To find a right way to a direction, we often consult to the mile posts. When we follow the right mile posts, we can get to the place we started our journey for. It is the same with the way to heaven. How can we find the way to heaven? To get to heaven we have to consult to the spiritual mile posts?
To lead us to heaven, God set up many mile posts throughout the bible. When we follow the mile posts in the bible, we can find the way to heaven. Today, there are many churches around the world with many different names. Then what is the true church that God established to lead us to heaven.
To give us the right direction God gave us many mile posts in the bible. Let us find several of the mile post so that we may know what is the true church that we should go.
First, the true church must have the feast of God, the Passover since Christ Jesus and his disciples including the members of the early churches kept it. (Matthew 26:26, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 5:7)
Second, the true churches kept the Sabbath Day, not the Sunday worship. (Luke 4:16, Acts 17:1)
Third, the true churches had the veil regulations. (1 Corinthians 11:1~16)
Fourth, the true churches had the truth of God the Mother. (Galatians 4:26, Genesis 1:26)
Fifth, the true churches were called Zion, the city of God’s festivals. (Isaiah 33:20, Hebrews 12:22)
Sixth, the Second Coming Christ would come with a new name, not with the name Jesus. (Revelation 2:17, 3:12)
These are some of the mile post that we can find to lead us to heaven. There are many more in the bible, but these would be enough to lead us to the true church, World Mission Society Church of God, which Christ Ahnsahnghong, the Second Coming Christ, established for our salvation. All the mile posts in the bible point to the Church of God or Zion as the true church that we should go to go to heaven.
According to the bible, the most important characteristic of the saints of God in the last days is obeying the commands of God. For this reason, knowing the commands of God is critical for the salvation.
Today there are so many churches teaching different doctrines. How can we know which is true and not true? Let us find answer for the question.
Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
Among many features of the 144000, the most important one is following the Lamb or the Christ wherever he is leading them to. This means that as sheep of God they listen to and obey the voice of God completely. In other words, they keep the commands of God with a complete obedience.
Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
Here we can see again that the people of God follow the commands of God with adding to or subtracting from the words of God.
Then how can we find out the true words or the commands of God among so many different teachings of the different people? The bible teaches us that we must go to Zion in the last days to learn the true words of God.
Micah 4:1 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
In this prophecy, God teaches us that we must go to Zion and Jerusalem for the law and the words of God in the last days, the time frame we are living in. Then why are the commands of God coming from Zion? What is Zion?
Isaiah 33:20 Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. 21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. 22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.
In the Book of Psalm 132, God teaches that Zion is the dwelling of God chosen by God to be his dwelling forevermore. Since God is in Zion, we can be taught by God when we go to Zion. And in Zion, we can see Jerusalem, the source of the words of God in the last days.
Then what is Zion? It is the place chosen by God to keep the festivals of God such as Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Weeks, and Tabernacles, etc.. When we go to Zion, we can meet God and receive the true teachings God grants to his people. Now, come to Zion and obey the commands of God by keeping the festivals of God. And then we can receive abundant blessings God allows through the festivals.
How can we become the children of God? Just because we believe in God, can we be the children of God? Jesus gave answer to this question by say, “Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven.” This means we cannot be the children of God who can become the heir of God only through the faith. Then how can we become the children of God?
Galatians 4:6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
In this verse, God teaches that we can be children of God when we have the Spirit of God in us.
Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
In Romans, Paul also preaches that we can be the children of God when we are led by the Spirit of God in us. Through the verses we can see that we must have the Spirit of God in us to be the children of God. Then how can we have the Spirit of God in us?
John 6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
God teaches us that the words of God is the Spirit. Therefore, when we have the Words of God in us, we can have the Spirit of God in us and we can become the Children of God who can call God, Abba, Father.
Since the Spirit is the words of God that give us life, we should find the words and keep them. Then we can be the children of God, who can inherit the kingdom of heaven as heirs of God. Then what are the words of God that give us life? On the night of the Passover, Jesus gave us the words of life that lead us to eternal life.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
Here Jesus gave the words of life by saying that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. When we eat and drink his flesh and blood, Jesus in spirit will be in us, which means he would put the Spirit of God in us. Then how can we eat his flesh and drink his blood. It is through the Passover. The bread of the Passover signifies the flesh or body of Jesus; the wine of the Passover, the blood of Jesus. (Matthew 26:26)
When we keep the Passover, we can have the words of life of God (or the Spirit of God) in us. Through the Spirit of God in us we can be called the children of God. Thus, the Passover is the way we can be the children of God. Let us keep the Passover and be the children of God who can inherit the kingdom of heaven as heirs of God.
The bible teaches us that we should have understanding for our salvation. Then why is it important to have understanding?
Knowing the Savior Through Understanding
The bible teaches that we can know our Savior when we have understanding, which means we cannot know who our Savior is without understanding.
1 John 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
According to this verse, we can know the reason why God gives us understanding. Through the understanding God gives us, we can know the Christ or the Savior and receive eternal life through him. This means that without the understanding we cannot know or recognize the Savior and receive salvation.
How to Have Understanding
Keep the Laws of God
Therefore, it is of uttermost importance to have understanding for our salvation. Then how can we have the understanding and recognize the second coming Christ?
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Wisdom Through the Laws of God
To have good understanding the bible teaches us to follow the commands of God. When we keep the laws of God, we can have understanding and open our spiritual eyes and know the Christ who can save us.
Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
The writer of Psalm clearly states that the laws of God gives wisdom and opens our spiritual eyes that we can have understanding to know the Savior. Let us take the law of Sabbath for example.
Law of Sabbath and Understanding
Why did God give his people the law of Sabbath? All the laws of God has God’s promise in it which God gave for our blessings. Then what is the blessings that we can receive by keeping the Sabbath day.
Exodus 31:12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.
Blessings Promised on Sabbath
God says that we can receive a lot of blessings through the Sabbath Day. On this day, we can take a rest and we can be made holy on this day. One of the blessings of keeping the Sabbath Day is that we can know God the Savior through the Sabbath Day.
Those Who Keep the Laws of God and Those Who Don’t
That is why Jesus Christ kept reminding us of the importance of keeping the laws of God by saying, “If you love me, keep my commands”. Apostle John also confirms this again.
1 John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
Only those who keep the command of God can come to know God. All those who do not keep the laws of God cannot know. If they say they could, they are lying. This is the conclusion God gives through the bible.
Laws of God and Traditions of Man
Then let us think about the situations of the Christians today. They do not keep the laws of God such as Sabbath and the Passover. Instead, they are keeping pagan traditions such as Sunday worship, Christmas, and Easter. And they say that they know the Christ and the Christ in them and they are in Christ. Can this be true? Definitely, not. Because God teaches that we should keep the laws of God to have wisdom to know the Christ.
Wisdom to Know the Second Coming Christ
The Bible teaches us that the Christ will come again for the second time for our salvation. (Hebrews 9:28) At that time, only those who keep the commands of God will have wisdom and spiritual eyes to know and recognize the second coming Christ. And they will be ones who can receive salvation.
The First Coming Christ and Those Who Rejected Him
2000 years ago, even though there were many who claimed to have faith in God and know God. However, when their Savior came to them in the name of Jesus, they did not recognize him and rejected him. They could not receive salvation. It was because they did not keep the laws of God, but the traditions of man. Because of the lawlessness, they did not have wisdom or understanding to correctly know the Savior.
Mark 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
The Result of Following Man’s Tradition
And Prophet Isaiah said that those who keeps the command of man cannot have wisdom and understanding to know God.
Isiah 29:11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.” 13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. 14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
Conclusion
Again and again, God teaches us that we can have wisdom and understanding to know God only through the laws of God. The laws of God opens our spiritual eyes and gives us wisdom to know God. Therefore, it is not too much to say that our salvation depends on the laws of God.
If we want to know the Spirit and the Bride in the last day who give the water of life and receive the living water from them, first we have to keep the laws of God such as baptism, Sabbath, Passover, etc. Then God will open our eyes and we will know and receive the Savior in the last days.
To meet someone the very first thing that we have to know is the place he resides in. We can visit there and we can have a chance to meet him. It is same with God. For God’s people to meet God we have to know the dwelling of God. By visiting there, we can meet God and be blessed by God.
God’s Dwelling in the Old Testament
Moses Tabernacle
Then what is the dwelling of God? In the Old Testament, the dwelling of God was the temple. God said that He would come to his people to the place where He chose to cause his name to be honored.
Exodus 20:24 “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.
Solomon Temple
This was fulfilled by the sanctuary in the time of Moses and the temple in the time of Solomon. When Solomon built temple to honor the name of God, it became the dwelling of God since then. God put His Spirit in it and He dwelled among his people.
1 King 8:6 The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple. 12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; 13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”
The Reality of God’s Dwelling in the New Testament
Zion the Dwelling of God
The bible says that the Old Testament was given as copy and shadow for the reality which was to be fulfilled in the New Testament by Christ. Then what is the reality of the temple that we should come to meet God?
Prophets of the bible teaches that Zion is the dwelling of God. And God would put his name in Zion that He would be honored by His people.
Isaiah 18:7 At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers—the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.
And the bible teaches that Zion is the dwelling of God where we must go to meet God and be blessed by God.
Psalm 132:13 For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, 14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it. 15 I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. 16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.
Blessing for God’s People Who Dwell in Zion
Also, the bible teaches that as God’s people we must come to Zion the dwelling of God for the blessings of eternal life.
Isaiah 51:16 I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’
The people who are in Zion is the people of God and they can receive the blessings of eternal life and salvation. (Psalm 133:3) Therefore, through the prophecies of the bible we can see that Zion is the dwelling of God and we must come to Zion to meet God.
The True Zion
Zion the City of God’s Festivals
Then what is the Zion? We have to ask the way to Zion as Jeremiah says:
Jeremiah 50:5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.
Now let us find out where Zion is through the prophecies of the bible. According to the bible, Zion is the place where God’s people gather together to keep the festivals of God. It is the house of God where God proclaims feasts for his people.
Isaiah 33:20 Look on Zion, the city of our festivals
And through the festivals, God grants the blessings of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. (Isaiah 33:24) In this sense, Zion is the church today where God’s people gather to keep the festivals of God. But the problem arises when we think about the festivals of God.
The Festivals of God
Are all the churchs Zion? The answer is in this question: “Do they keep the festivals of God?” Since Zion is the city of God’s festivals, the people in Zion must keep the festivals of God. Today many churches claim that they keep the festivals of God such as Sunday worship, Christmas, Thanks-giving Day, etc..
If they are the festivals of God, then they are in Zion and they can be blessed by God. However, the problem is that the festivals they claim to keep as festivals of God are actually not festivals of God. Rather they are the traditions originated from man and they are only man’s customs.
The true festivals of God are recorded all throughout the bible, especially in Leviticus 23. In Leviticus, God proclaims the festivals that the people of God must keep as everlasting covenant. First, there is the Sabbath as weekly festival. And there are seven festivals of three times as annual festivals. They are the Passover, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles. And these are the festivals of God we have to keep.
Conclusion
Today, there is only one church which keeps the festivals of God according to all the laws and regulations of the new covenant following the teachings of Jesus and disciples: World Mission Society Church of God, or WMSCOG in short. The Church of God is Zion the dwelling of God. Come to Zion and keep the festivals of God. Then you can meet God and be blessed by God.
Urim and Thummim: the Symbol of the High Priest of God
According to the bible the high priest of God carries the Urim and the Thummim as the symbol of the priesthood.
Exodus 28:29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.
The Meaning of Urim and Thummim
The Old Testament
Then what are the Urim and the Thummim? They were supposed to be two different stones put underneath the breastpiece of the High Priest and they were used in making decisions for such question as genealogy as in the Book of Ezra. All these were given as copy and shadow for the spiritual things in the new covenant established by Christ. Then what is the true meaning of the Urim and Thummim?
The New Testament
“Urim” means light and “Thummim” perfection. If we put the two together, Urim and Thummim means “the perfect light”. As we can see through the bible, the light means the words of God.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Proverbs 6:23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light.
Therefore, the perfect light means the perfect word of God. The perfect word of God is the one that gives us the complete salvation. Therefore, the Urim and the Thummim, the symbol of the high priest actually means the perfect word of God that gives us salvation.
Jesus, the True High Priest of God with Urim and Thummim
According to the bible, Jesus appeared as the high priest of God 2000 years ago.
Hebrews 5:8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Passover the Perfect Light of God
Freedom From Sins: Forgiveness Through the Passover
This means that Jesus must have the Urim and the Thummim as the high priest of God. Then what was the perfect words of God Jesus brought to us to give us salvation? It is the Passover. Through the Passover, he gave us the forgiveness of sins and freed us from the slavery of death.
Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Freedom From Death: Eternal Life Through the Passover
As the high priest in the order of Melchizedek, Jesus gave us the forgiveness of sins through the bread and wine of the Passover just as Melchizedek blessed Abraham with bread and wine. And ultimately he gave us the promise of eternal life through the Passover.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
By participating the flesh and blood of God through the Passover, Jesus made us to be the children of God who once was not the children of God. This was the role of the Urim and the Thummim. Through the Urim and the Thummim, the high priest could decide who is a legitimate priest of God who can carry out the priestly duty or who is not.
The Copy and Shadow Shown in the Time of Ezra
In the time of Ezra, there were many among the people who came back from the Babylonian captivity whose ancestry could not be proven and they could not carry out the priestly duty until the appearance of a high priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
Ezra 2:62 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 63 The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
Babylonian Captivity in the Last Days
This was the copy and the shadow of what was going to happen in the last days. In the last days, people kept under the spiritual Babylonian captivity will be set free by the appearance of the high priest with the Urim and the Thummim. And they will be decided if they are the people of God or not by the perfect words of God (the Urim and the Thummim).
Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
According to this prophecy an angel with a great light or splendor comes to set God’s people free from the slavery of the Babylon. This is the prophecy of the second coming Christ coming as the high priest of God in the Order of Melchizedek. He is bringing the Urim and the Thummim (the perfect word of God) to set us free and give us salvation.
Christ Ahnsahnghong, the High Priest with the Urim and the Thummim
To fulfill the prophecies of the bible, Christ Ahnsahnghong appeared as the high priest of God with the light of the truth of the new covenant. He exposed the lawlessness of the Babylon the great prostitute and her daughters (false churches following the practices of the Babylon). And he restored the truth of the new covenant hidden for about 1600 years and gave us the right to be the children of God.
Therefore, we have to receive Christ Ahnsahnghong and keep the Passover. The truth of the new covenant Passover will set us free from the slavery of Babylon the Great and make us children of God. And God will judge us to be His children as Hosea said:
Hosea 2:23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”
The very first thing that Jesus did when he began his ministry was preaching the gospel. “Gospel” means good news because the new of the salvation in the kingdom of heaven is contained in the gospel. Therefore, this gospel has utmost importance in the providence of God for salvation.
Let us first understand what kind of blessings are contained in the gospel. The gospel has the promise of God in it.
Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Paul specifies three blessings promised in the gospel. Through the gospel, first, we, who are once called Gentiles who do not know God, can become heirs or the children of God. And second, through the gospel, we can be the members of one body together in Christ. Lastly, through the gospel we can be under the promise God gave to his people for the salvation.
These are the blessings God promised in the gospel. In short, all the blessings we need for salvation is contained in the gospel. Gospel allows us to be one body in Christ as head and to be the children of God who can inherit the kingdom of heaven, and also to participate in the promise of God.
What is the True Gospel?
Therefore, we have to know what the gospel is. Sadly, however, even though there are many churches in this world which claim that they preach the gospel, we cannot find the truth in them. All of these churches teaches different doctrines from one another. It is hard to find the true gospel. Since God warned us that we have to know and follow the true gospel and, if not, we will be cursed rather than be blessed by God. (Galatians 1:6)
Then what is the true gospel? What is the truth that we should obey to participate in the true gospel? The bible teaches the Passover is the core of the gospel. Then let us see how the Passover can be the essential element of the gospel.
Gospel and the Passover
First Blessing of the Gospel and the Passover
The Passover makes us eligible for the first blessing of the gospel that the Gentiles becomes heirs together with Israel. As we can see in this world, who can become an heir in the family? It is the children, right? In the same way, we can become the heirs of God? It is God’s children.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Then how can we be the children of God? It is through the Passover. If we look at the family system in this world, the children receive the same flesh and blood of the parents. In the same way, to be the children of God, we have to receive the flesh and blood of God. When we have the flesh and blood of God in us, we become the children of God, which make us the heirs of God. Then how can we receive the flesh and blood of God?
Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
While keeping the Passover (Matthew 26:17), Jesus sealed his words of promise on the bread and wine of the Passover. By participating in the bread and wine of the Passover, we can participate in the flesh and blood of Jesus and we can become the children of God as Jesus, who was called the Son of God. We can become sons and daughters of God.
Second Blessing of the Gospel and the Passover
What about the second blessing that we can be members together in one body? Now let me explain how we can be members together in one body through the Passover. The Passover is the ceremony through which we can eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ. Since all of us participate in the same flesh and blood of Christ, we become one body in Christ.
I Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
Paul clearly teaches that, since we participate in the body and blood of Christ through the bread and wine of the Passover, we can become one body in Christ. Even though we are given different talents as the members of body, still we are working together as one in Christ.
Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
Third Blessing of the Gospel and the Passover
Third, we can receive the promise of God through the Passover. First, what is the promise of God for the children? It is eternal life. (1 John 2:25) Then how can we receive eternal life? Again, it is through the Passover.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
Jesus teaches that we can participate in the promise of eternal life when we eat his flesh and drink his blood. The only way we can eat and drink the flesh and blood of Jesus is through the Passover. By eating the Passover, we can receive the promise God gave to the children: eternal life.
Passover, the Fulfillment of the Gospel
In this sense, the Passover is the fulfillment of all the blessings promised in the gospel. And the Passover is the completion of the salvation God planned for the children. Therefore, the true gospel we have to obey is the Passover.
Even though there are many churches in this world, there is only one church which keeps the Passover. That is World Mission Society Church of God, or WMSCOG, established by the second coming Christ Ahnsahnghong. The Passover is drawing near. Come to the Church of God and keep the festival. And you will understand and know the mystery that was hidden since the creation of the world, which God prepared for the salvation of the children.
Paul teaches that we who were once under the law of sin and death has been freed and are now under the law of the Spirit and life through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Then what is the law of the Spirit and life that gives us freedom from the slavery of sin and death and leads us to the eternal kingdom of heaven?
The Law of Life Prophesied in the Old Testament
Through Prophet Jeremiah, God already foretold the appearance of the law of life through which God would allow us to receive freedom from sin and death. Jeremiah prophesied:
Jeremiah 31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Through Prophet Jeremiah God promised that He would make a new covenant with his people, a law through which God would forgive the wickedness and sins of his people. Then what is the new covenant prophesied in Jeremiah? We can find the fulfillment of this prophecy in the work of Jesus Christ.
Jesus and His Disciples Keeping Passover
Jesus Coming To Bring the Law of Life
Prophecy of the Appearance of the Lord
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist filled with the Holy Spirit foretold the coming of Messiah to give salvation (or life) through the forgiveness of sins to the people of God.
Luke 1:76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Here Zechariah says that his son John the Baptist is the prophet Elijah who came to prepare the way for the Lord or Messiah to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi. (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, Malachi 4:5). And he also teaches the appearance of the Lord or Messiah who would come after John the Baptist. He would appear as “the rising sun” giving light to people “living in darkness and in the shadow of death” and he would bring them “salvation through the forgiveness of sins.”
The Passover, The Law of Life
This prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus coming as Lord bringing the law of life that gives us freedom from sin and death through the establishment of the new covenant, “the law of life”. On the night of the Passover, Jesus established the new covenant through the Passover bread and wine as it was prophesied by Jeremiah.
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
According to the teachings of Paul and Jeremiah, this new covenant Passover is the law of life that give us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Let us find out the meanings of the Passover. Paul says that the law of life has power to give the forgiveness of sin and free us from the power of death. Also it give us eternal life or salvation.
The Forgiveness of Sins Through the Passover
While establishing the Passover, Jesus taught us about the blessings contained in the Passover. One of the blessings of God in Passover is the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ proclaimed the forgiveness of sins through the Passover bread and wine.
Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
On the night of the Passover, giving out the wine of the Passover, Jesus proclaimed that the Passover wine represents his blood he shed for the forgiveness of sins. Through the Passover the law of life, we can receive the forgiveness of sins and freedom from the slavery of death.
Since we are freed from sins and death, we can have the right to participate in the eternal life in heaven.
How can we wash our robe white through the blood of Lamb?
Eternal Life Through the Passover
Jesus teaches that those who received the forgiveness through the Passover can participate in the eternal life in heaven. In the Book of John, he explains another meaning of the Passover like this:
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
Here Jesus teaches that those who participated in his flesh and blood through the Passover bread and wine are the ones who can have salvation and will be raised into eternal life in heaven. And in the Book of Revelation they are described as the ones who can enter the kingdom of heaven.
Revelation 7:14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
In Revelation 7 we can see a multitude who washed their robe white with the blood of Lamb and in Chapter 22 they are described as the ones who can eat from the tree of life and enter into the city, that is, heaven. Then what does it mean to wash the robe white with the blood of Lamb? It means to cleanse the sins through the blood of Christ through the Passover.
Conclusion
Paul says that those who are in Christ are freed from the law of sin and death and they are the ones who would be in the law of the Spirit and life through Jesus Christ. Through the teachings of God in the bible we can understand that the law of life Christ established for our salvation is none other than the Passover of the new covenant.
Through the Passover, Christ promised the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Therefore, those who want participate in the promise of God of eternal life must keep the Passover of the new covenant. Now is the time that we have to understand the will of God to enter heaven. (Matthew 7:21) And the will of God for us is to keep the Passover and have the law of life in us to be the people of God. Let us keep the Passover with a humble mind.
Spiritually all the humans living on this earth were once angels in heaven. They committed sins against God in heaven and they were cast down to this earth. They live the life of pain and sufferings, and their final destination is death, the sentence they received for the sin in heaven. However, God has had pity and compassion for us and opened the way of salvation to those who believe in God.
That is why the bible says that the goal of
our faith is the salvation of our soul which otherwise is destined to die.
1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Salvation of Our Soul, the Eternal Life
Then what is the salvation of our souls? Our souls are in danger of death because of our sins in heaven. Therefore, the true salvation of our souls are the forgiveness for our sins and eternal life, or the life without death. And this is the goal of our faith to receive eternal life from God. This was the very reason Jesus came down to this earth from heaven.
John 3:15 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Therefore, as people who have faith in God,
the goal of our faith should be the eternal life God grants to his people. Then
how can we receive eternal life from God? Will God give us some medicine that
can heal all the diseases? Is there a tree in a garden that gives eternal life
to whoever eats from the tree? Or as some believes, is there certain material
like elixir of life that gives eternal life?
The Words of God, Eternal Life
According to the bible God’s salvation work
is compared to the creation work. In a spiritual sense, therefore, as God’s
people we are made into a new creation through the salvation work of God. When
we are made into the complete, all the creation work of God will finish and
people who has been made into the complete will enter eternal heaven where
there is no mourning, crying, or death.
2 Corinthian 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Then how can we be made into a new creation
who can enter the eternal heaven? It is through the words of God. Many people
think they can enter into the kingdom of heaven if they live a righteous life
on this earth. That is only partly true. As God’s people we should show good
examples to the people of the world so that they can also praise God for our
good deeds. But strictly speaking, our good deeds has nothing to do with our
salvation.
The World of Maggots
Let me give one example. Wherever there is rotten meat, you can find maggots. Let us think about the world of maggots. Even though we cannot see the difference between them, the world of maggots also might be filled with various kinds of maggots like ours. There might a strong maggot. And there might be a wise one, foolish one, or loving one. There might be a maggot which always helps others and takes care of them.
Even though there is a maggot hero that do
good things for the maggot society, does it affect us in any way? Even though
there might be a wise maggot, does its wisdom affect us? Their good behavior,
wisdom, courage, or sacrifice does not affect us in any way. This is true to us
spiritually. Even though there might be a wise man, good man, or a man of love
and sacrifice, our deeds do not affect the spiritual world in any way. Our good
deeds might affect people like us, but not God.
Job 35:6 If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself, and your righteousness only other people.
We cannot make ourselves righteous through
something we do. Rather we can be made righteous through the grace of God who
forgives sinners freely.
The Power of the Words of God
Then how can we be made into a new
creation? It is through the words of God. The bible teaches us that the words
of God are living and have power to make everything come true. (Heb 4:12) We
can confirm this through the creation work of God in Genesis. God creates
everything through His words. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was
light. God created everything through his words. He gave his words and
everything was done according to the words of God. For this reason, Apostle
John testifies that God is the Word.
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. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Then how would God create us into a new
creation and give us eternal life? It is only through the words of God.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:54)
The Words That Gives Eternal Life
We can be made into a perfect creation with
eternal life in us through the words of God. 2000 years ago, Jesus who was God
himself came as man in the flesh as John said, “The Word (God) became flesh and
made his dwelling among us”. And he gave the words of God which gives us
eternal life to make us into a new creation.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
God’s words are living and active and has
power to fulfill everything according to his words. The God came as man in the
flesh and gave his words of eternal life by say, “Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal life”. He did not add any other condition for eternal
life. He just told us to eat his flesh and drink his blood for the eternal
life. This was the words of eternal life of God.
True Faith That Give Us Eternal Life
Then what is the true faith? We can find
the true faith which can lead to salvation in the faith of Apostle Peter. Peter
had complete faith in Jesus and could be saved. Then what was the faith of
Peter and other apostles of Jesus who we should follow as examples? Even though
all others deserted Jesus, the apostles remained faithful to Jesus to the end.
Then what made it possible for them to remain in Jesus?
John 6:68 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.”
Even though others deserted Jesus, the twelve remained because they believed in the words of eternal life Jesus was granting them. Their faith should be ours too. Today, some people try to enter heaven through their own righteousness, their sacrifice, their work, wisdom, authority, etc. But Jesus clearly told them to depart from him. (Matthew 7:21)
Obedience to the Words of God
Therefore, the true faith is obedience to
the words of God.
1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey (the words of God) is better than sacrifice (our deeds or works), and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
God has given us the words of eternal life
for our salvation. Now is our time to show if we have faith in God. God is
pleased more with our obedience to the words of God than works we can do for
our righteousness. The words of God for eternal life is like this, “Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”. Let us obey the words of
God and keep the Passover.
Then even though we are unworthy, God will
forgive our sins and grants eternal life as free gift to us. Christ
Ahnsahnghong came and restored the Passover for us so that we can receive
eternal life. Now come to Zion, WMSCOG and keep the Passover. Then God will
change you into a new creation with his words of eternal life.
There are many teachings of God in the bible and Jesus summarized the teaching into two commands that we should keep to enter into the eternal life. Then what are the two greatest commandments we must keep? And How can we keep those greatest commandments?
Two Commands For Eternal Life
When asked by an expert in the law of the way of eternal life, Jesus answered:
Luke 10: 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
To inherit the eternal life, Jesus teaches us that we must first love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and next we must love our neighbors as ourselves. In addition, he concludes that these two commands are the essence of all the teachings of God in the bible.
Matthew 22:40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
It means all the laws of God come essentially from these two commandments and if we fulfill these two commandments we can fulfill all the laws of God. So much are important these two commandments. Therefore, what is important to us is to know who to fulfill these two commandments. Some people interpret the commands with their own opinions, but we should not do like that because the standards for our faith should be God. And we must follow God’s teachings to fulfill the laws of God.
How to Fulfill the First Commandment
Then how can we love God with all our heart, mind and soul? Can we fulfill this command by praying to God twenty-four/seven? Or by reading the bible at least one hour a day? Or help the poor and needy people? Or by participating in the volunteer work? Everybody might have different opinions about this and how can we be sure that this is the way through which we can love God with all our hearts and minds?
King Josiah’s Religious Reform
That is why we must turn to the teachings of God to find out the way how to love God all our hearts and minds. Then what does God say about this command? As usual, God gives us one example so that we can clearly know how to fulfill the first command. In the history of Judah, there was a king who fulfilled this command and by following his example we also can fulfill the first and greatest commandment according to the will of God.
2 Kings 23:25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
The Bible says that King Josiah turned to God with all his heart, soul, and strength and by doing so he was the one who could fulfill all the Law of Moses in accordance with the old covenant. Then what did he do? What is it that made God acknowledge King Josiah as the one who fulfill all the Law of Moses? We can find the answer in the several verses before.
2 Kings 23:21 The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.
What he did was to keep the Passover according to the regulation of God in the bible. When he kept the Passover, he was recognized by God as the one who fulfilled the first command by loving Him with all his heart, mind, and soul. Through the long history of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, kings and people did not obey the commands of God and did not keep the Passover. But sometimes there were kings who realized the importance of the Passover and kept the Passover. Josiah was one of the kings who kept the Passover and when he did, God recognizes that he did all he could to do what was written in the bible.
Even though what he did was keep the Passover, why was he complimented by God so much? And how could he love God with all his heart, mind and soul just by keeping the Passover? It is because there is a providence of God hidden in the Passover. Then what secret is hidden in the Passover? All the festivals of God have certain intention and providence of God hidden in it. By finding out the meaning of the festival, we can see why God gave the festival to his people. Then what was the meaning of the Passover?
King Josiah’s Religious Reform: Killing Baal Worshipers
Exodus 12:11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.
Even though there are many hidden meanings in the Passover, one of the most important providence of God hidden in the Passover is that through the Passover, God makes judgment for all the idols and false gods and destroys them on that day. And since all the false gods are destroyed, the only God left behind after the Passover is the true God who created the heavens and earth. And since there is only one God left, God’s people can love the true and only God with all their heart, mind, and soul without any distraction to other gods or idols. And in this way, they would be able to fulfill the first commandment of God: “You shall have no other gods before me” by worshiping the only and true God. This is the reason we must keep the Passover.
Love Your Neighbors as Yourself
The second commandment we must keep to fulfill the law of God is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then how can we love our neighbor according to the teachings of God? Just like the first command, to fulfill this command we also must get rid of our own thoughts and opinions and follow the commands of God in the bible. Then what does the bible say about loving our neighbors as ourselves?
First, let us think about the meaning of the command. What does it mean love our neighbors as ourselves? We love ourselves. That is why we always prepare good things for us as much as we can. We eat good food, wear good clothes, and prepare good house for us. And when we are sick, we take a rest. No matter how urgent a matter we have cannot be a priority to us when our body is sick. The priority is given to our body and curing the sickness.
In this sense, to fulfill the second law we must think others in this respect by treating them as ourselves and providing them everything they need as we provide things to us when we are in need. Then is it possible to treat and think other people in this regard? It seems almost impossible because human beings are intrinsically self-preserving and self-centered. And they always put a distinction between self and other and the priority is always given to self. Therefore, it seems to be impossible to love neighbors as yourself.
But then what if this distinction between self and other breaks and they become one. If I become a part of other and the other becomes a part of I, then self-other becomes one and I can love the other as part of self as if the other were myself. Is this state of the union of self and other possible? Yes, it is and God teaches us how all of us become one and love one another as if we love oneself. It is also through the Passover. According to the bible, the Passover is a ceremony through which each of us becomes a part of whole and in this state there is no more distinction of you and I.
Through the Passover, Christ gave us his flesh and blood through the Passover bread and wine which represent his flesh and blood. Then what is the meaning of this ceremony? Paul let us know the providence of God hidden in the Passover like this:
1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing that we give thanks for is a sharing in the blood sacrifice of Christ, isn’t it? And the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ, isn’t it? 17 There is one loaf of bread, so we who are many are one body, because we all share in that one loaf.
Passover: Becoming one body in Christ
Through the Passover bread and wine we all can participate in the blood and body of Christ and we can become one body in Christ because we all participate in one loaf, that is, Christ.Therefore, even though we are all different from one another, through the Passover we can become the members of the same body whose head is the Christ.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Through the Passover, we all become the members of one body and since we are all one in one body, we can love one another as if one loves one’s own body. Through the Passover, we can take care of each other as part of one’s own body just as a person takes care of the members of his body without neglecting anything. He gives the same attention to all his body parts so that there would be nothing lacking in his body. In the same way, since all of us become one in Christ through the Passover, we can love one another without neglecting anyone.
1 Corinthians 13:20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
About this providence of God hidden in the Passover, Christ Ahnsahnghong teaches like this:
By sharing in the flesh and blood of Jesus, all brothers become one body in Him and come to love one another as themselves. … Since we have now become one body in Jesus, is there anyone who hates his own body? Even though we cannot love because we are evil by nature, if Jesus’ flesh and blood is in us, we come to love our brothers.
From “The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life” Chapter 31. The Regulations of the New Covenant
Conclusion
Therefore, to completely fulfill the two commandments the most important thing is keeping the Passover. By keeping the Passover, we can love God with all our heart, mind and soul by fulfilling the first and greatest commandment and also we can fulfill the second commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said that we must keep these two commandments to enter eternal life. Now let us keep the Passover according to the teachings of God.
Even though the Passover was once abolished by the work of Satan in AD 325, Christ Ahnsahnghong brought us back the new covenant of the Passover so that we can have eternal life. To obey the teachings of Christ, World Mission Society Church Of God keeps the Passover according to the regulations of the new covenant. Now God is inviting everybody who wishes to have salvation to come to Zion and to keep the Passover.
