THE EKKLESIA AND ISRAEL
Josimar Salum
The word EKKLESIA appears the first three times in the New Testament in the Gospel of Matthew.
“17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the EKKLESIA. But if he refuses even to hear the EKKLESIA, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”” Matthew 18:17-20 NKJV
EKKLESIA, a secular word, in the Greek world was an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating.
This concept goes beyond our romantic view of the church. There are gatherings for singing, clapping, dancing, prayer and to hear a message from the pulpit. This is good. This is what we call church. But precisely it is not the EKKLESIA Jesus is building up.
For the sake of making my point let me make a distinction today between the word Church and the word Ekklesia. And it is not merely a matter of translation, but it is about the meaning of the word EKKLESIA.
The first one is institutional, it is about organizational, but EKKLESIA is the living assembly of the disciples of Christ.
The EKKLESIA as an ongoing meeting in the invisible world is the Body of Christ.
Individually in the visible world we are Kings in the Kingdom of Jesus.
When we meet together we are the EKKLESIA. EKKLESIA happens, but the KINGDOM is.
First the church we know today is fragmented denominationally, theologically and functionally.
It is up to true apostles, to true prophets, to true evangelists, to true pastors and to true teachers to convene and converge the EKKLESIA as a body of authority in their regions and spheres of influence beyond singing, clapping, dancing, prayer and preaching.
Second, the church we know today has lost the apostolical authority as it was experienced by the first apostles.
God is raising true apostles and true prophets today that operate in Kingdom authority not related to their ecclesiastical structures but based solely on their relationship with Jesus and to one another to further God’s will on Earth in all spheres of society.
Third, the Doctrine of the Apostles (the Didache) has been diluted and reduced in confessions of faith and creeds and by the shallow meaning that it was given to the Church historically. It is the EKKLESIA only, ONLY if there is demonstration of Kingdom authority.
The EKKLESIA preaches the Word of the Kingdom with the Authority of the Messiah and in there, there is respect, demonstration of power and from there there is trembling in the kingdoms of this world.
Fourth, we do need to humble ourselves, melt our hearts and be truly baptized by the Spirit forming the Body of Christ as a community of heavenly authority who brings the Kingdom of Heaven down.
The prayers and the preaching of the EKKLESIA are consequential and are backed up by actions and visible demonstration of authority.
Fifth and ultimately, the exercise of Binding and Loosing has been turned into opinions, democratic manifestations and human viewpoints of the best theologians, of those who wins the narrative.
There was the authority of Christ, the Name of Christ, the Power of Christ, the Blood of Christ and the Word of Christ.
I connect the authority of Christ with the Apostles, the Name of Christ with the Prophets, the Power of Christ with the Evangelists, the Blood of Christ with the Pastors and the Word of Christ with the Teachers.
Here comes Jesus, our King:
Again I say to you that IF TWO OF YOU AGREE ON EARTH concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. This agreement is not based in unity, it is based on ONENESS.
God waits for a symphony of two that are established on Earth so He can do exactly what these two agree. Two are the starting point. They are not two voices in agreement, they have become ONE VOICE. This is not the voices of those crying in the desert, it is the ONE VOICE.
The EKKLESIA is not a company of many but a symphonic body of those in total agreement about the Kingdom manifestations of God.
There is only total agreement through the mutual blending of those who are humble and broken to the point they know the deepest will of God within. They hold the keys of the Kingdom AS ONE.
18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build MY EKKLESIA, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”” Matthew 16:18-19 NKJV
The EKKLESIA is One and the Kingdom is One.
And Jesus has given the keys of the Kingdom of heaven not to one man, but to His EKKLESIA, that He calls MY EKKLESIA. It is to the ONE people that exercise heavenly authority over principalities and powers and doing so deliver people of cities and nations.
The authority to bind and loose is given to the EKKLESIA. And this is exactly what defines EKKLESIA: this binding and loosing authority.
Generally we, preachers see the world and its affairs always through a theological view point.
Tell the preachers that theology is not the main worldview, even the church is not the main worldview, like we see in our western cities.
The city is centered by a main square and in the middle there is a big building we still call church.
The Kingdom is the biblical worldview. Because we will live forever not before an altar, but around the Throne.
We are not called out to come in, but to stay out and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to make disciples of all nations. Doing life together is the business of the Kingdom.
WHERE IS ISRAEL?
For us to see Israel in the perspective of the true EKKLESIA we may need to put our theological convictions aside. The simplicity of the Scriptures challenges each of us to set aside our hermeneutics, theological traditions, confessions of faith and creeds.
First the Jews and also the Greek (the non Jews).
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16 NKJV
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both ONE, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,” Ephesians 2:14 NKJV
Worth of notice is the fact that the earlier Church was made only by Jews. Then the Gentiles were converted and the Church was made by both. But Israel didn’t not cease to exist and it was not replaced by the Church. There are Jews and there are Gentiles, they are Jews and gentiles and only in the body of Christ they were made ONE.
“51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in ONE the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:51-52 NKJV
“16 And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 18 For through Him we both have access by ONE Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:16, 18 NKJV
The EKKLESIA has to proclaim today the following biblical eternal messages:
1. THE PROMISE TO ABRAHAM IS STILL VALID AND RELEVANT NOWADAYS.
“2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”” Genesis 12:2-3 NKJV
“6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 8 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:6-9 NKJV
God however did not invalidate all His promises and words for the People of Israel. They are being fulfilled in the last 2000 years.
2. WE OUGHT TO PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalms 122:6 NKJV
There shall be peace in Jerusalem and Israel only through the Prince of Peace. To pray for the Peace of Jerusalem is to pray for the salvation of God’s People.
“11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” John 1:11-12 NKJV
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”
Romans 10:1 NKJV
The promise to Abraham is still valid and relevant nowadays.
“6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom…” Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV
We ought to pray for the Shalom of Jerusalem as pleading to our God to pour out His Spirit to Israel as much as He does outpour His Spirit to all nations. The Shalom of Israel is Yeshua the Son of Hashem.
That was a promise firstly for the Jews.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… ” Acts 1:8 NKJV
“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.””
Acts 2:39 NKJV
3. WE MUST BE ON THE VANGUARD TO SUPPORT ISRAEL AS NATION.
“1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.” Isaiah 60:1-5 NKJV
THE EKKLESIA IS THE LARGEST NATION OF THE PLANET WHO BLESSES AND SUPPORTS ISRAEL. THIS IS A FACT!
The EKKLESIA understands God’s designs for Israel through the Scriptures, that are aligned with His will to make us all ONE.
“And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is ONE,” And His name ONE.” Zechariah 14:9 NKJV
As we are all ONE, Jews and Gentiles, we serve the One Lord that is named ONE.
#ASONE
