The Church (as a whole, worldwide) is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-31), while a church in a city is a local expression of the bride of Christ. As a bride, the Church is a woman (Revelation 12:1), and is a mother (Galatians 4:26, Revelation 21:9-10) – a mother to the believers that make up the Church. Meaning, a church in a city (the church in Winnipeg for example) can be referred to symbolically as a woman (or a lady), and as a mother of children. While the different churches in a city or different cities can be referred to as sisters of one another.
John (in 2 John 1:1) wrote a letter to the people of God using these symbols. He opened it by saying “The elder unto the elect lady and her children”. And he closed it by saying “the children of thy elect sister greet thee”. It is the will of God that every church should be an elect lady. But Isaiah 4:1 prophesys of a time when different groups of people will want to be churches of Jesus Christ but will want to eat their own food (receive their own doctrines) and put on their own garments (operate their own way). But we want to be an elect lady. That is, a church elected to be relevant for the accomplishing of God’s purpose upon the earth. We want to be an acceptable and fruitful bride. That is, a church that incubates the seed of Christ and will travail to bring forth an overcomer church — a church that has become a perfect man measuring up to the full stature of Christ (Revelation 12:5, Revelation 2:26-27, Ephesians 4:13).
We trust the Lord to help us in this study to learn the mind of God for His Church so that we can be well pleasing in His sight, relevant to His purpose on earth, and bring forth His desired fruit which is Christ as a many-membered body. Amen.
Table of Contents
What is the Church?
In order to gain an accurate perspective of the mind of God for His Church, we will consider the different symbols used to refer to the Church, and by so doing, we will understand the responsibilities of the Church towards God, towards itself (the Church), and towards the community (world).
The Bride of Christ:
In the gospels, John the Baptist was the first to refer to Jesus Christ as the bridegroom who has come to take a bride for himself. When his disciples came to report to him about Jesus baptizing also and all men coming unto Him, in his response he referred to Jesus as the bridegroom and himself as the friend of the bridegroom (John 3:26-30). In the epistles, Paul in his writing in counseling on marriage compares the love that should exist between a man and his bride with the love of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:24-28, 2 Corinthians 11:2). What does this tell us about how the New Testament church should operate? It tells us that the church should be a body of people deeply in love with the Lord Jesus Christ (the bridegroom). This love is expressed in their lives as a healthy devotional life (not just as a routine, but one of continuous communion with the Lord). It is also expressed as a life of obedience to His Spirit (consciously involving Him in all aspects of their lives). In John 14:15-24 Jesus said “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Thus as individuals and as a body of people, being called the bride of Christ tells us that the New Testament church should be such that expresses love to the bridegroom by keeping His commandments. What are some of His commandments? John 15:12, Revelation 2:4-5. As a church, what are the works of our first love? Discuss.
In addition to expressing love by keeping the commandments of the bridegroom, there is more that the name “bride of Christ” teaches us about how the New Testament church should be. When we consider the details of the Jewish marriage process (to gain understanding of the allegories used in the marriage process between Christ and the Church), we learn that it is a seven day process beginning from when the contract is signed and ending with when the bridegroom comes to receive the bride into the house he prepared for her. During this time, a major expectation that the bridegroom has of the bride is that she should remain chaste (purely reserved) for only Him, and the symbol of this purity is a white dress that she would wear when he comes for her. Revelation 19:6-9 talks about this relative to Christ and the church. We can therefore understand that as the bride of Christ, the New Testament church is meant to be holy unto the Lord (Leviticus 20:26) and is to maintain the whiteness of her dress which “the righteousness of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8). Meaning, no sin should be found in the church, and the church should be full of faith (the righteousness of faith, Romans 4:13, Romans 10:6-11).
Seeing the Church is both espoused to be married to Christ and is the bride of Christ, it is therefore necessary that the Church ought to be faithful to Jesus Christ as a virtuous woman. The absence of faithfulness is adultery and an adulterous woman can be referred to as a whore or as one given to whoredoms. This is why the Lord refers to unfaithful Israel as a whore (Ezekiel 16:28, Hosea 4:10,18, Hosea 5:3, Hosea 6:10).
On the strength of this is the Babylon system called the harlot system, when the Church is not more faithful to Christ but faithful to a man. When the Church forsakes the ordinances of God for the ordinances and doctrines of men. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church and in ALL things in it must have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18), but today we have men like Diotrephes who loves to have the preeminence in the stead of Christ (3 John 1:9).
One more thing that we can learn from the name “bride of Christ” relative to how the New Testament church should operate is that the church should be full of hope for the coming of the Lord (Revelation 22:17). Everything we do should be in view of our coming King, and not just building structures here on earth for self gain.
The New Jerusalem:
Galatians 4:22-31, Revelation 21:2-14. In the New Testament, the church becomes the Jerusalem of the Lord. What does this mean? It means that just as David was king over Israel in Jerusalem, so also there is a King over the Church, and that King is Jesus. It therefore shows that as far as the New Testament church is concerned, the role of a one-man (singular) Head over the church is reserved only for the Lord Jesus Christ, just as in the time of David or in the time of Moses (the first spiritual head over Israel) there was one king. It is not the ideal order for men other than Christ to presume the role of singular headship over the church seeing that they are neither the Husband nor the one King over the Church. The appropriate headship over the church (as the New Jerusalem) is at best as a Sanhendrin (a body of elders), and for this reason the Lord Jesus chose twelve apostles (not one) to take over from Him after His physical departure..
The Body of Christ:
As the natural body of a human is made up of a head and many members, with each having its distinct function(s), so is the spiritual body of Christ made up of Jesus Christ Himself as THE HEAD and the church (HIS MEMBERS), with each having role(s) to play in order to make sure the body as a whole functions to its full capacity (Ephesians 1:22-23; [22] And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him TO BE THE HEAD over all things TO THE CHURCH, [23] Which is HIS BODY, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. (Colossians 1:18; And HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH:…). God in His infinite wisdom chooses the body as a type of the church to further enforce the truth that no one as a member of the body is idle but each member has a particular function to carry out so that optimal productivity occurs. Paul expands on this in some of His epistles but more focus will be put on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 where Paul specifically addresses this topic, and it will do us good to share our various thoughts on these verses.
It is also important to note that there is ONE body, with ONE head and MANY members. This must be understood to know how the body functions. A lack of understanding of this foundational truth has led to many divisions today such as denominations and the likes. Rather than being many members, what we see are “many bodies” and rather than being one head, what we see are “many heads”. Despite all these, the Word of the Lord standeth sure, as Paul said in Ephesians 4:4; THERE IS ONE BODY…” Whether they are in the church systems of man, Catholics, Baptists, Orthodox and so on, as long as they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are born from above, they are a part of that one body and we who know the truth must acknowledge them as such. We must not see it as “us” and “them” but must share the love and spirit of Christ which makes us one.
The Candlestick:
In Revelation 1:10-20, a golden candlestick is used to represent a church. The candlestick is a golden structure that has seven branches: a middle stem and six branches from its sides (three pairs of branches). These seven branches are seven lamps (with wicks inside), and the seven lamps are to give light. And in Revelation 4:5, the seven lamps are shown to represent the seven spirits of God. As such, a church being represented as a golden candlestick means the church is meant to give light to itself and to its community by manifesting the seven spirits of God. Matthew 5:14-16 says we are the light of the world, a city set on a hill, and are to let our light shine to all men. The church is to shine this light by manifesting the nature of the LORD, manifesting wisdom, understanding, counsel, might (power over spirits of darkness), knowledge (supernatural knowledge) and the fear of the LORD (by living in holiness and not compromising with the principles of the world). How does a church practically shine these seven dimensions of light to its community? Discuss.
The Temple of God:
In scriptures, the subject of the temple of God began with the tabernacle in Exodus 25:1-9. It was to be a dwelling place for God on earth, designed according to a heavenly pattern. It had three sections (Outer Court, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place), and each section had a set of items. In the Outer Court there was: the bronze altar and the bronze laver. In the Holy Place there was: the table of showbread (with twelve loaves of bread on it), the golden candlestick, and golden altar of incense. In the Most Holy Place there was: the Ark and the Mercy Seat (on the Ark). That was the physical structure of the temple, but in the New Testament, we are told that we (as individuals and as a church) are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Peter 2:4-5). Meaning, just as the physical temple had three sections, so also, a church has three sections it can operate in (or three phases in its spiritual maturity), while the items in the different sections represent different kinds of spiritual sacrifices or services the church should be involved in. 1 Peter 2:5 says we (the Church) are a spiritual house in which spiritual sacrifices are to be offered unto God. What are the spiritual sacrifices represented by the different items in the physical temple? Som include:
- The perpetual incense at the altar of incense. Exodus 30:7-8. Perpetual means continuous. Continuous incense. For us, the New Testament church, incense represents prayer and worship. Psalm 141:2, Revelation 8:3-4. So, for us, perpetual incense means continuous prayers. Meaning, one of the spiritual sacrifices that God expects in His temple (individual and Church) is the offering of continuous prayers. 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Matthew 21:13. Why? Physically speaking, the continuous incense formed a constant column of smoke linking the temple to the skies. Similarly, spiritually, the purpose of continuous prayers is to ensure a constant link between the Church and Heaven — a link that serves as a gate to the earth for heaven to find expression on earth, and a gate to heaven for the church to access the possibilities of heaven to manifest on earth (Genesis 28:17).
- The continual burning of the lamps at the golden candlestick. Leviticus 24:1-4. What does it mean to cause the lamps of the golden candlestick to burn continually? The golden candlestick (and its seven lamps) represent the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:5. So causing the golden candlestick to burn continually means to have the light of the seven spirits of God shining bright in the church. From Isaiah 11:2, the seven spirits of the LORD are: the Spirit of the LORD, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and the Spirit of the Fear of the LORD. That is, in the Church, there should be sufficient expression of the mind of God on different issues (the Spirit of the LORD). There should be sufficient expression of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of God. But how will this be? Leviticus 24:2 says it is the people of Israel that are to bring pure olive oil beaten for the light to cause the lamps to burn continually. Meaning, for a church to have the light of the seven spirits of God brightly burning continually, the people in the church must produce pure olive oil gotten through beating. What does this mean? The beating of the olive to produce the oil speaks of trying experiences that inwork the character of Christ in us. So, when the people in a church yield to God in their personal lives (to go through the beating/threshing experience) the Holy Spirit produces oil in them which manifests as wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, the fear of the LORD, and knowing the mind of the LORD. So the journey to a church keeping the service of the continual burning of the lamps begins with the yieldedness of the people in the church to the Holy Spirit in their personal lives.
- The baking and continual availability of the twelve loaves placed on the table of showbread. Leviticus 24:5-9. What does it mean to bake twelve loaves of cake (bread)? John 6:35. Jesus said I am the Bread of Life, and in John 1:1-14 He is called the Word of God. So, for us in the New Testament, the bread to be baked is the bread of the revelations from the Word of God. Meaning, part of the spiritual sacrifices a church is to carry out is to always have the revelations of Word of God available to the people in the church. Not just any kind of doctrine. The bread is called the Bread of Life. Meaning, God must be the origin of the Word (sound doctrine) and it must have the effect of life on the people, so that the spiritual life of the people in the church is continually maturing towards the standard of Christ. What does it mean that the loaves are twelve in number? There were twelve tribes of Israel. A bread for a tribe. And for us, this means that the revelations of the Word of God ministered in the church must be complete, such that it ministers to the needs of each tribe (each category of operation in the body). That is, the Word of God should be balanced in inspiring each of the different categories of ministry in the body to flourish.
- The washing of one another with water at the brazen laver. Exodus 30:17-21. For the Old Testament priests, this was the place where they were to wash themselves with water. For us, in the New Testament, water represents the Word of God. Ephesians 5:25-27. How does the Word of God wash? To wash means to cleanse – to remove dirt and restore to cleanliness. John 15:3. Jesus said “… ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.” Meaning, as I speak to you, your mind is purged of unclean ways of thinking and is established in a godly way of thinking. The Word of God has this effect. As we read it, it removes impurities from our hearts and makes us clean. How? It’s because the Word of God is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is a Spirit of Life (John 6:63). So when we read it in faith or when we speak it faith, it goes forth as a powerful Spirit of Life with a cleaning influence that removes unclean thoughts, mindsets and appetites and restores godliness, purity and Christ-likeness. This is how the Word of God washes. Individually, each child of God is a temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. 2 Corinthians 6:16. And in our individual temples, service at the brazen laver involves washing ourselves daily with the Word of God. But corporately, as a church, we are also a temple (a house of God). 1 Timothy 3:15. What kind of service does the brazen laver represent in the church? It points to a church culture of always watching over one another spiritually and washing one another with the Word God to ensure that no one continues in a path of sin. Hebrews 12:12. It’s a service that everyone who loves God would be involved in. 1 John 4:7-12. A service of carefully communicating the Word of God to a brother or a sister to release upon them the Spirit of Life that will affect their minds and actions to remove ungodliness and strengthen them into Christ-likeness. A good visual example is the Lord Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. John 13:3-17. A healthy New Testament church is such that everyone in the assembly has a humble and loving heart to self-lessly and tenderly wash the hands and feet of their brethren. The feet represent a person’s walk (way of life) and hands represent a person’s doings. A church where everyone is proactive and lovingly washing one another is one where no one will feel lonely, nor will wander into sin.
- The blood and the continual burnt offering at the brazen altar. Exodus 29:42-43. The brazen altar was the place where the sacrificial lamb for atoning for the sins of the people was killed, and its blood used to cleanse their sin. But the blood of bulls and lambs cannot take away sin. Hebrews 10:4. Rather, it was a type setup by God to point to the real Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood takes away the sin of humanity. Thus, the blood at the brazen altar represents a spiritual service of diligently applying the blood of Jesus in faith to cleanse the assembly to ensure that at all times (especially when gathered) there is no accusation against the church and all sins are atoned, so as to be spotless before God in rendering other spiritual sacrifices. Galatians 6:1-2. It is a service that should precede the other services, which is why God designed the temple such that upon entering, the altar is the first item that is seen. In addition to the blood for atonement, the altar is the place where the continual burnt offering is made. The burnt offering is an offering where the sacrificial animal is taken and burnt completely by fire unto the Lord. It is also called the whole burnt offering. Psalm 51:19. It represents for us in the New Testament, living a sacrificial life of being fully given over to God. Basically living for Him, and serving for the accomplishment of His purpose. Meaning, it is against the ordination of the New Testament church for the church to be seeking its own purposes, and caring primarily for matters not related to the Kingdom of God. Rather, the service of the whole burnt offering indicates a scenario where the church (and everyone in it) is preoccupied with worshiping God and seeking first His Kingdom. By referring to it as continual, continual burnt offering, God is indicating that such state being given fully to the accomplishment of His purpose should be the continual state of the church, not a momentary or periodic thing. In worshiping, ministry of the church, offering of prayer incense for the land, outreach to gain souls into the Kingdom, the church should not be lacking, while each member does not neglect the personal altar.
What are the spiritual services represented by the Ark (to be a custodian of truth (the tables of the law and the golden pot of manna), 1 Timothy 3:15) and the Mercy Seat (the throne of God, Ephesians 3:10)? Discuss.
The pillar and ground of Truth:
1 Timothy 3:15. Physically speaking, a pillar is the part of a building that joins the floor of the building with the upper structures of the building. Likewise spiritually, the church is called the pillar and foundation of truth because it is the means by which God joins the heaven with the earth in the establishing of His Kingdom. Being a pillar means attendance in heaven and attendance on earth. And it is in this pillar capacity that God has ordained that the church be the means by which He will bring judgment on the principalities and powers of darkness that currently rule the world (Ephesians 3:10). The Church is also described as the ground, base or the foundation of truth. Why the foundation of truth? The word “truth” is very important for the child of the kingdom because it speaks of the reality and the supremacy of God’s word over our previous wordly identity and experiences (John 17:17, Psalms 119:160, Romans 3:4). The church is a place where we are consumed with the truth and God’s perspective of who we are, which is only in Christ (Galatians 3:27, Romans 6:1-4, Colossians 3:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:17). The summation of our previous worldly knowledge, experiences and identities are judged as LIES by God because it was only a reality while we were yet to be redeemed from the rule of the devil (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6). The church is a place where the lies of the devil are unlearned and the revelational truth of God replaces these lies of bondage (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We are to be filled with the truth of God’s word so we can walk in total liberty from the stronghold of the enemy (John 8:32). We are to interact with truth in the church because when we do, truth becomes our meditation, truth becomes our language, truth becomes our culture and truth inevitably becomes our reality. The church is a place where the truth of the finished work and our identity in Christ is established so we can live from the reality of the kingdom in the realm of men. The truth of God’s word must be accessed by revelation, understood and internalized for transformation. Truth is the spiritual food and building block of the new creation man (John 14:6, John 6:51-53, Colossians 2:6-7). The Church is a spiritual mountain where the veil or lies of darkness is dealt with (Hebrews 12:22-24, Isaiah 25:6-7). The truth of God’s word comes in the church when the word of God is taught and preached with understanding by the ministry of the word within a local church (Jeremiah 3:15, Ephesians 4:11-13). Having become part of the body of Christ, what truth should you internalize? What lies do we have to do away with?
What is the scriptural pattern for church operation?
In today’s world where there are many churches and denominations, it is all the more needful to take a diligent look at the Word of God to learn the structure God wants His church to operate in, so as not to come up with our own ideas and then risk becoming unfruitful, or irrelevant to His purposes, or vulnerable to the infiltration of the enemy through worldly ideas. In this section we will look at the God-ordained administrative structure for how the church is to be operated. We will also look at the structure for ministry in the church, as well as the role of a believer in the church (or how a believer can find his/her place in the body).
Administrative Structure:
The administrative structure of the church refers to the manner in which the church is organized, and a major part of this is the leadership structure. So what is the leadership structure God has ordained for the church? Revelation 12:1 gives us a good symbolic summary. The woman represents the bride of Christ, which is the church. She is shown again in Revelation 19:7-9 as a bride that has made herself ready for the marriage to the Lord Jesus (the Lamb). The symbolic description in Revelation 12 gives helpful information on what God expects to see when He looks at a church: clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. We would look at these in the order of: clothed with the Sun, crown of twelve stars on her head, and moon under her feet.
Clothed with the Sun: Revelation 1:10-16. Revelation 22:16. Malachi 4:2. The Sun is the Lord Jesus Christ. For a woman to be “clothed” with a man, that man must be her husband, and indeed the Lord Jesus is the Husband of the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 5:22-33). Such a “clothing” is an “overshadowing” that produces a seed in the woman. Relative to the administrative structure of the church (and the fact that the church is actually a bride), it becomes obvious that in the administrative structure of the church, the Husband (the Sun: the Lord Jesus Christ) is the Head. And just as a normal body does not have more than one head, it becomes clear that after the Lord Jesus Christ (in the leadership structure of the church) there should be no emphasis on another person being a head (as a singular) over the church of God. Leadership in the church should be plural (as the next symbol shows).
Crown of twelve stars on her head: Revelation 1:12-20. The stars are the angels of God to a church. The word “angel” is from a greek word which means “messenger”. In Revelation 1:12-20, it refers to human messengers – persons who are equipped and sent by God to shine His light (as stars) to His church to provide appropriate guidance towards the promised destination of corporately coming into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, just as the star led the wise men to Christ Jesus when He was born (Ephesians 4:13, Matthew 2:9-10). As such, a crown of twelve stars “on the head of the woman” (that is, a crown of twelve stars “as the leadership of the church”) shows that the leadership of the church should be made up of a collection of stars (a group of persons equipped and sent by God to shine His light to His Church). In other words, it should be plural, and not just one person. Why? Because no one man other than the Lord Jesus has the capacity to meet all the needs of His people. The singular position is meant for the Principal Star (the Sun) that clothes His bride (and that Sun is Jesus Christ).
In addition to showing that, after the Lord Jesus, the leadership of the church should be plural, the crown of twelve stars shows that it is God’s design that the leadership should represent the different kinds of ministry in the church. In the Old Testament, Israel had tribes, twelve tribes, and as such there were twelve princes to represent each of the twelve tribes in leadership. Likewise, in the New Testament, the Church is the New Israel (the spiritual Jews) – the descendants of Abraham by faith in Christ Jesus (Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 3:29). And as such, symbolically speaking, she also is made up of twelve tribes that translate to different dimensions of Christ expressed in different categories of ministry (Revelation 21:9-12). So a crown of twelve stars indicates that ideally the persons that make up the leadership should represent the different dimensions of ministry that God’s people can function in, so that appropriate room is given for adequate expression and effective discipleship can be done to identify younger ones destined for ministry in the different tribes. It doesn’t mean the leadership should be physical number 12. It just means there should be appropriate reflection of the different “tribes” in the leadership for the spiritual prosperity of all tribes, and effective operation as one unit that measures to the stature of the fullness of Christ.
This plural leadership that is God’s ordained pattern for overseeing His Church is what is referred to as “the presbytery” in 1 Timothy 4:14. Presbytery means “body of elders”. It is a pattern of leadership that God set for Israel in the Old Testament under Moses, as a pointer to the pattern of leadership for His Church in the New Testament under the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, there was Moses, then the twelve princes of the twelve tribes of Israel (Numbers 1:44), and then the seventy men (Numbers 11:11-25) – these 12 princes and seventy men overtime evolved into the Israelite Sanhedrin (the Israelite presbytery). In the New Testament, there is the Lord Jesus Christ, then the bishops, and then the deacons (Philippians 1:1) – the bishops and deacons make up the New Testament Church presbytery (body of elders). It is important to note that the position of Moses/Aaron (the High Priest) is taken by the Lord Jesus Christ (according to Acts 3:22, Acts 7:37 and the comparisons in the book of Hebrews, eg Hebrews 3:1-6, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 6:20). Further showing that the next level of leadership under the Lord Jesus (the Head) should be plural (a body of elders who receive direction from the Head), and there should be no emphasis to make any one man the head. We will now take a detailed look at the scriptural description of the bishops and deacons who make up the New Testament Presbytery.
- Bishops: In the New Testament presbytery, the bishops are the primary leadership. The word “bishop” is from the Greek word “episkopos” which means “an overseer”. Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-5, Titus 1:5-9. The primary Bishop (Overseer) is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:25). After Him, the job of overseeing the Church of God is carried out primarily by a group of bishops. Philippians 1:1, Acts 20:17,28-32 and Acts 15:5-6 show that the bishops in a church are to be plural (the only singular being Jesus Christ). In the Old Testament, under Moses, this role of primary leadership was carried out by the twelve princes of the twelve tribes of Israel (Numbers 1:44, Numbers 17:2,6). While in the New Testament, under Christ Jesus, in the time of the early church, the twelve apostles were the ones appointed to this role of primary leadership over the Church (Acts 6:2, Luke 6:12-16, Revelation 21:10-14). Beyond the time of the apostles, the role of primary leadership (oversight) over the church is to be carried out by a group of spiritually mature persons. The Greek word “episkopos” translated as “bishop” also means “elder”, which implies that the persons who are part of the bishops in the leadership of the Church must of necessity be elders indeed. That is, relative to the rest of the church, they should be spiritually more mature, so that they can provide proper spiritual guidance. Spiritual maturity does not always imply physical age. Timothy was a youth, but He was part of the leadership. So spiritual maturity (evidenced in the quality of Christian life, as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-5, Titus 1:5-9 and other scriptures) is the key criteria. A church led by spiritually immature persons, irrespective of physical age, will make unwise decisions and would most likely be infiltrated by the enemy to become corrupt and irrelevant to God’s purposes.
- Deacons: In the New Testament presbytery, the deacons are the secondary leadership. The word “deacon” is from the Greek word “diakonos” which means “an attendant” or “one who executes the commands of another”. 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Acts 6:1-7. In the Old Testament, under Moses, this role of secondary leadership was carried out by the seventy men upon whom God put the spirit that He put on Moses (Numbers 11:11-26). They were to help Moses in bearing the burden of leading the people of Israel. Such help in ministry was also shown in Bezaleel and Aholiab upon whom God placed His spirit so that they can help Moses in building the tabernacle and its instruments according to the pattern God showed to Moses (Exodus 31:1-11). It is important to note that all the seventy were to be of help to Moses. The twelve princes (elders) of the twelve tribes of Israel were among these seventy (just as the twelve apostles were among the seventy disciples the Lord Jesus sent out to help Him minister in . In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is the Greater Moses. And as such, He is the one that the entire leadership (bishops and deacons) is helping. But as we see in Acts 6:1-7, the apostles (as the primary leadership) are helped by the deacons (the secondary leadership) so that together the entire leadership serves to help Christ in His Church. Practically speaking, the deacons are therefore upcoming persons who exhibit a level of spiritual maturity that can be a blessing to the house, and can be of help in carrying out the spiritual duties that the bishops are responsible for delivering. Ideally, one who is faithful in the role of a deacon, will mature into a bishop as the Lord gives grace.
Moon under her feet: Genesis 1:14-18. The lesser light (in verse 16) is the moon, and it is to rule the night. With this, the moon is used as a symbol for the powers of darkness that rule in darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8. We as children of God are children of light. But the ungodly are children of darkness, and are under the influence of the moon (the powers of darkness, Ephesians 2:2). Having the moon under foot means to suppress and defeat the powers of darkness such that they do not affect any aspect of the church’s operations. This involves the moral purity of the church, the operation of the church according to God’s due order, the righteousness of the church, etc. Dealing with such inevitably involves dealing with human persons that knowingly or unknowingly tied themselves as vessels to the enemy to advance the purposes of darkness.
Relative to the administrative structure of the church, the result of overcoming the influence of the moon is avoiding the scenario of the church becoming a whore in God’s eyes (thus preserving her spiritual status as a faithful bride). Revelation 17 shows a contrasting picture of another woman who is referred to as a great whore (an adulterous bride) — meaning she is meant to be a faithful bride (a proper church) but has allowed the influence of darkness to turn her into an unfaithful church (by the things she does). Why the symbol of a whore? Ezekiel 23:1-25, Jeremiah 3:8-9,14, Jeremiah 5:30-31, Revelation 2:6,15,20. God used the symbol of the whore because the churches in this category are to be the bride of Christ, but they have opened themselves up to allow another lay with them as only the husband should. In the scenario in Ezekiel 23, Israel was often turning to nations with powerful military for support instead of relying on God who delivered them from Egypt by a mighty hand. But from the way it is portrayed symbolically it shows that God sees such as a wife lying with another man instead of her husband. Jeremiah 5:30-31 shows a scenario where the persons with whom His people are symbolically committing adultery with are false prophets who operate by their own authority. Revelation 2:6,15 speaks of the Nicolaitans. Nicolaitans are a people who operate by a principle of conquering the people. Nico and Laity. The Lord Jesus said he hates it. He hates a scenario when his people are conquered under the subjection of another person, even when the person appears to be His servant. For the servant it is fornication with His bride. For His church it is adultery with another person taking the place of the head. 1 Peter 5:1-3.
Ministerial Structure:
The ministerial structure refers to the manner in which ministry (the delivery of God’s life) is structured in the church. Ephesians 4:16 shows the ideal framework, which can be termed “body ministry”. It uses the parts and joints of the body to indicate different parts of ministry in the body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 uses a similar language by saying that just as a physical body is one but has many members, so also is Christ (the body of Christ). It mentions body parts like the foot, hand, ear, eye, etc, to show that the church is like a body and the different parts of the body are symbolic of different kinds of ministry that the people in the church can fit into. A comprehensive way to look at the different parts of the physical body and the kinds of spiritual ministry they could represent in the church is to consider the 12 systems of the body. It is interesting to note that God designed the human body to have 12 systems: circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, etc. And as such, all the parts of the body fall into these 12 systems. This is interesting because the Church is referred to as the “body” of Christ. And since the human body has 12 systems, it means the church has 12 systems. But we know that the church is also the New Testament equivalent of the nation of Israel. Meaning, just as the nation of Israel had 12 tribes, so also the church has 12 tribes; Revelation 21:9-12 shows the church (the Lamb’s wife) as a city with 12 gates and on each of the 12 gates is written one of the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, indicating that the city (the church) is made up of a New Testament equivalent of the 12 tribes of Israel. It is amazing that these 12 tribes in the church are the 12 systems of the body. Romans 1:20 says the invisible things of God are clearly seen by the things which He made. Meaning the 12 systems in the body are a revelation of a spiritual truth — one of which is the 12 tribes in the body of Christ.
1 Chronicles 12:32 speaks of the tribe of Issachar who by the grace of God had understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do at any time. There is an equivalent of this tribe in the church (and there is a system in the human body that represents this kind of operation). It is important for each person to know their spiritual tribe as it would help them to know their calling and find their place in the body. A church where everyone knows their place is like a healthy body where all systems are functioning properly. We would now proceed to consider what the responsibilities of the 12 tribes of the New Testament church are by looking at the 12 systems in the human body. We would also identify by God’s grace the prophetic name of each tribe, according to the 12 tribes of Israel.
The 12 tribes (ministry systems) in the Church
Levi (the digestive system):
In the human body, the digestive system is the system that God created with capacity to take in food and break it down into the nutrients that can be absorbed by the body for energy and nourishment. In scriptures, the Word of God is symbolized as food (bread, water, milk, meat) – John 6:47-51, John 4:10-14, Ephesians 5:25-26, 1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12-14. As such, in the Church (the body of Christ) the digestive system is the category of ministry that is involved in breaking down the Word of God in different ways to ensure that the brethren in the church have an accurate and sufficient understanding of the Word of God that would translate to energy for individual and corporate advancement. Romans 1:16 says the gospel (which is the Word of God) is the power of God unto salvation. But for this gospel to be translated to power unto salvation, it needs to be effectively digested (that is, the mysteries in the gospel need to be clearly understood). This is the main responsibility of the persons in the digestive system. And based on the prophetic destiny of the tribes as mentioned in Deuteronomy 33:8-11, Levi is the tribe with the responsibility to teach (to digest and communicate) the laws of God (the Word of God) to His people. How would a person know if they are part of the digestive system? As you remain faithful in your personal devotion to God, if you notice that you have a growing passion to break down the Word of God for your brethren (that is, to take scriptural concepts and make them easy to understand so that the truths can benefit the body) then it is an indication that you are destined to be part of the digestive system of the Church. You are born-again into the spiritual tribe of Levi. Deuteronomy 33:10 says “They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law …” This is the New Testament ministry referred to as Teacher. And to be accurate in teaching, God has given this tribe the Urim and the Thummim in order to rightly divide the word of truth and bring forth the mind of God in sound doctrine (Deuteronomy 33:8).
Judah (the respiratory system):
In the human body, the respiratory system is a very critical system that God established with the capacity to take in oxygen from the air into the body and to expel carbon dioxide out of the body. This serves to indicate that in the body of Christ there is a “respiratory system” whose calling is to take in “oxygen” from the “air”. In scriptures, wind (which is air in motion) is used to represent the move of a spirit (John 3:8, Daniel 7:2), while air is used to represent the spiritual realm (Ephesians 2:2, Revelation 16:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). As such, taking in oxygen from the air involves “downloading” the presence or move of the Holy Spirit into the assembly. Scripture tells us that a major way to do this is through praise (Psalm 22:3); and that is a grace that is upon the tribe of Judah.
When Judah was born, the prophetic destiny of the tribe was captured in Genesis 29:35: “And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.” As such, the New Testament tribe of Judah is the ministry category in the Church for praise and worship. Beyond singing, persons in this tribe are able by the grace of God to attract the manifest presence of God through effective and true worship and praise. A church that has a healthy expression of the tribe of Judah is one where the presence of God would be felt frequently. A major benefit of this is that, just as the physical respiratory system takes in oxygen into the blood, and this oxygen is used to act on the digested nutrients to convert them into energy, so also the presence of God in the Church affects each person with strength to live according to the Word of God.
It is such a critical ministry category, that in Genesis 49:10 it is prophesied concerning Judah that “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” This means the King will always come from Judah. For us, the King is Jesus Christ. The New Testament implication of this prophecy is that the tribe of Judah (the ministry of praise and worship) would always be able to invoke the manifest presence of the King, especially when the church is gathered. It therefore indicates that adequate room for expression should be available to this ministry in every service, which is why when the children of Israel were to match in their journeys God instructed that the tribe of Judah should always be the first tribe in the order of the tribes (Numbers 10:11-14,33-36).
Reuben (the circulatory system):
In the body, God designed the circulatory system to play the role of ensuring that all cells in the body are adequately supplied with food nutrients (broken down by the digestive system), oxygen (supplied by the respiratory system), hormones (produced by the endocrine system), lymph fluids (produced by the lymphatic system), and blood cells (contained in the circulatory system). It’s a big responsibility that God placed on this system. And the reason is so that the body can: grow, fight off diseases, maintain the appropriate temperature and acidity level, and sustain a healthy state. In the Church (the body of Christ) the circulatory system is the category of ministry that is burdened with caring for everyone and ensuring the wellbeing of the church. And to do this effectively, God has given them a special grace to love and be selfless. They are the tribe of Reuben.
In scriptures, we see that Reuben was filled with a heart of love and compassion. In Genesis 49:3 Reuben is referred to as the Father’s might and the excellency of the Father’s dignity. What is God’s dignity? He said of Himself that He is merciful and gracious and long suffering (Exodus 34:6). And it is said of Him that God is Love (1 John 4:8,16). Thus, being the excellency of the Father’s dignity indicates (prophetically speaking) that Reuben (as God) is a man (tribe) of love. That is, the tribe of Reuben excels in capacity to love. Reuben was the only one of the 12 who had a mind to save Joseph from the planned attack and later deliver him safely to his father (Genesis 37:21-22). He was also the bearer of Mandrakes – the fruits of Love (Genesis 30:14). Also Reuben offered for his sons to be killed in the event if Benjamin was not brought back safe from Egypt (Genesis 42:37). Such is the selfless loving nature of this tribe. They are inclined by the Holy Spirit to nurture and care for matters of the House, so that the church (individually and corporately) can: grow into the stature of Christ, fight off the disease of sin, maintain the appropriate spiritual temperature of being hot (not waxing cold or lukewarm), and sustain and all-round healthy state (in all aspects of life: emotional, academical, marital, career, spiritual, mental, etc). They specialize in taking the products of other ministry categories and ensuring that it is well supplied to each person by taking interest in them and effectively following up. They (as the circulatory system) minister the blood (the symbol of life) so that the weak can be strong and the weary can be strengthened, and the strong can overcome. If you find that you have a love for people (your brethren), and desire their well-being, not just on a general level, but notice the Holy Spirit nudging you to reach out, check on people, and are particularly burdened to ensure that they have what they need to prosper spiritually and in other respects, then you were most likely born-again into the tribe of Reuben. Make yourself more available to circulate life in the body. A healthy church is one that amongst other things has a fulfillment to the prayer of Moses concerning Reuben: “Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.” (Deuteronomy 33:6). May the Reuben tribe not be few in the Church in Jesus name. It is interesting to note (in Genesis 30:14-18) that it is the love labour of Reuben that set things in motion for Issachar to be born – those of whom it is said that they have understanding of the times and know what Israel ought to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). What a blessing Issachar is! But the emergence of such a reality in the church is a product of the labour of love of the Reuben tribe. May Reuben not be few in the church in Jesus name. Of them are the Shepherds of the church.
Zebulun (the muscular system):
Physically speaking, the capacity of the human body to reach out the hand and take something is bestowed upon the muscular system. Likewise, in the body of Christ (the Church) the muscular system is the category of ministry that God has graced for engaging in outreaches. These are the evangelists of the body – the evangelical tribe, and by the prophetic description of the tribes, we can identify that this is the tribe of Zebulun. Deuteronomy 33:18 shows that Zebulun is a “going out” people – a people burdened for the souls without. Their heart echoes the words of the Lord Jesus in John 10:16 that there are other sheep which are not part of the body and they need to be gone after to bring them in. And that is what Deuteronomy 33:19 prophesys that Zebulun will accomplish – they shall call the people up (from the plains and valleys of carnality) to the mountain (the higher ground of repentance and holiness) to become living sacrifices of righteousness who no longer yield their bodies as instruments of sin (Romans 12:1, Romans 6:18-22). Who are the people they shall call? Deuteronomy 33:19 calls them “the abundance of the seas” and the treasures of the sand. The sea and sand are symbols used to refer to peoples (Isaiah 57:20, Revelation 21:1, Genesis 22:17). The seas in particular refer to the wicked or the heathen – the unsaved humanity (Isaiah 57:20, Jude 1:4,13). Zebulun are the people graced to “suck in the abundance of the seas” – a people who can harvest men as treasures for God. In the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 4:19, God has given this tribe particular grace to be fishers of men (and like other tribes, they activate their God-given grace by faith). This (that they are fishers of men) is witnessed to in the blessing that Jacob blessed Zebulun in Genesis 49:13. Jacob said “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.” Haven of the sea simply means the coast. So Zebulun are a people who tabernacle their heart in close proximity to reaching the lost (the people of the sea). Ships are the means by which one travels on the sea. It represents the means by which Zebulun engages the sea. A haven of ships means that when you interact with a person of Zebulun you would see in his heart and thinking many ships (outreach ideas and opportunities) – he is full of ships to reach the sea. It is also said that his border shall reach unto Zidon. Zidon means “catching fish”. Meaning, “his border reaching unto Zidon” is a symbolic way of saying the extent of the reach of His ministry is that He will fish men from the sea. Zebulun is the tribe of fishers of men. All men can fish, but Zebulun is particularly graced to do so. They are the evangelists. Generally speaking, a person ministers from the wealth of things he has experienced. And such is the case for Zebulun. Matthew 4:15-16 describes their experience. They are a people who have experienced what it is to sit in darkness (in the region and shadow of the death of sin) and have also experienced what it is to see great light (the light of life, John 1:4, John 8:12, 2 Timothy 1:10). If you find that as you spend time with God, the Holy Spirit inspires your heart to be burdened for the lost and the ministerial imaginations of your heart tend towards “going out” and engaging in evangelical outreaches, then it is an indication that when you were born-again, you were born into the tribe of Zebulun. As such, you shall call the people of the sea to the mountain, and shall convert them as treasures of God unto righteousness, and your border reaches unto Zidon (God has allotted grace for you to fish men). Be bold therefore and rejoice in thy going out (Deuteronomy 33:18).
Issachar (the skeletal system):
In the physical body, the skeletal system is the system that God has given the capacity to carry the body’s weight. It is the system that can be described as the burden bearer of the human body. In addition to bearing the body’s weight, the skeletal system is also responsible for supporting the body’s structure, facilitating movement, protecting the internal organs of the body, storing minerals (like calcium and vitamin D), and making blood cells. The skeletal system is made up of an interconnection of bones, and it is in the bones that the minerals are stored and the blood cells (the red and white blood cells) are made – in the bone marrow. The role of the red blood cells is to transport nutrients (broken down by the digestive system) and oxygen (received by the respiratory system) to the different parts of the body. The red blood cells are an integral part of the circulatory system but they are produced in the bone marrow (in the skeletal system). The white blood cells on the other hand serve to fight against infections so that the body is not overtaken by a disease. These roles of the red and white blood cells along with the collective labour of the bones to support the body’s structure, protect the body’s organs, facilitate movement, and bear the body’s weight are key key responsibilities of the skeletal system to take note of.
As it is in the human body, so it is in the body of Christ (the Church). God created the skeletal system in the human body to indicate that there is a category of ministry that He has established in the church to play the role of: ensuring that the people in the body properly receive the nourishments God provides, ensuring that the people in the body are affected by the breath of the Spirit of God, supporting the body’s divine structure, protecting the people and ministries in the body, facilitating the success of the church’s operations, and bearing the burdens of the persons in the body (and the burdens of the church as a whole). This category of ministry is the tribe of Issachar. They are the burden bearers. Their prophetic destiny is highlighted in Genesis 49:14-15. There, they are symbolically described as a strong donkey couching between two burdens (loads); a people who bow their shoulders to bear the burden and are willing to become servants of labour. What kind of burden is this that they bear? The phrase “couching down ” in verse 14 gives a clue. It means to crouch. This points to bowing the knees in prayer. The people of Issachar are a people who bear the burdens of the house of God in the place of prayer. They are a people of intercession. That is how they accomplish the role of the skeletal system.
Deuteronomy 33:18-19 gives more detail about the tribe of Issachar. Verse 18 indicates that, unlike Zebulun who is graced for outreaches, Issachar is a people who dwell in the tent (they operate in the secret place). Yet, in verse 19, both Zebulun and Issachar are grouped together and are said to be a people who call the people to the mountains (a higher walk with God) and suck the abundance of the seas (that is, convert the ungodly to Christ). But unlike Zebulun who accomplished this by going out as a fisher of men (as discussed earlier in Zebulun), Issachar accomplishes the same result (along with Zebulun) but by staying in the tent. How? How does one convert the seas and call the people to the mountain by staying in the tent? It is by their burden bearing ministry of intercessory prayers. It is by prayers that they affect the nations. And those who go out (Zebulun) would succeed in ministry as they (Issachar) are faithful in the place of bearing the burden in prayers, just as the muscular system depends on the skeletal system for support. It is also by their service in intercessory prayers that they manufacture red blood cells which carry nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body, and white blood cells which fight off diseases. Meaning, as they serve in intercessory prayers (for individuals and for the body), God gives them grace to communicate to their brethren the nutrients of His word (as timely words of encouragement) and the oxygen of His breath (as words of prophecy); He also gives them grace to discern the presence of the disease of sin in an individual or in the body and fight it off through spiritual warfare in intercessory prayers.
Scriptures, in 1 Chronicles 12:32, tells us that the people of Issachar were a people who had understanding of the times; that they knew what Israel ought to do at given times. So also it is in the Church. The brethren of the tribe of Issachar, by reason of their fervency in the place of intercession (as they have been graced to do), frequently receive indications from God for individuals and for the house. By such indications, they have an understanding of what the church should be doing and the seasons that God is bringing His church into, and are able to bless the house by sharing such directions.
That is the tribe of Issachar: the ministry category of burden bearing through fervent consistent intercessory prayers. Every believer has been called to pray, but the tribe of Issachar has been ordained with special grace and spiritual strength (as a strong donkey) to bear burdens (as perpetual intercessors), just as everyone has been called to preach the gospel, but those called to be teachers have received special grace to digest the word of God and communicate to their brethren. As such, as you continue in your walk with God, if you observe the Holy Spirit particularly placing burdens of persons and matters of the church in your heart (beyond your regular devotion), calling you frequently into the place of intercession and giving you strength to tarry there, while also revealing things to you about persons and the church, then it is an indication that when you were born-again, you were born into the tribe of Issachar. Even if you may not necessarily have been faithful yet, but you sense the Lord pulling you to bear burdens in the place of intercession, it is still a clue that you are of the tribe of Issachar. But to be sure, yield yourself to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, and see where He leads you and your tribe and purpose will become clearer, and you will be more of a blessing to the church.
Naphtali (the endocrine system):
In the human body, the endocrine system is the system that God designed with the capacity to initiate activities through hormones. A hormone is a chemical (produced by cells that are part of the endocrine system) that targets different organs in the body to affect their behaviour. A good example of a hormone is adrenaline. It is produced by the endocrine system and its function is to initiate a quick reaction in a stress situation or to sustain high intensity operation for an extended period when necessary. Some of the key effects of adrenaline on different parts of the body include: expanding the air passages of the lungs for more oxygen intake, increasing the heart rate for quicker distribution of nutrients and oxygen to cells across the body, increasing blood pressure, enlarging the pupil in the eye for sharper vision, redistributing blood to the muscles for increased strength, and altering the body’s metabolism so as to maximise blood glucose levels; all these to stir up the body to perform at a higher level to deal with a situation. And aside from adrenaline, there are other hormones produced by the endocrine system to affect different organs under different scenarios all to cause the body to respond appropriately to different situations. That is the role of the endocrine system, and God created it in the human body to reveal that there is such a ministry category in the body of Christ (the Church). This ministry category is the New Testament tribe of Naphtali. And in Genesis 49:21 their prophetic destiny is summarized as “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.”
This grace to give goodly words is the ministry gift of exhortation mentioned in Romans 12:6-8. It is a gift. A peculiar grace. The word “exhortation” is from a Greek word which means “a stirring address”. The gift of exhortation is a grace to speak words that stir people up to align themselves with God’s purposes and instructions, irrespective of how unwilling they may have initially been. It is a gift that is a manifestation of the power of God described in Philippians 2:13. A spiritual ability to cause people to both will and do of God’s pleasure through the speaking of goodly words. The goodly words are like hormone molecules that charge up the persons and ministries in the church to a high level of Christ-like performance in different situations.
They are referred to (in Genesis 49:21) as “a hind let loose”. In scriptures, a hind is generally identified as being upon high places (Psalm 18:33, Habakkuk 3:19). As such, “a hind let loose” speaks of one whose heart is set upon the high places (of a higher walk with God and a heavenly focus). Thus, a hind let loose speaking goodly words is one who both has a heavenly focus and is graced with utterance to make others willing to do (and to actually do) the will of God in any matter. Such is the person described in Isaiah 52:7. They are people of the mountain (the high place of a high standard of relationship and service to God), and a people of utterance (bringing forth good tidings of good). They exhibit the grace mentioned in Colossians 4:6. Their speech is with grace, seasoned with salt as tokens of spiritual godly hormones. That is the tribe of Naphtali, the endocrine system of the body. Deuteronomy 33:23 says they are “… full with the blessing of the LORD …”. The word “blessing” is from a Greek word “berâkâh” which means benediction, and benediction means “the utterance of a blessing”. Such is indeed the testimony of Naphtali. Their goodly words of exhortation are utterances with a blessed hormone-like effect of stirring up people to the high place of both willing and actually doing God’s pleasure.
If you notice that the Lord has given you grace for utterance and you observe that your utterances have a stirring effect on people, charging them up to do the will of God, then it is most likely that you are of the tribe of Naphtali. Keep seeking after the high places (as a hind) and don’t despise the nudgings of the Holy Spirit to speak (when He leads you to) because your utterances are ordained to stir men to greater fervency in God.
Joseph (the nervous system):
In Genesis 49:22-26, it is said of Joseph that He is a fruitful bough by a well who has a strong bough and whose hands are made strong by the hands of the Almighty (to shoot forth arrows). And in Deuteronomy 33:13-17, it is said of Joseph that his land (which speaks of his spiritual heritage) is blessed of the LORD with precious things. That is, Joseph’s land (because of the blessing of the LORD) contains: precious things of heaven, good supply of dew, good supply of the deep (the fountains of water), precious fruits produced by the sun, precious things produced by the moon, chief things of the ancient mountains, precious things of the lasting hills, and precious things of the earth. What do these mean? For the physical tribe of Joseph in the Old Testament, the land was a physical land blessed with lovely physical attributes, but for the spiritual tribe of Joseph in the New Testament church, their land is representative of their portion of spiritual inheritance (eg Psalm 16:5-6) – that is, the gifts and graces peculiar to their tribe. The precious things of heaven is the rain and dew, which speaks of the revelation of God’s word ( ). The precious things of the deep is the water basins drawn up through wells, and it speaks of depths of mysteries in the Word of God. The precious fruits of the sun speaks of anointing for illumination (they are a people who have light into the prophetic word). The precious things put forth by the moon speaks of the hidden treasures of darkness (a gift of revelation into hidden things: of the Word or in the spiritual or physical realm). The chief things of the ancient mountains and precious things of the lasting hills speaks of heights of prophetic vision (Balaam climbed through high mountain to gain perspective of Israel, Numbers 23:3,9-10). The precious things of the earth refers to a good soil that produces good harvest and it speaks of a heart that has good comprehension of the Word of God. In summary, these things that are the heritage of the tribe of Joseph point to a strong revelatory grace in the Word and in the Spirit. The first part of 1 Corinthians 13:2 is a good summary: “… have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; …”. They are graced in unveiling mysteries and in revealing things prophetically (dreams, visions, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, word of prophecy, etc). The man Joseph was a good example of this tribe – he manifested these graces of prophetic insight and a heart to understand mysteries and make them plain with a grace to explain them. The tribe of Joseph are prophets and teachers (a double portion of a sort as was the case with Joseph who received the double portion blessing). In the body, the system that manifests such revelatory and communicative grace is the nervous system. It receives information about the environment and about other details and communicates them to the respective systems accordingly. It is the system that is connected to the five senses and receives information through them. It shows that the burden of the tribe of Joseph should be to enlighten the body regarding things that are hidden or mysterious and give accurate perspective on different matters for appropriate physical and spiritual posture. As such, if you find that Gd has blessed you with a heart to readily comprehend mysteries in the Word of God through bible study or by a revelatory spirit, and also observe a grace for prophetic visions and dreams and interpretation of dreams and prophecy, then it is most likely that you are of the tribe of Joseph. The Lord grant you grace to serve Him and His church with the graces you’ve received.
Dan (the lymphatic system):
In Genesis 49:16-18, Jacob’s pronouncement over Dan is that he is a judge – that he shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Meaning he is a judge that shall judge according to the standards of Israel. A judge is one who evaluates a thing to know whether it is good or not, if it is in conformance to God’s purpose or not. If it is from the Spirit of God or from the spirits of darkness. Such is the grace of the tribe of Dan. Next, in verse 17, Jacob referred to Dan as “… a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.”. The analogy of a serpent may seem strange, but the summary of this pronouncement is that Dan is a people who shall stop the invading armies of the enemy. The horse and its rider represent foreign enemies who seek to invade the borders of Israel. But Dan is a people poised to stop such attacks. They can judge a matter and then stop an attack. And then in verse 18, Jacob said “I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord.”. Which is to say the people of Dan, by the combination of the grace given to them to both judge a matter and to also stop the advancement of an attack of the enemy, they yield salvation unto Israel. In the Old Testament, the kind of spirit upon the man Samson (minus his weaknesses) is a good expression of the grace given to the tribe of Dan to stop the advancement of the enemy’s attack. He showed forth the spirit of might with which the forces of the Philistines were destroyed and salvation was wrought for Israel. In New Testament terms, the grace to judge a matter is captured in the gifts referred to as “discerning of spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10), “government” (1 Corinthians 12:28), “he that ruleth” (Romans 12:8). The burden of this category of graces is to accurately judge a matter (no matter how obscure) and to serve as a defence to the church from an intrusion of the enemy. In the human body, the Lymphatic system is the one God established to play this role, as a clue that the body of Christ also has a “lymphatic system”. In summary, the lymphatic system is the system that has lymph nodes (junction points in the blood vessels) that serve as the first point where white blood cells evaluate foreign cells (bacteria, viruses, etc) to judge them and save the body from infection. It is a system that also serves as a storehouse (or stockpile for white blood cells (also known as lymphocytes). It thus is a system that carries out the duty of protection for the body from the position of fruitfulness (being rich in white blood cells). Speaking of the tribe of Dan, Moses said in Deuteronomy 33:22 “… Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.” Bashan means “fruitful”. As a lion, the people of the tribe of Dan are graced to discern the intrusion of the enemy and leap to judge it and save the church from an infection, and they do this from a place of fruitfulness in the riches of the Spirit. With a proper expression of the tribe of Dan in a church, the powers of darkness are unable to intrude to infect the church with sin and darkness.
Gad (the immune system):
In the human body, God created the immune system and ordained it with the responsibility to fight off diseases. With the immune system properly functioning, the body would not experience any form of oppression of discomfort from diseases. By creating the immune system in the physical body, God has given us a clue that in the body of Christ (the Church), He has ordained there to be an “immune system” whose role is to remove oppressive situations away from the body. This immune system of the Church is the tribe of Gad.
When Gad was born, the prophetic destiny of the tribe was summarized in the phrase “A troop cometh”. Adding to this, Jacob prophesied over Gad that a troop shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at last. Putting the two together, we get the picture of a people who are ordained to fight. They are ordained to recover lost grounds and undo the results of enemy troops. The New Testament expression of this tribe is captured by the gift of healing, gift of working of miracles, and the gift of faith. They are gifts given by God to deal with different scenarios of satanic oppression, some of which include: sicknesses of different kinds, infirmities that require miraculous intervention (eg blindness, lameness, leprosy, cripple, missing body parts, and more). It also includes dealing with witchcraft activities, demonic oppressions, ministering deliverance, etc. Such category of ministry (in undoing the gains of evil troops) is a line of duty that God has ordained the tribe of Gad with grace to be fruitful in. With brethren of the tribe of Gad present and functioning effectively in the Church, oppression would not be present.
In Deuteronomy 33:20-21, it is written concerning Gad “[20] … Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. [21] And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.” God has given them an anointing of boldness and capacity as a lion to destroy the enemy, tearing the arm with the crown of the head. Isaiah 61:1-2 speaks of executing the vengeance of God to the intent that liberty will be brought to the captives and opening of the prisons to them that are bound. In as much as this is a grace given to all children of God, it is particularly heavy upon the ministry category of the tribe of Gad. In the place of delivering from oppression, they have capacity to stand in judgment to execute the justice of God.
Asher (reproductive system)
The prophecies concerning Asher in Deuteronomy 33:24-25 and Genesis 49:20 give insight into the ministry category that Asher represents in the New Testament Church. Deuteronomy 33:24 says that Asher will be blessed with children. This means that the Asher ministry is such that has capacity to bring many to the born-again experience. In the context of the body of Christ, the Asher grace is represented by the reproductive system – the system God established to produce children. It is a grace to bring people to the point of making a decision for Christ.
Deuteronomy 33:24 says “… let him be acceptable to his brethren …”. This is a prophetic declaration indicating that the Asher grace is such that is acceptable to people. That is, when this ministry is in operation, it has the capacity to arouse the interest and attention of people such that they are willing to listen even to the point of deciding to give their lives to Christ.
Verse 24 and 25 explains the nature of this ministry by saying “… let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass …” The foot and the shoes speak of preaching the gospel with an effect of taking over the hearer to become a territory (or dominion) of the King (Ephesians 6:15, Isaiah 52:7, Joshua 1:3). Their foot dipped in oil means that the Asher grace is an anointed preacher of the Gospel. And their shoes being of iron and brass means that their preaching is with strength – it has a strong effect. Daniel 2:40 and Psalm 2:9 show that iron is strong to break things. That is the kind of impact the Asher grace has on its audience by the preaching of the Gospel. Jeremiah 23:29 describes it as hammer that breaks the rocks to pieces. Meaning, the Asher grace in bringing people to the born-again experience preaches the Word of God with such an anointing that produces the effect of destroying stronghold of error and unbelief in the heart.
Genesis 49:20 gives more insight into the nature of the Asher grace’s delivery of the Gospel. It says the bread that Asher produces is fat, and the dainties (meals) this grace produces are royal. The bread being fat means that it is rich with nutrients and the meals being royal means that it has a certain degree of sophistication to it (that is beyond the usual). Bread and meals (dainties) represent the Word of God (Hebrews 5:12-14, John 6:48 – Jesus who is the Word of God is the Bread of Life). As such, the bread being fat means that the manner with which Asher preaches the Gospel is rich with nutritious information (truths), and the meal (dainty) being royal means that there is a certain degree of sophistication to the truths that Asher delivers. Persons expressing the Asher grace are the ones that tend to become Apologetics – deep, detailed and comprehensive evangelical teachers of the Gospel who are able to pull on truths in scriptures, science, history, archeology, etc, to establish the Christian faith and break to pieces (as iron) strong foundations of unbelief to bring people to the born-again experience.
Whereas Zebulun points to an evangelical ministry laced with power, Asher speaks of an evangelical ministry with more emphasis on the quality of the gospel truth delivered. What this shows is that in the plan of God relative to evangelism their is room for fruitfulness either through the demonstration of power via miracles and healings or by the preaching of the gospel. Both are effective pathways of bringing forth children unto the Lord. If therefore you find one of them manifesting in your life, do not look down on it and refuse to make use of it. Be fruitful!
Ability to operate in both the Zebulun and Asher grace (that is, having those two stones on your ephod) will make for an even more potent priestly evangelical posture.
Simeon (the Urinary System):
In the human body, the urinary system is the one that God has established to play the role of removing unwanted things from the body (particularly from the blood), like toxins and other chemical compounds. Romans 1:20 indicates that the invisible things of God are clearly seen by the things He made. As such, we can understand the establishment of the urinary system in the human body (with its designed role) as an indication of a kind of ministry that God has ordained in the Body of Christ – a ministry that removes unwanted, toxic and undesired things from the body.
This ministry is the New Testament tribe of Simeon. When Simeon was born, the declaration that went forth over him in Genesis 29:33 is that God heard the groanings of Leah (his mother’s) heart that she was hated and He responded by bringing forth Simeon. Simeon means “heard”. In other words, Simeon was God’s answer to dealing with the issue of Leah being hated. Simeon was God’s indication to Leah that He heard her and was willing to take away her undesired situation of being hated. This is a prophetic indication that the New Testament tribe of Simeon is a ministry category that God hears and by reason of His hearing, they help to facilitate answers to prayers in the body (the church), and cause unpleasant and undesired situations to be dealt with (removed from the lives of persons in the body).
How are they able to accomplish this? Or what manner of grace is given to them to yield such results of answered prayers (having God hear His people)? We have a clue in the allotment of their inheritance. Joshua 19:1-9 says that the inheritance given to the tribe of Simeon was within the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. That is, the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon is out of the portion of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah.
We have previously understood the inheritance of the tribe of Judah as referring to the ministry of praise and worship – not just the singing of songs – but a ministry that truly exalts and magnifies God before His people. We have understood that the God-ordained result of this Judaic ministry is that the sceptre will not depart from their delivery. Meaning, whenever Judah ministers the authority of God is stirred up to be present to bring about help to the people of God and judgment to the enemy. Having this in mind, we can understand that when we are told that Simeon’s inheritance is out of the portion of Judah it means that Simeon represents a ministry that is also defined by offering praise, worship and thanksgiving to God (as Judah).
One of the cities of Judah given to Simeon as inheritance is worthy to take note of. It is the city of Beer-Sheba as mentioned in Joshua 19:2. Beer-Sheba means “well of the sevenfold oath” or in short “well of an oath”. Abraham gave it this name in Genesis 21:22-33 when he complained to Abimelech that Abimelech’s men forcefully took a well of water that he had dug, and they both swore not to harm one another onwards. This was the oath for which Beer-Sheba gained the name well of the sevenfold oath. Then Abraham built an altar and called upon the LORD, the everlasting God (and he was evidently heard). As such Beer-Sheba represents an oath, a commitment from God to ensure the preservation of His people’s interests. And it is an oath that is furnished (or enforced) at the well.
What does a well represent for us? In John 4:14, Jesus said He has a water to give those who believe Him that when they drink will spring up in them as a well of living water springing up into everlasting life. What is the nature of this water? In John 7:37-39, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit, referring to Him as rivers of living water that shall flow out of those who believe Him. But Ephesians 5:26 also refers to the Word of God as water. As such, a well of water represents words (utterances) inspired by the Holy Spirit.
What kind of inspired words are these that of the Judaic sort? Ephesians 5:19-20 and Colossians 3:16 give insight. They speak of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and inspired melodies offered unto the Lord. This is an offering we know that the Judah ministry brings forth. Yet now in the context of Simeon, we can see how the Simeon ministry is (by the help of God) able to produce the result of causing the people of God to be heard, so that their prayers are answered and all unpleasant situations are taken away.
Blessed is this ministry category. Their operation in the church (especially during prayer meetings and church service) brings about a testimony of being heard; a testimony of answered prayers; a testimony of breakthroughs; a testimony of rest and provision (spiritual and physical).
Benjamin (the Integumentary System):
This is the twelfth tribe – the last born of Israel. Physically speaking, the last born may sound like the youngest or weakest, but from the view-point of ministerial maturity, Benjamin is the capstone.
In Deuteronomy 33:12, it is said of Benjamin that he shall dwell between the shoulders of the LORD. The shoulders are the place of bearing burdens. In the case of the Lord, the burden is the governance of His Kingdom. Isaiah 9:6, speaking prophetically of the Lord Jesus, says that the government shall be upon His shoulders.
As such, when Deuteronomy 33:12 says that Benjamin shall be between the LORD’s shoulders, it indicates that God has given Benjamin the grace to function in a governing capacity in the Church, which implies that God has endued Benjamin with an array of ministerial abilities that enable the Benjamin grace to be relevant in almost all matters of need in the Church.
Genesis 43:34 and Genesis 45:22 are two passages that shed more light on how Benjamin dwells between the shoulders of the LORD. Genesis 43:34 says that when Joseph was sharing food to His brothers (when they reunited in Egypt) he sent food to each of them, but to Benjamin five times more food. Similarly, Genesis 45:22 says that when Joseph sent his brethren to return to bring Jacob and their families from farmine, he gave each of them a new cloth for the journey, but to Benjamin he gave five new clothes.
The event in Genesis 43:34 prophetically indicates that in terms of dispensing food to the house of God, Benjamin has been given the capacity to bring forth five times more nourishment. And similarly, the occurence in Genesis 45:22 indicates that whereas other tribes can function in one ministry, apart from Joseph who has a double portion, Benjamin can function in five different graces.
What kind of ministry does this Benjamin therefore represent? It points to the estate of coming into the five-fold ministry, hence the frequent reference to five. The best way to appreciate this ministry is to think of the ephod of the priests, while also remembering that Benjamin is the last born.
That means for every ministerial grace (tribe) that God works into you, it means that a stone has been added to your ephod. The Lord Jesus has said in Matthew 10:25 and Luke 6:40 that a servant can be as His master. Meaning, just as the Lord Jesus evidently has all twelve stones on His ephod, we also can mature to such an estate. But just as Benjamin is the final born, so also Benjamin is the final stone that will be assigned to a believer, as it marks the height of maturity in priestly ministry – the point when a person can function in all five of the five-fold ministry.
It is said of Benjamin in Genesis 49:27 that Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf. This speaks of the swiftness, purposefulness and capacity with which the Benjamin grace will advance the purposes of God, destroying the works of the enemy and recovering souls of men as holy spoils (victory prizes) to the Kingdom of God. Such is the ministerial capability of one who arrives at this estate.
In the human body, the system that God has established that mirrors this Benjamin capacity is the integumentary system, which comprises the skin, the hair and the nails. Together, this system works as an external covering and shield for the internal organs and systems of the body. Such is the kind of covering and security that the presence of the Benjamin grace provides to the Church.
What are the roles (responsibility) of the believer in the local church?
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Knowing our responsibilities as believers helps us to know the appropriate responses that not only the local assembly but also God, expects of us as believers. This helps us to better understand that no believer can be said to only be a member, and that as believers we are meant to alway be ready to be used by God. 2 Timothy 2:20,21.
A source of supply: Ephesians 4:16 shows the believer as joint or source of supply to the local assembly. A good understanding of this expectation, informs the believer to always be prepared before going to every spiritual gathering, and this of course does not put an obligation upon the believer to always see the need to minister. But it rather helps the believer to be at alert, in the event that he or she gets a prompting of the spirit that demands an expression. 1 Corinthians 14:26-33. The liberty of the spirit does not equate confusion in the house.
Each part does its own special work: Every part of the body is unique and very much needed in the operation of the church. Every saint has divine ability deposited in him/her to see that a unique need is met, first in the body and then to the world (Acts 1:8). Spiritual growth includes the gradual introduction of divine responsibility. We are to grow beyond just receiving and come into the stage where we are effective and responsible channels for the possibilities of God in the body (Luke 2:29, Matthew 11:29). We are not expected to have “tags” of giftings but we must also be very aware of the grace, our place in the body and giftings so we can be effective and proper stewards of the gifts of God (1st Peter 4:10). The giftings in the body are not just limited to the five fold (Romans 12:4-8). The beauty of the body is in the diversity of expression of Jesus through many molds, hence we must esteem everyone in love and respect(1st Corinthians 12:18-25). It also very important that we do not compare ourselves with one another, we are unique and all special in the body (Ephesians 2:10, 2nd Corinthians 10:12). You have something unique to offer so find your place in the body and let Christ flow through you.
The health of the body is dependent on all its parts: The body is interdependent and there are no special parts (Ephesians 4:16 NLT). The various parts of the body functions based on the need of the entire body. For example, if you were hungry that would be the direct need of your stomach. However, the stomach is incapable of getting food for itself. So the brain will have to send signals to the tongue, the legs will have to move to the fridge, the hands will have to get the food and feed the mouth and finally it gets back to the stomach…but this is still for the benefit of the whole body! The health of the body is dependent on the proper functioning of all parts and if any part suffers, all parts suffer (1st Corinthians 12:16-26). This is why we must show love, care and honour one another (Romans 12:10).
We are meant to grow in grace: We are to grow in both in grace and in the knowledge of God (2nd Peter 3:18). The grace or the ability of God is given for the reason of service and responsibility to the body (1st peter 4:10). This means that when we grow in grace it is a mark of readiness for higher responsibility. Growth in grace will also mean that we are faithful or responsible in the use of God’s grace and can be trusted with more. The parables of the servants and their master’s investments are very instructive on how the father values faithfulness and his expected returns on his investment (Matthew 25:14-28, Luke 19:13). In one of the parables it was said that the faithful servant went and “traded” with the money.
What does it mean to trade? The word “trade” is ergazomai in greek and it means to labour, do business, exercise or engage. We must engage and exercise the grace of God so we can grow and be more effective in its use. In the parable we see the end-product of trading is more money, likewise when we engage the gift of God through use and deliberate spiritual investments it gets refined, better and brings forth more fruit. So it is safe to say that a gift can be present but be dormant or unfruitful when not in use (2nd Corinthians 6:1). May we find grace to be deliberate with the diverse investments of God in our lives. Promotion in the kingdom means higher responsibility not higher status and this comes in due season when we are faithful (1st Peter 5:6).