The earth is becoming sick of being pregnant and is nearing evermore to her time of travail. She's at the point where she is starting to groan and complain about the pregnancy, the last days. There's still some time left yet, but it's not too long. It won't be long before it's the very last days where each day drags out in which she begs for travail to bring forth, just to escape being pregnant any longer.
Her frame aches from all the heavy movement and weight, as her inside is also tapped largely for resources to keep her children living, developing, and growing. She is nearing the point where she is ready to be shaken with the violent force of contractions within that will open the surface to bring forth.
She will burn with heat as a result of such powerful labor. She'll eventually open and push forth the new creation.
Will she love the still-living children from her last birth after this one? Will she love these children? Will she become bloodthirsty and murder her children as Kali Ma in the pagan Hinduism? Will the world become dark and cold...and dead? Or will she be past the pregnancy hormonal outbursts and return to a peaceful, loving, and nourishing mother? Will the world vibrate with a new light and warmth...life?
Just as God is the Father of creation, the earth is depicted as the mother he chose to bring forth many living creatures, humankind included. But the scriptures speak of a different kind of birth in the future:
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the ETERNAL ONE: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? says your God (Isaiah 66:8-9).
The Lord spoke about being "born again." We are first begotten/conceived with the Spirit/Sperm/Seed of God, and at the last trumpet at Christ's return, we will be born as new spirit beings, just as Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua) the Firstborn of God is, and help him reign during the new age--the Kingdom of God age, the next world.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (I Cor. 15:50-53).
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matt. 24:31).
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (I John 3:2).
The nation of Israel will live up to its name in that day. And God will open the earth to "bring forth" his new spirit-bodied children. People will come up from their graves and their physical bodies will be replaced in a flash with spiritual bodies when Christ returns with their spirit minds that were returned to God upon death (see Ecc. 12:7).
Under the reign of God's firstfruits--his Firstborn and those called in the Church age--the earth will eventually transform into paradise condition, as the original Paradise of Eden was. There will be no wilderness with evil beasts and poisonous plants and thorns and thistles. Evil acts will not be tolerated. The earth will be a peaceful, loving, and nourishing mother.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the ETERNAL ONE (Isaiah 65:25).
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. (Isa. 11:6).
The waters and trees in the holy land:
Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezekiel 47:7-12).
At the end of that time period, this earth will be destroyed, there will be a new heaven and earth, and God the Father will come down with the new Jerusalem. The truth of this can be read in Revelation chapters 21 and 22.
Before the JOY of the saints' receiving their new bodies and eternal life in God's family and the JOY they will bring to this earth and its inhabitants, there will be SORROW. This world is full of sorrows, and the greatest sorrows are yet to come. It can be likened to a woman's labor and birth. First comes the sorrow, but then comes the joy! The latter makes the former worth the trouble.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. (John 16:20-22).
And so may we the saints ENDURE the sorrow and hardships in this world and especially those suffered for the saints living during the last three and half years of this age, so that we can receive the overwhelming JOY of a new birth--our individual spiritual births and the birth of the perfect nation of Israel.
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:13).
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
"Forever" in the Old Testament: Does it Always Mean Eternal?
There is a growing number of people in Christendom coming to see the truth that the religion of Christianity started by Rome is a mixing of the truth with pagan/heathen doctrines. Many are coming to understand many truths, such as the true Sabbath being the seventh day of the week--not the first, and that God's seven annual feasts and seven holy days are the ones found in Leviticus 23 and do not include the pagan Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and other wicked days in disguise that are listed on the Roman calendar.
However, a large number of these people, rather than carefully PROVE ALL THINGS, put themselves under the old carnal covenant. Many of them are in effect rejecting, at least in part, the new better spiritual covenant. They are still blind, having a veil over their eyes. They do not understand the teachings of Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua) our Savior, the Firstborn of God, the Word. They do not understand the teachings of Paul. Some of them go on to reject Paul, which is dangerous, because truly to reject Paul, one must also reject Salvation, for Salvation's teachings and Paul's are one and the same. Yea, I recently found that one friend of mine no longer believes Salvation was the Messiah/Christ/Savior. But, as the scripture in both the old covenant times and new covenant times teach, you don't really know the Father if you do not know the Son. You can't have one without the other, because they are one, just as Salvation and Paul are one. And all that are Spirit-begotten and are walking in the Spirit, growing in grace and knowledge, recognizing Christ as their head and Father as Christ's head, should all be at one.
I'm about to explain one of the things that seem to so confuse those who have decided to throw away their love of the new covenant and what our Savior did, and so rather than keep the law (including the holy days) under new covenant law, they believe they are to keep the old covenant, which is INSANE, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep it perfectly. There are many things that are impossible to do. There is no temple, no Levitical priesthood, etc. These people MISS THE BOAT! They teach penile flesh circumcision is still a must. They teach wearing tassels is a must. Oddly enough, though, though they condemn themselves with their own WORDS that they must keep ALL OF THE LAW OF MOSES IN LETTER, I don't know any of them that wear scriptures on their hands and foreheads. Oh, there are Jews who still wear phylacteries on their foreheads. Looks absolutely ridiculous! Just do a Google image search. Does that honestly help them keep the law? Certainly not the way God expects one to. ONLY having the begettal of the God Spirit helps keep the law in spirit as God intends. The person always is WANTING to do what is right and is so properly led to do righteousness. My almost-eight-year-old son is just a child, and even he understands. He says, "Momma, it's hard to not do the wrong thing." And I did a video interview with him regarding penile circumcision, and he revealed how absolutely carnal and ridiculous the people with carnal covenant mindset are. He understands one must be changed IN THE HEART. Carnal people are concerned with OUTER SHOW.
FOREVER! The carnal covenant people are stuck on this word "forever" in the old covenant scriptures. Some of them seem to even think it means "eternal." Well, I'm sure we'd all agree that we should NEVER commit adultery. We should ALWAYS/FOREVER keep our marital vows. Right? But, what does NEVER, ALWAYS, and FOREVER mean? Man marries. God does not. When we are no longer in the family of man but are in the family of God, there will be no marriages. No need for such a law for eternity, is there? Even in the family of man, FOREVER does not literally mean FOREVER, does it? What if the covenant is broken by death? Is not the person freed from the covenant to his or her spouse?
If I told my young children to ALWAYS hold my hands or hold each other's hands before walking across the road or parking lot, to NEVER not hold my hand, what does that mean? Are they expected to be attached to me literally ALWAYS/FOREVER until I die? When they become adults, does that rule still apply, even though I said ALWAYS/FOREVER? Of course not! People who actually REASON in their heads know this is not the case.
I'm now to going to quote what I said in another recent blog post that discusses the "forever" issue:
AND
Do you now understand that "forever" doesn't mean "eternal" like some will have you believe? Yesterday, a friend of mine posted something on FB about Passover being a commemoration of the exodus of the [physical] Israelites from the Egypt. I commented and said that the old covenant Passover was a commemoration of that event, but the new covenant Passover is a commemoration of our Savior's death, and it has new symbols. HE is our Passover Lamb, and we now partake of unleavened bread and wine as the symbols to symbolize his body and blood. We don't eat his physical body. Those things SYMBOLIZE partaking of his divine nature. In the carnal covenant, people ate a carnal (fleshly) animal--a lamb without physical blemish, but the new covenant Passover is all about remembering the spiritually unblemished Lamb of God who rescued us from SIN. Being released from the bondage of Egypt was a TYPE of being released from the bondage of sin. Another person commented on the post and said that the Passover was commanded to be an "eternal ordinance." I simply replied and said the scriptures taught no such thing. And they don't. Once the plan of salvation, as pictured by the seven feasts and holy days, is complete, there will be no need for the Passover. There won't even be the sun and moon for our times and seasons. There will be no such thing as a solar year, so definitely no Passover in its season. No need for that. The former things will be passed away, our sadness forgotten. And as for THIS TIME, while the Passover DOES still stand, the old covenant one has been REPLACED by the new covenant one.
Of which Passover will you partake? Will you be having a meal of lamb, unleavened bread, and herbs and be spending your time thinking of the physical nation of Israel being led out of Egypt, or will you eat your meal of whatever before you partake of the new covenant Passover, which is not a meal but the partaking of unleavened bread and wine while meditating on Christ's death and how we need to partake of his Godly spiritual nature? Old covenant law or new covenant law? If you do the former, you break the latter. You decide. The old covenant is DEAD, just as a husband of a wife can die. I'm betrothed to Christ. Which covenant have you entered?
However, a large number of these people, rather than carefully PROVE ALL THINGS, put themselves under the old carnal covenant. Many of them are in effect rejecting, at least in part, the new better spiritual covenant. They are still blind, having a veil over their eyes. They do not understand the teachings of Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua) our Savior, the Firstborn of God, the Word. They do not understand the teachings of Paul. Some of them go on to reject Paul, which is dangerous, because truly to reject Paul, one must also reject Salvation, for Salvation's teachings and Paul's are one and the same. Yea, I recently found that one friend of mine no longer believes Salvation was the Messiah/Christ/Savior. But, as the scripture in both the old covenant times and new covenant times teach, you don't really know the Father if you do not know the Son. You can't have one without the other, because they are one, just as Salvation and Paul are one. And all that are Spirit-begotten and are walking in the Spirit, growing in grace and knowledge, recognizing Christ as their head and Father as Christ's head, should all be at one.
I'm about to explain one of the things that seem to so confuse those who have decided to throw away their love of the new covenant and what our Savior did, and so rather than keep the law (including the holy days) under new covenant law, they believe they are to keep the old covenant, which is INSANE, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep it perfectly. There are many things that are impossible to do. There is no temple, no Levitical priesthood, etc. These people MISS THE BOAT! They teach penile flesh circumcision is still a must. They teach wearing tassels is a must. Oddly enough, though, though they condemn themselves with their own WORDS that they must keep ALL OF THE LAW OF MOSES IN LETTER, I don't know any of them that wear scriptures on their hands and foreheads. Oh, there are Jews who still wear phylacteries on their foreheads. Looks absolutely ridiculous! Just do a Google image search. Does that honestly help them keep the law? Certainly not the way God expects one to. ONLY having the begettal of the God Spirit helps keep the law in spirit as God intends. The person always is WANTING to do what is right and is so properly led to do righteousness. My almost-eight-year-old son is just a child, and even he understands. He says, "Momma, it's hard to not do the wrong thing." And I did a video interview with him regarding penile circumcision, and he revealed how absolutely carnal and ridiculous the people with carnal covenant mindset are. He understands one must be changed IN THE HEART. Carnal people are concerned with OUTER SHOW.
FOREVER! The carnal covenant people are stuck on this word "forever" in the old covenant scriptures. Some of them seem to even think it means "eternal." Well, I'm sure we'd all agree that we should NEVER commit adultery. We should ALWAYS/FOREVER keep our marital vows. Right? But, what does NEVER, ALWAYS, and FOREVER mean? Man marries. God does not. When we are no longer in the family of man but are in the family of God, there will be no marriages. No need for such a law for eternity, is there? Even in the family of man, FOREVER does not literally mean FOREVER, does it? What if the covenant is broken by death? Is not the person freed from the covenant to his or her spouse?
If I told my young children to ALWAYS hold my hands or hold each other's hands before walking across the road or parking lot, to NEVER not hold my hand, what does that mean? Are they expected to be attached to me literally ALWAYS/FOREVER until I die? When they become adults, does that rule still apply, even though I said ALWAYS/FOREVER? Of course not! People who actually REASON in their heads know this is not the case.
I'm now to going to quote what I said in another recent blog post that discusses the "forever" issue:
2. Under the old covenant, per the law of Moses, a person is commanded to choose a physically unblemished lamb, a male yearling, on the tenth day of the first month of the year and keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, take the blood and paint the doorposts of his home, roast the lamb whole (no boiling) and eat the flesh of the entire lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Ex. 12:13). It was to be an ordinance throughout Israel's generations, forever, to remind them of God's saving power to deliver them from Egyptian bondage (vs. 14, 17). However, under the new covenant, Salvation the Anointed King is our spiritually unblemished (I Pet. 1:19) Passover lamb, and he commanded us to keep the NEW covenant Passover with unleavened bread and wine to symbolize his broken body and shed blood and that we are to keep it to remind us of his death, which is God's saving power to deliver us from bondage to sin (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28). Do you keep the old covenant Passover or the new covenant one?
Uh-oh! Those old-covenant teachers MUST reject Salvation's teaching, if they are going to reject Paul for adding or taking away from the law of Moses, because Salvation did it!!!!!!!!! THEIR MOUTHS NEED TO BE SHUT! They keep leading people astray. This goes back to the scriptures Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the Jews were so foolish that they could not see in the reading of the old covenant that the old ordinances were to come to an end. They were TEMPORARY! A daughter is to obey her father FOREVER! But, unless you are a complete fool, you know that the meaning of "forever" that I just used is not as long-lasting as some would like to make you believe that the "forevers" in the old covenant are. When a daughter is given in marriage, she then belongs to her husband and obeys him! IT NEEDS NOT TO BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND!
AND
6. Under the old covenant, it was commanded that we hate certain enemies, for example the Ammonites and Moabites (modern-day Jordanians) were not to enter into God's congregation forever (Deut. 23:3). Oh, look! There are those words "for ever" again (even though it had just said ten generations, so we can use LOGIC and conclude that "for ever" in this verse meant that UNTIL the ten generations were up, the people were forever not to let those people in God's congregation). The Lord Salvation taught that we should love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48) and be forgiving and merciful. We shouldn't judge anyone by what their ancestors did.
Do you now understand that "forever" doesn't mean "eternal" like some will have you believe? Yesterday, a friend of mine posted something on FB about Passover being a commemoration of the exodus of the [physical] Israelites from the Egypt. I commented and said that the old covenant Passover was a commemoration of that event, but the new covenant Passover is a commemoration of our Savior's death, and it has new symbols. HE is our Passover Lamb, and we now partake of unleavened bread and wine as the symbols to symbolize his body and blood. We don't eat his physical body. Those things SYMBOLIZE partaking of his divine nature. In the carnal covenant, people ate a carnal (fleshly) animal--a lamb without physical blemish, but the new covenant Passover is all about remembering the spiritually unblemished Lamb of God who rescued us from SIN. Being released from the bondage of Egypt was a TYPE of being released from the bondage of sin. Another person commented on the post and said that the Passover was commanded to be an "eternal ordinance." I simply replied and said the scriptures taught no such thing. And they don't. Once the plan of salvation, as pictured by the seven feasts and holy days, is complete, there will be no need for the Passover. There won't even be the sun and moon for our times and seasons. There will be no such thing as a solar year, so definitely no Passover in its season. No need for that. The former things will be passed away, our sadness forgotten. And as for THIS TIME, while the Passover DOES still stand, the old covenant one has been REPLACED by the new covenant one.
Of which Passover will you partake? Will you be having a meal of lamb, unleavened bread, and herbs and be spending your time thinking of the physical nation of Israel being led out of Egypt, or will you eat your meal of whatever before you partake of the new covenant Passover, which is not a meal but the partaking of unleavened bread and wine while meditating on Christ's death and how we need to partake of his Godly spiritual nature? Old covenant law or new covenant law? If you do the former, you break the latter. You decide. The old covenant is DEAD, just as a husband of a wife can die. I'm betrothed to Christ. Which covenant have you entered?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
New Covenant Does Not Abolish Law But Does Abolish Old Covenant
This is somewhat of a continuance of my last post. Friends, are we humble and wish to honestly grow in grace and knowledge?
Those who claim with their lips and the words of their mouth that they accept Salvation--Jesus Christ/Yeshua Messiah--but who then turn around and teach that all must still keep the entire old covenant law are in actions rejecting Salvation. Some openly reject Paul and all his writings, but since Paul was very much at one with Salvation, they also reject Salvation's teachings with their actions, though they don't dare do so with their words.
Friend, are YOU one being deceived by such teachers? Are YOU then turning around and teaching others they must do the same?
First, you must identify whether you truly are a Paul-rejector or not. Some openly reject Paul, but others know if they reject Paul's writings, the validity of all the scriptures then comes into question, so they accept Paul's teachings with their lips, but in their actions and their teachings to others, they in fact reject Paul. In rejecting Paul, people are truly rejecting Salvation, too, although they may not realize it. Now, read the following words of my sleeping brother Paul, and ask yourself whether you are allowing yourself to be blinded and whether you ACCEPT or REJECT Paul's words:
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart (2 Cor. 3:14-15).
Before I write more, I want to share the commentary on verse 14 by Albert Barnes, the 19th century Protestant theologian, as his commentary on this is very applicable (my bold and underlining for emphasis):
But their minds were blinded - The word used here (πωρόω pōroō) means rather to harden; to make hard like stone; and then to make dull or stupid. It is applied to the heart, in Mark 6:52; Mark 8:17; to persons, in Romans 11:7; and to the eyes, in Job 17:7. Paul refers here to the fact that the understandings of the Jews were stupid, dull, and insensible, so that they did not see clearly the design and end of their own institutions. He states simply the fact; he does not refer to the cause of it. The fact that the Jews were thus stupid and dull is often affirmed in the New Testament.
For until this day ... - The sense of this is, that even to the time when Paul wrote, it was a characteristic of the great mass of the Jewish people, that they did not understand the true sense of their own Scriptures. They did not understand its doctrines in regard to the Messiah. A veil seems to be thrown over the Old Testament when they read it, as there was over the face of Moses, so that the glory of their own Scriptures is concealed from their view, as the glory of the face of Moses was hidden.
Of the Old Testament - Greek, "of the old covenant." See this word "testament," or covenant, explained in the notes on 1 Corinthians 11:25. This, I believe, is the only instance in which the Scriptures of the Jews are called the "Old Testament," or covenant, in the Bible. It was, of course, not a name which they used, or would use; but it is now with Christians the common appellation. No doubt can be entertained but that Paul uses the terms in the same manner in which we now do, and refers to all the inspired writings of the Jews.
Which vail is done away in Christ - In the manifestation, or appearance of Jesus the Messiah, the veil is removed. The obscurity which rested on the prophecies and types of the former dispensation is withdrawn; and as the face of Moses could have been distinctly seen if the veil on his face had been removed, so it is in regard to the true meaning of the Old Testament by the coming of the Messiah. What was obscure is now made clear; and the prophecies are so completely fulfilled in him, that his coming has removed the covering, and shed a clear light over them all. Many of the prophecies, for example, until the Messiah actually appeared, appeared obscure, and almost contradictory. Those which spoke of him, for illustration, as man and as God; as suffering, and yet reigning; as dying, and yet as ever-living; as a mighty Prince, a conqueror, and a king, and yet as a man of sorrows; as humble, and yet glorious: all seemed difficult to be reconciled until they were seen to harmonize in Jesus of Nazareth. Then they were plain, and the veil was taken away. Christ is seen to answer all the previous descriptions of him in the Old Testament; and his coming casts a clear light on all which was before obscure.
Adam Clarke's commentary may be even better, and it's shorter and more to the point:
But their minds were blinded - By resting in the letter, shutting their eyes against the light that was granted to them, they contracted a hardness or stupidity of heart. And the veil that was on the face of Moses, which prevented the glory of his face from shining out, may be considered as emblematical of the veil of darkness and ignorance that is on their hearts, and which hinders the glory of the Gospel from shining in.
Until this day remaineth the same veil - They are still ignorant of the spiritual meaning and intention of their own law, called here παλαια διαθηκη, the old covenant. See the word explained in the preface to St. Matthew.
In the reading of the Old Testament - Here is an evident allusion to the conduct of the Jews in their synagogues: when they read the law they cover their whole head with a veil, which they term the טלית tallith, veil, from טלל talal, to cover; and this voluntary usage of theirs, the apostle tells us, is an emblem of the darkness of their hearts while they are employed even in sacred duties.
Which veil is done away in Christ - It is only by acknowledging Christ that the darkness is removed, and the end and spiritual meaning of the law discerned.
Aha! The false teachers out there who are into this "Messianic Judaism" religion and others who teach the new covenant is not really the new covenant but rather a "renewed" old covenant are BLIND like the Jews, not understanding the meaning of the old covenant scriptures. They do not want to accept the new covenant so that they can have the veil removed, because they are too concerned about LOOKING OUTWARDLY RIGHTEOUS TO MEN! (Note: I blow to pieces the false teaching of the "renewed covenant" by going to the actual Hebrew. Click here for my study article. It's the first point after the introduction.)
If a person would just READ the gospels and Hebrews and Paul's writings, I would think the confusion would go away, mostly, anyway, but I'm not sure what people are doing. I think they are too busy listening to their false teachers and desiring to look outwardly righteous, instead of actually READING and STUDYING the scriptures.
Let's look at some of the laws that CONDEMN the false teachers out there who teach we must go by ALL the law as given to Moses, the written law that was given as what we now call the old covenant. Remember first, the promise of the Savior was given to Abraham 430 years BEFORE the old covenant, so the old covenant could not annul the new covenant (see Gal. 3:15-29). Please get your bible, and CHECK the scripture references. PROVE what I'm saying, whether it's right or wrong:
1. Under the old covenant, the law states that gentiles must be circumcised (in the penis) in order to partake of the Passover (ref. Ex. 12:48). The new covenant Passover was instituted by Christ (ref. Luke 22:20; Mark 14:24; Matt. 26:28). Under the new covenant, gentiles who wanted to join God's covenant, circumcision is not required (ref. Acts 15:24; Rom. 2:28-29; I Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:12-13, 15) and for those of Israel or Judah who enter the new covenant, at that time it would have been irrelevant to discuss circumcision, because such men were already circed in the penis from infancy. What our parents do to us during infancy has no bearing on what kind of person we end up being and whether we choose to serve God when we become adults. We are to examine ourselves before partaking of the new covenant Passover so that we do not partake of it unworthily. If the old covenant regulations still stand, then an uncircumcised male (regardless of blood heritage) would be partaking of it unworthily.
2. Under the old covenant, per the law of Moses, a person is commanded to choose a physically unblemished lamb, a male yearling, on the tenth day of the first month of the year and keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, take the blood and paint the doorposts of his home, roast the lamb whole (no boiling) and eat the flesh of the entire lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Ex. 12:13). It was to be an ordinance throughout Israel's generations, forever, to remind them of God's saving power to deliver them from Egyptian bondage (vs. 14, 17). However, under the new covenant, Salvation the Anointed King is our spiritually unblemished (I Pet. 1:19) Passover lamb, and he commanded us to keep the NEW covenant Passover with unleavened bread and wine to symbolize his broken body and shed blood and that we are to keep it to remind us of his death, which is God's saving power to deliver us from bondage to sin (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28). Do you keep the old covenant Passover or the new covenant one?
Uh-oh! Those old-covenant teachers MUST reject Salvation's teaching, if they are going to reject Paul for adding or taking away from the law of Moses, because Salvation did it!!!!!!!!! THEIR MOUTHS NEED TO BE SHUT! They keep leading people astray. This goes back to the scriptures Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the Jews were so foolish that they could not see in the reading of the old covenant that the old ordinances were to come to an end. They were TEMPORARY! A daughter is to obey her father FOREVER! But, unless you are a complete fool, you know that the meaning of "forever" that I just used is not as long-lasting as some would like to make you believe that the "forevers" in the old covenant are. When a daughter is given in marriage, she then belongs to her husband and obeys him! IT NEEDS NOT TO BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND!
3. Under the old covenant law of Moses, a person was commanded to pay damages for physical hurt done to another human being (Ex. 21:24-25; Lev. 24:20), but the Anointed One pointed out that we should have mercy for those who deserve it (Matt. 5:38-40).
4. Under the old covenant law of Moses, it was permissible for a man to write a bill of divorce to his wife, if she did not find favor in his eyes and that she could then be another man's wife (Deut. 24:1-2; Matt. 19:7). But, Salvation said that unless she was put away for fornication, one should not divorce, and if one does and marries another, it is adultery and causes the woman to commit adultery if she marries another (Matt. 19:9; 5:31-32). He said, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts allowed you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so (Matt. 19:8). DID YOU CATCH THAT? READ IT FROM YOUR BIBLE. MEDITATE ON IT. FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO! JUST LIKE FROM THE BEGINNING, A LOT OF THINGS DONE UNDER THE OLD COVENANT WAS NOT SO. IT WAS A CARNAL COVENANT MEANT TO BE A TEMPORARY SCHOOLTEACHER, BUT SO MANY STILL DON'T GET IT.
5. Under the old covenant law of Moses, vows were to be sworn unto Jehovah by His name (ref. Deut. 23:23). Salvation, however, when he came to preach the Kingdom of God (Matt. 11:13; Luke 16:16), taught that we should not swear by the name of God nor anyone or anything else, but let our yes be yes and our no be no (Matt. 5:33-35).
6. Under the old covenant, it was commanded that we hate certain enemies, for example the Ammonites and Moabites (modern-day Jordanians) were not to enter into God's congregation forever (Deut. 23:3). Oh, look! There are those words "for ever" again (even though it had just said ten generations, so we can use LOGIC and conclude that "for ever" in this verse meant that UNTIL the ten generations were up, the people were forever not to let those people in God's congregation). The Lord Salvation taught that we should love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48) and be forgiving and merciful. We shouldn't judge anyone by what their ancestors did.
7. Under the old covenant, in order to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, you were commanded to take the fruit of good trees, the branches of palm trees, fruits of thick trees, and willows of the brook. (Wonder how I'd obey, when there are no palm trees here. Lev. 23:40) Under the new covenant, of course, a visit to Jerusalem is not required to keep the feasts of God, and the new covenant temple are the members of the Church, the Body of Christ. Jesus, our Lord Salvation, said that the Father sought those to worship him in SPIRIT and TRUTH, and so would not be worshiping in Jerusalem (John 4:21-24). This applies to everything else festival-related that was required under the old covenant to be done in Jerusalem. Are you reading the scriptures? Are you checking these things out for yourself? Are you either blindly agreeing with me or blowing off what I say so that you can continue on believing as you are setting your heart to do so, or are you putting away your laziness and checking these scriptures?
8. Under the old covenant, the priesthood was of the tribe of Levi (Deut. 18:1; 21:5; 31:9). Priests were to be chosen only from the Levites. In addition, such men were not to bear any physical blemishes, such as blindness, lameness, flat nose, hunch-backed, scarred or scabbed up, etc. (Lev. 21:18-23). Under the new covenant the priesthood is headed by Christ (who was of Judah), his being the high priest and all those during the Church age who are begotten with God's Spirit--the Holy Seed--make up the new covenant priesthood. Whereas the Levitical priests offered up physical sacrifices of grain, flesh, etc., we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Study the following scriptures: 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 1:6; 5:10. Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua) was prophesied by Isaiah not to be a good-looking man that any person would naturally desire him for his looks (Isa. 53:2). It says no where that he had any deformities, but he was not handsome. It was to be deliberate. God desires sons who look at things as He does, judging the spiritual things and not the physical. Believe it or not, this was revealed here and there throughout the old covenant writings! It was repeated that one should circumcise his heart and that one should not judge outer appearance and that God didn't desire sacrifice but obedience and on and on.
If you read and study carefully, you'll notice the very few people you read about in old covenant times who possessed God's Spirit were not carnal. David did not even visit the priests for sin sacrifice after his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah (Psa. 51:16-17). He spoke to Heavenly Father and said that he knew God did not desire burnt animal sacrifice, OTHERWISE HE'D GIVE IT, but he knew God wanted a broken spirit (over his sin) and a contrite heart. He and the priest also broke the law of Moses at another time when he was running away from Saul, by eating the shewbread (I Sam. 21:1-6; Matt. 12:1-7). Yet, David has been chosen to be the king heading the entire twelve tribes of Israel during the Kingdom of God age on this earth (Eze. 34:23-24). Of course, Salvation shall be the top King of all, and there will be ranks. Underneath David, but also over the twelve tribes of Israel, will be the original twelve apostles (not Judas Iscariot but Matthias, his replacement) over each tribe, and so on. David was truly a man after God's own heart, and he could see past the old covenant rituals. He understood that they were a schoolteacher for carnal men. He knew it was a man's covenant, a carnal covenant, to point out the fault of the way a man thinks and judges things, all based on OUTWARD SHOW in the FLESH. Then the new covenant shows God's heart, His view, the perfect way God thinks and judges things, all based on the INWARD HEART in the SPIRIT.
9. Under the old covenant, Israel was commanded not to eat an animal that died of itself. We who live with our modern advanced knowledge don't need an in-depth explanation of this. We know why it's not a good idea to do this. The animal may have died of a bad disease, which could then be passed on to you. Now, it was allowed, however, to be given to the gentiles who lived within Israel's borders (Deut. 14:21). Now, if you have a Godly heart, I would hope that you do not have BLINDERS on your eyes, that you cannot see a problem--a FAULT--with this. Now, as I explained in my recently published book God's Law of Love, The Perfect Law of Liberty: Jehovah's Ten Commandments Still Apply Today, for a very poor gentile neighbor, if he had nothing to eat and would otherwise be starving, eating the flesh from such an animal might be a better risk than not having anything to eat at all, but if you truly have the HEART OF A SON OF GOD, and you could afford to do so, then you would rather let the death of such an animal be a REMINDER to offer a GOOD and SAFE animal's flesh to your foreigner neighbor who is living in poverty. What true Christian person thinks with the mind of, "My cow just died, and who knows what caused it, but I'm going to give it to my black neighbor to eat. He's just a Blackie. He's not as clean as I am, all white and sanctified by God because of my white flesh. It may not be safe for me to eat, but ol' Blackie can eat it."
How SICK, if you actually think this way! Do you not READ through the law of Moses and see the GOOD principles, but do you not also see the FAULT, the SHORTCOMINGS of some of it??? Are you BLIND to it all, as Paul said of the Jews of his day? Are you so carnal? Some things were ALLOWED under the old covenant, because of the HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS, the CARNALITY of the people. But those who possessed Godly hearts lived more Godly than what the law of Moses allowed. They did not seek divorces over little things. They did not seek out multiple wives. They did not give animals that died of themselves to their foreigner neighbors. They did not feel the need to wear phylacteries on their foreheads (ironically enough, Jews still do this today, as seen here, but I've YET TO SEE those who insist on penile circumcision of their sons and wearing of tassels in their clothes wear phylacteries on their foreheads. INSANITY!!!!!! HYPOCRITES, HYPOCRITES, HYPOCRITES! CAN YOU SAY, "HYPOCRITES?!" Oh, yeah, of all those who hurl their condemnations at me because I live the new covenant and will not live their old covenant ways and teach others to do so (b/c they won't to make a boast in the flesh--Gal. 6:13), NOT ONE have I seen wear phylacteries on their foreheads and things attached to their hands!
Now, is it SIN to circumcise your sons or to wear tassels or any of these other things? NO, absolutely NOT! But, it is a sin to reject the new covenant by mandating that others keep the old covenant (the promise of Messiah was BEFORE the old covenant, do not forget). And they are certainly putting themselves under a CURSE, because CURSED is the person who enters the old covenant and who fails to do all the things commanded therein. Many of the things are IMPOSSIBLE to keep right now, for there is no temple in Jerusalem, and many could not visit three times a year, every year, even if there was. Just CRAZY, the things people believe and teach.
10. The last example I care to give time to give (ten is enough) is that under the old covenant women who gave birth to a child were to go through a cleansing period (Lev. 12:1-8). Now, it is true that a woman should rest and recover, and it is true that a woman should abstain from sex until she is finished bleeding and goes through her physical cleansing. Usually the bleeding lasts no longer than six weeks (or around the 40 days the law of Moses prescribed for cleansing for a male child). The law of Moses, though, prescribed EIGHTY days for a female child. In addition, during the entire time of this cleansing, a woman was not allowed to go to worship services or to touch ANY HALLOWED THING. Can you imagine that God, who wants to be worshiped in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, would mandate a woman under the new and better covenant not to touch her bible so that she can read the Word of God for six to twelve weeks? The HOLY Word of God. Do you believe a woman is to stay away from her congregation (if she has one) for six to twelve weeks? What about the sacrifice that she is to make at the temple afterward? You are not doing a good job of keeping the old covenant if you are not visiting the Jerusalem temple to make the commanded sacrifices! A bit of a dilemma, wouldn't you say?!
Of course, if you are reading this and have any sense at all, and especially if you have the heart of God, if you are truly a begotten son of God and know or are learning to know how to please God, you surely realize how UTTERLY RIDICULOUS some people can be, and they are DECEIVING many. False prophets abound!
The bottom line is this: The new covenant does not do away with doing good, keeping the law in the spirit, but it does do away with the old covenant! People loved God and their fellow man BEFORE the establishment of the old covenant. People kept the Ten Commandments BEFORE Moses delivered them at Sinai, BEFORE all those added old covenant things were enacted. People put God first, worshiped Him in Spirit and Truth without bowing to images, they did not worship him in vain or blaspheme His Holy Name, they kept the Sabbath holy, they honored their parents, they did not murder, they did not commit adultery, they did not steal, nor did they lie, nor did they covet. They kept the dietary and agricultural regulations that were given from the beginning. All that was done by righteous men BEFORE the old covenant, and it can surely be done now.
Those who claim with their lips and the words of their mouth that they accept Salvation--Jesus Christ/Yeshua Messiah--but who then turn around and teach that all must still keep the entire old covenant law are in actions rejecting Salvation. Some openly reject Paul and all his writings, but since Paul was very much at one with Salvation, they also reject Salvation's teachings with their actions, though they don't dare do so with their words.
Friend, are YOU one being deceived by such teachers? Are YOU then turning around and teaching others they must do the same?
THE NEW COVENANT CERTAINLY DOES NOT DO AWAY WITH THE LAW OF GOD, BUT THE NEW COVENANT DOES DO AWAY WITH THE OLD COVENANT!
First, you must identify whether you truly are a Paul-rejector or not. Some openly reject Paul, but others know if they reject Paul's writings, the validity of all the scriptures then comes into question, so they accept Paul's teachings with their lips, but in their actions and their teachings to others, they in fact reject Paul. In rejecting Paul, people are truly rejecting Salvation, too, although they may not realize it. Now, read the following words of my sleeping brother Paul, and ask yourself whether you are allowing yourself to be blinded and whether you ACCEPT or REJECT Paul's words:
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart (2 Cor. 3:14-15).
Before I write more, I want to share the commentary on verse 14 by Albert Barnes, the 19th century Protestant theologian, as his commentary on this is very applicable (my bold and underlining for emphasis):
But their minds were blinded - The word used here (πωρόω pōroō) means rather to harden; to make hard like stone; and then to make dull or stupid. It is applied to the heart, in Mark 6:52; Mark 8:17; to persons, in Romans 11:7; and to the eyes, in Job 17:7. Paul refers here to the fact that the understandings of the Jews were stupid, dull, and insensible, so that they did not see clearly the design and end of their own institutions. He states simply the fact; he does not refer to the cause of it. The fact that the Jews were thus stupid and dull is often affirmed in the New Testament.
For until this day ... - The sense of this is, that even to the time when Paul wrote, it was a characteristic of the great mass of the Jewish people, that they did not understand the true sense of their own Scriptures. They did not understand its doctrines in regard to the Messiah. A veil seems to be thrown over the Old Testament when they read it, as there was over the face of Moses, so that the glory of their own Scriptures is concealed from their view, as the glory of the face of Moses was hidden.
Of the Old Testament - Greek, "of the old covenant." See this word "testament," or covenant, explained in the notes on 1 Corinthians 11:25. This, I believe, is the only instance in which the Scriptures of the Jews are called the "Old Testament," or covenant, in the Bible. It was, of course, not a name which they used, or would use; but it is now with Christians the common appellation. No doubt can be entertained but that Paul uses the terms in the same manner in which we now do, and refers to all the inspired writings of the Jews.
Which vail is done away in Christ - In the manifestation, or appearance of Jesus the Messiah, the veil is removed. The obscurity which rested on the prophecies and types of the former dispensation is withdrawn; and as the face of Moses could have been distinctly seen if the veil on his face had been removed, so it is in regard to the true meaning of the Old Testament by the coming of the Messiah. What was obscure is now made clear; and the prophecies are so completely fulfilled in him, that his coming has removed the covering, and shed a clear light over them all. Many of the prophecies, for example, until the Messiah actually appeared, appeared obscure, and almost contradictory. Those which spoke of him, for illustration, as man and as God; as suffering, and yet reigning; as dying, and yet as ever-living; as a mighty Prince, a conqueror, and a king, and yet as a man of sorrows; as humble, and yet glorious: all seemed difficult to be reconciled until they were seen to harmonize in Jesus of Nazareth. Then they were plain, and the veil was taken away. Christ is seen to answer all the previous descriptions of him in the Old Testament; and his coming casts a clear light on all which was before obscure.
Adam Clarke's commentary may be even better, and it's shorter and more to the point:
But their minds were blinded - By resting in the letter, shutting their eyes against the light that was granted to them, they contracted a hardness or stupidity of heart. And the veil that was on the face of Moses, which prevented the glory of his face from shining out, may be considered as emblematical of the veil of darkness and ignorance that is on their hearts, and which hinders the glory of the Gospel from shining in.
Until this day remaineth the same veil - They are still ignorant of the spiritual meaning and intention of their own law, called here παλαια διαθηκη, the old covenant. See the word explained in the preface to St. Matthew.
In the reading of the Old Testament - Here is an evident allusion to the conduct of the Jews in their synagogues: when they read the law they cover their whole head with a veil, which they term the טלית tallith, veil, from טלל talal, to cover; and this voluntary usage of theirs, the apostle tells us, is an emblem of the darkness of their hearts while they are employed even in sacred duties.
Which veil is done away in Christ - It is only by acknowledging Christ that the darkness is removed, and the end and spiritual meaning of the law discerned.
Aha! The false teachers out there who are into this "Messianic Judaism" religion and others who teach the new covenant is not really the new covenant but rather a "renewed" old covenant are BLIND like the Jews, not understanding the meaning of the old covenant scriptures. They do not want to accept the new covenant so that they can have the veil removed, because they are too concerned about LOOKING OUTWARDLY RIGHTEOUS TO MEN! (Note: I blow to pieces the false teaching of the "renewed covenant" by going to the actual Hebrew. Click here for my study article. It's the first point after the introduction.)
If a person would just READ the gospels and Hebrews and Paul's writings, I would think the confusion would go away, mostly, anyway, but I'm not sure what people are doing. I think they are too busy listening to their false teachers and desiring to look outwardly righteous, instead of actually READING and STUDYING the scriptures.
Let's look at some of the laws that CONDEMN the false teachers out there who teach we must go by ALL the law as given to Moses, the written law that was given as what we now call the old covenant. Remember first, the promise of the Savior was given to Abraham 430 years BEFORE the old covenant, so the old covenant could not annul the new covenant (see Gal. 3:15-29). Please get your bible, and CHECK the scripture references. PROVE what I'm saying, whether it's right or wrong:
1. Under the old covenant, the law states that gentiles must be circumcised (in the penis) in order to partake of the Passover (ref. Ex. 12:48). The new covenant Passover was instituted by Christ (ref. Luke 22:20; Mark 14:24; Matt. 26:28). Under the new covenant, gentiles who wanted to join God's covenant, circumcision is not required (ref. Acts 15:24; Rom. 2:28-29; I Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:12-13, 15) and for those of Israel or Judah who enter the new covenant, at that time it would have been irrelevant to discuss circumcision, because such men were already circed in the penis from infancy. What our parents do to us during infancy has no bearing on what kind of person we end up being and whether we choose to serve God when we become adults. We are to examine ourselves before partaking of the new covenant Passover so that we do not partake of it unworthily. If the old covenant regulations still stand, then an uncircumcised male (regardless of blood heritage) would be partaking of it unworthily.
2. Under the old covenant, per the law of Moses, a person is commanded to choose a physically unblemished lamb, a male yearling, on the tenth day of the first month of the year and keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, take the blood and paint the doorposts of his home, roast the lamb whole (no boiling) and eat the flesh of the entire lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Ex. 12:13). It was to be an ordinance throughout Israel's generations, forever, to remind them of God's saving power to deliver them from Egyptian bondage (vs. 14, 17). However, under the new covenant, Salvation the Anointed King is our spiritually unblemished (I Pet. 1:19) Passover lamb, and he commanded us to keep the NEW covenant Passover with unleavened bread and wine to symbolize his broken body and shed blood and that we are to keep it to remind us of his death, which is God's saving power to deliver us from bondage to sin (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28). Do you keep the old covenant Passover or the new covenant one?
Uh-oh! Those old-covenant teachers MUST reject Salvation's teaching, if they are going to reject Paul for adding or taking away from the law of Moses, because Salvation did it!!!!!!!!! THEIR MOUTHS NEED TO BE SHUT! They keep leading people astray. This goes back to the scriptures Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the Jews were so foolish that they could not see in the reading of the old covenant that the old ordinances were to come to an end. They were TEMPORARY! A daughter is to obey her father FOREVER! But, unless you are a complete fool, you know that the meaning of "forever" that I just used is not as long-lasting as some would like to make you believe that the "forevers" in the old covenant are. When a daughter is given in marriage, she then belongs to her husband and obeys him! IT NEEDS NOT TO BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND!
3. Under the old covenant law of Moses, a person was commanded to pay damages for physical hurt done to another human being (Ex. 21:24-25; Lev. 24:20), but the Anointed One pointed out that we should have mercy for those who deserve it (Matt. 5:38-40).
4. Under the old covenant law of Moses, it was permissible for a man to write a bill of divorce to his wife, if she did not find favor in his eyes and that she could then be another man's wife (Deut. 24:1-2; Matt. 19:7). But, Salvation said that unless she was put away for fornication, one should not divorce, and if one does and marries another, it is adultery and causes the woman to commit adultery if she marries another (Matt. 19:9; 5:31-32). He said, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts allowed you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so (Matt. 19:8). DID YOU CATCH THAT? READ IT FROM YOUR BIBLE. MEDITATE ON IT. FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO! JUST LIKE FROM THE BEGINNING, A LOT OF THINGS DONE UNDER THE OLD COVENANT WAS NOT SO. IT WAS A CARNAL COVENANT MEANT TO BE A TEMPORARY SCHOOLTEACHER, BUT SO MANY STILL DON'T GET IT.
5. Under the old covenant law of Moses, vows were to be sworn unto Jehovah by His name (ref. Deut. 23:23). Salvation, however, when he came to preach the Kingdom of God (Matt. 11:13; Luke 16:16), taught that we should not swear by the name of God nor anyone or anything else, but let our yes be yes and our no be no (Matt. 5:33-35).
6. Under the old covenant, it was commanded that we hate certain enemies, for example the Ammonites and Moabites (modern-day Jordanians) were not to enter into God's congregation forever (Deut. 23:3). Oh, look! There are those words "for ever" again (even though it had just said ten generations, so we can use LOGIC and conclude that "for ever" in this verse meant that UNTIL the ten generations were up, the people were forever not to let those people in God's congregation). The Lord Salvation taught that we should love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48) and be forgiving and merciful. We shouldn't judge anyone by what their ancestors did.
7. Under the old covenant, in order to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, you were commanded to take the fruit of good trees, the branches of palm trees, fruits of thick trees, and willows of the brook. (Wonder how I'd obey, when there are no palm trees here. Lev. 23:40) Under the new covenant, of course, a visit to Jerusalem is not required to keep the feasts of God, and the new covenant temple are the members of the Church, the Body of Christ. Jesus, our Lord Salvation, said that the Father sought those to worship him in SPIRIT and TRUTH, and so would not be worshiping in Jerusalem (John 4:21-24). This applies to everything else festival-related that was required under the old covenant to be done in Jerusalem. Are you reading the scriptures? Are you checking these things out for yourself? Are you either blindly agreeing with me or blowing off what I say so that you can continue on believing as you are setting your heart to do so, or are you putting away your laziness and checking these scriptures?
8. Under the old covenant, the priesthood was of the tribe of Levi (Deut. 18:1; 21:5; 31:9). Priests were to be chosen only from the Levites. In addition, such men were not to bear any physical blemishes, such as blindness, lameness, flat nose, hunch-backed, scarred or scabbed up, etc. (Lev. 21:18-23). Under the new covenant the priesthood is headed by Christ (who was of Judah), his being the high priest and all those during the Church age who are begotten with God's Spirit--the Holy Seed--make up the new covenant priesthood. Whereas the Levitical priests offered up physical sacrifices of grain, flesh, etc., we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Study the following scriptures: 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 1:6; 5:10. Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua) was prophesied by Isaiah not to be a good-looking man that any person would naturally desire him for his looks (Isa. 53:2). It says no where that he had any deformities, but he was not handsome. It was to be deliberate. God desires sons who look at things as He does, judging the spiritual things and not the physical. Believe it or not, this was revealed here and there throughout the old covenant writings! It was repeated that one should circumcise his heart and that one should not judge outer appearance and that God didn't desire sacrifice but obedience and on and on.
If you read and study carefully, you'll notice the very few people you read about in old covenant times who possessed God's Spirit were not carnal. David did not even visit the priests for sin sacrifice after his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah (Psa. 51:16-17). He spoke to Heavenly Father and said that he knew God did not desire burnt animal sacrifice, OTHERWISE HE'D GIVE IT, but he knew God wanted a broken spirit (over his sin) and a contrite heart. He and the priest also broke the law of Moses at another time when he was running away from Saul, by eating the shewbread (I Sam. 21:1-6; Matt. 12:1-7). Yet, David has been chosen to be the king heading the entire twelve tribes of Israel during the Kingdom of God age on this earth (Eze. 34:23-24). Of course, Salvation shall be the top King of all, and there will be ranks. Underneath David, but also over the twelve tribes of Israel, will be the original twelve apostles (not Judas Iscariot but Matthias, his replacement) over each tribe, and so on. David was truly a man after God's own heart, and he could see past the old covenant rituals. He understood that they were a schoolteacher for carnal men. He knew it was a man's covenant, a carnal covenant, to point out the fault of the way a man thinks and judges things, all based on OUTWARD SHOW in the FLESH. Then the new covenant shows God's heart, His view, the perfect way God thinks and judges things, all based on the INWARD HEART in the SPIRIT.
If you want to please God, you need to start thinking the way Salvation did, the way David did, the way Paul did, the way all God's true Spirit-begotten servants think. You need to stop thinking carnally, because you cannot please God that way, though you may be deceiving yourself and others that you can.
9. Under the old covenant, Israel was commanded not to eat an animal that died of itself. We who live with our modern advanced knowledge don't need an in-depth explanation of this. We know why it's not a good idea to do this. The animal may have died of a bad disease, which could then be passed on to you. Now, it was allowed, however, to be given to the gentiles who lived within Israel's borders (Deut. 14:21). Now, if you have a Godly heart, I would hope that you do not have BLINDERS on your eyes, that you cannot see a problem--a FAULT--with this. Now, as I explained in my recently published book God's Law of Love, The Perfect Law of Liberty: Jehovah's Ten Commandments Still Apply Today, for a very poor gentile neighbor, if he had nothing to eat and would otherwise be starving, eating the flesh from such an animal might be a better risk than not having anything to eat at all, but if you truly have the HEART OF A SON OF GOD, and you could afford to do so, then you would rather let the death of such an animal be a REMINDER to offer a GOOD and SAFE animal's flesh to your foreigner neighbor who is living in poverty. What true Christian person thinks with the mind of, "My cow just died, and who knows what caused it, but I'm going to give it to my black neighbor to eat. He's just a Blackie. He's not as clean as I am, all white and sanctified by God because of my white flesh. It may not be safe for me to eat, but ol' Blackie can eat it."
How SICK, if you actually think this way! Do you not READ through the law of Moses and see the GOOD principles, but do you not also see the FAULT, the SHORTCOMINGS of some of it??? Are you BLIND to it all, as Paul said of the Jews of his day? Are you so carnal? Some things were ALLOWED under the old covenant, because of the HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS, the CARNALITY of the people. But those who possessed Godly hearts lived more Godly than what the law of Moses allowed. They did not seek divorces over little things. They did not seek out multiple wives. They did not give animals that died of themselves to their foreigner neighbors. They did not feel the need to wear phylacteries on their foreheads (ironically enough, Jews still do this today, as seen here, but I've YET TO SEE those who insist on penile circumcision of their sons and wearing of tassels in their clothes wear phylacteries on their foreheads. INSANITY!!!!!! HYPOCRITES, HYPOCRITES, HYPOCRITES! CAN YOU SAY, "HYPOCRITES?!" Oh, yeah, of all those who hurl their condemnations at me because I live the new covenant and will not live their old covenant ways and teach others to do so (b/c they won't to make a boast in the flesh--Gal. 6:13), NOT ONE have I seen wear phylacteries on their foreheads and things attached to their hands!
Now, is it SIN to circumcise your sons or to wear tassels or any of these other things? NO, absolutely NOT! But, it is a sin to reject the new covenant by mandating that others keep the old covenant (the promise of Messiah was BEFORE the old covenant, do not forget). And they are certainly putting themselves under a CURSE, because CURSED is the person who enters the old covenant and who fails to do all the things commanded therein. Many of the things are IMPOSSIBLE to keep right now, for there is no temple in Jerusalem, and many could not visit three times a year, every year, even if there was. Just CRAZY, the things people believe and teach.
10. The last example I care to give time to give (ten is enough) is that under the old covenant women who gave birth to a child were to go through a cleansing period (Lev. 12:1-8). Now, it is true that a woman should rest and recover, and it is true that a woman should abstain from sex until she is finished bleeding and goes through her physical cleansing. Usually the bleeding lasts no longer than six weeks (or around the 40 days the law of Moses prescribed for cleansing for a male child). The law of Moses, though, prescribed EIGHTY days for a female child. In addition, during the entire time of this cleansing, a woman was not allowed to go to worship services or to touch ANY HALLOWED THING. Can you imagine that God, who wants to be worshiped in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, would mandate a woman under the new and better covenant not to touch her bible so that she can read the Word of God for six to twelve weeks? The HOLY Word of God. Do you believe a woman is to stay away from her congregation (if she has one) for six to twelve weeks? What about the sacrifice that she is to make at the temple afterward? You are not doing a good job of keeping the old covenant if you are not visiting the Jerusalem temple to make the commanded sacrifices! A bit of a dilemma, wouldn't you say?!
Of course, if you are reading this and have any sense at all, and especially if you have the heart of God, if you are truly a begotten son of God and know or are learning to know how to please God, you surely realize how UTTERLY RIDICULOUS some people can be, and they are DECEIVING many. False prophets abound!
The bottom line is this: The new covenant does not do away with doing good, keeping the law in the spirit, but it does do away with the old covenant! People loved God and their fellow man BEFORE the establishment of the old covenant. People kept the Ten Commandments BEFORE Moses delivered them at Sinai, BEFORE all those added old covenant things were enacted. People put God first, worshiped Him in Spirit and Truth without bowing to images, they did not worship him in vain or blaspheme His Holy Name, they kept the Sabbath holy, they honored their parents, they did not murder, they did not commit adultery, they did not steal, nor did they lie, nor did they covet. They kept the dietary and agricultural regulations that were given from the beginning. All that was done by righteous men BEFORE the old covenant, and it can surely be done now.
Monday, February 21, 2011
What "The Law Was Added Because of Transgression" Means
There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the meaning of Paul's words to the Galatians when he said:
Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator (Gal. 3:19).
It's really simple, though. Of course, I encourage each one to read the entire context. Here, though, I simply want to lay it out for those who still don't get it, even after reading the context and reading the entire bible.
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve on the sixth work day. He didn't lay out an endless number of statutes for them. He didn't overwhelm them with a lot of rules. Anyone who honestly just reads the opening of Genesis can see that he put them in the garden, told them to take care of it and told them what they could eat for food. The tree of life was also in the garden, and then there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God told Adam and Eve that they were not to eat from that tree, or else they would die. We then know the next day was the seventh day that was sanctified and hallowed, so right from the beginning we see the Sabbath day, the signature mark of the Creator. So things started out in a very BASIC way.
Now, we must ask, WHAT is the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil?" WHAT is the knowledge of good and evil? What do we call something that lets us know what is good and what is evil? Would we not call that law? Of course! Adam and Eve were alive and well, and everything was going smoothly, until they allowed themselves to be deceived by the serpent. Notice what happened. Back in Genesis 2:25 Adam and Eve were naked but were not ashamed, just as young children that do not yet know good from evil are not ashamed. They thought nothing of it. No one TOLD them it was wrong. God did not say, "Oh, and make sure you stay dressed with clothes, because it is not good for you to be naked." But, after they had eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly realized they were naked and covered themselves. They later told the Lord (the one who is the Firstborn of the Father) they were hiding from him because they were naked. He replied, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree from which I told you not to eat?"
Does this not remind you of what Paul said several thousand years later? Read Romans chapter 7, where he talks about how the law gives knowledge of what is good or evil and that he was alive once without the law, but then the commandment came, sin revived, and he died.
EVERY person on this earth, since Adam and Eve ate from the fruit, if they live long enough, comes to a point where their eyes are opened, and they know good from evil. Infants start out innocent and UNKNOWING of good and evil. Small children do not know that being naked in front of others is bad. They do not know that putting their fingers into electric sockets is evil. Little kids do not realize that crawling off the high bed is evil. They don't know these things bring bad consequences! Not until they transgress! THEN once they transgress, they know there is good and evil! Was killing and stealing and lying and such wrong from the beginning, before Adam and Eve knew it was wrong, before they ate from that tree? Of course it was! Did they have such ideas? Was there any written law with judgments laying all this out? No, there was not! Would it have been good for them to have clothes on from the beginning? Yes! But, were they at fault for not having on clothes? No, they had never been given any idea that it was wrong!
If you read my study on the tree of life, you will learn that the tree of life represents Christ. How do we get eternal life? There is only ONE way to salvation, and that is through Salvation the Anointed One, Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah). It's his sacrifice in our place that gives us the gift of eternal life for those who repent of sin [transgression of the law], are baptized, and the receive the Holy Spirit (the seed of God so that we can be born as sons of God at the resurrection).
I try to keep it as simple as possible for my children. The Ten Commandments are summed up by love God with all your heart, mind, and life and love your neighbor as you love yourself. I tell them the Ten Commandments teach us how to do these things. I do not bombard them with a laundry list of things they should do, though, to protect themselves, to protect others, and to protect property. BUT, if they transgress in some way, it becomes needful at times that I ADD LAW.
Just last night my husband was saying to my parents, concerning buying a third game controller, "I've been needing to buy another one, anyway, in case the kids tear up one." This was said in front of our children. This is a no-no, of course, but who is not guilty of doing this at some point? Most parents realize that suggesting this sort of thing in front of our kids puts the idea into their head to do evil. Whereas before, doing such a thing probably would not have crossed their minds, now they are tempted to do just that. Now, does this also sound familiar? Remember what Paul said about the law killing him, because we tend to want to do the opposite of what it says? Any experienced parent knows this is the case with children.
Would I tell my young child, "I just put some matches up in this cabinet. Now don't get into these and start a fire?" NO! I would put the matches up there in hopes that my child will not be snoopy and get into such a thing. I am not going to put the idea into his head to get into the matches. Most children will have a strong temptation to do the exact opposite of what you commanded. Not all children would actually follow through with it, but there would be a strong temptation, whereas if you kept your mouth shut, it would likely not be an issue. Now, let's say nothing was said, but one day the child got into the cabinet for one reason or another, and he happened to see the matches then. It was an unlikely event, but it happened. He was then tempted to use them. Still, a child could make the choice not to do so. But, sometimes a child does. If the latter occurred, THEN law would have to be added. YES! That's right. Oral or written law added AFTER transgression. The law is holy, just, and good, meaning what is good is good, but what was good was good before the giving of the law in a written organized form, full with judgments and then the added rituals. There were faithful and obedient people serving God BEFORE the added law. There were already people following the spiritual law, as written on their hearts, not killing, fornicating, stealing, etc. Yet, some transgressed, so it was needful for an ADDED law in written form, complete with JUDGMENTS for transgression. The animal sacrifices, human priesthood, etc. was to REALLY POINT OUT TO CARNAL-NATURED PEOPLE HOW SERIOUS TRANSGRESSION WAS.
Is that not why so many statutes are ADDED to the U.S. law code (or ANY law code)? The invention of motor vehicles, for example, as a new thing here. AFTER transgression, namely wrecks that caused people's bodies to be flung through the windshields, law was ADDED to include use of seat belts. At some point, law was ADDED for babies and young children to be put in car seats. Is someone foolish enough to say that this law is bad? What fool is willing to say this is a bad law? Is it for the GOOD? Is it to save lives? YES! Now, would there be some fool out there who claims that this is wrongful adding to God's law? Probably so. Now, it is indeed BETTER, as it is under the new covenant, to be led by the Spirit, to have God's law written on our HEARTS, choosing good because we want to do what is right, NOT because there is some written law that has judgments if transgressed. In that case, all that would have to be done is seat belts and car seats would be invented, proven to save lives, and then what fool would not want to use them? A wise person uses them, because he is following God's law of love as written on his or her heart, NOT because the U.S. law mandates them, for we know that not all man made laws are good. SOME are, though, and if it's a life-giving law, then why wouldn't a person follow it?
With increase of KNOWLEDGE, there is more to be decided on what is good and evil. I've written explanation time and again of this. If Moses lived today and was told to give a written law to Israel, it would NOT simply say, concerning safety in housing, "You must build a rail around the top of your roof so that no one falls off." Why, that would likely not even be included, because it DOES NOT APPLY. We do not have flat roofs that we walk upon and use in our every day lives, like people did in ancient Israel. However, there would be statutes like, "Don't let bare wires be exposed in your homes," and "Do not leave electric sockets exposed so that young children do not stick their fingers in them." It would not be just, "Eat only animals that have split hooves and chew the cud," etc., but it would likely be, "Do not eat McDonald's french fries," etc. What fool is there out there who would actually say that the food regulations as given in the law of Moses is good enough and everything else is fine to eat without control? We do not live in that age!
Of course, those of us who are Spirit-led and have God's law written on our hearts, following the law in the spirit, understand this. Believe it or not, though, there are folks out there who believe ONLY what was written by Moses for that day is what applies and that there is no new covenant, only a renewed old covenant. Makes you wonder why those people even bother claiming they have faith in the Messiah, for what would the point of his coming and sacrifice be if the old covenant was simply going to be renewed. That could have been done by any prophet, and there would have been no need of Salvation's sacrifice. There would be no need of a new covenant Passover Lamb. If the old covenant was good enough, some prophet simply could have come on the scene to remind people to be circumcised in the penile flesh, go to the temple in Jerusalem for the feasts, have the priests offer animal sacrifices for the people's sins and their own, etc.
If people would READ the words of people like David, who lived in the time of the old covenant, but who had the Spirit of God, they would see that those few people who lived in that time who had God's Spirit had a new covenant mindset. I don't think people are reading the scriptures for what they say!
Yes, the fact is that most people are CARNAL. They are fleshly-minded. Many do not care to follow any law, certainly not to have it written on their hearts. But, there are others who like others to THINK they are righteous (think of the carnal Pharisees whom Jesus criticized over and over), and so they cling to the old covenant things like penile circumcision, wearing fringes in the garments, etc. so that they appear righteous to others and so they can say to those who don't do those things, "Look at us. We are pleasing to God." Really? What goes on in their hearts, we must wonder. What kind of daily fruit do they bear? In my experience, those who believe old covenant regulations are binding (like penile circumcision) are so much like the Pharisees that Jesus called hypocrites.
Those who believe the law was not ADDED because of transgression need to get studying the scriptures. They need to get a solid understanding of the first two chapters of Genesis, because they obviously do not already understand it. Christ is even recorded of giving examples of where the law of Moses fell short. He said certain things, like a man divorcing a wife if he was not pleased with her, was allowed for the HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS (yes, that's right, they may have had circumcised penises, but they had uncircumcised hearts), but FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO. YES!!!!!!!!!! Even the Lord said with his own mouth that the law of Moses was ADDED. Obviously is was, if something was not so from the beginning, but it was then allowed in the old covenant law of Moses to be more lax. Obviously penile circumcision was not from the beginning. Of course not. That would mean God would have made a mistake with the penis, since he could have just made the penis without the foreskin that extends beyond the head of the penis. It was ADDED. It was given to Abraham as a sign of the covenant. Then later some of his descendants (namely the children of Israel) became slaves to Egypt, and so God worked out a way for them to be freed from bondage, and then he had Moses give them the law and the Levitical priesthood, etc. That was the beginning of the old covenant. BEFORE the Levitical priesthood, there was a different priesthood. People offered to the high priest Melchisadek, which was really the Lord. NOW it is as before. The old covenant with its law, priesthood, sacrifices, etc. were TEMPORARY. They were to last UNTIL it was replaced with something better.
I hope that if you have not before grasped what "the law was added because of transgression" means, that you now understand it. God did NOT bombard Adam and Eve with a bunch of regulations. He kept it simple. They ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, sin entered this world, and much later the law of Moses was ADDED because of all the transgression. Yes, there was law that was being broken BEFORE the law being added in a written form (along with additional rituals and sacrifices), just as if a child does something he shouldn't, but just because the transgression occurred doesn't mean the law had been given. If there is transgression, law then becomes needful so that if continually transgressed, punishment can be given.
BUT, if people have God's Spirit to circumcise their hearts and so have the law written on their hearts, there is LIFE. There is no need for the old covenant set-up, because the promise was given--Christ. And the PROMISE OF THE MESSIAH WAS GIVEN TO ABRAHAM HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE THE OLD COVENANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As the law states, and Paul repeated, one is CURSED to not do all the things in the law of Moses, if one chooses to enter that covenant. Many of those things are IMPOSSIBLE to do, seeing as we have no temple in Jerusalem, etc. Now, does this all make those things wrong? Is penile circumcision wrong? No, but it is wrong to say it must be done for salvation. That was the old covenant that said, "Cursed is the man who does not do all the things of the law." Of course, no one could ever do it perfectly, and the death of animals and penile circumcision (especially when done to a child who did not make a conscious choice of having it done) does not save a person. Only the Spirit of God and obeying Him in Spirit will save a person, under the new covenant that was instituted with Christ's blood being shed.
The law of Moses was indeed ADDED because of transgressions. People like Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham all served God in obedience in faith (looking forward to the promise) BEFORE the law of Moses was added. So it is now no different under the new covenant. Many obey God--putting Him first, not bowing down to images, not holding up His name in useless worship, keeping the seventh day holy, honoring their parents, not killing anyone, not committing sexual sin, not stealing, not lying, and not coveting what is not rightfully theirs--all in its spiritual intent. That means they are not even thinking of these evils. They don't need some judgment clause in a written law to keep them from committing acts. No, they do NOT WANT to even think about doing those things. They hate evil in their hearts. They do not feel the need to have outer symbols in the flesh that only serve to receive praise from men. Only God fully knows our hearts, and regardless of how good we act on the outside, if we're not clean on the inside, the outside stuff doesn't matter.
Even the other nations who do not have the knowledge of the fourth commandment passed down, if following the law as written on their hearts (knowing there must be a Creator and so being thankful to Him, taking care of the earth, honoring their parents, not killing, not fornicating, not stealing nor destroying property, not lying, nor wanting something not rightfully theirs). When they are raised up to life during the "Great White Throne Judgment," they will have their eyes opened to the truth of who God is and what his Sabbath was, etc. These people who did what was right in their hearts, because they wanted to do what was right, will put to shame those who had penile circumcision yet did not have the right heart.
Just as those BEFORE the law was added obeyed, we obey.
My closest co-worker in Christ, Keith Hunt, has written more about this, found within his expounding of Galatians. The part which deals with the law being added because of transgression is found here: http://www.keithhunt.com/Ntacts21.html. If you want to study further, I recommend the link.
Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator (Gal. 3:19).
It's really simple, though. Of course, I encourage each one to read the entire context. Here, though, I simply want to lay it out for those who still don't get it, even after reading the context and reading the entire bible.
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve on the sixth work day. He didn't lay out an endless number of statutes for them. He didn't overwhelm them with a lot of rules. Anyone who honestly just reads the opening of Genesis can see that he put them in the garden, told them to take care of it and told them what they could eat for food. The tree of life was also in the garden, and then there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God told Adam and Eve that they were not to eat from that tree, or else they would die. We then know the next day was the seventh day that was sanctified and hallowed, so right from the beginning we see the Sabbath day, the signature mark of the Creator. So things started out in a very BASIC way.
Now, we must ask, WHAT is the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil?" WHAT is the knowledge of good and evil? What do we call something that lets us know what is good and what is evil? Would we not call that law? Of course! Adam and Eve were alive and well, and everything was going smoothly, until they allowed themselves to be deceived by the serpent. Notice what happened. Back in Genesis 2:25 Adam and Eve were naked but were not ashamed, just as young children that do not yet know good from evil are not ashamed. They thought nothing of it. No one TOLD them it was wrong. God did not say, "Oh, and make sure you stay dressed with clothes, because it is not good for you to be naked." But, after they had eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly realized they were naked and covered themselves. They later told the Lord (the one who is the Firstborn of the Father) they were hiding from him because they were naked. He replied, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree from which I told you not to eat?"
Does this not remind you of what Paul said several thousand years later? Read Romans chapter 7, where he talks about how the law gives knowledge of what is good or evil and that he was alive once without the law, but then the commandment came, sin revived, and he died.
EVERY person on this earth, since Adam and Eve ate from the fruit, if they live long enough, comes to a point where their eyes are opened, and they know good from evil. Infants start out innocent and UNKNOWING of good and evil. Small children do not know that being naked in front of others is bad. They do not know that putting their fingers into electric sockets is evil. Little kids do not realize that crawling off the high bed is evil. They don't know these things bring bad consequences! Not until they transgress! THEN once they transgress, they know there is good and evil! Was killing and stealing and lying and such wrong from the beginning, before Adam and Eve knew it was wrong, before they ate from that tree? Of course it was! Did they have such ideas? Was there any written law with judgments laying all this out? No, there was not! Would it have been good for them to have clothes on from the beginning? Yes! But, were they at fault for not having on clothes? No, they had never been given any idea that it was wrong!
If you read my study on the tree of life, you will learn that the tree of life represents Christ. How do we get eternal life? There is only ONE way to salvation, and that is through Salvation the Anointed One, Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah). It's his sacrifice in our place that gives us the gift of eternal life for those who repent of sin [transgression of the law], are baptized, and the receive the Holy Spirit (the seed of God so that we can be born as sons of God at the resurrection).
I try to keep it as simple as possible for my children. The Ten Commandments are summed up by love God with all your heart, mind, and life and love your neighbor as you love yourself. I tell them the Ten Commandments teach us how to do these things. I do not bombard them with a laundry list of things they should do, though, to protect themselves, to protect others, and to protect property. BUT, if they transgress in some way, it becomes needful at times that I ADD LAW.
Just last night my husband was saying to my parents, concerning buying a third game controller, "I've been needing to buy another one, anyway, in case the kids tear up one." This was said in front of our children. This is a no-no, of course, but who is not guilty of doing this at some point? Most parents realize that suggesting this sort of thing in front of our kids puts the idea into their head to do evil. Whereas before, doing such a thing probably would not have crossed their minds, now they are tempted to do just that. Now, does this also sound familiar? Remember what Paul said about the law killing him, because we tend to want to do the opposite of what it says? Any experienced parent knows this is the case with children.
Would I tell my young child, "I just put some matches up in this cabinet. Now don't get into these and start a fire?" NO! I would put the matches up there in hopes that my child will not be snoopy and get into such a thing. I am not going to put the idea into his head to get into the matches. Most children will have a strong temptation to do the exact opposite of what you commanded. Not all children would actually follow through with it, but there would be a strong temptation, whereas if you kept your mouth shut, it would likely not be an issue. Now, let's say nothing was said, but one day the child got into the cabinet for one reason or another, and he happened to see the matches then. It was an unlikely event, but it happened. He was then tempted to use them. Still, a child could make the choice not to do so. But, sometimes a child does. If the latter occurred, THEN law would have to be added. YES! That's right. Oral or written law added AFTER transgression. The law is holy, just, and good, meaning what is good is good, but what was good was good before the giving of the law in a written organized form, full with judgments and then the added rituals. There were faithful and obedient people serving God BEFORE the added law. There were already people following the spiritual law, as written on their hearts, not killing, fornicating, stealing, etc. Yet, some transgressed, so it was needful for an ADDED law in written form, complete with JUDGMENTS for transgression. The animal sacrifices, human priesthood, etc. was to REALLY POINT OUT TO CARNAL-NATURED PEOPLE HOW SERIOUS TRANSGRESSION WAS.
Is that not why so many statutes are ADDED to the U.S. law code (or ANY law code)? The invention of motor vehicles, for example, as a new thing here. AFTER transgression, namely wrecks that caused people's bodies to be flung through the windshields, law was ADDED to include use of seat belts. At some point, law was ADDED for babies and young children to be put in car seats. Is someone foolish enough to say that this law is bad? What fool is willing to say this is a bad law? Is it for the GOOD? Is it to save lives? YES! Now, would there be some fool out there who claims that this is wrongful adding to God's law? Probably so. Now, it is indeed BETTER, as it is under the new covenant, to be led by the Spirit, to have God's law written on our HEARTS, choosing good because we want to do what is right, NOT because there is some written law that has judgments if transgressed. In that case, all that would have to be done is seat belts and car seats would be invented, proven to save lives, and then what fool would not want to use them? A wise person uses them, because he is following God's law of love as written on his or her heart, NOT because the U.S. law mandates them, for we know that not all man made laws are good. SOME are, though, and if it's a life-giving law, then why wouldn't a person follow it?
With increase of KNOWLEDGE, there is more to be decided on what is good and evil. I've written explanation time and again of this. If Moses lived today and was told to give a written law to Israel, it would NOT simply say, concerning safety in housing, "You must build a rail around the top of your roof so that no one falls off." Why, that would likely not even be included, because it DOES NOT APPLY. We do not have flat roofs that we walk upon and use in our every day lives, like people did in ancient Israel. However, there would be statutes like, "Don't let bare wires be exposed in your homes," and "Do not leave electric sockets exposed so that young children do not stick their fingers in them." It would not be just, "Eat only animals that have split hooves and chew the cud," etc., but it would likely be, "Do not eat McDonald's french fries," etc. What fool is there out there who would actually say that the food regulations as given in the law of Moses is good enough and everything else is fine to eat without control? We do not live in that age!
Of course, those of us who are Spirit-led and have God's law written on our hearts, following the law in the spirit, understand this. Believe it or not, though, there are folks out there who believe ONLY what was written by Moses for that day is what applies and that there is no new covenant, only a renewed old covenant. Makes you wonder why those people even bother claiming they have faith in the Messiah, for what would the point of his coming and sacrifice be if the old covenant was simply going to be renewed. That could have been done by any prophet, and there would have been no need of Salvation's sacrifice. There would be no need of a new covenant Passover Lamb. If the old covenant was good enough, some prophet simply could have come on the scene to remind people to be circumcised in the penile flesh, go to the temple in Jerusalem for the feasts, have the priests offer animal sacrifices for the people's sins and their own, etc.
If people would READ the words of people like David, who lived in the time of the old covenant, but who had the Spirit of God, they would see that those few people who lived in that time who had God's Spirit had a new covenant mindset. I don't think people are reading the scriptures for what they say!
Yes, the fact is that most people are CARNAL. They are fleshly-minded. Many do not care to follow any law, certainly not to have it written on their hearts. But, there are others who like others to THINK they are righteous (think of the carnal Pharisees whom Jesus criticized over and over), and so they cling to the old covenant things like penile circumcision, wearing fringes in the garments, etc. so that they appear righteous to others and so they can say to those who don't do those things, "Look at us. We are pleasing to God." Really? What goes on in their hearts, we must wonder. What kind of daily fruit do they bear? In my experience, those who believe old covenant regulations are binding (like penile circumcision) are so much like the Pharisees that Jesus called hypocrites.
Those who believe the law was not ADDED because of transgression need to get studying the scriptures. They need to get a solid understanding of the first two chapters of Genesis, because they obviously do not already understand it. Christ is even recorded of giving examples of where the law of Moses fell short. He said certain things, like a man divorcing a wife if he was not pleased with her, was allowed for the HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS (yes, that's right, they may have had circumcised penises, but they had uncircumcised hearts), but FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO. YES!!!!!!!!!! Even the Lord said with his own mouth that the law of Moses was ADDED. Obviously is was, if something was not so from the beginning, but it was then allowed in the old covenant law of Moses to be more lax. Obviously penile circumcision was not from the beginning. Of course not. That would mean God would have made a mistake with the penis, since he could have just made the penis without the foreskin that extends beyond the head of the penis. It was ADDED. It was given to Abraham as a sign of the covenant. Then later some of his descendants (namely the children of Israel) became slaves to Egypt, and so God worked out a way for them to be freed from bondage, and then he had Moses give them the law and the Levitical priesthood, etc. That was the beginning of the old covenant. BEFORE the Levitical priesthood, there was a different priesthood. People offered to the high priest Melchisadek, which was really the Lord. NOW it is as before. The old covenant with its law, priesthood, sacrifices, etc. were TEMPORARY. They were to last UNTIL it was replaced with something better.
I hope that if you have not before grasped what "the law was added because of transgression" means, that you now understand it. God did NOT bombard Adam and Eve with a bunch of regulations. He kept it simple. They ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, sin entered this world, and much later the law of Moses was ADDED because of all the transgression. Yes, there was law that was being broken BEFORE the law being added in a written form (along with additional rituals and sacrifices), just as if a child does something he shouldn't, but just because the transgression occurred doesn't mean the law had been given. If there is transgression, law then becomes needful so that if continually transgressed, punishment can be given.
BUT, if people have God's Spirit to circumcise their hearts and so have the law written on their hearts, there is LIFE. There is no need for the old covenant set-up, because the promise was given--Christ. And the PROMISE OF THE MESSIAH WAS GIVEN TO ABRAHAM HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE THE OLD COVENANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As the law states, and Paul repeated, one is CURSED to not do all the things in the law of Moses, if one chooses to enter that covenant. Many of those things are IMPOSSIBLE to do, seeing as we have no temple in Jerusalem, etc. Now, does this all make those things wrong? Is penile circumcision wrong? No, but it is wrong to say it must be done for salvation. That was the old covenant that said, "Cursed is the man who does not do all the things of the law." Of course, no one could ever do it perfectly, and the death of animals and penile circumcision (especially when done to a child who did not make a conscious choice of having it done) does not save a person. Only the Spirit of God and obeying Him in Spirit will save a person, under the new covenant that was instituted with Christ's blood being shed.
The law of Moses was indeed ADDED because of transgressions. People like Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham all served God in obedience in faith (looking forward to the promise) BEFORE the law of Moses was added. So it is now no different under the new covenant. Many obey God--putting Him first, not bowing down to images, not holding up His name in useless worship, keeping the seventh day holy, honoring their parents, not killing anyone, not committing sexual sin, not stealing, not lying, and not coveting what is not rightfully theirs--all in its spiritual intent. That means they are not even thinking of these evils. They don't need some judgment clause in a written law to keep them from committing acts. No, they do NOT WANT to even think about doing those things. They hate evil in their hearts. They do not feel the need to have outer symbols in the flesh that only serve to receive praise from men. Only God fully knows our hearts, and regardless of how good we act on the outside, if we're not clean on the inside, the outside stuff doesn't matter.
Even the other nations who do not have the knowledge of the fourth commandment passed down, if following the law as written on their hearts (knowing there must be a Creator and so being thankful to Him, taking care of the earth, honoring their parents, not killing, not fornicating, not stealing nor destroying property, not lying, nor wanting something not rightfully theirs). When they are raised up to life during the "Great White Throne Judgment," they will have their eyes opened to the truth of who God is and what his Sabbath was, etc. These people who did what was right in their hearts, because they wanted to do what was right, will put to shame those who had penile circumcision yet did not have the right heart.
Just as those BEFORE the law was added obeyed, we obey.
My closest co-worker in Christ, Keith Hunt, has written more about this, found within his expounding of Galatians. The part which deals with the law being added because of transgression is found here: http://www.keithhunt.com/Ntacts21.html. If you want to study further, I recommend the link.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
To Silence the Paul-Rejecting Carnal Covenant Lovers: Proving Jesus and Paul Were at One
Introduction:
Just as it was prophesied for the last days, there are many false prophets out there, and damned doctrines of devils abound. Those who are not among the elect are easily deceived. Besides the Catholics and Protestants with the deceiving "Christianity" religion, there are also those in "Messianic Judaism" groups who are deceiving and being deceived. They claim to come in the name of Christ, just as those who follow some form of Christianity, but are false prophets. They have various false doctrines. One popular doctrine is the rejection of Paul. They claim that since those in the false Christianity use Paul's letters to form a license-to-sin doctrine, Paul (meaning "humble") must have been a false prophet. They claim that his teachings contradict those of Salvation's (Jesus'/Yeshua's). Peter warned about those who are UNLEARNED (uneducated) who MISUNDERSTAND Paul and TWIST his words to their own DESTRUCTION. Concerning those in Christianity, we can understand this to mean that they misuse Paul's writings to claim that the law has been "done away" and that one can be "comfortable" in his or her salvation, believing that he or she is keeping some of God's commandments and are doing what is right in their own eyes and can justify what they do and that they will still receive God's grace through Christ's sacrifice. But, now there's another growing-in-popularity way that people are misunderstanding Paul and twisting his words to their own destruction. Except, it's not that they're really rejecting Paul's words. They are rejecting Christ's teaching as well. (The same goes for the Christianity people.) They think that Paul's teachings contradict Christ's, but it's clear to us who have the Spirit of Truth guiding us that Salvation and Humble were at one with each other. The other apostles were also at one with Paul; their teachings all agreed.
A teaching that I just recently heard was that Peter's second epistle is now rejected. They claim it's not valid. Of course, since they reject Paul, they must now reject Peter's second letter, because it is in that letter that Peter warns of those uneducated people who misunderstand and twist Paul's words. You know, though, one can't stop there. The whole book of Acts of the Apostles must then be rejected, because it discusses the acts of the twelve original apostles, as well as Paul and other apostles. It talks about how they accepted Paul as a brother in the Lord. Luke authored Acts. Since Acts must be rejected, Luke can't be trusted, so we should throw out Luke's gospel account, which is vital to understand some of the things that are more mysterious in Matthew's and Mark's gospel accounts (and not mentioned by John). Luke was also the only one to record Salvation's genealogy through his mother Mary.
There is also the claim that the Catholic Church is the one responsible for canonizing our bible, and that is why Paul's letters are there, and we should not trust them. Well, if that's the case, we'd better reject the WHOLE THING. Reject all the scriptures. What's with all the picking and choosing? The Catholic Church had nothing to do with canonizing the Greek Masoretic texts. John was the last one to add to what we have now, when he added his three epistles and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. There was always a remnant of true believers who protected the scriptures through the wilderness period when the Holy Roman Empire ruled. People hid in caves and other places and copied out the texts, even while the State wanted to destroy all the evidence. The State had their Latin Vulgate translation and some added books, and the common people could not speak Latin, so they could not prove whether the priests taught them the truth or not.
Paul prophesied against the Catholic Church. He also taught many things that are contrary to Catholic teachings. Why would the Catholic Church go out of its way to include his teachings in there, if they are indeed supposed to be added books that are not in what these "Messianic Judaism" followers believe are the original scriptures? Paul doesn't back up Catholic teaching whatsoever, so what a stupid claim! The truth is, the whole reason such people reject Paul is because they are pro-carnal covenant, the old covenant with all its faults based on outward show in the flesh. They want to be put under the curse of the old covenant and be damned to have to keep everything in its letter, including the carnal ordinances. The Catholic Church is also carnal in its own fashion and also teaches a works-based salvation and rituals of outward show.
What follows is true scriptural doctrine that proves that Jesus and his original twelve apostles were very much ONE with Paul, so if we reject Paul's teachings, then we also reject Salvation's.
*The new covenant is NOT a renewal of the old covenant:
This is a good place to start, since the main reason Paul-rejectors reject him is because they have taken hold onto a false doctrine that there is no new covenant, but rather Salvation renewed the old covenant. The scriptures are CLEAR on this, and who with God's Spirit united with his or her man spirit truly would want the old carnal covenant renewed? No way! Only carnal individuals would want such a thing so that there's a way they can falsely appear more righteous to others with their carnal outer shows. The carnal mind cannot please Heavenly Father.
Jeremiah prophesied:
Behold, the days come, saith the ETERNAL, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah… (Jer. 31:31).
The author of Hebrews quoted Jeremiah's prophecy in Hebrews 8:8.
Notice the word new in "new covenant." Let's see what the Hebrew says. The Strong's bible dictionary assigns the word as #2319. The Hebrew word is châdâsh. It means "new:--fresh, new thing." Now, this Hebrew word comes from the Hebrew word châdash, which is assigned by Strong's as #2318. That word means, "to be new; cause. to rebuild:--renew, repair. It's not that word that is used in Jer. 31:31. Jer. 31:31 does not use châdash, but châdâsh. Note the difference. Go look it up yourself in your copy of the Strong's bible dictionary. If you do not have a copy, use bible.cc on the Internet. You can look up the verse there and click on the "Hebrew" tab and examine it yourself. PROVE what I'm saying, whether it's right or wrong or whether those Paul-rejecting teachers are right or wrong. If you do not PROVE everything teachers tell you you as right or wrong, you shall fall. As studious as I am, even I made the mistake once, a few years ago, of not proving FIRST, and it cost me two weeks of great grief, believing a LIE, even though I knew there were things just not quite right with what I'd read. Take my counsel, and do not allow yourself to be deceived. PROVE everything. So, look this up yourself. LOOK at how there are two different words. SIMILAR and same ROOT, but not the exact same. The word Jeremiah used means something NEW, FRESH, not renewed.
However, a person could have saved him or herself the time and effort of looking up the Hebrew word used in Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy and simply have understood the meaning by reading the CONTEXT of his prophecy. Let's look at verses 31-34 of Jeremiah chapter 31:
Behold, the days come, saith the ETERNAL, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the ETERNAL: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the ETERNAL, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the ETERNAL: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the ETERNAL: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (bold and underline emphasis mine).
See what a difference it can make when you read the CONTEXT of a passage? There it is, clear as crystal: NOT ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT… There is no renewal of the old covenant. It says plain as day, "NOT ACCORDING to that covenant. It says that the NEW covenant involved putting God's law in people's mind and writing it on their hearts. Was that part of the deal with the old carnal (fleshly) covenant? NO! It was not. BEFORE the old Mosaic covenant, there were people who served God without the law. They served in spirit. They had the Spirit of God working with them, teaching them truth. AFTER the law was added, the carnal covenant began. This was to be used as a schoolteacher to prepare people for the coming of Christ and the new covenant. God ultimately wanted to show that the carnal covenant, the adding of a law in written form, has with it great FAULT. It is NOT GOOD. During the time the old covenant reigned, NOT MANY people had God's Spirit working within them. People designated for special purposes, like the kings and prophets and priests had the Spirit of God working within them. We can read the books that were written during the reign of the old covenant, and we can see that those with God's Spirit understood the BIGGER PICTURE. They had faith in the coming Anointed One. They understood that God desired obedience to righteousness and a circumcised heart and did not delight in the sacrifices of animals or any other carnal ordinances. (Study Psa. 40:6; 51:16-17; 1 Sam. 15:22; Isa. 1:11; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6-8; Prov. 31:3; Matt. 9:13; Mark 12:33; Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4; John 4:24; Heb. 9:8-10.) I suggest my study about the old covenant's carnal showings found here: https://taratorah.blogspot.com/2009/02/old-covenant-carnal-showings.html.
When the new covenant was instituted, a way was made for a widespread commission for people to be baptized (the one initial carnal ordinance at the entering of the new covenant) and receive the Holy Spirit. This Spirit writes the law of God on a person's HEART, and the person meditates on the Word in his MIND, night and day, continually. There is no need of any carnal things that supposedly remind a person to keep God's law or to indicate you are Godly. Such carnal things fall severely short of helping a person, and with the Helper, the Spirit of God, one then doesn't have need of the things of the flesh, unless he or she wants the praise of men, because God already knows the person's heart and already sees his or her actions, so those carnal ordinances mean nothing to God, but they may get the praise of men.
Now, some may say, "But Jeremiah's prophecy of the new covenant is not yet fulfilled. Not everyone knows the Eternal, as the scripture says people will under the new covenant." My answer to this, I'll quote what I said to someone else:
About the prophecy in Jeremiah and whether this has been fulfilled. It's been partially fulfilled already. This is no different than numerous other prophecies. When the Spirit of God caused the apostles to speak so that all the different people of different languages heard them speak in their own languages, Peter realized it was a fulfillment of what the prophet Joel said. Read Acts 2:16-21. It's a direct quote from the second chapter of Joel. Anyway, notice the part about the wonders in heaven above, blood and fire and vapors of smoke. Well, none of that was happening then, but we know it will at the end of this age. PART of the prophecy had a first fulfillment then on that Pentecost.
Another example is our Lord's prophecy of the destruction of the temple. Some of the things in Matt. 24 were fulfilled about forty years later, but most of it will have its final fulfillment at the end of this age. He talked about signs in the heavens and so on, which didn't happen in 70 A.D. And concerning the temple, it was destroyed…for the most part, but he said that there would not be left one stone upon another, and nearly 2,000 years later we still have a wall of the temple left (the '"Wailing Wall"). One of these days, though, it's all going to come down. The prophecy will be completely fulfilled.
So, yes, some of that prophecy that Jeremiah gave is not fulfilled yet. But, there's no doubt that it has had a partial fulfillment, for all those in the church have the law written on their hearts and minds, and Christ did die and was risen again to sit as High Priest. There's no doubt in my mind that I'm under a "new covenant."
Those who enter the Church of God, the Body of Christ, by repenting, being baptized, and having hands laid on them for begettal of the Holy Spirit, are led in Truth, and they indeed have no need of telling each other to know the ETERNAL. They all do know their Father and their Lord Salvation. During the time that the Kingdom of God reigns on this earth, under the reign of the Spirit Sons of God--Christ and those of his brethren in the first resurrection, all those in the physical lineage of Israel will be gathered to the holy land, and they will have the Spirit of God poured out upon them, and they will be led by the Spirit Sons of God, while at the same time the Enemy and the other devils are locked away for 1,000 years so that they cannot tempt and deceive mankind. Men in Israel will know the ETERNAL. the ETERNAL (the Firstborn, our Lord Salvation, and we his brethren born in the first resurrection) will LIVE AMONG them, AND they will all will have been begotten with the Spirit themselves. Then eventually, all the nations will know the ETERNAL. The entire earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Eternal One. Praise God! But, for now, we are in the summer age, the Church age. The prophecy is partially fulfilled, for those of us who are in the Church have our Father's law in our inward parts and written on our hearts. We are Spirit-led.
The Lord said at the "Lord's Supper" or "Last Supper," which was both an old covenant and new covenant Passover, a transition, the ONLY time Passover was to institute both old covenant and new covenant symbols: …For this is my blood of the NEW TESTAMENT, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:28). He commanded us to eat the bread and drink the wine every year at Passover in remembrance of him, our new covenant Passover Lamb. The bread symbolizes his body broken for us, and the wine symbolizes the blood he shed for us. The NEW COVENANT Passover is NOT ACCORDING TO the old covenant Passover. The symbols of the old covenant Passover were roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. THEY ARE DIFFERENT! The NEW COVENANT Passover is NOT a renewal of the Old Covenant Passover. So says the Lord!
Paul understood the Lord just fine. Why do carnal covenant lovers not understand the Lord? Study I Cor. 11:17-34. Carnal covenant lovers tend to keep the Passover on the wrong day of the month (15th instead of what the bible teaches as the 14th of the first day of the month), just as the Pharisees of Jesus' day did, and they tend to keep an old covenant Passover or the Lord's Supper--a mix of old covenant and new covenant symbols.
*Both Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua) and Paul taught we should care for praise from God and not from men:
Let's get a sample of Salvation's words, and then we'll get a sample of Paul's, and then you judge.
Salvation's:
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him (Matt. 6:1-7).
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation (Matt. 23:1-36).
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath (Mark 2:23-28).
If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? (John 7:23).
Paul's:
For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Rom. 2:25-29).
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).
Again, I highly recommend my study article entitled Old Covenant Carnal Showings (http://www.endtimecog.net/articles/carnalcovenant.html). God does not look on the outer appearance of man (1 Sam. 6:17), but on the heart. And if one has a heart toward God, he or she will be obeying the Ten Commandments, but he or she will not be concerned about the outward show that SUPPOSEDLY symbolizes being Godly or supposedly helps one remember to obey God. We get our praise from God, not man.
Today people are still like the Pharisees. Since they have not been converted by receiving the Holy Spirit that will circumcise their hearts, they focus on outward show to appear Godly before men, but how are we as men supposed to know whether they are really righteous or not? We don't know everything going on in their thoughts. God knows, though. Many such people have shown their bad fruit, so there's no telling how bad it really is on the inside. But God knows. And He doesn't give any notice to whether their penile foreskins are cut and whether they are wearing scripture verses on their forehead and hands and fringes in their garments. GOD DOES NOT LOOK ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE! WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE TO HIM, WHEN THAT IS NOT HOW HE JUDGES? YOU MAY HAVE AN UNCLEAN, UNCIRCUMCISED HEART AND STILL WEAR THOSE IN-THE-FLESH OUTER THINGS. THE ONLY PEOPLE YOU WILL FOOL ARE MEN (THOUGH NOT ALL MEN). YOU WILL NOT FOOL GOD. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED IN THE HEART, IF YOU DO POSSESS GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT, THEN YOU DON'T NEED THOSE OUTER THINGS.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God (1 Cor. 7:19).
*Both Salvation and Paul taught that people should keep the law in its spirit, not in the letter:
Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua):
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him (John 4:23).
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire (Matt. 5:21-22).
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matt. 5:28).
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery (Matt. 5:31-32).
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil (Matt. 5:33-37).
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matt. 5:39-44).
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man (Matt. 15:16-20).
Paul:
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3).
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6).
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love (Gal. 5:6).
[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25).
There are also times when the letter of the law must be broken in order for the spirit of the law to be kept. Sometimes the sabbath must be broken in its letter in order to uphold what is more important. The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. If someone is bleeding to death, or someone's house is burning, medical attention is needed to save the person's life or firefighters to put out the fire. If a radical killer is shooting down innocent people, and you have a gun and a clear shot, you have the opportunity to save potentially many lives, but if you shoot the guy, you are breaking the sixth commandment in its letter. What is the right thing to do? Those who are spiritual have no trouble with the answer. Carnal-natured people who put themselves under the law (speaking here of the old covenant law in its letter) miss what is truly important to God. That is the problem Salvation had with the Pharisees. They may have had their penises circumcised, but they sure didn't have their hearts circumcised.
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law (Heb. 7:12). There's a new priesthood, new temple, new sacrifices, new reminder, new seal of the covenant, etc. NEW and BETTER. Man has two choices to try to do what is right: the animal (flesh) way or the God (spirit) way. In order to please God, it is necessary to choose the God way.
*Both Salvation and Paul taught that the true new covenant temple of God is a believer's body:
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body (John 2:19).
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Cor. 6:19)
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." (2 Cor. 6:16)
Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest? (Acts 7:48-49) [written by Luke]
*Both Salvation and Paul taught that we are servants to whom we obey, whether righteousness or sin:
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin (John 8:34).
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Rom. 6:16)
Sometimes the old covenant is referred to as "the law." Sometimes "the law" simply refers to the knowledge of good and evil. It's important to know the difference each time it's used, otherwise you'll go about twisting the scriptures. We need to obey the law of God in the spiritual intent, meaning we need to choose life in everything. There was no written law given at the beginning, but the law in a written form with statutes that applied for the physical nation of Israel at that time was added at the institution of the old covenant. A code of law in its letter is ever-evolving, based on increase of knowledge. For example, there is a statute in the law of Moses for a railing around the roof of people's homes, because they had flat roofs to which they walked up to and did things upon, including sleeping in the summer. This statute obviously doesn't apply to us, but their are plenty of safety regulations that could be written in the letter of the law today. As a matter of fact, the U.S. does add statutes all the time. It become very burdensome, though, because it restricts LIBERTY. The best government is a republic, when people rule themselves under God in liberty. That requires a people to follow the law of God in its spiritual intent. If we commit credit card fraud, we have transgressed the 8th commandment, even though the law of Moses doesn't contain such a statute. It has statutes commanding no burglary, no robbery, and no moving the boundaries of a neighbor's property, no destruction of another person's property, etc. There is nothing in the law of Moses about credit cards or identity theft. There are also
Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator (Gal. 3:19)
For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come (Rom. 5:13-14).
There was sin in the beginning, even though there was no written code of law. NO written code of law, yet there was transgression. Because there was transgression (people did not have circumcised hearts), a written code of law was added. All Ten Commandments can be found in the first two chapters of Genesis, including agricultural and dietary instruction. Yet, penile circumcision had nothing to do with it. Fringe in the borders of one's garments had nothing to do with it (they didn't even start out with garments), laws written on papers and hanging from the forehead and hands had nothing to do with it.
The law itself even states that the fringe in the borders of the garments were to be used as REMINDERS to keep the law, NOT that they were part of the Ten Commandments themselves. READ it in Numbers 15:38-39 and Deut. 22:12. What is the new covenant reminder, the Helper to keep the commandments? Is it not the Spirit of God dwelling within us? Throughout the old covenant scriptures, it is reiterated that animal sacrifices were not what pleased God but rather obedience. READ it: Psalm 40:6; Psalm 51:16-17; I Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Proverbs 21:3. It's repeated in the new covenant scriptures. Read Matt. 9:13 and Mark 12:33. The animal sacrifices were also written in the law of Moses, but again, they were NOT part of the Ten Commandments themselves. They were what you had to do if you transgressed the commandments. Tithes went to the Levitical priesthood under the old covenant. Those who do God's work to spread the gospel and those member of the Church body who are poor are to receive our tithes under the old covenant. There is no Levitical priesthood. Now, there WAS a short time where both covenants overlapped, because the temple still stood for several years after Christ's death, and so people could still take vows, sacrifice animals, pay tithes to the Levitical priests, etc. It was not a sin to do so, and Paul taught this as well. He taught that people could do these things if they so chose, BUT it was NOT REQUIRED under the new covenant. There is a big difference between it being okay and it being required for salvation. Keeping God's law IS a requirement for eternal life. No one who does not circumcise their hearts and walk in the Spirit will receive grace, and so they will not inherit eternal life. But, all the old covenant ordinances are not part of this and are not required.
Penile circumcision was a TOKEN/SIGN of entering the old covenant. The old covenant was a CARNAL ("ACCORDING-TO-THE-FLESH") covenant based on outer APPEARANCE. It involved God saving the PHYSICAL nation of Israel from PHYSICAL bondage to Egypt. To enter the new covenant, water baptism and the laying on of hands is done for the begettal of the Holy Seed of God which circumcises the person's heart. Heart circumcision by the Holy Spirit is the TOKEN/SIGN of the new covenant. The new covenant is a SPIRITUAL (ACCORDING TO THE HEART AND MIND) covenant based on the HEART. It involves God saving the SPIRITUAL nation of Israel (which does not discriminate according to physical bloodline) from SPIRITUAL bondage to sin. Penile circumcision was only CHOSEN under the old covenant by those physically gentile. Those of physical Israelite lineage had NO CHOICE in the matter. (Also keep in mind, women do not even have penises to circumcise.) Israelite males were circumcised as infants. They could just as easily grow up to choose not to be Godly as they could choose to be Godly. Nevertheless, they'll always bear the mark in the flesh. IT MEANS NOTHING TO GOD IN HEAVEN.
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the ETERNAL (Deut. 23:1).
An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the ETERNAL's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it (Ex. 12:48).
The new covenant Passover has its own symbols. Christ is our new covenant Lamb. Laws like those quoted above discriminated against people based on their FLESH. The new covenant does NOT. It's VERY CLEAR-CUT!
Do you not understand that a person could be circumcised in the flesh and CHOOSE to serve sin? Do you not understand also that another person could not be circumcised in the flesh yet CHOOSE serve righteousness? And if the person can choose righteousness while having the penis uncut, WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT IN GOD'S EYES OF HAVING IT CUT, WHEN HE DOESN'T JUDGE THE FLESH? Do you not understand that he set up the carnal covenant to FORESHADOW something better? Are you BLIND? If you are blind, then you have no sin. But, if you are like a Pharisee and claim not to be blind, your sin remains (John 9:39-41). To teach that new covenant righteousness includes penile circumcision is INCORRECT. It has NOTHING to do with TRUE CONVERSION. It's just a way a person can glory in the flesh and receive praise from men.
Salvation was UNFIT to be an old covenant sacrifice. He had just been beaten badly before he was sacrificed, which made him SEVERELY BLEMISHED in his flesh. The old covenant Passover sacrifice required a lamb without blemish. The new covenant Passover sacrifice was blemished badly on the outside, but he was PERFECT at heart. He wasn't sacrificed for his perfection in the flesh. He was sacrificed for his perfection in the spirit.
The new covenant, God's ideal covenant involves an adult who can make a CHOICE to serve righteousness or sin. It does NOT involve infants having their penises cut. That does NOT enter them into the new covenant. It can only enter them into the old carnal covenant that had GREAT FAULT. It's the same principle as the Protestants having it correct that an adult must make a choice to be baptized. Catholics do not have it right and institute some infant christening that will NOT save that baby. Obedience is a CHOICE a mature adult must make.
The old covenant was DELIBERATELY set up first to show that it would not work, that it would not bring the entire world under voluntary obedience to God's righteousness. The new covenant was set up to make available a great host of firstfruits who will rise in the first resurrection with Spiritual bodies, just like the Firstborn Son of God, and they will then reign on the earth and guide the repentant physical nation of Israel (all 12 tribes) to be the proper example to the nations. This first phase of several thousand years is to show the FAULT in man governing himself without God. The next phase comes to show how much better a world it is with God reigning. That is how God has chosen to do things. Set up the wrong way first, then set up the right way, then let people CHOOSE. Now, which do YOU choose between the old covenant and new covenant?
I can't recommend enough that you read my study article entitled Old Covenant Carnal Showings (https://taratorah.blogspot.com/2009/02/old-covenant-carnal-showings.html). It includes a big chunk of scriptures from Hebrews, which if I think a person actually read and studied along with the rest of the scriptures, this all SHOULD make perfect sense, but carnal people do not seem to understand. They don't have the Spirit to circumcise their hearts.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able (1 Cor. 3:2).
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the ETERNAL was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken (Isa. 28:9-13).
And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when one shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:13-18).
*Paul said to follow him as he followed Christ and to not exalt him as anything special:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect (1 Cor. 1:10-17).
Paul started out zealous in the Jewish traditions:
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood (Gal. 1:13-15).
You can read about Paul's background when his name was Saul. Read about him in the book of Acts chapters 7-9. He was the same in mind as those who sought the Lord's death and killed some true members of the new Church, until he was converted. Then he started speaking out against such people. He was a very faithful servant to our Lord. He gave Father's Firstborn all the reverence he deserves and set people straight when they started dividing the brethren to go after other leaders, even when people named him as the leader. His new name "Paul" truly fit him, for "humble" he indeed was. He never exalted himself. He never sought a following after him with strange doctrines. He always pointed people to the Firstborn, to our Lord Salvation the Anointed.
*Paul's prophecies are at one with Salvation's and the other apostles:
Paul gave proper prophecies regarding the seventh trumpet and resurrection of the dead, the apostasy that was to come with Satan being revealed in the form of the Roman/Babylonian popes, the state of falling away in the latter days, etc. A sampling:
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:3-12).
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13-17).
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Cor. 15:50-52).
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3).
The OT prophets, Salvation, and Peter and John gave prophecies that are one with Paul's. Paul wrote before Salvation gave John the Revelation, and yet John's prophecies of the Babylon Whore to rise up was already hinted at from Paul when he talked of the man of sin being revealed, defiling his own body (his temple) by blasphemy saying he is God. The RCC popes allow themselves to be called Holy Father and Pope (Italian for papa/father), which are only names for God the Father in heaven.
Much more can be said, but those who still don't believe at this point will not believe if even Salvation appeared before them and told them himself. The law, the prophets, the gospels, and Paul's letters, etc. are readily available for study, so there is no excuse. Those with hardened hearts who are carnal will refuse to believe even if there were miracles, just as the carnal Jews rejected our Savior 2,000 years ago. "Messianic Judaism" is really just Judaism with WORDS claiming the acceptance of Salvation as the new covenant Lamb of God. It's lip service, but their hearts are far from him, for their actions show they love the carnal covenant of outer show rather than to receive the Spirit of God and be converted--be circumcised in the heart. I've witnessed over the years the huge difference between those who are truly converted and those who believe they are to follow every word of the old covenant (which is impossible, especially with no man-built temple, etc.). The latter are very confused and unstable.
Those who are converted NOW with the spirit of God circumcising their hearts will be resurrected to be the spiritual Sons of God to reign in the Kingdom of God for 1,000 years on this earth. Those who are zealous for the ways of God (like Paul was when he was Saul) but are yet carnal, who are Israelites in the flesh, will be gathered back to the holy land, and they will be guided by the Sons of God to build the third temple. They will do animal sacrifices again. They will ultimately get what they want, but the difference is, is that they will have the Spirit of God poured upon them so that they can finally see as God sees. They'll finally understand the difference between the new covenant and the old. They'll see that is why they will still, at that time, be dwelling in temples of flesh, whereas those who are converted now will have been resurrected with spiritual bodies.
See, the Messianic Judaism followers MISS certain scriptures in the prophets. It's much like the people in Salvation's day. They understood certain prophecies of the coming Kingdom of God on earth, but they thought Salvation would be setting it up THEN. They did not understand other prophecies. They did not understand that he was to come the first time to die for sins and institute a new covenant, and then he'd come back a second time to set up his Father's Kingdom, along with the other saints in the first resurrection. The House of Judah (as a whole) MISSED the bigger picture. Now the House of Israel (as a whole) is MISSING the bigger picture. They see certain prophecies about the gathering of the physical tribes of Israel and new children being born in the Kingdom, etc. But, they MISS that the Kingdom will be under the reign of many SPIRITUAL kings and priests, not just Christ. They just do NOT UNDERSTAND. So, it will be they and certain Protestants and others who repent during the great time of trouble who will then make the exodus to the holy land and will come under the reign of the Sons of God. With the direction of the Spiritual Sons of God, they will become the example nation they were meant to be under the old covenant, except the time in the future will be successful in bringing the entire earth voluntarily under the reign of God, whereas the time under the old covenant, they failed. They failed because they were carnal. They didn't have circumcised hearts. They were not led by God's Spirit, and so they fell back into sin. And so it is today as well.
Old Covenant Sign in the Flesh:
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you (Gen. 17:11).
New Covenant Sign in the Spirit:
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead (Col. 2:11-12)
The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:21). (The Spirit of God is given to those after water baptism and the laying on of hands by a begotten son of God.)
That is to say, not made by a law based on the flesh, but by the power of a life without end (Heb. 7:16 BBE). Not by a law based on flesh, but by the power of a life without end. YES! The difference between law (knowledge of good and evil) and eternal life, like from the very beginning in the garden!
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH, YOU MUST FIND A SPIRIT-BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD AND BE BAPTIZED AND HAVE HANDS LAID UPON YOU SO THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE THE SIGN OF THE NEW COVENANT, NAMELY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, WHICH WILL BE YOUR HELPER TO KEEP THE LAW OF GOD. IT WILL BE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH THAT WILL LEAD YOU INTO ALL TRUTH, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO REMAIN HUMBLE AND GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE. YOU MUST STUDY, SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, PROVE ALL THINGS. WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD WITHIN YOU (NOT OUTSIDE OF YOU, CALLING YOU, BUT ACTUALLY WITHIN YOU), IF YOU DO YOUR WORK, THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES, AND YOU WILL BE LED INTO TRUTH. IF THE SPIRIT IS TALKING TO YOU, IF FATHER IS CALLING YOU NOW, THEN DO WHAT IT TAKES TO BE CONCEIVED WITH HIS SEED. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL CONTINUE IN YOUR CARNAL WAYS OF MISUNDERSTANDING.
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