What Does it Mean to be a Woman of God?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A WOMAN OF GOD?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

A woman of God is a female believer who is dedicated to a covenant walk with Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17). This woman is a born again Christian who wholeheartedly submits to the exhortation and admonition of Scripture. She is steadfast in her devotion to Christ and in service to God through her skills, talents, and abilities. 

She consistently submits to the Christian disciplines of fellowship, prayer, and the study of Scripture and seeks every opportunity to faithfully serve in the church. She is dedicated to Christian witness in her community of context. If she is not married yet, she will focus on building her relationship with God and fortifying her moral standing in the Christian community. If she is a married woman, she seeks to influence and shape her family and community life along Christian values. 

The woman of God is therefore an icon of Christian faithfulness. She honors and serves Christ. Mary mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Dorcas are examples of New Testament believers who exemplified unflinching devotion and steadfastness in their Christian faith and service.

Mary mother of Jesus accepted her divine calling to conceive by the Holy Spirit and raise forth the Messiah (Luke 1:26-38). 

Mary Magdalene sought Christ at the tomb and was rewarded by His appearance to her (John 20:11-18). Dorcas was raised from the dead by Peter on account of her outstanding generosity and charitable work that transformed the lives of widows in her community (Acts 9:36-43). 

In the Old Testament Scriptures, a number of women stood out for their godly convictions and courage. These include Sarah, Rahab, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Deborah, among others. 

Sarah trusted God and she was rewarded with a child of destiny at old age. Hebrews 11:11 says "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised."

Rahab hid the Jewish spies at her roof. She acted against great risk to her life and family (Joshua 2:1-8). God recognized her courage and counted her among the people of Israel (Hebrews 11).  

Esther faced the king with courage and God used her to preserve the Jews from extermination in Persia (Esther 3-7). Nothing perhaps exemplifies her courage better than her words in Esther 4:16 which says "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" 

To the glory of God, Esther did not perish. God graciously preserved her before the king and he granted her petition. Her outstanding courage was rewarded by God. 

Ruth a Moabite woman and a young childless widow swore to forsake her Moabite people and follow Naomi, her mother in law, into Israel. She vowed to submit to the God of Israel. God rewarded her courage and faith and she became the great grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Ruth 1-4). Ruth's response to Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17 is compelling:

"Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

17 Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me"

Naomi was a type of Christ. Despite the family tragedies she suffered in Moab during her ten year stay, Naomi stood firm and faithfully mentored and shaped the convictions of her daughter in law and led her into the Jewish faith. She was a destiny shaper. 

Deborah stood out as a courageous woman under difficult circumstances. She doubled up as a judge and a prophetess in Israel during the dark period of the judges when Israel had sunk into apostasy and moral ruin. God used Deborah to inspire Barak and his troops to go into battle against the Canaanites. This was against all odds but God graciously used them to rescue Israel from bondage (Judges 4-5). 

The song of Deborah recorded in Judges 5 is a tribute to God's faithfulness. It reveals God's overwhelming power and glory and the inspiration He gave to His servants during the battle. 

Are you a woman of God? 

Arise and shine to the glory of God!

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

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The writer is an insurance practitioner and an associate pastor at AIC Milimani Nairobi.

How Can We Make Our Prayers Like Incense as in Psalm 141:2?

HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR PRAYERS LIKE INCENSE AS IN PSALM 141:2?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Psalm 141 is reckoned as a psalm of David. The writer seeks God's protection not only from the snares that his enemies had laid on his path (v.9) but also from the vagaries of a foul mouth that utters words in foolishness (v.3) and an evil heart that practices wicked works (v.4). In short, the psalmist is asking God to sanctify him and preserve him from evil in his journey of faith.

Psalm 141:1-2 says "Lord, I cry out to You;

Make haste to me!

Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.

2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,

The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." (NKJV). 

This is the opening section of the psalmist's prayer. He asks God to listen to his prayer. Every believer who appears before God in prayer with a clear conscience longs for God's attention. The mention of incense and the evening sacrifice is a simile, a poetic figure of speech that David employs in this context to illustrate the significance of a godly prayer in the presence of God. It is like a temple sacrifice where the incense is a sweet smelling aroma before the presence of God (Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 1:3; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Philippians 4:18). 

The writer prays that the lifting of his hands in prayer may be acceptable before God just as the evening sacrifice which was offered to God by the priest in the temple or tabernacle. 

This text of Scripture reminds us of the privilege of appearing before God's presence in prayer and in submission to God's divine discretion in handling our petitions. The writer is conscious of God's holiness as he appears before Him. God desires that we hallow His divine presence and sanctify His Name. We should approach Him by faith as His covenant people who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. 

Psalm 141 also reminds us that God values our spiritual standing whenever we appear before His presence. The psalmist was concerned about his moral integrity and his speech even as he prayed for God's protection. Notice his plea in vv. 3-5. No believer is perfect in the sight of God and this is the reason that Jesus taught us under The Lord's Prayer to seek God's forgiveness for our trespasses and to seek His leading and deliverance from the temptations of life (Matthew 6:9-15). 

We make our prayers like incense when we align our hearts and minds to the truths of God's word; when we choose to allow God's divine influence to shape our thoughts and convictions in our lives. This can only happen when our lives are totally yielded to God under unflinching faith. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

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The writer is an insurance practitioner and an associate pastor at AIC Milimani Nairobi. For more articles by this writer please visit www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

Proclaiming Christ Crucified - Lessons from Paul's Damascus Experience

PROCLAIMING CHRIST CRUCIFIED - LESSONS FROM PAUL'S DAMASCUS EXPERIENCE 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

TEXT: Acts 9:20-22

Saul had just met Christ on the way to Damascus. He was converted to the faith and given his mission to serve as a minister to the Gentile people. He began to preach the gospel in the Jewish synagogue in Damascus. 

Saul knew that the Jews were aware of his persecution of Christians but he was determined to proclaim Christ in their midst.

Notice that he preached that Christ is the Son of God (v.20). This statement constituted the highest blasphemy in Jewish religious circles. 

In v.21, we notice that those who heard him speak were amazed because they knew that he persecuted believers in Jerusalem and had in fact come to do the same in Damascus. They were unable to reconcile Saul's prior role as a persecutor of church and his new role as a witness of the risen Christ. 

In v. 22, we learn that despite the negative reaction by the Jews in Damascus, Saul continued to proclaim the gospel and "...increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ."

This was Paul's maiden preaching which was similar in a number of ways to Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The audience was predominantly Jewish. Some heeded the message while others doubted, knowing Paul's difficult past.

LESSONS FROM THE PASSAGE 

God has called us to proclaim Christ in our societies of context. We should not be discouraged by the stigma of our past lives of disobedience. God has dealt with that part the moment we turned to Christ in faith. 

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation."

We should therefore not be discouraged by what people say about our past which God has cleansed. Instead, we should be faithful to consistently witness for the risen Christ wherever the Lord has placed us. We are Christ's ambassadors who proclaim His kingdom till Christ comes. 

Our message to the sinful world should affirm the deity and divinity of Christ and His mission to rescue sinners. We should never dilute the gospel message to suit cultural or religious exigencies.

God will strengthen us to serve Him and we shall rise from one stature to another as we walk in obedience and service to Christ. 

Do you proclaim Christ crucified?

Keep it Christ.

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

Understanding the Priesthood of Believers

UNDERSTANDING THE PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

I recently engaged in a social media conversation with a writer who rejected the priesthood of church elders and pastors in a Christian congregation. He insisted that the priesthood of believers was exclusive to a Christian community and that pastoral priesthood was not contemplated in Scripture.

The writer was apparently conflating two issues - pastoral priesthood and leadership abuse in a Christian community context. The two issues are however not inextricably intertwined, in my view. They should be examined within their respective societal contexts.

There is no echelon or hierarchy of church leadership that is immune to abuse by unfaithful stewardship. It is instructive that Judas Iscariot, a man who worked closely with Jesus, abused his position as ministry treasurer during Jesus earthly ministry! John 12:6 says concerning Judas: "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." 

We require functional and effective mechanisms and structures for containing or addressing stewardship abuse in our churches. Church constitutions and pastoral/leadership ethical standards should be explicit in promoting accountability and transparency. 

THREE LEVELS OF PRIESTHOOD IN SCRIPTURE 

There are three levels of priesthood contemplated in Scripture for the New Testament Christian community. 

First, is the priesthood of Christ. Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16, 10:19-23). He is the mediator between God and man. 1 Timothy 2:5 says "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (NKJV). 

Secondly, the priesthood of all believers is contemplated in 1 Peter 2:9. Believers can exercise this priesthood on an individual or corporate basis. Nothing in Scripture suggests or implies that this priesthood conflicts with or contradicts any other priesthood function in the church.

Thirdly, we have the priesthood of ordained church ministers and elders (James 5:13-15). Christian elders, pastors, or bishops occupy leadership and priestly positions among God's people. They are charged with building and equipping God's people in Christ (Ephesians 4:11-15). 

This is not to suggest or imply that the universal priesthood of believers is rendered irrelevant in this context. Since the two levels of priesthood are contemplated by Scripture, they should seamlessly compliment each other.

1 Peter 2:9 affirms the priesthood of all believers. It describes the Christian community as "...a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people..." (NKJV). 

This implies that believers can minister for Christ through their Christian witness, prayers, petitions, and the proclamation of the gospel in their communities of context (Matthew 28:19-20). They can access the presence of God in their individual capacities at any time and make petitions to Him through Christ Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16). 

J.V. Fesco observes that under the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, believers in Christ share in His priestly status; therefore, there is no special class of people who mediate the knowledge, presence, and forgiveness of Christ to the rest of believers, and all believers have the right and authority to read, interpret, and apply the teachings of Scripture. [1].

I concur with Fresco that no person can mediate the presence and forgiveness of Christ. This would border on a divine investiture claim not contemplated in Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church ascribes this authority to their priesthood. 

While I agree with Fresco that believers have the right and authority to read, interpret, and apply the teachings of Scripture, I am persuaded that God instituted the office of teacher in Ephesians 4:11 to compliment this function. 

Trained church ministers with theological skills have a special role in guiding believers in the interpretation of Scripture and in conveying the mind of God in a given theological context. This role is critical in building a Christian community in the knowledge of Christ through congregational instruction and admonition. This is contemplated in Ephesians 4:11-14. 

Apostle Paul was himself a trained theologian raised under Gamaliel, the revered first century Jewish scholar (Acts 22:3). Paul's theological skills and prudence is attested in his writings. 

This does not suggest or imply that a believer cannot read or understand the Scriptures. It underscores the complimentary role of the trained clergy in guiding the congregation of God's people in covenant obedience through the exhortation of Scripture.

Rex Edwards observes that the Protestant churches have neglected the doctrine of the priesthood of believers despite their spirited defense of the doctrine. [2]. He notes that both the clergy and laity have failed this theological scrutiny. Edwards argues that the priesthood of believers should be a compelling doctrine that consistently stands out in a Bible centred Christian community. I concur with him. 

Alvie E. Robbins asserts that the believer was chosen in Christ for privilege, obedience and service. [3]. This special status and calling should therefore propel the believer into commitment and consistency in Christian obedience and service. 

The believer's role as a priest is however complementary to the other roles in the Christian congregation including Christian instruction and training. It cannot override or muddle them.

While pening his first epistle, Peter counted himself among elders even though he was an apostle of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:1-4). His statement conveys an affirmation of the significance of the office of elder/bishop in the church. This office consolidates the pastoral duties exercised by elders, pastors, and bishops including the congregational instruction and training of believers. 

Timothy and Titus are two examples of ministers of the gospel raised and appointed by Paul to serve in their respective Gentile communities during the New Testament church period. It is instructive that Paul founded the school of Tyrannus in Ephesus with the objective of training and commissioning Christian missionaries in Asia Minor (Acts 19:9-10). Notice that Paul was compelled to seek an independent venue after he faced opposition from radical Jews in the Ephesus synagogue. 

The priesthood of church elders is affirmed in James 5:13-15. The Bible exhorts believers to reach out to the elders at the time of need so that they may pray for them. 

The Scripture says "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." (NKJV). 

It is therefore inconceivable that this special priesthood can be theologically discounted by its critics.

The ordained church offices should be administered in accordance with the teaching and regulations of Scripture (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Those who are appointed to these leadership positions should meet the biblical qualifications outlined in Scripture touching on their training, gifting, and moral standing (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 2 Timothy 2:2,15).

When we cast doubt on the priesthood of elders, pastors, or bishops, we open ourselves to a theological cul-de-sac and undermine the spiritual institutions and offices that God has instituted for the church. 

My considered view is that to deny any of the three levels of priesthood is to deny the revelation and authority of Scripture. Believers should therefore submit to the leading and admonition of godly elders and pastors in biblically centred Christian communities even as they exercise their universal priesthood in Christ. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

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REFERENCES

1. J.V. Fesko, "The Priesthood of All Believers", in The Gospel Coalition, https://share.google/KNMfdx5ykcmmG50qr Accessed on 2 May 2026. 

2. Rex Edwards, "Priesthood of Believers" in Biblical Research Institute https://share.google/Z74S1bH5t6VGB27by accessed 2 May 2026.

3. Alvie E Robbins, "The Universal Priesthood of All Believers_ A Study of Its Major Revivals with Implications for the Christian in Life and Ministry", in Western Evangelical Seminary Theses, George Fox University, https://share.google/eWpX0Mi2oG2LcVEtU accessed 2 May 2026. 

Will the Great Tribulation Period Spill Over into the Millennium Reign of Christ?

WILL THE GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD SPILL OVER INTO THE MILLENNIUM REIGN OF CHRIST?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

The chronological structure of the end-times period in Scripture reveals that the seven-year tribulation period will precede the millennium reign. It terminates upon Christ's coming. It cannot therefore spill into the millennium reign of Christ.

Here's why...

We learn from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 that the Antichrist will be revealed shortly before the church is caught away. There is a divided opinion among Bible scholars on the timing of Christ's coming. This largely depends on the eschatological leanings they subscribe to.

Pre-tribulationists argue that Christ will come before the tribulation period commences. They insist that God cannot subject His saints to persecution under the reign of the Antichrist (1 Thessalonians 5:9). 

This view points to the witness of the 144,000 tribulation saints as evidence that the church will have been caught away prior to the advent of the tribulation period. They also consider the statement of Revelation 4:1 as evidence that the church will be ushered to heaven before the tribulation commences under the reign of the Antichrist. They claim that the "absence" of the word "church" [Greek: ekklesia] between Revelation 4-19 suggests that the church had been caught away from the earth before the great tribulation period. 

Mid-tribulationists however disagree with this assertion on the basis that it lacks a firm theological footing in Scripture. They argue that Revelation 4:1 was a call to John by Christ and does not symbolically constitute the rapture of the church. They claim that there is no theological justification for shielding end-time believers from persecution yet Christian suffering has been witnessed through the church ages, including during the New Testament, Patristic, and Medieval periods.

Mid-tribulationists insist that Christ will come in the middle of the tribulation period and take His church to spare her from the intense persecution by the Antichrist and to allow the seven bowls of the wrath of God to be served on the Antichrist and his followers (Revelation 16). 

The Post-Tribulation scholars state that Christ will come at the close of the seven-year tribulation period. They insist that the church will endure the entire tribulation interlude before God comes to her rescue. Most Evangelical scholars reject this view on the basis that it is difficult to reconcile with several eschatological texts and passages of Scripture.

The Amillenialists [No Millenium] view holds that the millennium reign of Christ commenced right from Calvary and will be concluded at His coming. They deny the futuristic earthly reign of Christ from Jerusalem, arguing that Revelation 20:4-6 is merely a symbolic representation of His divine reign among men until the close of the church age. They insist that the tribulation period commenced right after Calvary and will continue until Christ's coming. They argue that Satan has been bound in the spiritual sense since he was defeated at Calvary. 

Most Evangelical scholars reject this view on the basis that it contradicts the express teachings of Scripture on the end times. 

The first three eschatological views are agreed on the millennium reign coming after the tribulation period. It is therefore not possible that the great tribulation period will spill over into the millennium reign of Christ. 

Besides, the 1000 years reign of Christ will usher in unprecedented peace on earth. Satan will have been bound and consigned into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3). The reign of the Antichrist will have been brought to a conclusive end prior to the onset of the millennium reign.

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

Q & A With a Believer on the Millenium Reign

Q & A WITH A BELIEVER ON THE MILLENNIUM REIGN 

Q. How is it possible for believers with spiritual bodies to mix with those with physical bodies during the millennium reign? 

MY TAKE 

I must admit that there are some residual mysteries in Christian eschatology. We cannot fully comprehend the splendour of God's glory during the millennium reign or even under the eternal state of the church described in Revelation 21-22. 

We cannot tell how the resurrected saints who will reign with Christ and those with mortal bodies would interface during the millennium reign. 

Some scholars consider Jesus' statement in Luke 20:36 as evidence that resurrected believers will possess angelic bodies and can therefore interact with humanity in the physical realm. 

Jesus proclaimed "...The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection" (Luke 20:34-36, NKJV).

Some have also supposed that since the risen Christ could interact with, was touched by, and even ate with His disciples, the resurrected saints could possess these attributes during the millennium period. Besides, the task of governing humanity requires travel and interactive engagements. 

Having said as much, I must also reckon that Scripture cannot contradict itself. If we consider the millennium reign as a literal futuristic event in God's divine calendar, we cannot deny or doubt the validity of its prophecies in Scripture. 

For instance, if we treat the millennium reign as symbolic, how shall we reckon with the battle of Gog and Magog? Is this a mystical battle or a literal event in God's eschatological calendar? 

What about the second resurrection and final judgement recorded in Revelation 20:11-15? Is this an allegorical or symbolic narrative or a description of a literal divine event awaiting humanity? 

How should we interpret the vision described in Revelation 21? Is it a symbolic pictorial image bereft of any truth? Is heaven real or symbolic?

My view is that the events described in Revelation 20 are not allegorical but real-time. Christ will indeed come to earth to fulfil the Old Testament prophecies relating to the end times. 

We may disagree on when the resurrection will take place - either before the great tribulation (pre tribulation), or during the tribulation [mid-tribulation] or even at the end of the tribulation [post tribulation]. 

Here are inalienable truths conveyed in Scripture...

Christ will physically return with the resurrected saints and will literally reign in present day Jerusalem for 1000 years under His Messianic rule (Zechariah 14; Revelation 20:4-6). Satan will be bound to the bottomless pit during Christ's millennium reign (Revelation 20:7-10). He will be briefly released from the pit at the end of this period. The battle of Gog and Magog which is championed by Satan will take place at God's appointed time at the close of the millennium reign and Satan and his forces will be defeated. Satan and his angels will be cast into the lake of fire. The resurrection of the dead will take place and the final judgement will be convened. The wicked will join Satan in the lake of fire and the saints will be ushered into the new heaven and so the end shall come (Revelation 20:11-15). 

If you are a professing Christian, you cannot afford to ignore these eschatological landmarks taught in Scripture. 

I rest my case. 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 

Will Sin Be Present During The Millennium Reign of Christ?

WILL SIN BE PRESENT DURING THE MILLENNIUM REIGN OF CHRIST? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

During the millennium reign, Christ will return to the earth with believers who constituted the first resurrection group contemplated in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. According to premillennialism theory, the millennium reign will take place after the celebration of the wedding feast recorded in Revelation 19:1-10. 

Believers who came to faith during the tribulation period will also be alive on earth. These faithful servants who survived the great tribulation period will bear children, in whom the sin nature will still reside, because the fallen human nature will not be eliminated until eternity begins at the end of the millennial kingdom.

Those who were martyred during the tribulation period will reign with Christ during the 1000 year reign in Jerusalem.  Revelation 20:4 says "Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (NKJV). 

This suggests that the tribulation saints were adorned with glorified bodies at this point in time. 

There will also be people who rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ and were left out of the rapture. These rebellious people will raise their children during the millennium reign and will most probably negatively influence them to reject Christ. 

The world will therefore experience sin because the eternal reign of Christ recorded in Revelation 21-22 is yet to take place at this point. 

Will there be an opportunity for sinners to turn to Christ during the millennium reign? 

Bible scholars believe that since Satan will be bound to the bottomless pit for 1000 years, there would be a final opportunity for people to turn to Christ. However, resistance to Christ's kingdom which started during the great tribulation period will still be present among those who rejected Him at that time. Some people will therefore reject Him again! 

After the 1000 year reign, Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit and will deceive the nations for a period of time (Revelation 20:7-10). The release of Satan from divine confinement marks the final apocalypse in human history. 

The final battle against Christ and His saints in Jerusalem will unfold. These dark forces will surround Jerusalem, intending to destroy the kingdom of God in Christ. God will destroy these enemies of Christ in the battle of Gog and Magog recorded in Revelation 20:7-10. 

When will believers found alive during the millennial reign be joined to those who were caught away during the first resurrection?

Scripture is silent on this question. Some scholars have suggested that the millennium believers will adorn glorified bodies at the end of the millennium reign to allow them to join the eternal state described in Revelation 21-22. Others say the transformation of these saints will coincide with the second resurrection and judgement recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. 

The dead will be raised to life and those whose names shall not be found in the Lamb's book of life will be consigned to eternal damnation in the lake of fire🔥. 

Those who were martyred for their faith during the great tribulation will adorn spiritual bodies and join the "first cohort" saints and together they will dwell in the presence of Christ and of God forever. 

This marks the eternal state of the church recorded in Revelation 21.  The former things shall pass away forever and God will make all things new. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026