Tag: God’s Coming as Man in the Flesh

  • Immanuel, God With Us

    Immanuel, God With Us

    The Meaning of Immauel

    Probably the most wonderful promise God made in the bible is that God will be with his people on this earth and save them from the slavery of death. The Book of Isaiah prophesied that God would be with his people.

    Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

    Immanuel: God Coming as man in the flesh and dwelling among his people.

    This was the prophecy of God coming as son of man (or simply, as man in the flesh) and God would be with his people dwelling among them. And this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Christ coming down to this earth as man in the flesh even though he was God himself. (Matthew 1:22)

    About the meaning of Immanuel (“God with us”), Apostle John gives a further explanation in the Book of John.

    John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning……14 The Word (God) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    John says that the Word (that is, God) “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” It means God himself came as man in the flesh and put his dwelling among his people.

    The Dwelling of God

    As we already know this is a description about the birth of Jesus Christ. Even though he was God, he came as man and dwelt among his people to save them from their sin. (Jesus means “The LORD saves”. So if we put the two words “Jesus and Immanuel” together, it means God is with his people and saves them from their sins.)

    John parallels God’s coming as man in the flesh to God’s putting his dwelling among his people. Through this we can see the physical body of man is compared to the dwelling of God. This can be confirmed by the words of Jesus too. In the Old Testament, the dwelling of God was the temple of God where God put His Spirit to dwell among his people. (Act 7:46, Exodus 15:17, 1 Kings 8:13)

    However, Jesus declared that the temple of God is his own body because God put His Spirit in the body of Jesus Christ.

    John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

    In one of the famous scenes in the bible, Jesus teaches a Samaritan woman that the true temple of God is not in the city of Jerusalem anymore. (John 4:21) It means that he is the reality of the temple (God coming as man in the flesh). Since the reality had appeared, it was not necessary anymore to worship God in the physical temple.

    The Prophecy of God’s Dwelling

    Holy City New Jerusalem, the Dwelling of God

    In this sense, we can know that the true temple or the dwelling of God is the Christ, God coming as man in the flesh. The body of Christ is the reality of the temple of God.

    This is very important because God is going to come down as man in the flesh again. The Book of Revelation teaches that God will come down from heaven and put the dwelling of God among his people in the last days.

    Revelation 21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

    Jesus healing people from all kinds of diseases and saving them from the sins and death.

    Heavenly Jerusalem, God the Mother

    In this vision, John saw Heavenly New Jerusalem is coming down from heaven. And this heavenly Jerusalem is the dwelling God establishes for His people in the last days. Then what is the meaning of this prophecy?

    As we have already seen in Jesus Christ, this temple does not mean the physical temple in Jerusalem, but the spiritual temple God would establish on this earth to dwell among his people. In this sense we can understand that God is coming down in the flesh in the last day and put the Spirit of God in the physical body of Christ. In this way, God will be with His people and save them from their sins.

    Then who is the Heavenly New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven to this earth as the dwelling of God? In the Book of Galatians, Apostle Paul testifies about the meaning of the Heavenly Jerusalem.

    Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

    Conclusion

    The Heavenly Jerusalem signifies God the Mother. Therefore, the phrase “the Heavenly Jerusalem comes down and makes the dwelling of God among His people” means God the Mother coming down from heaven in the flesh and dwell among Her people to save them.

    This prophecy was already fulfilled by God the Mother coming down from heaven to this earth in the flesh. Now She is dwelling among Her people to redeem them from their sins and iniquities. She is God who even the highest heaven cannot contain. But She humbled herself and came down to this earth in flesh to fulfill the prophecies of the bible and to save us.

    Let us give all thanks and praise to God Elohim, Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem for coming to us in the flesh and dwelling among us. Truly, God is with us and saves us!

  • Narrow Gate

    Narrow Gate

    The Parable of the Narrow Gate

    Matthew 7:13  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

    The bible teaches we have to follow the narrow gate for the life even though finding and following the road might hard and difficult and not many will be able to do so. However, it is easy to find and follow the wide and broad gate, which leads us to the destruction and most will follow the way.

    Jesus Christ, The Narrow Gate

    What is it that God is teaching us through this parable? The answer is in finding the reality of the gate. What is the gate in the bible?

    John 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

    While teaching about the true shepherd and the false ones, Jesus teaches that he himself is the gate, which leads to the good pasture. In this sense, we can see the meaning of the parable of the gate.

    Narrow Gate and Wide Gate

    The Meaning of the Narrow Gate

    The narrow gate means the true shepherd or the Savior that we have to meet for the salvation. And the wide and broad ones are those false prophets and false Christs who would come to mislead many to destruction.

    Then why is it that Jesus compares himself to the narrow gate which is difficult to find? 2000 years ago when Jesus came to save the Jews, people could not recognize him as the Savior. Deceived by his physical appearance, people disregarded him and rejected him. He was a narrow gate to them hard to find.

    John 1:9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

    Jesus Coming As Man in the Flesh

    They thought that God is Almighty and He cannot come as man in the flesh. God had to appear with all the glory and splendor of God that no one could deny the presence of God. However, unlike their expectation, Jesus hid all the glory of God in the flesh. People could see only a weak and vulnerable mortal man in Jesus.

    They were so sure that he was not the Christ that they poured curses on their own heads and their children’s. And out of this conviction they could shout confidently that the blood of Jesus would be on them and on their children.

    To them Jesus was the narrow gate, small and narrow, hard to find and even more difficult to follow to the end. Just as Isaiah said, Jesus was “a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” Only a few people could receive Jesus as the Christ and be saved.

    Second Coming Christ Coming as the Narrow Gate

    Prophecies about the Second Coming Christ

    The bible testifies that the Christ will come again for the second time. (Hebrews 9:28) And many people believe that he would come with all the glory of God when he appears for the second time.

    However, Jesus prophesied that he would come as the narrow gate in his second appearance. While prophesying about his appearance in the last days, he describes his coming like this:

    Luke 18:26 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

    If the Second Coming Christ should appear with all the power and glory of God, who would make God suffer and who would reject God? But Jesus said that the Christ would suffer and be rejected by the people of the time. What does this mean?

    Second Coming Christ Coming as Man in the Flesh

    The meaning of Jesus’ message is clear that he would come as man in the flesh for the second time, hiding all the power and glory of God in the flesh. When he comes, people would not recognize him even though he is the one whom they have waited for. They would reject him.

    The only way we can recognize the Christ is through the prophecies of the bible. We should not look at his appearance, making the same mistake as the Jews 2000 years ago. We should have the spiritual eyes to see the spiritual glory of God hidden in the flesh.

    Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother

    Christ Ahnsahnghong came to the earth for the second time for our salvation. Even though he is the second coming Christ prophesied in the bible, not many people know him and receive him. He is the narrow gate. It is the same with God the Mother. Even though she is testified in the bible, she is rejected by people. She is the narrow gate too.

    Instead of looking at the fulfillment of the prophecies of the bible, people just focus on the physical appearance of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem. And they shout that you are a mere man claim to be God. In the meanwhile, they pour down curses on their own head.

    Conclusion

    We have to listen to the message in the bible. Peter said that the words of eternal life is in Jesus and since he had faith in those words of God in the bible, he could remain in Jesus to the end. We are small in number, but we were chosen to know the secrets of the bible and come to the narrow gate and we could recognize the glory of God, the salvation of souls granted through God Elohim, Father and Mother.

    We should not be deceived by the physical appearance of Father and Mother, but we have to heed the fulfillment of the prophecies of the bible. Father and Mother appeared to us in the flesh for our salvation. They came and went through many pains and sufferings all because of us. To fulfill the prophecies of the bible, they, even though God, were rejected by most people since they were the narrow gate to them. Unlike most of them, we, even though small in number, must have faith in Father and Mother to the end.

  • A Stone In Zion

    To the people of God who trust in the words of God in the bible and who wait for the Savior to come to save them, how important is the coming of the Christ? It is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the bible, and it is the true goal of their faith to find the Christ. But 2000 years ago when the Christ came to fulfill the prophecies of the bible, people rejected him and lost their chance for salvation. They mocked him, persecuted him, and crucified him in the end. How could this happen? How could people waiting for their Savior rejected him when he actually came?

    Christ’s Coming As Stone in Zion

    The reason they could not accept the Christ was because they could not recognize his true identity. When he came, the Christ hid his spiritual glory behind his body of flesh so throroughly that people only could see a man just like them, not the God or Christ.

    John 10:30  I and the Father are one.” 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

    For this reason the Christ in the bible is describe as stone and his coming in the flesh is prophesied as coming as stone in Zion. Apostle Peter who correctly understood the true identity of the Christ testified that Christ came as stone in Zion to fulfill the prophecies.

    1 Peter 2:4  As you come to him (Christ), the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—

    Why is Peter calling Christ as stone? It was because of the prophecies of the bible. There are many prophecies of the bible which described Christ’s coming as coming as stone in Zion.

    Isaiah 8:14  He will be a holy place;
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
    a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.

    And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.
    15 Many of them will stumble;
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.”

    When Christ came to fulfill this prophecy of the bible, he became a stumbling block to many of the Jews who fell down and destroyed because they stumbled and captured and snared by him. But to those who accepted him he became a foundation stone for their faith so that they would not fall even in the time of hardship and extreme persecutions.

    Isaiah 28:16  So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
    “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
    the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.

    The Meaning of the Parable

    Then why is Christ’s coming compared to a stone? The Christ–who cannot be compared to any gemstone because he is more precious than any silver or gold, diamond or sapphire–is coming as stone which is most common objects which we do not consider as something precious or valuable. We have to understand the meaning behind it. Then why is his coming compared to a stone?

    Christ Stone in Zion

    Even though he was a Christ or the God of heaven who appeared as man in the flesh, when he came, he looked exactly like one of us, a common man or a stone. Just as a stone is no more precious than the other, when he came as man, he was no better than any of us in his appearance. His glory and power, his authority and divinity was completely hidden in the body of flesh. Therefore, people only could see a man standing in front of them: a man who gets hungry, thirsty, weak and tired, a man who was silent and seemingly powerless when persecuted, a man who could not save even himself and died on the cross.

    That is why to the Jews he was a mere or common man just like a stone that lay around them but was not cherished by anybody. His appearance as man in the flesh was represented as stone. Just as a stone is not much different from another, in the same way his appearance as man was not different from another who lived around him. Just as the bible says, when he came, God made him to be “like his brothers in every way.” (Hebrews 3:17) About his appearance, Prophet Isaiah wrote:

    Isaiah 53:2  He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
    He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him
    .
    3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
    Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
    4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
    yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
    5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities
    ;
    the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
    6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
    and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

    According to this prophecy, Christ should be rejected and persecuted by his people because he did not have anything beautiful or majestic in his appearance. Even though he was coming to take up their sins and transgression to give them the forgiveness of sins, people did not recognize his true identity because of his outward appearance. He came exactly like one of them as stone.

    Those who Accepted Christ

    Because of his appearance, he became a stumbling block, trap, and snare just as the prophecies said. And people fell, captured, snared, and destroyed because they thought that he was just a man in the flesh like one of them. But there were also a group of people–even though small in number, –who accpeted Jesus and could receive the salvation.

    John 1:9  The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

    Even though many people rejected him and persecuted him, there were others who accepted him as their Savior and followed him even to the point of death. How could be possible? What was the difference between them? Those who rejected did not accept him because they saw the physical appearance of Jesus. Physically he came as stone and he was not different from any of them and therefore Jesus was just a man in their eyes. Whatever he did was a stone that made them stumble and fall. How could he feel thirsty and hungry? How could he be mocked and be silent? How could he be crucified and did not do anything to save him? With this in mind, they could say: “Prophesy who hit you! Come down from the cross if you are the Christ! Let his blood be upon our head and our children’s head.” They were so sure that he was not Christ.

    But how could the disciples accept Jesus as their savior and followed him even to the end? It was because they knew the true identity of Christ that he was God who came down to this earth as man in the flesh. And even though his divinity was veiled by his flesh, they could see the hidden divinity of Jesus.

    Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

    Peter knew that Jesus was Messiah. Even though people understood Jesus as man just like one of the prophets before him, but Peter said correctly that he was the Messiah, the Christ. Then how could he know the true identity of Christ?

    John 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

    At this moment all the people who had followed Jesus about 5000 of them deserted Jesus and fell away from him. Only the twelve disciples left behind. They believed him to be Christ even though he looked like a man, a stone. Even though many got stumbled because of his appearance, they could stand firm and testify that he was the Christ, the Son of God. Where did their faith come from? The difference was in the faith in the words of God. Even though 5000 people looked at Jesus and judged him with his outward appearance, the disciples held on to the words of God fulfilled through Jesus. Through the fulfillment of the words of God they could confidently say that he was the Christ, God who came as man in the flesh.

    Conclusion

    According to the same words of God in the bible, it already prophesied that the Christ would come again as man in the flesh.

    Hebrews 9:28  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

    The bible already prophesies that he would appear for the second time. Then how? As a man in the flesh just as he appeared for the first time. He would come as stone in Zion and as a result he would become a stumbling block and trap to many. They would fall, be captured and snared and ultimately get destroyed. But only those who trust in the words of God in the bible would correctly recognize him and remain faithful to him.

    Christ Stone in Zion
    Who is this man to you?
    Who is this man to you?

    To fulfill the prophecies of the bible God came down as man in the flesh again for the second time for our salvation. He came in the name of Christ Ahnsahnghong just like one of us. As the bible says he has no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. But he is the Messiah testified in the bible. What should we do? Should we look at his physical appearance and reject him? Or should we look at the words of God? We must not look at the outward appearance of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem. We must accept them by looking at and believing in the prophecies of the bible, calling them, “You are the Christ. You are the ones who have the words of the bible.”

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