A City Set on a Hill

One day Yahshua went up on a mountainside in Galilee and looked with compassion at the multitudes of people who flocked to Him everywhere He went. They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. When He found a suitable place and sat down, His disciples gathered around Him and He began to teach them.

They themselves were a rag-tag bunch — a few fishermen, a tax collector, a political activist... no one of great significance. Yet the Master looked them square in the eyes and told them:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

“Us? Is He talking about us? The light of the world? A city? Us?”

Yes, He was talking about them , and those who would receive them, 1 and the communities full of wholehearted disciples that would result from them forsaking their old lives for His sake and the Gospel’s sake. There would be many “cities” set on hills, shedding light for the world around them to see.

You see, the pronouns “you” and “your” in that passage are plural , not singular . 2 He was speaking of them as a people, not as independent individuals. The light would emanate from the city and their common works . Even that word, works , is interesting. It means one’s employment, an enterprise or undertaking , not just some isolated good deeds. It is the effect of one’s life, or in this context, the common enterprise of the holy ones in their holy cities (communities). Their light would shine from its lampstand as long as it remained in its place. 3

The Law and the Prophets

The Master did not say this to His disciples lightly or as mere poetry, but because this enterprise of theirs was to be the fulfillment of the prophetic word spoken of Him, 4 and by extension, of them as His Body on earth. He would say many such things to them in the days ahead that would sometimes leave them bewildered. He wanted them to know who they were becoming, to be filled with vision about the great purpose for their lives, even if they didn’t understand it all at first. Later they would understand, and they would write from their understanding of His words and the words of the Prophets as He had taught them. 5 For everything the Master said and did was to bring about the fulfillment of what was in His Father’s heart as expressed in the Law and the Prophets:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)

Heaven and earth have not yet passed away, 6 so clearly all has not been accomplished. Contrary to the opinions of many, Messiah’s life, death, and resurrection did not fulfill all that is in the Law and the Prophets. It remains for His Body on earth — His bride, 7 His suitable helper 8 — to fulfill all things that remain to be fulfilled. 9 He cannot return until she does. 10

So we want to give you a glimpse of who the bride of Messiah is, according to the Scriptures, and of her great purpose, both in this age and for all eternity, for that is where we find our identity. And no one can reasonably claim to be included in His bride (which is the true Body of Messiah) who is not becoming who she is and doing what she does. So with the same awe and wonder as those first disciples had as they learned who they were, not yet having fully attained to it, we write of who we aspire to be, according to the Scriptures.

The Bride of Messiah — The Glory of His People Israel

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel. (Luke 2:32)

She is the Israel of God, 11 the sons of God 12 who are being conformed to the image of the firstborn Son 13 in this present age. As her Master is, so also is she in this world. 14 She is the very embodiment of Him who is in heaven. 15 She is, in His place, the Servant Israel who fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy, becoming the light to the Gentiles, 16 taking or literally being His salvation to the ends of the earth.

God is in the process of making for Himself an eternal dwelling place in us. 17 This dwelling place is the twelve tribes of Israel, the bride and wife-to-be of the Lamb. 18 God, who is Spirit, wants to make Himself visible in a body, a human body 19 — not just one, but as many as can be sons of God. God needs to be seen in a human body — a many-membered Body 20 which is in complete unity 21 and total coordination under the Head. 22