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 light."
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
Lord, and his statutes, which I command 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 the 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 the 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, charity, 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!
This DVD series
reveals Yeshua in the entire Bible (Psalm 40:7, Luke 24:44). Yeshua is
in the Torah. He created the heavens and earth, made covenant with
Abraham, led the children of Israel out of Egypt, gave the Torah at
Mount Sinai, is the bridegroom of Israel and the glory of God that
filled the tabernacle. Yeshua died on the tree to unite the twelve
tribes of Israel (John 10:16-17, 11:49-52). Yeshua will gather the
twelve tribes of Israel during the tribulation period and be glorified.
He will reign during the Messianic Era as King over the whole earth
teaching the Torah to all nations. While revealing Yeshua from Genesis
to Revelation, this DVD series also teaches the basic principles of the
Hebraic roots of Christianity, including who is the house of Jacob,
Torah is for all believers in Yeshua, and Two Houses and the New
Testament. Finally, this DVD series gives a Hebraic perspective of the
end of days. In all, twelve hours of power packed teaching!
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? 
Jeroboam
had the people worship in two places, 