Resetting the Goal for the Ekklesia*

     Because we will be discussing the Ekklesia, it is necessary to define it. The Greek word ekklesia, which is translated as "church" in the New Testament, really means "the called-out assembly of God's people".  The Ekklesia is called out of the world and into God's Kingdom. This is New Year's Eve and the world will be celebrating as it usually does, but what is the goal of the Ekklesia for this new year? 

     Jesus described for His disciples the conditions that would exist in the last days before His return. He said that no man would know the day nor the hour of His return, only the Father in heaven knew this. Because of this uncertainty, when the day and hour comes, it would be as in the days of Noah when the time of the judgment flood drew near. At that time, Jesus said, life went on as usual with the people going about their daily tasks and being completely unprepared for what was about to come. Although they would have witnessed the unusual sight and prophetic warning of Noah building the huge ark, it was not enough to cause them to consider the days in which they were living (Mt. 24:36-40).  However, for us, Jesus warned, the signs of the end times should cause us to: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh." (v. 42-44). Life is going on as usual on this New Year's Eve for the world as the Lord's return draws near, but what are we doing as the Ekklesia?

     Jesus continued this warning to us with a parable about ten virgins who were awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom (the Messiah, Jesus). They all had lamps to light their way when the bridegroom arrived, but only five of the ten were considered wise because they had prepared to have oil on hand for their lamps (oil always refers to the Holy Spirit). At midnight, while all ten slept, the cry was heard that the bridegroom was coming, and the five foolish virgins panicked as they realized they had no oil for their lamps. They had been caught by surprise and had never prepared properly. Only the five wise were prepared to enter into the marriage with the bridegroom where the door was then shut. The five foolish, when they had acquired oil too late, tried to enter the marriage crying, "Lord, Lord, open to us'. The Lord told them, 'Verily I say unto you, I know you not." (Mt. 25:1-12). Concluding this warning parable, Jesus said again, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (v. 13). We, the Ekklesia, are not to be ignorant of the approaching time, and we are not to be caught by surprise. The Great Commision from Christ is for us to teach and to prepare others for the Kingdom of God, but how can we prepare others if we are not prepared?

     Revelation tells us that there is great rejoicing in heaven as the Lord rules in salvation, glory, honor, and power as He defeats in judgment the great evil, the Whore of Babylon, who had corrupted all the earth, and killed God's servants in persecution. All in heaven fell down and worshipped God, praising Him: "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (consider also the Shroud of Turin, the burial covering of Jesus, which was of white linen): for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." (Rev. 19:1-9).

     The goal for the Ekklesia is to be ready. Our wedding gown is woven by what we do, in being Christ-like ones, standing for the truth in perilous times, where, accompanied by violence, evil is called good, and good is called evil by a world that rejects God. As the parable above taught, five of the ten who were called to the wedding were deceived into being unprepared for the moment and were shut out of the glorious wedding of the Lamb. 

     Peter also wrote of believers who, in the last days, would scoff at the idea of impending judgment and the return of the Lord, preferring to walk in their own lusts (fleshly and worldly desires and plans) while believing that all things continue as they have been since creation: "For this they are willingly ignorant of, that by the word of God...Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." (2 Peter 3:1-6). In the judgment to come, however, rather than the destruction by water, destruction by fire will come to the heavens and the earth and ungodly men. The day of the wrath of God is coming, but we are not meant for God's wrath, but to be like Noah preparing the prophetic Ark of warning and salvation, even if mocked. In being of a holy character in these times, the Ekklesia is "Looking for and hasting unto the coming day of God", and "...according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless....Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." (v. 11-18). The Ekklesia hastens the day by being prepared, and by not being deceived in the same error of false security as the wicked.

     The Word of the LORD to the prophet Isaiah spoke about the people of God entering into the city of salvation - to us, this is the New Jerusalem written of in Revelation. Entering into this city is for: "...the righteous nation which keepeth the truth ..."; for those who are kept in perfect peace as their mind is kept on the LORD because they trust in the LORD: "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." (Isa. 26:1-4). The name of LORD JEHOVAH is YHWH in Hebrew, with the Hebrew pictographic letters meaning, "Behold the hand, Behold the nail". With trust in this name also comes the promise of resurrection: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." (v. 19). The mention of dew in these verses as connected with resurrection was seen also with the research on the Shroud of Turin. It was thought by the researchers that the condensation, or "dew", that would have gathered on the Shroud could have acted as a focusing agent, like a lens, for the radiant energy released in the resurrection of Christ to create the negative image found on the linen cloth of the Shroud. The condensation could have been created by the still warm body of Jesus coming in contact with the cool environment of the tomb/cave.

     The prophet Daniel also wrote that in the latter days, as we see the timing of events regarding the Antichrist and the nations, the persecution of the people of God and Armageddon unfold, the Ekklesia, or the wise who know their God and do exploits in His name, will play a major role in teaching and leading many in the way of righteousness (Dan. 11:32-33, Dan. 12:3). The wise are those found "written in the book", the Lamb's Book of Life (Dan. 12:1). The wise during this time, like those in the parable who were prepared with oil for their lamps, will shine, and while the wicked will not understand the significance of these prophetic events that Daniel wrote about, the wise will understand (Dan. 12:3, 10). The Book of Daniel was to be "closed up" and "sealed" according to the instruction of the LORD "till the time of the end." (v. 9). We are seeing now, however, that the Ekklesia is reading and understanding the meaning of these prophecies of Daniel as we are in "the time of the end". It is the purpose of the Ekklesia to understand these previously sealed things which are now being revealed from scripture and to teach them to others.

     This is my challenge to the Ekklesia: We need to decide if we are going to be the Ekklesia, which is light, or not. The goal for 2024 is to be the Ekklesia that leads many to righteousness.

      *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 12/31/23 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705.