Bible Believers' Newsletter #173
"We focus on the PRESENT Truth -- what Jesus is doing NOW . . ." ISSN 1442-8660
Christian greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and thank you for gathering together with us for fellowship around the unchanging Word of God.
Paul instructs to "study to show ourselves approved of God" and Peter advises us to "work hard to prove you really called and chosen of God". I mention these two Scriptures to encourage you not to take my words at face value but to prove all things, knowing that denominational teachings are not Biblical and what the powers-that-be teach us as history is a lie.
Only "the truth will set us free" from this world whose god is Satan. Be prepared to work because great is your reward in heaven. Please make the effort to read the books recommended in recent Newsletters, (The Conspirator's Hierarchy: The Committee of 300, Rulers of Evil), and all three parts to Witness to History linked to this issue.
This Newsletter serves those of like precious faith and whosoever will receive the truth is welcome to feed their soul from the waters of the River of Life. Everything presented should be confirmed personally in your own Bible.
Sharon Meets Vatican Delegation
Jerusalem (J P) May 31, 2001 -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met a special delegation from Pope John Paul II in Tel Aviv earlier this afternoon. The delegates handed Sharon a letter from the Pope in which the latter called on Sharon to work towards an end to the violence and acts of hatred in the region. Full story: http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/05/31/LatestNews/LatestNews.27303.html
Slowly the Truth Will Out
Roosevelt's Day of Infamy speech written BEFORE the Japanese attack. Daryl Borgquist, historian, author and Justice Department official in Washington says the text was drafted Dec. 6, 1941. by a State Department team led by former Assistant Secretary of State Adolph Berle between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. -- after the first 13 parts of the 14-part Japanese reply to the American ultimatum had been intercepted, decoded, and delivered. The attack came on Dec. 7. That supports Mr. Borgquist's earlier argument, published in 1999 by Naval History Magazine.
Historian Michael Walsh reports Roosevelt preparing for war in 1939. On January 12th, 1939, nine months before war was declared against Germany, Count Jerzy Potocki, Polish Ambassador to the United States advised his Minister for Foreign Affairs in Warsaw Roosevelt had received power to enable him to enliven American foreign policy and create huge reserves of armaments for a future war which the Jews are deliberately heading for having succeeded in dividing the world into two alien camps. Artificial war panic was being created.
WWII atrocities exposed on film shot in colour in 1944. It includes scenes of American soldiers shooting Japanese wounded. A wounded enemy is dragged from a hiding place, his ankles are tied together, two bullets are fired into his knees and then, while he is still moving, shots are fired into his chest and head. Soldiers use bayonets to hack at Japanese corpses while looting them.
Many cherished British military myths are overturned with stories of Japanese ears and heads being collected by British-led troops -- particularly by Gurkhas and Nigerians. Many witnesses interviewed for the series spoke of large-scale desertions by Australian troops.
Museum Honoring Pope Opens in Washington
Washington (CNN) June 7, 2001 -- President Bush joined Catholic leaders to celebrate the official opening of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.The museum does feature several items from John Paul II, who in 1978 became the first non-Italian pope in more than four centuries.
A Peculiar People
Galatians 3:22-26, "The Scripture insists we are all imprisoned by sin, and that the promise of escape through the faith of Jesus Christ might be granted to them that believe. But before faith came, Israel was kept in custody, guarded by the Law, in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed. So the Law served as our schoolmaster or trainer to guide us to Christ, that we might be justified before God, through faith in Him as our Kinsman Redeemer. But since faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For in Christ Jesus you are all the children of God through faith, whether Israelite of Gentile".
I became a Grigor-Scott by being born of my father's seed, and I became child of God by being born into His Family through faith in Jesus Christ Who is His Seed. Those still under, or pretending to be under the Law, are not and can not be the children of God, but are His "enemies for your sakes" because they have rejected His Seed, the "the key of David" that alone can remit sins and release them from the condemnation of the Law (Romans 11:28).
What is the relation of the Levitical code to heathen usages? We know from Scripture that the Hebrews were long time inhabitants of Egypt, and may reasonably suspect that they did not wholly cast off Egyptian usages but that some traces of Egyptian habits remained. Many laws of Moses are from ancient customs but whatever hindered the worship of the true Deity, he strictly forbade. He abrogated most of the Egyptian rites; some he changed, some he held as indifferent, some he permitted, and even commanded. Yet this legislation by its many additions and omissions, and the general remoulding of all that remained became peculiarly and distinctively Hebrew, adapted to their needs, and sharply separating them from all other people.
It is not necessary to discuss what the Mosaic Law taught in common with the customs of all people at this period of the world's history. The aim of the Law was to elevate the Israelites to a higher and better standard, but gently, and as they were able bear it. This has also been the aim of the New Testament as Jesus explained immediately prior to His assumption, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has determined" (Acts 1:7). Paul assured us that "God's elect will not be found in darkness so that day should overtake us as a thief in the night" (I Thessalonians 5:1-5). After Paul's death. Jesus confirmed his assurance by revelation to John on the Isle of Patmos, sealing also Daniel 12:4 and 9, and stating that once the Seven Seals are revealed there shall be no further delay: "In the days of the Voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets" (Revelation 10:4-7; Acts 3:21-23).
God did not straight way disclose the fullness of His Word. He hid It under symbols until the time appropriate for Its knowledge and fulfillment. Isaiah 28:9-10, "To whom shall God teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand the Message? To babies, just weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? For His prophets repeat over and over again, precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, and there a little".
Israel would not listen. Quoting Isaiah, Paul said, "Let us stop covering the same old doctrines over and over again, always teaching the first lessons about Christ; let us go on to maturity in the faith" (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). Eventually Paul said, "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but since you reject It, and pass judgment upon yourselves that you are unworthy of eternal Life, we will offer It to the heathen" (Acts 13:46).
From the garden of Eden, God allotted a specific measure of Word to each dispensation with a different portion of the Spirit to quicken its revelation to his elect in each age. A life lived by the Word for your age is the Word expressed. It separates saints from the world and divides each dispensation. "Through faith the ages or dispensations were established by the Word of God." (Hebrews 11:3). God's Word lives when His people recognize THEIR day and become written epistles of ITS Message.
We cannot live the Word for Moses' day today, neither can we live the Word for the Laodicean Church Age. We would be impersonating the Light for a day gone by. Our lives must manifest the Light God is fulfilling now if we are to come under the blood, or be born-again (I John 1:7).
Certain essential laws were given to Israel by Moses. These were insisted upon absolutely and with great emphasis. The unity or true oneness of God, and His omnipotence, were taught with a distinctness which was fast fading out from the world recollection as it is again today, and which we scarcely find elsewhere at that period, except in the book of Job, as It is scarcely to be found outside the camp of Christ's end-time Bride today.
Moses was not only a lawgiver. He was also a restorer of the faith Noah brought with him from the antediluvian world, and a type of William Branham, the Elijah of Malachi 4:5-6 and angel to the Laodicean Church Age. His Message restored the apostolic faith, finished the mystery of God, and is now calling the third exodus (Revelation 10:7; 18:4).
Moses also insisted upon the necessity of certain peculiar outward sacramental observances for the whole people, whereby communion with God should be maintained as in circumcision and the Passover, and other sacrifices. And in "the restitution of all things spoken by the mouth of all God's holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21-23), Brother Branham insisted upon the necessity for Scriptural water baptism in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, observance of the Lord's Supper, and footwashing, signifying the Spiritual circumcision or new birth of the saints and their sanctification from those things that can defile our Christian walk. One tasks of restitution was to define Scriptural conduct, order and doctrine in the assembly and in the lives of individual saints.
When we come to consider the conduct of Israel's ordinary life, we find that the universally received customs of the times were not abrogated, but only restrained and checked according to the capacity of the people. In like manner, when we take the Gospel to foreign lands we purpose to introduce the faith of Jesus Christ rather than convert the locals to the customs of our homeland. The only checks and restraints upon their heathen culture are such as would free them from any hindrance to living the Life of Christ (Acts 15:28-29). Christians do not need to behave strangely, our sanctified life will estrange or endear us to outsiders.
All the checks and restraints imposed by Moses were directed towards the higher standard of the morality of the Gospel, as seen in the law of revenge, where unlimited vengeance was restricted to a return simply equal to injury received; in the laws of marriage, which imposed many restrictions on the freedom of divorce and of polygamy; and in the laws of slavery, which greatly mitigated the hardships of that condition. But in these, as in many other matters, their Heavenly Father dealt tenderly with His people, and "for the hardness of their hearts" suffered many things which were yet contrary to His will. He employed a patient, longsuffering but firm schoolmaster for Israel under the Law as He provided a patient, longsuffering but firm Mediator for the Church Age saints under grace.
The Israelites lived so long and in such close contact with the Egyptians from the very time of their beginning to multiply into a nation until the eve of the promulgation of the Law and retained much of Egyptian custom and law. They held in common belief in immortality and the future life. And when we consider the terms on which Abraham was received by the monarch of Egypt (Genesis 12:10- 20); a circumstance repeated at a later date by Jacob (Genesis 47:1-13); the rank of Joseph, and his intermarriage with the high-priestly family (Genesis 41:38-50); and remember that at that time the priesthood of Egypt was still in possession of a higher and purer secret (esoteric) theology than the (exoteric) theology that was communicated to the people -- we see how Israel could have accepted from the land of the Pharaohs a number of customs (to be purified, modified, and subdued by their own Sinaitic legislation) which it might have been dangerous to receive from any other people. Yet plainly, whatever detail may have been adopted from Egyptian sources, it was so connected and correlated in the Mosaic legislation that the whole spirit of the two systems became totally unlike.
Whereas the Egyptian priesthood did not teach the unity of the Self-existent God and many other secrets of their esoteric theology to the people, the Hebrew priests who were the keepers and guardians of their Law (Deuteronomy 31:9-30) were diligently to teach it ALL to the people (Leviticus 10:11; Acts 20:27). And while from the nature of their occupation, the Israelite priest, like the five-fold Christian minister, might be expected to have a more perfect knowledge of the Law or revealed Word than the general congregation, this was only so because of a more continual study and might be equalled by any one who chose, and was actually shared by every one as far as he chose.
Like the Egyptian priesthood, Rome and many of her denominational daughters maintain an esoteric theology. Whereas Egypts exoteric religion was polytheistic and each principal diviity had its particular body of priests with a high priest at their head, Rome maintains orders dedicated to Mary, Fatima, Peter, John, ect., each with its superior. And God's elect have lived for so long and in such close contact with Catholicism, from the time of the First Nicea Council in AD325 when it organized and enforced the worship of its Trinity of gods which robbed the godhead of its unity and omnipotence, until 1963.
Jesus asked, "When the Son of man comes, shall He find the faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? Of course He did not, for the apostolic faith vouchsafed in the hearts of the saints was lost under Roman Catholic martyrdom. The Protestant reformers did bring the church back to the decisions of Nicea not knowing those decisions were the fruit of adultery against the Word. What few threads of doctrine remained intact among Rome's once Protestant daughters were barely reconcilable with the fabric of the apostolic faith. Such was the state of Christendom when Brother Branham received his Elijah anointing to introduce the second or parousia Coming of the Son of man, that Christ has been calling His people out from Rome and her (once) Protestant daughters into the unity of the faith (Matthew 25:6; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 18:4).
Leviticus properly opens with the law of sacrifice, because this was the centre and basis of Divine service in the newly-erected tabernacle. But since sacrifices have to do with the relations of man to God, they can only satisfactorily be considered in connection with the original condition of man in a state of holiness and of communion with God; the fall, by which he became sinful, and thus alienated from God; and the promise of restoration, given at the very moment of his passing from the one state to the other (Genesis 3-4).
The fall produced one born of a woman through the deception of the evil one. The promise was that in the future the woman's Seed should bruise the Serpent's head -- that in the long struggle between man and the power of evil, one born of woman should obtain the final victory. This promise was ever cherished by the devout in all the following ages as the anchor of their hope, and its realization, as seen in the births of Cain (acquired one) whereat Eve (who was still deceived) exclaimed, "I have acquired a man [from the Lord], even the Deliverer" (Genesis 4:1), and of Noah (comforter), "He shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed", was continually looked for. The expectation of a Deliverer, Redeemer, and Messiah, became the common heritage of humanity as written in the stars, recorded in myths and in divers religions, although as time rolled away, it tended to become faint and obscure. Therefore there came the call in Abraham of a peculiar people, separated from unbelief, in whom this hope should not only be kept alive, but, as far as possible, saved from distortion and misconception. This was distinctly the blessing of Abraham's call (Genesis 12:1-3), the birthright renewed to his son (Genesis 17:21; 22:16-18; 26:24) and grandson (Genesis 28:1-5; 35:9-12), and the reason for the choice and the care of a peculiar people.
The natural promise of the Old Covenant was to the descendants or seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Only to the pure, unbroken bloodline, and conditional upon their obedience to Moses and the prophets. This excludes the "Jews" who are generally unrelated to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob either by blood or by faith -- and whose Talmudic religion is Babylonian and contrary to the Law . Therefore they have no part with this "peculiar people".
Jesus told Israel, "By your [Talmudic] traditions you make the Word of God of none effect to you" (Mark 7:7-9). The Talmud prevented Israel from being God's children, His "chosen people". Only "in Christ Jesus can one be a child of God through faith". When God returns to Israel following the close of our dispensation, He will deal with an election who will be born into the kingdom, not as sons because the marriage of the Lamb will have come to pass (Luke 15:11-32; Revelation 19:7); as servants to His Sons.
From the circumstances under which the Abrahamic promise was given and the way in which it is constantly treated in Revelation, it is plain that the restoration of man to full communion with God could only be brought about by the restoration of man's holiness; it was only in obedience to the Divine will that man could obtain at-one-ment with his Maker. Abraham's acceptance was expressly grounded upon his faith -- necessarily including those works without which faith is dead -- and so with the other heroes recounted in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Later, Moses in his parting exhortations in Deuteronomy, constantly and strongly urges the necessity of a loving obedience springing from the heart, and this is more and more fully unfolded by the prophets from Samuel down, as the people were able to bear it.
From the case of Cain and Abel, and among all nations as they arose, sacrifices were resorted to as a means of approach to God. From their universality, it is plain that they were looked upon as in some way helping to bring about that restoration of communion with God which should have been reached by a perfect holiness; but since man was conscious that he did not possess this holiness, sacrifices were resorted to. As they never could have been offered by a sinless human being, they necessarily involve confession of sin. Sacrifice in its origin was a revelation to Abel. Hebrews 11:4 informs us it was by a revelation of the original sin and God's sacrifice of two lambs in which Abel saw a type of Christ, and knew that restitution to God must eventually be met "Life for life", by the substitution of a sinless kinsman redeemer.
Theoretically the sacrifice could have had no intrinsic value for the forgiveness of sin. And while sacrifices might have in themselves a certain value for purposes of ceremonial purification, there was no efficacy in the blood of bulls and goats to remit human sin (Hebrews 9:13; 10:4). Therefore, sacrifices, while ordained of God, were only ever a temporary institution for the instruction of man, but looking forward to the true atonement by the victory of the woman's Seed over evil.
Without revelation, man's ideas in relation to God and of the means of approaching Him tend to corruption. This is nowhere more marked than in regard to sacrifice. The gods of the heathen were, for the most part, deifications of nature or her powers and represented natural forces, so that instead of originating, they are themselves governed by natural laws. This is true whether their creed is polytheistic like that of Catholicism, or pantheistic like that of Buddhism and Talmudic Judaism. On the other hand, in Christianity, as in Hebrew Law, God appears as the Creator and omnipotent Ruler of the universe, a personal Lord of an impersonal world, totally distinct from it in essence, and absolutely swaying it according to His will; but also the merciful Father of mankind. "Therefore the sacrifices of the Hebrews have a moral or ethical character; those of other nations a purely cosmic or physical character; the former tend to work upon mind and soul, the latter upon fears and interests; the one strives to elevate the offerer to the sanctity of God, the other to lower the gods to the narrowness and selfishness of man" (Kalisch, Leviticus, London, 1832).
The absence of revelation in denominational pulpits and homes has sunk our once Christian society into the corruption and idolatry we see today. Romans 1:16-32, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes. . . because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things [which are abominations not able to be sacrificed to God]. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen." Paul proceeds to recite the attributes of wickednesses promoted and applauded, particularly by reprobate "Jewish" interests until they are accepted in our (once) Christian lands today, because of the absence of revelation (Hosea 4:6). The Roman Catholic church forsook the faith, substituting works and ritual, as if man can purchase God's good grace and pleasure. Five hundred years ago Martin Luther exposed and execrated her idolatry, yet today her (once) Protestant daughters are reuniting with Rome such that the "the church" is nothing more than the pagan world with God's Name on it.
Among the heathen, God was regarded as alienated, and to be propitiated in such ways as man could devise; sacrifices were considered as having a certain satisfying power in themselves, as some sort of a quid pro quo, and as a works program, independent of the moral life of the offerer. Hence as the occasion rose in importance, the value of the sacrifice was increased even to the extent of sometimes using human victims.
Among the Israelites, sacrifices were known to be of God's own appointment as a means of approach to Him. They had a shadow of the heathen character in offering actual compensations for certain offences against the theocratic state, but this was very secondary. The main object was to bridge over the gulf between sinful man and a holy God. Although the law of sacrifices necessarily stands by itself, yet the same Legislator everywhere insists upon the necessity of a loving obedience to God. Hence, the Sin-offering must (except in certain specially defined cases) be of the commonest and cheapest of the domestic animals, and even this always, as nearly as possible, of a uniform value. There was no gradation in the value of the offering in proportion to the heinousness of the offence; the atonement for all sins, whatever the degree of their gravity, was the same. Even morning and evening sacrifice for the whole people which, although not strictly a sin-offering, yet had a somewhat propitiatory character, was still the single lamb. By this the typical nature of sacrifice as a temporary and, in itself, ineffectual means, was strongly expressed.
Sin is sin. James 2:10, "Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all".
The Book of Leviticus is so called because it pertains to the duties of the priests, chosen from among the sons of Levi. The tabernacle having been set up, and its sacred furniture arranged; the book of Exodus closed with the mention of the cloud that covered it, and the Glory of the Lord with which it was filled. Hitherto the Lord had spoken from the cloud on Sinai; now His presence was manifested in the tabernacle whence henceforth He made known His will. It is just at this point that Leviticus is divided from Exodus and embraces substantially the remaining legislation given in the neighborhood of Sinai.
(The whole period between the setting up of the tabernacle (Exodus 40:17) and the final departure from Mount Sinai (Numbers 10:11) was one month and twenty days. Much of this was occupied by the events recorded in the earlier chapters of Numbers, especially the offerings of the princes on twelve days (Numbers 7) which must have almost immediately followed the consecration of the priests and the tabernacle (Numbers 7:1; Leviticus 8:10-11), and the celebration of the second Passover (Numbers 9:1-5) occupying seven days, and begun on the fourteenth day of the first month. All the events of Leviticus must therefore have occupied less than one month).
Jehovah, having now established the manifestation of His Presence among His people, the Book of Leviticus directs them how to approach Him. Primarily it has to do with Israel under the then existing circumstances; but as ages rolled away, and the people were educated to higher spiritual capacity, the spiritual meaning of these directions was more and more set forth by the prophets; until at last, when the true Sacrifice for sin had come, the typical and preparatory character of these arrangements was fully declared. Christ has entirely fulfilled the law of sacrifice, and the ceremonial law, whereas the Law in general has been magnified (Matthew 5). In Hebrews Paul explains how the Levitical sacrifices were imperfect and transitory types of "good things to come", and much of the New Testament can only be fully understood through a knowledge of Leviticus.
Under the Law, sacrifices were abundantly supplied for those who sinned inadvertently, but no sacrifice was allowed for he who sinned presumptuously (Numbers 15:30-31; Deuteronomy 17:12). Although he served God with his lips and with outward sacrifices, his heart was far from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Mark 7:6-9). Likewise under the New Testament "Not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified" (Romans 2:13; Matthew 7:21-23; James 1:22-25). Christians therefore sacrifice or die to the desires of the ten senses of natural life in order that the Supernatural Life of Christ may live through them.
Moses' laws were given for use in the wilderness. Some would have been impossible to observe when life in the camp was exchanged for that in the scattered cities of Canaan, and were abrogated on the eve of their entrance into the Promised Land. The Law was given at Sinai in view of an immediate and direct march to Canaan, which should have culminated in the possession of the Promised Land. When this was prevented in consequence of sin, thirty-eight years elapsed before the encampment on the plains of Moab. During this period the most imperative requirement of the Law. circumcision, was entirely omitted as a reproach from God until the close of their wandering (Joshua 5:5-9).
At the close of her wanderings in the wilderness of PART-Word, "the [fullness] of the Word spoken by the mouth of all God's holy prophets since the world began" was restored to the Church; God's plan of redemption in each of the Ages was revealed ,and "that which was in part was done away", bringing the true baptism of the Holy Ghost or Spiritual circumcision with the Token or evidence of the Life of Christ on display (I Corinthians 13:10; Acts 3:21-23; Revelation 10:7). Now we are ready for the manifestation of the Sons of God, the last great battle before we enter our Promised Land of the Millennium.
In the early days of the human race such priestly functions as were exercised at all were naturally undertaken by the head of the family. Thus Israel's thirteen sons were patriarchal priests of their respective Tribes and constitute the twelve elders chosen from the Old Testament saints as the first apostles are the twelve elders or patriarchs of the New Testament saints. Later, when the families multiplied and formed into communities or nations, the former provision was manifestly insufficient, and we meet with priests for a larger community, like Jethro, "the priest of Midian", then the Levites.
Before Moses could announce the directions he had received concerning the hereditary priesthood (Exodus 28:1), the terrible apostasy of the golden calf took place. At Moses' summons, "who is on the Lord's side?" the whole Tribe of Levi consecrated themselves by their zeal on God's behalf (Exodus 32:25-29). Having separated themselves, the Levites were taken as a substitute for all the first-born Israelites (Numbers 3:5-10, 40-51), who under the patriarchal system, would have been their priests, and who had been spared in the slaughter of the Egyptian first-born, to minister. In later times David divided the Levites into twenty-four courses, who should minister in turn, each with a chief (I Chronicles 24:3-4). This hereditary priesthood is impersonated by the apostolic succession under Rome's golden calf scheme, yet her papal high priests are not born into the family of God.
The hereditary office of Israel's high priest did not make of the priests a caste as in Hindustan but in all things not immediately connected with the discharge of their functions they were fellow-citizens with the other Israelites, and subject to the same laws. So when not engaged in official duty they wore the same dress, and might follow the same vocation as their fellow-citizens, and Christian ministers.
Priest, in the Levitical sense, and sacrifice, are correlative terms; a sacrifice presupposes a priest to offer it, and a priest must have "somewhat to offer" (Hebrews 8:3). Since Christ fulfilled the law of sacrifice Christians have no further need of priests. The Greek word for priest and its derivatives in the New Testament, while frequently applied to the priests of the old covenant and to their Antitype, Christ Himself, are never used for any office in the Christian Church, except for the general Body of the saints. God ordained five different offices of ministry in the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers which will continue until we all come into the unity of the faith, or until the last elect is born-again and mature (Ephesians 4:8- 13). God never has and will never ordain a priest among Christians other than our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who offered Himself and became our Mercy Seat sprinkled upon and before with His Own blood.
The Levites who lived off the tithe of the other twelve Tribes from which they were separated, type Christ's Bride, the new Jerusalem, in whose Light the nations of the "saved" shall walk. Their kings will support us by the tithes of earth's bounty (Revelation 21). So contrary to the speculations of certain cults, the Twelve Tribes are not the Church or even a type of the Church. We are that peculiar people, the Spiritual offspring of Abraham's faith Seed: "A chosen offspring, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that should show forth the praises of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous Light: which in time past were not a people [i.e. Gentiles], but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (I Peter 2:9-10).
"He who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new Name. . . Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He Who sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 3:12; Revelation 7:15-17). nl173.htm
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Brother Anthony Grigor-Scott is a non-denominational minister. He has ministered full-time since 1981, primarily to other ministers and their congregations in various countries. He pastors Bible Believers' tiny congregation, and is available to minister in your church.
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