Dear friends,
I remember when I was little, in the
1970’s, as a Jehovah’s Witness, my mother would pour over publications,
especially the Aid book and study God’s temple arrangement. She taught us that the duties of the
Aaronic/Levitical priesthood were the only appointed temple workers, according
to the Mosaic Law, designated to offer sacrifices for God’s chosen people,
Israel (Leviticus 8). The Mosaic Law
with this priesthood arrangement foreshadowed the spiritual priesthood (Col.
2:17; Heb. 7:18,19). The Old Testament
contains many instances when ancient Israel remained in God’s favor, but also recorded
their repeated times of waywardness and loss of God’s favor. When the Israelites rebelled, prophets of old
who were sent to warn them of their need for repentance. Ezekiel is one prophet who was given a
message of judgment to Israel; his vision describes the removal of God’s
presence from the temple of Jerusalem because of the evil they had done. What did Israel do that caused God’s
disapproval and removal of favor?
Ezekiel 44:6 “You must say to the
rebellious house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:
“That is enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel. 7 When you
bring foreigners who are uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary,
they profane my temple. You present my bread, fat and blood, while my covenant
is being broken because of all your detestable practices. 8 You have not taken
care of my holy things. Instead, you
assign others to take care of the duties in my sanctuary.” 9 “’This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah
says: “No foreigner living in Israel who is uncircumcised in heart and in flesh
may enter my sanctuary.”’
My friends, we know the Mosaic Law has
been taken away, and that the priesthood today is made up of spiritual
Israelites, those God called and chose to be anointed.
“These serve as a copy and shadow of the
heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the
tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the
pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” (Heb. 8:5).
In place of actual “oil” that Moses used
to anoint the Aaronic priesthood with to indicate their duty as priests in the
Temple, today, spiritual Israelites are given “a token”/”Holy Spirit.” “But you also hoped in him after you heard
the word of truth, the good news about your salvation. After you believe, you
were sealed by means of him with the promised holy spirit, which is a token in
advance of our inheritance, for the purpose of releasing God’s own possession
by a ransom, to his glorious praise.” (Eph. 1:13,14)
“5 you yourselves as living stones
[anointed] are being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,
in order to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ. 9 But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies”
of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 For you
were once not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not been
shown mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Pet. 2)
Oh, but the waywardness and judgments
against ancient Israel for straying according to the “pattern” of God’s temple
were recorded for us, as an example, “…they were written for a warning to us…”
(1 Cor. 10:13b). The “man of
lawlessness” has been revealed, the “foreigner” who “sits down in the spiritual
Temple of God, “the disgusting things that causes desolation, as spoken about
by Daniel the prophet standing in a holy place” (Matt. 25:15; 2 Thess.
2:3,4). Anointed are being desolated by
those not consecrated, men not anointed by God to serve in the spiritual Temple. This is a rebellion! Just as ancient Israel
strayed and placed foreigners in the Temple of God!
The self-appointed “steward” over the
household of anointed, the governing body, has ignored the temple arrangement
and has destroyed the Temple of God by appointing non-consecrated elders and
overseers, NOT anointed individuals, placing them over anointed ones. Such ones have not been chosen by God, they
have not been given “a token”/holy spirit, and are not to teach anointed. “I write you these things about those who are
trying to mislead you. And as for you, the anointing that you received from him
remains in you, and you do not need anyone to be teaching you; but the
anointing from his is teaching you about all things and is true and is no lie.
Just as it has taught you, remain in union with him.” (1 John 2:26,27).
This letter serves as a warning to
you. Take heed and flee! If you do not, Jesus warns that you WILL
share in her sins and receive “part of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4)!
Rachel Roman, lifeswaterfree4U@gmail.com
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