Who Chooses the Heavenly Calling?
There is no Religious Leader, or followers of such, of whatever faith or denomination, can choose for themselves the High Honor of reigning with the Christ for the Thousand year period as Kings and Priests. That choosing and calling is done by Jehovah God, alone as is seen from the choosing of the Twelve apostles. {Revelation 5:10;20:4}
We notice in the case of the choosing of the Twelve, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer to his Father, and when he rose in the Morning selected the Twelve Apostles. As the following account shows:
12"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor." {Luke 6:12-16 NIV}
Of course being the first to be Chosen; theirs was for a very special purpose, as we'll see:
20 "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." {Luke 10:20 NIV}
14"The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." {Revelation 21:14 NIV}
19 "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." {Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV}
We see from this that Jehovah had laid the foundation for true Worship in the first Century; and this new building would require that any others making up this new building, would of necessity have to Worship in Spirit and in Truth, as all, of the first Century Christian's did. {John 4:22-24} That would be the only way Jehovah could live, or dwell with them by his Holy Spirit. At that time, or even now. We notice too, that none of the Twelve Apostles could choose the positions they held for themselves, but were directly chosen by Jehovah by means of that prayer vigil the Christ held all night with his Father. Choosing them as he did come Morning. Not even the Christ could choose them of his own accord. Notice this next account:
20"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." 22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. 23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." {Matthew 20:2-23 NIV}
So! Not even Jesus could choose those of the high calling of God. That was in Jehovah's jurisdition alone. Notice what Paul will tell you about this special choosing:
1"Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest.But God said to him, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father. 6And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." 7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek." {Hebrews 5:1-8 NIV}
So! Obviously, no man can choose the office of the heavenly call for himself. Just as the Christ was, just as anyone is; we must be called by God for that high honor, and if we are, we will know we are, Jehovah will make certain that we know, as we see from the following:
15"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength," {Ephesians 1:15-19 NIV}
Just how would we come to know the Hope to which he has called us? Paul will tell us that:
14"Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. 15 God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. 16 God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. 17His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him." {Romans 8:14-17 CEV}
27"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." {1 John 2:27 NIV}
Those today who really are of the Heavenly Calling will know that they are, through the operation of the Holy Spirit leading and teaching them all things necessary for them to know.
What about now though? Is the calling and choosing completed? Or may it be there is still room for more for that high office?
We gain the answer to that from the Apostle John in his Revelation at Chapter 7:1-4 Take note of what he says about this:
1"After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I sawanother angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel."{Revelation 7:1-4 NIV}
John is here telling us, that the sealing of these ones is still going on now. This other Angel with the seal of the living God would be the Christ in Angelic form, in that it is he, who under the direction of his Father does the choosing of all of these. {John 15:16} As long as those four Angels hold tight those four winds of destruction, the sealing will go on; when they release those four winds, the calling and choosing will be completed. World destruction will then begin. Notice John informs us these are sealed on the forehead. All told 1444,000 sealed. ... All Chosen directly by Jehovah, through the Christ, who has that seal.
We notice though, no individual makes that decision for himself/herself; that is decided by Jehovah. It is as Paul told us it is: "Also a Man/Woman takes this honor, not of his own accord, but only when he is called by God just as Aaron also was. So too the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a High Priest but was glorified by him who spoke with reference to him: "You are my Son; I, today, have become your Father." ...'because he has been specifically called by God according to the manner of Mel-chiz'e-dec." {Hebrews 5:1-10}
I may not be one of the ones sealed! You may not be one of the ones sealed; but I think the opportunity for everlasting life on a Paradise earth when death, and sickness, and pain, will be no more is prize enough for anyone; don't you? {Revelation 21:4} {Isaiah 14:7} {Psalm 37:10,11,29}
So! Who chooses the Heavenly High Calling of God? Do we glorify ourselves? Even the Christ didn't do that, did he now? If we are called by God for that office, it will be ours; if not, it will not be. Should we quibble at everlasting life on a Paradise Earth? Wannabe