The Spiritual Israel
We know assuredly that we, the Gentiles who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior — the New Testament church — are the rest of these “many nations” of the children of Israel. This name was bought for all believers by the blood of Jesus Christ Himself.
Even though one nation of Israel bore the name first by God’s command, according to His everlasting promise through the man or angel who named Jacob “Israel” before the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s purpose was always larger. Both Jews and Gentile believers must accept the blood of Christ to be called Israel.
Sealed by the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Before entering the eternal twelve tribes of the children of Israel in the New Jerusalem, all must be redeemed and sealed.
The Twelve Gates
Revelation 21:12
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
These names are for the saints of our Lord Jesus Christ — both Jews and Gentiles — incorporated together as His bride.
The Saints in the Beloved City
Revelation 20:9-10
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.
All believers in Christ — both Jew and Gentile — are the saints, the twelve tribes of Israel in the New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ.
One Fold, One Shepherd
John 10:15-16
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
One Fold, One Shepherd
The “sheep” are the Jewish believers, and the “other sheep” are the Gentile believers, brought together into one fold under one Shepherd — Jesus Christ.
Opening Adoration and Acknowledgment of God’s Majesty
“O Lord, our Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and Thy righteous seed Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who hast made heaven and earth with all the ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of Thy commandments; who hast shut up the deep and sealed it by Thy terrible and glorious name; whom all men fear and tremble before Thy power, for the majesty of Thy glory cannot be borne, and Thine angry threatening toward sinners is unbearable.
But Thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable, for Thou art the Most High Lord, of great compassion, longsuffering, very merciful, and repentest Thee of the evils of men.”
Acknowledgment of God’s Promise of Repentance
“Thou, O Lord, according to Thy great goodness, hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against Thee and have confessed their sins, as we have done for these many days. Of Thine infinite mercies Thou hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be pardoned.
Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, which have not sinned against Thee, but Thou hast appointed repentance unto us that have sinned against Thee. For we have sinned above the number of the stars of heaven.”
Confession of Sin
“Our transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied; our transgressions are multiplied, and we are not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of our iniquities. We are bowed down with many iron bands of sins, that we cannot lift up our heads, neither have any release.
For we have provoked Thy wrath and done evil before Thee. We did not Thy will, neither kept we Thy commandments. We have set up abominations upon abomination and have multiplied our offences upon offences, sins upon sins.
Now therefore we bow the knee of our hearts, beseeching Thee for Thy grace. We have sinned, O Lord, we have sinned, and we acknowledge our numerous iniquities. Wherefore we humbly beseech Thee: forgive us, O Lord, forgive us, and destroy us not with our iniquities. Be not angry with us forever by reserving evil for us, neither condemn us to the lower parts of the earth, where there is always darkness and separation from God and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”
Appeal to God’s Mercy
“For Thou art the God, even the God of them that repent, and in us Thou wilt show all Thy goodness. For Thou wilt save us, though we are very unworthy, according to Thy great mercy. Therefore we will praise Thee forever, all the days of our lives, like all the powers of the heavens do praise Thee. Thine is the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Confession of the Church’s Corporate Sins
“The New Testament churches have significantly, grievously, ignorantly, carelessly, and profoundly sinned against our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. The filthiness of these our greatest sins is shown in all our actions, in our ways of life, and in our doings for these many years.
Through our ignorance we have terribly committed sins upon sins that are great and numerous. We have wept and wept and have lamented with tears running down like waters, for we have rebelled against God and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
O Lord Jesus Christ, we are in great strait and distress. Our bowels are troubled within us for these our iniquities upon iniquities. Our hearts are troubled, for we have ignorantly rebelled against our Lord Jesus Christ. Our eyes have failed us because of these continuous waters running down because of our greatest sins.
All Your servants, of all categories, and Your saints have committed these sins grievously against our God and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Our hearts are crying out for Your merciful forgiveness.”
Recognition of God’s Faithfulness
“It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed by God’s unquestionable fire, because His compassion will never fail and His faithfulness is forever sure.
We have transgressed and rebelled. We have ignorantly rejected the first day works of Your creation and Your feast days to be holy convocations, and Your Ten Commandments to be holy convocations.
Where the seventh-day Sabbath is — that the Lord has blessed and hallowed, which the Lord has put on our minds and written on our hearts through the blood of Jesus Christ — we have set it aside.
We have neglected Your new year to be the beginning of the year and the first month for us, and Your seal upon Your churches to separate them from the evil world in which we live.”
Plea for Forgiveness and Restoration
“We are sorry to have sinned in the greatest ways against God and our Lord Jesus Christ, the Source of our lives, our Creator, our Redeemer, and our very Savior in whom we have our faith until eternity.
Please Lord, we are very sorry for these our greatest sins, and with humility we ask for Your forgiveness and for You to pardon us. We have ignorantly adopted the practices of the antichrists which You commanded us not to do, and thereby brought these greatest calamities and sins upon sins upon ourselves.”
Declaration of Repentance
“We have now been reawakened to Your truth, and with our repentant hearts we have forsaken first-day week Sunday worship. We adhere now to Your greatest revival of the observance of the feast days to be holy convocations, and Your Ten Commandments to be holy convocations that the Lord has blessed and hallowed, which the Lord has put on our minds and written on our hearts through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Your new year is the beginning of the year and the first month for us, as we have sincerely come to do Your will as You taught us in prayer:
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”
Closing Thanksgiving
“Our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You and glorify Your name. We adore You with our lives, with our souls, with our might, and with all our strength. With everything within us we sincerely say thank You, our Almighty Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ, forever.
All these we say in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our everlasting Redeemer and our Savior. Amen and amen.”
