NCCG.ORG, Articles & Sermons 108. WHEN APOSTLES ARE CALLED

NCAY is one of the few Christian/Messianic bodies that believes 12 new apostles will one day be called in the very last generation as heads of the returning 12 Tribes of Israel for the Final Gathering. They must, moreover, be called according to the New Testament tavnith (pattern). Their's, we provisionally believe, will only be a temporary apostleship until the original Twelve Apostles return with Yah'shua (Jesus) at the Second Coming unless the final tally of apostles in somewhat reflect the number of the 24 Elders before the Throne of Yahweh (Rev.4:4,10; 5:6,11; 7:77; 14:3; 19:4) so it is possible there will be 24 Apostles in the Millennium. No revelation on this hypothesis has been received.

Apostles in the New Testament

There were three characteristics that made the New Testament apostles unique from all other kinds of ministers:

(1) They loved and served the Master Yah'shua (Jesus) with all their hearts and were willing to sacrifice everything for Him;
(2) They knew Him personally as eye-witnesses of His deeds and teachings, and themselves taught those teachings faithully; and
(3) They cast our demons.

talmidim

There were two kinds of apostle in New Testament days:

(1) There were those who had walked with Him while He was alive as the mortal Messiah; and
(2) There were those who had never met Him as as human being but, as Paul did, as the resurrected Second Person of the Elohimhead (Godhead).

We find in the New Testament that all calls to the ministry were made by the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit):

"As they ministered to the Master, and fasted, the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2, KJV).

Holy Order

My Call to Apostolic Witness

Whilst there have been no apostles since John died at the end of the first century and won't be until the time of the Last Exodus and Final Gathering, there may be said to still be an apostolic-like witness in operation. An apostle is literally an emissary or representative of Christ who is 'sent out' into the world. This apostolic-like activity falls into three broad categories or callings today:

1. International Evangelists (Ac.21:8; Eph.4:11; 2 Tim.4:5);
2. International and Local Missioners (missionaries) like the 70 (or 72) (Lk.10:1-20); and
3. All believers who are given the spirit of prophecy in order to witness of Christ (Rev.19:10).

Torah

Early in the morning of Friday 4 September 1992 as I awoke and lay upon my bed I saw a vision. I found myself in a chapel standing in a pulpit looking down on the congregation. There was only one man there, elderly, kneeling down in one of the pews. He was in deep prayer. I addressed the old man as 'Abraham'.

I was next aware of the Davar Elohim (Word of God) being read out to me though from where I cannot tell. I remember hearing a quotation from the Tanakh (Old Testament) and being rebuked for not doing all that I should have been doing in the ministry, though I couldn't actually discern the words themselves. No matter how much I strained, the words remained unclear, but I seemed to understand their meaning anyway.

And then, in front of me, I was presented with a white cloth, about the size of a headscarf. There was writing on it in beautiful blue letters. I knew they were scriptures. But no matter how much I strained my eyes I could not read them for the letters seemed to be out of focus. Four sheets of cloth were presented before my eyes, one after the other, and I suppose they were written in English for I could discern the odd word here or there. Finally, a fifth cloth was presented to me and the letters of this I could see very plainly. But these were written in Greek or Hebrew (I cannot tell) and so I could not understand them!

I was able only to read a short passage on one of the cloths and this is what it said:

"Go thou into the world and preach the Besorah (Gospel) to every creature that cometh under the sound of thy voice. And inasmuch as thou desirest a companion, I shall give one unto thee. Wherefore, go thou and preach My Besorah (Gospel), whether to the north or the south, to the east or the west, it mattereth not, for thou canst not go amiss. Therefore, declare the things which thou hast heard, and verily believe, and know to be true. Behold, this is the will of Him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Amen."

That the Master Yah'shua (Jesus) lives I have not the slightest doubt, not only by the abiding presence of the Comforter who bears witness to me of Him, but by the many times I have seen Him in vision with my own eyes while awake. At the time of the vision I was in full-time work and could in any case therefore only able serve in the mission field during my vaccations. Not until I was forced into retirement because of ill-health in 1998 was I finally able engage in full-time service for Yahweh and the Kingdom. I have only ever engaged in apostolic-like activity as an occasional evangelist abroad in the United States, Ukraine and Bulgaria. I have never claimed the office of apostle even if I have exercised certain apostolic prerogatives such as receicing revelation but I have never received the gift to heal the sick or raise the dead. For this reason I have only ever occupied the offices of Pastor of a local congregation and Presiding Patriarch (or senior Elder) of NCAY.

Apostles in NCAY

When the Apostolate is finally fully restored, an apostle must first receive a call directly from Messiah by personal revelation, have walked with Him in the Ruach (Spirit), demonstrate his apostleship by the kind of activity the first apostles engaged in (including casting out demons, healing the sick and raising the dead), and be sustained in that call by the Chavurat Bekorot (Holy Order). Only one other elder in NCAY has ever received a similar apostolic calling (as of 2024) and that is Herman Rustad [1] who currently serves in Norway as an Evangelist and is the Second Patriarch in NCAY.

For a fuller explanation of the Holy Order, see What is the Holy Order: Unveiling the Inner Fellowship Established by Yah'shua the Messiah.

Endnotes

[1] Also see the Olive Branch, Section 27 and Norge Misjon: Evangelist Herman Rustad (in Norwegian)