Trumpet Ministries,Introduction
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A priest is an individual who stands between God and people. God has selected people from the ranks of mankind to stand between Himself and other people for eternity.
We see from the following two verses that the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai and the Christians in the wilderness of the world of today have precisely the same calling. Their calling is to belong to God in a manner that is not true of other people.
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:6)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people [people for God’s own possession]; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; (I Peter 2:9)
A kingdom of priests. A holy nation. A chosen generation. A royal priesthood. A people for God’s own possession.
The Apostle Paul did not refer to believers as Christians but as "saints," that is, holy ones. Holiness is the Presence of God. To be holy is to be close to God and part of God.
Let us look at the context of Exodus 19:6 (above):
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure [My treasured possession] unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:4-6)
It is clear that God called the Israelites under the old covenant, and Jews and Gentiles under the new covenant, to belong to Him in a way not true of other people. The Church, including the Israelites and the Christian Jews and Gentiles, is to be a firstfruits of mankind unto the Lord.
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)
The calling of the royal priesthood was addressed to the house of Jacob, the children of Israel.
And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; (Exodus 19:3)
The new covenant also is made with the House of Israel.
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (Hebrews 8:8)
The royal priesthood always is Israel and Judah whether of the old covenant or the new. There is no "Gentile Church." There is only Israel, the royal priesthood, the family of God, the elect of God, the true and only Church of the living God.
The purpose of this booklet is to emphasize the fact that the purpose of the present age is to call out and perfect the members of the royal priesthood. This does not mean the Gospel is not to be preached to everyone. We have been commanded to preach the Gospel to every person.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)
Neither are we suggesting that God will refuse any individual who calls on the name of the Lord.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (Romans 10:12)
What we are advocating is that the emphasis on worldwide evangelism and church growth must be balanced with the concept of Divine election and guidance, and also with the understanding of the whole program of God from the rebellion among the angels to the coming down to earth of the new Jerusalem.
The good news of the Kingdom of God is to be preached to every person. At the end of the Church Age the angels will remove from the Kingdom those who are wicked.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41,42)
We are to preach the Gospel to everyone. We understand also Christ is building His Church and knows exactly what He is doing.
When we use the term Israel, in this booklet, we mean the one elect of God, beginning with Abraham and ending with the last person called of God at the end of the present age. Israel is one.
There is but one family of God in Heaven and on the earth.
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (Ephesians 3:14,15)
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
Israel, God’s elect, God’s chosen, God’s royal priesthood, is one whole whether under the old covenant or the new. Israel is the Servant of the Lord, the Body of Christ, the Olive Tree, the Seed of Abraham.
If we would understand the Divine plan we must recognize that within the ranks of mankind there is a group of people whose names were called out before the beginning of the world. They compose the royal priesthood. They have been predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ so He will be the Firstborn among many brothers.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)
This does not mean the elect will become the brothers of the Lord no matter how they behave. In order to gain their predestined inheritance they must seek continually to grasp that for which they have been grasped.
This does not mean everyone else is predestined to be lost. God is willing that all should be saved from wrath, that all should come to repentance.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)
The "salvation" of the royal priesthood includes being in the moral image of Christ and being one with Christ in God as Christ is one with God.
The "salvation" of all the other members of mankind means at the final judgment they will not be hurled into the Lake of Fire but will be brought forward into the new heaven and earth reign of Christ, there to take their place as the citizens of the saved nations.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (Revelation 21:24)
(Some of the newer translation say "nations" instead of "nations of them which are saved." It makes no difference because it is obvious these nations are made up of saved people. The holy city is the royal priesthood that governs those of mankind who are saved but not members of God’s elect, God’s Israel.)
Israel ("he struggles with God") came into being when Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees. At that point a huge wall was erected between God’s elect, His Church, and the remainder of mankind. God’s elect always are to be His witnesses, His priesthood, His representatives among mankind. Because of this God deals with each member of His elect in a very particular manner, while the remainder of people on the earth go about their business.
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. (Isaiah 43:7)
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (Isaiah 43:10)
This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. (Isaiah 43:21)
The physical nation of Israel to this day has preferred to be a part of the family of nations rather than a people holy unto the Lord. Physical Israel has suffered greatly because of this rebellion against the Lord. In our day some of the leaders of the nation of Israel are striving so hard to be accepted by the secular nations they are contradicting and blaspheming their own Scriptures rather than humbly trusting in their Lord. It gives us no pleasure to say that more trouble is heading toward physical Israel if this attitude continues.
The Christian people also in numerous instances have refused to keep themselves separate from the world and have attempted to be like the world and please the world. Great suffering is ahead for the Christian churches because they have lost their "salt."
In the day in which we are living, God once again is asking chosen individuals, both Jews and Gentiles, if they will consent to be His family, His special treasure among the nations. God wants His own people to be separate, holy unto Himself, continually lifting up holy hands and singing praises to Him. Whoever will yield to God will become a part of the faithful remnant that is being drawn from the multitude of Christian churches. The majority of "believers" already are becoming part of "Babylon the Great."
We are not advising people to leave their churches. Being separate to God is a condition of the heart. Perhaps the time will come when God’s true elect will be forced from the "Christian" assemblies, but that time may not be here as yet.
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