Plainer Words since 1968
 
Issue #401
 
October 12, 2015
 
PLAINER WORDS ONLINE … FOUR CALLINGS OF GOD
 
The members of the Church over which Christ Jesus is the Head began to be Chosen after “The Acts of the Apostles” ended, about 63 A.D. The last years of Paul’s ministry, after Acts 28:31, were devoted to making known Truths that had been hid in God.
 
“Even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col.1:26-27).
 
The Hope of Israel was set aside at Acts 28:28. However, the Apostle Paul spent two whole years in his own “rented house,” proclaiming the [Pre-Millennial] Kingdom of God, and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ to all who sought him out. The Kingdom of God was not set aside as many dispensational teachers claim. Only Israel’s predominance was shelved.
 
Paul announced that “the salvation of God was sent to the Gentiles” as the primary recipients, and they would hear the new message (Acts 28:28, 30-31).  Paul ceased being bound for Israel’s Hope (Acts 28:20). After this, he became “the prisoner of Jesus Christ  for you Gentiles” (Eph. 3:1). It was as the Lord Jesus’ prisoner that he received the revelation of the Mystery. As such, he was inspired to write the “form of sound words”   (2 Tim 1:13) which was what is referred to as the Prison Epistles—Philippians, Ephesians, and Colossians.
 
In the Prison Epistles, Paul makes known that the Church of the Mystery is viewed in God’s eyes as having been “raised up together [with Christ], and made to sit together [with Christ] among God’s Heavenly Aristocracy” (Eph. 2:6). Not only that, but God is going to present the Church to Himself—“Holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph. 1:4). Note an expansion of this:
 
“That God might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27).
 
God has made us accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:6).
We, as members of His Body, have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins; both are a present possession (Eph. 1:7).
God will freely bestow upon all of us His wisdom which will be necessary for us to make known His manifold wisdom and prudence (Eph. 1:8).
It is learned in Ephesians 3:10 that we will make known the manifold wisdom of God to the Heavenly Angelic Rulers and Authorities (i.e., the Principalities and Powers, and etc.).
And He has made known unto us (His Members) the Mystery of His will (Eph. 1:9).
 
It is amazing that this wisdom of God will be made known BY US, the Church, which is His Body (Eph. 1:22-23).
 
These are some of the riches bestowed upon us.
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Imagine that we, who were CHOSEN IN CHRIST before the Pre-Millennial-World begins, will be given the insight into the manifold wisdom of God. This Divinely given insight will be imparted, by the Church, which is His Body, to the Rulers and Authorities who reign over the Heavenly Hosts.
 
These rulers have been on the job ever since their creation on the sixth day of Creation. God created some of the Heaven’s Hosts to be the Rulers of the different classes of angels. He named them according to their realms—that is to say, Principalities, Powers, Mights, Thrones, and Dominions. But, these rulers have been in place since the beginning of time. They have superior intelligence to that of human beings (Ps. 8:5). Yet, we will explain to them the “manifold wisdom of God.” The Lord never gives us an assignment without first equipping us to do the job.
 
THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST
(Matt. 19:30; Mk. 10:31; Lu. 13:30)
 
I believe that this spiritual principle will, also, be relevant to the order of Resurrections of the Four Callings. Following the principle of “the Last shall be first and the First shall be last,” we will set forth the four callings in the order of their Resurrection:
 
1. The Church over which Christ Jesus is the Head (Eph.1:22-23).
2. The Church of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27).
3. The Church of God (Acts 20:28).
4. The Church in the Wilderness (Ex. 18:23-26).
 
We should keep in mind that those who make up the Churches, mentioned here, are the God ordained leaders of the Churches. This doesn’t include the believers who have no role of leadership. I will make an example using our present-day local church scenario. In the Biblical sense of the Word, the average saved Christian who attends worship services are not “members” of the Church. “Members” are those who are, or will be the official leaders. The Church is made-up of its leaders. My understanding, as well as many other teachers, is that those who have been enlightened to see the revelation of the Mystery, and the Hope of its Calling, and the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe (Eph. 1:18-19), make up the membership of the Calling of the Church, which is His Body. Your attention is called to the origin of the name, “Church,” which is the Greek word, Ekklesia.  Ekklesia was the name given to the legislative body of Athens—of the Greek-City-State. This did not include all of the citizens of Athens—just its rulers.
 
1. The Last Calling formed, prior to the manifestation of the Pre-Millennial Kingdom of God, is the Calling [Ecclesia] over which Christ Jesus is the Head—thus, the Last shall be First. We will be received up into glory before any of the other Callings are raised from the dead:
 
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall [we] also appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4).
 
With this appearing, we will begin to learn God’s wisdom so that we can instruct Heaven’s Hierarchy in the many facets of the wisdom of God.
 
2. “The Body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27) was the Ecclesia which was next to the Last Calling of God. This calling was made-up of the Justified Ones who believed Paul’s Gospel of the Uncircumcision (Gal. 2:7). Paul’s Gospel was mainly directed towards the Gentiles, but if Jews happened to believe it, they were incorporated into the Body of Christ. Paul’s believers were justified by faith alone!
 
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference; 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:21-24).
 
We will not teach God’s manifold wisdom to the Body of Christ.
 
This Calling, the Body of Christ, was an “Acts of the Apostles” Calling. It followed the Calling of the “Church of God.”
 
“Now ye are the Body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:27).
 
3. “The Church of God” was the second Calling of God. It will be the third one to be raised from the dead. It was the Church that embraced the Gospel of the Circumcision during the Book of Acts.
 
The twelve Apostles make-up part of the leadership of the Church of God.
 
4. “The Church in the Wilderness” was first composed of Israel’s Elders under the leadership of Moses while they were in the Wilderness. The father-in-law of Moses, Jethro, visited Moses and insisted that Moses appoint more church-members to help him  administer the Government of Israel:
 
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said;  25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; 26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves (Ex. 18:24-26).
 
This cumbersome Church in the Wilderness amounted to about 80,000 men who were positioned “out of Moses.” About a year later, the LORD intervened with Moses and refined the Church in the Wilderness:
 
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee; 17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone” (Num. 11:16-17).
 
Moses chose seventy of the Elders to be the “officers” who were to be the administrators of the Government of Israel. These seventy men were the “Body of Moses” (Jude 9). The seventy men had a position “out of Moses.” Moses was in them; they partook of what he was—his substance, his essence, and his position.
 
When the Body of Moses is raised out from among the dead, we—who are the Ecclesia over which Christ Jesus is the Head, will not make known to them the manifold wisdom of God.
 
This ministry is to be made to Angelic Rulers of the Heavenly Hosts.  This is, exclusively, reserved for the Principalities, Powers, Mights, Thrones and Dominions in the Heavens. The Body of Christ, the Church of God, and the Wilderness Church will not be illuminated as will be Heaven’s Hierarchy.  
 
~~THE END~~
 
Copyright ©2015 by Thomas L. Ballinger