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In the last study I gave, A Covenant With Pain, I said this near the end: “All of us know people who are so hurt by their past that they cannot imagine being bound again by a Church covenant. The thought of organized religion, and mutual submission to a family of brothers and sisters, causes them genuine anxiety, because their only experiences similar to this involved papal control and carnal authority.”
I want to follow up a bit on this idea, and then to re-iterate and reinforce the conclusion of that study, that it is the testimony of Yahshua, given through the saints, that remedies this particular and most deadly spiritual injury. It is “the joy of Yahweh” that is our strength. (Neh 8:10) Those who will be messengers of Yahshua in this generation are, must be, Sabbath-keepers in both letter and spirit, for any discontent, any undue negativity, that colors the testimony mars its healing power, and prevents souls from seeing the truth that they need.
We are dealing with a most delicate people – sinners. We are dealing with those whose spiritual health is so fragile that any mis-step can be seized upon by the enemy, and they are forever convinced to never again look upon the light of the Gospel.
There are many people today who have been wounded by the selfishness and transgressions of other people, especially those who claim to be Christ’s, and yet pursue their own carnal desires. While Yahshua was a most patient and merciful Teacher, there was one class for whom He reserved most bitter rebukes. To the religious leaders who held positions of power over others, but used it to advance their own ambitions rather than glorify Yahweh, He said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Mat 23:15) Two verses earlier, He said, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Mat 23:13)
These words were warranted, because it is these practices – the abuses of assumed religious authority – that has done the most injury to the successful teaching of the Gospel, and is in large part responsible for the fragmented, powerless form of worldwide Christianity that we see in this last generation. Because men claiming to be Christians, even pillars of the Church, have not demonstrated victory over sin, and have not displayed righteousness by faith, everyone – both those in the Churches and those out of it – have a ready excuse to reject the Savior.
Ellen White pointed out that infidels and lovers of sin will use the transgressions of the Old Testament saints, David, Moses, and so on, and suggest that the aren’t so bad because at least they didn’t have anyone killed in order to legitimize their adultery. They do not know how much King David suffered for that evil work, nor how narrow was the ray of light in which he repented, and was converted anew to genuine faith. They do not know that the light is so much brighter now after the Cross, and the teachings of the Reformers, that they are responsible for far more than even these figures so often held up as heroes.
But modern sinners do not even need to go back so far in history. Everyone has heard of a religious scandal. Everyone has heard of disgraced pastors and evangelists. With every such event, souls that might have listened have been provide with excuses to disregard the power of Christ to save people out of their sins, rather than in their sins.
It is almost as if the world needs an entire nation of priests.
And yes, Yahweh has His People, a chosen people, who are able messengers of His Word. He has not left Himself without a Witness on the earth, and there are people who may be found that, like Job, speak truthfully and knowledgeably about the Father and Son. We are of Their Spirit, their One Spirit, and we reveal Their character consistently through our words and our actions.
But Satan has his answer to this as well. There is a growing fanaticism spreading through the religions of the world, and it seems especially prevalent in Adventism, that the time has come to reject the Church, the very concept of a visible Body of Christ, until some unspecified time in the future when mankind will be ready for unity. We have seen this sentiment spread, and it is increasing in power over just the last few years. To those who are caught up in its spell, the Scriptures lose all their influence. What the Word of God actually says about words like “religion,” “unity,” “mutual submission,” and the purpose of apostles, prophets, teachers, who are placed by the Spirit in the Church… such ideas fall on itching ears, eager only to hear justification for their accountability-free version of Christianity.
The Scriptures say, “Believe in Yahweh your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” (2Chron 20:20) The Scriptures say, “Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) It is important to note that this statement was written by Amos at a time when there seems to have not have been any major prophets active in Israel. This was after Elijah, but before Isaiah. This was long before Jeremiah and Daniel. There does not need to be a major, historically significant figure for one to seek out and follow. Our Father has always had messengers speaking for Him, and it is they who are calling for repentance from sin, purity of our understanding, and unity in the faith.
From the very beginning, this has been the message. When Noah was teaching righteousness before the flood, he taught repentance from sin before a time of judgment. He demonstrated obedience to the truth in building the ark and gathering the animals, revealing his faith in the prophesied flood. He called all men, not to build their own boats, but to join him in the one safe place in all the world, and then the door of opportunity was forever shut.
Believing in Yahweh both directly and through His messengers has always been a necessary part of receiving the Three Angels’ Message. Long after the flood, when Israel had gone astray under the false priesthood of Jezebel, and worshipped Ba’al openly, Yahweh’s messenger came. The Prophet Elijah taught the people to repent from their sins, lest the nation be destroyed in a time of judgment, even telling the king to his face that it was his wickedness and idolatry that was causing the drought that was plaguing the people. Elijah told the people to reject the paganism of the nations around them, and to return to the worship of the One True God. (1Kings 18:21) And of the Third Angel’s Message, we read this, “And Elijah said unto all the people, ‘Come near unto me.’ And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of Yahweh that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, ‘Israel shall be thy name.’ And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh…” (1Kings 18:30-32)
Don’t miss this. Elijah the Prophet, upon whose ministry our own last-day work is patterned, (Mal 4:5, 6) taught repentance from sin and accountability for those in power. He preserved the prophets of Yahweh, thus protecting the true message of salvation in the land. And he called the people to come unto Him, uniting them tribe-by-tribe, and reminding them of what their name was, what the name Yahweh had called them was, and what that name meant. In this generation, the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church is the only visible Body of Christ on earth that is doing these three things, calling for repentance, preserving the message of truth, and seeking unity with and among all believers while restoring to them the divinely appointed name as a testimony and a light to the world. This is not an arrogant statement. This is not a beating of our chests in pride. It is a great responsibility, and a commitment to a lifetime of labor that is rewarded in this world only by the knowledge that we are acting out of love for our fellow man.
Most other Churches and religious organizations in the world don’t even understand what a “covenant with Yahweh” means. They do not know of the Law that serves at its foundation, the agreement that serves as its blessing, the token that serves as the sign of its validity, or the name that is given as a seal of its divine nature. The Father and Son know these things, and have shared them with the world though Their messengers.
But again, Satan has an answer. He keeps those who would seek righteousness separate, divided, confused, and unlearned. It is his voice, and only his voice, that tells independent atoms, “Stay away, or they will mislead you. Stay away, or they will try to control you, and subject you to their will.”
The Scriptures tell us that everlasting life is won through trust, by not relying on one’s own fleshly reasoning, by learning to hear the voice of Christ through His servants, and to walk together into the Gates of New Jerusalem, saved as individuals, sealed as tribes, and redeemed as a single, glorious nation.
For those who are seeking to stand apart from the Body of Christ, much has been made of the following verses:
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.” (Heb 1:1, 2)
“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Yahshua.” (1Tim 2:5)
They will say, “You see, there was a time for prophets. There was a time for a system of priests and elders, but now Christ speaks to every one of us, individually, so that we have no need for any other mediators.”
These verses were not given to “cancel out” or to invalidate the earlier testimonies of the Old Testament prophets. These words of Paul were certainly not meant to undermine his own words elsewhere, in which he spoke about the vital importance of the Church for the perfecting of the saints.
Yes, there is a fanaticism that is spreading throughout Christianity, saying that we must reject organization, structure, and all formal agreements, and why? Because men have misused these things. Because the Pharisees, and those who came after them, have abused people, despite Yahshua’s most piercing rebukes, the instruments themselves are despised, the blessings of the Father rejected, and the very tools of human sanctification have been cast off.
Yahweh speaks to us through His Son. That is very good, and very true. How does His Son speak? Hebrews does not say that the Father now speaks to us through His Son instead of through the “diverse manners” He previously used. In fact, those methods of former times have always been the voice of the Son. After the cross and resurrection, however, we have an outpouring of the Spirit, which is His own very life. We now have the living witness of Yahshua in addition to the spiritual gifts that have always been with mankind. Consider… in the very next chapter we read, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” (Heb 2:1)
“For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee.’” (Heb 2:11, 12)
Is the Voice of the Son, speaking through His Spirit unto His messengers, intended as a replacement for either the wisdom of the Old Testament, or the inspiration of the Church in New Testament? Certainly not, as the very book itself declares most decidedly. The voice of the Son is heard “in the midst of the Church,” in the voice of those crying in the wilderness and preparing the way for the Second Advent of Yahshua. This is where the voice of the Son is heard, not in the solitary places, not among the independent atoms, or those who do not know the true rest provided to us by the Sabbath in letter and spirit. The Voice of the Son is heard in the Church that has permitted the Father to be a Father indeed, and to name it according to His will, receiving a testimony to the world of its character and its destiny, a name so hated by the enemy of souls that he seeks with desperation to strip us of it through violence and human cunning.
By keeping the name the Lord has given to us, despite the abuse and derision of those who are marked by the papal spirit, we demonstrate a faith that is unable to compromise with the principalities and powers of this world, and unwilling to submit to the Beast and his image. In trusting that Yahweh will indeed protect and preserve His people, we demonstrate the only genuine Faith – the Faith of Yahshua. Yahshua asked, “And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7, 8) He asked the question, because when the Son of Man cometh, that faith will be rare indeed.
What about the verse from 1Timothy that says there is only one “Mediator” between God and man? Doesn’t that exclude anyone claiming to be a messenger, or a prophet, or a teacher for whom some level of respect is appropriate?
Remember that it was Peter, who was in full agreement with the idea of Yahshua as the only Savior and Sacrifice on man’s behalf, who said, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1Pet 2:9, 10)
Remember at the beginning, when I said that the joy of Yahweh is our strength, and that it is our joyful testimony that will prove to be the remedy against this fragmentation-producing fanaticism? Here is Peter saying the same thing. The essence of our ministry is to “shew forth the praises of Him” that has called us out of darkness and into His light. In our rejoicing, in our joyful praise, we testify to the world of the Savior. As a result, although we were not formerly “a people,” we are now “the people” of Yahweh. But more than even that, if we are a royal priesthood, what is a “priest?” What does the word mean?
We could go to the dictionary for a definition, and that will be helpful, but I would also suggest that we see how it is used directly from the Scriptures.
The first verse in which the word “priest” is used is: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God.” (Gen 14:18) Melchizedek was a representative of the Almighty, to the degree that He blessed others on behalf of the Creator, and even received Abraham’s tithe. (Gen 14:20) Of the Israelite priests that followed, serving in the time of Moses, we read concerning the penitent sinner, “And the priest shall make an atonement for him before Yahweh, and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.” (Lev 6:7)
The priests have always acted on behalf of Yahweh. They have acted as types and shadows of the Son. But now, because the Son is here as the One Mediator, does that mean there are no more priests? Are there no more men to represent the Father? No… in fact, the very opposite is true. No longer are there special classes of the Redeemed as dedicated priests (here the Catholic Church has greatly erred). There is no longer a stark line of distinction between the “clergy” and the “laity.” There is no longer a line of Aaron’s blood to which one needs to belong. There is no longer a tribe of Levi in the flesh into which a priest must be born.
All are called to be priests. All are called to be mediators through Christ, rather than instead of Him. Yahshua remains the One Mediator between God and Man, yes, as a collective “mankind,” but there is an entire nation of priests that serve as messengers, as agencies, as the means by which the Voice of the Son can reach out to others. Nor are these priests to act as independent agents. Peter calls us a “holy nation,” “the people of God.” We are a united People, acting with individual inspiration but collective unity. The spirit of divine cooperation and mutual submission binds us together more meaningfully than any creed or shared doctrinal position ever could. Peter, again, says, “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1Pet 5:4) Yahshua is the High Priest above other priests, and the Chief Shepherd above a nation of shepherds. He is not the only Shepherd, but the Chief, the Arch, the King of Shepherds, Ruler over a fellowship of shepherds to which we all belong. All of us seek the lost sheep. All of us guide the repentant into the one fold, the one little flock. All of us “mediate” for others.
The Bible tells us what a priest is and as I mentioned, dictionaries of modern usage can also be helpful. From collinsdictionary.com, the word priest, specifically in the context of Christianity, is “A person ordained to act as a mediator between God and humankind in administering the sacraments, preaching, blessing, guiding, etc.”
There is no denying that Yahshua is the only Mediator between the Heavenly Father and mankind. Within ourselves, however, among humanity we are called, we are instructed, to lead, to guide, to bless, and to instruct in turn, others in the things that we have ourselves learned from Yahweh. We do not stand between Yahweh and man as a barrier, but – like Christ Himself – we are facilitating a reconciliation between the Father and sinners, so that they, too, may become priests. This is a part of our testimony. This is a part of how the joy of Yahweh, revealed through our joyous service, will lead some from the darkness, from the injuries, from the wounds inflicted by the spirit of the papacy and the spirit of the Pharisees, to trust Yahweh again to give them good companions for their Heaven-ward journey.
As I said last time, I have encountered some with a view so extreme that even Paul, Peter, James, and the other New Testament authors, have little weight with them. They see Paul as compromised by his Pharisaical origins, Peter as uneducated, and James as insignificant. If it is not directly from the lips of the Savior, as recorded in the Gospels, then it is not authoritative. Thus, any description by Peter of a single, holy nation, any instruction of Paul to unite as a single, organized body of believers, or any identifying by James of the 12 Tribes of Israel as “the Church,” (James 1:1, 5:14) have little power to bring them to repentance of their rebellious spirit.
Well, then, perhaps they should pay heed to the words of Yahshua, who said of His people, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” (John 17:16-20)
Just as the Son represents the Father, so we represent the risen Son to the world. It is through our words that the world comes to know Yahshua, and to believe in Him, even though He has returned to the Father. Some, bent on resisting the call to unity, might read that passage and say, “Of course, this is true… but this just means we are to tell people about Yahshua. It doesn’t say anything about organization, accountability, or one person having any kind of authority over another.”
But we read additionally, “And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” (Mat 10:1) He further said to them, “And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.” (Mat 10:12-15) It certainly sounds like He was giving them authority over the spirits of fallen angels, and the ability to discern the destiny of those who accepted, and those who rejected their words.
To be sure, the authority under whom they operated was Yahshua’s and not their own, but so it always is with those who are filled with His Spirit, and not the spirit of the world. Where is the acknowledgement of the Spirit of Christ among those who do not seek unity? Where is the desire of Yahshua for all His people to be one among those who are content to be separated into little groups, or solitary worshippers?
What it comes down to is this: “And Yahshua came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them…” (Mat 28:18, 19) I will stop the verse there, because there are some who believe that verse 19 was altered to include different wording. But that’s not the part I am focusing on anyway, it is this instruction to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” Because Yahshua is given all power, and because Yahshua is the True Mediator, we are to go and teach all nations. That word “teach,” however, is not the typical word for teaching in Greek. It is a very specific word. The word for “disciple” in the language of the New Testament is mathetes, and the word used for “teach” here is metheteuo. It literally means to make the people of the world, the people of various nations, our disciples.
We are to teach them Yahshua’s instructions. We are to teach them the discipline we have learned, and where necessary to guide, to encourage, to rebuke. This is not the kind of teaching that can take place without authority and accountability, but it is patterned directly on the way that Yahshua guided and taught His own disciples, preparing them for a life of service and sanctification. It is in this instruction, from Yahshua directly, that the “School of The Prophets” known as the New Testament Church finds its foundation. Nothing that Paul, or Peter, or any other New Testament author says, comes from any other principle than this.
When Paul writes of the spiritual gifts given to those in the Church, for the perfecting of the saints, and when Peter calls us a Royal Priesthood and a chosen generation, it is all based on the principle of this instruction of Christ, and others like it, through which we form the Family of Yahshua, with its parents, and children, with its teachers, and mothers and elders, with its system of instruction and discipline.
Has this pattern been abused, and has this divinely appointed authority been weaponized against the delicate souls whom Yahshua was seeking to save? Absolutely. Does this invalidate the pattern, or disprove the authority? Absolutely not. But it is a trial, and sometimes a sore trial, for those who have been “bitten” by the serpents, by that generation of vipers, to overcome their resistance. For many, it is unfortunate, but they have been fatally poisoned.
Even so, we have hope of a harvest. Even so, we believe that there is a multitude out there whose knees have not yet bowed unto Ba’al, but who will be willing to hear Elijah’s call to unite, to stand together as 12 tribes of a single nation, and to know or remember the name that Yahweh has called us when declaring us to be His Children. It is in this hope that we serve, and labor, and seek to make disciples of all men, for it is in their submission to Christ, to His Spirit operating still as one voice in diverse manners, that we find sure footing on the narrow Way, and thus endure until the end.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“The doctrine that God has committed to the church the right to control the conscience, and to define and punish heresy, is one of the most deeply rooted of papal errors. While the reformers rejected the creed of Rome, they were not entirely free from her spirit of intolerance. The dense darkness in which, through the long ages of her rule, popery had enveloped all Christendom, had not even yet been wholly dissipated.” [The Great Controversy (1888), p. 292]
“To those who believe, Christ is a sure foundation. Upon this living stone, Jews and Gentiles alike may build. It is broad enough for all and strong enough to sustain the weight and burden of the whole world.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 175]
“Who are the subjects of the kingdom of God? All those who do His will. They have righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The members of Christ’s kingdom are the sons of God, partners in His great firm. The elect of God are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a holy nation, to show forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. They are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. They are living stones, a royal priesthood. They are in co-partnership with Jesus Christ. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” [Manuscript Releases, Vol. 20, p. 114]