Articles
Of Growth
And Strength

And He Gave Some Apostles

 

 

This is not an instruction manual on how to become an Apostle, nor is this a five or twelve step program on obtaining an “Apostolic Anointing” or how to use “Christian Necromancy” or “Christian HooDoo” to try to call down the mantle of some dead Apostle for yourself.

 

If you are seeking any of these, there are ministries by the fistful that preach and teach this unscriptural nonsense that would be more than happy to oblige you with your selfish and self-serving fantasies as long as you place yourself in submission under them and send in your tithes and offerings.

 
I strenuously feel I am the wrong man for the job in writing this article – Yet I feel compelled of God to write this. I write not because I am someone or suppose myself to be someone. Far from it, I am nothing, I wield no authority either from God or men. I feel there are many that are far better than I to speak these words. Both in a standpoint of eloquence, and from a standpoint that because these others are being already known that these words might perhaps find greater acceptance if they were spoken by them than me. But  who am I to question the wisdom of God in using that which is nothing and that which appears not – to confound those which deem themselves as something before men and which also do all to appear and manifest themselves before men.

This article actually stems from some frank discussions that were had with a particular ministry over the course of a year between October 2004 – April 2005. A situation had arisen involving several other nationally renowned ministries that were at that time openly proclaiming the head of this first ministry as “An Apostle” (In large part due to a specific event that had occurred in the life of this person some four and a half decades earlier.) but there is a bit more to this because these self-serving pernicious teachers preachers and self proclaimed prophets in naming this man as “An Apostle” were openly using this man’s name to bolster themselves and their assorted ministries as having been hand-blessed by this “Apostle” and were strongly implying that by their association with him; and the blessing they had received from him when he came to their meetings, these ministries in these places claim now to have received of this man’s “Apostolic Mantle” (Aka so that they are now apostles as well.) Moreover I saw in the Spirit that these self-serving, fleshly men were actually setting up these claims towards the future, because of this man’s age. And that upon his death they would use this standing claim (Saying these claims of Apostleship were known and never objected to as long as this man lived – so therefore it must be true.) so that they in the end will gain further power and authority for themselves that they will wield over their respective flocks and other believers to elevate themselves and to financially enrich themselves as they hijack and fleece the flock of God with this man’s name and mantle supposedly in place.  

Immediately upon discovering this and in fear of what the Lord had spoken I alerted this man and his ministry concerning these very things. At the time realizing the severity of the situation – This man contacted these ministries and quite uncharacteristically was forceful in demanding they remove all online references to his being an Apostle and some of their articles that had relation to these activities.  Within a few weeks these men with some resistance complied to his wishes.  Afterward we spoke, and at that time I was told that he would write a statement/article to put this to rest.

Well, he did not do so mostly because has is completely against speaking the least bit of reproof or correction, but seeks only to speak positive encouraging words. And this over time has greatly hurt this man’s ministry and his effectiveness.  Within four months this identical issue arose a second time within elements of this same circle. I brought this activity again to his attention and repeated my fears of what God had originally shown me to him, and quite uncharacteristically for a second time he quite forcible demanded that those involved desist from ascribing the title of Apostle to him, and that they were to refrain from using his name and ministry in implying he had imparted or given them “Apostolic mantles” or “Apostolic anointings” towards any claim of their having entered into a “spurious office of apostleship.”

I implored him once more by the Lord to write a definitive article to set the record straight for once and for all, concerning His testimony in relationship to the true office of Apostle to deter in some measure (Because these men had already clearly shown a proclivity towards this, so that by his doing so at least something would be in place to make any such perverted claims of these men more difficult.) those that would seek after his death to use his name to subvert and stumble others.  He again gave me his word that he would do so in a rewrite of his personal testimony and encounter with God. But the Lord told me at the time that he would not do so, for the reasons stated above. And told me to write this article and I did so originally in May of 2005.  It is now December of 2006 and the Lord has had me revise the article. And we make mention here as according to the word of the Lord spoken now over two years ago -- this person in disobedience has never yet written a single word one on this issue.  So here I am again, still feeling that I am the wrong man for the job and if it were possible even more unqualified to speak these words than a year earlier. 

One day a  year or so before these events the Lord revealed that the word "Apostle" was not a word that was coined by Christ in the New Testament. (As I had been led to believe in my youth.) but rather the word  "Apostlos" or Apostle had been repeatedly used regarding certain people in the Old Testament in the Greek Septuagint (That had been translated hundreds of years before Christ was born.)  At the time God first revealed this to me and small group I shared these things with it was a 7.0 magnitude on the spiritual Richter Scale, affecting doctrinally a great many things that we had been taught in our youth and even in bible school and this is what we will seek to study here and open now for your inspection. So that you in turn might search the scriptures (By the Law of the Bereans) to see if these things be so.

Regarding this and true revelation. when God opens or reveals such things they are very exciting and life altering. But there is another side to true revelation in that it reveals the human condition, our failings and our fallings short. –  (The Spirit of God moves among men and brings revelation and understanding to strive with men unto repentance.) So these same revelations when rightly divided in the word of truth also are painful and heartbreaking because they expose levels of perversion and corruption within the Ek-Klesia that I frankly could have never have imagined on my own.  

From the point of time that the Lord first revealing these things, in the ensuing months as promised in scripture the Lord has abundantly confirmed what He originally spoke in Scripture after Scripture after Scripture, as well it should be.

For out of two and three witnesses shall every word be established.

And so we begin this study with a passage in the bible that on its face would not seem to speak of Aaron as being an Apostle, but in the course of this study we will come to see not only Aaron's “Apostleship” but the significance of what the writer of Hebrews says here in regards to Aaron and his “Apostleship” -- and how this relates to what has been and is becoming a major issue in the Church of this hour -- that is the appointment and setting in the body by men of Apostles to have the rule over them.

Hebrews 5:3-5 (Speaking of Aaron) And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God,  (As an Apostle first, and later as a high Priest) as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an (By men the chief Apostle, king on David’s earthly throne, or an earthly) high priest; but He that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.(He sent [He Apostlos] Christ and therefore He certified this very thing by an abundance of scripture, by audible voice, and by signs and wonders and diverse miracles.) For Lo it is written of me in the volume of the book. (Not in a verse or two but throughout the volume of the book Christ his ministry and his position was prophesied of and promised.)

We live in a fearful day where preachers and teachers no longer teach sound doctrine, (Prophesied of by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:3) and also routinely honor themselves and confer honor to one another. (As condemned by Christ John 5:44-45 )  They honor themselves as to having: “The call of God”, and for their having seized possession of gifts and ministries. And now the hour has come upon us that being emboldened by their forefather’s sinful and corrupt behavior these men now wish to confer the offices of Prophet and Apostle upon themselves and upon one another. False teachers and false preachers are one thing. False prophets and apostles are something completely different. For in the latter these point blank infer that God has not only spoken directly to them, but that God himself has also sent them forth with their words. To realign the body of Christ and to restore the foundations that once were.

And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God,  (As an Apostle first, and later as a high Priest) as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself –  (The servant is not above the master, if Christ could not and would not honor Himself with titles or glorify Himself, if we are his disciples indeed we can not and will not either.)

 

He whom God sent, he who God “Apostlos-ed” God Himself confirms as only God alone can – With a word of reconciliation that shall turn the hearts of these children of disobedience unto their Father and their savior Jesus Christ. Their words shall reconcile children to their parents, turn the hearts of wives back unto their husbands and the heart of husbands back unto their wives to the restoring of the household – for in the word of God we see salvation comes to household and not to churches or denominations.

 

And the one who is sent of God or “Apostlos-edshall heal or restore the breach or the wound that has been in the church now for 1900 years and turn the heart of this filthy and corrupt betrothed bride back to Christ while their remains time for repentance and cleansing even unto sanctification. And such a one God shall confirm, as he speaks the words of God rather than his own, by His conferring as according to His will signs and wonders and diverse miracles, that bring glory only to God and Jesus Christ. And if I have not spoken plain enough here; such a one shall speaks from the volume of scripture and reveal Christ and God, not themselves.)  

We now need to address a point that has been spoken of in several articles on this website, namely that quite a number of words in the KJV bible or most English translations have not been left as untranslated Greek or Latin words. Words like Apostle Prophet Evangelist, and Angel are all transliterations (Foreign words that are almost letter for letter made into a new English word. – These then become super words, for these words are no longer Greek, Latin, and are not by definition  English either so all the normal language rules no longer apply. -- So the translator or the denomination they agent for now gets to redefine these new English words to suit their own doctrines or traditions.) The Greek words for the words mentioned above are Apostolos, Prophetos, Euanggelos, and Angglos. So here we can see how the transliterating these Greek words was done letter by letter with minor alterations in their spelling to create out of whole cloth the English bible words we are all too familiar with, while at the same time losing the true meanings of these words.

We will now seek to address here the word Apostlos --

I write with tears in my eyes concerning the sad state of that which calls itself the “Church” today. The blind leading the blind. Carnal men teaching doctrines and traditions they know not from whence they came, and where it is leading them to. Their teachings are filled with the poison of asps, they feed it to the young and innocent carrying the water for the serpent, with the results that these are inoculated from the word of truth – Solomon speaks by the spirit of this very thing when he declares:

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

So that those that have come under these deep levels of indoctrination whether it is Mormon, Roman Catholic, a variety of Calvinistic leaning Evangelical and Fundamentalist denominations -- from their youth – rarely are able to depart from their grip. And if they do inside themselves they remain conflicted between the traditions and doctrines they were taught and are ingrained into them at the foundation or core level of their being and the word of the Lord that they now hear and believe and thus the work of the serpent still holds these back, from any full obedience to the things they now hear.

The poison of these false teachers and false preachers by definition bring believers young and old into a toxic slumber or stupor. And at any sign of their hearers stirring, these disciples of death give their victims larger and stronger doses lest at anytime their followers awake and discern who these men are that would be their preachers and teachers, and turn away from them and become followers of Christ in not word alone, but in Spirit and in truth.

1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God.

2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.

Here we find stated over and over that the office of Apostle comes directly from God and Jesus Christ, and cannot be conferred by men or the will of men.

The reason that men have resorted to preaching about “apostolic anointings” and or “prophetic anointings” is that for decades they have preached as the centerpiece of Pentecost, the Latter Rain movement, and now in the Charismatic movement the Restorative Gospel. So that for almost a hundred years between these so-called revivals their customers have been waiting for the restoration of the office of Prophet and Apostle. So these things sound real good to an audience that has been built of the idea that at any time the power of God is going to fall down upon them from on high and they are suddenly going to turn into an army of: Aposto-propheto-evango-pasto-teachers. And we might add here that all of this comes at the heels of  the big claims in the 1950’s of the restoration of the Office of Prophet that was so greatly ballyhooed. And that at some point there has come some realization that all that was spoken and claimed by the dozens upon dozens of wannabe Latter Rain prophets, that all of their collective work some 50 years later is like a large dried out deflated rotten grape fruit, that now looks more like a dirty coaster stuck on a counter top than a former piece of fruit.  

Hebrews 2:4 God also bearing them (The Thirteen Apostles) witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will. (This is hugely important doctrinally but it is not the kind of stuff that fills churches and has people fighting to hand  you their tithes and offerings)

1 Corinthians 12:27-29 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath (Past tense) set some (Few) in the (many of the) church, (The Ek-Klesia – That is the Out called of the called, not the church made with hands – So here Paul says that in scripture God sent ministries and gifts to the few of the few.) first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that (workers of) miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

We have already made reference to “The Berean rule” and now we will explicitly state the meaning of this;

Acts 17:11-13 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, (To see) whether those things were so.  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.  But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

In the book of Acts, when Paul the Apostle arrived in Thessalonica, he came in upon a group of Jews called “The Bereans.”  Luke tells us that they were more honorable/ more noble than anyone else that Paul had come in contact with previously, in that when Paul preached, They searched the Original Greek and Hebrew scriptures (aka as the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek Old Testament) daily to see if those things were so.  In other words, these Jews did not accept on face value anything that the Apostle preached to them, and if anything Paul preached was not found not to be in the Greek and Hebrew of the Law and/or the Prophets they promptly rejected or lined out that item that Paul had preached until a proper clarification or rebuttal with Scripture was made.  Paul marveled at this, and Paul lauded this behavior as being: “more noble” and “more honorable.”  Here Paul praises these common people for doing such and implied that all believers, from the least to the greatest, were to follow their example of searching the Law and the prophets daily to see if what is being preached and taught is so.

We see here, Paul, the Apostle, and the “Revelations” and “Inspiration” he received of Christ’s hand, bowed directly to the authority of Scripture in the Original Greek and Hebrew Old Testament.  And so also Paul bowed (as the servant of all) to the least believer.  Paul acknowledged for all time this right of all believers to call into question any teaching or doctrine that can not be found as such in the Original Hebrew and Greek of the Old Testament as part of the “Priesthood of all believers.  This enumerated right was given to the common believer that on the basis of Scripture written in the original Greek and Hebrew of Old Testament, no false apostle, no false prophet, no false evangelist, no false Pastor or Teacher would be able to stand before them in their own name and authority and declare unto them false doctrines and traditions.

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: (They were amazed at His doctrine  as it flowed directly from Scripture – These Jews were attending local synagogues and for several generations where Scripture was read and then expounded by members of the various rabbinical orders.)  

Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Here Christ speaks of the members of these opposing rabbinical schools, sects or as we call them today denominations. And Christ is saying here that their doctrine does not come either from scripture or from the word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Father, but the source of teaching and doctrine comes from their commandments (The legal decisions or judgments made on as sitting in the seat of Moses) and traditions of a particular group of (Dead) sages and rabbis that each of these schools or denomination reverenced and were submitted to. John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and the apostles were in an all out war against the Pharisees and all these other schools that held these oral traditions codified in the Mishnah and later enlarged upon in the Talmud. What enraged all these opposing rabbinical theological schools that sat in the seats of the Sanhedrin    

This is what Christ uniformly condemned and openly mocked in the Pharisees the Scribes the Lawyers the Jews and some of the other rabbinical schools mentioned by name in the Gospels. Christ blasted their commandments and traditions from their select groups of dead  rabbis and sages – and Christ and John the Baptist consigned all that they taught as being hidden graves and tombs filled with dead men’s bones (Quoting this from the Mishnah) and condemning them publicly before their peers with their own commandments and traditions stating that their sacred writings were what was utterly defiling them and their hearers as well. If you talk with any old denomination priest, pastor, reverend or whatever they want to call themselves – these will all tell you of the great tenants of their faith. (Commandments given by their long dead apostles or their great sages and rabbis.) And then the will speak of the great traditions of their denominations. (That also were created by these same dead sources) So that what men have woven in all these church denominations, is exactly what Christ condemned and mocked in the rabbinical schools of His day.

 

Matthew 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but (To beware) of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (Which were the writings of the Mishnah and Talmud.)

John 7:15 And the Jews (These are members of one of the particular Rabbinical schools – and are mentioned in a number of passages.)  marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? (Contrary to much of the traditions we have been taught concerning this passage – no one in the synagogue of the people that personally knew Christ marveled or was amazed when Christ read that passage from Isaiah – these rabbinical disciples were amazed that a man could be so filled with scripture and wisdom – never having gone to rabbinical school. And in another passage concerning the apostles the reference to their being unlearned is also speaking that they also had not been to a rabbinical school and there the Sanhedrin noted that these men had been with Christ a man also that had been unschooled and yet had great knowledge and wisdom.

How blindly have we read all these things and how in darkness have our preachers and teachers have kept us? Paul prophesied of us from afar off when he said:

2 Corinthians 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. (When the church was retooled in the image of Talmudic Judaism the vail that was taken away returned – and it is today over all of Evangelicalism Fundamentalism Pentecostalism and Charismaticism – despite what they many preach teach profess and confess.)

 

1 Corinthians 12:27-29 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath (Past tense) set some in the church, (The Ek-Klesia – That is the Out called of the called, not the church made with hands – So here Paul says that in scripture God sent ministries and gifts to the few of the few.) first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that (workers of) miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
(So by the Berean law we understand that all that is in this passage,  [What we have unscripturally been taught as to the five-fold ministry living and dwelling within each new covenant assembly is not at all what Paul is speaking of here.] the offices, and the ministries listed here are all from Old Testament passages  Miracles would be Elijah and Elisha. Government are Joseph who ruled next to pharaoh, and Esther. Helps is not vacuuming the church carpet or cleaning church toilets as is commonly preached, Helps entails the miraculous It is Rebekah that helped Jacob obtain the inheritance of Abraham and the blessing of fruitfulness when Isaac had been deceived into giving these instead to the seed of the serpent in Esau. The ministry of helps was also evident when David and his army hungered. It was Abigail that walked in the Spirit and was not made subject to the express commandments of her husband. And she brought them desperately needed meat and drink and brought also to David the word of the Lord.   

Ephesians 4:11-12 And He gave (Past tense) some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting  (Greek Kata-Artismon) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Here also by the Berean law we understand that Paul here is not speaking of himself and those working with him but he is citing scripture. – He was not seeking here to root and ground the church in himself or in any of the other men and women that were Christ. – He is seeking to root and ground these young believers in scripture and to show them that everything they say and do is to emanate or reflect Christ and Scripture. And this is the exact message we wish to speak here throughout all the writings in this website.)

1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is (Except) Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

Kata-Artismon  Katanormally denotes a descending, or a downward motion, but when there is an equal motion of a second party Katadenotes a connection, or a union with that second party. [And here that second party is the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers]  Artismon or Artios means: To Be Entirely Suited, or To Be Complete, or To Be Ready. The root word in the Greek is Apo To Fit, or To Adapt. The idea here is a wooden object that is crooked or twisted or is misshapen in some way [The Stone that the builders rejected] But through these ministries this rejected wooden object is reworked, reengineered, repaired and restored until it is made to perfectly function and to perfectly fit. And in this service these “saints” [Greek: Sanctified believers] are being brought into this fellowship, union and harmony with these Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers in order that they might become their replacements. This replacement we are speaking of here is not a replacing in the sense of perpetuating this order as men commonly preach in this day, but this replacement we are speaking of here is in the sense that these Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers have completed their task, and therefore are no longer needed.

Psalm 37:31 (If) the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Anyone that reads this passage will note that in this “New Covenant” there is seemingly no mention here of the “The five-fold ministry” nor does there appear to be any room for it.  Doctrinally this has given some theologians fits because of their corrupt earthly understanding of Scripture, the Gospels and the Epistles. So they have this passage written up as a third covenant. A covenant beyond the New Covenant with Christ, a covenant that is not administered by Christ through the shedding of His blood and His death upon the cross but one that is given to the Jews at the time of the Second Coming of Christ, or one that is put in place in the millennium. 

 

In Hebrews Chapters 9-10 there is a full discussion of the New Covenant of Christ in which the writer of Hebrews not only identifies the above passage in Jeremiah as the covenant that was made by Christ with the shedding of His own blood, and His death upon the cross, but the writer of Hebrew declares that there is no other covenant after this to the Jews at the second coming, or at the millennium.

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him, He shall appear the second time without sin unto (our full) salvation. (and redemption)

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

For just as Christ was the second and last Adam, so too this is God’s final covenant with men Jew and Gentile, Slave and Free through the shedding of Christ’s inestimable blood and His death upon the cross. 

Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

(Here again by the Berean law we understand That Paul here is not contradicting himself here and stating that upon him and Agabus the prophet the church is founded Paul is stating that the church is founded upon the Apostles and Prophets recorded as such in Scripture who prophesied of Christ’s coming, His ministry and His death burial and resurrection – So that here the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets are saying the church is founded on the Law and the Prophets with Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone that is the manifestation or the fulfillment of all these prophets and apostles spoke by the Spirit.)

Ephesians 3:4-6 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known (it was hid) unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed (as) It was (“once at a point of time” revealed) unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs (Greek sugkle-ronoma: Joint-Heirs), and of the same body (Greek sus-suma: a Joint –Body), and partakers (Greek sum-metocha: Joint-Partakers) of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

This passage as well as others has been misinterpreted as Paul talking about himself and the other eleven apostles and the prophet Agabus.

What Paul is actually saying here that he by the Spirit been has able to see what the holy apostles and prophets foretold in the “Old Testament” concerning Christ and the church –which things in times past have been hid from the Jews and the world.

 

All these words Paul mentions in the above passage are contained in the Greek Septuagint – which we have mentioned elsewhere are the bible that Christ and Paul used.

Numbers 32:30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall (not) have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. (Greek sugkata-kleronomeomai: Joint-Heirs, or Joint-Possessors)

In citing this passage Paul declared that being a “Joint-Heir” in Christ is not an issue of birth for all the Israelites were of the seed of Abraham, it was not an issue of circumcision for all the children of Israel were circumcised – they all had to pass over the river Jordan armed and be prepared to fight under God’s leadership and guidance – for any to not do so they were not to be made “Joint-Heirs” they were disqualified, from ever partaking of the promise.  Here Paul blows out most of the populist doctrinal teachings concerning Sonship and our spiritual entitlements based upon our new birth, and our spiritual circumcision . 

Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance (kleronomeomai) and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Ezekiel 31:4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high, with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent her little rivers unto all the trees of the field

(Joint Body’s little rivers– su-stema) Here we see the Joint-Bodies Paul is citing are are speaking of Christ being the waters great and deep and we being the “Little rivers” that run around His plants (the brethren) and the faith full of these then are sent (Greek apostled) to all the trees (the households) of the field. (These being rural households and hamlets.)

Psalm 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

(Greek sum-machia: Joint-Partakers or “fitly compacted together”) So that in Christ we are one body, and it is supposed to be that the body of Christ is so interwoven, to one in heart mind and spirit that men can not discern where one member begins and the next starts.

Continuing from the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:4-6 we see that he recognized, and called the Holy Men in Scripture Apostles and Prophets.

Therefore when we back up a few verses when Paul mentions the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets that were given to the Ek-Klesia we note here that even the word Ek-Klesia is an Old Testament word that was used some 75 times in the Greek Septuagint.

Deuteronomy 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people (Greek Ek-Klesia: Assembly) together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may (shall) teach (this to) their children.

Here in the first use of the word Ek-Klesia in the Old Testament. And we see there that  1) The Ek-Klesia have been charged with hearing the word that proceedeth from the mouth of the Lord.

2) That the Ek-Klesia  has been charged with fearing the Lord, (So that they may live. And we know also that many of them did not fear the Lord, and that not only they were destroyed but the whole of their households were as well.)

3) And that the Ek-Klesia was charged with teaching these things to their children.

Now in any Spirit-filled church today if one were given such a prophesy and calling, they would be out visiting an upscale clothier picking out power suits and power ties in anticipation of their unveiling as the next Moses.  Yet in actuality God’s calling here was to individuals to found and build their own households upon hearing the word that proceedeth from the mouth of the father, the fear of the Lord, and their being able to reach and instill these very things in their children. 

The message here is that God first of all is in the household business. So when He sought for a man to lead his people He chose Moses

Numbers 12:6-8 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold. (The Lord here is speaking that He is first and foremost concerned with households, and for the purposes in seeking someone for ministry He declares here that He first looks in households.  In the garden the crowning achievement in God’s creation was not man or woman as is preached, but their being together as one flesh and forming a household. And in the Gospels of all the subjects spoken of by Christ the one’s that He spoke most frequently of was marriage and children. So with all the talk and floury of activity concerning people receiving gifts, callings, and ministry, the one things that God cares about most is the one that is hardly given mention any more seeking to please the Lord and be found faithful in one’s household.) 

John 1:6 There was a man sent from (Apostlos-ed by) God, whose name was John. (John the Apostle declares here that the prophet John the Baptist was also an Apostle.)

And this is also confirmed in scripture.
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send (Apostlos) my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi here also testifies of the Apostleship of John the Baptist – And testifies also that Christ is God, “Before Me” as well as declaring Christ as the bearer of the “New Covenant.”

John 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He (God) sent (Apostlos) me.
Christ here declares His Apostleship, – as well as His proceeding forth from the Father

John 3:34 He (Christ) whom God hath sent (Apostlos) speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.
John the Baptist here also testifies of Christ’s Apostleship and that by Christ’s  being “Apostled” by God, God has given Jesus unlimited access by the Spirit to Himself. --- So in this hour a true Apostle sent forth of Christ would also have unlimited access by the Spirit to Christ himself much in the same manner that Paul the Apostle did. And here we declare that those that would appoint themselves as Apostles are liars and the truth is not in them for their have not this unlimited access to Christ, and neither do they have the signs of an Apostle.

We might as well hammer down the exact definition of the word Apostlos. In the Greek the word simply means: one that is sent. But in the word of God the apostle can not send himself, and can not be sent by men – the Apostle must be sent by God in either an earthly encounter where they are commissioned or by being caught up to the throne of God where God they are thencommissioned. 

Much of our teaching today tells us that an Apostle is the builder of churches. So therefore if a man builds three or more churches the man must be an apostle or so the reasoning goes. This assertion can be found nowhere in scripture and it fails the Berean test.  Beginning with Moses an apostle has always been a direct emissary from God, and like Moses the Apostle bears the seal of the Apostle -- that is to say the signs of the Apostle. And so like unto Moses the Apostle Isaiah is both the emissary and also bears the seal of the Apostle as well.

In the book of Exodus it is recorded that all of Israel heard the audible voice of God and yet not one of them became an Apostle for having been in that incident.

In the book of Numbers we have an occurrence that 70 elders in Israel had the Spirit of God from Moses fall upon all of them – So that one might clearly be able to say that they were made by God to partake of Moses’ mantle – Yet not one of them was able to take that honor upon themselves. Not one of those 70 men became an apostle or even had a notable ministry. 

In the book of Exodus a few chapters after they heard the voice of God, it is recorded that these 70 elders saw God seated upon His throne and ate before him and again upon not a single one there was conferred the office of apostleship and with all of that not a single one of those men had a notable ministry instead all of them died in their sins.

When the sons of Korah sought to confer upon themselves the honor of being priests God destroyed all of them, along with all of their households

When Aaron and Miriam sought to confer upon themselves the Apostleship of Moses God cut them off.

Those who seek to make themselves prophets and apostles do so at their own peril. These things are not something that you can play around with, they are not shoes in a shoe store that one goes and tries on. Faking that one is a prophet or apostle is one of the most serious sins unto death against God that a man or woman can commit. And yet every year hundreds of people actively seek out to play that game in search of fame and fortune.

John 7:16 Jesus of Nazareth said: "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me; (Apostlos) Christ here testifies again of His Apostleship and that another aspect of His apostleship was a requirement that he speak not his own words but he speaks the words only of Him that sent Him. This is a faithfulness to be filled to overflowing with scripture and the word that proceedeth from the mouth of the Father.  As Christ was in the Gospels and Paul was in his epistles. Those that call themselves Apostles and Prophets today are not so.  And there words in no way resemble the words of Christ or of Paul even in a single chapter.

John 12:49 I have not spoken of myself, but the Father who sent me. (Apostlos) He gave me a commandment what I should say

John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings, and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. (Apostlos)

John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

Here Christ speaks of Apostles sent of God and Apostles that are sent of men. The Apostles of God are men of the Spirit, speak of the spirit and walk in the Spirit and the Apostles of men are men of the flesh, and speak of the flesh and walk in the flesh.

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Here Christ declares that Apostles send form God bear the word that proceedeth from the mouth of the father – which is life giving bread, manna to feed those who hunger in spirit.

Luke 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

Christ here is quoting from the Old Testament concerning the prophets and apostles that God sent to Israel and Judah that they persecuted and slew, and he declares to the Pharisees that they shall do the same deeds that their fathers also did to Christ, his Apostles and Prophets.

Matthew 10:1,2,8 And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve Apostles are these; -- Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Christ’s naming here of the twelve apostles was a statement of His Deity. It was a bold statement to the Scribes Pharisees and the Priests that He could transfer the powers conferred upon him by God upon whomsoever He willed whether they met with talmudic standards of cleanliness or holiness or not. 

Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Christ here is quoting from Deuteronomy 13. 

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, (Ek-Klesia in the Israel and Judah) even so there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Peter also cites Moses in Deuteronomy 13 but
prophesies here of a day in the future, when Apostles and Prophets shall be no more in the church a day when there shall arise the rulership of false teachers to the stature of Apostles in the same manner that the Pharisees arose and took the seat of Moses in the days of Christ.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 If there arise (out from) among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
When Moses spoke these words the first thing that would have come to the minds of each and every Israelite was Aaron. Elsewhere we have spoken in quite some detail of Aaron being an Apostle, a trusted vessel and when he declared to the Israelites: Break off your earrings so complete was the power of his deception, and the words that he spoke there after so that even the very elect in the Ek-Klesia in the wilderness were deceived. So that all of the anointed and consecrated priests and all of the 70 elders that were filled with the Holy Ghost and sat in the seat of Moses bowed before and worshipping the image of the beast along with the rest of Israel.   

Matthew 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Even as the false Apostle Aaron was able to deceive all of Israel and even the very elect of his day.)

The coming of the first Apostle – Moses

 

Numbers 12:3 Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

In almost all of the “cookie-cutter” teachings and preachings about Moses calling, other than declaring that Moses had the call of God in his life, this verse regarding Moses shepherding a flock in the wilderness is lauded as the eminent qualification of Moses as to his having become the prophet of God, and the shepherd over Israel. 

If the preachers and teachers would really believe the doctrines and traditions they espouse one would be led to believe that they would have all after discerning some measure of the call of God in their life, gone out and found some where some small flock of flea bitten sheep to tend, sit with and watch over they by day and night for a few years, while waiting upon the call of God.

We note here some things in this passage concerning Moses.  First Moses was not a man of personal ambition (And we find more attestation to this in Numbers 12:3 concerning Moses meekness) As he for some years was content to tend the flock of father-in-law Jethro. Had this been Jacob, he would have been tending his own flocks long before this, that were multiplying well beyond Jethro’s tiny flock. Moses simply did not have anything within him to lecture Jethro about his calling, and that he was a man of importance that was to be the head not the tail.

Moses more than likely felt he had blown his calling. – And that whatever God had planned had been passed on to another. He had probably even tried to forget completely the things that God had spoken to and over him in his youth. 

Another thing concerning Moses vocation in shepherding – Rather than this being a crowning achievement and Moses eminent qualification – this is an attestation that Moses was a man of no discernable talent.  As the job of his shepherding a flock, and in particular a small flock (We know this because Moses shepherded this flock alone. For a flock of any size requires multiple shepherds as the one cited at the birth of Christ.) Unlike what has been preached the truth is that one does not have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to shepherd a flock. It is intellectually a low voltage occupation, that entails living among the flock 24/7 leading them by day to pasture and water and sleeping as they feed and staying up all night to fend off predators.

One might have expected that this Priest of God of Midian, upon discerning God’s gift and calling in Moses would have given Moses a seat of honor in his house, and perhaps even taken him on as a apprentice in teaching Moses the ways of God but he did not. Being that Jethro was The Priest of God at Midian at his word Moses would have given virtually any position in the kingdom of Midian or in the house of Jethro While Jethro thought enough of this stranger from Egypt that was dressed in attire suggested wealth and privilege. (Being the “Son” of Pharaoh’s daughter even though he chose not to live as Egyptian royalty but as an Israelite he would have still had clothing and signets or bracelets to indicate who he was.) Unlike the Israelites Moses had done no hard work in his life, and by his rejecting being made an Egyptian royal he rejected any training and schooling they had to offer, and by the same token also he received no training from his people either.

Exodus 2:16-18 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.  And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, (At very least these shepherds moved aside with Moses standing there as he) -- watered their flock.

And Moses (being a man of little ambition) was content to dwell with Jethro: (And sit at his table) and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

It appears that not too longer at after Moses married Zipporah that the shine seems to have worn off of Moses, his stock seems to have fallen in the eyes of Jethro to the place that Moses was demoted in his household to the demeaning position of shepherd.  And even so Moses did not depart Jethro and build his own house and run his own household, he continued sitting at Jethro’s table

Another point concerning Moses and the other shepherds rather than deal with these aggressive shepherds Moses chose instead to venture out into the wilderness to feed his father-in-law’s flocks; like Abraham he left the choicest land around Midian for the other shepherds to squabble over. (So Moses a man of no ambition,) Walked long to place that few cared to go, so that his flocks might remain at peace.

So what then was the qualification of Moses beyond him being the meekest man on earth, it was though he was treated as a second class citizen and made to do servant’s work as a dirty lowly shepherd for which he seemingly received no wages only a seat at Jethro’s table he like Joseph was faithful in all his house – and therefore God raised him up to a position of honor and glory.

Exodus 3:2-10 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And He said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee (Here Moses is Apostelos-ed by God) unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

We see here that Moses has a personal visitation from God. We see that God speaks with Moses in an audible voice. And in Verse 10 in the Greek Septuagint it reads thus:

Kai nun deuro Aposteeilo (Apostle) se pros Pharao (Pharoah)

God said to Moses: “I will make you an Apostle to Pharoah.”

Exodus 3:11-14 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And He said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: (Here Moses received the tokens or the sighs of being Apostelos-ed) When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you (Here Moses receives the message or words of his Apostelos); and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (I Am hath sent this Apostle unto you.)

Exodus 4:13-17 And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him (Another person) whom thou wilt send. (Apostlos) (Here Moses requests for another person to be sent as God’s apostle.) 14And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. 15And thou shalt speak unto him, and put (My) words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16And he shall be thy spokesman (Greek speak for thee) unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. 17And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. (So here we see Moses as God’s Apostle and Aaron as Moses’ Apostle so that before all of Israel both appear to be Apostles and this later becomes a snare unto all of Israel in the great falling away with the Golden Calf.)

Isaiah was also sent as an apostle –First in chapter Isaiah 6:6 the messenger is sent (To Apostle) to Isaiah with a coal from the Altar of God.

Isaiah 6:1-7 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

In this passage we find Isaiah the prophet at the posts of the door from which he can see the Lord high and lifted up and his train or Glory filled the temple. Notice here that the angel cries Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is filled with his Glory. While it is true that worship the angel is worshipping the Lord and this is moving the posts of the door and the temple was filled with smoke – the content of this worship is what moved the doors and in the next verse we can see that the content of the cry of the angel greatly affected Isaiah.

Isaiah already was a prophet. Isaiah already had dreams and visions, but in all of this Isaiah was spiritually only at the doorposts of God. 

It was the angels cry not Isaiah’s that moved the posts of the door. This is divine intervention this is a visitation from God. And the doorposts were moved at the cry of Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts. 

At the moving of the posts and the opening of the door the temple was filled with the Shekina Glory of God and we can see that Isaiah is already completely overwhelmed with a sudden revelation that he had a complete lack of holiness or the righteousness before God. In modern terminology we would call that a lack of sanctification. So Isaiah cries out and confesses with his lips that this seasoned prophet finds himself to be utterly contemptible before God, utterly undone before God; that there is nothing in me that is worthy of You, and that there is nothing in me that could even carry your shoe latchet in ministry.

Isaiah 6:5-7 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken (The Aggelos had been sent) with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

From this Isaiah comes out walking in a state of sanctification. – This is what we are seeking at the posts of his door, not a gift, not a ministry, but to be cleansed and made holy so that we can fellowship with Him in Spirit and in truth. That we can walk in the light as He is in the light.

Ezekiel was sent as an Apostle --

Ezekiel 2:1-10 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee (Apostelos) to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee (Apostelos) unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

And I believe even though the bible does not say explicitly that Daniel was also an Apostle.

Daniel 10:1-21 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Daniel 10:7-12 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

What is important to note here is that like the Prophet Isaiah, Daniel was already a prophet, both already had successful ministries with dreams and visions –but that Isaiah and Daniel were both brought into a greater level of repentance sanctification before God. Something that we are taught today is completely unnecessary and has been deemed as harmful to us spiritually.(These are words from the father of lies.)

Now we not only see that there were Apostles in the Law and the Prophets but in their lives we also see the tokens of God that are given to show the authenticity of the office but also the signs of the apostle as well. And of these modern pretenders they have nothing other than their own corrupt words and the corrupt words of other men to vouch for them.

The book of Jeremiah is unique in that it speaks repeatedly about false prophets that Jehovah had not Apostled.

Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, (Greek I Apostled them not.) neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

Jeremiah 23:31-32  Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not (Greek: I Apostled them not), nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 28:15  -Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; (Greek The Lord hath not Apostled thee) but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Jeremiah 29:8-9 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, (Greek I have not Apostled them) saith the LORD.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel (Aggelos messenger) of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers (Those who are supposed to minister relief at their own expense) also be transformed (to appear) as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their (corrupt and perverse) works (of darkness.)

Aaron first and foremost was an Apostle, and we see that though Aaron worked side by side with Moses day and night, his heart was not changed. Aaron never was converted regardless of how many miracles or wondrous works he performed. And this poses a great danger in the church of this hour, a church that is so geared toward the miraculous that it overrides any judgment concerning almost any deficiencies in a purported Apostle or Prophet’s life or even the words that they preach regardless of how unscriptural or heretical their words may be as we have repeatedly demonstrated with the followers of Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland. I fear for these believers and I fear for the church of this hour. God deliver the church from these wolves that are within and these wolves that compass the church from without. Is they any that will uncompromisingly rise to defend the flock of God regardless of personal cost?

 

Aaron is a type of the false prophet that shall arise in the last days that shall cause the whole of bible believing and spirit filled Christians to worship the beast the image of the beast and the symbol or number of the beast. 

 

As John the Apostle stated of the False Prophets and False Apostles of his day “They were among us, but they were not of us.” So to when Paul was speaking here of False Apostles I can not help but feel that both men were invoking scripture. – And that by so doing both Paul and John are calling the churches remembrance to the sin and corruption of Aaron the first fallen Apostle of who like Balaam there is a fair amount of scripture to examine and consider.

 

There is room for some discussion as to how the Lord held Aaron accountable – but the fact remains that Aaron in Exodus 32 was the lone Apostle left standing after Moses had departed up the mount, through which God had worked untold signs and wonders, Aaron was a man that had unlimited access to God, Aaron the man who had tirelessly preached the Gospel the Egyptians and to the children of Israel.  And in the hour of the church of Israel’s greatest need Aaron was no longer “one who ministers relief at his own expense” He became Aaron minister of satan who has been transformed into an angel (Aggelos messenger) bearing a new and strange light for all his long time disciples to follow.

 

Aaron was not satan’s target, the laity was. Aaron was the minister through which the serpent hoped to snag the whole of the laity in one swoop. And more particularly the serpent desired with this inexcusable falling into sin and corruption that the laity and their seed might be cut of forever.  So in the scheme of things the possession of Aaron was chump change (As the false prophet in Revelation is also declared to have become possessed) when compared what the real stakes of the entire laity in play.         

So too we can draw an uncanny comparison with the fallen Eve and the fallen Apostle Aaron. The value of Aaron is that he like Eve was a trusted vessel of seeming “impeccable” credentials. Where at one time he was the laity’s most trusted protector second only to Moses, seemingly on the turn of a dime Aaron has now become their most deadly predator. And this from this standpoint these sheep while having seen the Father, and having heard His audible voice, can hardly be considered as having entered into any level of relationship with the Lord. Instead we see that they bare great resemblance to the church of this hour. A church in which even though we are called to be “priests unto God” we are more disciples of our versions of Moses and Aaron, than of God. 

John 10:4-5 And when the shepherd putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Had the serpent come before Adam, Adam would have fled the serpent for he knew the voice of the Father. So the serpent instead sent in Eve a voice that Adam knew and one he would not flee from. When the serpent sent in Aaron to the laity of the children of Israel it was for very similar reasons. Had the serpent instead appeared as himself it is doubtful that very many at all would have heeded his voice after hearing the Fathers’.  Had he spoke of this rebellion through the sons of Korah which he later did, they would have had little sway among the laity because the sheep did not know the sons of Korah’s voice. And had he spoke rebellion through Miriam as he later did, she would have had little sway among the laity because the sheep did not know her voice. But when Aaron stood up that day on the preacher’s platform and said break off the earrings for those that might have turned away from this strange and corrupt Gospel, when they heard the mighty Apostle Aaron speak those words they were swayed and followed what he said even when it was in complete contradiction with what God had spoken only days previous.

And this very thing has been played over and over and over again in the church age. Upon generation after generation the serpent has sent in his Aarons and his Eves preaching other gospels and saying: “Let us go after other gods.”  And because the sheep have known these men’s and women’s voices even when their words have gone against their hearers increasingly corrupt understanding of the word of God these Aarons and Eves have prevailed upon the laity time and time again with their seemingly impeccable credentials they have followed these on an ever increasingly downward slope towards hell.