Before we delve into the second most contentious subject afflicting professing Christendom (God’s weekly Sabbath), we must establish THE BIBLICAL TRUTH relative to the number one issue that separates God’s true saints (His church) from Satan’s false saints (his Catholic/Protestant Religious System) whom he has deceived into believing that they are God’s true saints and are serving Him. Unless one understands and embraces this Biblical Truth one cannot be a true child of the living God. Sadly, 99.99% of professing Christendom rejects this Truth outright and refuses to hear His statements relative to this important subject. For this reason, billions of church people will find themselves in the throes of the Great Tribulation that is soon to envelope the earth. I ask only that the reader set aside whatever prejudices he/she may harbor and hear the voice of the Lord through His Holy Spirit. The Lord asks that you have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit of God says to seekers of His Truth.

Jesus the Christ (Gr.–“anointed one”), having been crucified, resurrected and ascended to His Father in heaven has returned to the Mount of Olives where, for forty days, He has been teaching His apostles “the things pertaining to THE KINGDOM OF GOD” (Acts 1:3). In verse six He is asked by His apostles when He would return to earth to “RESTORE THE KINGDOM (OF GOD) TO ISRAEL?” This question is extremely important in that Satan has deceived the church masses into rejecting the question while causing those who hear it to reject the Biblical answer.

Two extremely important church errors are brought to light by the apostles’ question. One error involves the message Christ’s apostles were to deliver. Another error involves to whom they were to deliver His message. In this series these and other vitally important questions will be answered. These questions, and their answers, are routinely ignored by professing Christians to their peril. Only those who address the questions, hear God’s answers and react according to Biblical directives have any chance of becoming God’s children and rise to meet Christ at His return to earth. First and foremost, what was Christ’s message that He instructed His apostles to preach?

Jesus came on the scene proclaiming THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Mat. 4:23). Note that in several places the kingdom is also called the Kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 24:14 He commands His apostles to preach “… this GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM IN ALL NATIONS …” until THE END OF THE WORLD. As commanded, His true messengers continue to preach the KINGDOM MESSAGE today. Notice the wording of the apostles’ question: “Will you at this time RESTORE THE KINGDOM AGAIN TO ISRAEL? Notice that Jesus did not correct them. This establishes the fact that God’s Kingdom will be restored on earth for Israel upon Christ’s return. The nation of Israel was destroyed anciently and never resurfaced. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned to the Promised Land as a nation. Today they are known as “Jews”–the nickname Bible translators gave to the two tribes that comprise the Judahites. The Israelite tribes that constituted the nation (house) of “Israel” were scattered throughout the world in the mid-700’s B.C. because of their rebellion against God’s Law.

Because of their sins (breaking of God’s Law) the status of God’s kingdom people had been taken away from the people to whom it had been given by God. The identity of these people is provided by the question the apostles asked Jesus (vs 6). They asked Him WHEN THE KINGDOM WOULD BE RESTORED TO ISRAEL. Jesus replied that only the Father knew when that event WOULD TAKE PLACE (vs 7). In the meantime they–the apostles and their ministerial descendants–would take (be WITNESSES of) the kingdom message “to the uttermost parts of the earth” (vs 8/ Mat. 24:14). In Matthew 24:14 Jesus tells us that “… this Gospel of the kingdom” was to be preached in all nations UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD. Jesus identified those to whom His Gospel was initially to be sent: to “… the lost sheep of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (Mat. 10:6). This brings us to the next important fact which is best presented in question form:

WHO IS ISRAEL TODAY? The root of the answer is found in the Book of Exodus. Moses has been sent by God to the Egyptians who have kept the Israelites in bondage for over 400 years. In order to persuade Pharoah to set them free God has performed a series of miracles. The final miracle involved the deaths of all of the firstborn among the Egyptians. The deal was that all within Egypt who believed in and obeyed the Lord would be exempted from the death of the firstborn curse, meaning that the death angel would “pass over” their houses. In accordance to God’s command, the annual celebration of “PASSOVER” is still celebrated by God’s saints today.

Egypt was at that time the most powerful nation on earth. As such she had defeated a number of Gentile (non-Israelite–“heathen”) nations and had brought them to Egypt as slaves. Seeing what the Israelites’ God was doing to the Egyptians, many of them embraced Him. As a result, a “mixed multitude (of Gentiles) came out” (of Egypt) with the Israelites (Exo. 12:38). Having embraced the true God and having agreed to obey His commands, they became spiritual Israelites and were adopted into the Israelite tribes as fellow children of God. When they arrived at Mount Sinai God (the Word who later came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth–Jn. 1:1-4,14) spoke to the Israelites (which included the biological Gentiles among them) His Ten Commandments which, if obeyed, would make both biological Israelites and biological Gentiles His spiritual sons and daughters–SPIRITUAL ISRAELITES. He made no distinction between the mixt multitude of Gentiles and Israelites. ALL WERE NOW SPIRITUAL ISRAELITES.

All of the former slaves, regardless of race, previous religion, etc. who believed and obeyed God’s Law were made spiritual Israelites, also known as His church–ekklesia (congregation–Acts 7:38). Note in Acts 38 that Moses was with “the angel” (God–the Word who became Jesus Christ) Who spoke to him (Moses) and gave to him the “lively oracles (Words–the Ten Commandments) TO GIVE TO US”–THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH (Acts 7:38/ Rom. 3:1,2). Why were the Ten Commandments given to the end-time church? For her people to obey and thereby qualifying to receive eternal life. Note that He said nothing about replacing commandment number four. More on this subject later.

Nothing has changed. THOSE WHO OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE GOD’S TRUE SAINTS (HOLY ONES). HIS TRUE CHURCH IS COMPRISED OF THOSE WHO PROVE THEIR LOVE FOR HIM AND ABIDE IN HIS LOVE BY OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS (JN. 14:15,23; 15:10). THAT LAW-KEEPING IS STILL REQUIRED FOR SALVATION WAS VOICED BY JESUS WHO TELLS US: “IF YOU WOULD RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS” (MAT.15:10). Sadly, as He stated in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14, few have answered the call to do so. As He prophesied would be the case, the vast majority of salvation seekers have entered Satan’s false door (gate), entered his false church and are walking along his wide path that leads to destruction (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14).

The Apostle Paul shows us that this abominable practice found its way into the church early on in her history. In Galatians 1:6-9 we find him chastising the Galatian churches for believing and obeying a perverted version of God’s true Gospel. He and other apostles fought continually against those in the church who were preaching a different Gospel from Christ’s Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel about the person of Jesus Christ has replaced the kingdom Gospel. This helps to explain how the church became the religious abomination it is today. God will not remain where He is not obeyed. He left the church generations ago, leaving a spiritual void which Satan quickly filled. L.J.