Kingdom Disciples

Jesus revealed that worship and the presence of God no longer are limited to geographical locations or man-made structures – John 4:20-24. Jesus revealed the proper form and location for worshipping His Father to a woman from Samaria. With the advent of the Messiah, concepts and traditions about holy space and holy time became irrelevant. The presence of the Messiah rendered any debate over the location of the Jewish Temple pointless. From now on, God must be worshipped in truth and spirit .

The term “assembly” or ‘ekklésia’ in the New Testament is derived from the Assembly of Yahweh gathered for worship recorded in the Hebrew Bible . New Testament references to the “ assembly ” or “church” in English are based on the language of Israel when the nation was assembled before Yahweh for worship in front of the Tabernacle. The Greek noun translated this way is ‘ ekklésia ’, meaning “assembly, congregation, convocation.” In secular Greek, it could refer to an “assembly” of citizens gathered to conduct matters of state. However, that is not the sense found in the Greek Bible .

The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the True House of God and the open way of access to the presence of God. He is the Greater and True Bethel , the “ House of God .” From now on, Heaven is open to all men, and angels are seen “ ascending and descending ” on the “ Son of Man .” What Jacob saw in a vision long ago has become a concrete reality in Jesus of Nazareth.