THE WORLS AT ONE WITH GOD

 

AT ONE MENT 

The World at One with God

Savior of the World

Much Pain and Sorrow Beforehand by Keith Hunt I meditate on the meaning of this Feast day. A wonderful day with its love, mercy, and sacrifice, then again a Feast day that has physical sorrow and pain attached to it. I muse on the numbers - 2 for the Godhead - 7 for perfection - the 0s make me think of eternity with no beginning and no ending. I add together 2 plus 7 = 9, the fruits of the Spirit. This Feast day is in the 7th months of God's calendar, and on the 10th day - 10 for the commandments of the Lord. So we have the Godhead making perfection with His commandments and fruits of His Spirit. The world will one day be His perfection where only righteousness will abound - no sin - no Satan and his demons. I am reminded of the perfect sacrifice our Lord and Savior undertook so we humans may have eternal life. In the background I have the Sons of the Pioneers singing right now the gospel toe- tapper "You Must Come in at the Door." It is about the sheep fold wall, the Kingdom of God being too high, too wide, too deep, and so you must come in at the door - the door is Jesus the Christ. He is the only way into the sheep-fold of God's Kingdom. From before the world was, it was all planned out, the second member of the Godhead would come to earth at the appointed time, to rescue mankind from the penalty of sin. God the Father knew that in creating mankind with human nature, sin they would eventually commit, and so would all mankind, in one way or another. Sin would be defined by the laws and commandments God would set down for mankind to follow and to be well and happy (1 John 3:4). Righteousness is also defined by the commandments (see Ps.119:172). The apostle Paul was inspired to say in the book of Romans, that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And the wages earned from sinning is DEATH (Romans 6:23). But God so loved the world, the sinners in it, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him as the at-one-ment Savior, should not perish but should have eternal life (John 3:16). To be the Savior of mankind, the Lord Jesus would have to give His very life. He would have to come to earth as a human person, be tempted in all points as we are, strive to remain so close to the Father that He would not sin, not once, but live a perfect life. Then, and only then, could he take all the sins of all mankind upon Himself. He would have to be willing to die a most horrible death, nailed to a wooden post or stake or cross. The prophecy of Psalm 22 tells us it was a most horrific death. He was willing to do it, the Father decided it could not be done any other way. Sin needed an atonement - someone who could pay the penalty for all sins - only a member of the very Godhead could pay for the sum total of all sins ever done. Jesus was God in the flesh, He was Immanuel - God with us. He was at one with the Father all His physical life, and He was our at-one-ment - our reconciliation with the Father. Without the sacrifice of Christ we would have no hope, we would be as dead men. Without the resurrection of Jesus by the power of God, to glory and immortality once more, we could not be saved. We are saved by the death and the resurrection life of Christ. I think about all this on this special Feast day. I have written in depth about all this, in many studies. There is wonderful joy in this day and there is sorrow and pain in this day. As we fast - no food no water - some of us have physical discomfort, and certainly all of us get to appreciate, at the end of the day, the physical food and drink our heavenly Father provides us with. It all tastes really good after a day of fasting. This day also is extremely important in the plan of salvation for human kind. It is the day that pictures the entire earth at ONE with God. Satan will be chained up, for a thousand years he will not be allowed to work his work of deception and lies. The world and all nations upon it can them move into being at one with God. Yet, before all that can happen, IF the nations will NOT REPENT of sin and turn to God, then sorrow and pain and death must first come. So, I am reminded of the book of Revelation (and all the prophetic books of the Bible) that lays out a future for this earth before Jesus comes back, that is mind-blowing, just very hard to really envision, so terrible and horrible it will be. We see in Revelation 6 the WHITE horse of RELIGIOUS deception sweeping the earth, it is very much here already. Then there is the RED horse - WARS and fighting among the inhabitants of the earth. It is also here already as it has been for centuries. There is then the BLACK horse - FAMINE and drought and hardship for people to just simply have enough food to live. That horse had been around for a while also. We then have the PALE horse - PESTILENCE and plagues of all kinds - including the sword and famine and wild animals going crazy. This fourth horse or fourth seal of the scroll, is responsible for killing ONE FOURTH of the peoples on the earth. Such a plague HAS NEVER YET HAPPENED! It is YET to come. It may be that by the time this fourth seal is opened the world population could be 8 BILLION. If so, then this one horse alone will take 2 BILLION in death! After all these seals or horse have climaxed, the FIFTH seal is opened - a GREAT killing of God's children will take place. They will have to wait a spell before they can be revenged, but they will be given white robes - they will, with all saints, be dressed in the robes of white righteousness for the wedding of the Lamb, when they will have the long awaited wedding ceremony with their Lord and Savior and Bridegroom - Jesus the Christ (Rev.19). It is now time for the SIXTH seal to be opened. The mighty heavens are shaken, the sun becomes black, the moon as blood, the stars fall here and there, the heavens depart as a scroll. The shaking of the heavens is like nothing man has ever seen. Then, just before the GREAT DAY of the WRATH of God is to come, there is the sealing of the servants of God, a protection given to them, a supernatural seal of protection, from the things that are yet to come. Also there are 12,000 persons sealed from the tribes of Israel. The Day of the Lord is at hand. So terrifying will be this day or time, that a short silence is in heaven. It may just be significant of a short time when all the heavens is holding its breath so to speak, for now the CLIMAX of the universe, the battle of sin and righteousness, the final fight between good and bad is about to begin and to end. The 7th seal is made up of SEVEN TRUMPETS! The FIRST trumpet sounds - hail and fir - mingled with blood - a third part of the trees burn up, and all green grass. What and how of all this is not given to us in any detail, only enough to tell us the outcome of the blowing of this trumpet. Certainly it is yet future, certainly the earth has never experience a THIRD of its trees being burnt up. The SECOND trumpet sounds - the outcome is a THIRD part of the sea becomes blood - a third part of the creatures in the sea, died, and a third part of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. This again, has never happened in the history of the earth and mankind. What exactly this trumpet is we are not told in any detail. But it will happen! Your mind should be already getting a little dizzy from what God says is yet to come on this earth before mankind can be at one with Him. The THIRD trumpet sounds - a star falls from heaven, burning, it falls on a third part of the rivers and fountains of water. Its name is WORMWOOD - a poison of some kind - it kills many. Nothing like this has ever been on this earth - it is yet to take place. The FOURTH angel sounded - a third part of the sun is smitten - a third part of the moon - a third part of the stars - so a third part of them was darkened. The day and night shone for only two thirds - one third was darkness. Exactly HOW and this will all unfold in the literal aspect, is not revealed. It is enough for us to know it WILL happen as God has written. Nothing like this has ever come on the earth. Within the whole context of this passage in Revelation 8, all these trumpet sounds and what is to take place when they do sound, has YET to come to pass. The earth and its people have NEVER experienced the totality of what these four trumpet declare. As you meditate on just these trumpets (let alone what has already in this prophecy of Revelation, taken place) it is really impossible for the human mind to contemplate the horror of it all. Surely there is sorrow and pain and death to yet come before the world is at-one-ment with God. There are STILL THREE trumpets to sound - called WOE, WOE, WOE in verse 13 of chapter 8. The FIRST WOE or 5th trumpet sounds in chapter 9. It is an army that can TORMENT men for five months, not killing but tormenting enough that people wish they were dead. This army comes from the bottomless pit. The king over them is Satan (see chap.12:3,9). This power is the end time power that has its beginning way way back in time. Other studies of mine, give details of Revelation 13 and the Beast. Here I will simply say it is the LAST resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, to arise (as it is now doing so) in Europe. It is the power that will kill many of God's people, that will establish the mighty RC church over the western world. It will have a "beast" political man and "the false prophet" of Revelation. This power will determine who buys and sells - who lives and who dies - it will have its own "christian" religion and those alive and those it reigns over will have to follow its religion. It will have the power to torment people for a specific time of 5 MONTHS during the period known as the DAY OF THE LORD - the time of about ONE YEAR after the heavenly signs appear, and leading up to the coming of Christ. The SIXTH angel sound (Rev.9:13) - they have been preparing - an army mighty in population. This power comes from the east side of the Euphrates river. It is the power of the EAST - China, India, Japan, Russia. This army will kill a THIRD of mankind - a third that is still left of earth up to this time. This power will attack the mighty Roman religious power of Europe. It is at this juncture in the day of God's wrath - the day of the Lord - that Jesus said, if it was not shortened, NO FLESH would remain alive on planet earth (Mat.24:21-22). So wicked and deceived are the inhabitants of the earth by this time, that with all the sorrow, suffering, pain, and death, going on before them, the majority STILL will NOT REPENT!! (Rev.9:20-21). It is mind-numbing to contemplate the wickedness and utter deception that Satan will rule with in those last days of this age. God will send Elijah (a man coming in the power and spirit of Elijah) to bring the restitution of spiritual knowledge and truths of God as Jesus clearly said (Mat.17:9-13), John the Baptist being the first time, for Christ's first advent. A man will come and restore all things before the coming of Christ in power and glory. And there will be TWO witnesses of God's truths in the city of Jerusalem during the last three and one half years of this age (Rev.11). The word and truth of God will be proclaimed around the world. The two witnesses in Jerusalem will have power to kill their enemies right up to the very near end of the age. With all that, the majority of people left on earth will NOT TURN TO REPENTANCE and forsake their false and evil ways. The THIRD WOE will come quickly after the second woe. The SEVENTH angel will SOUND the SEVENTH TRUMPET! And the Kingdom of God will now come to earth. The saints will be resurrected and rewarded, and the time will come when God will destroy those who are destroying the earth (Rev.11:14-19). The SEVENTH trumpet will be comprised of SEVEN LAST PLAGUES (Rev.16). Once more to blow your mind, there will be mighty signs on earth and in heaven - grievous sore upon men - the sea becoming blood, every living thing in the sea dies - rivers and fountains of water become blood - the sun scorches men with fire - darkness comes on the headquarters of the "beast." And still for all this THE MAJORITY LEFT WILL NOT REPENT AND GIVE GOD GLORY! Then the SIXTH plague angel pours out his vial. The great BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON - the "battle of that great day of God Almighty" (verse 14) is to finally come and the "beast" man and "false prophet" and their 10 nation army (Rev.17:12-14) from the Europe nations will discover who the true God is. Jesus will RETURN (Rev.19) and with him the saints who have been resurrected or changed to glory, who have met Jesus in the clouds, the air, and who now come down to the Mount of Olives (Zech.14), and those who have been destroying the earth will be themselves destroyed. Jesus will come and be KING and LORD over all the earth. The "beast" man and the "false prophet" will be cast into the lake of fire and the remnant "were slain of Him that sat upon the horse" (Rev.19:11-21). THE WORLD AND THOSE LEFT ALIVE WILL FINALLY BE AT ONE WITH GOD! THE ONE THOUSAND YEARS REIGN WILL BEGIN. SATAN WILL BE CHAINED UP. RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH WILL BECOME THE NORMAL WAY OF LIFE ON EARTH. NOW, FROM THE FEAST DAY OF ATONEMENT WE PROCEED TO THE SEVEN DAY FEAST OF TABERNACLES! ......................................................

 

Micah For Tomorrow

Chapters 5 - 7 CHAPTER 5 A Ruler from Bethlehem God says, "Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. With a rod they will strike the leader of Israel in the face. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah, Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past" (verses 1-2) This was a prophecy that told of the birth of the Messiah as He came to earth as a mortal man, born in a stable in the village of Bethlehem. It was a part verse that gave this truth. Only some at the time of Christ's birth knew the meaning of this verse. We see that it was LITERAL in fulfilment, hence showing that the many prophecies for the end time and the new age, will be LITERAL in fulfilment. These verses here are actually for the end time - the end of this age. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time the woman gives birth to her son. The image is the woman true church and the son is Christ to come at the end of this age. Then the Son's people (as He was born an Israelite in Bethlehem) will be delivered and returned to their own land. He will stand to feed His flock in the name of God. His brother Israelites will then live undisturbed, for He will be HONORED all around the world (verses 1-4). He will be the Prince of peace, and Deliver from Assyria This may have had a TYPE of fulfilment during the days of the Assyrian captivity, but only in the sense that the house of Israel was not fully destroyed, but tens of thousands of them did live in the land of Assyria, and finally moved on to the North, and were as the dew upon the grass, here and there and then gone, or moved on. They were as Amos prophesied, "...I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among the nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least fall to the earth" (Amos 9:9). The house of Israel was eventually to be as a LION in the midst of many peoples, as a young lion among the beasts of the field, as a lion among the sheep, treading down and dominating, cutting off all enemies. The peoples of Israel did move into Europe over the centuries, they did become the nations of North-West europe and the nation of GREAT BRITAIN with their empire, and finally some becoming the United States of America. They did for centuries rule over their enemies, undefeated as peoples. There will be an end time fulfilment of these verses, as Israel will again be DELIVERED from the captivity of Assyria/Germany/Europe at the last days of this age. They will then be a people that will have their enemies cut off (verses 5- 9). Moving on we see: "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY" (verse 10) .... THE END TIME, WHEN ISRAEL SHALL AGAIN BE DELIVERED FROM ASSYRIA, GOD WILL DESTROY ALL FALSE RELIGION IN ISRAEL, JUDAH, AND ALL NATIONS. GOD WILL POUR OUT HIS MIGHTY POWER ON ALL NATIONS WHO WILL NOT OBEY HIM (see an example given in Zechariah 14 and the land of Egypt) (verses 10-15). CHAPTER 6 The Lord's Requirement and Case against Israel "Listen to what the Lord is saying, 'Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.' Then it is the Lord's turn to give His complaint against Israel. "O my people what have I done to make you turn away from me? Tell me why YOUR patience is exhausted! Answer me! For it was I who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to you" (verses 1-4). God goes on to remind you Israel of many times He served and blessed you. What can you bring to the Lord to make up for all the sins you have done? You can do all kinds of outward forms of religion to God. You can build great expensive churches, do works of charity that look good on the surface, have TV and radio programs that sound like you are worshipping and praising God. You can send your children off to "church" or "religious schools." You can have all kinds of what looks like on the outside "religious festivals" to honor God. BUT WHAT IS IT THAT GOD WANTS FROM YOU O ISRAEL AND JUDAH? HERE IT IS: "NO, O PEOPLE, THE LORD HAS ALREADY TOLD YOU WHAT IS GOOD, AND THIS IS WHAT HE REQUIRES: TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, TO LOVE MERCY AND TO ***WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD*** (verses 6-8). The Eternal HAS TOLD you what is RIGHT! He has sent His servants to tell you right from wrong, righteousness from sin, the holy from the un-holy, the clean from the un-clean. God has sent to you over the centuries those who lifted up their voice like a TRUMPET, who declared to you what are the ways of the Lord and what He regards as SIN and WICKEDNESS! This Website is JUST ONE of the TRUMPETS of the Lord! The Almighty God wants you to KNOW and DO what is RIGHT, to LOVE true knowledge of MERCY and SALVATION, and He wants you to WALK HUMBLY with your God. There is little HUMILITY in your lands today. There is much outward forms of sanctimonious sounding Christianity, in the lands where there is any Christianity left, BUT TRUE REPENTANT HUMILITY IS NOT THERE!! For anyone, any leader, to look into the word of God to see where THEY AND THE NATION are MISSING the MARK, falling short of the good and right way of the Lord, is NOT BEING DONE! No leader in Israel, no political leader, no religious leader of any prominence, is in a TRUE DEEP HUMBLE spirit of mind, where they FEAR and tremble before the word of God, and are hungering and thirsting for RIGHTEOUSNESS. Israel's Guilt and Punishment "Listen! FEAR the Lord if you are wise! His voice is calling out to everyone in every city. The armies of destruction are coming, the Lord is sending them. Will there be no end of you getting rich by cheating? The homes of the wicked are filled with treasures gained by dishonestly measuring out grain in short measures" (verses 9-10). It's a way of saying, too many of you are rich at the expense of the poor and by dishonest means. Again, I will repeat what has happened this September of 2008 .... the CRASH of the multi-million dollar people of Wall Street. Greed, lust, coveting, stocking up physical riches, which it seems most of them will get to keep, even as Wall Street investor and bankers CRASHED TO THE GROUND! The Eternal goes on to say: "How can I tolerate all your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth" (verses 11-12). We have dishonest gain everywhere in our society. It has not been just from the elite of Wall Street, but it has been from the Hollywood Stars, to the Sports world, to the TV companies, all doing the evil of whatever it takes to make the BIG BUCKS. It is in our Court systems, our Local politics, our National politics, in our Governmental departments. There are LIES, COVER-UPS, ILLEGAL GAIN, CORRUPTION; it is all over our lands and in every facets of our societies. This is what God says will be our ultimate fate: "Therefore I will wound you! I will bring you to ruin for all your sins. You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will still remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you. You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine" (verses 13-15). It is God's way of telling you that the day is coming when you shall be rewarded according to your works. You have sown CORRUPTION, you will reap DESTRUCTION! Ancient Israel followed the evil of king Omri and the wicked king Ahab. We today follow the leaders we choose and none of them are serving God in any DEEP AND TRUE way. They are not going to the word of God to be instructed on how to LIVE and how to lead the people of Israel or Judah. The laws of your lands O Israel are becoming less and less the laws of God. You mare casting the way of the Eternal God out of just about every part of your society. You only have a "form of godliness" those of your lands that still have "Christianity" in them, which are becoming fewer and fewer. So the Lord says He will make you an example, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you (verse 16). When you are in captivity in the lands of your enemy lovers you will truly be contemptible and surely will be mocked by the rest of the world. CHAPTER 7 Misery Turned to Hope Jesus said the days would come before His return that "..EVIL shall ABOUND AND THE LOVE OF MANY WAX COLD" (Mat.24:12). What is described in the next verses is indeed a picture of the last days of this age. The godly people have all disappeared; there is no fair- minded person to be found; people will murder even setting traps for their own flesh and blood; they go about their evil deeds with both hands; officials and judges take bribes, people with money and influence pay them off; justice is twisted; they are all like a brier; the straightest of them is crooked as a hedge of thorns. There will just not be many at all who will be following the true way of the Holy One. God says the time for judgment is near! It is the time when you will not be able to trust anyone - not your best friend or even or wife or husband. The son will betray the father; the daughter betrays the mother. The days come when the enemy will be right in your own household. And that is exactly as Jesus said it would be in the days before His coming again (Mat.21:16) (verses 1-6). Israel will finally Return to God and say: "As for me, I look to the Lord for His help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my god will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord Himself will be my light. I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against Him. But after that, He will take my case and punish my enemies for all the evil they have done to me. The Lord will bring me out of darkness into the light, and I will see His righteousness. Then my enemies will see the Lord is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, 'where is the Lord - that God of yours?' With my own eyes I will see them trampled down like mud in the streets" (The New Living Translation - verses 7-10). It is not just Israel and Judah who are sinners in need of correction. All nations of the earth will need to be brought low and to REPENT of their sins. First God will punish the whole people of Jacob/Israel, but before the age ends and the new age begins all nations will learn to fear the Eternal. He will deal with all nations in His time plan. Then when HUMILITY covers the earth the RESTORATION of all things can begin. "IN THAT DAY, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt, and your borders will be extended. People from many lands will come and honor you - from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt, and from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River (Heb. "the river") and from many distant seas and mountains. But the land (Or earth) will become empty and desolate because of the wickedness of those who live there" (The New Living Translation - verses 11-13). Oh, to make it all come right in the end there will needs be MUCH destruction on the earth during those last 42 months of this age. The world is so far into sin and iniquity and falsehoods that only desolation as never seen before on earth, will bring those left to their knees in utter humility, only then it would seem will those left in the nations be ready to say, "Lord, we KNOW You are the Holy One; we now know YOUR ways are the right holy ways, and we are ready to LISTEN and be TAUGHT; WE ARE READY NOW TO DO YOUR WILL AND KEEP YOUR COMMANDMENTS." The Lord's Compassion on Israel Micah cries out, "O Lord, come and rule your people; lead your flock in green pastures. help them to live in peace and prosperity. Let them enjoy the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago." "Yes," says the Lord, "I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from the slavery in Egypt." NO SUCH MIRACLES HAVE EVER BEEN DONE FOR ISRAEL AS LIKE IT WAS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD BROUGHT THEM UP BY THE HAND OF MOSES OUT OF EGYPT. BUT SUCH MIGHTY MIRACLES WILL BE AGAIN DONE FOR ISRAEL AT THE TIME OF THE END OF THIS AGE AND THE BEGINNING OF THE AGE TO COME! "ALL NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL STAND AMAZED AT WHAT THE LORD WILL DO FOR YOU. THEY WILL BE EMBARRASSED THAT THEIR POWER IS SO INSIGNIFICANT. They will stand in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. They will come to realize what lowly creatures they really are. Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear Him, trembling in terror at His presence. Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among His people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised with an oath to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago" (The New Living Translation - verses 14-20). OH WHAT A GOD OF THE UNIVERSE IS THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. HE WILL BRING THE NATIONS UNTIL HIMSELF. HE WILL BRING THEM TO REPENTANCE AND HUMILITY. HE WILL BRING THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE WHOLE EARTH WILL FIND HIS MERCY, FORGIVENESS, AND SALVATION! ......................

SEVEN ANNUAL SABBATHS

Seven Annual Sabbaths
Is It A Sin If You Do Not Keep Them?

Those who tell us it is SIN to break the 7th day weekly Sabbath will point to the fourth of the Ten Commandments in Ex.20 together with the verses of 1 Jn. 3:4 and Rom. 6:1 to show us that being saved by GRACE does not mean we can continue to sin at will. When these same individuals are asked about the 7 annual Sabbaths God gave to Israel,and is it sin to not keep them as sabbaths, many will say, "no it is not sin to break them." When asked why they say this, an often reply is, "The 7 annual Sabbaths are not a part of the Ten Commandments, so we need not keep them." But is this reasoning of something not specifically being a part of or not being stated in the Ten Commandments, a valid argument ? God says to us, "come let us reason together." Let us be willing to look at ALL of God's word and also use common logic. It is surely indeed true that the Ten Commandment law does define what sin is ( 1 Jn 3:4; Rom.7:7 ). But, are the literal words of these commandments the all complete - beginning and ending, as to what is sin ? Or are they merely the basic foundation upon which the whole gambit of sin and what constitutes sin is built upon ? Surely even a casual reader of the Bible will come to see very quickly that God expounds and amplifies throughout His word, the meaning of sin - what constitutes sin, and various other thoughts, attitudes and actions of life that are not specifically worded in the Ten Commandments, but are nevertheless just as much sin as those specifics of the TEN. Let me illustrate. Because of a general wrong heart in the Israelites who would not look at the spirit and intent of the Ten Commandment law ( Deut.5:29 ) - God amplified for them those commandments with many specifics. The commandment to honor father and mother for example, was expanded to prohibit specific physical actions as well as a general disobedient attitude - punishable by death. "And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death" (Ex.21:15 ). "And he that curses his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death" (Ex..21:17 ). "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that when they chasten him, will not hearken unto them.......And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice, he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die......." (Deut.21:18-21). The simple command to rest on the Sabbath wasn't sufficient for a nation without the spirit and heart to obey God. In Exodus 16, the Israelites had to be told to stay at home after some went out looking for manna on the Sabbath (v. 27-30 ). They had to be instructed to keep the Sabbath in earing time and in harvest (Ex.34:21 ). In Ex.35:2 3 fires were prohibited on the Sabbath. Some commentators state that this prohibition referred only to industrial fires used in the construction of the Tabernacle (see the context of chapters 35-39 ). In any case, it is an example of a more specific regulation being added to the broad general commandment. The disregarding of this amplified instruction regarding the Sabbath carried the death penalty (Num.15:32-36). The 8th command against stealing did not always carry a death sentence, but one specific amplification of this command did, "And he that steals a man, and sells him, or if he be found in his hand (kidnapping ), he shall surely be put to death" (Ex.21:16 ). The command against murder was enlarged to include the death sentence for anyone who knew his ox was wont to attack people, but did not take protective measures and it had killed someone (Ex. 21:29 ). The command against idolatry was expanded to include the death sentence upon parents who sacrificed their children to pagan gods (Lev. 20:2 ), upon witches (Ex. 22:18), upon wizards, consulters with evil spirits, and those that used divination etc. ( Deut. 18:9-14 ). Adultery was punishable by death, but this law was enlarged to include incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality (Lev. 20:10-17). We could go on and on showing how God amplified His Ten Commandments in the first five books of the Bible, but the reader can do this for him/her self. The point is this: the Ten Commandments are not the all in all as to what is sin. They are the basic foundation and laconic form from which many other laws of God are covered and taken. The Ten commandments can be divided into two sections - love towards God (the first four) and love towards our neighbour (last six). When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment, He did not fall into the trap of naming any one specific law, but said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your life, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Jesus was not doing away with any of God s commands. He was just succinctly putting them all under two basic headings, namely, love to God and love to neighbour, for He finished His answer with, "On these two commandments hang ALL the law and the prophets" (the entire Old Testament - Mat.22:35 40 ). The TEN commandments are a concise form for ALL of God's laws, and the commands, "love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself " are an even more succinct way to state all of the commandments of God. ANOTHER ARGUMENT ANSWERED - WHEN HOLY? It is argued: The weekly Sabbath was made holy at creation from the beginning - the 7 annual Sabbaths were not. And from this reasoning it is taught we do not have to keep the annual Sabbaths - it is not sin to break them. Is this using correct understanding and logic? When we recognize WHO and WHAT is God, this argument falls apart. God is the Eternal CREATOR of all that is visible and invisible (Gen.1:1; Eph.1:12-16).He is HOLY character(Lev.19:2 ). Wherever God IS in matter or time it becomes HOLY (Ex.3:4,5; 20:8 11). God's presence in matter or time makes that matter or time HOLY, whenever He chooses. For anyone to say God can not make a period of time HOLY whenever He decides to make it holy, has never yet come to understand who and what is God. Who is man that he should reply to God, "You only made the 7 annual Sabbaths at Moses time, so they are not holy or sabbath rest days" (cf.Rom.9:20 ). When God appeared to Moses out of the burning bush and told him to take off his shoes because the ground he stood upon was holy, it was holy at that time not before - because God's presence was now in that ground and as long as it was in that ground IT WAS HOLY!! That piece of ground was not holy at creation but became holy at Moses' time - God making it holy by His presence in it. There is some evidence that God established His FESTIVALS from the beginning, even ordaining them before He blessed and sanctified the weekly 7th day sabbath, but even if that were not so, He did bless and made holy 7 annual sabbaths at the time of Moses - seven annual holy days that His presence was in and is still in, for there is not one word from God in all His holy word the Bible, to say He has since Christ or at the start of the New Testament - abolished them. They are then still holy - still sabbath days - and still sin to break them. The man made arguments to abolish them by using Col.2:16; Eph.2:14,15 and Rom.14 are answered elsewhere in our studies CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS and LAW AND GRACE. SACRIFICES ON THE SABBATH Some people want to say that because annual sacrifices were performed on the annual sabbaths and as there is no longer a Levitical priesthood and a physical Temple in Jerusalem, as these have been "done away with" so also have the annual Sabbaths. This is incorrect on at least TWO counts: 1. Ask the Jews if they agree with this reasoning. 2. Animal sacrifices by the Levitical priesthood were done not only on the annual sabbaths, but on the weekly sabbaths and on each day of the week (Num.28,29). If the ending of physical animal sacrifices for this age "does away" with the annual sabbaths, then it must by the same reasoning and logic, put an end to the weekly sabbath and to all the days of the week. It is also worth noting that from Ex.12 we learn that God gave Israel TWO of His annual sabbaths BEFORE revealing to them which was the weekly sabbath (Ex.16), BEFORE the giving of the Ten Commandments (Ex.20) and BEFORE the introduction of the sacrificial system (Jer.7:22,23). Now it is time to see what is written in the law of God regarding the weekly and annual SABBATHS. THE WEEKLY SABBATH And on the seventh day God ended His work.....and He rested on the seventh day.....and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it..... (Gen.2:2-3). ......Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord.....for today is a sabbath unto the Lord.....So the people rested on the seventh day (Ex.16:22-30). Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.....But the seventh day is the sabbath to the Lord your God.....Wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it (Ex.20:8-11). You shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defiles it shall surely be put to death.....Six days may work be done, but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.....the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant (Ex.31:14-17). Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation - you shall do no work - it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings (Lev.23:3). 7 ANNUAL SABBATHS And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for festivals (seasons - Hebrew same as translated "festivals" in other places), and for days, and years (Gen.1:14). Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread.....And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy assembly to you, no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you (Ex.12:15, 16). In the first day you shall have a holy convocation - you shall do no servile work therein.....In the seventh day is an holy convocation - you shall do no servile work (Lev.23:5-8; Num.28:16-18, 25). Concerning Pentecost or First-fruits we read: And you shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be a holy convocation unto you - you shall do no servile work (Lev.23:15-16,21; Num.28:26). In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath - a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. You shall do no servile work....(Lev.23:24,25; Num.29:1). And it shall be a statute forever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day shall you afflicy your souls, and do no work at all.....It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you.....(Lev.16:29-34). Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation unto you.....And you shall do no work in that same day.....And whatsoever soul it be that does any work in that same day, that same soul will I destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work.....It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest (Lev.23:26-32). The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. On the first day shall be an holy convocation - you shall do no servile work.....on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you.....it is a solem assembly - you shall do no servile work.....on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath....(Lev.23:34-39; Num.29:12, 33). ANNAUL SABBATHS - ARE THEY HOLY? Even with all the above evidence and words of the Lord concerning His weekly and annual sabbaths, some will still argue that somehow the annual sabbaths are not really holy sabbaths, not holy as was and as is the weekly sabbath (if they still believe the weekly 7th day sabbath is still holy, which many that once did have now discarded). They want to argue that the word "holy" is not used with the annual sabbaths in the same direct way it is used with the weekly sabbath. The answer to this clever but weak argument was anticipated by the Lord, hence He inspired the priest Ezra to give the truth of the matter. Please turn to the book of Nehemiah, read it for yourselves, mark it well, never forget it, for the first day of the seventh month, the day and feast of Trumpets, it is written: "......This day is HOLY unto the Lord your God......for this day is HOLY unto our God...." (Neh.8:9,10). This section of Scripture, together with the ones quoted above prove: 1) The annual sabbaths are Sabbaths. 2) The annual sabbaths are Holy to the Lord. 3) No regular or servile work is to be done on the annual sabbaths. 4) Like the weekly sabbath, the annual sabbaths are holy convocations. A LOGICAL QUESTION ANSWERED It will be asked: If we have not had this truth of God s word and commands revealed to us, or if we do not know when these seven annual sabbaths are on the calendar, if there are no Jews around to give us this information. If we are in ignorance - surely we are not sinning? Does pleading "ignorance" disqualify you from the penalty of breaking man s laws? NO! But you may be dealt with in a more merciful manner. If you are not aware of God's law against stealing and you steal, are you then not a thief? If you are ignorant of God's law against fornication and you have sexual intercourse before marriage, are you then free from any guilt or sin? If you are unaware God says that you should not be a liar, and you lie, does that mean you have not lied? Let us see what God's word teaches regarding IGNORANCE. Notice the account of ABTIMELECH - the King of Gerar - Gen. 20: 1-18. Because Abraham had said that Sarah was his sister and not his wife, Abimelech was going to take her as his wife. God revealed in a dream to the king that Sarah was Abraham's wife (v.2,3). King Abimelech was doing this in the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands (v.5). God acknowledged this was so. He showed extra mercy on him because of this (v.6), but notice - if Abimelech had touched her in sexual union he would even in ignorance, have sinned! For God said,".....I also withheld you from sinning against me - therefore suffered I you not to touch her." When God introduced the sacrificial system to Israel under Moses, one section covered sacrifices for IGNORANCE! You will find this in Leviticus, chapter four. Note verses 2, 13, 22, 27, 28. Breaking ANY of the commandments of the Lord, even in ignorance, is still SIN! That sin must still be covered by blood (the blood of animals represented the shed blood of Jesus) - the penalty of sin - death - still had to be atoned for. Sins through ignorance were still sins, during the age from Adam to Moses, and during the age from Moses to Jesus. What about this age then? Here is what Christ taught, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom His Lord shall make ruler over His household.....Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord when He comes shall find so doing (see Mat.7:21-27)......And that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall BE BEATEN with many stripes (he's in real bad shape - Heb.10:26 31). But he that KNEW NOT (ignorant ), and did commit things worthy of stripes (being ignorant did not mean he was guiltless), shall be beaten with few stripes (the penalty is still there). For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 12:42- 48). What a privilege to be granted to know the Lord's will - to be given His truths. But with that knowledge comes responsibility and the cross-roads of life. We then must CHOOSE - death on the one hand - eternal life, and the first resurrection on the other. To know to do "according to His will" and to do it not is to DIE in the SECOND death (Rom.6:23; Rev.2:11; 20:6,14; 21:7,8). For those not called in this life (Jn 6:37, 44, 63-65; 1 Cor.1:26) - for those ignorant of sin - those who do not know the commandments of God - for those whose sins have not yet been covered by the blood of Christ - for those who have not been granted repentance (Rom.2:4; 2 Tim.2:24-26 ) to the forgiveness of sins. For them is more grace and mercy shown. They shall be raised in the SECOND resurrection - the JUDGMENT period of Rev.20:11-13. Then God's books (the Bible ) will be opened to them - the book of life also. They will come to see what sin IS. Most will repent - have their sins forgiven, covered by the blood of Jesus - receive the Holy Spirit and enter the very family of God for all eternity. How great and wonderful are the ways of the Lord and His plan of salvation as shown to us through His 7 Annual Sabbaths. They are indeed HOLY - let's keep them that way. Written in 1987 by Keith Hunt

 

OFFERINGS ON GOD'S FEASTS

 

Offerings on the Annual Sabbaths?

Must it only be three?

OFFERINGS ON THE HOLY DAYS OF THE FEASTS OF THE LORD Some have wondered whether there should only be three Holy Day offerings a year based on Deuteronomy 16:16. What does the Bible say, and how does the Church apply this teaching? Deuteronomy... 16:16-17 says, "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has give you" (emphasis added throughout). Let's notice what this passage is saying and what it is not saying. First of all, it states that all males must attend these festivals. Does this forbid or preclude their family member from attending? Certainly not! (See Deuteronomy 12:12,18; 14:26; 15:20): Furthermore, only three festivals are mentioned in this passage. Yet Leviticus 23 clearly states that there are seven festivals that are holy convocations, to be proclaimed in their seasons (Leviticus 23:4). Finally, God commanded Israel to give an offering in accordance with the blessings that He had given to them. This approach to giving in accordance with God's blessings is one that the Church has emphasized over the years. While this passage supports Holy Day observance and giving to God as He has blessed us, questions have arisen regarding the Holy Day offerings. How often should these offerings be given? Should there be only three offerings during the year and only at the three times indicated? NOT EMPTY-HANDED? Ancient Israel, being an agrarian society, primarily used agricultural products for their offerings: "When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD you shall bring your offering of the livestock - of the herd and of the flock" (Leviticus 1:2) Although Feastgoers could exchange their Festival tithes from farm products to money (Deuteronomy 14:25)..... they also brought sacrificial offerings to God, some of which were enjoyed during festival meals. But we should not envisage in Deuteronomy 16 a modem setting of offering baskets being passed around the congregation during services of the collection of monetary offerings. Israelites would have brought their animal offerings to be given to the priests at these times. Of course, this would not have been done during services but at some time during the festival or perhaps even before the festival began, depending upon their arrival. The command to not appear "empty-handed" refers to coming prepared to give offerings during these three times a year when the males were commanded to appear before the Lord. The passage does not address the specifics of WHEN or HOW often the offerings were to be presented. HOW OFTEN? The primary focus in Deuteronomy 16 is the pilgrimage, to a central location (Jerusalem, later on) for the festivals that occur at three times in the year. Unleavened Bread (which would include Passover, since it is the day immediately before), Pente- cost and Tabernacles (which would also include the Last Great Day, since it is the day immediately after Tabernacles). Failure to mention,specifically Passover, Trumpets, Atonement and the Last Great Day; does not mean they are not festivals nor does it negate the commanded convocations on the Holy Days. In Deuteronomy 16:16, the Hebrew word for "times" (pa'am) is defined as "a stroke ... a foot, a hoof-beat... a footstep" (Brown, Driver and Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). This same word is used for festival attendance in Exodus 23:17, "three times" (pa'am). But in Exodus 23:14, in the same context of God's feasts, a different Hebrew word for "times" (regal) is defined as "a foot, a leg ... three times (feet, paces)" (ibid.). Therefore "three times." here emphasizes the number of foot pilgrimages, not the number of freewill offerings. As The Expositor's Bible Commentary mentions about "the three times" of Feast attendance in Exodus 23:17, "This section deals with the great annual pilgrimage feasts: Feast of Unleavened Bread at the beginning of the barley harvest in the spring, commemorating the Exodus; Feast of Harvest (also called the Feast of Weeks in Ex.34:22) at the end of the spring harvest of grain, commemorating the giving of the law; and the Feast of Ingathering of the summer crops of olives and grapes in early autumn, commemorating the wilderness wanderings." So, there would have been ONE pilgrimage for the Days of Unleavened Bread (including the Passover). There would have been one pilgrimage for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). And, for practical reasons, there would have been one pilgrimage for Tabernacles (and the Last Great Day). Interim travel and return would have been impractical, given that there are only eight days between Trumpets and Atonement and four days between Atonement and Tabernacles. Could some Israelites have included Trumpets and Atonement along with Tabernacles (and the Last Great Day)? Possibly some would have done so, though for obvious reasons God did not require that Israelites make this pilgrimage two weeks prior to Tabernacles. However, these two festivals were still Holy Days and would have been observed as annual Sabbaths in the local communities. Let us now ask this question: Were Israelites forbidden from including Trumpets and Atonement along with Tabernacles if they wished to do so and financially could afford to do so? Of course not. God stipulated the three major festival times when they were required to attend, but that did not mean they could not include Trumpets and Atonement if they wished to do so. ARE ONLY THREE OFFERINGS ALLOWED? Therefore, the primary focus of the three "times" in Deuteronomy 16 has to do with the commanded frequency of attendance of the festivals at a central location. It may seem that the frequency of giving offerings is also implied in the context. This would seem to be a logical conclusion, as it is unlikely that the Israelites would have apportioned their agricultural offerings at different times during the festivals. However, there is nothing in the context that would have prevented them from doing so. The context simply says that they should come prepared to give an offering at these three festivals. It does not address precisely how or when the offerings were given. The primary question that is raised regarding the offerings is to whether or not, only three offerings should be given during the year. Are there just three offerings and no more? If it is assumed that this passage limits the Holy Day offerings to only three, then we must also conclude that only males may attend these festivals.... Also, we must conclude that those three are the only festivals that we may attend. These conclusions me not logical, and they are not implied in the context. God's laws are rehearsed and sometimes supplemented in the book of Deuteronomy, as they were given to the second generation of Israel. Deuteronomy 16:16 should not be taken as a limiting passage. It does not limit festival attendance only to males. It does not limit festival attendance to only the three festivals specifically mentioned. Nor does it limit the number of times in which offerings may be given to God. All of these details are covered in the books previous to Deuteronomy, such as Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. It is interesting that at times the people of Judah remained after a festival was over, observing additional days (see 2 Chronicles 30:13-23; Nehemiah 8:2-13). Deuteronomy does not prevent God's people from observing additional days. Nor does it limit giving offerings to God on just three days. ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS God gave all of the necessary specifics to keep His Holy Days in a manner that is pleasing in His sight. However details are explicitly commanded, leaving it to the leadership to establish practices consistent with biblical principles. Today, administrative decisions have been made for various aspects concerning the Holy Days, the Festival site locations, number of church services, collection and handling of offerings and many other Festival matters. Due to the absence of a specific frequency for the Holy Day offerings, is the duty of the Church leadership to make administrative decisions appropriate for our contemporary culture, in accordance with biblical principles. We today give, monetary offerings rather than agricultural ones. Giving those offers on specific Holy Days is not forbidden in the Bible, and doing so is consistent with the principle of giving an offering to God during His festivals in accordance with the blessings He has given to us during the year. Regardless of the number of times one gives festival offerings (seven or three times), this does not necessarily affect the total annual amount given. Many figure the total amount they wish to give for a year and divide it by seven. Others use different methods, but normally the total amount given to God based on the blessings He has given to us is not altered by differing methods. In conclusion; the "United Church of God, an International Association, believes that its practice of taking up Holy Day offerings on all seven Holy Days of the year is consistent with and permitted by the principle enunciated in Deuteronomy 16. Therefore, that is what we practice. UN (United News - March/April 2006 - a publication of The United Church of God) ............................................  Let me add that I personally believe having an offering service during and on each of the seven annual Holy Days in God's calendar, does give a little extra "something" to that service. We have an opportunity as a congregation to stop and reflect on the MANY blessings our heavenly Father gives to us, and take a few moments to THANK Him for them all. It is just a nice thing to do, just as singing hymns and spiritual songs is on those Holy Days, and singing such songs is not specifically commanded to be done, nor is the number of songs to sing commanded, but we do it, knowing is does add a nice touch to the overall service. Hence I so think taking up a congregational offering on the Holy Days is "nice" also to add to the overall service of those days - Keith Hunt (April 2006).

FEASTS OF GOD -- WHAT HISTORIANS SAY

 

Feasts of God - Comments

What some historians say about the Feasts of God

COMPILED BY KEITH HUNT CONYBEARE AND HOWSON: "......From the Hebrew point of view, the disciples of Christ would be regarded as a Jewish sect or synagogue.......But they were by no means separated from the nation. They attended the festivals; they worshipped in the temple. They were a new and singular party in the nation, holding parculiar opinions, and interpreting the Scriptures in a parculiar way. This is the aspect under which the Church would first present itself to the Jews.......The FESTIVALS observed by the Apostolic Church were at first the same with those of the Jews; and the observance of these was continued, especially by the Christians of Jewish birth, for a considerable time. A higher and more spiritual meaning, however, was attached to their celebration; and particularly the Paschal feast commemoration of blessings actually bestowed in the death and resurrection of Christ" (THE LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST.PAUL. Pages 55, 346). PROFESSOR STANLEY in his sermon on St.Peter, page 92, says: " The worship of the Temple and the Synagogue still went side by side with the prayers, and the breaking of bread from house to house.........The fulfilment of the ancient law was the aspect of Christianity to which the attention of the Church was most directed." PHILIP SCHAFF says in his large work HISTORY OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. page 546, that it is with tolerable certainty that the Jewish Christians (particularly those at Jerusalem) observed the law with its weekly and yearly festivals. In the following paragraphs of the same chapter, he is quite at a loss to explain why the apostle Paul criticized the Galatians for observing Jewish festivals (Schaff's understanding of Gal.4:10), while at the same time observing them himself! Schaff acknowledges that James kept the holy days, because of the respect shown to him by the Jewish community. But concerning Paul, Schaff could not understand why the apostle allowed Romans to observe the holy days (Schaff's interpretation of Rom. 14:5,6), but forbade the Galatians. Schaff goes on to say on page 559, that Paul kept the feasts and he kept them as a Christian! PAUL COTTON in his book FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY, says that the influence of conservative Christianity was discernable upon the Eastern or Asian churches for several centuries; that even after Sunday worship was largely accepted, the Sabbath continued to be observed - especially in the East. even as late as A.D. 425, the people of Constantinople and several other cities assembled on the sabbath (pages 63-65). His conclusion is that the church was by no means united with respect to Sunday worship, nor did it make a radical departure from Sabbath observance. The process, Cotten says, was a gradual one. It was Gentile influence he says that brought about Sunday observance; and while Christianity began in Judaism, it absorbed many points of paganism and became a worldly religion (page 159). NEANDER says that it was opposition to Judaism that led to the establishment of Sunday, rather than the Sabbath, as the day of worship - and while Christians in the East tolerated Sunday worship in the churches, they continued to retain the Sabbath for some time. In the West, however, the opposition to Judaism was so strong that Saturday was selected as a fast day, in order to make it less appealing to those who should care to observe the Sabbath. According to Neander, the contrast between the two groups of Christians - those who observed Saturday and those who observed Sunday - was quite noticeable, and that some antagonism was apparent in the matter of YEARLY festivals (Neander, Vol. 1 pages 295-297). SCHAFF (HISTORY OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, page 558) says the Jewish Christians kept the Passover and all the annual FESTIVALS appointed by God through Moses and put them into Christian meaning. In the footnote, Schaff says, " It is very remarkable that St.John makes Jewish festivals, especially the Passover, so prominent in the public life and ministry of Christ. He evidently considered them significant types of the leading facts of the Gospel history." On page 559, he further states that the second century Paschal controversies prove that the early church kept the Jewish festivals and that they derived their authority from the apostles! GAMBLE AND GREEN in their work SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA Vol. 1, pages 21-35, say that the earliest historical writings relating to the Britons attest to the founding of Christian church in the British Isles, as early as the first century - either by Paul or by any of his converts to Christianity (made while in prison in Rome). There is no doubt they say that Christianity was planted in England before the appearance of the Catholic Augustine, A.D. 596. In Augustine's biography we are told that he found the people of Britain engaged in the most grievous and intolerable heresies, being given to Judaizing and ignorant of the sacraments and festivals of the church (Roman Catholic). There is much history available about the British or Celtic church before the arrival of the Roman Catholic religion in 596 A.D. The 7th day Sabbath was the weekly rest day, and they were accused of being Quartodecimine observers - those who observed the memorial of Christ's death on the 14th of Nisan, as they stated they had been taught by the apostle John himself. Further British history shows that it was not until A.D. 664 that Oswald, king of Northumberland, became convinced of the idea of apostolic succession from Peter to the then Pope, and was persuaded to accept Easter Sunday. So gradually over time, Easter Sunday took foothold in Britain, and pushed out and away the observance of the Lord's death on the 14th of Nisan or Abid. As far as Ireland was concerned, Irish historians state that during the reign of DERMOND (A.D. 528), Christianity was flourishing in Ireland - and that they had received it from the a ASIATICS. Scottish historians state that it was customary in Ireland, as well as in Scotland, for their early churches to keep Saturday. Queen MARGARET, in attempting to harmonize the Scottish church with the rest of Europe, stated that the majority of the Scottish church did not reverence the "Lord's day" but held Saturday to be the Sabbath. The Sabbath was observed in Scotland as late as A.D. 1093. And in Wales, the Sabbath prevailed until A.D. 1115. In spite of persecution and unpopularity, Sabbath keeping continued in England. Sometimes, prominent Sabbath preachers were imprisoned. Among those who advocated the seventh-day Sabbath was WILLIAM WHISTON, who translated the works and writings of the Jewish historian JOSEPHUS into English (Gamble and Green, pages 108, 112). This is only a FEW of the historical writings of men who search the ancient records of history. There is indeed MUCH proof from history and the New Testament itself that God's true elect and chosen people continued to observe not only the SEVENTH day Sabbath, but also the FESTIVALS of the Eternal as outlined in Leviticus chapter 23. Sometimes this light was hardly noticeable as God's people took refuge from persecution in the hills and valleys and dales of Europe and Britain. But the light NEVER WENT OUT. As Jesus said, He would build His church and the gates of death would never prevail against it. Eventually scattered remnants of the true Church of Christ, came across the ocean to settle in the New World of North America. There they established the faith, sometimes looking as though it would die, but those who were strong were courageous, stood tall, searched the scriptures daily, were willing to be led and taught by the Spirit into all truth. They would not deny the name of God or His holy word. The truth of the correct weekly Sabbath and yearly Festivals grew and grew. The Lord raised up various ministers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who proclaimed loud and strong the feasts of the Eternal. If you know and practice the observance of God's festivals then you my friend are partakers of this heritage. ........................ Written April 1985

JERUSALEM---- A STUMBLING BLOCK

 JERUSALEM....a Stumbling Block!!

JERUSALEM  -  a  Stumbling  Block

by  Carrie  Hart

For  "Jewish Voice"  -  a  Messianic Publication - July/August 2013

With America's encouragement, Israel and the Palestinians are considering a revised peace plan based on the Arab League Initiative. The plan calls for an Israeli withdrawal to pre 1967 borders with some minor land swaps. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that any agreement must include Israeli security arrangements along the Jordan River; Palestinian recognition of Israel as the State of the Jewish People; a solution for absorbing returning Palestinians into the state of "Palestine" (not into Israel); and an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

But, the elephant standing in the room of peace enthusiasts is the issue of Jerusalem. During Netanyahu's second term in office (2009-2013), Israeli interlocutors agreed to leave Jerusalem to Final Status talks. However, in the revised 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which Israel is being pressured to adopt, East Jerusalem becomes the capital of a Palestinian state.

This is not acceptable to a majority of Israelis, Diaspora Jews, and pro-Israel Christian supporters. Many have voiced opposition to a divided Jerusalem, and do not want Israel to share or relinquish control of its capital city....

Since the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinians have laid claim to Jerusalem as the capital of their homeland. During U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Ramallah in March 2013, he stated that the Palestinians should have a contiguous Palestinian state. He was implying that Israeli settlement building in the controversial El land corridor, which is on the outskirts of Jerusalem, would somehow separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), damaging Palestinian prospects. The Israelis deny this. They note that the Palestinians have two separate entities that make it impossible for their proposed state to be contiguous anyway. The Palestinian territories in the West Bank are under the rule of the Fatah government. The Palestinian entity of the Gaza Strip is under the rule of the Hamas government. But, once the Palestinians achieve reconciliation under one Palestinian government, their focus will turn toward Jerusalem. They will fly their flag over the city and demand their right to rule there.

Abbas is already accusing Israel of Judaizing East Jerusalem, urging Islamic states to prevent Israel from occupyingjerusalem and seeking to change the character of the city. Often, Jerusalem Arabs are incited by any slight changes to the area. Even talk of repairing a tourist ramp near the Temple Mount caused quite a stir

this past winter.

Israeli former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been accused of negotiating the division of Jerusalem......

Diplomatically, the world wants to internationalize Jerusalem. Spiritually, Jerusalem is the Divine seat of God's governmental authority. 

According to the biblical Scriptures, the fight over Jerusalem will only intensify in the days to come. The nations, one day, will surround Jerusalem with their armies. 

The city is a political and religious hot button that if pushed, will ignite the masses and stir passions on the streets of the Middle East.

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against judah and Jerusalem. And, it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely he cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against lit" (Zechariah 12:2-3 NKJV).

Carrie   Hart   is   an   Israel-based   news correspondent for Jewish Voice, reporting on current issues affecting Israel and the nations.

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YES ONE  DAY  THE  ARMIES  WILL  SURROUND  JERUSALEM. IT  IS  TO  HAPPEN;  SEE  LUKE  21.  BUT  IT  WILL  NOT  BE  AS  MANY  OF  THE  MESSIANIC  GROUPS  TEACH,  WHO  HAVE  BEEN  TAKEN  BY  THE  TEACHINGS  OF  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  PROTESTANT  PROPHETS.  THEY  TEACH  AN  ARMY  FROM  RUSSIA,  CHINA,  AND  SOME  ARAB  NATIONS  WILL  COME  AGAINST  JERUSALEM  AND  THE  JEWS  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND.  THEY  BASE  IT  ON  A  FALSE  INTERPRETATION  OF  DANIEL 9; EZEKIEL 38,39.]

THE  KEY  IS  UNDERSTANDING  DANIEL  11:40-45  CORRECTLY,  AND  WHO  IS  THE  "KING  OF  THE  NORTH"  AND  THE  "KING  OF  THE  SOUTH."

DANIEL  11:40-45  AND  INTO  CHAPTER  12,  AND  THE  "ABOMINATION  OF  DESOLATION"  SPOKEN  ABOUT  BY  CHRIST  IN  MATT.24  AND  LUKE  21,  WITH  THE  CORRECT  UNDERSTANDING  OF  DANIEL  9.

MY  ANSWER  TO  THE  "SECRET  RAPTURE"  AND  THE  TWO  PHASES  OF  THE  SECOND  COMING  OF  THE  MESSIAH,  AS  TAUGHT  BY  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  PROTESTANTS,  IS  ALSO  FULLY  ANSWERED IN STUDIES.

THE  BATTLE  OF  ARMAGEDDON  AND  ALL  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION  IS  EXPOUNDED  UNDER  "THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  BIBLE  STORY."

Keith Hunt

FEAST OF AT-ONE-MENT - ATONEMENT - YOM KIPPUR

 THE  FEAST  OF  ATONEMENT  -  Monday Sept. 21 - 2026

IT  IS  A  DAY  OF  FASTING  FROM  FOOD  AND  LIQUIDS,  UNDER  NORMAL  HEALTH  CONDITIONS  FOR  GOD'S  CHILDREN.

YES  IT  IS  A  DAY  OF  SOME  DISCOMFORT,  UNLESS  YOU  HAVE  FASTED FOR  A  DAY  AT  OTHER  TIMES  OF  THE  YEAR,  THEN  SO  DOING  YOUR  BODY  IS  USED  TO  A  DAY  OF  FASTING,  AND  IT  SHOULD  BE  RELATIVELY  EASY.

I  CERTAINLY  REMEMBER  MY  FIRST  FEAST  OF  ATONEMENT  FAST  AT  AGE  19.  YES  IT  WAS  HARD,  I'D  NEVER  GONE  WITHOUT  3  MEALS  A  DAY  UP  TO  THAT  POINT.

THE  DAY  IS  TO  DO  WITH  SIN  AS  WE  SEE  FROM  LEVITICUS  16.

LET  ME  SAY  UP  FRONT,  THE  TWO  GOATS  DO  NOT  REPRESENT  CHRIST,  ONLY  ONE  GOAT  IS  FOR  THE  LORD,  AS  IT  PLAINLY  STATES.

IF  THEY  WERE  BOTH  REPRESENTING  CHRIST,  THERE  WOULD  HAVE  BEEN  WORDS  LIKE,  "BOTH  GOATS  ARE  FOR  THE  LORD."  WITH  ONLY  ONE  GOAT  FOR  THE  LORD....THEN  ONLY  ONE  REPRESENTS  THE  LORD;  PRETTY  SIMPLE  REALLY.

THE  OTHER  GOAT  IS  SENT  AWAY  BY  A  FIT  MAN  INTO  THE  WILDERNESS;  SURELY  THE  TYPE  IS  OF  SATAN  THE  DEVIL  BEING  CHAINED  BY  THE  ANGLE  FOR  1,000  YEARS  AS  GIVEN  IN  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION.

SINS  ARE  PLACED  ON  HIS  HEAD.  SATAN  WAS  THE   FIRST  SINNER  IN THE  UNIVERSE.  THEN  HE  IS  THE  ORIGINATOR  OF  SIN.  HE  PLAYES  A  PART  IN  ALL  SINS.  HE  GOES  ABOUT  AS  THE  APOSTLE  PETER  SAID,  TRYING  TO  DEVOUR  WHOM  HE  CAN.

ONE  DAY  HE  MUST  ANSWER  FOR  ALL  SINS,  AS  HE  IS  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  SIN,  THEN  ULTIMATE  SIN  RESTS  ON  HIS  SHOULDERS;  HENCE  THE  PLACING  OF  SINS  ON  THE  GOAT'S  HEAD  AND  LED  OFF  INTO  THE  WILDERNESS.  SATAN  WILL  BE  BANNED  FOR  THE  AGE  TO  COME  -  THE  MILLENNIUM  OR  1,000  YEAR  AGE  OF  REVELATION  20.

WARS  ARE  THE  RESULT  OF  SINS.

I'M  GOING  THROUGH  THE  NEW DVD  I  BOUGHT  RECENTLY  CALLED  "JAPAN'S  WAR -In Color"

IT  IS  JUST  HORRIBLE  TO  SEE  THE  FOOTAGE  WITH  THE  DIALOGUE  I  HAVE  BEEN  PRESENTING  YOU  WITH  ON  THIS  BLOG.

THE  MIND-SET,  DECEPTION,  LIES,  PROPAGANDA,  PUSHED  DOWN  THE  JAPANESE  PUBLIC  THROAT,  LED  THEM  TO  BE  BRAINWASHED,  THEY  WERE  NOT  ONLY  IN  THE  RIGHT  AS  THEY  THOUGHT,  BUT  SOMEHOW  THEY  ALSO  BELIEVED  THEY  HAD  THE  MILITARY  POWER  TO  DEFEAT  A  MASSIVE,  WEALTHY,  MILITARY  MACHINE,  SUCH  AS  THE  USA  COULD  PRODUCE,  WHEN  THEY  WERE  PUSHED  INTO  THE  WAR,  WITH  THE  INVADING  OF  PEARL  HABOR.

THE  SINS  OF  ALL  THE  WARS  EVER  FOUGHT  ON  EARTH,  THAT  ONE  SIN  ALONE  TELLS  YOU  ABOUT  THE  CORRUPTED  MIND-SET  SATAN  HAS,  AND  HOW  HE  CAN  DECEIVE  MILLIONS  INTO  PHYSICAL  FIGHTS.

THE  WARS  TODAY  ARE  NOTHING  COMPARED  TO  WHAT  IS  TO  COME.

JESUS  SAID  THAT  BEFORE  HE  RETURNED  THERE  WOULD  BE  A  TIME  OF  TROUBLE  THAT  IF  NOT  CUT  SHORT  THERE  WOULD  BE  NO  FLESH  SAVED  ALIVE.  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION  GIVES  YOU  THE  DETAILS  OF  THAT  TIME.  

THE  WORLD  MUST  STILL  GO  THROUGH  SOME  MIGHTY  HUGE  PAIN  AND  SUFFERING,  AND  DECEPTION,  BEFORE  IT  CAN  BE  AT  ONE  WITH  GOD.

SOME  OF  US  CHRISTIANS  MUST  YET  FACE  PERSECUTION  AND  EVEN  DEATH,  BEFORE  WE  ARE  FREE  FROM  MORTALITY  INTO  IMMORTALITY.

YOU  MAY  LIKE  TO  READ  ZECHARIAH  CHAPTER  12  THROUGH  14.  THEN  REVELATION  16  TO  20.  THERE  IS  ALSO  THE  SEVEN  TRUMPET  PLAGUES  OF  REVELATION  YOU  MAY  LIKE  TO  READ.

IT  IS  ALL  PART  OF  BRINGING  THIS  WORLD  INTO  A  "AT  ONE"  RELATIONSHIP  WITH  GOD  THE  FATHER  AND  HIS  SON,  CHRIST  JESUS.

SO  ON  THIS  DAY  OF  ATONEMENT  THINK  ABOUT  WHAT  MANY  ARE  SUFFERING  BECAUSE  OF  WARS. 

THE  FEAST  IS  NOT  ONLY  VERY  SOBER,  BUT  IT  ALSO  HAS  A  SILVER  LINING.

GOD  HAS  PROMISED  THAT  ONE  DAY  ALL  NATIONS  AND  ALL  PEOPLE WILL  BE  AT  ONE  WITH  HIM,  THROUGH  JESUS  THE  CHRIST. AND IT IS ALSO A REMINDER OF THE GOAT FOR THE LORD, REPRESENTING CHRIST'S SHED BLOOD TAKEN INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES, FOR MY SINS AND YOUR SIN; A REMINDER OF THE PASSOVER FEAST.

THAT  IS,  IN  A  SHORT  FORM,  THE  SPIRITUAL  MEANING  AND  TEACHING  BEHIND  THE  FEAST  OF  AT-ONE-MENT.

Keith  Hunt

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