members of Christian churches would be pleased at the thought of this destiny.
Every member of the Royal Priesthood finally will be brought to maturity in Christ, and then will descend from Heaven as the new Jerusalem, the holy city. This will take place after the thousand-year Kingdom Age.
True Israel forms a holy nation. You may have noticed that the Apostle Paul never referred to new-covenant people as "Christians," but as "saints." Saints are "holy ones." They are not of the world but have been called out of the world by the Lord Jesus.
There is a real need today for the preaching of holiness to God's people. We should be avoiding all participation with the antichrist world-spirit as much as possible. I think movies and electronic games should be avoided, for instance. This sort of separation from the world is especially difficult in the United States of America.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5:3-6)
In this essay I am pointing out the differences between religion and the calling of the Lord. Peter, upon beholding Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, cried out, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) (Luke 9:33)
Now, let's think a moment. Peter did not know what he was saying, This means he spoke from instinct. What prompted Peter's wanting to put up three shelters? I think if we really understood this, we would have the heart of religion.
Religion is the desire of human beings to define, control, and generally take care of that which God gives freely. "Let us build three shelters," not knowing what he said but wanting to somehow take hold of this revelation.
The Apostle Peter was a capable man, a man of action.
The difference between the true Divine calling, and the efforts of people, is not always easy to understand or to define. Simply put, it is the difference between that which God sponsors and that which people sponsor.
The desire of people to "help God out" certainly is understandable. But it can lead to death, as in the case of Uzzah who sought to keep the Ark from falling to the ground. It appears this was his only motive; but human beings are complicated, aren't they?
In any case, God struck Uzzah dead. This tells us something about God, doesn't it. He assuredly does not subscribe to the philosophy of Humanism.
On the other hand, God does not build a caliphate on the severed heads of little boys and girls, whose only crime is clinging to the Lord Jesus whom they love.
Our God is not Human. He is an unutterably Holy Spirit. He does not need or want people to help Him out, unless He specifically directs someone to do so, as in the case of Moses.
Yet this is the heart of religion in many cases. "Get out and work, for the night is coming!"
"But doesn't the Bible tell us to go forth and save souls? Aren't we saved to save others?"
You would think so, when contemplating the actions and advice of Christian organizations.
Actually we are saved in order to please God and glorify Him. And we please God and glorify Him when we grow in Christ, in holiness of being and behavior, and obey Christ promptly, completely, and cheerfully.
God is not asking us to sally forth in our ignorance and try to save the world. We may end up trying to convert "Bithynia" before God's time because, like Peter, we do not know what we are doing.
If ever there was a day when we need to hear from God it is now. We are commanded by our leaders to pray fervently that God will save America. But they and we do not know if God wants to save the land of abortionists, naked women, and money worshipers.
What does God want today? If I am hearing correctly, His main emphasis is that we listen to His Spirit as the Spirit urges us as individuals to confess and turn away from our sins. Perhaps if we do this, God will save our country and help us go forth and bear witness to other countries.
But not while we are staggering around blindly and not leading a holy life!
This reminds me of little Israel. I have met some fine Jewish people, some who are Christians and some who are not.
Stella Nahum, of New Haven Connecticut, gave me piano lessons while I was a boy, free of charge. My family could not begin to pay her fee. She was wealthy and did not need to work, actually. He husband was a doctor.
Little Israel! The apple of God's eye. She needs a prophet! She is trusting in the nations to help her. They will not. She is God's speckled bird, and always will be to the nations an object of suspicion.
Some of the nations and people of today feel they have every right to criticize and stand against the Jewish people. Some day these nations and people will wish they never had been born!
God wants to help her; but, as I said, she is counting on nations to help and protect her.
In better days, Israel was led by Prophets and by the Urim and Thummim. But the elders gradually gained control.
The Prophets of Israel would not have murdered the living Word of God. The Urim and Thummim would not have counseled the murder of Christ.
The elders, the Rephaites, the giants have gained control of the Pentecostal people today, but the tongues-speakers used to be guided by a sense of what the Spirit was saying.
Next Part Now it is,