March 15, 1994.
Revised August 31, 2005
Chapter 9
Temples and Churches
Part
4 Arts of the
Temples
In the Gospels, we see the mother of
Zebedee’s children
requesting two offices for her sons in the Kingdom preached by
Christ. She desired the left- and the right-hand seats on either side
of the King for her sons. She knew Jesus was High Priest
and King.
Jesus knew He had come to be the King
who returned every man to his family and every man to his
possessions.
The right hand of government was to return to the people, according
to God’s plan. This would make the people stronger. Taking
their God-given responsibility back would return their God-given
rights, making men whole again.
But
when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth: Mt 6:3
The right hand of government was
called the imperium by the Romans. It was divided into the
merum, which
dealt with foreign aggression and the mixtum,
which dealt with the “wicked” within the jurisdiction of
the civil state. These powers were granted by the people to the
province of the Patronus (Our Father) of Rome. Under his
patronage and tutorship, as the people registered their
children, the power of the state grew.
The temples were a part of the left
hand of government and originally depended upon the freewill and sin
offerings of the people. The ancient altars of clay were
formed of, by, and for the people to the benefit of their neighbor in
charity and love. The wealth of the system was stored in brotherhood,
and love through charity.
He
answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart
to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
Luke 3:11
The national treasure of the Kingdom
of Heaven is in the hearts of the people. Charity and hope beyond the
family into the community and nation will maintain freedom under God,
at home and abroad. As the right hand of man is freely given in the
service of justice to our fellow man, so also the left hand serves
their same need. Both elements of society gain God’s grace and
are virtuously strengthened by such brotherhood.
But
when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth: Matthew 6:3
Jesus also knew the king was not to
appoint these offices from the top down. God would determine who
would hold those offices and He would reveal it through the people in
the pattern of tens and hundreds, choosing servants of servants, unto
the highest servant.
But
to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but
[it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared. And when
the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and
John. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. But Jesus called
them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are
accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and
their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be
among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your
minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant
of all. Mark 10:40-45, Matthew 20:21-26.
If God was in the hearts of the
people, they would make the right choices. Even the highest servant
was not allowed to rule over the people, nor return them to Egypt,
nor make treaties. Each man would choose who would be their
leading minister. There could be no voter fraud, no special
interest takeover. Each leader was known intimately by ten men who
was already chosen by ten men because of the trust and virtue and
service found in them. Any corruption found at any level was directly
accessible. Any coveting or taking from your neighbor was
fundamentally forbidden. Protection and love of neighbor was as
important as protection and love of self. There was no tax but
charity only.
There was no central treasury to rob,
no high office of power to make deals or be corrupted. Each
individual had to accept responsibility for themselves, their family,
and their neighbors. This was Christianity. As people sought
righteousness and did the will of the Father in Heaven, the kingdom
was edified in them and about them. Men of virtue flock to such a
system and men of sloth and avarice, greedy for power and control,
have no place in it.
This ancient of systems, preached anew
by Christ and his disciples, divided the sheep from the goats and
turned the world right-side up.
During times of grave trials and great
tribulation, it is not distant dictators, hypothetical philosophies,
or detached doctrines that cultivate loyalty, courage, and sacrifice
in men, but it is the personal sacrifice of brotherhood that nurtures
man’s virtuous nature. It is the shared bread in hunger, the
donated cover against cold, and the sweat, blood, and life given
freely that teaches love and patience, virtue and fortitude, and
binds souls together as one body, one nation, a peculiar people, in
the name of God, in this world and the next. It is the daily
sacrifice of self for the rights of others that brings man to the
willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, to live or die in service
to the Lord of Lords.
Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. Joh 15:13
A nation bound together in such
brotherhood cannot be broken. Jesus knew that a nation built on
force, control, and compliance will falter and fail as it fosters
power and pride, fear and anger. When love fades in men, men fail.
When charity is not exercised, virtue grows weak. When faith does not
accrue, allegiance is abated. Use it or lose it.
Those who studied the histories of
Israel understood the bloody sacrifice and burnt offerings of the
Pharisees were nothing more than a travesty, if not heresy. Those who
had sought to learn the ancient mysteries of the Kingdom knew that
the altars of Abraham and Moses were built of men, not of dead stone.
These unregulated individuals of noble conscience were men of grace
to whom contributions of charity were granted by the freewill of the
people. Their purpose was to care for the needy and needs of the
community and to feed the sheep of the kingdom. They realized that
these altars were a form of unregulated social insurance that
strengthened the receiver as much as those who gave. It was this
system that brought the whole nation together in a living network of
brotherhood and love.
No man could take from or injure an
Israelite without injuring the whole nation. No one could conquer
such a nation unless they conquered every man and woman in it. The
more you fought them, the stronger and more resolved they became.
There seems a great power in hate and fear, but faith and love, like
a rock, endures.
These ancient systems were designed to
keep the nation strong and free in the face of what was often great
adversity. The feasts were ceremonial rituals. Their purpose was to
keep the nation together as one people in practical ways. They were
designed to strengthen community by bringing families and
congregations of families together into a national community of
marriage and brotherhood of charity and choice.
The people knew that the family was
the foundation of all society and there was no wisdom in weakening
it, unless your hope was tyranny. Sons and Daughters look to their
Father and Mother to teach them the lessons of life. The family was
an extended family and the community intertwined under the perfect
law of liberty. Each successive generation knew that they had to care
for their own parents as well as the needy. Those who were without
family support were cared for as a matter of custom and a common
assurance of hope. In a system of godly charity, there is no
entitlement, but only grace and the hope of it.
Moses established an assembly of
Levites to minister to the congregations of the people. In the
wilderness, the Levites had been called out by Him when the
people tried to set up a central bank, likened to the temples in
Egypt.
Again, this seems a foreign idea to
most modern Christians. It is historical naivety to imagine that this
calf of gold was anything more than a depository of wealth, designed
to bind the people together into a loyal community of contributors
and investors. By depositing all their wealth in the Golden Calf,
they were assured that no one would desert without departing
destitute. Gates were set up and men and wealth were kept in as well
as out.
This practice was used in city-states
in order to protect them against trade deficits and to guarantee
loyalty. It also secured the power of the ruling elite. The
walls served the purpose of keeping the people in as well as
intruders out. The king of Sodom had put more value on the human
resources than the treasure of his city. They had a system of
accounting for the contributions and deposits of the enfranchised
citizenry, and some form of exchange amongst the persons of
the city was provided, but regulated in value.
Aaron, knowing the “arts of the
temple”, accommodated the people in this alternative monetary
system. He became the trustee of the temple, high priest, and
benefactor of the people in a cestui que charitable trust.
Moses was outraged and called the people to turn from their sinful
ways of entrusting their family wealth in this unrighteous mammon.
The Levites, as a people, answered the call to maintain an entrance
and exit to the camp.
The people were free again and the Golden Calf was dismantled and
consumed.
Still, some system was needed to teach
and aid the people in the ways of the Lord. The Levites were the
firstborn of the Kingdom, as were the Apostles, the 120 families, and
men like Stephen. Moses and Jesus knew where corruption would come
from. Lovers of soft things and power were not the ones to put
in charge. The Levites had proved their faith and courage, but Moses
still forbid them to own land in their own name. Jesus had done the
same for his called out and required that his ministers were to sell
all their property and give to the poor, so that they had no
inheritance.
Some will tell you that Jesus only
told the rich man to sell his things, but we see clearly in Luke
12:33, He states, “Sell that ye have, and give alms ....”
He states this to his called disciples in relation to, Luke 12:32,
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He had already insisted they
do this same thing in Luke 14:33 with, “So likewise, whosoever
he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be
my disciple.” Again, the word “hath”
is from huparchonta meaning “property”.
The Apostles required new appointees
to do the same as we have seen with the two ministers Joses, a
Levite, and Ananias. These ministers of Christ’s Kingdom were
dependent upon the contributions of the people, who only shared a
portion of their wealth according to the service given by the
ministers. These ministers did many thing to make their constituents
successful. They aided with education, business, agriculture,
marriage counseling. Every aspect of their life was important to the
minister of God’s kingdom.
Such arrangements and requirements by
Moses and Jesus did much to keep the ministers of that kingdom honest
and dedicated. Men desiring power and riches did not seek such
offices of service. This guaranteed responsive ministers in God’s
government.
This was not the case in centralized,
top-down governments, whether they were indirect democracies or a
ruling king. Those who had power were tempted to seduce more from the
people by offering them guaranteed benefits, entitlements.
“When
thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before
thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to
appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful
meat.” Pr 23:1-4
Christians did not apply for
government benefits, social security, and welfare in Rome. Such
benefits were readily available, but they operated much different
than the plan of Christ, Moses, and Abraham. The first century Church
bypassed the Roman and Hellenistic system of Herod and developed
their own system according to the teachings of Christ and the
prophets. We see in Acts 6:1
that the daily ministration to the widows and orphans was
being neglected.
The Church established by Jesus Christ
did not say go down to the Roman welfare office. It did not say join
the system of Corban offered by, what John later calls, the synagogue
of Satan.
It told the people to “look out amongst itself and find men
they trusted and bring them to us and we will appoint them over this
business.” This common welfare was the business of the Church
because the Church was the left hand of the Kingdom of God.
The Apostles did not appoint these
ministers from the top down, but were simply overseers of what the
people decided for themselves. Like Jesus, if they saw these men
acting in a corrupt way, they would fire them as He did in the
temple. The people could go back and re-elect them if they chose,
rejecting Jesus, or choose new men to serve.
Jesus did not mix the left hand of
government with the right hand and, therefore, all contributions were
voluntary. There were no taxes, only freewill offerings. This had not
been the case with the ministers in Judea. Passover messengers, once
called singers,
were sent from Jerusalem with an “issued
proclamation” demanding the temple tribute, which could
only be paid with the temple coin, the half-shekel. The
money-exchanging porters, bankers, a.k.a. money-changers, would have
their ‘tables’ set up across the country to make
exchanges for those coins, which, for a short time, would be in high
demand and exchanged at a premium.
“On
the 25th of Adar business was only transacted within the precincts of
Jerusalem and of the Temple, and after that date those who had
refused to pay the impost could be proceeded against at law, and
their goods distrained, the only exception being in favour of
priests, and that ‘for the sake of peace, lest their office
should come in disrepute.”
The
offerings of the people in support of the government was always
voluntary in the Kingdom of God. God meant men to be free. This is
why He called them out of Haran and took them out of Egypt and told
them never to return nor should their leaders do anything to return
them to that condition. Such freedom of choice left the
responsibility of governance in the hands of
the people, by the people, and for the people.
The people knew from common sense and hard-learned lessons that, if
they did not take responsibility to secure their neighbors rights,
then they would soon suffer the consequences. Virtue rewarded
righteousness, while sloth and avarice were their own companions. The
people learned to give generously and discretely in freedom or
faltered into folly and failure.
Footnotes:
Table of Contents
of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Peace be to this house,
The Prologue of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-0Prologue.php
1. The Kingdom of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Is Righteousness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-1IsRighteousness.php
A Man as King of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-2AManasKing.php
2. Abraham Uncivilized of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The City State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-1TheCityState.php
Two kingdoms/ The Merchants of Men of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-2MerchantsofMen.php
The Hindu Connection of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-3HinduConnection.php
Abraham and the Legend, The Prodigal Son
Our king and our god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-4Legend.php
The Code of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-5code.php
Abraham and the Family of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-6Family.php
3. The Altar of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Moses and the Altars of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-1AltarsofClay.php
The Altar of Sin of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-2Sin.php
Sacrifice of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-3Sophistry.php
4. Moses, Moses of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Civil State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-1CivilState.php
Gods Many of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-2godsmany.php
No Kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-3NoKings.php
Servant Priests of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-4Servants.php
5. Joshua’s Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
White Altars of Joshua
King over us of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-1WhiteAltars.php
Adultery of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-2Adultery.php
Fear, Faith and Foolishness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-3RearFaith.php
6. The World of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Of Rome and Judea of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-1Rome.php
The Remarkable History of Israel of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-2Israel.php
Rome the Believer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Commander in chiefs
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-3RomeBeliever.php
A Father’s offer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-4TheOffer.php
The Hasmonean Appeal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Socialization of Rome
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-5SocialAppeal.php
The Love of kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-6LovingKings.php
7. Factions at the Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Pharisees and The Sadducees of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-1Factions.php
The Essenes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Healers of a Nation
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-2Essene.php
8. A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-1KingBorn.php
What is redemption? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-2Redemption.php
Kingdom in Turmoil of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-3Turmoil.php
The New Deal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-4NewDeal.php
9. Temples and Churches of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-1TemplesandChurches.php
Investing in Diana of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-2InvestinDiana.php
One Father of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-3OurFather.php
Arts of the Temples of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-4TempleArts.php
The Temple of Satan of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-5SatansTemple.php
The Royal Treasury of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-6RoyalTreasury.php
10. Two Paths of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
God’s dominion from the Beginning of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The revenue of the wicked
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-1Paths.php
Beams in our eyes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Removing the Beam
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-2Beams.php
These two Kingdoms of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-3TwoKingdoms.php
Faith is actions of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-4Action.php
The kingdom appointed to Liberty of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-5AppointedLiberty.php
11. Where is the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The kingdom comes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-1Kingdom.php
Eating in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-2Eating.php
Washing in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-3Washing.php
Where is the Church? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-4Where.php
We are all kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-5AllKings.php
12. Apostasy of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The Ship of State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-1Ship.php
The Allurement of Wolves of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-2Wolves.php
The Church of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-3Church.php
The Separate Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-4Separate.php
13. The Kingdom of Heaven of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
The State of the Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-1Heaven.php
Seeking the kingdom, The Law of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-2SeekLaw.php
What does the Kingdom look like? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-3looks.php
Assembling a congregation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Where to start seeking the kingdom of God
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-4Start.php
Appendix of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
Appendix 1. Kingdom of Heaven and God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-1Appendix.php
Appendix 2. The things He says of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-2AppenSaid.php
Appendix 3. What is Worship? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-3AppenWorship.php
Appendix 4. Who are the Nicolaitans? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-4AppenNicolaitan.php
Appendix 5. Who is a god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-5Appengods.php
Appendix 6. Oaths and Swearing of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-6AppenOaths.php
The Cover of the book, Thy Kingdom Comes
The Elixir of Love.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwa.php
About the Author of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwb.php
Other publications:
The Covenants of the gods
The Free Church Report
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