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"He also subjected all things under his feet and made him head over all things with regard to the congregation, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills up all things in all"

(Ephesians 1:22,23)

 The centralization of the Christian congregation in Jerusalem?

This title in the form of a question alludes to the whole historical account of the birth and the beginning of the activity of the Christian congregation. According to the entire historical account of Acts, was the activity of the various Christian congregations centralized in Jerusalem, particularly in doctrinal matters? By carefully reading the book of Acts, the reader will find that even the intervention of the glorified Jesus Christ was on several occasions "decentralized" or relocated, in cities other than Jerusalem. However, before presenting these examples of how the glorified Jesus Christ intervened in a very important way in other cities, let us see if the account of Acts chapter 15 shows that the Christian congregation was centralized in Jerusalem.

The beginning of chapter 15 shows that within the Christian congregations, Christians of Jewish origin were infiltrating, who forced the people of the nations who had become Christians to be circumcised: "Now some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you get circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” But after quite a bit of dissension and disputing by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was arranged for Paul, Barʹna·bas, and some of the others to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding this issue" (Acts 15:1,2). Why did they go up to Jerusalem? Because verse 1 shows it, the source of the problem came from individuals who came from "Judea", that is, from a territory under the administration of the apostles in Jerusalem (in Judea). It was the most effective way to respond to those opponents who probably wanted to impress their audience by saying that he was from the Jerusalem area. Therefore, going to the place of origin of the dispute, in Jerusalem in Judea, was an effective way to respond to those people who were stirring up trouble in the Christian congregations.

If the decision taken in Jerusalem was very important, we can see that in another city equally important decisions were taken. This is the city of Antioch (Acts 11 and 13). It was in this city, moreover, that divine providence decided that henceforth the true worshipers of God would be called "Christians": "After he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they assembled with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians" (Acts 11:26). The reader will note that it was not the apostles who decreed this divine title of "Christian", but divine providence...

The administration of the Christian congregation according to the latest instructions of King Yehoshuah Mashiah

(Jesus Christ)

These last instructions are in the seven messages to the seven congregations (Revelations chapters 2 and 3). This section will answer the question of whether Christian congregations should have a world headquarters, located in a particular city. Most major religions or Christian communities have made this choice of global centralization, in Rome, Jerusalem, Moscow and many other major cities of the world. The question is, if this is the right way to administer the Christian congregations, as it appears in the message of Jesus Christ, to the seven congregations.

Christ is the head and the supreme holder of the authority in the congregation (1 Corinthians 11:3). Did Jesus Christ suggest that the congregation would currently be administered in a centralized way, as in the days of the apostles? In the book of Acts, there was a Christian congregation centralized around the authority of the apostles and some elders in the city of Jerusalem (Acts 15). However, for day-to-day administration, it was under the authority of the elders of the Christian congregations (Hebrews 13:17). In the first letter to the Corinthians, chapters 11 to 14, the apostle Paul gave specific instructions for the proper administration of the Christian congregation locally.

Does this mean that we must currently retain this way of centralizing the administration of the Christian congregation? For example, while all the Christian congregations are scattered all over the earth, would an international headquarters, in a specific city in the world, be required to administer all of these congregations regarding important doctrinal matters? To do so, let the head of the congregation, the current King Jesus Christ, give an answer.

Jerusalem the starting point for worldwide preaching activity

The reason for the centralization of the Christian congregation was mainly due to the fact that Jesus Christ had designated 12 apostles who constituted, the starting point of the beginning of the Christian congregation, in Jerusalem. According to the narrative of the Acts, particularly after the death of the disciple Stephen, a wave of persecution scattered the Christians to the four corners of the Roman Empire, around the Mediterranean Sea, and even, much later, until Babylon (1 Peter 5:13). The apostles and elders remained in Jerusalem. However, there are two factors that have contributed to the disappearance of this centralization, particularly in the city of Jerusalem. The first is the death of the twelve apostles, who were not supposed, biblically speaking, to have successors to maintain this centralization. The second is the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, in the year 70 Common Era, by the Roman general Titus. So that the Christians no longer had an emblematic city that would have represented this world centralization.

Shortly before his ascension, Jesus Christ gave these instructions to his disciples: "You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Thus, in this last instruction of Christ, Jerusalem is designated as the starting point of a worldwide preaching campaign which would last until his return, that is, shortly before the great tribulation (Matthew 24 and 25). He never designated a city where a Christian world administration would have been centralized. What is interesting to note concerning the Catholic Church which world headquarters is in Rome, the Pope presents himself as the successor of the Apostle Peter. Which clearly implies that this centralization was only justified by the presence of the apostles. The second point is that henceforth the new administration of the many Christian congregations scattered throughout the world has been transmitted to the last living apostle, John, by the message to the seven congregations.

A local administration of Christian congregations

In Revelation chapter 1, the seven congregations are represented by seven lampstands. The angels of the seven congregations are represented by the seven stars in the right hand of Christ. In Revelation 2 and 3, the encouragements but also the reproaches, sometimes very serious, made by Jesus Christ, are written to the seven "angels" of the seven congregations. In that case, the "angels" are not those in heaven who have no sinful tendency. In Revelation 1:1, John wrote that the Revelation has been transmitted to him by an "angel" (ἄγγελος "angelos" (Strong’s Concordanc G32): "Messenger, by implication pastor"). According to the context, this angel was a heavenly messenger. In Revelation 1:20, the same word "angelos" is used to designate, this time, a human "angel" responsible for a Christian congregation. These seven angels therefore represent the stewards, the shepherds, the elders or human messengers responsible, before King Jesus Christ, for the administration of the Christian congregation (The translation of the Bible Chouraqui "messenger"), ("messenger" ("messengers), "human leaders" Expanded Bible (EXB); (GOD'S WORD Translation "messenger")) (1 Timothy 3:1-7).

These "angels" or "messengers" are the intercessors between Jesus Christ and the congregation (Jesus Christ being the only mediator between God and the humanity (1 Timothy 2:5)). In this vision, Jesus Christ stands in the "Holy" of the spiritual temple, the usual place of priests who burned incense. These "angels" or "messengers" are also "priests" for the congregation, under the authority of the high priest Jesus Christ. Moreover, in Malachi 2:7, they are "human messengers" or "angels" of Jehovah: "For the lips of a priest should safeguard knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of Jehovah of armies" (Malachi 2:7). The priests, in the former Israel, had three major functions, burning incense (prayers (Revelation 8: 3,4)), teaching and judgment (Deuteronomy 17:8,10-13; 21,1,2,5 ; Numbers 5:11-31). The elders, the shepherds or the pastors of the congregations have exactly the same priestly functions in the spiritual temple, the Christian congregation: the prayer (James 5:14), the teaching (1 Timothy 3:2 "qualified to teach"), judgment in the congregation (Matthew 18:18).

Before the Great Tribulation, King Jesus Christ will directly ask for accounts to the "angels" of the different congregations scattered around the world. According to Revelation chapters 2 and 3 these overseers of local congregations have a great responsibility (Matthew 25). This is why the disciple James wrote: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment" (James 3:1).

In the illustrations of the administrators of the "talents" (but also of the "minas"), who will render an account just before the great tribulation, they are these human "angels", of Revelation 1 to 3. However, in that illustration there are only three administrators, probably to illustrate the three main judgment, two are favorable and one is condemnatory. Two administrators have done their job, one better than the other, however both will have the same reward from the master. A third who will not have done his job and will be seriously condemned by the master (Matthew 25:14-30 (talents); Luke 19:12-27 (minas)). Jesus Christ will judge the congregations of a town or village and with their respective administrators. Consequently, the administration of the Christian congregations is described as decentralized. They will have a direct responsibility before Jesus Christ, for the whole congregation of a town, or a village: "Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over you as those who will render an account, so that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you" (Hebrews 13:17).

Regarding the different religious denominations of the Christian congregations, the Bible is clear, the disciple of Christ is quite simply a "Christian", without additional religious denomination: "It was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians" (Acts 11:26). In his concluding prayer on the evening of the last Passover, Jesus Christ made this request to his Father: "I make request, not concerning these only, but also concerning those putting faith in me through their word, so that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you, that they also may be in union with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:20,21). All Christian congregations should unite before the great tribulation, doing as possible in the best way, the will of God written in the Bible: "Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will" (Matthew 7:21-23; "She did what she could" (Mark 14:8)).

The administration BEFORE and AFTER the Great Tribulation

The collapse of this system of things, will represent, for to quickly summarize the DAY AFTER situation of the Great Storm: The Return to “The Stone Age”. In fact, this generic expression of “Stone Age” is summarizing this sudden disappearance of this worldwide human technological system and this worldwide human technological administration… The People of God must be prepared now, to this sudden Return to the “Stone Age”. For this, it must be quickly taken important decisions to be ready to administrate the “DAY BEFORE” and the “DAY AFTER” the Great Tribulation. These new worldwide situations will be, in fact, a visible and invisible new dimension of realities on Earth. According Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, Jehovah is preparing a Great Storm, the Great Tribulation. It is now the time to be spiritually and mentally prepared to really enter into another strange new dimension of spiritual realities (Hebrews 11:1-3; 1 Peter 4:12).

For to summarize, the best way of this worldwide preparation must be quickly done with the Actual Internet Network System for to install the scattered new system of biblical administration as Human Network Administration based on the Bible (Particularly in the Administration of the Time of Moses: “Remember the Law of my servant Moses, the regulations and judgments that I commanded at Hoʹreb for all Israel to obey” (Malachi 4:4 compare with Hebrews 10:1). We’ll use the Law for to know the Mind of Jehovah, and the Mind of Jesus Christ, for to know how to organize this future Only Human Network Administration, Christians organized in local communities, interconnected in regional communities with the coordination of Chiefs (Princes), Elders (Priests) and Ministerial Servants (Levites). The following biblical administrative presentation will be based on first, biblical spiritual administration, and after in the biblical logistical administration of physical human necessities based on the Law of Moses.

In concrete, the Authority in Connection what is visible, like the visible administration of a Group of People, this Authority is Pyramidal, That is, Only One Chief (Prince) administrating a group of People like nation. In that case, according the Former Nation of Israel, Moses, Joshua and the others Judges, and after the Kings, in that case, Jehovah decided that there would be Only One Leader over the Nations of Millions of People. But under the authority of this main Leader, there were others Chiefs or princes, that could have another chiefs or princes under these “second” chiefs, as a pyramidal system of authority to administrate the visible part of the People of God.

A biblical human pyramidal administration

The council of Jethro, and after what Moses did, is the concrete illustration of this Pyramidal Authority (Exodus 18):

“Moses immediately listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose capable men out of all Israel and appointed them heads over the people, as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens. 26 So they judged the people when cases arose. A difficult case they would bring to Moses, but every minor case they would judge. 27 After that Moses saw his father-in-law off, and he went his way to his land” (Exodus 18:23-27).

It was a pyramidal system of authority of the Chief (Prince) Moses (at that time). In concrete, in that time, the census was made on the basis of valid men who were able to have an active part in the administration of the nation. In that case, the women and the children (under 20 years old for the boys) weren’t part of this active administration of the Nation of Israel (according important decisions). The expression “600 000 Men on foot, besides children” in Exodus 12:37, the men were at least 20 years old and at the most, they were 60 years old (Compare Leviticus 27:3 with verse 7, and also with 1 Timothy 5:9 “sixty years old” according widows in Christians congregations).

The administration of the communities of Brothers and Sisters and Children

It is important to say that these communities are not the same as the “congregations” organized to worship Jehovah through the Elders (Priests) and the Ministerial Servants. The administration of these communities has the main purpose to cope with basic human necessities of food, dressing and food, under the leadership of chieftains or princes (that are not the Elders (Priests) of the Congregation).

Returning to the biblical text of Exodus 18:23-27 the basic community of Brothers and Sisters and Children must be organized on the first base of 10 valid Men (Brothers). One Man will be “Chief” on this group of 10 Valid Men. This “Chief of 10” will coordinate the administration inside this little community. Every group of 10 will have Women and Children and Old Brothers and Sisters (THE DAY BEFORE). That means that a group of 10 Valid Men could include more than 30, 40, 50 or maybe more people in this little community of 10.

According the system installed by Moses, 5 groups of 10 would have to be directly coordinated by a “Chief” of 50. This Chief of 50 will administrate and coordinate the necessities of these 5 little communities of 10, visiting them and making the link between them for to coordinate the different spiritual and material necessities. There will be 2 chiefs of 50, under the rule of 1 chief of 100 who will make the link between the two groups of 50. This Chief of 100, will be informed according some problems of administration, and will help these two chiefs of 50. This Chief of 100 will also give important information, given to him by the chief of 1000. The group of 10 chiefs of 100 will be under the rule of one chief of 1000.

But the important question is: How to determine the necessity of chiefs of 50, chiefs of 100, chiefs of 1000, and chiefs of 10000? Here is the important point regarding the “demographic” administration, instead of geographical administration: The Former People of God were organized on this demographic base of 600 000 Valid Men. And it was on this base that the administration of the Pyramidal authority was made. That is, the first administration, in the period of 7 months, will be based on the effective number of survivors of the Great Tribulation.

According the prophecy of Ezekiel, the authority of these chiefs won’t be mixed or won’t interfere with the authority of the priests (elders in the congregation) because there are two different authorities, and two different administrations. Also, the basic group of 10, won’t be (necessarily) the same as the congregation(s) itself that could be more important than a group of 10, with maybe two groups of 10. Or maybe less important than of group of 10, maybe a half group of 10 and so on… This good administration, between these two kinds of administrations (material and spiritual), will be based on the good agreement between the chief(s) and the priest(s), with the blessing of God and the blessing of Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 40-48). If Jehovah gives information in advance, it is because it must be used with the aim of taking the best decisions with anticipation, like Joseph with Pharaoh. The following letter will present some points for how to organize the group of 10, “Before” the Great Tribulation and “After” the Great Tribulation, By trying to be the most realistic as possible, the most specific as possible and the most practical as possible in the anticipation of the future collapse of this system of things: “The shrewd person sees the danger and conceals himself” (Proverbs 27:12). But what will be the concrete situation AFTER the Great Tribulation, according the prophecy of Ezekiel?

The administration of the local needs of the communities of 10

Another important decision is the sharing of the responsibilities among the Group of 10 Men. For example (these examples are only suggestions of distribution of responsibilities which have not at all a compulsory character (and can be completed), but which illustrate only how to administrate the local needs of the communities of 10):

• The supply of energy for the community of 10. This man with this responsibility could help the community to know how to make fire without technological way. At the first time, He can make sure that all the families of the group of 10 have planned the ways to make the fire for the meal, to make the fire to warm ... At first, he will have to make sure that the families of the community of Ten have enough Matches, lighters or other utensils allowing to make of the fire. He will have to remind to the families for to equip them with candles, in matches, or other simple ways to make the fire and be able to have light (Repeated). The main purpose of this valid man could be to help the families of the community to anticipate the necessity of energy for different further situations.

• The supply of food for the community of the 10. This man with this responsibility could help the families of the community to administrate the supply of food. At the first time, he will help them to remember to have at the first time, some food reserves for a few days on the way to face the necessity of To face the food needs for a hike in a destination which allows them to find a place where they would find food, such as fruits or vegetables and milk for the children in below age.

• The administration of supply of clothes. This man with this responsibility will have to make sure that the community of Ten will anticipate the need in garment for family and particularly for the children, especially if they have to spend by the rigor of the winter (particularly in the Northern Hemisphere in the period  of the Seven Months).

• The administration of the manufacturing of clothes, shoes, and other basic equipment…

• The administration of the hygiene of the community of Ten. Particularly in the waste management for the health of the community of Ten and the respect for the nature.

• The administration of the research for accommodation in the community of Ten.

• The administration of the gardening, the agriculture, the collection of seeds, their use, to teach to the community in the gardening for to grow vegetables, to teach in the community how to take care of fruit trees, to teach them to milk a cow or how to milk one goat and so on...

What will unite these communities of Brothers and Sister is the brotherly love: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves” (John 13:35).

The cleaning of the Earth of 7 months

The Town of Hamonah

“And there will also be a city there named Ha•moʹnah. And they will cleanse the land”

(Ezekiel 39:16)

The important idea of Ezekiel 39 is that all the actual towns and villages, all around the World, will be burnt by fire as Sodom and Gomorrah. And the Whole Actual Towns and Villages is the Territory of Magog, that will be burnt by fire After the Great Tribulation, within the period of the “seven months”. And, in fact the Town of Hamonah represents the Worldwide Actual Towns and Villages that will be burnt by fire, they won’t be reconstructed and they will represent in the future earthly paradise, the Visible Memorial of the Victory of Jehovah God over Gog of Magog. The important question is: How does the context of the prophecy of Ezekiel support this biblical interpretation?

“On that day I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the sea, and it will block the path of those passing through. That is where they will bury Gog and all his hordes, and they will call it the Valley of Hamon-Gog” (Ezekiel 39:11). 

“I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the sea”: What is the symbolic meaning of this burial place? This burial place is “in the east part of the sea” that is the east of Salt Sea? Why this geographical part of burial place? It is in fact the place Of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the other towns which were destructed by fire (compare with Revelation 8:8,9, which is the symbolic representation of the past destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah)… This burial place is exactly the same place described in Ezekiel 47:11: “It will have swampy places and marshy places, and these will not be healed. They will be abandoned to salt”.  This future burial place will be “Hamon-Gog”, “abandoned to salt” place, named “Hamonah”… The burial process of the bones of the victims of the Great Tribulation is described in the Prophecy of Ezekiel 39:12-16.

As it has been understood, the worldwide Hamonah will be in fact the future cemeteries towns and villages burnt as Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezekiel 47:11). The victims of the Great Tribulation of those towns and villages will be let on place. All the victims of the Great Tribulation in the country side won’t bury in place, but rather in the closest “Hamonah” or “Hamon-Gog”, that is the closest cemetery town or cemetery village.

According the victims of the Great Tribulation in houses in the countryside, the process of cleaning will be this: “And it must occur that if ten men should be left remaining in one house, they must also die. 10 And his father’s brother will have to carry them forth one by one, and will be burning them one by one, in order to bring out [the] bones from the house. And he will have to say to whoever is in the innermost parts of the house, ‘Are there any more with you?’ And he will certainly say, ‘Nobody!’ And he will have to say, ‘Keep silence! For it is not the occasion for making any mention of the name of Jehovah.’”

11 “‘For here is Jehovah commanding, and he will certainly strike down the great house into rubble and the small house into debris” (Amos 6:9-11).

The dead bodies or the bones will take out of the house by the closest member of the family (if there is) and they will be burnt outside of the house. After the house will be destroyed and no house will constructed in this place of destruction. This administration of cleaning the Earth about 7 months will normally be under the leadership of the Priests (Elders of the Congregation) (See Leviticus 14:33-53, “the Law of the leprosy in a house”).

This cleaning of the earth will prepare the coming of the New Jerusalem on Earth in term of direct administration of the Earth by 144000 kings and priests: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).

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