 The spiritual attributes of God's Bride is foreshadowed by the
priesthood in the Old Testament. Therefore, God's Bride has the
same attributes as the Old Testament priests. What were the
requirements of the priests in the Old Testament and how were
these principles of God's Kingdom communicated by God to the
nation of Israel and to all believers today?
God
desired for the nation of Israel and ALL believers to become
a KINGDOM of priests (Exodus 19:5-6, 1 Peter 2:5,9, Revelation
5:10)
God
desires for the nation of Israel and ALL believers to be a
holy and sanctified people (Exodus 28:1, 35-36, Leviticus
19:2, 20:7-8, Ephesians 5:26-27, 1 Peter 1:15-16)
The
clothing of the priests in the Old Testament is the same
clothing as God's Bride (Exodus 28, Psalm 45:8-15, Isaiah
61:1-3, 6,10, Revelation 19:7-8, 21:9-21)
The
primary duty of the priesthood and the Bride of Christ is to
teach God's Torah to His people (Leviticus 10:8,10-11,
Deuteronomy 17:8-11, Jeremiah 18:18, Ezekiel 44:15, 23-24,
Malachi 2:7, Matthew 5:17-19, John 1:38, 3:2; Hebrews 4:14-16)
Those who
reject God's Torah will NOT be priests before God and will
NOT be the Bride of Christ (Hosea 4:6, 8:12, Matthew 7:23,
24:12)
While it
is God's perfect Will for ALL believers to be a kingdom of
priests and to be the Bride of Christ, those believers who
mix paganism and the ways of the world with the worship of
the God of Israel, will be disqualified from being the Bride
of Christ (Exodus 32:1, 4-6, 1Kiings 12:25- 33, 1 Corinthians
1:2, 11:2,
1 Thessalonians 4:1-7, 2 Timothy 2:19-22)
As
priests before God, the eternal destiny of the Bride of
Christ is to teach the Torah to all nations and to dwell in
the heavenly Jerusalem with God for all eternity (Isaiah
2:2-3, Matthew 28:17-19, Revelation 21:9-10, 24-26)
GOD DESIRES FOR ALL BELIEVERS TO BE A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS
God desired for the nation of Israel and ALL believers to
become a KINGDOM of priests. This was the perfect Will of God for
the nation of Israel and this is the perfect Will of God for all
believers. While it was the perfect Will of God for the nation of
Israel and for all believers who accept Jesus as their personal
Lord and Savior to be a kingdom of priests before God, this
promise of God is conditional. God's people being a kingdom of
priests is conditional upon God's people loving Him with all
their heart, mind, soul and strength and being obedient to God
and following His commandments. These truths can be seen in
Exodus 19:5-6 as it is written:
- "Now therefore, if you will OBEY MY VOICE indeed and KEEP
MY COVENANT, then you shall be a peculiar
treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
And you shall be unto me a kingdom of
priests, and a holy nation ... "
God desires for all believers in Jesus as Messiah to be a
kingdom of priests. In
1 Peter 2:5, 9 it is written:
- "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a SPIRITUAL HOUSE, A HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up
SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ... But ye
are a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation,
a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of
him who has called you out of darkness into marvelous
Iight."
BEING GOD'S PRIESTS IS
CONDITIONAL UPON OBEDIENCE
In order to be a royal priesthood before God and become the
Bride of Christ, it is dependent upon loving God with all our
heart, mind, soul and strength and keeping His commandments. In
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 it is written:
- "And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God
require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all
his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with
all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments
of the I.ord, and his statutes, which I commad thee this day
for thy good?"
These are the same requirements that Jesus gave for believers
today. Jesus commanded His followers to love God with all their
heart, mind, soul and strength and to keep His commandments. In
Mark 12:28-30 it is written:
- "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered
them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
And Jesus answered him, This first of all the commands is,
Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord; And you shall
love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment."
Jesus commanded His followers to keep the commandments (Torah) of God. In Matthew 5:18-19 it is written:
- "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall BREAK one of these least commandments, and shall TEACH MEN so, he shall be called the LEAST in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever SHALL DO AND TEACH them, the same shall be called GREAT in the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus measures our love toward Him based upon whether we keep His commandments. In John 14:15 it is written: "If you love me, keep my commandments."
If we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and
keep His commandments, we will be kings and priests before God. In Revelation 5:10 it is written:
- "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
The reward for all believers in Jesus as Messiah who love God
and keep His commandments is to eat of the tree of life. In Revelation 22:12-14 it is written:
- "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last. BLESSED are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have
RIGHT to THE TREE OF LIFE, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
GOD DESIRES FOR THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO BE HOLY AND SANCTIFIED
The Bride of Christ will be holy and sanctified. In Ephesians
5:26-27 it is written:
- "That he might SANCTIFY and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be HOLY
and without blemish."
The Hebrew word for sanctify is "Kadash.". It is the Strong's word 6942. The Hebrew word for holy is "Kodesh.". It is the Strong's word 6944. Both the Hebrew word, "Kadash" and the Hebrew word, "Kodesh" means
"to be set apart." The spiritual meaning is that God
wants His people to be set apart (holy) from the world and to be
sanctified unto Him.
God made these same requirements for the priests in the Old
Testament. In Exodus 28:1, 35-36 it is written:
- "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he
may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron,
Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons ... And
it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be
heard when he goes in unto the holy place before the Lord,
and when he comes out, that he die not. And thou shalt make a
plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of
a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD."
God desired the entire nation of Israel to be holy unto Him.
In Leviticus 19:1-2 it is written:
- "And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto
them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am
holy."
God not only commands His people to be holy, but He also
commands His people to be sanctified and to keep His
commandments. In Leviticus 20:7-8 it is written:
- "SANCTIFY YOURSELVES
therefore, and BE YE HOLY: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall
KEEP MY STATUTES AND DO THEM I am the Lord
which sanctify you."
God desires for all believers in Jesus as Messiah to be holy
and sanctified. In
1 Peter 1:14-16 it is written:
- "As obedient children, not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has
called you is holy, so BE YE HOLY IN ALL MANNER OF CONVERSATION
(behavior/lifestyle). Because it is written, BE YE HOLY; FOR I AM HOLY.
"
THE PRIESTS CLOTHES ARE A SPIRITUAL PICTURE OF THE BRIDE'S CLOTHING
The dress of the priests in the Old Testament is a spiritual
picture of the Bride's clothing. Exodus 28 describes the priest
clothing. In this section, we see the following characteristics:
The Holy
garments of the priests were for glory and beauty (Exodus
28:2)
They had
the spirit of wisdom (Exodus 28:3)
They are
sanctified/consecrated before God so that they can minister
to Him (Exodus 28:3)
A
breastplate and a robe (Exodus 28:4, Isaiah 61:10)
The
priests' garments were made of fine twined linen (Exodus
28:6, 8)
They had
the stones of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon the
breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:15-21)
They wore
the Urim and Thummim to know God's Will (Exodus 28:30)
He wore a
crown of holiness on his head (Exodus 28:35-36)
The
priests were anointed, consecrated and sanctified for the
Lord's service (Exodus 28:41)
A ROYAL WEDDING PSALM
Psalm 45 is a royal wedding Psalm. In Psalm 45:8-15 it is written:
- "All thy garments smelt of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee
glad. King's daughters were among thy honorable women: upon
thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken,
O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also
thine own people, and thy father's house. So shall the king
greatly desire thy beauty: for he is the Lord; and worship
thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a
gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.
The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is
of wrought gold. She shalt be brought unto the king in
raiment of needlework; the virgins her companions that follow
her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing
shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's
palace."
In these verses, we see the following characteristics:
She is
anointed with the oil of gladness (Psalm 45:7)
All her
garments are myrrh, and aloes, and cassia
(Psalm 45:8, Song
of Solomon 1:3)
The
king's daughter is all glorious within (Psalm 45:13)
She is
brought to the king in raiment of needlework (Psalm 45:14)
In Isaiah 61, we see more characteristics of God's Bride. Because the Bride of Christ is spiritually one with Jesus, the
Bridegroom, she will exemplify the same characteristics as Jesus
when He ministered on the earth. In Isaiah 61:1-3, 6, 10 it is
written:
- "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to
comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in
Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the Lord; that he might be glorified ... But ye
shall be named the PRIESTS OF THE LORD
men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the
riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast
yourselves ... I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul
shalt be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the
garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with
ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her
jewels."
In these verses we see the following characteristics of the
Bride of Christ.
The
Priests of the Lord are being clothed as a Bride (Isaiah
61:6,10)
The trees
of righteousness are the believers who are like the cedars of
Lebanon (Isaiah 61:3, Psalm 92:12)
God's
people are called Zion and she is mourning (Isaiah 51:16,
61:3, Matthew 5:4)
She
receives the anointing of God to minister the Gospel (Isaiah
61:1)
She
receives the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of
praise for heaviness (Isaiah 61:3)
In Revelation 19:7-8, the Bride of Christ has made herself ready by being dressed in fine linen as it is written:
- "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to
him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has
made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen clean and white: for the fine linen is
the righteousness of saints."
The priests of God are described as being dressed in fine
linen (Exodus 28:6-8). This is also how God's Bride is dressed
(Psalm 45:13-14, Revelation 19:8).
Finally, the stones of the breastplate of the high priest are
representative of the spiritual characteristics of God's Bride
(Exodus 28:15-21, Revelation 21:14-21).
GOD's BRIDE WILL BE PRIESTS
AND TEACH THE TORAH OF GOD
The primary duty of the priesthood and the Bride of Christ is
to teach God's Torah to His people. The priests of God were required to teach the Torah of God. In Leviticus 10:8, 10-11, it is written:
- "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying ... And
that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and
between unclean and clean. And that you may teach the
children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath
spoken unto them by the hand of Moses."
In Deuteronomy 17:8-11, God commanded that the priests make judgment according to the Torah of God as it is written:
- "IF THERE ARISE A MATTER TOO HARD FOR THEE IN JUDGMENT between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and
stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then
shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the
Lord thy God shall choose. And THOU SHALT
COME UNTO THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES, and unto
the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they
shall show thee the sentence of judgment: And THOU
SHALT DO ACCORDING TO THE SENTENCE; which
they of that place which the Lord shall choose shall show
thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they
inform thee: ACCORDING TO THE SENTENCE OF THE LAW (Torah) which they
shall TEACH THEE, and according to the
judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou
shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show
thee, to the right hand, nor to the left."
From this passage, we can see that GOD gave His power and
authority to the priests to teach His people the Torah and to
make rulings concerning it. Let's examine several more scriptures
which tell us the same thing. In Jeremiah 18:18 it is written:
- "... for the law (Torah) shall not perish from
the priest ... "
This truth can also be seen in Malachi 2:1, 6-7 as it is
written:
- "And now, O priests, this commandment is for you
... the law (Torah) of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity
was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and
equity, and did turn away from iniquity. For the priest's
lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law
(Torah) at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of
hosts."
When Jesus returns at His second coming and rules for 1,000
years from Jerusalem, God will choose priests (the Bride of Christ) to rule and reign with Him.
This can be seen in Ezekiel 44:15, 23-24 as it is written:
- "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok,
that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of
Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to
minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer
unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God ... And
they shall teach my people the difference between the holy
and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean
and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in
judgment; and they shalt judge it according to my judgments:
and they shall keep my laws (Torah) and my statutes in all
mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my Sabbaths."
In Revelation 20:6 it tells us that the priests of God (the
Bride of Christ) will rule and reign with Christ for 1,000 years
as it is written:
- "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death has no power,
but they shall be PRIESTS OF GOD AND OF CHRIST, AND SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS."
JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST AND CHIEF RABBI
The duty of the priests in the Old Testament was to teach
God's people the Torah. Spiritually, this is a prophetic picture
of the role of God's Bride during the 1,000-year millennium and
for all eternity. The priest in the Old Testament who had the
greatest authority before God was the High Priest. Jesus is our
great High Priest. Therefore, He will be the final authority for
all Torah teachings and judgments during the Messianic Age and
for all eternity. In Hebrews 4:14-16 it is written:
- "Seeing then that we have a GREAT
HIGH PRIEST, that is passed into the heavens, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, let
us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without
sin."
Because Jesus is our great High Priest, He is also called in
the Gospels, Rabbi. In John 1:38 it is written:
- "Then, Jesus turned, and saw them following, and
saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi,
(which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest
thou?"
Jesus is also called Rabbi in John 3:2 as it is written:
- "The same (Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night, and
said unto him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come
from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him."
THOSE WHO REJECT GOD'S TORAH WILL NOT BE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
Because it was the duty of the priests in the Old Testament to
teach the Torah of God to God's people and because ALL believers
are called priests of God in the New Testament, God desires that
ALL believers be priests before Him. Those who reject God's Torah,
God has proclaimed will NOT be priests unto Him and therefore
will NOT be God's Bride. In Hosea 4:6 it is written:
- "MY PEOPLE are
destroyed for lack of knowledge: because THOU HAS REJECTED KNOWLEDGE,
I will also reject thee, that THOU SHALL BE NO PRIEST TO ME: seeing thou
hast FORGOTTEN THE LAW (Torah) of thy God, I wiIl also forget thy children."
In this scripture passage, God is talking to HIS PEOPLE. God
calls THE TORAH KNOWLEDGE. By rejecting the Torah (knowledge),
God has declared that we will not be priests before Him. God
calls His Torah GREAT. In Hosea 8:12 it is written:
- "I have written to him THE GREAT THINGS OF MY LAW (Torah), but they were counted as a strange thing."
This passage indicates that there seems to be a perception
problem from the way God sees His Torah and the way Christianity
sees God's Torah. God calls His Torah GREAT but
Christianity calls it a STRANGE THING.
The truth that God views His Torah as GREAT will allow us to
understand the meaning of God's judgment upon His people as found
in Matthew 7:21-23 as it is written:
- "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And
in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Many in Christendom have interpreted this passage to mean that
those who are operating in the charismatic gifts of God are being
condemned by Jesus. This explanation is derived from the
conclusion of Jesus' statement following describing those who are
operating in charismatic gifts when he uses the words "Depart
from me, ye that work iniquity." However, the two key
words in these verses are KNEW and INIQUITY, not that God's people are operating in Holy Spirit
charismatic gifts. As we studied earlier in the book, the word, "knew"
means "to know intimately and have a deep personal
relationship with God." It does not mean salvation
alone but knowing God involves being saved.
The second key word in these verses is the word, "iniquity."
The word "iniquity" in Matthew 7:23 is
the Greek word, "Anomia". It is the Strong's
word 458 in the Greek dictionary. The Greek word "noma"
comes from the Greek word, "nomos". When
the Septuagint (LXX) was written (the translation of the Hebrew
scriptures into Greek), the word law (Torah) was translated as
the Greek word, "nomos". Anomia
consists of two Greek words, the prefix "a"
which means "without" and "noma"
which means "law". So Jesus is rebuking
those who did mighty works in His name but were doing it without
the knowledge of the Torah ("anomia") which is
translated in Matthew 7:23 as "iniquity."
Therefore, Jesus was rebuking that His people were operating in
charismatic gifts while not keeping the Torah. Jesus was not
rebuking His people for operating in Charismatic Holy Spirit
manifestations because the manifestations come from the Spirit of
God!
In Matthew 24:12, Jesus said one of the signs of His second
coming is that people would no longer be living their lives
according to the Torah as it is written:
- "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of
many shall wax cold."
Once again, the word, "iniquity' in Matthew 24:12
is the Greek word, "anomia." So, Jesus is stating that when He
returns at His second coming, the people of the earth will not be
living by the Torah of God.
MIXING PAGANISM WITH THE WORSHIP OF GOD
While it is God's perfect Will for ALL believers to be a
kingdom of priests and to be tbe Bride of Christ, God gave us a
pattern in the Old Testament that those who mix the worship of
God with paganism and the ways of the world with the worship of
tbe God of Israel, will be disqualified from being the Bride of
Christ. In 1 Corinthians 10:11, God tells us that those things
which happened historically to the nation of Israel are a pattern
of things to come concerning prophetic events in the Kingdom of
God as it is written:
- "Now all these things happened unto them
(historical Israel) for examples: and they are written for
our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are
come."
Therefore, those things which happened to historical Israel
are an example of FUTURE things to the believers in Christ as it
is stated, "the ends of the world are come."
By understanding this truth, why didn't the NATION of Israel and
ALL twelve tribes become priests before God even though this was
God's Will? (Exodus 19:5-6). The answer is that the children of
the God of Israel mixed the worship of the God of Israel with
paganism and called it the worship of the God of Israel. This is
the spiritual significance of the sin of the golden calf. In
Exodus 32:1, it is written:
- "And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount the people gathered themselves
together unto Aaron, and said unto him; Up, make us gods,
which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that
brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is
become of him."
In this passage, Moses is a type of Jesus. Following the
resurrection of Jesus, the early church was expecting that He
would return at His second coming within the next generation.
When Jesus failed to return within a generation, the church
leaders (a type of Aaron) led the people away from the faith of
the first-century church and the teachings of Jesus and His disciples
to keep the Sabbath, the Biblical Festivals and the Torah.
Several hundred years later, Christianity became separated from
the original Jewish church which believed in Jesus as Messiah,
kept the Sabbath, observed the Biblical Festivals and followed
the Torah. In doing so, the Christian church began to mix the
worship of God with the pagan religions around them.
For a greater understanding of the beliefs and practices of
the early church in the days of Jesus, I recommend Dr. Ron
Moseley's book, "Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and
the Original Church". Dr. Moseley is the president and
founder of the Arkansas Institute of Holy Land Studies. The
Arkansas Institute of Holy Land Studies is a four year college
that studies the Jewish roots of Christianity and offers a
bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern History. This book can be
obtained at your local Christian bookstore or by contacting
Serenity Books. In addition, I would recommend the book, "Our Father Abraham," by Marvin Wilson, and the book,
"Jesus the Jewish Theologian by Dr. Brad Young.
The predominant religion in the Roman Empire during the time
of Jesus and following his resurrection was Mithraism. The early
church leaders began to mix Mithraism with the worship of God and
adopted beliefs and practices which became known as Christianity
under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.
Mithraism gave emphasis to the worship of the sun god. For
example, the birthday of the sun god in Mithraism was December
25. The day of worship to the sun god in Mithraism was Sunday
(sun day). When the Roman Empire no longer practiced Mithraism,
the practices and beliefs of Mithraism were adapted into
Christianity through the Roman Catholic Church. Consequently,
during this time, the worship of the true God of Israel and Jesus
as Messiah became mingled with the beliefs and practices of
Mithraism. In doing so, Christianity committed the same sins as
the children of Israel when Moses delayed to come down from Mount
Sinai and encouraged Aaron to help them build a golden calf.
Therefore, what happened to Moses, Aaron and the children of
Israel in Exodus 32:1 was a foreshadowing of future Christianity.
What happened when the people saw that Moses didn't come down
from the mountain in the time frame that they expected? In Exodus
32:4-6 it is written:
- "And he received them at their hand, and
fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a
molten calf and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw
it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation
and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up
early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought
peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to
drink, and rose up to play."
In these verses, we can see that the golden calf that the
people made was NOT to worship any god in Egypt. Instead, the
golden calf is called the worship of the God of Israel. Aaron and
the children of Israel built the golden calf and proclaimed that
they would make a "feast to the Lord" and offer
"burnt offerings and peace offerings." A "feast to
the Lord, burnt offerings and peace offerings" is how the
God of Israel requested that His people worship Him. Therefore,
the sin of the people was mixing the worship of the God of Israel
with the ways of the world and paganism and calling this system
of worship, the worship of the God of Israel. Historical
Christianity has made this same mistake.
THE NORTHERN KINGDOM'S GOLDEN CALF WORSHIP OF GOD
The sin of the golden calf which involves mixing the worship
of the God of Israel with the ways of the world and paganism was
repeated by Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom of Israel in I Kings 12:25-33
as it is written:
- "Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim,
and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built
Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom
return to the house of David: If this people go up to do
sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall
the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even
unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shalt kill me, and go
again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took
counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It
is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O
Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And
he set the one in Bethel and the other put he in Dan. And
this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship
before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high
places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which
were not of the sons af Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast
in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like
unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the
altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that
he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high
places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which
he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month,
even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and
ordained a feast unto the children of Israet: and he offered
upon the altar, and burnt incense."
In I Kings 12:25-33, there are three vital aspects to the golden calf system of worship.
A
substitute place of worship, Bethel and Dan, (I Kings
12:28-29) rather than Jerusalem which God had chosen
(Deuteronomy 16:16)
A
substitute priesthood, priests of the lowest of the people,
which are not from the tribe of Levi (I Kings 12:31)
Substitute
holidays, a feast of the Lord on the eighth month and the
fifteenth day of the month (I Kings 12:32) rather than the
seventh month and the fifteenth day as given by God in the
Torah (Leviticus 23:33-34)
By departing from the Jewish roots of the faith that was
practiced by Jesus, the disciples and the early church,
historical Christianity has committed the same sins as the
children of Israel who built the golden calf in the wilderness
and the Northern Kingdom who went to worship God at Bethel and
Dan. As a result, historical Christianity incorporated into their
worship of God:
A
substitute place of worship - the church rather than the
synagogue
A
substitute priesthood - pastors and priests who are not
anointed and called by God to be in the ministry
Substitute
holidays - Christmas and Easter rather than the Biblical
Festivals given by God in Leviticus 23
Therefore, the cry of God's heart to His people today is to
flee this golden calf and Babylonian system and celebrate the
Sabbath, the Biblical Festivals and keep His Torah. This truth is
communicated to us in Revelation 18:4 as it is written:
- "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her (Babylon), my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her
plagues."
DAN AND BETHEL: GOD'S HOUSE OF JUDGMENT
Jeroboam had the people worship in two places, Bethel and Dan.
These two places are prophetic. Bethel in Hebrew means, "House
of God". Dan in Hebrew comes from the root word,
"Din" which means "judgment". This
was prophetic that the people called this worship, Bethel,
"The House of God" but God called the place Dan,
or "Judgment". Even so, in these last days,
God will judge those in His church who do not come out of this
Babylonian system of worship. Those who do will be persecuted
from the church because of the church's bias against the Torah
but the reward of God will be great. Those who refuse to leave
this system will be judged by God through the rulers and powers
of this world who will rob the church of its power and influence
in the world.
THE LEVITES: STANDING FOR THE TORAH
In Exodus 32, the only tribe of the twelve tribes of Israel who stood for the Lord was the tribe of Levi. Therefore, the
tribe of Levi became priests unto the Lord. In like manner, the
faithful remnant in God's church today will be just like the
tribe of Levi. They will understand that historical Christianity
departed from the Jewish roots of its faith and will hear what
the Spirit of God is saying to His church in these end times.
When they understand, they will leave the golden calf system of
worship instituted by historical Christianity and return to the
Torah of God by keeping the Sabbath and the Biblical Festivals.
By doing so, God will reward those who know and understand what
the Spirit of God is saying to the churches by making them
spiritual priests and Levities unto God in His Kingdom.
THE BRIDE IS A HOLY AND SANCTIFIED PEOPLE
Not only are we called by God to forsake a corporate golden
calf system of worship but the Bride of Christ is commanded by
God to leave the ways of the world and the desires of the flesh
in living their personal lives. In doing so, God commanded for
His people to live holy and sanctified lives. In 1 Corinthians 1:2 it is written:
- "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to
them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be
saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours"
In this verse, the apostle Paul is writing to believers in the
church at Corinth and exhorting them to be a sanctified and holy
people. The word, "saints" is the Greek word, "hagios" which means a "holy person." It is the Strong's
word 40 in the Greek dictionary. Therefore, we see two
characteristics of those who name the name of Christ. They are to
be both holy and sanctified. The Bride of Christ will be both
holy and sanctified (Ephesians 5:26-27).
It was the desire of the Apostle Paul that he present the
believers whom God gave him rule over as a "chaste
virgin." In 2 Corinthians 11:2 it is written:
- "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present
you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
In the verse, we can see that the Apostle Paul wanted to
present the believers in Corinth as a "chaste" virgin
to Christ. The word, "chaste" is the Greek
word, "hagnos". It is the Strong's word 53 in
the Greek dictionary. The Greek word, "hagnos" is
related to the word "saint" or holy person which is the
Greek word, "hagios." Therefore, once again, we can see
that the Apostle Paul wanted to see the believers at Corinth grow
to spiritual maturity and be a sanctified and holy people.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 we can see that God
wants His people to be holy and sanctified and separated from the ways of the
world and the desires of the flesh as it is written:
- "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us
how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound
more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by
the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God even your
sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That
every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in
sanctification and honor. Not in the lust of concupiscence,
even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go
beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that
the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have
forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto
uncleanness, but unto holiness."
In these verses, we can see that the Apostle Paul is writing
to the church at Thessalonica and exhorting the people to flee
the ways of the world and the desires of the flesh and be a
sanctified and holy people unto God. We can see this same truth
in
2 Timothy 2:19-22 as it is written:
- "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to
honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself
from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and
meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith,
charify, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure
heart."
Therefore, once again, the exhortation is for God's people to
flee sin and to serve God and to be a sanctified people unto Him
so that they can be fit for the master's use. In like manner, the
Bride of Christ is not only saved but she becomes sanctified
through her righteous living by fleeing sin and the ways of the
world. By doing this, she will have a deep and personal knowledge
of God and keep His commandments.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL TEACH
THE TORAH TO THE NATIONS
As priests before God, the eternal destiny of the Bride of
Christ is to teach the Torah to all nations and to dwell in the
heavenly Jerusalem with God for all eternity. Many in
Christianity have misunderstood the great commission of Jesus. In
Matthew 28:1 it is written:
- "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you ... "
Within Christianity, this scripture is most often interpreted
to mean preach the salvation message to all peoples on the earth.
While it is true and VERY necessary that the message of salvation
be preached to ALL peoples on the earth, Jesus commanded His
disciples in this passage to "TEACH ALL NATIONS to
observe all things".
A teacher in Hebrew is a Rabbi. Jesus was a Rabbi and his
disciples were "students". The word disciple is the
Hebrew word, "Talmidim" which means "a student". Therefore, the great commission of Jesus to His disciples was to
make believers of all nations and make the believers of all
nations students of God's Word. The "observe all
things" would have been understood by the
Torah-observant Jewish disciples of Jesus to teach the nations
how to keep the Torah.
The call, destiny and commissioning of the Bride of Christ is
to teach the Torah of God to all nations. This will be fulfilled
during the 1,000-year Messianic Age and also throughout all
eternity. In Isaiah 2:2-3 it is written:
- "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go
and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us
his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion
(God's Bride) shall go forth the Law (Torah), and the word of
the Lord from ]erusalem."
Isaiah 2:2-3 is the scripture which refers to the great
Messianic hope when the Messiah will rule from Jerusalem and theTorah will be taught to all nations. This will be fulfilled by
the Bride of Christ during the Messianic Age when the Bride of
Christ will rule and reign with the Messiah for 1,000 years
(Revelation 20:6).
Not only will the Torah go forth from Jerusalem during the
1,000-year Messianic Age but the Torah will go forth from the
heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Bride, during all eternity
after God creates a new heaven and a new earth. Those who dwell
outside the heavenly city of Jerusalem during eternity will be
saved and spend forever in heaven but will not dwell in the city
of Jerusalem which is the city of the Bride. This can be seen in
Revelation 21:9-10, 24-26 as it is written:
- "... Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the
Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great
and high mountain, and showed me a great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God ... And the
nations which are saved (believers who are saved and will
spend eternity in heaven) shall walk in the light of it (the
glory of the bride and the city of Jerusalan) and the kings
of the earth do bring their glofry and honor into it. And the
gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall
be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor
of the nations into it."
SUMMARY
In conclusion, in this chapter, we examined that the Bride of
Christ is a Royal Priesthood. Just as God desired the entire
nation of Israel to be priests before God, He desires that ALL
believers be priests unto Him. However, because of the worship of
the golden calf, only the tribe of Levi became God's priests. The
golden calf represents the mixing of the ways of the world and
paganism with the worship of the God of Israel and calling this
worship, the true worship of the God of Israel. Historically,
Christianity has committed the same sins as the children of
Israel in the desert and the Northern Kingdom of Israel when they
instituted a golden calf system of worship unto God.
It was the role of the priests in the Old Testament to teach
God's Torah to His people. During the Messianic Age and then for
all eternity, the Bride of Christ will teach God's Torah to all
the nations on the earth. Those who reject God's Torah will not
be the Bride of Christ because they have rejected the knowledge
and understanding of God and His Kingdom (Hosea 4:6).
All Christians who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord
and Savior and are forgiven of their sins will be in heaven.
However, not all Christians who are saved will be the Bride of
Christ. Only those believers who love God with all their heart,
mind, soul and strength, who grow to full spiritual maturity and
who do the perfect Will of God in their lives will be the royal
priesthood of God and the Bride of Christ. The Bride of Christ is
a royal priesthood. This is the high calling of God for every
believer who accepts Jesus as Messiah. May we all be found
worthy!
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