Who Are God’s People? Part 1

“I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

This divine unconditional promise is found throughout God’s Word from Genesis 17:7 -- And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee -- unto Revelation 21:3 --And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

From the beginning of creation our God has taken for Himself a people redeemed by the sacrifice of His sinless Son through the blood of the everlasting covenant (Heb. 13:20).

It was from the loins of Abraham that the Lord was pleased to bring forth the nation of Israel, at the time the only nation on earth who would be privileged to serve the one true God.

However, though Abraham had several children, not all were the children of promise, that is, the covenantal promise whereby the Lord would be their God and they shall be His people.

For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Only those of like faith are considered the spiritual seed of Abraham.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

All the Old Testament patriarchs and saints placed their faith in the gracious salvation provided by the coming Messiah.

They believed as did Job, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

In fact, Hebrews 11 is proof they possessed the same supernatural faith as do we.

They believed God…..whether by direct divine revelation or by indirect divine revelation through the prophecies, ordinances, and promises.

Either way the Gospel was preached.

Either way God was the cause of their faith.

And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live (Deut. 30:6).

All Old Testament saints were regenerated by the Holy Spirit, as are we.

Regeneration is that effectual, sovereign, unilateral work of grace whereby all God’s people are united to Him by faith.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them (Ezek. 36:25-27)

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

NEXT: Are God’s people divided or are they all one?

 

Who Are God’s People? Part 2

“Is Christ divided?"

Are God’s people divided or are they all one?

Is it possible there are two distinct groups of people – unregenerate Israel in the flesh and regenerate Christians in the Spirit - who can claim that God is their God and they are His people?

Is it possible that Scripture makes such a distinction?

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5)

To emphasize the unity of the Body of Christ Paul gives a startling explanation:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29)

Our Lord does not recognize our race, gender, or social status.

He only recognizes the children of promise, the spiritual seed of Abraham.

Paul reiterates the doctrine of the one body:

For he (Christ) is our peace, who hath made both (OT and NT saints) one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man (conformed to the image of His Son), so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body (the Body of Christ) by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Eph. 2:14-16)

No. Christ is not divided. Christ has only one Body.

And that Body consists of all those who have been elected by the sovereign choice of the Father, having been born of the Spirit and having the faith of Abraham, whether OT or NT, whether Jew or Gentile, whether male or female, whether bond or free.

They alone are they who can claim the true God as their God and they are His people.

NEXT: Are there many or is there one house of God?

 

Who are God’s People? Part 3

Are there many or is there but one house of God?

Solomon was appointed to build the first permanent, physical house of God:
……in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. (1Kings 6:1)

A house is the residence of a family.

In like manner, the house of God is the residence where God’s family may fellowship with their heavenly Father.

In OT times Israelites and Gentile proselytes could worship the true God in His house, the temple of the Lord, located in Jerusalem.

However, the last temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70.

This, of course, was exactly what God planned in eternity.

The physical house of God, aka the temple of God, served its purpose as an earthly representation of that which is spiritual and heavenly. (Hebrews 9)

In that regard, Israel, too, served its purpose as a foreshadowing of the spiritual nation of God’s true people, the invisible Church - comprised of only the spiritual seed of Abraham, though they are growing alongside the carnal-professing tares. (James 1:1; 1Peter 1:1; Matt. 13:24-31)

We now are that holy nation, the spiritual fulfillment of the carnal nation of Israel. (1Peter 2:9)

Today we understand Christ is both Son and High Priest over His own house, the house of God. (Heb. 3:6; 10:21)

This house is built by God, not man. (Heb. 3:4)

We regenerated Jew and Gentile Christians are now the house of God. (Heb. 3:6)

We are also the temple of God. (1Cor. 3:16, etc.)

In fact, we are living stones whom God is using as building materials for His spiritual house, Christ being the chief corner stone. (1Peter 2:5)

David knew of this eternal spiritual house which God was building:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

There is now, and has always been, and always will be one true house of God, a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2Cor. 5:1)

Our house is a very, very, very fine house.

NEXT: Will a literal Temple be rebuilt in a literal Jerusalem?

 

Who are God’s People? Part 4

Will a literal Temple be rebuilt in a literal Jerusalem?

One of the many controversies facing the professing Christian Church today is that of interpretation.

Questions arise as to whether a Scripture is to be taken literally or figuratively.

Nicodemus made the error when taking the ‘born again’ doctrine literally. (John 3:4)

Christ’s disciples made the error when taking ‘leaven’ literally. (Matt. 16:5-12)

The Jews made the error when taking Christ’s declaration -- “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” – literally. (John 2:18-21)

In like manner, many Christians make the error of assuming the Temple described in Rev. 11 is a literal rebuilt Jewish Temple.

In carefully reviewing Rev. chapter 1 we soon discover principles of interpretation.

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: (Rev. 1:16)

Jesus was seen holding figurative representations of seven stars.

Nor does He have a literal sword-like tongue.

He does, however, speak only the Word of God. (Heb. 4:12)

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Jesus now gives us the rules by which we are to interpret the Revelation.

We are to view the celestial bodies described in the Revelation as symbolic of spiritual truths.

In the case of the 7 stars, they are to be interpreted as 7 angels.

Furthermore, the 7 angels are not to be interpreted as literal angels.

They represent God’s 7 messengers on earth who proclaim God’s Word to His 7churches.

In other words, they represent those men who shepherd the Lord’s flock by divine authority with gifts received from His Spirit.

They are spiritual men, born of the Spirit.

Therefore, we must not assume every angel described in the Revelation is to be understood as literal angelic beings.

For example, And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (Rev. 9:1)

The star falling from Heaven is not to be taken literally.

The star is a ‘him.’ The expression, ‘to fall from heaven,’ is analogous to the expression, ‘to fall from grace.’

Thus, the star represents an angel who, in turn, represents a renown religious leader who has apostatized.

Furthermore, he is someone who holds a key.

Can the reader think of a renown Christian leader who claims to hold keys?

It must also be noted that the number 7 is not used without good reason.

Throughout the Revelation the number 7 represents that which is perfectly complete, lacking nothing.

This truth can be evidenced in the description of the Holy Spirit:

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Rev. 4:5; see also Rev. 1:4, Rev. 3:1)

The 7 horns and 7 eyes of the Lord have a similar meaning:

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Rev. 5:6)

The Lord’s power, authority and knowledge are perfect, as are those attributes of the Holy Spirit.

NEXT: To Be Continued

 

Who are God’s People? Part 5

Will a literal Temple be rebuilt in a literal Jerusalem? (continued)

…..the seven candlesticks [lampstands] which thou sawest are the seven churches.

The Lord reveals to John the mystery of the 7 golden candlesticks/lampstands.

They symbolize the 7 churches in the midst of whom Christ is ever present and ever in authority.

In turn, the 7 churches are representative of all professing churches of all time.

We know this to be true because Christ has promised, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Furthermore, Jesus always concludes His assessment of the spiritual state of each representative church with the exhortation: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

By this saying Christ is signifying the truths contained therein are for the benefit of all Christians for all time: especially those who have been given the necessary grace to hear, receive and believe the import of the spiritual applications as they apply not only to their day, but also to those of history past.

Of utmost importance is the interpretive rule that all things pertaining to OT Judaism are now to be given NT Christian meaning.

The light and truth of Christ is to be declared worldwide – not hidden from public view as was the golden lampstand in the tabernacle.

This same truth – OT Judaism is to be understood in NT Christian terms -- is expressed in Hebrews which teaches the OT Temple sacrifices for sin, as well as the duties of the High Priest, were all fulfilled in Christ.

In fact, the tabernacle itself was symbolic of a greater and more perfect spiritual building not made with hands. (Hebrews 9:11)

Peter declares we Christians, Jew and Gentile, are the living stones used to build God’s spiritual house. (1Peter 2:5)

Does God need or command another literal physical Temple be built in Jerusalem?

Of course not.

To do so would be the highest of blasphemies against the perfect, never to be repeated sacrifice of Christ.

The days of OT Judaism are long gone, never to return.

So how should we interpret the temple of God in Rev. 11?

By using Christ’s rule of interpreting the Revelation, as well as the numerous Scriptures which declare we are the temple of God, we come to the conclusion that John was to measure the spiritual house of God: the people of God in whom dwells His Spirit.

Furthermore, the same temple of God is seen in Heaven, verse 19, proving the temple to be spiritual, not literal.

The Gentiles represent the false Christians who war against the true Christians who comprise the spiritual ‘holy city’ of New Jerusalem.

Throughout the ages true Christians have measured true Christianity by means of the Word of God, the measure and rule of our faith and practice.

By so doing, faithful witnesses throughout history have courageously come forth to testify to the truth of Christ against the lies of Antichrist.

Rather than place their faith in the perfect, once for all sacrifice of Christ, the anti-Christians insisted on presenting a re-sacrifice of a breaden god, whom they call 'Christ.'

The true Christians refused to worship the false god of the anti-Christians.

For many, the result was martyrdom ending in eternal glory. (Rev. 11:11-12)

Knowledge of the history of the Albigenses and Waldenses is a prerequisite to understanding the spiritual truths contained in Revelation 11.

As would the unabridged Foxe's Acts and Monuments.

NEXT: What is the eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus?

 

Who are God’s People? Part 6

…..According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:11)

What is the eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus?

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. (Ephesians 3:3-6)

Paul was given the revelation that believing Gentiles were to be given equal status with OT believing Jews.

Not only was the true God to be the God of believing spiritual Israel, He was to be the God of believing Gentiles whom He also considered spiritual Israel, of the same body, fellow heirs of His eternal inheritance through Christ.

We believing Gentiles are now considered an equal part of the one, true, spiritual house of Israel under the New Covenant:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:10-13)

Under the Old Covenant the nation of Israel alone was chosen to be the recipient of God’s many privileges and blessings, not the least of which was knowledge of the way of salvation which was by grace through faith in the future Messiah’s propitiatory, substitutionary atonement.

Prior to the New Covenant Gospel dispensation, the vast majority of Gentiles were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12)

But now Christ has reconciled to God both elect Jews and elect Gentiles into one body by the blood of His cross. (Eph. 2:13, 16)

Believing Gentiles are now of the same household of God, an integral part of the building blocks which comprise the one, spiritual, eternal Temple of God:

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22)

By revealing His eternal purpose to adopt the Gentiles into His one eternal spiritual family, we are to understand that it was ALWAYS God’s eternal purpose to do so.

It was never Plan B.

Additionally, we are to understand that the nation of Israel was but a shadow, a figure, a type of its anti-type, the Christian Church, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, the spiritual seed of Abraham.

Furthermore, we are to understand only the believing seed of Abraham are those who are truly God’s people:

For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel….. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Romans 9:6,8)

Similarly, the professing Christian Church contains both wheat and tares, sheep and goats, believers and unbelievers, true and false Christians.

For this reason many theologians have recognized the need to differentiate the visible professing Church from the invisible regenerate Church.

The former is that which contains both kinds of Christians, true and false.

The latter is that which contains only the true children of God, the children of promise, the elect, the spiritual seed of believing Abraham, the Church of the first-born, those specifically for whom Christ died.

NEXT: Who are the 144,000?

 

Who are God’s People? Part 7

Who are the 144,000? (Rev. 7)

Are they literal Jews by birth?

And are they literal virgins? (Rev. 14:4)

And are there literally 144,000 – no more and no less?

First, we must remember Christ and NT Scripture has interpreted all things Jewish by their NT Christian anti-type. (See Parts 4 & 5 of this study.)

Our Lord demanded obedience and faithfulness from Israel who was considered His spiritual wife. (Jeremiah 3:14)

Yet Israel insisted on committing spiritual fornication with other gods. (Jeremiah 3:1-9)

Paul uses the metaphor of virginity when speaking of Christians as the Bride of Christ:

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. (2Cor. 11:21)

Therefore, based on NT nomenclature ‘a chaste virgin’ signifies a sanctified spirit-born believer united to Christ through faith.

The 144,000 are spiritually chaste virgins possessing the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Neither are they literal Jews from literal 12 tribes.

The NT teaching is explicit:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29)

The 144,000 are spiritual sons of righteous Abraham whose hearts have been circumcised.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:28-29)

Therefore, the 144,000 cannot represent carnal, literal Jews.

They are representative of God’s Elect, of whatever ethnicity, born of the Spirit, whose spiritual father is Abraham, and whose great Shepherd is Jesus Christ.

It is no coincidence that these people are numbered 12 X 12,000 = 144,000.

The numbers 12, 144, and 12,000 are significant to the holy city, New Jerusalem.

The 12 gates have the names of the 12 tribes.

The 12 foundations have the names of the 12 Apostles.

The city’s length, width and height are 12,000 furlongs.

Each wall was 144 cubits.

And the 12 gates were 12 pearls of great price for whom Christ’s blood was shed.

This is no literal city. This is a description of the spiritual Bride of Christ, aka the City of God.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev. 21:2)

This spiritual city, the virgin Bride of Christ, is comprised of peoples of all nations, Jew and Gentile, throughout the ages, elected of God, given to the Son, born of the Spirit, that God may be glorified in them forever.

The number 144,000 is representative of that perfect number of saints, chosen by God, who have been and will be effectually called to salvation in Jesus Christ.

And that number, as well as who, exactly, will constitute that number has been determined by God before the foundation of the world.

They are those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

NEXT: Conclusion

 

Who Are God’s People? Conclusion

Salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22)

Our Savior Jesus Christ was the promised seed of Abraham, the Patriarch of the Jews. (Galatians 3:16)

It was the nation of Israel to whom our Lord entrusted with the way and means of salvation. (Romans 9:4-5)

All other nations were left in spiritual blindness for thousands of years, God purposefully appointing them to walk in darkness. (Romans 1; Acts 17:22ff; Ephesians 2:12)

With the resurrection of Christ came the time of fulfilling God’s eternal purpose. His eternal purpose to bring salvation to the Gentiles of all nations was to begin. (Matt. 28:19-20)

The OT nation of Israel has now been eclipsed by its anti-type, the NT Israel of God, Christ’s Church, comprised of Jewish and Gentile believers, the spiritual seed of Abraham, and the children of promise. (Galatians 3:8, 29; 6:16)

Salvation is now proclaimed by true Jews, Christians of every nation whose hearts have been circumcised by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 2:28-29)

Rev. 2:9 extends a warning to all who have ears to hear: Not all professing Christians are true Christians.

This warning is given using OT nomenclature which is to bear NT meaning.

I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

This message is directed to the Christian Church of all ages, as are all the letters.

Therefore, we are to understand this warning has nothing to do with literal Jews and literal synagogues.

Rather it is a prophetic warning of the rising of a false Christian Church who will deceive many into believing they are true Christians, though they blaspheme the name of the Lord by their perversion of biblical Christianity.

They are, in point of fact, the Church of Satan.

This false Church is depicted in detail in Rev. 17 & 18.

Her ‘infallible’ leader, called Antichrist, the Man of Sin, and the Beast, is depicted in Rev. 9:1-2, Rev. 13 & 2Thess 2:3ff (to name but a few).

The ‘falling away’ signified in 2Thess.2:3, otherwise known as the ‘apostasy’, is a falling away from divine truth to deadly error.

A once Christian Church will fall away from the true faith, her blasphemy undetected by all but the true Church.

This mystery of iniquity, the mystery of Mystery Babylon, has been solved by true Christians for centuries.

One major clue as to the identity of this prophesied false Church is found in Romans 11.

It is here that Paul gives warning to the church in Rome that they should not boast against the (literal) Jews who were cast away for their unbelief:

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (Romans 11:21)

Today the Church of Rome no longer resembles the church to whom the Roman Epistle was written: whose faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

She has departed the faith long ago, and is steeped in satanic idolatry, sorcery and ritualism.

She has fulfilled Paul’s dire prediction.

Is the reader not aware that Jews view Roman Catholicism as Christian….and as a result we Christians are all branded idolaters? (Romans 2:24 in reverse.)

One day Mystery Babylon will be judged and the whole world, Jews included, will know of a certainty that God was her judge.

With that knowledge will come the revelation that Roman Catholicism was not true Christianity.

It is, in fact, anti-Christianity, at enmity against the true God.

Perhaps this revelation will be the impetus used to bring many more Jews to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!