George H. Warnock — Ecclesiology
b7 — Crowned With Oil
Kingdom of God (Church)
Kingdom planted in the earth
Warnock emphasizes the Kingdom of Heaven is present here and now in the earth: “The Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus came to establish in the earth is a spiritual, heavenly Kingdom. This Kingdom was heralded by John the Baptist, and brought into being by the ministry of the Lord Jesus Himself. It is not a kingdom that He saw fit to postpone because He was rejected. It was not delayed for some future era. It came right on time.” (ch. 1)
He rejects the notion that Jesus will only establish a kingdom at His second coming: “Jesus tells us why: ‘The harvest is the end of the world (age)’ (Matt. 13:38, 39). It is the end of the Kingdom age that Jesus brought into being, not the beginning of it.” (ch. 1, Matt. 13:38-39)
Growth as seed in the earth
“Notice this clear truth: It is planted in the earth. It grows and matures in the earth, And the ‘full corn’ comes to maturity and full growth ‘in the ear’ — in the earth, and not in Heaven.” (ch. 1, Mark 4:26-28)
Not of the flesh but of promise
Warnock cites Rom. 9:6-8: “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, The children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for The seed.” (ch. 1, Rom. 9:6-8)
Interpretive note: Warnock posits the Kingdom of God operates not from the flesh (natural descent) but from promise — the church as the true Israel, born from promise like Isaac.
Church must now reign in life
“If we do not find ourselves reigning in life now, how vain and senseless to think we are going to reign with Him later on. For whatever may be involved in future aspects of the Kingdom of God, it is nothing more than the outgrowth of the Kingdom that is now planted in the hearts of men by His Spirit.” (ch. 1, Rom. 5:21)
Royal Priesthood of Believers
Born to be priests
“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 marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Aaron does not just walk boldly into the sanctuary boasting: ‘I was born a priest — I have a right to be here.’ He was born to be a priest — that is true. And likewise we are born into the family of God to be a ‘royal priesthood’, and to offer up ‘spiritual sacrifices’ unto God. But if we are born to be priests, we are also born to be consecrated unto the Lord, born to know sacrifice, born to know cleansing, born to be separated wholly unto God, born to be His holy Temple in the earth.” (ch. 4, Lev. 8:2; 1 Pet. 2:9)
Priesthood transferred from earth to heaven
Warnock explains why the priesthood was transferred from earth to heaven: “(1) Melchizedek is superior to Levi, because Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek, and received the blessing of Melchizedek. This proves that Melchizedek was better because the ‘lesser’ is always blessed by the ‘better’ (Heb. 7:7). (2) The Levitical order, good and all as it may have been in its time, ended in death. And all kingdoms that end in death must give way to the Kingdom of God that issues forth in life. (3) The Levitical order could not bring perfection. It could not bring the work of redemption to a completion, to a fulness, and therefore it had to be changed. (4) The old system was declared ‘unprofitable’ for the simple reason that the Old Covenant had no power to bring forth any profit to God or man.” (ch. 2, Heb. 7:7-19)
Jesus as Priest on the throne
“Behold the Man whose name is the Branch; And he shall grow up out of His place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD (Zech. 6:12). This Man is the Lord Jesus. He is the Branch, or Sprout. He grows up out of ‘His place’ — and His place is His holy Temple in the earth. His place is in God’s Garden. In God’s Garden He becomes the Vine, and in union with that Vine there are many ‘branches’. ‘He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne’ (Zech. 6:13). He was the Temple of God in the earth when He was here (See Jn. 2:19). But now He is building an extension of that Temple which He was when He walked on earth. It is not another Temple — but now He is the Chief Cornerstone of an enlarged Temple; and He bears the glory.” (ch. 2, Zech. 6:12-13)
Priestly garments: putting off old, putting on new
“They were washed with water. They were totally stripped of their clothes, and washed with pure water at the laver (Lev. 8:6). We are cleansed by the blood of Christ, that is true. But His blood was shed almost 2,000 years ago; and it is the living Word of God that now contains the ingredients of that precious blood. Jesus said, ‘Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you’ (Jn. 15:3).” (ch. 4)
“They were clothed with new garments. ‘And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith’ (Lev. 8:7). Stripped of the old garments, washed at the laver, and then clothed upon with garments that were tailor-made ‘for glory and for beauty’ (Ex. 28:2).” (ch. 4)
“Put Off — and Put On. It is a change of raiment, beloved! Not the old ones laundered and put on again. It is not a refinement of your old nature. It is not your eloquence refined and given to God. Not your musical talents refined and given to God. Not your executive abilities, your business and professional talents, refined and given to God. It is not the old garments at all, but new ones, for glory and for beauty. ‘But now ye also put off all these…put off the old man with his deeds; …And put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him’ (Col. 3:8-10).” (ch. 4)
Priestly anointing oil: restrictions
“There are many restrictions laid upon the priesthood, and the reason is clearly stated: ‘For the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him’ (Lev. 21:12). We are restricted because of the anointing oil. The anointing does not give us freedom to do as we see fit. God cause us to know that the crown of oil is a crown that confines us to the sanctuary. ‘Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary’ (Lev. 21:12).” (ch. 5)
“The oil is not for the flesh. ‘Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured’ (Ex. 30:32). We can do a lot of talking, a lot of preaching, a lot of teaching from the word. And we can have all the facts about redemption and about the blood. But may God shut our mouths and may our witness perish from the earth if the Spirit of God is not bearing witness to what we are saying and what we are doing. For He alone is Truth. He alone is the faithful and true Witness in the earth, as Christ is in the heavens.” (ch. 4)
Priesthood requires blamelessness
“Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God (Lev. 21:17). Who can qualify? Only Christ can qualify! And He bears the ‘iniquity’ of a holy people upon His heart, that He might cleanse and perfect them, that they too might qualify in union with Him.” (ch. 5, Lev. 21:18-20; Isa. 53:4)
Church as living stones
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Yes, we are born as ‘priests’ into the family of God. But if we are going to participate in the priesthood we must be disciplined. We must be washed in pure water, stripped of the old garments and clothed upon with new priestly garments, and consecrated unto priestly service. We must know the restrictions of the holy oil.” (ch. 5)
Unity of the Spirit
Unity through the anointing
“When David beheld the people of God assembled together in worship he was inspired to say, ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ But let us never forget the one and only basis of unity in the body of Christ — it is because of the anointing. ‘It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments’ (Ps. 133:1, 2). O that God’s priests might know that we are partakers of ‘the same anointing’ with which our High Priest is anointed! And that we only partake of that anointing when we are clothed upon with His holy garments! That God does not anoint our fleshly natures, nor our fleshly words, but only the garments of Christ Himself!” (ch. 4, Ps. 133:1-2; Heb. 1:9)
Unity is not ecumenical
“How can we so pervert His intention as to make it mean He just wants His people to forget their differences and get together in large congregations and prove to the world that we are one? It is a total perversion of truth to equate ‘the unity of the Spirit’ with ecumenicism, and dialogue between church leaders — with our theologians getting together and seeking areas of consensus in order to eliminate the divisions in the Church. The unity of the Spirit has nothing to do with that. It is just what it says — one with the Spirit. ‘That they may be one, as we are’ (John 17:11). One with Jesus, as He is one with the Father.” (ch. 7, John 17:11, 21-23)
“The only ‘oneness’ that delights the heart of God is oneness with Jesus, oneness with the heart and mind of God — having the same kind of union with the Son that He has with the Father. Not through church gatherings, dialogues, open communication between church leaders, getting together in ‘love’ and ‘praise’ and ‘worship’ and trying to solve controversial issues — This has nothing to do with it. It is by God’s glory coming to abide in His Temple — the very same glory that took up its habitation in the Lord Jesus, making Him to be the very Temple of God in the earth — making Him to be God’s mouthpiece, God’s voice, God’s revelation of Himself to the hearts of men.” (ch. 7)
Interpretive note: Warnock draws a sharp distinction between true unity (union with Christ through the Spirit) and false unity (ecumenicism, ecclesiastical structures). Unity is a grace-gift of the anointing, not an organizational achievement.
Church as Temple of God
God’s desire for a dwelling place
“From the beginning God has desired a dwelling place for Himself, and that is why He made man in the beginning. He ordained sacrifices, and offerings, and circumcision, and altars and temples — for a season. But He always desired ‘the sacrifices of a broken and a contrite heart’ (Ps. 51:17). He always desired ‘him that is poor and of a contrite spirit’ as His dwelling place, and not a ‘house’ that men would build of wood and stone (Isa. 66:1, 2). God’s purpose from the beginning was that He might ‘circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart’ (Deut. 30:6).” (ch. 1, Isa. 66:1-2; Deut. 30:6)
“The heart of man is the only dwelling place that God has ever desired for His habitation. Don’t be surprised when the Lord of Glory walks in the midst of His Church today and overthrows the tables of the money-changers. Don’t try to re-arrange the tables just because you have bought and paid for one of them. And don’t blame it on the Devil either! It is God that is saying: ‘Make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise’. God says: ‘You have sat long enough in your comfortable pews, trying to sing the songs of the LORD in a strange land — I would turn your captivity — I would bring you out of Babylon — I would lead you back to Zion, the city of the living God…‘” (ch. 2)
Temple of living stones
See above under “Church as living stones” (ch. 5, 1 Pet. 2:5).
Laodicean Character of the End-Time Church
Laodicea: rich but naked
Warnock identifies today’s church with Laodicea: “The spirit of compromise has just about conquered the people of God, and especially the leadership in the Church today. The sad part of it all is that they are almost totally blind to their condition. Our Lord has ‘eye-salve’ to anoint our eyes that we might see. But to be blind and all the while insist that we see — this leaves us totally helpless and immune to any offer of salvation. Everyone is prepared to admit that the Laodicean Church is the character of the end-time Church; but Laodicea is always that other church across the street, not the one we go to. Ours is that ‘glorious Church’ that Paul spoke about!” (ch. 2, Rev. 3:15-19)
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art — Wretched, And Miserable, And Poor, And Blind, And Naked: ‘I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent’ (Rev. 3:15-19).” (ch. 2)
Church in covenant with the world
“The reason is: we have taken the kingdoms of this world into our possession under the terms of Satan, and therefore he gets the honor and glory from our submission. He tried to entangle Jesus this way and failed. And he has continued to use the same tactics with the followers of Jesus — and very often is successful. We have pretty well made a covenant with the world that we will co-operate with her the best we know — help fight her wars, and get very much involved in all her programs and her political systems — rather than becoming a separated people unto the Lord. It is thought we are to be ‘kings’ of this world system, rather than her enemies. And we seem to know how to co-exist quite nicely.” (ch. 2)
Jesus stands outside the door
“And so our Lord stands outside the door, and still knocking, and asking for admittance: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me’ (Rev. 3:20).” (ch. 2)
True Worship vs. Entertainment
True worship vs. counterfeit anointing
Warnock warns against entertainment in the church: “There are professionals in mime and pantomime and puppetry and drama and magic and clowns going about showing the people of God how to beautify their worship! All in the name of charismatic worship! How long, O Lord, before you come forth and cleanse your Temple, and ‘purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness’? (Mal. 3:3). The falsehood and the make-believe and substitutes in the Church today are incredible. But along with all of that there has to be a veil of great deception on the hearts of the people — for many of them believe that this is true worship, and a true anointing. Does the Church not realize that ‘antichrist’ not only means ‘against Christ’ — it also means ‘instead of Christ’? And Christ means the Anointed One. Can we not see that the ‘Instead-of-the-Anointing’ is really ‘Antichrist’?” (ch. 5)
Worship as state of being
“True worship is primarily a state of being, and not an act that you perform in times of religious service. Jesus talks about ‘true worshippers’, and not merely about the act of worship. Only as you become a worshipper can you truly ‘worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth’ (Jn. 4:23). Let us seek to minister Christ, that men might become worshippers, rather than trying to stimulate ‘worship’ in a religious service.” (ch. 5)
“You do not need the flowers of the tree, and you do not need instructions in choreography — to dance before the Lord. You do not need the flowery words — but let your words flow from a heart that has touched the heart of God. And if you lift your instrument or your voice to shew forth His praises — let your song be the song of the Lord that glorifies Him, and draws the hearts of the people toward Him.” (ch. 5)
Interpretive note: Warnock rejects entertainment-evangelism (already in b6) and extends this to worship: true worship is a state of being (union with Christ), not a produced performance. The “anointed” (Christ) is being replaced by counterfeit anointing — that is antichrist.
Urim and Thummim: Prophetic-Priestly Ministry
Urim = Lights, Thummim = Perfections
“URIM: ‘Lights’, from a word that means a flame, something luminous, glorious, shining. THUMMIM: ‘Perfections’, from a word meaning to complete, accomplish, make an end, come to the full, be made perfect. Both words are in the plural; and the objects are two in number, which is a number of the corporate relationship in the body of Christ.” (ch. 6)
“In Urim and Thummim we have Light — God’s Light that comes to fulness, to perfection. We have a corporate expression of the Light and the Glory of God in fulness of manifestation. We have the full revelation of the word, of the heart and mind of God, in a people who have come into abiding union with Christ, and are hidden away in the breastplate of judgment.” (ch. 6)
Transition to the New Covenant
“Urim and Thummim were soon extinct in Israel. God nevertheless was faithful to bring forth that clear word of Urim even in times of darkness and apostasy. God must have one who would stand before Him in true priestly ministry and deliver a pure, clear word to His people — no matter how apostate that people may have become. Our teachers are talking about ruling and reigning, about taking over earth’s resources, and their governments, and the offices of presidents and prime ministers. But God is grieving over a backslidden and rebellious Church. And God will raise up a priesthood in this hour with Urim and Thummim, who will be anointed to shew God’s people ‘the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean’ (Ezek. 44:23).” (ch. 6)
“Jeremiah had that pure word from God, and it became a burden upon his shoulders that was so heavy he decided it was enough… ‘Then said I, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His Name’ (Jer. 20:9). (To be a prophet from God was evidently far from being a glamorous ministry in Jeremiah’s eyes). But how can a man with Urim (God’s Holy Fire) in his bosom — how can he quench it? And so he testified: ‘His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay’. He said it made him more weary just trying to hold back the word — and he had to give it forth.” (ch. 6)
Jesus as the ultimate Urim and Thummim
“In Him we have the very ultimate of God’s intention in Urim and Thummim. Nevertheless it was God’s plan that the Son, having finished an earthly ministry would then enter a more glorious ministry in the heavens. His earthly ministry would culminate in His sacrificial death on the Cross. But He would rise from the dead as the Conquering One, and be enthroned at the Father’s right hand in the heavens, and would continue to send forth that pure, clear word from His heavenly throne.” (ch. 6)
“John 17 — In Jesus’ prayer for His chosen ones, just prior to His going away, we have a beautiful preview of His ‘more excellent ministry’ in the heavens. He speaks as though He were already glorified and enthroned at God’s right hand.” (ch. 7)
The More Excellent Ministry
Christ on the throne: better than earthly ministry
Warnock cites Heb. 8:6: “But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. Right now there is a Man reigning on the greatest and most powerful throne in all of God’s universe. And He is there to subdue all His enemies under His feet — and build a glorious Temple in the earth. ‘Even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne’ (Zech. 6:13).” (ch. 7)
“It was better for us, and more glorifying to God! For He has absolute confidence that in going away He would be able to reproduce His kind in the earth, by virtue of His high-priestly ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary. And now let us consider in some detail the nature and character of the ‘more excellent ministry’ of the exalted Christ.” (ch. 6)
The Holy Spirit as the Ministry of the Son
“It is expedient (better) for you that I go away. There will be no interruption of the ministry of the Son simply because He has gone away, and His people in the earth may not always prove to be faithful. Nor is He coming back to earth to do something the Church has not been able to do. The Church will yet know — the world will yet recognize — that God’s plan is the very best!” (ch. 6, John 16:7)
“The Holy Spirit will not fall short in His ministration of truth to His chosen ones. ‘He shall guide you into all truth’ (John 16:13). Jesus was the Truth here on earth. But there were many things His people could not yet receive. The Spirit of God coming to abide in His people would therefore continue the work that Jesus started — and lead them into still further revelation of truth.” (ch. 6)
Unity in the Father and the Son
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (John 17:15-19, ch. 7)
“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. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on Me through their word; 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, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” (John 17:20-23, ch. 7)
Interpretive note: The “more excellent ministry” (Heb. 8:6) is Christ’s heavenly high-priestly ministry through which the Holy Spirit dwells in the body of Christ. This is superior to earthly ministry because Christ has “all power in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). The Church is thereby “perfected in one” — not by organization but by the indwelling of the Spirit.
Church as Bride and Manchild
See b6 for extended treatment. In b7 Warnock adds:
The Son as King in heaven
“He was set there to be a Priest on the throne. His ministry on earth was finished. Now He would begin His Messianic ministry in the heavens. The Kingdom of God was not postponed because they slew their King. It was the slaying of the King that became the first chapter of His coronation in the heavens. The long expected Messiah was to reign upon a throne that would be far, far superior to the one His people had planned for Him. It would be far above any earthly throne.” (ch. 7)
“Being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear (Acts 2:33). It was because Jesus was enthroned as the King that was promised to his father David, that He was able to begin pouring forth unto His people the blessings of His Messianic ministry in the earth. Salvation from sin and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon His people is the first and foremost of the blessings bestowed by the exalted Messiah.” (ch. 7)
Church as a people of priests who reign
“God wants a priestly people who will ‘reign in life’ — a people who are ‘vessels of mercy’ — who will have kingly authority to minister life to others, because of His ministration from the throne. We have many volunteers for the throne — men who are looking for opportunities to take over earth’s resources, earth’s governments, and so forth. But God’s crowns are for those who qualify as priests. And the only crown of authority on their brow will be a priestly crown of oil.” (ch. 7, 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6)
Index files update check
EN ecclesiologie index already exists per b6. NL ecclesiologie index already exists per b6.
Post update to Paperclip.