From Today's Torah Portion: Exodus 35:1
And
Moses gathered (Vaya - K'hel or Kahol - gather an assembly) all the
congregation (Edah) of the children of Israel together, and said unto them,
These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them.
Speaking
of "WORDS", let's stop here and consider a few words that have been
used and misused in the past which have created a heap of confusion today.
1.
CHURCH - (Old English word "Circe")
What does this word mean to people today?
a) Pertains to Christiansb) Predominant mental picture is a building to which Christians go to on Sundays
c) The world-wide Body of Christ that was birthed after Jesus rose from the dead
2.
SYNOGOGUE - (Gr. sunogoge - came about during Babylonian exile) First Thought?
a) Pertains to Jewsb) Predominant mental picture is a building to which Jews go on Saturdays
3.
TEMPLE - (In Hebrew this was Beit YHWH) First Thought?
a) The two Jewish Houses of God,
both destroyed, Solomon's and Herod'sb) Buddhist Temple, LDS/Mormon Temple
c) Third Temple for the Millennial Kingdom - Hmm, Jewish or Christian?
4.
TABERNACLE - (Hebrew: Mishkan) First Thought?
a) Jewish predecessor in the
wilderness to the Jewish Templeb) Christian/Mormon hijack for branding: i.e. Brooklyn Tabernacle, Mormon Tabernacle
5.
CATHEDRAL - First Thought?
a) Humongous Catholic Edifice
We
would probably do well to ditch the use of all of these terms today because
they all detract from the truth of what Yeshua came to establish here on earth.
His purpose was not to build buildings.
Matt.
16:18 (Young's Literal Translation) And I
also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly,
and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Acts 7:
48-49 However,
the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet
says: (Is. 66:1) HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET;
WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS
THERE FOR MY REPOSE?
So,
what did YHWH call His people and what did Yeshua call his Father's people
according to the Bible?
* In Hebrew they were the Edah or
Congregation AND they were called the Kahol or Assembly
* In Greek they were the Ekklesia which
meant an Assembly
But the
point is that the Church did not begin with the first coming of the Messiah
2,000 years ago. Simply put, God has
always been about gathering an ASSEMBLY of His own people, chosen, called out,
set apart, made holy unto Himself for the purpose of fellowship and communion
with Himself; His people must be free from the bondage of sin and governed and
ruled by Himself to live in harmony with one another according to His will and
His authority, obeying His statutes and His Torah (Instruction). God
established a RELATIONSHIP with His people at Mt. Sinai, He met with them in
the Tabernacle and Temple in the Holy of Holies. But because of His great sacrifice and work
on the CROSS, He now has a relationship with His people on a one to one basis
by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in the heart of every Believer!
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