George Warnock — Ecclesiology
b1 — The Feast of Tabernacles
The Church as True Spiritual Israel
Warnock explicitly argues that the Church of Christ is the true spiritual Israel and that OT promises apply to the Church:
“And inasmuch as the Church of Christ is the true spiritual Israel (a fact which we will establish from the Scriptures later.) and what happened to natural Israel constituted merely a type and shadow of what should happen to spiritual Israel—we can derive great spiritual benefit and comfort by studying the types in the Old Testament, and then discovering by the Spirit wherein they apply to us on a higher and vaster spiritual plane.” — George H. Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, ch. 1
“The saints of the New Testament are ‘a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people… which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God…’ (1 Pet. 2:9, 10). Here again a simple reference to the Old Testament shows us clearly that the apostle was referring to the true Israel. (See Ex. 19:6; Hos. 2:23).” — ch. 1
Church and Israel — the olive tree metaphor:
“The natural branches were broken off, but spiritual branches were grafted in from the Gentile wild-olive—and the tree of Israel retained its glory.” — ch. 1
Warnock also acknowledges a future restoration promise for natural Israel:
“That God will yet restore the natural Israel that was cast off, and graft back into the Olive Tree the branches which were cut off in unbelief—that is true, and the glory which shall accompany such a transformation is beyond words to express.” — ch. 1
Interpretation: Warnock teaches a continuity theology in which the Church is spiritual Israel, while keeping open the possibility of future restoration of natural Israel (Rom. 11:15).
Differentiation within the Church: Body, Bride, Sons, Overcomers
Warnock makes no sharp distinctions between the groups but acknowledges multiple categories:
“We make no particular attempt in this study to distinguish between the Church, the Body, the Bride, the Sons, and so forth. That there are many different groups which may be included in the word ‘Church’ is quite evident from the Scriptures, and from Creation itself. But the Lord knoweth them that are His in each particular group, and in His own good time it will be manifest.” — ch. 1
Overcomers as the highest ecclesiological category:
“‘Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?’ (Song 6:10). She is the group known as the overcomers.” — ch. 10
“There is a place for all God’s people in His great House; but shall we not seek after that intimate place of fellowship and communion with Him in the very ‘secret place of the Most High?’ […] All the saints have a place in God’s Church; but one company receiveth the highest prize.” — ch. 10
Bride, Body, sons as overlapping categories:
“We are speaking of the true Church, the Body of Christ, the sons of God, the Overcomer, the Bride—the people of whom it was said: ‘To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God’ (Eph. 3:10).” — ch. 14
The Laodicean Spirit and the Current State of the Church
Warnock describes the spiritual condition of the churches of his day as Laodicean:
“Ecclesiastical success has developed into pride of heart, and with that pride has come that Laodicean spirit so prevalent in all evangelical circles today: ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing…’ (Rev. 3:17).” — ch. 1
“Such boastful claims merely establish their Laodicean condition, and hinder them from taking their place as overcomers on the throne of Christ.” — ch. 1
“The Church has still not become that vital, living manifestation of Christ in the earth that she should be.” — Preface
Unity of the Church (Body of Christ)
Chapter 8 is entirely dedicated to the unity of the church as the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles:
“In the Feast of Tabernacles we have a beautiful picture of the unity of the saints.” — ch. 8
“If God reveals, as He does in this present hour, that the Body of Christ is being firmly knit together by the Spirit to form a vital, living organism, operating in the power of the Holy Spirit—then obedience to that revelation is all that matters.” — ch. 8
John 17 as the basis for ecclesiological unity:
“Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are… that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (quoted by Warnock, John 17:11, 21)
“The unity for which Christ prayed, and which the Father is duty-bound to create, is going to be fulfilled. It is a unity both inexpressible and exquisite: ‘Even as we are one…‘” — ch. 8
Means to unity — apostolic ministries (Eph. 4):
“God has established a sure and a certain means by which this inexpressible unity is going to be brought into being, even the ministries of ‘apostles, …prophets, …evangelists, …pastors, …teachers.’ These are given, we are told, ‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,… for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ’ (Eph. 4:13).” — ch. 8
Sectarianism versus the Body of Christ
“Henceforth we must learn to minister and function as members of that Body, and not as members of a sect or a denomination. In other words, we must recognize that the Body of Christ is a spiritual organism, whose Head is in Heaven, and whose very life and being is in the Holy Spirit Himself.” — ch. 8
“The word ‘sect’ from the original Greek means ‘opinion’, ‘sentiment’, ‘party’. Therefore it is quite possible to have non-sectarian sects, as well as sectarian sects.” — ch. 8
“To be a member of a ‘sect’ all one has to do is to refuse to recognize the ministries which God is raising up and setting in their place in the Body of Christ.” — ch. 8
Restoration of the Church: Babylon and the Return to Jerusalem
Warnock uses the Babylon typology extensively for the current ecclesiastical situation:
“By Babylon we mean what it meant to Israel; bondage in a strange land. When Israel walked in disobedience they lost their glory, their beautiful temple, their place of worship, their prominence as a nation and kingdom. And when the Church of Christ walked in disobedience, she too lost her glory…” — ch. 9
“God says, ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues’ (Rev. 18:4). Babylon means ‘Confusion.’ It speaks of this whole world-system, political as well as religious.” — ch. 9
Restoration as unity — “as one man”:
“‘And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves as one man to Jerusalem.’ (Ezra 3:1). This, of course, is the foundational truth of this whole revival which God has given the Church, and one of the first revelations that came forth: that God would now at this time bring His people together to form one body.” — ch. 13
The two temples as a typology of restoration:
“The implication is clear, and the indictment against sectarianism is with no uncertain voice. If the Body of Christ is betrayed for the sake of base gain, or for one’s own personal interest in this sect or that, then all our vaunted claims to revival and great mass conversions are empty.” — ch. 13
“‘The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.’ (Hag. 2:3-9). […] God was not speaking of the earthly house; He was speaking of the Temple not made with hands, composed of living stones.” — ch. 13
Apostolic Ministries and Church Governance
Warnock emphasizes divine appointment of ministries, not human:
“The ministries will not be established by self-appointment, nor by human-appointment, but by Divine appointment; their word shall be with power and authority, and not as the Scribes; and the servants of Christ shall recognize and acknowledge them.” — ch. 8
On the role of shepherds/elders in restoration:
“When the Church is properly established there will be local elders in each assembly to guide the flock, and there will be no need for a permanently residing pastor.” — ch. 13
Warnock cites Ezek. 34:2-4 critically on negligent shepherds:
“‘Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed; but ye feed not the flock.‘” (Ezek. 34:2-4, quoted in ch. 13)
The Church as Temple — Built on Apostles and Prophets
“‘Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built (literally, are being built) upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.’ (Eph. 2:19, 20).” — ch. 13