The voice from the temple says: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19, 20 It is one of the most widely recognized of all the sayings of the bible, go and make disciples. Famously called the great commission, these were of the final words Jesus spoke to the Apostles before he left. Jesus said however, I am with you. Further he said until the end but who is he referring to since those men are no longer with us? Was the 1st century the end of the age? What is meant by baptize them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit? All authority had been given to Jesus but why does he say this first? It has been a while now but it is time to go a little deeper into the Christ and Christianity. Yes, lets focus on some of the final words of Jesus in the gospel. There are three angles to be viewed. The things considered are 1) who it is Jesus talking to. 2) what is the timing for this commission to begin. 3) What the commission teaches about the biblical definition of the Christ and Christian. Take special note Jesus authority as well. The time has come to peel back another layer of the onion. What is this authority exactly and why does Jesus feel the need to bring it up now, just before leaving? Jesus spent 40 days with them before this commission after all, so his authority should seemingly be obvious. A popular belief that I recently heard just one more time is that Jesus is claiming to be king. When did he become king? Daniel reveals a granting of kingdom to someone like a son of man so that everyone should serve him. Can the timing be discerned? Absolutely! Daniel repeatedly says there is a war between a beast and the holy ones (Daniel 7:8-11,13-18, 21-27). This is the fourth beast and the prophecy is that kingship belongs to the beast until its taken and the beast is completely destroyed. The end of the tribulation is the true end of the Gentile times (Daniel 7:21-22, 26-27; Luke 21:7-9, 21-24). After this, the holy ones begin to rule. Notice something…. Daniel saw the likeness of a son of man gain dominion yet repeatedly its the holy ones who rule the kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14 compare 18, 21-22, 27). This is because Jesus does not become king and rule alone (2Timothy 4:8; Revelation 12:5,11,17, 20:4-6). The key point Daniel makes here is that Jesus rule as king is not before or apart from the holy ones (Revelation 5:9-10, 7:4). You get the feeling Daniel is trying to tell you what two-and-two are, hoping you will put them together (Daniel 11:32-33, 12:10)? So Jesus wasnt king at birth, nor at baptism (Luke 1:31-33, 4:5-7, John 14:30). Upon his resurrection, Jesus still was not king as Daniel helps all to see that he wasnt king entering into heaven either. Compare the vision with its inspired interpretation (Daniel 7:7-14, 15-22 or 23-27). Jesus is king only when all the holy ones of that number are also kings upon receiving the kingdom, at Armageddon. Jesus is not yet king. So Jesus wasnt king when he sat by his Father before coming down and nothing has changed since returning to his God. So what is this authority then? The context shows his authority to be power and not a throne. What kind of power is Jesus talking about? Well the very next thing he says is to baptize and make disciples; to teach them. This authority he earned is to choose the sons of the kingdom, the authority over the pouring out of Holy Spirit (John 1:12, 16:7). God called His sons but Jesus was now granted all authority to choose them (John 6:44). Jesus was a tree and lampstand (John 1:9, 32-34). Jesus had some authority clearly- having chose the twelve- now he would be anointing wheat through these trees (John 6:70, 20:21-22). Now time is important so lets look at the when regarding all authority. Jesus says go make disciples and baptize… when did he instruct them to do so? What people miss in this commission is that its timed (Acts 1:4). They couldnt just walk away and get started, no, they were given a when to start. Pentecost 33 CE was the when, ten days after Jesus left and until the time to punch in came, they had to wait (Acts 2:1-5, 37-41). The exercising of this authority began in heaven and not before. The NT is a type. There is a time, order, and purpose for everything in the bible. Only trees are anointed from heaven and they are numbered. The wheat is anointed by trees only. So Jesus began choosing the rest of that number until the full number is reached (Revelation 6:9-11). Yes, Jesus told the apostles to baptize didnt he? So Jesus outlined when and who. Some think all true believers were anointed but were they (Acts 19:1-7)? The apostles all went to sleep in the first century- now what? Those apostles or prophets were incomplete and so the complete ones will begin this great commission (1Corinthians 13:9-10). Anointed ones have not been on earth beyond the 1st century. The apostles were made such from Matthew 28:19-20 being sent forth as missionaries. This again did not happen apart from the days of appointment just before holy spirit coming down (Acts 1:2). As Paul said, these works would go away and this ended the truth until the complete arrives. It is not just the partial who are given this command, it is those who are complete. The last apostles- prophets- will restart this work. True, you cannot deny the size of believers in the world today but notice the basic beliefs of the overwhelming majority. Theyre from the many, many false teachers rejecting truth though (John 1:11). None possess pure, inspired truth (1Corinthians 13:8). They eat the leavened bread of liars and thieves (Mark 8:11-15). God has already judged this situation as will be discussed shortly. The apostolic message then was lost and as the bible reveals so many times, there is a skip from the first century until the end in the prophecies (1Timothy 4:1-3). Again, the bible is trying to tell you something (1Corinthians 13:11-12). There is a beaten path of skipping from the first century to the last days and for a reason. Where was God in those other centuries of the church (2Thessalonians 2:1-12)? Moses established truth like those before him but in time truth was lost until Jesus came, some fifteen centuries later (Exodus 24:7; Malachi 3:1-7). Some nineteen centuries later, the time has come for history to repeat itself (Malachi 4). The time is come for truth to return- complete truth. John says it must happen again and describes the return of two olive trees and lampstands (Revelation 10:11-11:1-6). The sons of light, the sons of anointing have lamps of oil to pour out upon the wheat very soon and a message of course. The wheat at that time will assist the trees in gathering the grapes. Jesus gathers the wheat into his storehouse but there is a vine with gathered grapes as well (Revelation 14:14-18). Who are the grapes? The grapes are a different crop and are tended by the shepherds. Moses tended Gods sheep and so did Elijah as olive trees and lampstands. These olive trees had wheat also. The wheat have Holy Spirit but arent apostles (Acts 6:1-6). Moses had seventy grains and Elijah had seven thousand (Numbers 11:16-17; 1kings 19:18). Then there were grapes. Moses and Elijah served as chief overseers of Gods word and truth from false teachings (Numbers 16:1-5, 23-35; 1Kings 18:36-40). As lampstands, they stood tall and possessed the lamp, fire, and oil to lead His people (Exodus4:10-17; 1Kings 17:13-24). These two also made Gods name known to the people among teaching the truth (Exodus 6:2-8; 1Kings 18:21-24, 30-32). The grapes therefore represent the sheep or citizens whereas the grain and olive trees are the government of the kingdom. The government of course is the Christ made of a head and body (Ephesians 1:3-14). Christians are their disciples, sheep who are served by the Christ (Acts 11:26). Christians share in the suffering of the Christ or chosen ones. They too can have joy as sheep fed by the shepherds until Jesus coming (1Peter 4:12-5:4). Zechariah interestingly enough saw the trees anointing grain in a vision (Zechariah 4:11-12). The vision though, is seen again by John in chapter 11 of the Revelation, further explaining that this an unfulfilled prophecy so far. So just as it took place in order and at a specified time appointed, so it will be in the coming days. Jesus said teach them obedience and these teachings are his commands. This means their message is inspired from Jesus himself by Holy Spirit (Matthew 13:3-11; Revelation 11:3,7). That is significant as many today think they are fulfilling this command when Jesus wasnt speaking to nor about them. The people certainly came to know the name of God under Moses the prophet. The people surely came to know Jehovah under Elijah. Ezekiel many times says they will have to know Jehovah again! John explains who these two witnesses are. People are sitting in many denominations today and these two will straighten that out for sure. The name isnt Jesus, God, or the Lord God. Baptizing in His name means something and is the only valid baptism. In the name of the Father is sadly is just something people say. How many are baptized in connection with that name; how many even know His name and use it? Most are caught up in that false trinity and therefore look to Jesus. Even with the trinity the name of the Father isnt Jesus. The Father has His own name and He certainly says knowledge of this is important, its actually vital (Psalms 50:14-15; Joel 2:32; Malachi 1:11). Jesus says this is to be taught and its not optional. Remember- it’s a commission, a command from Jesus himself. Recognizing the Father for who He is now is as important as ever and will become increasingly necessary in the days ahead (Psalms 83:16-18; Isaiah 42:8). I mean, how do you really love someone and never know their real name? Yesterday is a great time to start addressing God by His actual name and not merely one of His many titles. Jesus first laid out the importance and meaning of the name of his Father, our Father, but he didnt stop with in the name of the Father (John 17:6-8, 11, 25). The son and the and spirit are also mentioned as part of this command to teach and baptize. Some suggest the name connected to the Father also refers to the son and spirit but does it? When Jesus says of the son, the whole context of the surrounding verses is teaching the baptism of Jesus, not a literal name (Hebrews 3:1,14). The spirit is clearly not God Himself but a gift from Him instead (Romans 8:9-11). It is personified, though not always like a car (1Corinthians 12:13). The anointed witnesses baptize in Gods name and use the Holy Spirit to anoint fellow priests as did Peter at Pentecost and other trees later did. Therefore Jesus, with all authority, commanded these trees to baptize in the name of Jehovah with the baptism of Jesus, that is, using the Holy Spirit. So to go make disciples is for the trees to gather the grain and pour out oil upon them as Zechariah saw when read in Hebrew. In the name of the Father is to know and teach His sole supremacy, and all about who He really is. The teaching of the son is the pouring of oil, the anointing of the chosen wheat (John 3:1-8). The Holy Spirit is the fire of the lamp and a teaching tool or guiding light that Jesus instructs the elect with. In the OT the order was: the tree (Moses) then wheat (the priesthood) also grapes (nation of Israel). The gospel order was: the tree (Jesus) then wheat (apostles) then grapes (sheep). The Acts had: trees (apostles) then grain (holy ones) plus sheep (Christians). This is a well beaten path leading to two trees (apostles) then wheat (the remnant) then grapes (other those sheep). The Acts and letters- in order- are a type for Jesus coming for trees, wheat, and grapes… to restore the kingdom (John 10:14-16; Acts 1:6-11). Jesus is with the two witnesses until the end of the age. So who is Jesus really talking to? His coming trees or apostles sent forth at the tribulation to gather the wheat of Christ and the Christian grapes, then the end. The voice from the temple says: I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. They are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, and they stand before the Lord of the earth. Revelation 11: 3, 4
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 13:10:19 +0000
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