WHAT IS THE
PURPOSE OF LIFE?

Finding Meaning in Apparent Chaos

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A sudden death, an unexplainable illness, an extraordinary spell of "bad-luck", sudden financial ruin, your partner commits adultery and your marriage is destroyed -- all these things lead us to question the meaning of life. Are we governed by fate? Is there an Elohim (God) in control of human affairs? Or is life simply a matter of chance? Can we find meaning in life?

Whatever you may believe, you will probably acknowledge that life is complicated and that simple answers are sometimes unacceptable. How, for example, does one equate a rape or a murder with a loving Elohim (God) who is supposed to be in control? How does one explain the genius of a Mozart, a Rembrandt, or an Einstein purely on the basis of natural physical and chemical forces? It is my sincere hope that this short message will open up some new ideas for you and inspire you to reconsider life's purpose.

The Origin of Man and the Universe

There are three main views of the origin or man and the universe:

• 1. Man is the result of a special creation by Elohim (God) and lives only once on this world;
• 2. Man is the product of evolution involving only natural processes, and no Elohim (God);
• 3. Man is the product of "divine evolution" and is reincarnated many times on earth.

Messianic EvAngelicals, who are members of the New Covenant Assemblies of Yahweh (NCAY), believe that man is a special creation of our Heavenly Father, Yahweh, that he did not evolve from the apes, and that he is born only once in this world. This view we are able to support from science as well as the Bible and modern revelation, which we believe to be in harmony with each other. This message summarises what Yahweh has revealed to us:

1. The Pre-existence

Man existed in a spirit-world before he was born on earth. In this world of spirits he was able to make choices, both good and evil. The circumstances he finds himself in in the physical world are partly the result of Elohim's (God's) judgment (punishment for wrong-doing, reward for righteousness) and partly his own choices. Many spirits were prevented from taking on physical bodies because of their great wickedness. These are the evil spirits that constantly plague mankind.

2. Earth-life

Man was born from this pre-existent spirit world into our physical world to learn faith in Yahweh and to develop a righteous character. The most important choice we have to make is whether or not we will accept Yah'shua the Messiah's (Jesus Christ's) invitation to accept His substitutory death (atonement) for us, receive spiritual regeneration (new birth) and to follow Him or not, for this will determine the quality of life we live both on earth and the here-after. To enable us to learn true emunah (faith), a veil of forgetfulness was placed across our minds so that we do not remember our pre-existent life. Occasionally, though, some people have this veil momentarily parted and they get a glimpse of their former life. This writer has had such an experience.

3. Death and the After-life

At death our physical body returns to the earth and is broken down into its basic chemical elements and our spirit body enters another spirit world where it awaits judgment for its activities on earth. This world has many dimensions but is broadly speaking divided into a region of light (Paradise) and a region of darkness (Prison). If a person did not get the opportunity to accept or reject Messiah (Christ) while he lived on earth, he will obtain it in the spirit world and be judged as though he had made the decision on earth.

4. The Resurrection

At the conclusion of this world's history, which will run for a fixed period of time, the spirits in Paradise and Prison will be resurrected, which means they will receive new physical bodies which are immortal and not subject to disease and pain. They will receive these resurrected bodies on this planet, save for the wicked who will be resurrected on another world of lesser glory.

This universal resurrection will occur at the beginning (first resurrection) and at the end (second resurrection) of a one thousand year period called the Millennium, the righteous being resurrected first, and the disobedient and wicked last. Those who were killed or died young because of disease, accident, misadventure, war, murder or other cause will return to the earth as mortals and grow up normally from the age when they lost their lives. They will reach an old age free of all hurt or harm and be resurrected. At the end of this Millennium, mankind will be divided again, the most righteous remaining here and the less righteous being transferred to another world.

At the end of the Millennium the world will be transformed into a Divine or Heavenly World in which Messiah will live and rule forever.

The New Covenant Assemblies of Yahweh

Since the beginning of time Elohim (God) has taught mankind the perfect way to live. He established torot (laws) and judges and sent malakim (angels) to minister to men and women and even visited the earth Himself. This perfect society was known as the Holy Melchizedek Order, or Assembly of the Firstborn (Heb.12:23). Some of the most famous leaders of this Order were Adam, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek and Abraham and they were responsible for bringing great shalom (peace) and righteousness to the earth.

But the greatest of all these leaders was the Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), the eternal Son of Elohim (God), who not only took personal responsibility for the effects of wickedness by dying and atoning for mankind, but also provided a way for man to be released from the dominance of his lower or 'fleshy' nature which continually drags him down and leads him to unhappiness.

Yahweh is again restoring the Holy Melchizedek order upon the earth. He has raised up - and is raising up - a prophetic and apostolic ministry, whose purpose is to gather those who are willing to follow the Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) with all their hearts, teach them the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to be a leavening influence on Christendom. It is quite unlike other Christian and Messianic denominations in its scope and vision.

Messianic Evangelicals are divided up into two separate though closely associated fellowships, each of which is designed to meet the needs of believers according to their level of progression and personal committment to Messiah Yah'shua (Jesus). The most challenging, the Holy Melchizedek Order or Chavurat Bekorot, is communitarian and patriarchal, and not easy to become a part of because it requires throrough spiritual cleansing and commitment. It aspires to practice the New Testament financial law of "all things in common" (Ac.2:44; 4:32) or United Order, trains up apostles and evangelists for international outreach, and teaches the deeper mysteries of the Millennial Kingdom in accordance with the fullness of the Sukkot anointing. It is not a public body. Twelve such assemblies will come into existence in the last days, one for each of the Twelve Tribes of Messianic Israel, for the final gathering.

The Local Assemblies are the lower or second tier of the New Covenant Assemblies of Yahweh. Their main function is to progressively prepare committed talmidim (disciples) to a deep and complete relationship with Yahweh through Messiah for the challenge of communal life in the Holy Melchizedek Order, and teaching the discipline required to be victorious during the coming Great Tribulation and Second Exodus should they choose to enter such. Its function is mostly evangelical, educational and for fellowship and praise.

Your Invitation

We would like invite you to come and learn about life's real purpose and to take part in an exciting and unique ministry of service and spiritual discovery. If you'd like to, please get in contact with us.