Someone
I know and respect has the belief that any Little Flock members who were alive
in 70 AD when Hebrews was written were told to go without the camp and become a
part of the body of Christ. I asked if that wouldn't preclude the twelve from sitting
on 12 thrones in the Kingdom (assuming any were still alive in 70 AD) and he
said it wouldn’t. What are your thoughts on that?
Hebrews 13:13
Let us go forth therefore
unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
First of all, that is assuming that
Hebrews was written in 70 AD. I wouldn’t
battle over that but I think it was written earlier than that. My personal belief is that when Paul wrote 2
Timothy, which would be about 66 – 68 AD right before he died, it was the last
book of scripture written. But I won’t
battle over that. People think that
Revelation was written as late as 95 AD.
Hebrews was definitely written during the Acts period and before the
temple was destroyed. The Hebrews were
obviously worshipping in that which was about to be abolished.
Hebrews 10:11
And every priest standeth
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins:
Hebrews
13:10-11
We have an altar, whereof they have no
right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the
sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
So the temple was still standing when
Hebrews was written.
Secondly, going without the camp
was not about ‘becoming a part of the body of Christ.’ It refers to continuing to believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and not becoming a part of the unbelievers in Israel.
‘Going without the camp’ refers to what
happened to the Lord when they cast him out of Jerusalem to be stoned. The Hebrews also cast Stephen outside of the
city to be stoned.
Acts 7:58
And cast him [Stephen] out
of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a
young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
Going without the camp meant rejection
by the mainstream of Israel. The Little
Flock was going against the grain by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ; but it
definitely does not mean that they became part of the body of Christ. Someone can become part of the body of Christ
only one way: through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on
Calvary’s cross for their sins.
1 Corinthians
15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I
declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand; By which
also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye
have believed in vain. For I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures; And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures:
That was not the message that God gave
the Little Flock. They were to believe
that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God. That is what made them part of the Little
Flock.
John 6:69
And we believe and are
sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
There were at least some of the apostles
who were still alive in 70 AD such
as James the brother of John – one of the original twelve apostles during the
Lord’s earthly ministry. We know John
was alive. They kept trying to kill
Peter but God kept him alive. He had a
significant writing ministry late in his life, particularly 2 Peter. But none of the Little Flock became members
of the body of Christ and I will tell you why.
Let’s say that the twelve and all the
remaining members of the Little Flock who were still alive when the book of
Hebrews was written (which was probably a significant number) all went into the
body of Christ – then who would fulfill their purpose in the Kingdom? God’s purpose for the Little Flock (the
believing remnant of Israel – those who were believing on Jesus Christ when
Paul was saved and the dispensation of grace began) is to have them judge
Israel in the Kingdom.
Romans 11:7
What then? Israel hath
not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election [the Little Flock of believers] hath obtained it [the kingdom], and the rest [unbelievers in Israel] were blinded.
They are all dead and with the Lord and
will come back with him at his second coming (not for the body of Christ but
for Israel and to set up his throne on this earth) and they will sit on 12
thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Luke 22:30
That ye may eat and drink
at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of
Israel.
They could not be in the body of Christ
because our sphere of influence is the heavenly places.
Ephesians 2:6
And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
The body of Christ goes up to the
heavenly places and we stay there to rule God’s kingdom in the heavens for all
eternity.
1 Corinthians
6:3
Know ye not that we
shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life
God would not promise the twelve and
all the other members of the Little Flock that they would sit with him in his
kingdom here on the earth if it was not going to happen.
Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock;
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
That is their calling and their hope. We have to rightly divide the word of truth
and understand Paul’s ministry. If we
do, we will understand that every member of the body of Christ (beginning with
Paul) will serve God in the heavenly places.
So all the Jews who were believing on Jesus Christ as their Messiah
before Paul was saved got into the kingdom and they could cease from their own
works; but until that time they had to continue on in faith and works.
John 8:31
Then said Jesus to those
Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed;
Acts 2:42
And they continued
stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread,
and in prayers.
Once Paul was saved, God dealt with
everyone who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ based upon grace; but that
didn’t mean that the Little Flock became members of the body of Christ because
God has a purpose for them. The twelve
apostles and all the Little Flock will serve God in his kingdom on this
earth. That is their calling. When you rightly divide the word of truth,
you see that members of the church the body of Christ have a heavenly
calling. If any member of the Little
Flock at any time became a member of the body of Christ, it would mean that
they will rule and reign in the heavenly places (and not in the earthly
kingdom). Every member of the body of
Christ will be in the heavens. Again, that
would take them away from what God originally called them to do in serving him
in the kingdom on this earth.
If the twelve went into the body, how
would they sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel here on
this earth? That is their calling and
their hope. We must understand the
Pauline revelation of the Mystery and the calling of the body of Christ. Compare and contrast the book of Ephesians
(the calling of the church the body of Christ) with Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John and understand that the Little Flock has a place in the kingdom on this
earth. The body of Christ has a place in
the kingdom in the heavenly places.
Colossians
1:16
For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
In Ephesians Paul says that the way God
is going to fill the heavenly places that Christ may be all in all is through
the church the body of Christ.
Ephesians
1:20-23
Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places, Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave
him to be the head over all things to the church,Which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all.
In summary we, as members of the body
of Christ, are going to be in the heavens, and if the members of the Little
Flock became members of the body, they would also have to go into the heavens
because that is the purpose for the church the body of Christ which is created
by God to rule and reign and serve him in the heavens. But in order to fulfill their calling as
judges, leaders, rulers and elders in Israel in the earthly kingdom they could
not have become members of the body.
+ + + +
You cannot use your mind in a greater
capacity than to think upon the word of God and to have him in all your
thoughts, so thank you for your question.
I love questions. They keep me
sharp and thinking about God’s word.
Philippians
4:8
Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things.
Hopefully this helps!
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