Moses in Ex. 19:6 Saying to Israel
‘And you Shall be to Me a kingdom of Priests,
a holy nation’ – Has Become a ‘stolen’
Bible Passage in Christian Times!
Moses in Ex. 19:6 Saying to Israel
‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests,
a holy nation’ - Has Become a ‘stolen’
Bible Passage in Christian times!
JAN LILLEBY
The quotation from Exodus 19 of …kingdom of priests, a holy nation…Moses telling the Israelites on the plain below Mt. Horeb – has become one of the most misunderstood, or perhaps even stolen Bible passage in Christian times.
Sects and cults have been built upon that passage.
One of these is the infamous Latter Day Saints/Mormons with headquarters in Salt Lake City. Founded by Joseph Smith in his time, as he used a fabricated false tale - ‘Book of Moroni’ – a mystical book he said was found by the help of an angel. The book was made with gold pages. It was never ever presented physically by Smith, he just told the gullible believers that the angel had taken this book away! And the Mormons still believe such a fantasy – just as much as they believe that they actually are the kingdom of priests told in Ex. 19:5, 6. They deliberately overlook the stern facts, that those words were spoken exclusively to Israel in the wilderness below Mt. Horeb.
Recently I came across a YouTube video published by some believers of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in which the heading quotes from that Bible passage of Ex. 19:5, 6 which the producers of that video propagate as some promises God have given to the Mormon Church!
Actually the video says that Ex. 19:5, 6 is teaching of the Latter Day Saints/Mormons – and thus saying: We are the people mentioned in Ex. 19:5, 6 – we are that kingdom of priests, a holy nation. This, of course, excludes every other denomination from that promise. The Mormons also in the same interpretation excludes Israel – for it clearly says that Moses spoke to the Israelites present there below Mt. Horeb, three months after their exodus from Egypt. It was the early Israel in the wilderness which had these words/promises of God told them by Moses, and nobody else in the entire world.
Peter the apostle, confirms the words in Ex. 19:5, 6 as promises given only to Israel, 1 Pet. 2:9,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation. God’s own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Moses pointed to Christ in Ex. 18 – you know…which Peter referred to in Acts 3:22, 23 – so that we understand Ex. 19:5, 6 is a passage directly connected to the promised Messiah (Christ) Who should one day arrive in Israel. Thus the words of Moses, repeated 1450 years later by Peter, - kingdom of priests, a holy nation – pointed to Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God Who would be that King in that nation (after Israel first had received their King, Jesus!).
Peter linked the two together: That you (the believing Israel) may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him (Jesus) Who called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.
The apostles used the entire time told in Acts to offer to Israel that promised kingdom (Dan. 2:44), since God charged Israel to repent and believe on Jesus so He could send Jesus back down to Israel to establish that kingdom. But Israel refused (as a nation) and only a minority received Jesus. Israel’s final downfall is told in Acts 28:25-28 as we find Christ’s special messenger Paul, confronting the Sanhedrin at Rome in 60-62 AD. They were the final resort, the point of no return regarding Israel to either be saved from doom and destruction, or be given over to destruction. We know from history that it was the latter. Rome obliterated Israel and shipped thousands of war prisoners down to Alexandria to be sold as slaves (Deut. 28:68) – as also told by Flavius Josephus the historian.
The Latter Day Saints/Mormons are lying – for only Israel had these words of becoming a kingdom for God told them. And Moses told them that such a glory came with conditions: IF THEY OBEYED THE VOICE OF THEIR GOD (Ex. 19:5).
Their rejection of Christ – which was ultimately happening in 60-62 AD with Paul meeting the Sanhedrin at Rome – was the very same as NOT taking heed to God’s voice, His Messiah Jesus. Thus the doom took them in the years 66-70 AD as the Jews made a revolt.
I could add to this, that also the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization (Watchtower Society) does much of the same sort of theft of promises made by God to Israel. They have that special false teaching, about the 144 000 witnesses in Rev. 7 and 14 made up to be an elite of believers among Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have taken this prophecy in Rev. 7 and 14 of the twelve tribes of Israel in the Great Tribulation, to be a prophecy of themselves. Disregarding the fact that Rev. 7 and 14 speaks of 12 000 Jews (!) out of each tribe, making up a total of 144 000 chosen witnesses. Revelation even mention them by specific names, from every tribe of the sons of Israel….this leaves no room for misunderstanding! This is about the future physical ‘real world’ Israel as the prophesied Great Tribulation is going on. Their tribal names are:
Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.
Try to call one of their leaders in New York State, where their world headquarters is, asking him of which one of the twelve tribes he belongs to!!
Not even Israelites of our time have the slightest clue as to which tribe they really come from. All the files and protocols disappeared during the destruction in 70 AD.
Like the Mormons have stolen to themselves the promises of becoming a kingdom of priests, like in Ex. 19:5, 6, - so the Jehovah’s Witnesses has stolen another part of Biblical passages, that with the 144 000 Jews (Tribes of Israel, rather).
How can anyone ever take these cults seriously? How can anyone believe on such rubbish?
They appear to me as confused spiritual stand-ups, and not at all people of the Christian faith. Christianity has rejected these, among several, as non-Christian cults/sects.
So, be aware now that words spoken once upon a time, like those in Ex. 19 and Rev. 7 – were spoken ONLY to Israel in the narrative as a nation for God. In our time Israel is NOT a nation of God. They fell from that status as they rejected Jesus, like seen in Acts 28:25-28.
After their rejection, the gospel of salvation was sent out to us Gentiles by the ministry of Paul. The epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians are containing the Grace Gospel to us while Israel as a nation still must be regarded as fallen away from God.
But soon comes the time when God shall call Israel back to Himself, via the prophesied Great Tribulation. Jesus will come from heaven when that seven-year tribulation is ended, and establishes His Kingdom in Israel. Then Ex. 19 and the promise of a kingdom will be fulfilled!
This kingdom will be neither the Latter Day Saints/Mormons, nor the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but a new established Israel ruled by the presence of Jesus Christ among them. Gabriel’s words to Mary will come true, Luke 1:33,
“And He (Jesus) will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end.”
Even classic Christian denominations have taken that Bible passage out of context, applying it on themselves to some extent.
I heard a pastor in a ‘Word of Faith’ church here in Norway a few years back, who held a whole seminar on that topic. Using Ex. 19:5, 6 as if this is a word to the Church in our time! He took basis in 1 Pet. 2:9 – which says the same as Ex. 19:5, 6 – telling his congregation that this was for the Church. How totally out of line can a pastor get….?
It is also well known that the Law of Moses and the ordinances are practiced much in the Adventist assemblies. Sabbath and several other ordinances.
The Baptists are promoting water baptism, yet the Bible says there are but ‘One baptism’ – which is a baptism not in water, but in the faith: We are baptized the very moment we come to faith in Christ, - baptized into His death, and thus also raised with Him. Paul likens this move of God with getting a spiritual circumcision, not done by (human) hands – Col. 2:11, 12. This is the same as that ‘one baptism’ in Eph. 4, 5. The water-rite was used by Moses to clean Aaron ceremonially before he could enter the Tabernacle to come as a priest before God. You find this kind of baptism in Lev. 16 and 17. It was a cleansing ritual for the priesthood. When John stood forth, he baptized the Jews, in the context of the entire nation Israel which was to become a Royal priesthood with Jesus as their king. Using this ritual to point to Him, Jesus, Who shortly would stand forth and start His ministry to the nation. But using this water-rite in the Church dispensation? No, thanks. We follow our apostle Paul, and not Moses. According to Eph. 2:14, 15 we find that the entire Law and its commandments are abolished. It is gone forever. As is all holy feast days, Sabbaths, food ordinances, New Moons…and all of that.
Pentecostal movements in our time are keeping up their persistent faith in the Sign Gifts as gifts which believers of our time can use and minister with. Healings, exorcism, tongues, prophecy, etcetera. But such things were only for Israel, to be signs and proof of the apostles having been sent them by God. These signs were never meant for us Gentiles. Check out the article here in my site on Azusa-Revival….which was a false ‘Pentecost’ with false signs and false tongues. There exists no Christian believer in our time who possesses such genuine God given power gifts as those given the apostles in their day. There are no apostles or prophets in the world today. It’s the truth. These ministries were given Israel under the Law and added also to it the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15).
Christianity must quit using the Law of Moses and many of the ordinances (baptism is one of them) as words given to the Church dispensation, for it was given exclusively to Israel only.
If Paul tells us that the Law and its commandments were abolished – then ALL OF THE OLD TESTAMENT is also made out of effect. But it remains as a historical document of course. We cannot come dragging the O.T. into our Grace Gospel sermons. These have nothing in common regarding faith doctrine.
We stick to Paul’s free Grace Gospel as taught in Ephesians and Colossians.
Neither can we use the four historic Gospels as if they are faith doctrine to the Church. Only Paul was chosen by Christ to come to us Gentiles with a message of salvation. Peter and the twelve were sent to Israel only (Gal. 2:5-8).
Actually, Paul had already been out with his free Grace Gospel in 62-67 AD – which means that our apostle had filled the Asia Minor and its cities with his salvation message 18-20 years BEFORE one could buy and read Matthew’s gospel, Mark’s and John’s. Matthew came between 80-85 AD! Mark 83 AD, and John around 92-93 AD. Luke is disputed, as 62 at the earliest…but most probably it came after the war, 73 AD. That is why we cannot find one single quote from any of these four in Ephesians and Colossians.
Jesus saw to it that Paul was kept in jail, hence Paul’s own saying: I am the prisoner of Jesus Christ on behalf of you Gentiles (Eph. 3:1).
In these two Grace Gospel revelations of Paul you cannot find anything regarding Jewry, holidays to keep, ordinances to keep, nor can you find Paul or any of his nine fellow helpers going to the Synagogues anymore. No water baptism is practiced; no sign gifts are operating, no exorcisms, or tongues, or interpretation of tongues. No laying on of hands for healing, no nothing! It is just not there. But if you turn to Acts – it is all over the place! Or in the epistles written during the Acts period.
The very last and final sign gift in operation can be seen in Acts 28, as Paul healed the sick at Malta, and he had the gift of protection from snake bites. But after he arrived at Rome, none of these miracle gifts are found in operation anymore.
You cannot find the Church in O.T. Scriptures, or in N.T. Scriptures - with the exception of Ephesians and Colossians what concerns faith doctrine. The Church was a secret kept in God, a Mystery, until God revealed this to Paul after that Israel had fallen away from God as His nation. Eph. 3:1-9.
