There is a big difference in the requirements of a Laymen (non-ministry people) and a Levite (those called into the Fivefold ministry). What a Levite is commanded to do is actually a sin for the Laymen to do and what the Laymen is commanded to do is a sin for the Levite to do.

This can be seen in the fact that is a sin (disobedience to scriptural command) for the laymen not to work a job or business to provide for himself and his family. God commands the Laymen to work with their hands to have something to share with those in need (for the support of their family who are in need of provision).

Ephesians 4:28 (7KB)

²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but the layman must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

This scripture above applies to the laymen believers that they are to work doing something useful with their own hands to earn an honest living for themselves and their families.

At the same time, it is a sin for a Levite to seek his provision by secular job or business or investments because it is required that a Levite live by faith and that he receives his income from God alone through the work of the ministry.

It is also ironic that many laymen envy the Levites and erroneously suppose it would be great to be in the ministry and preach once a week, stand in the pulpit and have all the limelight and attention and then have six-days a week vacation. Therefore, there are numerous laymen who seek to intrude into the ministry based on such erroneous presumptions.

At the same time, many of the Levites envy the laymen who can work a secular job or business and are able to have a steady income to provide for their families. Many Levites struggle with the requirement of having to live by faith and would happily ditch the ministry in order to work a steady job or run a business or have investments in order to have a steady income and provision for their families. But if the Levites fail to fulfill their ministry (by being distracted with secular employment or business or investments) then these same Levites will receive unspeakable judgment from God.

1 Corinthians 9:16 (NASB)

¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

A Levite is under compulsion to preach the gospel because it is his “calling” not an occupation. The Levite cannot take or leave his calling in the manner that a layman can pick or choose where he will work in a secular job or business.

Judgement for Levites Refusing to Live by Faith

I know of a number of men who were called by God into the Fivefold ministry as New Testament Levites who resisted the requirement of living by faith for a long time until they were faced with judgment. I have heard similar testimonies from a number of them that such men were resisting God’s will about living by faith from the full-time ministry for many years. One man after decades of resisting was involved in a horrific auto-accident and barely escaped with his life! He knew in his heart that he opened the door to the devil by his continual disobedience of not being willing to live by faith from the ministry instead of seeking income from a secular job or business. He repented of this bad attitude of reluctance to live by faith in the ministry and after this accident he quit his sidelines and went full-time in the ministry and God blessed him when he took this step of faith.

I know of other New Testament Levite men called into the Fivefold ministry who have had similar testimonies of resisting God’s will for decades and finally coming to the end of their grace period, they were faced with the decision to obey God in the ministry or die and experience eternal damnation.

This thing about living by faith has been a big obstacle to many Levite men who were called into the ministry but who preferred to have a steady income from employment or business rather than living by faith from income from the ministry.

It seems ironic that some laymen are seeking to escape a secular job to intrude into the ministry while many Levite men with a real “calling” from God are resisting entering the full-time ministry because of the requirement to live by faith. This is an illustration however that what is a sin for one is a “requirement” for the other.

Laymen Required to Work Job or Business

1 Timothy 5:8 (7KB)

⁸ But if any [laymen] does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

It is a clear command from the scripture that a layman is required to provide for the members of his own household by gainful employment or business or investments. If he does not provide for his own then he is worse than an unbeliever and will suffer judgment from God!

Levite Requirement to Live of Ministry

1 Corinthians 9:13-14 (NIV2011)

¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?

¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

It is a command of God that those called as [Fivefold Ministry-New Testament Levites] should receive their living from the ministry. The word “Command” is a strong order because it is not an option or a suggestion but a direct command from the Lord. The ministry is a full-time job and no NT Levite can feed the sheep properly if he is distracted all week with secular employment or business. Scrambling for some scriptures on the way to preach is like a woman serving cheater-food to her family like canned goods or instant noodles because she wasted her time all day long and has nothing ready for her family at dinner time.

Therefore, it is a sin for a layman not to provide for his household by gainful employment in job or business and it is also a sin for a NT Levite to work the same secular job or business as a layman is commanded to do. The Levite is not to seek to earn his own livelihood by natural self-effort instead of trusting God to receive his livelihood from the ministry by faith. What is a sin for one, is commanded of the other and vice-versa. The Levites and the Laymen both have different requirements from the Lord and what is a sin for one is commanded of the other.

A Levite is required to have his full-income from the ministry and by teaching the word of God.

Numbers 18:20-21 (NIV2011)

²⁰ The LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.

The Priests and Levites (the priests were also from the tribe of Levi as Aaron was) were not allowed to have any inheritance of land among the people of Israel. Land represents income of growing grain and other crops and raising livestock. Land is the foundation of all business and agriculture and the Levites were not allowed to have any share in it because they were to give themselves to the full-time ministry of God’s word and for teaching.

The Old Testament Levites are a direct counterpart of the New Testament Fivefold ministry and the revelation contained in the OT about the Levites has direct application to those of the Fivefold ministry under the NT era. We therefore can refer to the Fivefold ministry as New Testament Levites or just “Levites” for short because they are serving in the same role as those Levites set-apart for ministry under the OT era.

Numbers 18:21 (NIV2011)

²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.

Again, God gave the Levites all of the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work that they did while serving in the tent of meeting. This same ordinance carries over into the New Testament era for the Fivefold ministry Levites who also are given the tithes (and offerings) of the congregation as their inheritance for doing the work of the ministry.

Deuteronomy 25:4 (NIV2011)

⁴ Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

Under the OT law God commanded that the ox should not be muzzled when treading out the grain. This command was not given out of concern for oxen but rather it was given for the sake of those Levites who work in the full-time ministry. Treading out the grain is a picture of a Levite teaching the word of God and bringing forth revelation to feed the congregation. During the OT era they would pour grain on a hard surface and have oxen tread on the grain to separate the grain from the inedible chaff. This made it possible to winnow the grain by tossing it into the air and the wind would blow away the lighter chaff leaving the heavier grain fall to the ground. By separating the grain from the chaff, the people would have the clean kernels to use to grind into flour for making bread.

In the same way, those Levites who are in the ministry are gifted to see revelation of God’s word which can feed the people giving them understanding of what God’s word means so they can grow spiritually. So, the Levites are treading out the grain of God’s word and revealing the mystery hidden within and this revelation feeds the people spiritually much like nutritious bread made from grain can feed hungry people.

1 Corinthians 9:9-10 (NKJV)

⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about?

¹⁰ Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

Apostle Paul makes is clear that this scripture concerning [not muzzling an ox while it treads out the grain] is not even speaking about natural cattle. To muzzle an ox is to tie a bag or net over the mouth of the ox so he cannot eat any grain. But God is not concerned about the ox in this scripture but is entirely referring to the Levites whose calling it is to feed God’s sheep. To muzzle the ox means to withhold tithes or offerings so that the Levite has no income to feed his family. The Levite is treading out the grain of God’s word to expose the revelation within to feed the people spiritually. But if the laymen believers withhold financial support from the Levite then he will be starved out of the ministry. This is illustrated by what happened when the people withheld tithes and offerings from the Levites during the time of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 13:10-12 (NLT2)

¹⁰ I also discovered that the Levites had not been given their prescribed portions of food, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields.

¹¹ I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties.

¹² And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms.

When Nehemiah the governor had been away to see the king on official royal business, he returned to find that the Levite teachers and [Levite singers in charge of worship] had been neglected when the tithes and offerings to the ministry had been withheld. So, the Levites were starved out of the ministry and went to their pasture lands trying to scratch out a living by planting vegetables. When Nehemiah discovered what happened he immediately reinstated the Levites to their proper duties and once more ordered the people of Judah began to bring in their tithes and offerings of grain and wine and olive oil as prescribed by God.

It should be noted here that Nehemiah commanded the laymen to bring in their tithes and offerings and this in fact was doing these laymen a big favor. If the laymen withhold their tithes and offerings, they will be cursed with a curse. If they give, they will be blessed by God. Therefore, it is true love to teach the laymen about giving because if they do not give, they reap a curse from God.

The point here is that when the laymen withheld their tithes and offerings then it forced the Levites out of the ministry. Satan is thrilled when this happens because the teaching of God’s word by the Levites ceases and the Levites are cursed and forced out of the ministry and then the laymen are also cursed for withholding the tithes and offerings. As a result, both Levites and laymen are cursed by the failure to give and they all come to poverty much to the glee of Satan who loves humans to be poor and miserable and cursed! It is Satan who fights and resists the teaching of giving so that he can inflict misery and poverty on God’s people and force the teaching of God’s word to cease!

Numbers 35:2-3 (NASB)

² “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.

³ “The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

During the OT times there was no refrigeration or freezers to keep meat from spoiling so meat was fresh-killed just before it was eaten. Therefore, when the Levites received tithes and gifts of livestock, they would keep these animals alive by grazing them on their pasture lands until the time that they could be butchered and eaten. God provided pasturelands for the Levites to keep the livestock alive [which they received as tithes and offerings]. But these pasturelands were not intended for Levites to do farming or ranching but only for temporary sustaining livestock to keep the meat from spoiling.

When the Levites were starved out of the ministry (by the laymen withholding tithes) then they returned to these pasturelands and tried to grow some food to eat. This was not the intended purpose of these pasture lands because God never gave the Levites any inheritance of lands [for agricultural income] as he did the laymen.

The tithes and offerings were first given by the laymen to God and then God gave these tithes and offerings to the Levites for their sustenance and care of their families. These tithes and offerings were to be the inheritance of the Levites (who did not have land for farming or ranching). Levite pasture lands were not to be used for production or ranching or farming business but only as a temporary place to keep livestock alive to preserve the meat until they were ready to eat the animals.

Numbers 35:4 (NASB)

⁴ “The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around.

The pasturelands of the Levites extended 1,000-cubits around the city and was only intended to provide grass to keep the fresh meat alive but was not for Levites to do farming or ranching as the laymen were allowed to do.

2 Chronicles 31:6-10 (NIV2011)

⁶ The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps.

⁷ They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.

⁸ When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps;

¹⁰ and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”

During the time of King Hezekiah, the laymen brought to God a tenth part of their increase. If they had ten goats or sheep or cows, they would give one to God. If they had ten bathes of wine, they would give one to God. If they had ten homers of grain, they would give one to God. If they had ten eggs, they would give one to God. The livestock was first given to God and then God gave it to the Levites. These donated livestock animals were kept alive on the Levite pastureland surrounding the Levite city.

The grain however was piled up in heaps and during the time of Hezekiah the contributions of the laymen were so abundant that the Levites had great abundance and more than enough! There was a great amount left over because God prospered the people. In fact, if this great amount represented just the tithes only (not including the offerings) then this would mean that the laymen had nine-times more at home! God blessed the laymen for giving and prospered them tremendously and just the tenth part was more than enough to meet all of the needs of the Levites working in the ministry!

Everyone is blessed when they give to God and conversely everyone is cursed when the laymen withhold the tithes and offerings. Both Levites and Laymen will go down into cursing and poverty if the tithes and offerings are withheld.

Deuteronomy 26:13-14 (NIV2011)

¹³ Then say to the LORD your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.

¹⁴ I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything you commanded me.

The layman was not allowed to keep the sacred portion in their household because the tithes belong to God and if they keep the tithe at home (instead of giving it to the Lord) then they are in fact holding stolen property and this will bring a curse on them for being robbers of God! The layman is not to eat the sacred portion because that would be eating what belongs to God so consuming the tithe at home instead of giving it will bring a curse on them as robbers of God!

Malachi 3:8-12 (NASB)

⁸ “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

⁹ “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!

¹⁰ “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

¹¹ “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the LORD of hosts.

¹² “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts.

When the laymen give to God then they are blessed and prospered and increased by God’s blessing on their farms and ranches and on their business and jobs. But when the same people withhold tithes and offerings then they are cursed for robbing God. The laymen are to bring into the storehouse the full tithe and offerings so there would be food in God’s house to feed the Levites and their families. When the laymen give to God then God will rebuke the devourer on their behalf. The devourer speaks of a satanic spirit of destruction which is released against the finances of the robbers of God! Those who withhold the tithe and offerings will have a curse of the devourer against their finances. Things will go bad for them and crops will be destroyed by insects and livestock killed by disease and predation. Family members will get sick and money will be devoured by medical bills. Things will break down prematurely and they will have to replace them. Everything imaginable will go wrong and soon they will go broke and come to poverty because they are holding the sacred portion that belongs to God! This is stolen property and this sin of withholding God’s sacred portion releases the satanic spirit of the devourer to devour all of their prosperity and wealth and will bring them into financial ruination. This is a curse that comes from holding the sacred portion at home or consuming it themselves instead of giving it to God to feed his Levites.

Deuteronomy 26:13-14 (NASB)

¹³ “You shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and also have given it to the Levite and the alien, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments.

¹⁴ ‘I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead. I have listened to the voice of the LORD my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me.

There were a number of different tithes authorized by God and the first tithe was to go to the Levite then there was also tithe portions for those who had no provision such as aliens (who were without land) and orphans and widows (who were without a male provider). When the tithes were paid to God then these were used to meet the needs of those who had no provision and this great abundance washed away all poverty and lack in the nation. God blessed the givers so they increased greatly with the 90% share they kept at home. Then the 10% share given to the Levites was more than enough to meet the needs of teaching Levites and a second tithe even took care of aliens and orphans and widows. Everyone is blessed and prospered by giving to God and this is the secret to stopping poverty.

The Levite is listed first because he teaches God’s word and can bring prosperity to the nation. If the laymen give and prosper then the laymen can have abundance of prosperity and can easily afford to give a second and third tithe to help the alien and orphan and widows. If the laymen kept 70% at home (after paying three tithes or 30%) then this could still be so blessed by God because of their giving that the laymen could not spend it all and there would be great abundance for them and their families.

It is no wonder that Satan has worked so hard to fight and discredit the teaching about giving because if the people will stop giving, they will be cursed and come to poverty. The Levites will also be starved out of the ministry and the teaching of God’s word will cease and those without provision will suffer greatly! All of this lack and poverty and suffering is part of the devil’s agenda of killing and stealing and destroying and causing human suffering and lack. It all comes to ruination when the Levites fail to teach about giving and the laymen hold the sacred portions and even consume them at home instead of giving them to God! It brings a curse and ruination to everyone involved (including the Levite, the laymen, the alien, the orphans and the widows). All of them come to a curse of poverty when giving is withheld and when the laymen are cursed for robbing God of the sacred portion.

John 10:10 (NASB)

¹⁰ “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Satan is the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy and cause human suffering on earth. He can accomplish this purpose by deceiving people to stop giving to God and this will authorize him to devour their prosperity and bring a curse upon them.

But God’s way of giving causes the windows of heaven to be opened and believers can live an abundant life and have more than enough with God’s blessing of prosperity that comes by giving.

Exodus 23:14-15 (NASB)

¹⁴ “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me.

¹⁵ “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Three times a year the Jewish men were required to appear before God to observe their prescribed feasts. God made it clear that none of his people were to appear before God empty-handed. This means they were not to show up without bringing a gift to God out of their tithes and offerings of the blessings God gave to them.

A tithe is mandatory and this is a tenth of all of their income but an offering is voluntary and this comes out of the 90% share that the laymen has left-over after paying his tithes to the Lord. The laymen can make his offering as much or as little as he wants but God blesses those who are willing and generous in their giving.

1 Samuel 9:6-9 (NIV2011)

⁶ But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

⁷ Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸ The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.”

⁹ (Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)

It was biblical OT culture in the past that whenever someone sought counsel from a prophet that they would bring something as a gift to give to the man of God. The Jewish people understood that the Levites and Priests and Prophets were not allowed to own land or conduct business but depended upon the tithes and offerings and gifts of the laymen to feed their families. So, whenever the laymen sought consultation or direction or prayer from the Levites it was understood that they should bring a gift of some kind because this was the only income allowed to the Levite to feed his family. This was common etiquette in those days. Even when Saul was a young man, he understood this principle and they checked to see what they had left to give as a gift to the prophet when they needed some direction about the lost donkeys they were searching for.

Leviticus 27:8 (NIV2011)

⁸ If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the specified amount, the person being dedicated is to be presented to the priest, who will set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.

If someone was too poor to offer an expensive animal to God then they were allowed to offer something that they could afford. In this manner everyone was to give something to God.

Leviticus 5:7 (NIV2011)

⁷ “ ‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

Everyone could give something even those who were poor. Giving to God was considered an act of worship.

Leviticus 5:11 (NIV2011)

¹¹ “ ‘If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering.

Even if they were so destitute that they could not afford two doves or pigeons they could substitute some fine flour instead. So, this was part of Jewish culture and everyone gave to God and these gifts (once dedicated to God) were then given by God to the Levites for their service of ministry. The only inheritance that the Levites had (was the tithes and offerings) because they were forbidden to own land or run business or have farms and ranches associated with land ownership.

This is why everyone from the least to the greatest understood about giving to the Lord and how after their offerings were given to the Lord, these gifts became sacred. Only the Levites were permitted to eat sacred things that have been dedicated to God because these gifts were holy.

People in the OT Jewish culture understood their requirements of God to give and they did not come empty-handed before the Lord. They also did not seek counsel or help from Levites or prophets without some kind of gift of appreciation. Even a poor man could give something (even if it was just a small amount of fine flour or even a pigeon or a dove). Everyone was required to give regardless of their financial status.

It is unusual however in modern times that laymen do not commonly recognize the same biblical etiquette as they had observed during the OT era. There are people for example who will run to a church that preaches healing when they are in need of prayer for sickness (when the doctors were unable to help them and they faced a dilemma). But then the same people do not give any tithes or offerings to the church where they received healing prayer from but instead, they give to a dead social club church where their giving buys them some human flattery. This is about as crazy as if someone went to a good restaurant and had good food and good service but then left without paying and crossed the street and paid their bill over at an awful restaurant which has bad food and bad service.

In the same way, some people will foolishly give their tithes and offerings to a dead social club church run by a fake hireling laymen pastor who has no calling or gifts for the ministry. They only go to a real church (run by a Levite) for prayer if they are in an emergency but the rest of the time they continue to attend (and financially support) a dead social club church that does not pray for the sick or teach on healing or meet any of their spiritual needs. Therefore, these fake laymen pastors (financially supported by these dumb sheep) are intruding into the ministry and are like vultures goggling up the tithes and offerings that were intended for those whom God has called as Levites.

See the link “Religious Vultures” for more details.

Leviticus 22:10-16 (NIV2011)

¹⁰ “ ‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.

¹¹ But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.

¹² If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions.

¹³ But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

¹⁴ “ ‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it.

¹⁵ The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the LORD

¹⁶ by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.’ ”

It must be understood that when the laymen gives anything of their increase to God in the form of a tithe or offering then these gifts become sacred and holy to God because they were given to God and these gifts are the property of God. God’s word states that no one who is outside of the priest’s immediate family is allowed to eat the sacred offerings. This means that a priest could not invite any laymen over for dinner because the food in his house had been previously given to God and no laymen was allowed to eat it. Not even a hired man was allowed to eat the sacred portion of the food found in the house of the Levite and Priest because everything had been previously given to God and these things were all holy.

A slave that was bought by a Levite or Priest was considered part of the family so he was allowed to eat of the sacred food of the priest.

But if the daughter of the priest should marry a layman, then she was to have her income from her laymen husband and was not permitted to eat of the sacred food of her father’s household. But if the same daughter lost her husband by divorce or death then she was permitted to return to her father’s house and eat the sacred food again the same as she did as a maiden (because she has no other support but that of her father’s household if she loses her male provider).

If a layman should come to the household of a priest and does not understand that all of the food in that household is sacred and holy and thus, they eat something they see then they will have committed an offense against God! In order to make restitution for this offense of eating the sacred things, the offending laymen was to make restitution for what he ate plus add a 20% surcharge on it as a penalty.

The Levites and Priests could not allow any laymen to show up and eat anything in their house since it was all previously offered to God and so was sacred. Allowing a layman to eat these things would incur guilt upon that laymen offender which would require payment to God to make restitution. If restitution was not made then a curse would come upon the laymen offender who ate sacred things in haphazardly manner.

These principles are important to understand because when laymen intrude into the ministry and they receive tithes or offerings given to God (and they consume them) then they are committing offense against God which requires restitution. This type of layman offense is becoming common-place because of false teaching that is even evident in all of the modern bible translations and which is commonly taught in all of the carnal churches.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV2011)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

All modern bible translations alter this scripture to mean that the Fivefold ministry is to train the laymen to do the work of the ministry but in fact, nothing could be farther from the truth!

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT2)

¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

These translations have the words altered in emphasis to say that the laymen are to do the work. Again, the Fivefold ministry is not to train the laymen to do the work but the Levites are the ones gifted to do the work of the ministry.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

These translations all follow the popular notion that the Fivefold Ministry only exist to train the laymen to do the work of the ministry. But the laymen cannot do the work of the ministry because they do not have the calling or gifts of God to do so.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV)

¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Only the KJV translated this scripture correctly by stating that the Fivefold ministry has a threefold purpose which is to:

1. Perfect or mature the saints by ministry of the word of God.

2. Do the work of the ministry for which the (Fivefold Ministry Gifts) are called and gifted to do.

3. To edify the body of Christ to cause the laymen to prosper and increase spiritually.

The problem with the widespread error taught that the laymen are to do the work of the ministry is that this false teaching is serving to push the laymen to intrude into the holy office for which they are not called. These laymen then endanger their own lives by consuming tithes and offerings given to God (for which they are not permitted to touch).

See the link “Endorsing Laymen Intruders” for more details.

Exodus 29:33 (NASB)

³³ “Thus they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them, because they are holy.

The layman was not to eat those things which were specifically given to the Priests (who are also Levites).

Leviticus 22:10 (NASB)

¹⁰ ‘No layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a sojourner with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift.

No laymen (person not called to be a Levite) was permitted to eat of the holy things. These were things offered to God and whenever something was presented to God it makes it holy and no laymen is to eat the holy things of God!

Numbers 1:51 (NASB)

⁵¹ “So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death.

Also, the things of the tabernacle have relation to the work of the ministry in the New Testament era. Any laymen who attempted to come near these holy things was to be put to death. The death penalty shows that it is a serious breach and offence against God for a layman to intrude into a place where they were not called. This same principle also applies under the NT era when laymen attempt to intrude into the ministry because of rampant false teaching that pushes the laymen to go out and intrude where they are not called to be.

Numbers 3:10 (NASB)

¹⁰ “So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

Again, the OT priesthood is a counterpart of the Fivefold ministry under the NT era. If the laymen under the NT era assume to intrude into the holy office of the Fivefold ministry then this is a serious breach of divine protocol! Any laymen who assume to approach the office of priesthood was put to death (indicating the seriousness of this offense)!

Numbers 3:38 (NASB)

³⁸ Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death.

Again, God says that any laymen who comes near to intrude into the holy things of ministry was to be executed. This was stated repeatedly throughout the OT scriptures and also lays down a modern-day precedent for the work of the Fivefold ministry under the NT era.

Numbers 16:35-40 (NASB)

³⁵ Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

³⁶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

³⁷ “Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.

³⁸ “As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”

³⁹ So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar,

⁴⁰ as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company—just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.

When the 250-laymen attempted to intrude into the holy office of priest (by offering incense) then they were burned alive and destroyed by God’s fire that consumed them. The censors they used were beaten out into plates to cover the altar as a reminder that no layman was to intrude into the holy office. This has direct application to the NT era under the ministry of the Fivefold gifts because no laymen are to intrude into these holy offices for which they are not called.

But it is ironic that every modern bible translation (except KJV) says that the Fivefold ministry is to train the laymen to do the work of the ministry! This false teaching (evident in twisted bible translations) is pushing laymen to intrude where they do not belong!

I once taught a pastor’s seminar in the Philippines and there was present a layman who was intruding into the office of a pastor. It takes a Fivefold minister to recognize the office of a fellow Fivefold minister because laymen do not typically notice the difference between a Levite and a fake layman hireling posing as a pastor. But the other men attending this seminar were all Fivefold Ministry Gifts and all of us knew that this one fake laymen pastor was just a hireling who was intruding into the holy office. I taught clearly for about four-hours in great detail defining that a man with a Fivefold Ministry Gift is born what that gift and cannot intrude into the holy office by his own will or his own personal decision or human choice.

I also showed that those who have a Fivefold ministry gift will have fruit to identify their calling. An Apostle will produce the fruit of divine order and set things in order according to the divine order of God using bible teaching. He can define disorder and set it back in order with his teaching. A Prophet can define and expose sin so his ministry fruit is holiness and fear of the Lord. The Fivefold ministry gift of bible Teacher has the fruit of divine revelation of God’s word as he is gifted in bible teaching. This is not something that can be learned in a seminary but is a gift to see revelation of God’s word which others cannot see. If laymen could see revelation themselves then God would not have placed bible Teachers in the Fivefold Ministry as a gift they are born with from the mother’s womb. The fruit of an Evangelist is to win souls and the fruit of a Pastor is to provider oversight for the congregation and to help them grow spiritually.

But this layman attending this seminar had no evidence or fruit of any of these offices including that of a Pastor. Everyone knew he was not called except this one layman himself who boldly stood up and said, “I thank God that I am called to be a pastor from my mother’s womb!” He boldly defied what I had been teaching and falsely claimed he was called to be a pastor despite all of the evidence to the contrary! It was not long after that seminar that his same layman fake pastor experienced a stroke and died soon after that! I had delivered his last warning but he stubbornly refused to get out of the ministry.

God’s word warns that no laymen should come near to the ministry or they risk the death penalty! The mercy of God allowed this guy to continue in this blatant intrusion for decades before I came and delivered his last warning. After he was warned (but then stubbornly persisted in intruding into the holy office) then judgment came upon him. I have often delivered the last warning to people like this just before they were judged for refusing to repent.

I also know of a layman who did not want to submit to any pastor so he called himself to be a pastor and started a church in his own house. He was intruding into the holy office and did not repent of this and soon was struck with a terminal disease. The fellow laymen-sheep came to the hospital to pray for this fake layman pastor but their prayers did not work and he died. I knew immediately why he died but his fellow laymen sheep were perplexed why God allowed such a good man to die! But this so-called “good-man” was a layman who was intruding into the holy office and God said many times in His Word that those who do this will be put to death!

I know of another layman who was intruding into the holy office of a pastor for over 18-years as he lived in the basement of an old church building and held church services on Sunday. His only congregation was his immediate family so his influence was limited and perhaps that is why he lasted as long as he did. He however had many afflictions including paralysis of the side of his face. But then he attended another church where the pastor there ordained this man publicly. Once he was ordained this spelled his own doom! He was struck with liver failure after that and died a lingering death attached to a dialysis machine. His wife even donated her own liver to him but to no avail and he died anyway. I knew why he perished because he had been intruding in the holy office of the Fivefold ministry for a long time. But the judgment seemed to really take affect after he was publicly endorsed by the laying on of hands by ordination before a large congregation. This endorsed him as a leader to be followed and this is when he was struck down with this incurable aliment!

But in these modern times people do not think anything about having a layman intrude into the holy office or even having a layman consuming sacred tithes and offerings that have been presented to God. These were death penalty offenses under the OT era and this still follows through under the NT era for those laymen who do not repent and stop intruding into the holy office and do not stop consuming sacred portions belonging to God.

Just because God’s mercy has allowed some laymen to intrude for years (or even decades) this should not be misunderstood as an endorsement from God! Just because they are not immediately struck down it does not mean God is pleased with them. Most often the delay in judgment is God’s mercy giving them time to repent. I however have been used on a number of occasions to deliver God’s final warning for laymen intruders to get out of the ministry. When an Apostle does this, it is like the last flashing warning sign that the bridge is out up ahead. If they stubbornly refuse to heed and speed on ahead past their final warning in brazen manner, then they will typically meet with the judgment (that has been delayed for years while God waited patiently for them to repent).

I repeated these illustrations here because of the fact that only the Fivefold NT Levites are authorized to eat of the sacred things that have been presented to God. The laymen who intrude into the holy office and consume things presented to God are endangering their own lives. It is for this reason that it is a sin for laymen to consume holy things and this breech of divine protocol will eventually bring judgment upon these laymen intruders!

Under God’s system, if a man of God is supported full-time by the tithes of his congregation, then he can labor full-time in prayer and study of God’s word so that he can have the time needed to cook a really good spiritual meal to feed his people. If the NT Levite has to work a job or sideline or business during the week or otherwise become distracted by natural things, he would not have the spiritual substance needed to feed his people properly. If he is scrambling to look up a few scriptures just before he arrives for worship service then he will be serving cheater-food.

This is like a passive housewife who is distracted by many things and does not take time to cook a good and nutritious meal for her family. She then resorts to “cheater-food” and serves them something like instant noodles or canned food so that she can keep her time to herself. This might be acceptable in an emergency if time is limited but if it is done on a full-time basis every day then the family is going to get sick and suffer malnutrition from eating food that is void of nutrition. Serving cheater-food constantly (because of being distracted and mismanaging time) is not fulfilling the role of being a good wife and helpmeet to the family.

In the same way if a NT Levite is distracted by natural things all week long (who is forced to work a job or sideline to feed his family) is going to be operating on a spiritual dead-battery. It is like trying to start a car engine in sub-zero temperatures with a weak battery! The car engine will barely turn over because there is not enough energy left in that battery to start the car!

In the same way, if a NT Levite is distracted all week by natural things (who is forced to work a sideline or job to feed his family) is going to be running to the church and looking up a few scriptures on the way and will be feeding the congregation some “cheater-food” like a distracted housewife.

People know whenever a NT Levite has been distracted and is serving cheater-food because there will be no anointing to break the yoke and there will be no revelation to change the lives of the people of the congregation. People come to worship service with problems and spiritual needs and they are depending on the NT Levite to give them wisdom and revelation of God’s word and to provide the anointing to break the yoke and provide them with answers to problems and to receive healing and restoration and something that will really feed them spiritually.

It is a great disservice to any congregation if the NT Levite is distracted by natural things and fails to prepare for the ministry and fails to hear God’s voice and direction. But if the congregation starves him out by withholding tithes, then he will be forced out of the ministry and he is guaranteed to serve only cheater-food because he is unable to serve full-time in the ministry because of lack of funds to feed his family.

Acts 6:1-4 (NIV2011)

¹ In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

² So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

³ Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them

⁴ and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

During the time of the early church, there were frequent wars and many men were killed and the widows and orphans multiplied exceedingly. There were natural needs to feed widows who were without support and had no family left to care for them and were left destitute without a male provider. But this natural business of feeding widows (while it was a worthy cause) became a distraction to those of the Fivefold ministry because it caused them to leave the word of God and prayer to wait on tables to serve natural food. It was for this reason that the first deacons were appointed to take care of natural matters like this in the church.

Acts 6:5-7 (NIV2011)

⁵ This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

⁶ They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

⁷ So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

The end result of appointing deacons for natural service was that the Fivefold ministry Levites were able to focus full-time on prayer and ministry of God’s word. The fruit of focusing on prayer and ministry of the word of God was that the number of disciples increased greatly and numbers of believers increased and the church flourished! The service of deacons to do natural matters freed the NT Levites to focus on spiritual labor and the result was that the church increased and prospered greatly!

Whenever the NT Levites are distracted from the ministry then there will be decrease and loss among the congregation. Conversely whenever the NT Levites are free from distraction of natural matters (including jobs and sidelines to feed their families) then they can focus on the word of God and prayer and produce real nutritious spiritual food to feed the congregation and have the anointing to break the yoke and have God’s wisdom for solving problems of the congregation. Everyone is blessed and prospered when the NT Levite is free from natural distractions and can feed the congregation good spiritual food! The entire congregation will grow and increase as the NT Levite serves as a full-time shepherd to take care of the needs of his flock!

1 Timothy 5:18 (NIV2011)

¹⁸ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

This scripture says that the ox should not be muzzled while treading out the grain and this has direct application to not muzzling the NT Levite by withholding financial contributions. The Fivefold ministry Levite deserves his wages because he feeds the people spiritually and causes them to prosper and grow.

1 Timothy 5:22 (NLT2)

²² Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

This scripture is speaking of the laying on of hands for endorsing someone for leadership. This is also called ordination where the candidate publicly has hands laid upon him by the Fivefold ministry to endorse him as a leader before the congregation. Again, the laymen cannot typically recognize the difference between a laymen fake minister and a Levite real minister so the laying on of hands should only be done by the Fivefold Ministry Gifts who can recognize a fellow Levite when they see one. It is not for the entire congregation of laymen to be doing the laying on of hands for ordination. Only the Levites are to lay hands-on fellow Levites to ordain them to the ministry.

This scripture also says that this endorsement should not be done suddenly or abruptly meaning that a man may have been born with a Fivefold ministry gift but he also must have the maturity level and godly character to go with it. If he is endorsed too soon then he could lead all those who follow him into a ditch! Thus, endorsing someone who is immature and causes others to stumble later is partaking of his sins by endorsement!

In the example of the laymen (who died of liver failure) he was endorsed by ordination and laying on of hands that really brought about his quick demise. Before that he really had little effect upon others but once ordained publicly then he was endorsed as a leader for others to follow. The Pastor who ordained him was really “dull” spiritually and did not discern what was obvious to so many that this man was not called to the ministry. Laying on hands of ordination is a serious thing and if done prematurely those who endorsed a novice or endorse a laymen (not called into the ministry) will be partaker of the sins of this individual when he leads others into a ditch.

Numbers 27:18-23 (NIV2011)

¹⁸ So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.

¹⁹ Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence.

²⁰ Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.

²¹ He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

²² Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly.

²³ Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.

The laying on of hands for endorsing of leadership was started in the OT era when God had Moses lay hands on Joshua before the entire congregation. This was done publicly because the people were to know that Joshua was now ordained as a leader which they could follow. It should be noted however that the entire congregation did not lay hands on Joshua. It was only Moses who laid hands on Joshua to endorse him as a leader before the congregation.

The Spirit of Leadership was placed upon Joshua so ordination is about endorsing a leader for the congregation to follow. It must be done at the right time when the leader is fully mature and ready for leadership and has good character or else, he will lead those who follow him into a ditch. It should go without saying that such a man must have a Fivefold Ministry Gift as recognized by a fellow Fivefold minister (who does the ordaining).

Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV)

¹ Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

² As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

³ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

The same principles carry over into the NT era when Barnabas and Saul were separated for the ministry by the directions given by the Holy Spirit. The Fivefold ministers at Antioch (Prophet/Teachers) fasted and prayed to seek God about this matter and then they laid hands on both Barnabas and Saul just as Moses laid hands on Joshua to ordain him to the ministry.

The fact of the matter is that if a man of God is ordained by direction of the Holy Spirit then this means that he is ready and mature and is called by God for the ministry. If a man is ordained under the direction of the Holy Spirit, then this means that people can follow these men and even support them financially and receive a blessing for their giving.

But if laymen support fake laymen ministry intruders, they will receive a curse for their giving instead of a blessing because they are sowing into bad soil.

See “Sowing into Good Soil” for more details.

Sowing into (giving finances) to a [fake laymen ministry intruder] is like planting seed into toxic soil contaminated by nuclear radiation. Everything that grows in radioactive soil is toxic for humans to eat! Sowing into fake laymen pastors is the same way because only a curse will result from such giving to one who is not called by God into the ministry. The fake laymen ministry intruder will receive a curse for consuming sacred offerings as a layman and also layman donors who give sacred gifts to a laymen intruder will also reap a curse.

A blessing from God for giving only comes by giving into good soil. If believers give into cursed soil, they will reap a curse just as sowing seed in radioactive soil will produce only toxic plants. A man who is living in unrepentant sin will bring a curse upon himself and helping such a man financially will bring a curse to the giver because people cannot bless those who are cursed by God for living in unrepentant sin! The same principle also applies for giving to a fake-laymen-ministry-intruder who is not called by God into the ministry. Giving to such a man will bring a curse from God not a blessing because he is consuming sacred things that belong to God!

Layman do not typically know the difference between a real Levite and a laymen ministry intruder so therefore they should not give to anyone who is not ordained by a real Levite (who operates in the Revelation Gifts).

See the link “Spiritual Gifts” for more details.

Once ordained by a real Levite then this means that such a man is called by God and has the maturity level and character to be endorsed into the ministry by the Holy Spirit. Once ordained they have received a green-light for people to follow them and to give to them. If they were not ordained and recognized by a proven Levite then they are probably a laymen intruder and giving to them will bring a curse to whoever sows into their fake ministry. This factor is of vital importance and determines if someone will receive a blessing or a curse for their giving depending on what type of soil they are sowing into. Only those ordained by the Holy Spirit and recognized by real Levites should be supported financially because all else are vultures who will bring a curse to those who give to them.

It is therefore not appropriate that laymen of the congregation be allowed to vote on a minister who will lead them because it is God who calls and appoints those who are in the Fivefold ministry (not humans). Therefore, only Levites can recognize a fellow Levite and can hear God’s voice to separate that man for the ministry and it is Levites who should lay on hands to endorse a fellow Levite into leadership.

It is God’s plan that the Levites have no inheritance except the tithes and offerings given to God. It is also God’s plan that the laymen work a secular job or business to earn a living. If the layman intrudes into the office of the Fivefold ministry, it will eventually bring judgment to them if they do not repent and get out. If a Levite intrudes into the role of a laymen to work a secular job or business then he will be distracted from the ministry and suffer poverty and lack. A Levite who does not go full-time in the ministry will also experience judgment for not using his faith for ministry income instead of self-provision of a job or business.

I personally know a Levite in the Philippines who was trying to work a sideline as a carpenter but his family was suffering great lack and they had debt at the local grocery store having to borrow money to buy milk for their baby. But he had a godly wife who told him that they were starving to death with this sideline so why don’t they trust God and go full-time in the ministry. Better to starve trusting God than to starve because of self-effort trying to provide for themselves! They however were blessed by God after he went full-time into the ministry and quit his sideline job. All of their debts were paid and they had food to eat and lacked nothing. God provided for them when the Levite man dedicated himself to live exclusively from the ministry.

It is God’s will that all Levites learn to live by faith because if they work a sideline they will never prosper in the ministry. Apostle Paul only worked a sideline because of the immature believers in Corinth withheld tithes and offerings from him.

2 Corinthians 11:8 (NIV2011)

⁸ I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.

Paul was supported by other churches in order to preach for free to the babies in Corinth. I call them babies because a baby wants to be bottle-fed and have his diapers changed and be carried around all of the time. But a mature person will be able to walk on his own two feet and become self-supporting and can help others as well. So, the mature believers supported Paul when he went to Corinth to minister to the immature. If Paul had no support at all then he would sometimes fall back upon his Jewish trade-skill of tent-making but that was only for an emergency not something to be done full-time. It is ordained that those who preach the gospel are to live of the gospel not to live from sidelines like tent-making.

Jewish fathers were instructed to provide a trade-skill for their sons so they could provide for themselves but this was in fact primarily speaking about laymen sons. Those sons called to be Levites were not supposed to rely on sidelines for self-support. But at the same time the Levite sons might need some trade skills knowledge as a temporary survival measure until he can receive his living completely from the ministry of the word of God.

In fact, it was a failure on the part of Apostle Paul not to teach the laymen in Corinth about giving because the same people gave to fake religious Pharisees who came to the churches Paul founded and took offerings from them. This indicates that the baby Christians would have given if someone had instructed them to do so.

This is another factor that the Levites have to beware of because the devil will typically shame them concerning teaching about giving saying that if they teach on giving then the people might think they are greedy! But that shame is satanic in origin and designed to keep them from teaching the truth about giving. If they love the people, they will teach them about giving into good soil so they will be blessed and prospered by God. If a minister fails to teach new believers about giving then Satan will send some fake intruders to them (like these religious Pharisees who will take offerings from them only to bring a satanic curse upon them for giving into cursed soil)!

New believers require instruction about giving because they will have no idea that they will be cursed for not giving to God and they will also be cursed for sowing into the toxic soil of “laymen-ministry-intruders” (who are vultures sent by Satan to gobble up the support intended for real Levites and who transmit a curse to those who give to them)!

See the link “Religious Vultures” for more details.

1 Corinthians 9:14 (NIV2011)

¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

The language used here is strong language as the Lord has “commanded” that those Fivefold Ministry Levites who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. This is not a suggestion but a “Command” from God. God has commanded that all Levites receive their living from the ministry (not from sidelines or secular jobs or businesses). The ministry is a full-time job and a Levite may spend six-days of praying and meditating on the word just to have one powerful sermon “cooked” and ready to serve on Sunday morning to his congregation. It is not something he can do by looking up a few scriptures on the way to church after being distracted all week by natural matters. The Levite cannot be distracted by jobs or sidelines to make money and he cannot be distracted by natural matters that the deacons are to take care of for him. The Levite is to study and meditate and pray and get ready to deliver a powerful message that can change lives! This cannot be done on a part time basis! It is for this reason that God has “Commanded” that the NT Fivefold Ministry Levite should receive his income from the ministry of God’s word not from secular jobs or business or other sources of outside income apart from the ministry.

When Giving is Appropriate Verses Inappropriate

2 Kings 5:8-16 (NASB)

⁸ It happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha.

¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.”

¹¹ But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’

¹² “Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So, he turned and went away in a rage.

¹³ Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

¹⁵ When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.”

¹⁶ But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

It should be noted that Naaman came to Elisha to be healed of leprosy (a serious skin disease that would eventually result in death). But after Naaman was healed, Elisha refused to receive any type of donation or gift of all the things that Naaman had brought for him.

2 Kings 8:7-10 (NASB)

⁷ Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.”

⁸ The king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'”

⁹ So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'”

¹⁰ Then Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die.”

Then the same Elisha received a visit from Hazael who brought him forty-camel loads of good things as a gift from his master the king of Aram. It is evident that Elisha was permitted by God to receive this bountiful donation with these many gifts because there was no record of Elisha refusing these good things (in the same manner that Elisha did refuse the gifts offered to him by Naaman the Syrian).

Acts 8:18-23 (NIV2011)

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money

¹⁹ and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰ Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

²¹ You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

²² Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

²³ For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

In the case of Simon, the sorcerer, he offered money to Peter to buy the ability to impart the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Peter rebuked this man who he thought he could buy the gift of God with money!

It should be noted that things like the healing of Naaman and the impartation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are gifts given directly by God and offering money for them would be blasphemous because no gift of God can be purchased with money! Therefore, if a Levite prays for the sick and they are healed then he should not permit them to give anything as a gift immediately after they were healed or else, they might falsely assume they paid for their healing. They can give a gift to God at church later to express their gratefulness to God but it should not be done immediately after they were just healed lest they falsely suppose that they paid for that healing.

This is for this reason that Elisha was not permitted by God to receive anything as a gift from Naaman after he was just healed lest Naaman falsely assume that he could pay for his healing. When Gehazi (the servant of Elisha) tried to get this wealth under false pretenses then he was cursed for it because it was as if the healing was paid for by Naaman’s gifts.

But later the same Elisha was permitted to accept the forty-camel loads of fine gifts brought by Hazael. This was because the Levites and the Prophets were permitted to accept gifts for their ministry. We have already seen in our teaching lessons that the young Saul and his servant brought something to the seer (prophet Samuel) because it was common etiquette of those days that you do not go to the Levite or prophet empty handed. Everyone understood that the Levites and Prophets were not allowed to own land or engage in business or farming so they depended on gifts and offerings and tithes to feed themselves and their families. It is acceptable in the sight of God for a man of God who is a Levite called into the ministry to live off of the donations he receives for his ministry.

However, this is different than receiving an offering immediately after someone was just healed. If a Levite receives a gift from someone who was just healed it could seem like the healed person is paying for a free gift of God. But if the same person gives an offering later to God then it is acceptable for the Levite to receive it because it is a gift first given to God and God gives this to the Levite for the ministry he performs in teaching or providing counsel or foretelling the future to give direction.

The seer (or prophet) was allowed by God to receive offerings for their ministry of providing direction or counsel or teaching or other ministry for the people. But never should they confuse receiving gifts for ministry with receiving a payment for healing. It is commanded by God that the Levites and prophets receive offerings for ministry but it is strictly forbidden for them to receive payment for a healing rendered (which is a gift of God that cannot be purchased).

It is for this reason Elisha was not permitted to receive a donation from Naaman (after Naaman was healed) but the same Elisha was allowed to accept the 40-camel loads of goods from a king who was seeking prophetic revelation about his future. A prophet is permitted to receive offerings for the ministry he performed as a prophet to foretell the future but not receive offerings for a man to pay for his healing. It may seem like a trivial distinction to humans but nevertheless this is an important issue with God!

Sometimes if a prophet or other Levite is forbidden to receive an offering in certain circumstances then God may bring in a huge offering later to make up for the losses which the prophet may have had to refuse over conscience. In the case of receiving a 40-camel load donation from a king, this could have kept Elisha in provision for some years to come. At times God’s provision will come all at once like that for a man of God like Elijah.

It should be clear that there are certain principles that govern if a Levite is allowed to accept donations or gifts or contributions or other various sources of income.

1. If the donation is attempted immediately following a gift of God like healing or baptism of the Holy Spirit then the donation should be refused so there is no chance of the giver falsely assuming they can purchase a gift of God with money.

2. If the giver has evil motives of control, then the gift should be refused. Often rich businessmen with evil motives have been able to buy a position of control in the church by giving big donations. If there is any hint of false motives involved with a donation then the gift should be refused.

3. If the gift is for ministry as performed by a Fivefold minister, then these donations most certainly should be accepted because this is commanded by God for the Levite. It is also an avenue of God’s blessing for the giver so the gift should be received for the sake of the giver.

4. A Levite is not to have outside income from job or business or investments but is to depend on God by faith to bring in income from the ministry. But it is permitted by God that Levites can own their own homes (Levites owned homes under the OT era). If, however they try to purchase additional rental houses (for rental income) then this becomes an investment for them and that would be off limits to them because they are seeking other means of support besides trusting God by faith for their livelihood exclusively from the ministry.

It is the principles of God’s word which determine what is acceptable and what is not acceptable concerning the income received by or refused by the Levite.

2 Kings 5:20-27 (NLT2)

²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, “My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the LORD lives, I will chase after him and get something from him.”

²¹ So Gehazi set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. “Is everything all right?” Naaman asked.

²² “Yes,” Gehazi said, “but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.”

²³ “By all means, take twice as much silver,” Naaman insisted. He gave him two sets of clothing, tied up the money in two bags, and sent two of his servants to carry the gifts for Gehazi.

²⁴ But when they arrived at the citadel, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house.

²⁵ When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “I haven’t been anywhere,” he replied.

²⁶ But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants?

²⁷ Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow.

Elisha told Gehazi, “Is it time to receive money and clothing and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle and male and female servant?” This means that there is a time for the blessings of God and a Levite has to discern when is the right time to receive and when is the wrong time to receive. A Levite as to judge the income that is offered to him. He is not allowed to receive any donations in exchange for gifts from God (like healing or imparting the baptism of the Holy Spirit). He is not allowed to receive donations that have an evil intent of buying a position of control. The Levite cannot receive things like olive groves or vineyards which are income producing investments reserved only for laymen. The sheep and cattle are acceptable to be eaten as gifts but are unacceptable if they are intended as livestock investments for a ranching business. Male and female servants are acceptable as a deacon who serves the Levite to give him freedom from natural things to focus on spiritual ministry. But the same people cannot be used for labor to do business like agricultural or industrial enterprises to create a secular livelihood for the Levite. Those things are a sin for the Levite who is commanded to live by faith from the ministry. But at the same time these same investments are sanctioned and commanded by God for the laymen who is supposed to work a job or operate a business or have investments to earn a living for himself and his family so he can prosper and support the ministry of God with his tithes and offerings.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Again, what is a sin for the Levite is commanded of the Layman and what is a sin for the Layman is commanded of God for the Levite. This is called “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth” to give correct application for the Levite and to give the correct application to the layman. The two roles are not to be confused or muddled together because each group has a distinct and specific command from God and intruding into the office or role of the other will bring a curse from God instead of a blessing.

There are Levites who were judged by God for intruding into the role of the laymen by trying to earn their own livelihood by job or business instead of living by faith. There is also laymen who intruded into the office of the Levites and were cursed by God for meddling in the holy office and for consuming the things which are sacred and reserved only for the Levites. Both the Levites and the laymen must remain where God has placed them or else both parties can be cursed by God for meddling in the office or role of the other group.

It is the principles of the word of God that determine if a gift or offering or tithe or donation can be accepted or rejected. It depends upon if a person is a Levite and the gift was for the performance of his ministry or if it was to pay for something like a gift of God (such a healing or baptism of the Holy Spirit) or to control his ministry by a businessman who harbors evil motives.

If the person in question is a layman who is intruding into the ministry, then he will be judged if he does not repent and get out and stop consuming that which is sacred and belongs to God. Such a man will be judged because a layman intruding into the holy office is to be put to death and those who consume sacred portions are sinning as a thief who is stealing what belongs to God.

To determine what is right and wrong is dependent on whether the man in question is a Levite or a layman and the motives and intentions of the gifts that are given to the Levite. To rightly divide the word of truth is to separate out those things which concern the layman from those things which concern the Levite and not mix them together in random manner.

Not a Perfect World

In conclusion, it should be said that we do not live in a perfect world and there are times when a Levite may have to work secular jobs in the beginning. Sometimes Paul resorted to his “tentmaker” trade for survival when he had no other means of support. But this was an exception to the rule and not a “precedent” to follow. Sometimes immature believers do not give anything so outside ministry support has to come from mature believers who are givers or else the Fivefold minister may be forced back into a trade skill. But having a Levite work a secular job is never God’s best. It is God’s best when the laymen give to God and then God can bless them. Then God gives these tithes and offerings to the Levite for his work of the ministry. Thus, everyone is blessed because of giving to God!

Sometimes before a Levite is fully mature, he will have to work a secular job or business before he is ordained and receives support from the ministry. It is for this reason I would recommend imparting a trade skill to a young Levite man so he can take care of himself and feed his family until he is able to be ordained and receive income from the ministry (even though the trade skills training primarily apply to laymen who are to work a trade or job for a lifetime occupation). Levite men also may need such training however until such time as they are able to go full-time in the ministry and live completely from ministry income. Job skill training or trade skills is only a temporary “survival thing” for Levites rather than a lifelong “occupational training” as in the case of laymen.

Also, it takes time to develop faith for finances so the Levite may need a secular job or trade skill to feed himself until such time as he is mature enough to receive his income by faith solely from ministry of God’s word.

So although this teaching clarifies that it is “commanded” that the Levite live of the gospel and it is generally a sin for him to have a secular job, there can be exceptions before he is ordained and into the full-time ministry or if he has to work some type of trade to survive when immature baby believers are not giving. This is a backup and I have worked many secular jobs and started a business as well but I always had to leave those things and go higher and believe God to live by faith for my income. Those type of things were only permitted on a temporary basis and God even used secular jobs (like my oilfield jobs) to train and prepare me as a man to overcome. But it was different for me because this was not like a layman occupation that I would do for the rest of my life. It was only a temporary thing for me that God used for a time and season until I moved on toward living a life of faith.

I do not say that those Levites who occasionally work a job are sinners but if they think to latch onto a job as an “occupation” for life (like a laymen) then that would be a sin for them. Jobs and trades and businesses and investments are only a temporary thing for a Levite who is on the way up toward living by faith in God and who is headed toward receiving his full-time income from the ministry.

But for the layman it is a required “lifelong occupation” while for the Levite it is typically only a temporary survival method until he is actively producing income from the ministry. The layman is required to remain for life in their occupation but the Levite is called to live of the gospel and have their income derived from ministry.

If the Levite is faithful in prayer and study of the word and produces good spiritual food for the people and has the fruit of their calling manifest then they will see ministry income. If they focus on prayer and study of the word and separation to God, they will find themselves in the ministry. Again, it is only a temporary thing for Levites to work a secular job or business but eventually God will have them enter the full-time in the ministry. It takes time to fully mature spiritually and to develop faith for finances so in the period prior to ordination they may need to work a job or trade or business to survive. But it can be said that if they rely on such things for a lifetime that would be a sin because they are supposed to be mobile and headed up toward the ministry so jobs and trades and business is only a temporary thing for Levites.

Eventually God will deal with the Levite to put away all means of self-provision and trust God by faith. It is at this point that if the Levite persists to stay in secular employment (like a laymen) then he will be in sin and he can experience the judgment of God! Some Levites have gone for decades working a job before they were warned of coming judgement if they did not quit self-provision and trust God by faith in the ministry. Therefore, it is largely a personal thing between the Levite man and God and they will know when the time has arrived when God will no longer permit them to engage in self-provision of jobs or trades or business and must stop and go full-time in the ministry and live by faith as God has commanded them to do.

Fivefold Ministry Topics

About Us

Fivefold Ministry Gifts

Levites Naturally Gifted

Religious Vultures

Mechanics of a Cult

Fivefold Not by Lineage

Levite Woman

Levite Choosing Specific Woman

Levites Commanded to Live of Ministry

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Prophetic Words

Idols of the Heart

Apostles Abolish Disorder

Apostle Poem

Apostolic Foundation

Apostolic Perception

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No Apostle, No Prophet, No Heaven

When Milk Fails

Purpose of the Church

Correct Ministry Application

Ruth-A Spiritual Analogy

Sword of Division

Gift Gone Dormant

Heresy of the Evangelist

Sin of Denial

Pastor’s Dilemma

Endorsing Laymen Intruders

Idolatry – Curse of a Nation

Glossary

Church at Ephesus

Root of Bitterness

Sin of Unforgiveness

Rules of Engagement

Valley of Decision

Curse of Bitter Water

Defining God’s Direction

Handwriting on the Wall

Leave Not Post

Never Apologize for God’s Word

Projects and Levites

Retaining Spiritual Substance

Precious Hungry Hearts