The Church: A Called Out Assembly

[Last Daze]

Because of some recent posts concerning Israel, the twelve tribes, the New Jerusalem, the church, the body of Christ, etc. I've been looking into the term ekklesia which means "a called out assembly" which is often translated "church" in the New Testament.

From what I've read, an early (BC) ekklesia was usually summoned by trumpet or other means to take care of some political matter.  When the Septuagint (greek translation of the OT) was written in 280 BC the word ekklesia was used many times as a reference to the congregation of Israel.  So, churches or called out assemblies predate the birth of Christ by centuries.

What then defines the congregation or assemblies called out by God?  Some observations I've been considering:

• God called Israel out from Egypt - the physical ekklesia
• God called on Israel to be faithful - OT saints - obedience - spiritual ekklesia
• God calls all to faith in Christ - NT saints - obedience - spiritual ekklesia
• The spiritual ekklesia of faith is both the OT & NT saints
• The NT saints are the body of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit
• The spiritual ekklesia (OT & NT saints) is the bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem
• The physical ekklesia (Israel) is being called out to return to their homeland for end time purposes.

I'd like to read other's thoughts on the subject.  If you want to reference an external site please just post the link and not the entire article.  I'm not giving carte blanche approval to these sites but a couple I've looked at are:

Christ's Ekklesia and The Church Compared

Church "ekklesia" in the Old Testament

I put this in the prophecy section because it seems to influence a lot of people's eschatology.

[Marilyn C]

Hi Last Daze,

Interesting topic there. I see that God`s word delineates between the OT Ekklesia & the Ekklesia of the Body of Christ.

`you have come....to the General Assembly & Ekklesia of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, & to God the Judge of all, & to the spirits of righteous men made perfect. `(Heb. 12: 23)

Marilyn.

[Last Daze]

Hi Last Daze,

Interesting topic there. I see that God`s word delineates between the OT Ekklesia & the Ekklesia of the Body of Christ.

`you have come....to the General Assembly & Ekklesia of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, & to God the Judge of all, & to the spirits of righteous men made perfect. `(Heb. 12: 23)

Marilyn.

Hi Marilyn,

I agree that there is a delineation between the OT & NT ekklesia.  I also think that there is a similarity in that they are both of faith.  They are the ones who responded when called to live by faith.  Together they make up the bride of Christ.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.  It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.  There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.  And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.  Revelation 21:9-14

As this passage points out, the bride of Christ is the holy city which reflects both OT saints as well as NT saints.  This is the called out congregation, the ekklesia of the faithful, the spiritual church, who chose obedience over ritual or lip service. 

This gives me reason to reconsider what I've always heard described as the "church age".  I think a more accurate description of the time of the NT saints would be the "Holy Spirit age" or "body of Christ age" or something like that.  The called out congregation (church) that Christ marries clearly consists of both OT & NT saints and that age began long before the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

[WilliamL]

 

• The spiritual ekklesia of faith is both the OT & NT saints...
• The physical ekklesia (Israel) is being called out to return to their homeland for end time purposes.

These are two key points the Church has often misunderstood, but no one can understand the course of End Time events without acknowledging them.

[Marilyn C]

Hi Last Daze,

Here is something for you to think on. Why did God make the `Body of Christ` if we all go to the same place? Remembering that the Gentiles could come into the blessing of Israel before there was a Body of Christ. Some are mentioned in Hebrews hall of fame, (ch. 11) So then, why a Body of Christ? What is this purpose of `marriage?` What does that mean?

Hope you can have a go at these important thoughts. Marilyn.

[Ezra]

The Church is far more than simply "a called out assembly" (the basic meaning) and that is fully discussed in Paul's epistles.  And all the saints from Abel until the Rapture are included in the Church (Jews and Gentiles in one Body until the Rapture). While "the spirits of just men made perfect" refers to the OT saints, the fact that all these saints will be included in the Resurrection/Rapture means that there will be one Body after the Rapture, which is also the Bride, which is also the Building, which is also the Lamb's Wife. 

Heavenly "bricks and mortar" (the city of New Jerusalem) personifies the occupants. God does not marry heavenly bricks and mortar (or gold and precious stones to be more precise).  Therefore it is false teaching to simply call the New Jerusalem the Bride and leave it at that, and to introduce all kinds of dichotomies into the doctrine of the Church.

[Marilyn C]

Hi Ezra,

So why did God plan the Body of Christ, when the Gentiles could be included in Israel as we see in Heb. 11? Why make the groups & then put us all together? Why even make Israel when Christ could have come & died centuries ago, (if God planned it that way).

Marilyn. 

[Montana Marv]

To All

 

The Church (Bride of Christ, Body of Christ) is separate from all OT saints and 70th Week (Tribulation saints).  We the Bride have been given the Holy Spirit to indwell us at all times.  The OT saints and the 70 Week saints have not been given the Holy Spirit to indwell them.  We the Bride have not been promised a (People [National Israel], Land [Promise land] or Seed [Christ]), as Abraham was promised through Issac and Jacob.  The Bride is made up of both Jew and Gentile...  Bond and Free,  Rich or Poor, of All Ethnic associations, Male and Female.  The indwelt ones.

The Bride is not Israel.  Israel is not the Bride.  Israel is Gods chosen nation, and always will be.  God cannot go back on a promise.

 

In Christ

Montana Marv

[Ezra]

Hi Ezra,

So why did God plan the Body of Christ, when the Gentiles could be included in Israel as we see in Heb. 11? Why make the groups & then put us all together? Why even make Israel when Christ could have come & died centuries ago, (if God planned it that way).

Marilyn. 

God's ultimate goal for all sinners who have been saved by grace is that each one will be perfected, glorified, and "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom 8:29).  That is what foreknowledge, election, and predestination are all about. These saints will eventually live and reign with Christ eternally as king-priests, and they constitute the Church. This Church was a mystery hidden from the OT prophets, but revealed to the apostle Paul. The metaphors used for the Church are the Body, the Building, and the Bride, and each metaphor reveals how Christians are related to the Head, the Chief Cornerstone, and the Bridegroom.

Before we discuss the Church, we need to remember that salvation (justification) has always been by grace through faith since Abel, and remains so. This is a fundamental truth.  But salvation includes sanctification as well as glorification and perfection. That is the total meaning of the word "salvation", and this ties into the Resurrection/Rapture.

All those who were justified before the crucifixion were waiting in Abraham's bosom for the resurrection of Christ in order to be perfected. When Christ rose from the dead, "He led captivity captive" in releasing these saints from Hades and bringing them to the New Jerusalem in Heaven. Those are the souls and "the spirits of just men made perfect", alongside the saints in Heaven, which constitute the Church since Pentecost ("the general assembly and Church of the firstborn"). 

Until the Rapture, they all remain with Christ, but at the Resurrection/Rapture, they all come with Christ, along with the saved Jews and Gentiles since Pentecost on earth and in Heaven.  All are either resurrected and glorified, or transformed (if alive) and glorified (1 John 3:1-3).  Then all the saints return to Heaven with Christ, following which we have the Marriage of the Lamb.  This is when the entire Body of Christ (the Church) goes from being a glorious Bride to becoming the glorious Wife of the Lamb. Following this, Christ comes with all His saints and angels to judge the world (Jude 14,15; Rev 1:7).

Now we come to Israel.  Before Israel was chosen, Abraham was chosen because he believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness. The Abrahamic Covenant not only included promises to Abraham's descendants through Isaac and Jacob (the 12 tribes of Israel), but it also included the promise of Messiah, and the salvation of the Gentiles through Christ. Israel was chosen to bring the oracles of God (Scripture) to the world, hence they became custodians of "the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the promises" (Rom 9:4).  Above all "of whom concerning the flesh Christ came" (Rom 9:5).  Therefore the Messiah and the Gospel came first to Israel.  Since Israel rejected Yeshua ha Mashiach, the Gospel went to the Gentiles, and millions of Gentiles became a part of the Church, "grafted into" the believing remnant of Israel.

In spite of their rebellion and unbelief, God did not (and has not) abandoned Israel, and will fulfill His promises to the twelve tribes exactly as revealed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Israel will go through the time of Jacob's trouble and all the Jews will be gathered to the land of Israel at the Second Coming of Christ.  They will be chastised, they will mourn, they will repent, and they will be converted, redeemed, and restored.  The kingdom of Israel will be established on earth after this and David will be prince over Israel during the Millennium.  But Israel will have a redeemed and restored Jerusalem on earth with a Temple according to Ezekiel's specifications. At the same time the eternal home of the Church will be in the New Jerusalem, which DOES NOT come down to earth, since the nations which are saved on earth walk in its light, and God and the Lamb are the Light of it.

So what we see is that God has an eternal plan for the Church in the New Jerusalem, and also an eternal plan for redeemed and restored Israel on earth (not Zionist Israel which is in unbelief). God's plan for the Church could easily include other worlds (Heb 11:3).

 

[Marilyn C]

Hi Montana Marv,

 

I so agree with all of what you say except,  that we are the `bride.` I find no where does God use the female symbol, `bride,` for Christ`s Body.

Blessings, Marilyn.