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continuation...
The pastors in Israel made themselves very rich. As a result, they neglected their duties to the organization. God’s organizational set up was lost. Israel had fallen; the flocks were scattered; they lost a pastor or shepherd who truly cared for them. Although the pastors were not literally gone, however, all of them were only after material gains. What happened later on?
II Chronicles 15:3 says--
“Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.”
In other words, God abandoned Israel.We have read in II Kings 5:15 15 that there was no God, then, on earth except in Israel. During that time, God was with them, but now, Israel is without a God, and without a teaching priest. Why? They were replaced by shameless and greedy pastors. And that is how most pastors are in our time. No wonder we experience so many earthquakes and other calamities. Many pastors today are only interested in the money of their members. They sell them handkerchiefs, stickers, and magazines. They make a lot of money out of their members.
That was what happened to Israel then. That was the reason why God cursed them. So, they were scattered and they were driven to different places. Now, will God let His church be disintegrated and scattered for long? Will God completely abandon them? This is what Psalms 147:2 says--
“The Lord doeth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.”
The scattered sheep will once again be gathered together by God. He will raise Israel up again. That is what God wants. God didn’t want His people to be scattered for long. He will find a way on how to rebuild what had fallen. How will He do it?
Amos 9:11 says--
“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breeches thereof: and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.”
What had fallen will be raised up again. Therefore, God didn’t want His flock to be scattered. He will rebuild Israel. What will He do to rebuild it? Will He descend from heaven to personally rebuild it? How will He do it? This is the prophecy in
Zechariah 6:12--
“And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of host, saying, Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.”
In the prophecy, there is a man whose name is Branch. Where will that Branch emerge from? Read
Jeremiah 23:5--
“Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign.”
So, the Branch will come from David. Do we have any proof? Jeremiah 33:15 says--
“In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up into David.”
The man, whose name is Branch, will raise up the tabernacle of David that had fallen. And this refers to Israel, the city of God . . . the church of the firstborn . . . the church in the wilderness, which fell because of the abusive pastors. Who will raise it up? It will be raised up by the man who shall spring from David, and his name is Branch. Who is He? Let us read
Revelations 22:16--
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
Who is the offspring of David? Who is the Branch? CHRIST! Therefore, Christ, who also came from Israel, will be commissioned by God to raise up Israel which had fallen. In fact, this is what Matthew 15:24 says--
“But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
What did our Lord Jesus say? “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He was sent to gather them all together. That is why Christ became an instrument in raising up Israel, which had fallen. Did Christ fulfill this when He came? This is what Matthew 16:18 says--
“And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church …”
Is that the first church? No! But there is a religious organization that considers Mat. 16:18 as the first church ever. That is not the first! The first was Israel, but it fell. God wanted it to be rebuilt. And in order to rebuild it, God will send a man whose name is Branch. And that is Christ. He will rebuild what had fallen. This is the reason why, when Christ came, He said--
“And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”
Why will He raise the church up? The church in the wilderness, the church of the firstborn, which is Israel, had fallen. So when Christ came, He shall rebuild it. Israel was ruined. It was abused by the pastors. But this time, it will be different.Matthew 16:18 says--
“And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Its rebuilding was accompanied with a promise. Because the first church was destroyed by abusive pastors, this time, when Christ rebuilds it, He gave an assurance that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What does that mean? Was He able to rebuild the church? Jesus said,“I will rebuild my church.”
Was He able to do it? If He did, where was it built? Is it in the Philippines? in the far east? in Rome? in the US? If it had been rebuilt, how is it called? What is its name?
Are you interested to find these things out? These are what we are going to study next time.
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Bible
Finding
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