The core teaching of God in the bible is the new covenant Passover. God teaches that we can be the people of God through the Passover new covenant and we can inherit the kingdom of heaven.
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……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.
By keeping the new covenant, we can be the people of God and go back to heaven our spiritual home. Moreover, Apostle Paul teaches that we can be the children of God through the Passover. In the Book of the Second Corinthians, he quotes from the verse above from Jeremiah and reveals that we can be the children of God through the new covenant.
2 Corinthians 6:16 For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Right after quoting from the Book of Jeremiah, he continues to explain the meaning of the verse by saying that those who became the people of God through the new covenant are considered as the children by God.
17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
We who kept the new covenant Passover can be the children of God. Even though once we did not have anything with God. We were considered as aliens and strangers toward God. Through the new covenant, however, we can be regarded as the people, and ultimately the children, of God. Then how can we be the children of God through the Passover, the new covenant.
The Passover is the ceremony through which we can participate in the flesh and blood of God by the promise of God. Since we can receive the flesh and blood of God, God becomes our Father and Mother, and we can become the children of God who has the same flesh and blood as God.
I give thanks and honor to Father and Mother for allowing us sinners to be the children of God through the new covenant Passover.
Today there are so many people who claim to be the people of God. However, Jesus says that not all of them are the true people of God. Then how can we distinguish who the people that belongs to God are and those who are not?
The High Priest with the Urim and Thummim
In the old covenant, among the people who came back from the Babylonian captivity in the time of Ezra, there were many who could not prove their own genealogy. And the God teaches that only the high priest with Urim and Thummim can decide whether they belong to the people of God or not.
It is the same with us today. As believers of God we must have the high priest with Urim and Thummim who can declare that we are the true people of God. Then who is the high priest with Urim and Thummim?
First, let us think about the meaning of Urim and Thummim? In the Law of Moses, the high priest should wear a breastpiece with two gem stones, which represent Urim and Thummim, in the time of making decisions.
Exodus 28:30 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.
And the meaning of Urim is “light” and Thummim “perfection,” which means the perfect light or truth since light means “truth.” Therefore, the high priest with perfect light signifies that the high priest who comes with the perfect truth.
The Order of Aaron and the Order of Melchizedek
Then what is the perfect truth? In the old covenant or the Law of Moses, the priesthood was following the Order of Aaron, and the bible teaches that this priesthood was imperfect. And later it was changed into the perfect one.
Hebrews 7:11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
The Levitical priesthood or the Order of Aaron in the old covenant was not the perfect light or truth. And the bible teaches that the Levitical priesthood has changed into the priesthood in the Order of Mechizedek. This means the imperfect priesthood (the Order of Aaron in the old covenant) changed into the perfect priesthood (the Order of Melchizedek in the new covenant).
Hebrews 7:18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
The former regulation (the Order of Aaron and the Law of Moses following the priesthood of the Order of Aaron) was not perfect for the salvation. And for this reason, a better hope (the priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek and the Law of Christ) was introduced to give us salvation.
God’s People Through the Passover
The Law of Moses which was the imperfect light or truth changed into the Law of Christ, which is the perfect truth. Therefore, the high priest in the Urim and Thummim means the high priest following the Order of Melchizedek. Then who is the high priest in the Order of Melchizedek? And what was the perfect truth that he brought for the salvation?
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.
Son, that is Jesus Christ, was the high priest in the Order of Melchizedek. And the perfect truth that he brought for salvation was the new covenant Passover, which is the symbol of Mechizedek. As Mechizedek the high priest of God blessed Abraham with bread and wine, Jesus as the reality of the high priest in the Order of Melchizedek blessed us with the bread and wine of the Passover.
Even though we were not God’s people once, through the Passover new covenant we became the people of God.
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.
Through the Passover we can remain in God, which means we can belongs to God and be God’s people.
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.
Christ Ahnsahnghong, the High Priest with the Urim and Thummim
Truly Jesus is Our God who came as high priest in the Order of Melchizedek and through the Passover we can be the people of God. Also for the same reason, Christ Ahnsahnghong who restored the new covenant Passover, the perfect truth is the high priest with the Urim and Thummim and he is the one who can give us salvation through the perfect light of the new covenant. We must accept Christ Ahnsahnghong and keep the new covenant Passover to the end.
On this earth everyone has at least one or two ceremonial days for himself or herself such as the birthday, and wedding anniversary. Everybody congratulates him or her for the event on that day. Then what about God? 2000 years ago, God came down to this earth to save the sinners. However, nobody knows even the day of his birth.
His birth should be a great day of celebration for all of us. He did not come to this earth for his own glory. Rather he came down to us for the sake of us. He walked the path of sacrifice for over 30 years only for the sake of us the sinners who are destined to die.
Even though his coming was the most important day that they had to celebrate as everlasting festival, the fact is that nobody surely knew when he was born. His birth was not regarded as something to remember by the people of the time.
While staying on this earth, he taught his disciples the festivals of God so that God’s people can celebrate. He could have given them the festivals as days of worship and honor for him. He could have given them the festivals that he might be glorified.
He could have set up the festivals for his glory and the celebration of his great work. He could have command people to bring gifts and offering to him on those festivals for his honor. But he did not. On the contrary, Jesus established the festivals through his sacrifice. He had to go through sufferings to set up the festivals. The festivals were the days of pains and tribulations for him.
To set up the Passover, for example, he sacrificed his own body as sin offering for his people that their sins could be forgiven. All the festivals contain the blood Christ sacrificed for us that we might be blessed through those festivals.
While living, he did not set aside even one day for his own sake. His life on this earth was constant days of pains and sufferings for us. He was mocked, ridiculed, and persecuted because of the gospel that he delivered for our benefit, not for his own.
Today too, Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem came down to this earth and restored all the festivals of God through their own sacrifice that we can be forgiven of our sins. While living on this earth, they cannot have even a day for their own joy and glory even though they are God who should be honored forever and more.
David Daning in front of the Ark of the Covenant with the mind of gratitude and joy for the blessings he received from God. What kind of mindset should we have when we keep the festivals of God?
The festivals should be the days of joy and thanks for us. However, even today people feel that they are doing favors to God by keeping the festivals. We do not realize the true meanings of the festivals. We act as if God wanted to be honored by us on the day, and the days were days of burden to us that we should sacrifice ourselves for God’s sake. Then is this true? Are we doing any good things to God by keeping the festivals? No.
In reality, the festivals are the days when God has to suffer for us. The days are the days of joy and happiness for us, granted through the sacrifice of Father and Mother. This year, I will keep the festivals with the mind of joy and thanks all the time, remembering the love and sacrifice of Father and Mother for our sake.
Luke 22:19 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.
Just as Moses said in the Book of Psalm, our life on this earth is but trouble and sorrow and it quickly pass, and we fly away to death in the end. (Psalm 90:9) Then why are we living the life of hardships and troubles on this earth?
The Parable of Garden of Eden
God teaches us the reason through the parable of the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden lived Adam and Eve. Their life was prosperous, and everything was provided to them, even eternal life by eating from the tree of life. However, one day, eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were driven out of the Garden of Eden. Since they disobeyed the words of God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were cast out from the paradise to the cursed land which produced thorns and thistles instead of the tree of life.
This story of the Garden of Eden is a parable given to us to teach us about our origin and our life on this earth. We were once in the Garden of Eden (the Heavenly Kingdom) with God and other angels, but due to our disobedience we were sent down to this earth, the land of sufferings. We broke the heavenly law, and practiced lawlessness or committed sins. And because of the lawlessness and sins, we were separated from God. Because we were sent away from God and His blessings, we are in the agony of death on this earth.
Separation From God Due to our Sins
Isaiah 59:1 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Then how can we restore to the Garden of Eden our Home and live in joy and happiness with God again? Is there any way we can go back to the paradise again? The bible teaches we can go back to the Garden of Eden and eat from the tree of life again. To return to God, the very first thing that we need is to receive the forgiveness for our sins we committed in heaven. Since we were sent out due to our sins, it is natural that we should receive the forgiveness of our sins to go back to God and heaven.
The Forgiveness of Sins Through the Passover
Then how can we receive the forgiveness of sins to return to God? 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ taught us the way to receive the forgiveness of sins and return to God. On the night of the Passover, Jesus took bread and wine, which represents his flesh and blood, and gave to the disciples, teaching them that they could receive the forgiveness of sins through the Passover.
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.
Returning To God through the Passover
By giving us the new covenant, Jesus opened the way to the Garden of Eden again that we may return to God. When we keep the new covenant Passover, we can return to God and be with God, receiving all the blessings we received from God in heaven again.
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.
Hezekiah’s Passover
Once we got separated from God because of our sins, but now we can be with God by keeping the Passover. Therefore, we can be sure that we can go back to God by keeping the Passover. We can confirm this this the bible. In the time of King Hezekiah, the king realized the importance of the Passover and sent his message all over the land, inviting them to keep the Passover. And this was his message to the people.
2 Chronicles 30:6 At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read: “People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
Again and again he earnestly entreated the people of Israel to return to God by keeping the Passover. This message clearly teaches us that the Passover is the way to return to God and receive His blessing.
The Results of Obedience and Disobedience
Then what will happen if we do not keep the Passover and return to God? In the story above, despite the message from the king, many people did not listen to him. In those days, the nation of Israel was divided in two kingdoms: southern Judah and northern Israel. The people of Judah obeyed to the message of the king and kept the Passover, but the people of Israel not. Later the two nations had to face completely different consequences due to their action.
The kingdom of Israel got destroyed by the Assyrian army, but the kingdom of Judah was saved out from the war against Assyria. And God teaches the reason for those results.
2 Kings 18:12 This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.
God teaches that the nation of Israel was conquered by the army because they did not obey the command of God and keep the Passover. On the contrary, the land of Judah was protected from the disasters because they obeyed the command of God.
Conclusion
This lesson was given to us as examples. We are living on this earth, going through many sufferings and in the end to death. It is all because of our sins we committed against God in heaven by disobeying his commands. Now God came down to this earth and opened the way to the heaven again by giving the forgiveness of our sins through His own flesh and blood.
We should not be like the people of Israel who ridiculed and scorned the message of God to their own destruction. Rather, we should obey the words of God and keep the Passover like the people of Judah.
Christ Ahnsahnghong and God the Mother came down to this earth and opened the way to return to God by restoring the new covenant Passover which Jesus established 2000 years ago. And they are inviting us to return to them and to receive the water of life by keeping the Passover. Now we should not practice lawlessness again and disobey the words of God. We must return to the Spirit and the bride with a mind of humility and keep the Passover. And then they will forgive our sins and take us back to the eternal Garden of Eden.
The Israelites Freed From the Slavery of the Babylon
In the time of Jehoiakim, the Babylonians conquered Judah and the Jews started to serve the Kingdom of Babylon since then. And later they were taken to the land of Babylon as slaves, and the Isrealites had to live in the land for 70 years until the fulfillment of the prophecy of the bible. (Jeremiah 25:11) And 70 years later in around 539 AD when the Persian Kingdom conquered Babylon, King Cyrus the King of Persia set the Israelites free from the slavery and let them go back to their own land.
In the Book of Ezra Chapter 2, we can see the descriptions of the people who came back for the slavery and their genealogies. But there were some problems for the people whose genealogies were uncertain at the time. They could not prove that they descended from the family they claimed to be in. Because of this they could not be included in the priesthood and they were ordered not to eat any of the most sacred food, the most sacred right they had as a member of the priest family.
And the bible says that they could be restored to their rightful position as priests of God in only one condition:’
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.
According to the Law of Moses only the priestly family could take part in the sacred food for the sanctuary. Since the sanctuary the dwelling of God is sacred, anything that belongs to it was also considered to be sacred, including food. Therefore, God allowed only the members of the priest family to eat the sacred food coming from the sanctuary.
Exodus 29:31 Take the ram for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place. 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. 33 They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred. 34 And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.
Leviticus 22:10 No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.
A Priest Ministering With Urim and Thummim
The right to eat from the sacred food was given only to the family of the priests. And some of the people were excluded from eating the sacred food since they could not prove their ancestry through the genealogical record. In this case, there must appear a priest ministering with Urim and Thummim to decide and judge whether they are the true members of the priest family or not. Then what are the Urim and Thummim. One of the ornament made for a priest was a breastpiece with 12 stones which represent the 12 tribes of Israel and inside the breastpiece the priest must carry Urim and Thummim when he enter the sanctuary to make right decisions for the Israelites.
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.
So when the priest had to make a important decision, he carried Urim and Thummim in front of God so that the right decision could be made for the matter. Urim and Thummim means “Light” and “Perfection” respectively. Therefore, its meaning is the “perfect light”. According to the bible, “light” means the truth, and thus Urim and Thummim can be interpreted as “Perfect Truth”.
This means the matter of deciding the descendancy of those unrecorded people could be possible only through the appearance of the priest with “Perfect Truth”. The principle concerning the analogy between the light and truth can be interpreted like this. When we are in darkness, we cannot know or decide the colors or shapes. Only through the light everything can be exposed to us in its own value. Likewise, without truth we cannot know if a certain thing or idea is true or false. However, when the perfect truth appears, we can have means to judge and decide their value according to the accurate standard. In this sense, the truth can be compared to light.
Anyway, this concept of a priest with Urim and Thummim was not given only for the Israelites in the time of Ezra. Rather, it will come truth when God decides his people in the last days.
The Chosen People of God
The bible teaches that God will separate people into two groups: one for salvation and one for destruction. We can see so many different parables of Jesus Christ concerning the work of God separating his people from the evil ones in the last days.
Matthew 13:29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Also we can see the similar motive in the parable of 10 virgins and the parable of separating sheep from goats.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
At this time of separation, God will gather all the people together and decide if they are the chosen ones or not. As was prophesied in the Book of Hosea, in those days those who was once not called my people would be called my people. (Hosea 2:23) In deciding the “genealogical descendancy” of people in the last days, there are two important conditions to make the right decision as we have already seen in the Mosaic Law. First, the high priest must come and second, he must have Urim and Thummim or “Perfect Truth” in him to distinguish right from wrong.
The High Priest With Urim and Thummim
Then who came as high priest with Urim and Thummim? Who is the high priest with perfect truth? According to the bible, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and came as the high priest with perfect truth. Paul explains two different priesthood: the priesthood of Aaron and the priesthood of Melchizedek.
He says that the priesthood of Aaron which was established according to the Law of Moses or the old covenant was not perfect for the salvation. Therefore, God set up another priest in the Order of Melchizedek established according to the Law of Christ or the new covenant. Jesus appeared as the priest in the Order of Melchizedek with perfect truth that gives salvation.
Hebrews 7:11 . If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
Hebrews 5:8 Son though he (Jesus) 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.
This means Jesus is the reality of the high priest God prophesied through the copy and shadow of the high priest in the Law of Moses. Then what is the perfect truth Jesus brought?
Jesus and His Disciples Keeping Passover
Urim and Thummim, the Perfect Truth
Since Jesus is the reality of the high priest, he must have “Urim and Thummim” or the Perfect Truth through which he can make decision and judgment to distinguish the legitimate people of God in the last days. Then what is the perfect truth he brought with?
Hebrews 8:7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said: “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. 9 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 did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 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. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” 13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Here God says that the old covenant or the Law of Moses was not “perfect” enough for the salvation of his people. And for this reason God prophesies that He would establish the new covenant that is “the perfect truth” through which they could be the people of God. Hosea’s prophecy could be come truth through the new covenant. People who once was not called “my people” could be “my people” through the new covenant. Those who has the new covenant can be called people of God.
Then what is the new covenant Jesus established as high priest with Urim and Thummim? It is the Passover.
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.” 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.
Conclusion
Through this we can understand the perfect truth or Urim and Thummim through which God decide and judge the legitimate people of God is the Passover new covenant. Those who keep the new covenant would be separated as sheep for salvation and those who did not keep the Passover would be grouped as goats for eternal condemnation. As people of God we must keep the Passover the new covenant for our salvation.
Even though the perfect truth “new covenant” was abolished by the work of Satan after the ascension of Jesus. Today, just as the parable says we can see both weeds and wheats are growing on the harvest field. To separate the wheat from the weeds, Christ must come back again with Urim and Thummim. Christ Ahnsahnghong brought back the Passover new covenant (the perfect truth, Urim and Thummim) and now he is separating people into two groups. In which group do you want to be in?
2000 years ago, God has come down to this earth in the flesh. Even though the God they worship came, the Israel people mocked him, ridiculed him and killed him on the cross in the end. Then why did God have to appear in the flesh? He could have appeared with all the spiritual glory and power and with thousands upon thousands of angels. He could have destroyed immediately who disobeyed his words and put them into the eternal agony of hell.
However, He did not do that. He appeared in the form of man in the flesh. And He walked a thorny path, going through many sufferings and hardships. And finally He sacrificed himself on the cross among the people who mocked him, saying, “If you are the son of God, then come down from the cross and save yourself.” And others said, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself.” Even though people mocked him like this, he was silent and did not open his mouth. He endured all the humiliations and sufferings.
Why did he have to come? Why did he have to go through all the sufferings? Why did he not say anything in his defense?
Sin and Death
The bible teaches that everyone on this earth is a sinner who committed sin in heaven and was sentenced to a death penalty because of their sin.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
The bible says we are all destined to die because of our sins and there is no exception for this. Even though we are sinners who disobeyed God, however, God still loved his people and wanted to save them.
The only way for them to be saved is to pay the debt for the sin. And the only way to make the payment for the sin is to sacrifice their life. If the sinners had to pay the debt themselves, they had to give up their life because the wage of sin is death. If they had to die for their sin, what would the salvation mean to them? It is meaningless to them because they had already died because of their sin.
In this deadlock situation the only way for them to receive the forgiveness for their sins and salvation is that they must have someone who would die in their stead for the sins they have committed. In the Old Testament this was done with animal sacrifices. When God’s people committed sins, they could receive redemption by shedding the blood of animals as ransom for their sins.
Forgiveness through the Sacrifice of Christ
The problem was that they could not completely wash away their sins through the animal sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
For this reason, to give the complete forgiveness of sins and salvation, the bible teaches that Christ would come and take up our sins and sacrifice himself as lamb. In this way, the sins of people will be taken away completely and they can receive forgiveness and salvation.
Hebrews 9:12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
To give the forgiveness of sins to his people, Christ must come down to this earth in the flesh and sacrifice himself as lamb to take away the sins of his people.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
I Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
2000 years ago, Christ has come as lamb and by sacrificing himself on the cross he could open the way for the forgiveness of sins and salvation to his people.
Second Coming Christ Coming in the Flesh
Like this people who have no ability to take up their sins and make the right payment for the sins must seek Christ who can take up their sins and give them salvation. 2000 years ago, those who received Jesus Christ could receive forgiveness and salvation.
In our time too the bible teaches us the Christ must come back again in the flesh. It is because the truth of life the Passover new covenant Jesus Christ established through his blood got abolished by the work of Satan. The way for the forgiveness and salvation has disappeared. And in the last days the people of God are in the agony of sins and death again without any hope for salvation.
In this situation, to restore the law of life Passover Christ must come back in the flesh again so that his chosen people could receive forgiveness for their sins. For this reason, Christ Ahnsahnghong has appeared to us and restored the Passover. He opened the way for the salvation again. And furthermore he let us know the reality of the new covenant Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem, who is the one that gives life and salvation to the children of God.
Now let us understand why God should come in the flesh and receive Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother who came in the flesh only for the salvation of the heavenly children.
2000 years ago when Jesus came to this
earth, he healed the diseases of people of the time as part of the fulfillment
of the prophecies of the bible.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Jesus, however, was not just healing the
physical diseases, but according to the prophecies of Isaiah he was to “come to
save his people”. (Isa 35:4) According to this prophecy, Jesus was to appear
for the salvation of the people of God. While healing the diseases of people,
actually he was healing the spiritual diseases of the people, that is, their
sins and iniquities to make them clean and holy again so that they can become
the holy people of God again. (Lk5:21, Lk7:47) In this respect, we can say that
mainly Jesus came to this earth as spiritual doctor to save his people from the
terminal disease that is “sin” and “death”.
Spiritual Doctor: Jesus came as Spiritual Doctor and Healed diseases of People
Matthew 9:12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Spiritual Diseases and Patients
Spiritual Disease: Sins and Death
Then what is the spiritual diseases Jesus
wanted to heal? Physically, diseases cause illness and weakness, and they lead
people to death in the end. Spiritually, it is the same. The spiritual disease
is the one that leads people to death. Then spiritually what is the disease
that leads us to death? What is the disease that Jesus wanted to heal to save
us from death and destruction?
Ezekiel 18:4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Spiritual Patients: All Minkind
Throughout the bible, it testifies that the
cause of death is the sin; and thus we can conclude that sin is the main
diseases that leads us to death. Then who are the patients who have this
disease on this earth? Is there anyone who is free from sins and death? Is
there anyone who is righteous on this earth?
Spiritual Doctor: Jesus came as Spiritual Doctor and Healed diseases of People
Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
And Apostle Paul also testifies that we who
are living on this earth are all sinners:
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Nobody lives forever on this earth. Just as
the writer of Psalms says our life on this earth 70 or-if in good condition-80
years. And the span of life is fed up with agonies and sorrows and ends up with
death. Everyone on this earth is under this destiny and therefore we can say
that spiritually we are all sinners destined to die.
How to Cure the Disease?
Freed from the Death Penalty through Christ’s
Sacrifice
Now the question is “how can we cure the
disease of sins and live?” Even though we are sinners who are destined to die,
the bible says that Jesus Christ came to save us.
Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Because of our sins, we all are under the
slavery of death. However, Jesus came and through his sacrifice on the cross he
cancelled our sins and gave us the forgiveness of sins. And through the forgiveness
of sins, he set us free from the death and gave us the blessings of eternal
life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even though once we were destined to die
because of our sins, by the grace of God we can have eternal life or “life
without death” by having faith in Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Doctor: Jesus came as Spiritual Doctor and Healed diseases of People
Spiritual Panacea: Passover
True Faith That Give Us Salvation
To the wretched sinners who are crying out
in agony as Paul said, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this
body that is subject to death?”, Jesus came down to this earth in the flesh to
give us forgiveness of sins. If we believe in the words of God in the bible,
anybody would agree with what I have said up until now.
Now we have to ask the biggest question of all. That is, how can we receive the blessings of forgiveness and eternal life promised in Jesus Christ? Many will say that by simply having the faith in Jesus we can receive those blessings? But the problem is that the faith is not that easy to define. The bible says that there are different faiths: good and bad. James says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”. (Jas2:14) Jesus also taught that there are people who are not to be saved even though they have faith in him.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Both of the verses clearly says that we
should “DO” something to show our faith and “action” is the most important
thing in the true faith. Then what is “action” or “the will of God” that we
should do to show our faith in God and in Jesus?
The Will of God for the Forgiveness of Sins
Then what is the will of God that we should “do” through our action or deed to receive the forgiveness for our sins?
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
The bible teaches that we can receive the
forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. And also the bible teaches us
that we should participate in the blood of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Passover is the Spiritual Medicine that we have to receive from Jesus Christ to cure our spiritual disease.
Forgiveness through the Passover
Paul teaches that we have to participate in
the blood of Christ through our action. Then what is the cup that we must drink
to participate in the blood of Christ? That is the Passover.
Luke 22:14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. …. 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.
Through the Passover we can participate in
the blood of Christ and by participating in the blood of Christ we can receive
the promise of God the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
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.
Also Apostle John teaches that we can
receive 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.
Conclusion
Jesus who came to this earth as spiritual
doctor taught that we have to do the will of God by keeping the Passover to receive
the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Now we have to know what the truth
faith in Christ as believers of God and Jesus is. Do we have faith in God by
claiming that we do or if we do have faith in God isn’t it right thing to show
our faith through our action?
In our time, the Church of God keeps the
Passover of the new covenant according to the will of God. We as believers of
God and the bible should join the Church of God and keep the Passover. And then
we can receive the promise of God the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
In the previous two articles we have studied
that we can receive the promises of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through
the Passover. In this article, we are going to see the ultimate purpose of God giving
us the Passover.
What does God want to do for us when we keep
the Passover and receive the precious promises of the forgiveness of sins and eternal
life. To understand the matter, let us first take a look at the Passover of the
Old Testament as copy and shadow so that we can know the will of God for us.
Passover and Canaan
God’s Will in the Emancipation of the Israelites
In Exodus, God explains the reason why he gave
the freedom from the Egyptian slavery to God’s people.
Exodus 6:6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
The will of God for them was clear that he
wanted to take them to the Land of Promise Canaan and give the land to the Israelites
as inheritance. He did not want them to live in Egypt after the freedom.
Journey to Canaan the Promised Land
After keeping the Passover, we can see the Israel
people leaving out of Egypt the land of slavery right the next day. They started
their journey toward the Land of Promise Canaan.
Exodus 12:31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.” 33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”
The Egyptians got terrified after they
experienced the power of God in the last plague the plague of the first-borns and
in the Passover that gave the protection to the Israel people from the disaster.
And they urged the Israel people to leave the country and to go wherever they
wanted. So the Israel people could leave Egypt as free men right next day.
Conquering the Promised Land Canaan
After the freedom and the forty year’s journey
in the desert, they could enter the Land of Promise in the end. And they could inherit
the land just as God promised them.
Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
To fulfill the promise of God the Israel people
could conquer the Promised Land. And they could receive the land “flowing with
honey and milk” as their inheritance.
True Meaning of Inheritance of Canaan
Slavery of Sin and Death
All these things in the Old Testament were just
a copy and shadow for the reality which would be revealed to the true Israelites
or God’s people in Jesus Christ. (Colossians 2:16) Then what is the reality God
have wanted to teach through the Law of Moses in the Old Testament?
As we have seen in the previous article, all
mankind is the people of God in the spiritual sense. (Romans 2:28) They were once
angels in heaven. However, because of the sins they committed in heaven, they were
cast down to this earth, living in the agony of death.
About the life on this earth, Christ teaches
us that we are living as slaves to sin and death.
Freedom Through the Passover
However, God took pity on the people who are
suffering the pain of death and listened to their prayer for salvation. To give
them freedom from sins and death, God came down to this earth and gave himself as
ransom on the cross. He took up our sins in our stead and gave us the forgiveness
of sins, the freedom from sins and death through the Passover.
Through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross
we could be freed from the slavery of sins and death. First, Christ gave us the
forgiveness of sins through the Passover. (Matthew 26:26) And also he gave us the
freedom from death or the eternal life through the Passover. (John 6:53)
Spiritual Canaan the Kingdom of Heaven
Then what was God’s will for us in giving the
freedom from the slavery of sins and death? Does God want us to live on this earth
forever? In the Old Testament the will of God for the Israel people after the emancipation
from the slavery was to lead them to the Promised Land, not living in Egypt.
Likewise, God’s will for those who have been
set free from the slavery of sin and death is to lead them to the Promised Land
or the spiritual Canaan, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Both Apostle Peter and John testifies about
the spiritual inheritance God’s people would receive through the redemption work
of God. Apostle Peter prophesies about the destruction of the earth we are living
in and the creation of new heavens and earth (or the Kingdom of Heaven) where the
saved would receive as inheritance.
2 Peter 3:7 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly, ,,,,, 13 But in keeping with his promise we (the saved) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
New Heaven and New Earth
And Apostle John testifies about some characteristics
of this new heaven and new earth.
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. ….. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
The most important characteristic of the new
heaven and new earth is that there is no death there, which means there is only
eternal life in the new heaven and the new earth. Since we cannot receive this inheritance
with the body of sin and death, God eagerly wanted to give us “the forgiveness
of sins” and “eternal life” that we may enter the new heaven and new earth.
This is the reality of the Promised Land God wanted to show us through the Law of
Moses.
Conclusion
God gave us so many precious promises through
the Passover of the new covenant. The message of God in the Passover can be summed
up as inheritance of Canaan the Promised Land. Even though we are sinners from heaven,
God made the plan for the creation.
Through the creation work of God, the elect
will be made into a perfect creation and they will receive the kingdom of heaven
as eternal inheritance. All the forefathers of faith made their journey toward heaven
through the faith in God. As chosen people of God, people in Zion should follow
the Spirit and the Bride, Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem
to the end.
The members of the Church of God or WMSCOG keep
the Passover according to the command of Christ. 2000 years ago, Jesus came as the
reality of the Passover Lamb and sacrificed himself as lamb so that we can receive
the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Through this article I would like to show the
meaning of the Passover. What is the Passover? And why should we keep the Passover?
Angels who Committed Sins in Heaven
According to the bible, all human beings living
on this earth are spiritually sinners who committed sins in heaven and they were
cast down from heaven to this earth. For this reason, this earth can be understood
as prison in a spiritual sense where sinners from heaven are sent until the time
of the punishment for the sins, that is, death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The bible reveals that all human beings are
destined to die due to the sins they committed in heaven. Then what is the sins
that we committed in heaven? How grave were the sins that we are given the sentence
of death?
Angels who Rebelled Against God
Through the examples of some biblical figures,
God teaches us the sins we committed in heaven. Let us take a look at an example
through the bible. In the Book of Ezekiel, we can find a man who once was created
as an angel in heaven (guardian cherub). God created him perfect and beautiful in
every way. However, the bible also let us know the corruption of this angel and
his expulsion from heaven.
The Rebellion of Angels and War in Heaven
Sin of a Guardian Cherub
Ezekiel 28:15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
This is God’s words about the king of Tyre of
the time of Ezekiel. Because of his beauty and perfection, he became proud and he
came to commit sins. And because of his sin, he was expelled to earth, which is
the spiritual prison.
Sin of the King of Babylon
Then what was the sin the angels committed in
heaven? We can find the answer for this question through another king in the bible,
that is, the King of Babylon.
Isaiah 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.
Ezekiel tells us about the position of the angels
and their beauty in heaven before they were cast down from heaven. Here in the Book
of Isaiah, however, we can know the nature of the sins the angels committed. Isaiah
explains about the pride of those angels and their rebellion against God in trying
to put their thrones above the Throne of God. For this dreadful and hideous crimes,
they were thrown to the earth after defeated in heaven.
All Human Beings, Fallen Angels
Through the King of Tyre and Babylon, we can
come to understand the sins they committed in heaven when they were angels. However,
these are not just their stories, but the stories of all human beings living on
this earth. Theirs was illustrated as examples showing the sins of all human being
on this earth. Like them, all men were once angels in heaven perfect in beauty and
wisdom. Because of their sins, however, they were driven out from heaven to this
earth.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Psalm 14:1 The fool[a] says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Passover, The Way for the Forgiveness
Because of the sins, everyone on this earth
is suffering in the agony of death, living as slave of sin and death. However, God
has been compassionate to mankind and has shown mercy and pity to them by opening
the way for the forgiveness for their sins. The bible teaches us that we can be
forgiven of our sins through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us.
Then what is the blood of Christ that gives
us the forgiveness of sins? Many says that we can be saved by believing that Jesus
shed his blood on the cross to save us. This is partially true. What actually the
bible says is that we have to take part in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness
of sins, not just believe.
1 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?
Jesus came as the reality of the Passover Lamb and through his blood on the cross he gave us the promise of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Blood of Christ Sealed in the Wine of the Passover
Then what is “the cup” through which we
can participate in the blood of Christ? It is the Passover. Through the Passover
we can participate in the blood of Christ and receive the forgiveness of sins. Christ
came as the reality of the Passover Lamb and shed his blood for our salvation. (1
Corinthian 5:7)
Now let us find out how to participate in the
blood of Christ to receive the promise of Christ the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:17 17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” …….. 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.
Jesus gave the words of his promise of the forgiveness
of sins through the wine of the Passover which represents the blood of sacrifice
he shed in our stead.
Conclusion
Even though we committed unforgivable sins against
God in heaven, God has been compassionate to us and opened the way to heaven again
through the forgiveness of sins promised in the Passover. Therefore, as people of
God now is the time for us to show our faith through our deed, that is, by keeping
the Passover.
With the mind of obedience let us keep the Passover
and receive the forgiveness of sins. God will wipe away all the sins and make us
beautiful and perfect again so that we can be a new creation worthy enough to enter
the kingdom of heaven.
The bible is the book that contains the
mystery of God, which is hidden in the bible as parables. Since it is written
in the parables, it is not easy to recognize or understand the mystery of God in
the bible. However, we have to know the mystery for at least two reasons.
First, one does not hide what is not important. Likewise, the mystery of God is
something important to God and us, and we have to know about it for our salvation.
Second, everything hidden has an appointed time to be revealed. Likewise, the
mystery of God has its own appointed time to be revealed.
Luke 8:17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
The Disclosure of The Mystery of God
The fact that God hid something as mystery shows
that it has its own appointed time to be revealed. Therefore, when the time
comes we have to know the mystery of God.
Revelation 10:7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
The
mystery of God is a prophecy given to the prophets and they are recorded in the
bible as prophecies. When the appointed time for the fulfillment of the
prophecy comes, the mystery of God will be accomplished or in other words “revealed”.
And at that time we can know what the mystery of God is.
What
is the Mystery of God?
Then
what is the mystery of God hidden in the bible? What did God want to hide until
the appointed time? Let us find out what the mystery of God is.
Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The
mystery of God is the Christ, that is, God who appeared as man in the flesh
among his people. The Christ is the mystery of God. The Christ is described in
many different ways. Sometimes, he was called a king, or a high priest, or a
prophet. (John 19:37, Heb 5:8, Acts 3:22) However, in reality, he was God
himself who appeared as man. Then why was it necessary for God to appear as
man?
When
God appeared among his people on Mt. Sinai among the clouds and thunders in the
time of Exodus, God’s people got terrified by his appearance. They thought they
would die if they saw God and they heard from God directly. At that moment God
used Prophet Moses (a man) as mediator between God and His people. In this way,
God’s people could receive the words of God without having to face the glory of
God that frightened them.
Man
Moses and Man Jesus
Using
Moses a man as mediator was just a copy and shadow. This was given to show Man
Christ who would come as mediator between God and His people. Instead of
sending a prophet, God decided to come down as man in person to lead them. That
was Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 3:5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house.
Moses
was used by God to show the appearance of the Christ the true mediator who can
give eternal salvation to his people. According to this prophecy, Christ Jesus
came down from heaven to us. Even though he was called in many different ways,
he was God himself, who appeared as man to save his people. (Phil 2:6, Rom 9:5)
The Christ, Mystery of God
God
himself appeared as man and dwelled among his people, but his people did not
recognize him. To their eyes, he was a man just like one of them. They could
not see the divinity of God hidden in the flesh of Jesus.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….. 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….. 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.
Who was this man? Was he a man? Or God who came as man?
Behold,
The Man
Even though God came down to his people to teach them and lead them to salvation, they did not recognize him nor did they receive him. Rather, they rejected the Christ because they could see only his outward appearance without witnessing the glory of God hidden in the flesh. To their eyes Jesus as a mere man claiming to God. When Governor Pilate had Jesus stood in front of Jews, they shouted in one voice, “Crucify him!”. They rejected the Savior they had been waiting for because they saw only humanity in Jesus. Jews could only see physical aspects of Jesus
John 19:5 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look! Here is the man!
However,
the disciples of Jesus correctly testify that he was God who appeared as man.
And they could receive him and the salvation the Christ granted to his people
at his first appearance 2000 years ago.
John 1:14 The Word 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.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
Both
of the testimonies of John and Paul has an important message in it. Both of
them saw Jesus as man in the flesh. At once, however, they could see the
divinity hidden inside the man Christ. They recognized the man as the Christ or
God who appeared as man in the flesh.
Divinity
Hidden in the Flesh
Then
how could they recognize the divinity hidden in the flesh of the Christ? Peter
knew the truth of Jesus and he testifies about Jesus as such.
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.”
Unlike
the Jews of the time Peter knew the identity of Jesus Christ even though he
came as man. By testifying Jesus as the Son of God actually he was witnessing
that Jesus as God himself who came as man to fulfill the prophecies of bible.
(Isa 9:6) Then how could he know that Jesus was God?
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God.
He
could know Jesus was the one prophesied in the bible and he came from God to
fulfill the prophecies of the bible through “the words that give eternal life”.
Even though Jesus appeared as man, through the words and the teachings that
give eternal life he knew that Jesus was God because it is only God who can give
eternal life.
Mystery
of God in the Last Day
2000
years ago, Christ was the mystery to the Jews because they did not know who he
was. Only a small number of people chosen by God could see know the identity of
the Christ. According to the bible, the same thing will happen in the last day
when the Christ appears for the second time.
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 prophesies that the Christ, the Mystery of God would appear for the
second time as man in the flesh just as he appeared for the first time. And the
bible says he is the one who comes to give salvation. Then what will happen
when the man Christ comes again? Jesus already foretold that the same thing
will happen at that time.
The Second Coming Christ, Mystery of God
Luke 17:25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
About
his appearance in the last days, Jesus told that he would suffer many things as
his first coming and he would be rejected by the people of the generation as he
did 2000 years ago by his own generation. In this situation what is the way for
us to know the divinity of Christ hidden in the flesh? To the most people Christ
would be a mystery because they would see only the physical appearance of the
Second Coming Christ.
But
the people of God must be able to see the divinity hidden in the flesh and
recognize him. The bible teaches we can know the Christ only through the words
of eternal life.
The
Sign of The Man Christ
Then
what is the words of eternal life the Second Coming Christ brings to us?
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.
Christ
comes to give us salvation and he brings the words of eternal life for our
salvation. The words of eternal life are granting salvation of eternal life
through his flesh and blood, that is, the bread and wine of the Passover. The
one who brings the words of eternal life promised in the Passover is the man
Christ or God who comes as man in the flesh.
Today,
a man appeared and restored the Passover of the new covenant which got
abolished in 325 AD in the council of Nicaea. Even though he was man and lived
as man in every way, through the words of eternal life we have to know who he
is. Christ Ahnsahnghong brought back
the Passover and opened the way to the tree of life through the bread and wine
of the Passover.
“Behold, the man!”
Who
is he to us? We have to ask this question to ourselves and should get the right
answer for the question? Is he a man claiming to be God? Or a prophet? Or a
bible scholar? Or even a heretic? Or the man Christ, who is God the Savior who
came as man in the flesh for our salvation?
