Since the Word of God is consistent in its teaching (John 10:35) and stands forever (Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:160; and 1 Peter 1:25), the instruction to both judge and not to judge is not a contradiction. Therefore, it is vital to understand the difference between the types of judgment that are appropriate and the types that are inappropriate. The Bible draws a distinction between righteous judgment and situations in which judgment is to be avoided. The Bible is clear in its instruction for Christians both to judge righteously and to abstain from judgment. How can we reconcile the difference? The answer is that not all judgment is the same. Reading closely in the Bible, we find that judgment requires context in order to determine if it is appropriate behavior.

Let us first examine situations in which judgment is inappropriate. In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus Christ gives us a simple and concise instruction, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Here, the plain statement to “judge not” is quite clear. We are not to pass judgment on others. However, Jesus doesn’t stop with that instruction, but provides a reason for not judging. It is for our own good that we do not judge others, so that we might “not be judged.” Reading further, we learn that it is really unfair judgment or condemnation that should not be performed. The judgment that we want to avoid for ourselves is that which is erroneous, overly harsh, unforgiving, and condemnatory.

The instruction to refrain from judgment – of the type that is unfair – is an instruction to be merciful. Jesus Christ emphasizes this point when making a similar statement in Luke 6:36-37, where we read, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.” When we abstain from making judgments about others, we practice merciful behavior. Since our understanding of others is inherently imperfect and incomplete, our judgments are bound to be flawed. A flawed judgment with a lack of empathy is not the way we wish to be judged ourselves when we appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. This is the practice of forgiveness.

Even Jesus Christ was careful about when he judged. In John 3:17 we read that God the Father did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. This too is an example of mercy. Jesus knew that the purpose of His appearance on Earth was to teach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, providing an opportunity for others to receive the gift of forgiveness. While He knew that all sinned, He abstained from condemning sinners at that point because they did not yet have the understanding of the truth.

He also was careful about what was in his jurisdiction of judgment. When asked to divide an inheritance between two brothers, He refused because it was not His position to make such judgment. Luke 12:14 states: “But He said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’”

In this context, please note our statements in our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”, specifically addressing the biblical reasons and principles enjoining us not to serve on a jury:

“A true Christian is a stranger, alien and exile (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13) while here on earth; an ambassador for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20); and a representative of God’s Kingdom. As such, and in being a light to the world by proper conduct (Matthew 5:14-16), a true Christian does not take part in this world’s governmental or political affairs, as presently, it is not God who rules this earth, but Satan the devil (Revelation 2:13; Luke 4:5-6). Christians are challenged to come out of the governmental and political systems of this world. Christ, knowing that God’s Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), refused to judge a civil matter when He was asked to do so (Luke 12:14). Paul, likewise, prohibited judging those ‘who are outside’ the church (1 Corinthians 5:12).

“Further, man’s judgments are concerned with the letter of the law. In contrast, God looks on one’s heart, and is concerned with the spirit and intent of the law. Man’s laws usually do not take into account repentance, forgiveness of sins, and other spiritual factors in the way that God does (Acts 2:38). Jesus, in looking at the heart of the accused, refused to condemn a woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus taught that true Christians must be willing to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15).

“Another principle against participation in jury duty is that true Christians are to learn to judge according to the law of God as seasoned by judgment, mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23). They are also to render ‘righteous’ judgment (John 7:24). Presenting selective evidence, where facts may be suppressed for technical legal reasons as permitted in the courts, may not necessarily lead to Godly justice, mercy and truth, and to the rendering of a righteous judgment.”

Even though the example and instruction of Jesus teaches us to be merciful and refrain from judgment in many kinds of situations, and never to condemn another human being, we also find examples in the Bible where Jesus judged others quite strongly. Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple, and made vehement statements about the hypocritical teachings, motives and conduct of the scribes and Pharisees. So, what is the difference between this judgment that Jesus provides by example, and that which He rejects?

A significant difference relates to the kind of judgment made. The judgment that Jesus Christ committed was inspired by God; it was the kind that was fair and righteous, being in harmony with the perfect judgment of God the Father (John 5:30, John 8:16). As mentioned, John 7:24 clarifies the difference between right and wrong judgment: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” This teaching is absolutely consistent with the previous claims about judgment, which is to be avoided. When relying on appearances or hearsay, we are led to make unfair condemnatory judgments, based on an imperfect understanding.

We must never condemn others, but we can make righteous judgments about situations and conduct, analyzing and evaluating whether a certain behavior is in harmony with God’s Way of Life. To give a most recent example, the horrendous mass murder in a theater in Colorado should be judged as evil and must be condemned. However, we must refrain from condemning the murderer—this is not our task, but God’s. As it has been stated so many times before: We are to condemn the sin and sinful conduct, but not the sinner.

However, when we do make judgments, they must be righteous. Applying the same concept, if we judge righteously, we too will be judged by that righteous measure; with mercy, if we are merciful, with empathy, if we are empathetic, and with fairness, if we are fair.

This is not to say that when armed with an understanding of true Godly righteousness, we have an unconditional license to judge others. A very important element of judging righteously involves self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:31), so that we too do not become hypocritical. As Jesus instructs us in Luke 6:41-42, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” This reminds us that even righteous judgment requires the correct source of motivation.

With an attitude of humility and an understanding of God’s righteous truth, we are also to help each other who are converted Christians today. 1 Peter 4:17 informs us that “the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Since it is true that God is evaluating the behavior of a converted Christian right now, we need all the help we can get in correcting our paths when we may go astray. Because of this, converted Christians have a special responsibility to each other to help each other out.

Paul, in writing words of guidance to Timothy, provided clear direction to “not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Therefore, judgment made for the purpose of helping others advance and grow in their conversion is important. However, it is also important that any such judgment be made with humility, seeking the glory of God rather than our own.

Even though it is appropriate for us to use righteous judgment for the purpose of helping each other to grow, it is not appropriate to make judgments of condemnation regarding others, including non-believers. As mentioned above, 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 states, “For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges…” The time will eventually come when the entire world will be judged by Jesus Christ, but it is not the responsibility of Christians today to judge or condemn others, including those who are not yet converted, condemning their behavior. “For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9).

When to judge the behavior of others and when not to judge others can be a difficult matter to discern. However, understanding the nature of righteous judgment and how it is best applied will guide the converted Christian in that activity.

Lead Writers: Eric Rank and Norbert Link

The Bible teaches that it is the potential and destiny of man to enter the Kingdom and Family of God; that is, to become an immortal and eternal God being. Much information on this intriguing subject is provided in our free booklets, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God” and “God Is a Family.” We will be quoting at length from these and other booklets throughout this Q&A.

Those who are called and chosen in this day and age, are to qualify for entrance into God’s Kingdom, when Jesus Christ returns to this earth. But what, exactly, will they be? And what powers will they have?

The Bible tells us that we, who are called today, will be what Christ is today. We will be like Him, as He is. We will share the Father’s and His very divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The only exception is that we will not have the same authority as Christ, as Christ has not the same authority as the Father. God is—and always will be—a hierarchical Family—with God the Father on top, under Him Jesus Christ, and under Christ those who are to be born into the very Family of God.

But even though Christ is under the Father, He still has—and always had, as a God being—the unlimited power to create life. God the Father created everything—the visible as well as the invisible—through and by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2; Colossians 1:15-16).

Notice what we wrote in our free booklet, “God Is a Family,” pertaining to man’s potential:

“In Hebrews 1, verse 2, it says of Jesus Christ that God the Father ‘…has appointed [Him] heir of all things.’ It is further revealed in Hebrews 2:7 that although man was created ‘for a little while’ lower than the angels, as the margin has it correctly, he will ultimately have ‘…all things in subjection under his feet’’ (verse 8).

“The eighth chapter of the book of Romans presents us with even more astounding proof of the tremendous future God has in store for man. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption [correctly translated, ‘son-ship’] by whom we cry out ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself [Itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together’ (verses 14–17).

“Romans 8:18–19 continues: ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.’

“These two short verses open up the truth of the vast master plan of God and the very purpose for man’s creation—to increase His Family by having sons and daughters born into His very Family! We are told in 2 Corinthians 6:17–18, ‘Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”’

“After explaining that mankind was to become conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, God shows the underlying purpose in His plan in Romans 8:29: Christ was to ‘be the firstborn among many brethren.’ So important is the purpose of God in bringing many sons and daughters to glory that He was willing to give His only begotten Son in fulfillment of His objective (compare John 3:16). Romans 8:32 also clarifies this point: ‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’

“‘All things’ means exactly that—it includes rule over the entire universe AND the unending future of God’s Kingdom. Man is to become a ‘joint heir’ with Christ in ‘all things’…”

We will become members of the God Family—God beings. We will be “like Christ”—sons and daughters of God, with Christ being our elder brother. We are to inherit “all things” with Christ. We will rule with and under Christ for all eternity. It is therefore obvious that we will be able to do what Christ is capable of doing.

We will be ruling angels. We will be possessing much higher powers than they do.

Notice the following additional excerpts from our booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God”: 

“In 1 John 3:1-2, we read: ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God…. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be [we are still flesh and blood—we have not been changed yet to spirit beings], but we know that when He is revealed [when Christ comes back in power and glory, to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth], we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.’

“No human being can look at God in His glorified state, as He is, and live. But when we are changed, we can look at God and His Son Jesus Christ in their glorified state and live. Why? Because we will be like them, Jesus Christ being the image of God the Father. And what does it mean to be like Christ? To bear His image? It means that we will look like He looks. And how does He look in His glorified state? Let’s read Revelation 1:14-16, which gives us a glimpse of what Christ looks like today: ‘His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters…and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.’ That’s exactly how we will look too, when we are changed and are in the Kingdom of God…

“Christ will establish this Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, on this earth. It’s a Kingdom ruled by God. It’s a Kingdom composed of God—the Father and Jesus Christ. But remember… we also will be in that Kingdom…

“We will be like Christ, we will bear His image, we will look like He does, we will be in God’s Kingdom, we will reign with Christ. What does this all mean? Does this mean that we will be like the angels of God—higher in essence than man, but lower in essence than God? No, because Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6: 3 that we will rule over, and judge, angels. So we will be higher than the angels. Further, angels won’t be in the Kingdom of God, because they are not God…the Bible is very clear that whoever is in the Kingdom of God must actually be God. We must become God beings, sharing in Christ’s glory, the firstborn of many brethren.

“That is indeed a mystery that only very few understand today—that God is a Family, consisting presently of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ, but that God is enlarging His Family. We are already called His children, but we have not been glorified yet. And when we are glorified at the time of our resurrection to eternal life, we will be entering the Kingdom of God, as literal God beings, as glorified sons and daughters of God, made immortal…

“That we are to become members of the God Family, or God beings, is clearly taught in scripture. Let’s look at a few more proofs.

“In Psalm 17:15, we read about man’s potential: ‘As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.’ David understood that we will look like God when we are resurrected. Also Philippians 3:20-21: ‘For our citizenship is in heaven… [Our names are written in heaven, where God is. We belong to Him, we are His children. We belong to a different country, a heavenly government, which will come down to this earth when Christ returns.]…from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.’ We already read that we shall bear the image of Christ, we will look like He does, in His glorified state.

“But more than that—we will actually BE GOD BEINGS. We are told that it is our potential to be filled with the fullness of God. That is what it says in Ephesians 3:19. Paul wants us ‘to be filled’—ultimately—‘with all the fullness of God.’ What does this mean? It means that we will be God beings…

“Christ Himself confirmed this human potential in John 10:31-36: ‘Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, You are gods?’ If He called them gods, to whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God?”’”

“What is Jesus Christ telling us here? That He, the Son of God who had become man, would be God again. But also, that it is man’s potential to become God beings as well. Although stated in a present tense, Christ was mainly referring to the future, speaking about future things as if they already existed (cp. Romans 4:17). God created man so that man could become God—a member of the God Family… as Christ is the Son of God, so will we be sons and daughters of God. Of course, God the Father will always be greatest of all, and Christ will always be greater than we. But still—we will be God beings in the Family of God, literal children of our loving Father, and brothers and sisters of our elder brother Jesus Christ. What an awesome potential—what a destiny!”

The fact that we, as God beings, will of course have the ability to create, as God the Father and Jesus Christ create, is expressly confirmed in Scripture.

1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us that Christ is “a life-giving spirit.” That is, He is a Spirit being who can give and create LIFE. In fact, that is what He did before He became a human being. That is what He is doing today, and what He will continue to do after His return. We know, for instance, from the book of Revelation that all living things in the oceans and rivers will have died before His return (Revelation 16), but we also read in several passages that there will be fish in the Millennium (Ezekiel 47). This shows that God will create LIFE – in this case, physical fish. He created life when the surface of the earth was renewed; and He created (“had prepared” or “had made”) a great fish to swallow up Jonah (Jonah 1:17).

This understanding has wide-ranging consequences. Some have wondered about the fate of our pets, when they die. Even though the Bible does not say anywhere that animals will be resurrected, as human beings will be, there is also nothing in the Bible that says that they will not be. We read that animals have a spirit, and while Solomon states that the spirit in man will go back to God who gave it, he wonders about the fate of the spirit of animals, without giving a decisive answer (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Consider that God can CREATE animals—including those resembling our pets. When scientists can clone animals today, how much more will God the Father and Jesus Christ be able to create or recreate animals that God had created in the first place?

Since we will be as Christ is, we will be given the same capabilities.

Romans 8:20-23 tells us that the entire creation waits for us. Why? Ultimately, to be transformed into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The entire physical creation will be freed from corruption – it will become spirit, too. (For more information, please read our booklets, “God Is a Family” and “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”). But as will be explained in a subsequent Q&A, that won’t happen until God creates new heavens and a new earth—which will be long after Christ’s return.

But what will occur prior to God’s new creation? It says that the present creation waits for our manifestation as Spirit beings. We will, already at that time, do something with this earth. Consider that the earth will be in a terrible state, still suffering from the aftermath of nuclear wars and waste. And so, we read that the ruins will be rebuilt; and that the earth will become a beautiful paradise. We will assist Jesus Christ to beautify it, which includes, CREATE physical life.

Please note Isaiah 58:10-12: “You shall be like a spring of water whose waters do not fail” (or: “never run dry,” New Jerusalem Bible). Primarily, this talks about our role in the Millennium, directing the rebuilding of old places that had become waste. BUT, there is also an overriding meaning, hinting at our ultimate potential—to be a continual spring of living fresh water regarding others, giving them health and REAL life.

Notice Christ’s words in John 7:37-38, where we read that out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water. That is, God’s Spirit will flow out of us to create LIFE. Christ is a life-giving Spirit, and so we will be, because we will be God too, and we will be like Christ, as He is. We, as God beings, will have the power and awesome privilege to heal and create, UNDER the leadership of God the Father and Jesus Christ. God’s living waters in us will flow out of our hearts like rivers of living waters.

In addition, Christ said in John 4:14, referring to the Holy Spirit,  that the “water that I give him will become in him a FOUNTAIN of water springing up into everlasting life.” We will be fountains of living water, leading to life.

An interesting Scripture can also be found in the book of Proverbs. Although it speaks primarily about our own mind and its effect on our own body, it can also be understood as referring to the mind of others and the effect on others. Notice Proverbs 14:30: “A sound heart is life to the body” –not just our own body, but also the body of others. To have a sound mind is a result of the Holy Spirit, which is a Spirit of soundness. And with God’s Holy Spirit, we will be able to impart real “life” to the physical world.

The biblical truth is overwhelming. Once we have entered the Family of God as immortal God beings, we will have the same abilities and capabilities which God the Father and Jesus Christ have. We will be ruling angels. We will be healing people. We will be assisting Christ in judging mankind. And we read that we will rule for ever and ever.

Rule over what and how? This will be the subject of a subsequent Q&A. For a short preview, let us conclude by quoting some excerpts from our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God”:

“When we become members of God’s Family, we will be ruling this earth, as we have seen, for a thousand years, together with Christ who received His authority and power from God the Father. But what after that? What is going to happen once the thousand years have expired? Our reign will never stop. Notice Revelation 22:4-5, which speaks about a time long after the 1000 years: ‘They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads [the name of God will be their name as well]…the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.’

“What will we do for all eternity? Over what will we reign, forever and ever? We have not been told everything yet, but one thing we do know: We will beautify our entire universe. Notice Romans 8:18-23: ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility… in hope; because the creation itself [the entire universe] also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [better translated ‘sonship’], the redemption of our body.”

“This passage indicates that once we are God beings and full members of the God Family, we will participate in the process of beautifying and finishing the creation of the presently unfinished universe. The universe is in decay—the planets are, from all that we can tell, waste and empty. But it is our human potential to become God and to free the universe from decay and corruption under the leadership of Jesus Christ.”

HOW, exactly, this is going to be accomplished will be the subject of a subsequent Q&A.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The Israelites endured many tests and trials after leaving Egypt and often fell short of what was required of them. One test was to have serious consequences that would affect so many. That was when the spies were sent into Canaan.  

In Numbers 13:1-2, we read: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.’” In the following verses, Moses “sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the Lord, all of the men who were heads of the children of Israel.”  Their task was to spy out the land and to “see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not” (verses 18-20).

At first sight, this passage might imply that all the tribes, including the tribe of Levi, send out one man from each tribe to spy out the land. However, note the following comments by Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, regarding Numbers 13:2:

“Send thou men… of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man; excepting the tribe of Levi; the reason of which was because they were to have no inheritance in the land, [Deuteronomy] 10:9; but then, to make up the number twelve, the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, are reckoned as two tribes…”

We will address Gill’s rationale, excluding the Levites from the spying mission and God’s subsequent punishment, throughout this Q&A. The outcome of this spying mission was that the spies returned after 40 days (verse 25) and reported on their findings. Of the twelve spies, ten reported that “the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there” (verse 28). In spite of Caleb wanting to go and take immediate possession, the spies (except for Joshua and Caleb) were fearful: “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.’”

Then we read, in Numbers 14:1-3, that all the congregation “lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’” Joshua was, like Caleb, positive about what they could achieve with God’s help (verses 6-9), but the congregation “said to stone them with stones” (verse 10). Moses then interceded for the people (verses 11-19), and God said: “I have pardoned according to your word” (verse 20), but with the proviso that “they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it” (verse 23). 

We read that “all the children of Israel” complained against Moses, but we understand that in the Hebrew, the word for “all” (“kole”) does not have to mean, “every single one.”  It can also mean, “enough,” or “as many as.” We know that Joshua and Caleb did not complain, and there could have been others, such as Miriam, Moses’ and Aaron’s sister, or Eliazar, Aaron’s son. The word “all” can be used to mean a big majority or most of them. For example, when the children of Israel agreed to the conditions laid down by God in Exodus 19:8, “all the people answered together” that they agreed to the conditions. But it stands to reason that some of the constant troublemakers would not have done so.

In Matthew 4:23 we read that “Jesus went about all Galilee.” As with the Hebrew word for “all,” the Greek word, “holos,” can also mean, “throughout.” Christ went throughout much of Galilee, but He did not necessarily visit every little spot in the region. Likewise, the Church of God is commissioned to preach the gospel in all the world as a witness, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). But this does not mean that every single person will have heard the message, as we also read that after Christ’s return, He will send his messengers to places on the earth that had not heard of Christ (Isaiah 66:19).

God said to Moses that all those who had rejected Him would not see the Promised Land, but this could exclude the Levites, if they had not sent out a spy and if they had not rejected God by siding with those who brought an evil report over the land.

In Numbers 14, verses 29-30, we read: “The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.” These words are interesting, pertaining to those who would not enter the Promised Land: “… all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above Except for Caleb and Joshua…” 

Only those who were numbered and who were at least 20 years of age were not to enter the Promised Land. However, the Levites were not numbered (Numbers 1:47-50). Therefore, they were not included in God’s punishment, and apparently, as Gill’s Exposition surmised, they did not present a man to spy out the land. 

The concept that Levi did not send a spy into the Promised Land is also confirmed by Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed, stating the following:

“The tribe of Levi was not meant to make their living by farming or pasturing the land; their ‘job’ was to serve as priests and Levites in the temple and teach the Torah to the rest of the people. They lived off their sacrificial dues in the Temple… and other tribes were required to give them (their tithes). They lived in special cities that were set aside for them, which were surrounded by parks, but they possessed no agricultural territory. Thus, since they were not ‘interested’ in the land per se, no representative of their tribe was sent to spy out the land.”

God had delivered them out of Egypt with a tremendous display of His awesome power, but when He saw their negative attitudes and their lack of faith and belief in Him and His power, He made His pronouncement and told them that all of the men who had been numbered and who were 20 years and older would not enter into the Promised Land, due to their lack of faith and belief in Him. He said they would all wander in the desert for the next 40 years until they all literally died in the desert, something that they had in fact requested (Numbers 14:2).

It is clear from the above that Joshua and Caleb and those who were under 20 years of age entered the Promised Land, but were these the only ones? In Numbers 1:2-3, the first census of Israel took place, “from twenty years old and above – all who are able to go to war in Israel.”  But remember that we read in verse 49 of the same chapter, that “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel.”

It is also interesting that we are given some idea of the size of the tribe of Levi with the information that it had 22,000 male babies one month old and upward (Numbers 3:39), and 8,580 able-bodied priests from ages thirty to fifty (Numbers 4:47-48).

Talking about the Levites, Matthew Henry’s Commentary states the following: “It was their further honour that as Israel, being a holy people, was not reckoned among the nations, so they, being a holy tribe, were not reckoned among other Israelites, but numbered afterwards by themselves… The service which the Levites were to do about the sanctuary is called (as we render it in the margin) a warfare, [Numbers] 4:23. And, being engaged in that warfare, they were discharged from military services, and therefore not numbered with those that were to go out to war.”  

Therefore, the Levites would not have been included in the punishment of those who were numbered from twenty years and older. Eleazar who was a son of Aaron is a good example (Numbers 4:16). In verse 23, we read that those who performed service in the tabernacle had to be at least 30 years old. Therefore, he and other Levites older than 20 would also have been allowed to enter the Promised Land. We specifically read in Joshua 14:1 that Eleazar the priest distributed the countries of the Promised Land’s inheritance, together with Joshua, to the children of Israel. This means that Eleazar entered the Promised Land, even though he was at least 30 years old when God pronounced His punishment over those who had been numbered from “20 years and older.”  Still, he, as a Levite, entered the Promised Land because the Levites were excluded from the punishment of God.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link