Who Measures?
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Remember, the apostle John could only be a TYPE of another man who would live at the actual time of the measuring. This obvious question arises: Who is the human leader described? Someone, somewhere has to fulfill the instruction in this verse. Self-appointment will not work. Somewhere, a servant of God must hold God’s scepter of authority to carry it out. This much is apparent.
Again, who is this person?
The KEY to the identity of this man—obviously one who must be a leader somewhere among God’s people—has actually already been presented three different times by Mr. Armstrong at earlier intervals in the book. I have also covered this subject extensively in other books to the splinters with similar quotes from him. But let’s gather for review just the statements that you have previously read in this volume, because they nail down the answer.
The first quote was in Chapter One. Here is the basic pattern within God’s government that Mr. Armstrong consistently taught throughout his 52-year ministry (all emphasis still his):
And a century of time cycles after the first birth of the Church was a TIME that God DID USE as a time to start aREBIRTH of His Church, when once again just before the close of the 6,000-year duration of the ‘day of man,’ and the ushering in of the day of the LORD, His Gospel of the Kingdom would be proclaimed worldwide (Matt 24:14).
We need to understand a PRINCIPLE by which God always has worked through humans. He has always worked through ONE MAN at a time. He worked through Abraham. He worked through Moses, through Joshua, through one ;judge at a time, through Samuel, through David, through Solomon. He worked through Peter and when Peter had left the Middle East, through Paul. These men had, in greater or lesser number, staff assistants under them, but God’s WORK was through the ONE MAN AT A TIME!
Just What Is ‘The Work’?, GN, April 1981
The next two quotes reappear from the last chapter and earlier in this one. In the first, Mr. Armstrong was recounting the way in which God had used him from the beginning of the Work. In the second, he was explaining, via a question, his role as the modern Zerubbabel. Let’s notice:
There is but one answer. No one can believe that I alone had the ability and the power to accomplish something that never before in the history of man has been done! GOD DID IT, though He used me as a human servant. NO MAN BY HUMAN ABILITY COULD HAVE ACHIEVED IT.
Yet God always has worked through ONE MAN, surrounded by helpers.
Co-Worker Letter, Nov. 19, 1976
Did God raise up a one-man LEADERSHIP to be used by Him in building this spiritual TEMPLE and in proclaiming after 1,900 years the true GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD in ALL THE WORLD—to even go to kings and heads of nations (Rev. 10:11)—in bringing the Church back to the FAITH ONCE DELIVERED (Jude 1:3)?
Co-Worker Letter, Mar. 19, 1981
Of course, God did use ONE MAN to lay the foundation, to finish and to plumb the spiritual Temple of God through the twentieth century. If you still accept what you once believed in regard to what Mr. Armstrong taught about the government of God, and if you understand that government is always led through one man, your search is easy.
Again then, who is it that does the final measuring of the Temple?
Find the Temple of God today and you will know the answer! While those outside the Temple would not recognize who this will be, those inside would know.
God would not bring in someone other than His designated leader. If He did, why would He do this?—who else would it be?—and how could His Church know that He did? God would not wait until the end of the age and suddenly change His pattern of working through ONE MAN. This would work against Himself and against what His people would—or should be—expecting and looking for. Besides, the man has to be the one within God’s government who carries the SCEPTER OF AUTHORITY. Mr. Armstrong showed the pattern of that authority, and it would not change today!
However, in the truest and ultimate sense, it is God who measures His Temple. Do not lose sight of this. But, and this is the point, God always works through His chosen human servant! In any age, this man is just an earthen human vessel—a clay pot (II Cor. 4:7)—through whom God works. God’s leaders are never the equivalent of modern Caesars who present ;thumbs up or ;thumbs down in matters small or large. This final leader is used to merely formally identify and recognize what God has been measuring all along (recall I Peter 4:17) by the biblical standard that He has made available all along.
So then, the answer to who measures the Temple is GOD!
But the story does not end here. Grasp this sobering reality! Those in the court will do everything in their power to escape what is coming!
When Is the Temple Measured—Officially?
We must pause for the purpose of a ;look back. My books THE TRUE CHURCH, ;ANOINT YOUR EYESand THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD quoted Mr. Armstrong and the Bible extensively, and explained in detail the truth of what is the Church of God and the Body of Christ. This volume has made equally clear the connection of these terms to the Temple or House of God. All who have read this material should have been left without doubt. In fact, the truth contained in them was virtually impossible to be misunderstood by those who were even a little honest with the scriptures cited and principles given.
Beginning May 1999, I was led to write and preach (and post) a tremendous amount of material focusing on what is the true Church and Body of Christ. The books referenced in the above paragraph are not all that I have written. There is also a fascinating full-length, 223-page book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!, as well as two booklets that are available—Where Is God’s Church? and Here Is The Restored Church of God.
I have also given and posted a four-part sermon series about the true Church that a great many thousands have heard, as well as another two-part series titled ;The Body of Christ: Why Most Are No Longer In It—But Assume They Are!
I have also done a four-part World to Come video series on the true Church. And I have delivered probably a full dozen or more sermons on how the undivided government of God leads the undivided Church of God. In all points they agree with Mr. Armstrong.
All of these materials have served to make most clear what is and is not the true Church of God—what Jesus did and did not build after His promise in Matthew 16:18. Thousands all through the splinters are reading, viewing and hearing what is available. Surely no one else has EVER focused as much on all the Bible verses, principles and quotes from Mr. Armstrong as I have been required to do.
Measuring the Temple is seen to be closely connected to first properly defining the command. But it also includes the process of years that will ultimately demonstrate who returns to that Temple. This means all the way to a point of culmination, now just ahead and to be momentarily explained. Seen in its full context, it becomes clear that ;measuring the Temple involves a process with God’s people running PARALLEL with the period of ;prophesy again being simultaneously carried out to ;peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings of the world. How obvious that the same Church would be carrying out both commissions.
Just as obvious then is that today’s Church of God leader is the one of whom the apostle John was a type at the end of the age. Mr. Armstrong was not ashamed or embarassed to declare that he was an apostle—and the modern Zerubbabel—and the final Elijah—and the Ezekiel watchman. You have seen his bold words. Neither can I be ashamed or embarassed to acknowledge whom God has used to fulfill what John recorded. I am not!
Moment Like No Other—the Time of Final Measuring!
Similar to millions who await a ;rapture from among unbelievers, most of God’s people today believe that those of Philadelphian condition will enjoy a seamless culling from among Laodicea before smooth sailing to the Place of Safety. This simplistic view leaves out a host of realities indicated by Scripture, and explained in other books to the splinters. But let’s now put ;meat on the bones.
The following graphic picture emerges in Judea: The world’s focus has shifted to events around Jerusalem. At a certain point, over a period of days, an audience of God’s people slowly arrives from all over the world. Excitement and expectation abound. So does hope, mixed with anxiety and concern. People from different splinters reunite with old friends. Leaders make proclamations. Played out on the world stage, government, religious and at least some military leaders are aware of this curious ;near-Jerusalem happening. So would be the world press.
But a moment of high drama eventually ensues. One with authority (the scepter) is made known and established. A fixed standard is introduced. God’s Temple is formally recognized—and outlined. Some are surprised and shocked. Others clearly know what is coming. The one who measures must thrust out and drive away potentially many thousands of desperately sorry ;court brethren who will suddenly wish there was more time to write a different record. Stark fear will probably cause many of these to DEMAND inclusion. Like the ;men of renown with Korah, sneering ;leaders will surely say to the one whom John types, ;You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy! (Num. 16:3), and ;Who do you think you are?
A very tense scene develops, perhaps including a kind of standoff—with ;battle lines drawn—just before Philadelphia is taken to safety. God will almost certainly have to ensure, probably through miracles, aSEPARATION that no human servant could of himself enforce. Perhaps the Two Witnesses, obviously present with God’s Church just before their commission begins, may even play a role in enforcement.
The separation will stand!
The same thousands will learn that they should have obeyed God, submitted to His government, rejected false doctrines, labored with others to finish the true Work, ANOINTED THEIR EYES to clearly see these matters for what they were—ACTED on what they knew—left the court and entered the MAIN TEMPLE!
The very sheer, awesome magnitude of the Work that they would not participate in and support will leave them without excuse.
Take note—and take heed: Tares—impostors—could also be present among the wheat still in the splinters. In addition, some attending with the Temple, but having grown lukewarm, will not ;measure up and will not even have been ;taken to Judea!
While no one will enjoy what has just occurred, it will quickly be clear to both sides what happened, and why it was necessary! Of course, no one can know the exact scenario that will ensue, with every detail of what has been depicted laid out in advance.
But it could be very similar to this description—and it will happen!
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