When we look at Psalm 139 through the lens of the Finished Work, we see that it is not a song about a distant God tracking our every move for judgment, but a love letter about a Saviour who has fully known us, fully searched us, and fully perfected us.
We are reminded that in the Finished Work of Yah’shua, we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15, KJV).
So hey, if you’ve been following our blog post journey, you know everything comes back to the One and Only King, Yah'shua (the Hebrew name for Jesus). It’s all about His finished work—the ultimate, accomplished, mic-drop act of love that changed everything forever.
We live in a world of filters, deepfakes, and confusing signals. You’re constantly being told what to believe, how to feel, and who you should be. You've got to have a spiritual "Vibe Check" running 24/7.
What may be corrupted as a military instruction, is actually a divine guideline for sensible living in a marriage. The Apostle Paul's words in Ephesians chapter five, particularly the part for wives to “submit” to their husbands and for husbands to be the "head" of the wife, present a profound and often misunderstood picture of the marital relationship. To truly grasp this divine pattern, we must go beyond a modern-day, surface-level reading and examine the original Greek, focusing on the finished work of Christ, which transforms all human relationships and ultimately finds its glorious consummation in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Each year, around September, the Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah is celebrated. The date changes annually on our Western calendar because it's not synchronized with the Hebrew calendar. This observance, along with the others, points to a deeper reality now found in Jesus Christ.
The Lover's Intimate Whisper: Songs of Solomon 1:1-4
Hear Jesus' voice when it comes to His beloved, the Church (actually ekklēsia - that's us!), in Songs of Solomon 1:1-4 (MSG). While we often read this as a beautiful earthly love song, the book itself is profoundly prophetic, unveiling the intense and personal love of Christ for His bride, made His by His own precious blood (Ephesians 5:25-27, KJV: "Christ also loved the church (ekklēsia), and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church (ekklēsia), not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."):
"The Song—best of all songs—Solomon’s song!
Kiss me—full on the mouth! Yes! For your love is better than wine, headier than your aromatic oils. The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook. No wonder everyone loves to say your name!
Take me away with you! Let’s run off together! An elopement with my King-Lover! We’ll celebrate, we’ll sing, we’ll make great music. Yes! For your love is better than vintage wine. Everyone loves you—of course! And why not?"
What an outpouring of divine affection! This isn't a distant, abstract love; it's passionate, personal, and utterly consuming.
A Kiss from the King of Righteousness: Unpacking the Hebrew
The direct translation of the opening line talks about Him "kissing me with kisses." Let's dive into the richness of the original Hebrew, because here, God reveals layers of intimate truth that unveil His very heart for us:
The Hebrew verb for the first word "kiss" (as in, "Kiss me...") is נשׁק (nâshaq). The beautiful word-picture carried by this verb conveys the idea "to continually consume the mind." It comes from a primitive root word which means "to kindle or burn," or "to catch on fire." Wow! This speaks of an active, ongoing, fervent affection from Jesus, a love that constantly consumes His thoughts and sets His very being ablaze with desire for you!
The second word, "kisses" (the noun), is נשׁיקה (neshı̂yqâh). This word comes from the exact same root as nâshaq but with a profoundly significant insertion of two additional Hebrew letters: the י (Yod) – which symbolizes the Hand of God, often pointing to Jesus Himself – and the ה (Heh) – which symbolizes Grace or divine revelation.
Putting this together, neshı̂yqâh paints an even more intimate and powerful ancient Hebrew word picture: "continually consumed by the Hand of Grace on the mind."
Ha! So, the Lover (Jesus) kisses (continually kindles my mind and consumes His thoughts with me) with physical kisses (a continued consumption of His Hand of Grace upon my mind and being)! This isn't just a poetic flourish; it speaks of the very hand of Jesus, stretched out on the cross, pouring out the fullness of His unmerited favor upon us. His accomplished work is the foundation of this unending intimacy. Through His sacrifice, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NKJV). This divine embrace is a gift, not an achievement!
Consuming Love, Consuming Grace
Just as He is constantly overwhelmed by the thought of us, His beloved (Zephaniah 3:17, KJV: "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."), we are continuously overwhelmed by His Grace for us in our minds, our hearts, our entire being. This profound connection is not based on our performance but on His finished work!
His Consuming Thought of Us: Why is He constantly overwhelmed by the thought of us? Because in Christ, we are perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14, KJV: "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."). We are His masterpiece, reconciled to Him not by our deeds, but by His sacrifice (Ephesians 2:10, KJV: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works..."). He looks at us and sees His own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."). This is the essence of His undying, relentless love!
Our Continuous Consumption of His Grace: We are overwhelmed by His grace because He first loved us (1 John 4:19, KJV: "We love him, because he first loved us."). His love is indeed "better than wine" (Songs of Solomon 1:2), and far "headier than your aromatic oils," speaking of the intoxicating, delightful presence of His Spirit and the richness of His favor. This grace floods our hearts and minds, reminding us of His boundless kindness (Ephesians 2:4-7, KJV: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.").
This isn't a grace we strive for; it's a grace that flows effortlessly from the cross, poured into us by the Holy Spirit who testifies of Christ's perfect love (John 15:26, KJV: "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:"). It's a love that empowers us, sustains us, and draws us into deeper intimacy, transforming us from the inside out (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance...").
Isn't the Word – our Lover, Jesus, our source of all Grace – just so full of wondrous images of His undying, relentless love towards us? A love that consumed Him on the cross so that His Hand of Grace could continually consume our minds with His perfect affection! HalleluYAH!
When "Church" Is Not What We Think it is
So, I had a strange, beautiful awareness that happened to me a while back (see this post). As I was having a quiet time with the Holy Spirit, pondering the meaning of "church" – a meaning illuminated by the very love we've just explored – I received a question about the names of the churches in the book of Revelation. This quiet time turned into more of a revelation than I expected, challenging common perceptions of "church" and connecting it to our true identity as the beloved of God.
Let's start with the word "church."
The Corruption of a Word: From Ekklēsia to "Church"
What is translated as "church" in our Bibles is actually a corruption of the original Greek word ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia), which simply means "called out from among" or "summoned." The object can be one person or a group of people. Sometimes the ekklēsia assembles and fellowships.
Ekklēsia is to be summoned or called out from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13, KJV: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."), to be called out from the kingdom of death into the Kingdom of Life (John 5:24, KJV: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."). We are called out because of Christ's finished work on the cross, which secured our freedom and new identity!
So, where does "church" come from?
The word "church" in our Bibles is a modern English word borrowed from the Germanic word kirche (Dutch - kerk), pronounced "kirk." The word originated from the medieval Greek word κυριακόν (kurikon) or κυριακός (kuriakos) (dōma) meaning "the house of kurios" - the house of the Lord (Master). At some point in history and for some obscure reason, someone decided that ekklēsia should be replaced with kurikon.
The word kurikon has no resemblance to the original word ekklēsia that was used in the original text of the Bible.
How did it happen that a total "foreign" word was used to translate the word ekklēsia?
Foul Play in Translation
Well, the translators used poetic license and broke the rules of translating big-time. The word ekklēsia was entirely substituted with the word kurikon, and subsequently, the word "church" was later used in the English versions. The word "church" would have been an acceptable translation for the Greek word kuriakos or kurikon. However, the word kuriakos or kurikon does not occur in the original scripture in reference to those summoned by God. The word ekklēsia does... 118 times.
The Greek word kuriakos appears in the New Testament only twice. Once in 1 Corinthians 11:20 where it refers to the Lord's supper, and once in Revelation 1:10 where it refers to the Lord's day. In both instances, it is translated "the Lord's..." and not "church." Nonetheless, this is the unlikely, peculiar, and strange history of the word "church" and how it found its way into the English translation of the Bible.
The Modern Perversion of "Church"
So, what then is "church" today? Today, the word "church" has been perverted even further, distancing it even more from the original word ekklēsia. According to the Oxford dictionary, "church" is:
A building used for public Christian worship;
A particular Christian organization with its own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines; or
The hierarchy of clergy within a particular Christian Church or institutionalized religion as a political or social force.
As you can see, it has absolutely nothing to do with the called of God. I do not recall Jesus instructing us to build a building, form an organization, develop a doctrine, elect some clergy, and institutionalize ourselves so that we can meet on some day(s) of the week to perform some rituals! My post on "being built to specifications" dealt with this.
The true "church" is not a building or an institution; it is the living, breathing ekklēsia – us, the ones called out of this world by God's amazing grace through the finished work of Christ!
Messages to the Seven Ekklēsia in Revelation
Now to my beautiful, strange awareness, which prompted this deep dive into the very meaning of ekklēsia: The Question: What do the names of the seven churches in Revelation 1-3 mean when translated from the Greek, and what could the significance be?
Firstly, the seven ekklēsia of Revelation 1-3 are seven physical groups of ekklēsia in close proximity at the time in Asia Minor (today Turkey). John's message to them was a direct address in an effort to meet their needs and shepherd them at the time.
Secondly, there is also a spiritual message and significance for ekklēsia and believers of today. The purpose is to reveal seven different types of individuals/ ekklēsia and to shepherd them towards God's Truth and God's Grace.
In both instances, these are/were all ekklēsia living within the Roman pagan empire (worldly kingdom of darkness), and they are/were all called out of the kingdom of death into the Kingdom of Life (1 Peter 2:9, KJV: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." - see previous posts, "Called" and "A Marvellous Work" for more details on this).
These are seven messages from Jesus to seven ekklēsia, the one not excluding the other. Let's look at their names within the context of scripture (Rev 2-3), always remembering that God's instruction and promises flow from His grace, available through Christ's finished work.
When we look carefully in Revelation, each ekklēsia is commended, criticized, instructed, and given a promise – all invitations to walk more fully in the freedom secured by Christ:
Ephesus (Greek - Permitted or acceptable) or the loveless ekklēsia. They are commended for rejecting evil, for persevering and patience. They have rejected those who see themselves as superior to others and allow idolatry. They are criticized that their passion for Christ became dull. They have left their First-Love (Revelation 2:4, KJV: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."). They are instructed to remember from whence they have fallen and to repent (metanoia - turn to God's way of thinking, aligning with His love and grace). They are given the promise that they will eat from the Tree of Life.
Smyrna (Greek - Myrrh ointment) or the persecuted ekklēsia. They are commended for endurance through hardship (Revelation 2:9, KJV: "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)..."). They are not criticized. They are instructed to stay faithful and to overcome. They are promised the Crown of Life.
Pergamos (Greek - fortified) or the compromising ekklēsia. They are commended for keeping the faith in Christ. They are criticized for idolatry, immorality and heresies (Revelation 2:14-15, KJV: "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam... so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."). They are instructed to turn their thinking to align with how God thinks (repent metanoia). They are promised the Hidden Manna and White Stone with a New Name written thereon.
Thyatira (Greek - Odour of affliction) or the corrupt ekklēsia. They are commended for growth in love, faith, perseverance and patience. They are criticized for idolatry and immorality (Revelation 2:20, KJV: "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel..."). They are instructed to keep their faith in Christ. They are promised that they will rule over nations and receive the Morning Star.
Sardis (Greek - Red ones) or the dead ekklēsia. They are commended that some have kept the Faith. They are criticized for being dead (Revelation 3:1, KJV: "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."). They are instructed to wake up, return to what they had first received, to hold fast and turn to God (repent metanoia). They are promised to be honoured and clothed in White (Righteousness).
Philadelphia (Greek - Brotherly love) or the faithful ekklēsia. They are commended for perseverance in the faith, keeping the word of Christ and honouring His name (Revelation 3:8, KJV: "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."). They are not criticized. They are instructed to keep on keeping the Faith. They are promised to be a pillar in God's presence in His Kingdom and that they will be written as God's New Name in the New Jerusalem.
Laodicea (Greek - Justice of the people) or the lukewarm ekklēsia. They are not commended for anything. They are criticized for being indifferent and unresponsive to God's love (Revelation 3:16, KJV: "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."). They are instructed to become enthusiastic and eager, to open the door for God's Love and to return to Him (repent metanoia). They are promised to share in Christ’s throne.
Two ekklēsia are found without criticism (Smyrna, Philadelphia). One ekklēsia is found without commendation (Laodicea).
The Unfailing Grace
What is the point here?
The message to the seven ekklēsia is all encouraging, because God's grace, established by the finished work of Christ, is unfailing!
Get this! The underlying message says: It does not matter whether you regard yourself as acceptable even though you are loveless; lovely perfumed even though you are persecuted; strongly fortified even though you compromise; smell nice even though you stink of corruption; colored distinctively even though you are dead; filled with brotherly love even as you are faithful; or see yourself as being just to the people around you even though you are neither there nor here - God's Grace is available to you!
When you receive and repent to align your thinking with the loving way God thinks about you – understanding that He has already made you righteous through Jesus – you will:
Eat from the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)
Wear the Crown of Life (Revelation 2:10)
Be satisfied with the Hidden Manna and have the Name of Jesus written on a pure white slate, being declared righteous (Revelation 2:17)
Rule over nations and shine like the Morning Star Himself (Revelation 2:26-28)
Be clothed in pure white garments of Righteousness (Revelation 3:5)
Stand in God's presence as strong pillars in His Kingdom, in the New Jerusalem with a pure new Label attached to and defining you (Revelation 3:12); and
Share the throne of Christ! (Revelation 3:21)
The central message to all seven ekklēsia is to wake up, repent (align their thinking to what God is thinking - remember our post on repentance here?), and be sincere - believe the Good News that God made you pure and holy and sanctified you and justified you by the blood of Jesus! The Gospel is the true Grace message of life, hope, and a future with Jesus.
The True Temple
This understanding of ekklēsia leads us to another profound truth: the temple built not by the hands of man was designed to receive and house the Gospel of Truth that resonates with the One Spirit Who comes to indwell and testify about Himself, Jesus!
Stephen said it: "Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 7:48-51, KJV). Paul said it: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16, KJV). And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? "For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (2 Corinthians 6:16, KJV). Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (Hebrews 9:11, KJV).
Jesus Himself confirmed the continuous indwelling of the Spirit, made possible by His finished work: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John 16:13, KJV).
Utterly Blessed in His Consuming Love & True Assembly!
From the intimate language of the Song of Solomon unveiling His consuming love, to the precise meaning of ekklēsia revealing our true identity, all point to one glorious truth: It's all about Jesus and His finished work! We are the true "church" – the called out ones – living in His grace, empowered by His Spirit, and enveloped in His passionate, unyielding affection.
We are utterly blessed! HalleluYAH!
Most, if not all, of these feasts are of man-made pagan or occult origins, dedicated to elusive imaginative heathen gods. Should these feasts be celebrated at all?
There is an apprehensive, fear-instilling and condemning message that most church-goers get to hear on a weekly basis - "Obey or die!" And they pay for it!Yes, sadly the institutional church assumes the role of our local-law-enforcement-and-kangaroo-court-agency. And it derives its right to do so from a long history of traditions and like things that it do. [Mark 7:13]
In the opening chapter of their book Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices, Frank Viola and George Barna ponder the question about doing church by the Book. They ask a very valid question that the institutional church subscribes to, but is rather unwilling to comment on: “We do everything by the Word of God! The New Testament is our guide for faith and practice! We live … and we die … by this Book!”
And so, we have been told and also not to question what we are told.
The name of this book in Greek is apokalypsis. It derived its name from the first sentence in the book. And it has been severely battered and butchered to fit the case of many end-time prophets.
Mystical. Supernatural. Inexplicable. Other-worldly.
Fear-inducing and trepidating.
Except - it is not!
We speak to God on many matters. Even trivial ones, sometimes. And we ask many questions. Even stupid ones, sometimes.
But Abba always answers.
We tend to talk about current matters.
Sometimes we speak to God on pressing matters that lay heavily on our hearts as well.
by what we say,
by what we do,
by what we pay,
by what we offer,
by what we confess,
by what we give,
by what we do right,
by how well we repent,
by what we align ourselves to or how good we do these prescripts of religion.
The Gospel is straightforward
Background please!
God in us.
God present.
… and then, looking at what is preached, I wonder … who is this God?
Is it the same God that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 7:14?
Is it the same God quoted in Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:35 when the prophecy was about to be fulfilled?
Is it the same God who promised never to leave nor forsake us in Hebrews 13:5?
Let me rather rephrase ...
I write a lot about the ekklēsia, the word that was so terribly and wrongfully translated from the Greek into the English as church. Look at this post for instance.
It comes up time and again
During the week my wife and I were confronted time and again with people (wonderful people of God) who claimed that their church (their doctrinal system and pastor) was the right church with the right doctrine and the right pastor. Whatever their pastor or minister of their church said, is what they base their whole outlook on life upon. Wow!
We could not always be quiet
This very same way also shows the desire for further advancement and intimacy, and it paves the way forward.
How?
... not to be ...
I remember years ago I attended a church gathering at one of the institutional churches that I used to go to. John 1:12 was cited. A theological and religious explanation was given ... and everyone was either confused or misguided.
I was mind-boggled at that. I remember the minister trying to explain that the God-given power we had received, was in fact not the full power of God, but rather a delegated sort of power.
But he was so wrong.
I was once again reminded how the institutional church teaches the bride of Christ that God is far, that He is on His own time schedule and that He is always in control. So, we must just accept whatever we get. Their favourite saying is “His time is not our time” and “His ways are not our ways”.
In order to be saved, you have to do what?