The Two Temples
(A Christian Workbook)
Section 2: Chapter 6 – Fitly Joined Together: Unity
his
chapter picks up right where the previous one left off, for the principles of
unity and agreement (the subject of the previous study) cannot be separated.
Agreement is the “mortar” that holds the Christians in place as lively stones
in the Spiritual House. Yet agreement, and unity as its result, cannot come at
the expense of truth. The prophet says, “Because, even because they have
seduced my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ and there was no peace; and one built up a
wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar; say unto them which
daub it with untempered morter that it shall fall; there shall be an
overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind
shall rend it.” (Ezekiel 13:10, 11)
Those
who teach lies may indeed obtain agreement. They may indeed build a wall for a
house of spirits and form a bond of unity. It is written of even the wicked
forces at the end of the world, “Yah hath put in their hearts to fulfil His
will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of
Yah shall be fulfilled.” (Revelation 17:17) But the end of any building that is
structured on deceit will be destruction on the Day of Judgment. Recall that
the Foundation of the Temple of Yah is truth and integrity,
therefore if the foundation is not a Rock, and that Rock the Son of Yah, it
will be rent apart with hailstones, and it will fall before the wind of Yah’s
justice.
For
Christians there is a better place prepared. The Spirit Temple has walls that
are built on agreement: not only between men, but between men and the Creator.
This true agreement leads to an everlasting unity that will never be broken,
for as the foundation stands firm, so will the walls. This is true spiritual
health; just as Chapter 6 of Section 1 spoke of the principles of disease in
the natural world, so now we show the cure for much affliction spiritually.
We
alluded to the prayer of Christ for His disciples in the chapters before this
one, but it is presented here in its fullness, that we may see what He said.
Very few prayers of the Messiah are recorded in the Sacred Volumes, therefore
we must consider this one, the longest, of great significance. It spans an
entire chapter in the New Testament, and we read it thus:
“These
words spake Yahshua, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the
hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee; as thou hast
given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as
thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the
only true God, and Yahshua, the Messiah whom thou hast sent. I have glorified
thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
“‘And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had
with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which
thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and
they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou
hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou
gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out
from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
“‘I
pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me;
for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am
glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the
world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in
the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and
none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be
fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that
they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
“‘I
have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through
thy truth: thy word is truth.
“‘As
thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their word: That they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I
have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou
in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that
thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
“‘Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that
they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before
the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee:
but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared
unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast
loved me may be in them, and I in them.’” (John 17:1-26)
John 17
has been called the “Church Creed” of the Creation Seventh Day Adventist
Church. We have no document as our formal position on theology, aside from the
Bible. We have no external set of rules that qualifies an individual for being
numbered among us. Like the early Church, we seek those whom the Father has
called, and to whom He has revealed His Son. Through our word, those who seek
the justification of Christ find it, and the Scripture is fulfilled, “Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be
filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
This
chapter began with some strong words from the prophet Ezekiel, because the idea
of unity is one that has suffered much abuse in recent years. In other works,
such as the book A Sure Covenant, it is demonstrated from the Bible that
“unity of faith” means far more than a common declaration of the lordship of Christ
and a belief in the Cross. True unity is a covenant relationship, it is an
agreement as solemn as marriage, which was indeed given to man as a symbol of
the unity between the Father and Son, and thus the Godhead and mankind. True
unity is as fiercely intimate as the prayer in John 17 indicates. It is a
closeness that is shared by the Father and the Only Begotten, a union that
allows no denominational, traditional or practical separation.
Though
many of the concepts of this chapter have been examined in the previous
sections, we see here the importance of pulling together as one. The prayer in
John 17 reveals that Christianity that is not united is a falsehood, and it is
powerless to win any hearts. Yahshua asked the Father of His disciples, “That
they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also
may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the
glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we
are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou
hast loved me. “ (John 17:21-23)
Let
none miss the significance of those words, repeated as they were for emphasis.
Twice He prays that His followers be in unity “that the world may believe/know
that [Yah] hast sent [the Son].” If we are not one, the world will not know
this. As I pointed out in the last chapter, unbelievers cannot be wholly blamed
for their position, due to their observation that the professed witnesses for
Christ are not in agreement with each other. The words of the Redeemer have
proven to be true.
It is
also of note that Yahshua reveals the source of the power by which unity is
possible. He says, “the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they
may be one.” We become one because of the shared glory. Peter writes of our
relationship to the Almighty in these words, “Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of Yah, and of Yahshua our Lord, according as
His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and
virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that
by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:2-4)
When we
come into agreement with Yah through the Sacrifice of the Son, we become “partakers
of the divine nature,” and the glory to which He called us is revealed both to
us and through us to others. When this glory is revealed, we have the means by
which we become “one.” The word “glory” as given in John 17 is from the Greek doxa,
from which we get the word “doxology,” a prayer or hymn of praise. Its basic
meaning is “opinion,” or “judgment,” although Biblically it is generally used
to mean brightness, splendor, majesty, excellence, etc. But knowing that, how
do we apply these definitions?
The
answer is very simple. When you give doxa to Yahweh, you praise Him, you exalt
Him by submitting your judgment and opinions to His own. You agree with His
decrees, you find yourself in harmony with His character and majesty, and thus
you declare Him both directly and indirectly to be worthy of your loyalty,
trust and worship. By doing so you “glorify” Him, and cause His presence to
shine before others. Yahshua, by submitting His will to that of His Father,
could truly say that He had glorified Him on this earth. We, who walk as He
walked, now say the same, for He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12)
When we
give glory to Yah, when we surrender to His plan for our lives and thus partake
of the divine nature (the same Spirit that motivated the Son), we find that our
fellowship with the Godhead necessarily expands to encompass those who are also
members of that fellowship. In a past CSDA sermon it was explained that the
kingdom of Yah is like the wheel of a wagon. In the center of the wheel, the
very hub of all things, is the Throne of Yah. Believers are like spokes on the
wheel, and it can be easily observed that though the spokes come from all directions,
the closer they get to the center of the wheel, the closer they are – by the
very nature of that wheel – to each other.
True
unity for every believer, for every “spoke,” comes when they are all “one” with
the Center. We find, as we examine the parable, that the “end point” of every
spoke is in the hub, thus the end point of the Gospel, the objective of
evangelism and teaching, is to bring all the worshippers into unity. At this
point, they are truly the Spirit Temple, with the stones as united in harmony
as parts of a human body. “But speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up
into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ; from whom the whole
body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15, 16)
Never
more clearly was this demonstrated than in the record of the early Church, as
Peter preached the risen Savior to the Hebrews who had gathered in Jerusalem
for the day of Pentecost. After delivering his speech, we read that he made
this conclusion: “Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Yahshua the Messiah for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to
your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Yahweh our
Almighty One shall call.’ And with many other words did he testify and exhort,
saying, ‘Save yourselves from this untoward generation.’” (Acts 2:38-40)
And
here we see the Gospel’s purpose being fulfilled: “Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear
came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And
all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their
possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
“And
they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
praising Yah and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the
church daily such as should be saved.” (verses 41-47)
Peter
preached the Gospel, and the result was a set of believers that “had all things
common,” and praised Yah with “singleness of heart,” each one esteeming others
better than himself, each one giving what he did not need to those who did have
need. This was the result of the Gospel in the first century. It is the result
of the Gospel in the last century. Wherever the true Gospel is preached in
power, the people will come together in unity. This is doxa: this is
glory.
We read
Christ’s parable of the last days, in which He says, “The kingdom of heaven is
likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his
enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the
blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So
the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou
sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them,
‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we
go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares,
ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest:
and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “Gather ye together first
the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my
barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24-30)
When He
was explaining the parable a few verses later, Yahshua specified that “He that
soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed
are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked
one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the
world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man
shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things
that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of
fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear,
let him hear.” (Matthew 13:37-43)
In
these last days, there is a separation taking place between those who truly
serve Yah, and those who do not. Even before the Son of Man comes, the
messengers of His will are seeking out the two classes, the wheat and the
tares, and separating them. The tares are bound together, and the wheat are
gathered together; both are in distinct places – the tares in a bundle to be
burned, and the wheat in the Barn. We note that the tares are gathered to be
burned, but are not burned yet, until the Judge comes. We note also that the
wheat are not yet taken to their final home, this also occurs when the Son
arrives at the conclusion of the angels’ work; (2 Timothy 4:8) when the tares
are cast into the fire and the “righteous shine forth as the sun.” But until
that time the wheat are in “the Barn,” a place in which they are gathered. This
Barn is shown to us in the passage from Acts 2, and the prayer in John 17. It
is a state of unity, a communion of saints in perfect harmony, and a Church
with the power that comes from Yahweh, and from its members being in full and
perfect agreement.
While
much more could be said on the subject of unity, and whole books have indeed
been written, we seek to grasp the principle and importance here. We read of a
time of trouble coming upon the earth, but we read also that through this time
will come a people who have no reason to fear, because they are in union with
the Creator, and in unity with each other. Of them it is said, “And after these
things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the
four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the
sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having
the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels,
to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, ‘Hurt not the
earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our
God in their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and
there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of
the children of Israel.” (Revelation 7:1-4)
“And I
looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty
and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I
heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a
great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps; and
they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts,
and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and
four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were
not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the
Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the
firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile:
for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:1-5)
This is
Israel after the Spirit, not “Israel after the flesh.” (1 Corinthians 10:18,
and see Appendix E) They have the foundation of truth. They have the
forgiveness of Yah and have found their places in His plan. They have lives
free of Teraphim, and thus praise the Almighty with a pure heart. The
communication of the members of this company is earnest and pure, and they have
found agreement with each other. They are in perfect unity, and they are
heading for their place of rest. All of this is the result of the glory of the
Gospel, and the fulfillment of the promise of Christ. This is the Spirit
Temple.
Quotations:
True unity as humans is based on the unity shared by the Father and Son:
“The personality of the Father and the Son, also the unity that exists between
Them, are presented in the seventeenth chapter of John, in the prayer of Christ
for His disciples: [John 17:20, 21 quoted]. The unity that exists between
Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are
one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God
and Christ are one.” [The Ministry of Healing, page 422]
“Think
of the importance Christ places on unity. He prayed that the oneness existing
between Him and His Father might exist among His followers, that the world might
know that God had indeed sent His Son into the world to save sinners. How shall
this prayer be answered?--By every believer putting away evil thinking and evil
speaking.” [Pacific Union Recorder, March 13, 1902]
“Christ
is one with the Father, but God and Christ are two distinct Personages. Read
the prayer of Christ in the seventeenth chapter of John, and you will find this
point clearly brought out. How earnestly the Saviour prayed that His disciples
might be one with Him as He was one with the Father.” [The Upward Look,
page 153]
Unity
becomes possible as individuals draw near to Yah:
“If we draw nigh to God, we shall draw nigh to one another. We cannot draw nigh
to the same cross without coming into unity of spirit. Christ prayed that His
disciples should be one as He and the Father are one. We should seek to be one
in spirit and in understanding. We should seek to be one that God may be
glorified in us as He was glorified in the Son, and God will love us as He
loves His Son.” [That I May Know Him, page 246]
“The
Bible sets before us a model church. They are to be in unity with each other
and with God. When believers are united to Christ the living vine, the result
is that they are one with Christ, full of sympathy and tenderness and love.” [The
Remnant Church; Its Organization, Authority, Unity, and Triumph, page 13]
“All
true children of God will reveal to the world their union with Christ and with
their brethren. Those in whose hearts Christ abides will bear the fruit of
brotherly love. They will realize that as members of God’s family they are
pledged to cultivate, cherish, and perpetuate Christian love and fellowship, in
spirit, words, and action.” [The General Conference Bulletin, July 1,
1900]
Unity
with Yah means unity with believers:
“Christianity is not a half-and-half work--a service of God and mammon--but a
full conversion to God. Christians have an understanding of spiritual things
which unites them with Christ and with one another in love. There is no
undecided work about true conversion. It is the work of the Holy Spirit upon
human character.” [Manuscript Releases Volume Seventeen, page 44]
“The
closer our union with Christ, the closer will be our union with one another.
Variance and disaffection, selfishness and conceit, are striving for supremacy.
These are the fruits of a divided heart, open to the suggestions of the enemy
of souls. Satan exults when he can sow seeds of dissension.” [Sons and
Daughters of God, page 286]
“The
members of the church of God on this earth are as the different parts of a
machine, all closely related to one another, and all closely related to and
dependent on one great center. There is to be unity in diversity. No member of
the Lord’s firm can work successfully in independence, detached from the
others.” [Testimonies to Southern Africa, page 58]
The
unity of believers gives truth to their witness:
“Unity existing among the followers of Christ is an evidence that the Father
has sent His Son to save sinners. It is a witness to His power; for nothing
short of the miraculous power of God can bring human beings with their
different temperaments together in harmonious action, their one aim being to
speak the truth in love.” [Testimonies for the Church Volume Nine, page
194]
“The
most convincing argument we can give to the world of Christ’s mission is to be
found in perfect unity. Such oneness as exists between the Father and the Son
is to be manifest among all who believe the truth. Those who are thus united in
implicit obedience to the word of God will be filled with power.” [Bible
Training School, February 1, 1906]
“While
it is true that the Lord guides individuals, it is also true that He is leading
out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there, one believing this
thing, another that. Angels of God are doing the work committed to their trust.
The third angel is leading out and purifying a people, and they should move
with him unitedly.” [God’s Amazing Grace, page 110]
Questions:
1) What is my understanding of the Kingdom of Yah that, while not of the earth,
has begun on the earth?
2) Do I
often find it difficult to understand or to relate to what the members of my
Church are discussing?
3) Do I
work in close connection with my brethren in spreading the Gospel to mankind?
4) Do I
have a knowledge of my spiritual gifts, and seek to use them to edify the Body
of Christ?
5) Do I
have a knowledge of the spiritual gifts of those around me?
6) Do I
give Yah praise for the people He has placed around me for fellowship?
7) Am I
often tempted with feelings of jealousy?
8) How
do I deal with temptations to become impatient with the problems of others?
9) Do I
find it difficult to trust the members of the Church with my efforts, time,
spiritual gifts, tithes or offerings?
10) Are
the members of my congregation “those people I see once or twice a week?”
11) Do
I believe I am growing in faith and holiness through my connection with my
Church?
12) Can
I say, “My pastor (and elders, and fellow members) and I are one?”
Exercise:
After contemplating and, if possible, discussing with others the above
questions, find a verse or passage of the Bible that gives a promise or an
answer for each.
