¹³ Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16

How many times have I heard that we are made Holy through Jesus Christ, with the implication that it is not something we can do, or in other words, is out of our reach? Instead, it is some status we obtain by becoming a Christian. Looking at this Bible passage, I can not ignore the fact that it is full of verbs of things expected of us to do:

1. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind
2. be sober
3. rest your hope fully upon the grace…
4. not conforming yourselves to the former lusts
5. you also be holy in all your conduct!

Scripture expects us to take an active role, not a passive one! So, what does it mean to be Holy? Let’s start to look at the definition of Holy and what it is not.

Holy is also defined as Sanctified, something set apart for or by God. It is the opposite of common, so something special. We see it first being used in Genesis 2:3:

³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

So God made the 7th day Holy, set apart from all the other days, a special day.

Then to be Holy means to be different from the common man and to not conform to this world but to walk in God’s will, as we can read in Romans 12:2

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Because it is Written

When Peter wrote this, he specifically mentioned “because it is written”, so let us look to the scriptures of those days (the TaNaK=Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim) and see what Peter is referring to. It might answer how we ought to be different from the common man.

1. You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them. For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. ^{Leviticus 11: 43-45}
2. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
   ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. ^{Leviticus 19: 1-3}
3. You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. ^{Leviticus 20: 25-26}

To answer the question of how to be Holy, we should look closer to the chapters in which these verses are written. What is interesting is that points 1 and 3 directly refer to eating clean food and for us to distinguish what is clean from what is unclean. The whole of chapter 11 in Leviticus is about clean and unclean food! The second point starts with referring to two of the Ten Commandments, the 5th and the 4th. These two commandments are the only ones within the Ten Commandments that tell us to do, in the affirmative, instead of do not! When God instructs us to do something then that instruction is directly linked to an act of Holiness on how to walk in His Ways.

What amazes me is that the same people who tell us that we obtain the status of being Holy by simply accepting Jesus in our lives and not playing an active role in it are also those who actively oppose us from doing what God tells us to do when it comes to keeping His instruction.

We no longer have to keep His Shabbat because Christ is now our rest. And Christ also declared all foods clean, so no worry about what you eat (see also article: In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”).

How are we to be Holy, set apart, if we are no different from anyone else? When you quote Leviticus 19:3

“Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.”

they have no issue with “revering your mother and father” but will take serious offence to the text “and keep my Sabbaths“!

Notice how God is saying here, “keep MY Sabbaths”, not “keep a JEWISH Shabbat”, or “keep YOUR Sabbaths”. His Shabbat is a day that belongs to Him, made Holy by Him!

Distinguish between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean

We read in Leviticus 20:25 that God wants us to distinguish between what is clean and unclean. Throughout scripture, we see this specifically mentioned and is directly linked to what is considered Holy and unholy/common. Take, for example, Leviticus 10:

It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, ¹⁰ that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, ¹¹ and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”
^{Leviticus 10:10-11}

Or Ezekiel 44:23-24:

²³ “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. ²⁴ In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths. ^{Ezekiel 44:23-24}

The Bible warns us in very clear terms against that what is today taught in Churches:

Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. ²⁷ Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.

It defines those who teach this within churches as Wolfs, and it is those who Jesus warns us of in Mathew Chapter 7 (see also article: I Never Knew You, you workers of lawlessness )

Being Holy means you live an active life the same way Jesus did, by doing the will of the father in the same way Jesus did and walking the way Jesus walked. Jesus himself tells us to follow His example (John 13:15), and John tells us:

³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. ^{1Jn 2:3-6}

The disciples of Jesus were known as the sect of “The Way” because of this. His disciples lived as Jesus did and walked the same way Jesus did. Be aware of anyone telling you anything else; they are those who Christ calls Wolfs!

When Peter mentioned, “Be holy, for I am holy.” He tells us to try to be like Christ and walk like him. Jesus, Yeshua in Hebrew, ate clean food and kept His Father’s Holy days, including His Sabbaths!

 

May God Bless you, and don’t forget to test everything!

 

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

This is a very interesting and powerful statement Jesus/Yeshua made and something most just read without realizing what it says. Are we really holding to Jesus Teachings? Or do most people hold on to Paul’s teachings, believing that Paul was teaching something totally new from what Christ taught?

Many times, when I discuss scripture with Christians, I get the feeling that they hold what Paul says in higher esteem than what Jesus said and it makes me wonder whose disciples they are, Christ’s or Paul’s?

Paul himself said something very similar to what Jesus said in John 8:31. We can read this in 1 Timothy 6:3-4a

1 Timothy 6:3-4a (ESV) If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

John also says something very similar to what Paul is saying:

2 John 1:9-11 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, (11) for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Paul is saying 2x in Galatians 1:6-10 that anyone who teaches a Gospel other than that of Christ will be cursed!

Galatians 1:6-10 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–  not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.  For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

So, let’s have a closer look. “But even if we (Paul included) preach another gospel than the Gospel of Christ, let him be accursed.

He even refers to “we”, including himself and the other apostles and closes by saying, “Or am I trying to please man? If so, I would not be a servant of Christ”. Paul is a servant of Christ, and anything he says or does is in submission to Him the master!

For some reason, people believe that Paul taught another Gospel than that Christ, or the other disciples, preached to the Jews. The whole idea that there is one Gospel for the Jews and another for the Gentiles goes directly against scripture, but still, this is what is taught in Churches today.

1Co 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Romans 2:28-29 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Gal 3:26-29 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

What Paul himself told about his own teachings

We saw already that Paul included himself when it came to teaching any other Gospels than that of Christ. We also saw that he called any doctrine that is different from that what Jesus Christ taught is a false doctrine. Let’s see what else Paul has to say in relation to what he taught.

In Acts, we see several situations where Paul is being accused of teaching against the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs, something that warrants the death penalty in those days. But not once were the Jews able to prove their claims! During these trials, Paul defended himself; this is some of the things he said about his own teachings:

Acts 26:22-23 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass:  that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

“saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass”

Paul here indicates the scope of his message that he did not add anything to that what was said by Moses and the Prophets, ever! This sounds a lot like what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17

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

On an earlier occasion, we have Paul saying:

Acts 25:7-8 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.  Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

“I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

Paul claimed that he broke no laws, either Jewish or Roman. We either have to conclude that Paul is telling the truth and never went outside the Scope of that what Moses and the Prophets taught and as such was not breaking any of the Jewish Laws or that he is a liar!

Paul was a true disciple of Christ, holding on to His teachings and making them his own. That is why he could say:

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Co 11:1)

What did others testify about Paul’s Teachings?

We have several witnesses in regard to what Paul taught and, at the same time, what he did not teach! The most outstanding verse can be found in Acts 21, where James testifies on behalf of Paul that Paul is not teaching against the Laws of Moses or Jewish customs and that Paul himself kept the Law/Torah; we read:

Acts 21:20-24 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. (21) They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. (22) What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, (23) so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. (24) Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.

Let’s take a closer look. The first thing that stands out to me is James’ statement:

“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law

Being zealous for the law is indicated as something very positive! Also, note that many Jews believed, and the reason why they believed is that Paul used the Prophets and Moses to show them that Jesus is the Messiah!

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Acts 28:23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Acts 17:10-12 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

The verse in Acts 17 warrants a closer look. Noticed that the Bereans were called nobler of character than the Thessalonians, for they received in great eagerness the message and examined it against the Scriptures (Tanakh / Old Testament) every day to see if what Paul was saying or teaching was in agreement with the Old Testament!

It is a very positive thing to test Paul’s teaching with the Old Testament, something that is not done in churches at all today. The fact that it is stated that many of the Jews believed means that Paul was in line with the Old Testament teachings as he himself witnessed before the court!

Peter also testified in regard to Paul’s teachings; let’s look at Peter’s last words to the believers in 2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3:14-18 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Peter is confirming that Paul’s Teachings are in line with the others “just as our dear brother Paul wrote”, and that his letters contain things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people take out of context like they do other scriptures. Again lining up Paul’s writings with other scriptures! He then warns us not to be carried away by the error of the Lawless men, the same that take Paul’s teachings out of context!

So, basically, Peter, in his last words to the body of Christ (Jews and Greeks), testified that Paul’s writings are not teaching against the Law of Moses but are in line with the other scriptures (Moses and the Prophets – Old Testament). And those thinking otherwise are carried away by the error of the Lawless men!

Lawless men = Men that don’t believe the Law applies to them!

We saw in the start Jesus saying: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples”. Most in the church today hold onto what they believe Paul is teachings instead of Christ’s teachings, something Paul himself warns against in 1 Tim 6:3 and also in Galatians 1.

We have to come back to the Teachings and the Gospel of Christ!
Be a follower of Him by living as He did! Or, as Pauls says it:

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Co 11:1)

 

May God Bless you, and don’t forget to test everything!

 

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17

Once you start to realize that the whole Bible applies to our lives and start to get an appreciation of the Old Testament and also our roots within the Hebrew faith, you start to see the whole Bible coming to life and making sense. Paul is basically saying in Colossians 2 to let nobody tell you not to keep the festivals and the Sabbath, actually the opposite as what is being preached in most churches today (see also how this is taken out of context in another article titled: “Reading the Bible in proper context “).

Because most churches are actually preaching against the instructions God gave on how to worship him, Christians have lost the significance of these events to tell us of the good things to come. The wonderful mysteries of how God’s instructions (Torah) are a shadow of the good things to come:

Hebrews 10:1 KJV  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

In this article, we will just touch the surface of several shadows that we can find in scripture. The deeper you go into the Word of God the more you will discover how God planned everything from the start and that, even though things look scary at times, we can take comfort in the fact that He is in full control!

We will be looking at how Creation is a shadow of God’s plan for mankind plus how God’s instruction on how to worship Him is a reflection of both Jesus first coming and His second coming and basically links Genesis to Revelations.

So, let’s start with the beginning, it is a good place to start.

Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

The Creation

A prophecy given by Isaiah sums up perfectly what we are going to look at, Genesis or in Hebrew Bereshit בראשית (“In the Beginning”), the first book of the Bible.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

The creation story in itself is a great start to look at the Shadow of things to come. The Hebrew word for ‘the Beginning’ Bereshit בראשית, by itself, has such depth that you can write a whole article on it by itself.

One clue to how the creation is a shadow of things to come is given in the letter of Peter where he quotes the Psalms:

2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

We see that for the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and creation took 6 days, and on the seventh day, God rested. So how is this a shadow of things to come?

When breaking down the creation by its days we get the next overview:

Day 1: Light and darkness are separated
Day 2: Sea and Earth are divided
Day 3: The establishment of the seed that bears fruit
Day 4: The bringing forth of the sun, moon, plus stars. The sun rules over the day.
Day 5: Birds and fish are being created
Day 6: Man is created to rule over creation, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the Earth.
Day 7: The Sabbath rest is established and set apart for man.

When looking at each day as a period of thousand years we can see that at least one major event, that occurs during that millennium, corresponds to that creation day.

Day 1 – Years 0-1000:

The key thing we see on Day one is the separation of Light and Darkness. Light is associated with Good and Darkness with Evil or Righteousness vs Lawlessness. This reflects what happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of Good and Evil. At that moment both good and evil, righteousness and lawlessness became part of our lives. Also, this is the first time that a prophecy was given of a redeemer through the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). And we start to see the distinction between two different groups of people. Those who believe in the promise and those who put their trust in their own capabilities. Son’s of God (having faith in the promise, see also Hebrews 11) vs Son’s of men (relying on their own strength).

Day 2 – Years 1000-2000:

The key thing we see on Day two is the separation of Land and Water.  The key event that takes place in this millennium is the flood of Noah, and literally, the same thing happens again. The earth was flooded and when the waters resided land appeared again. This is another clear match between the millennium corresponding to that creation day.

Day 3 – Years 2000-3000:

What stands out for this creation day is the seed that bears fruit.  One key moment in Biblical History that matches this is the promise God gave to Abraham that through His seed all nations will be blessed!

Genesis 22:17-18 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring (in Hebrew זֶרַע -> seed) as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring (in Hebrew זֶרַע -> seed) shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring (זֶרַע -> seed) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Genesis 26:4-5  I will multiply your offspring (in Hebrew זֶרַע -> seed) as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring (seed) all these lands. And in your offspring (זֶרַע -> seed) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Notice the connection between Abraham’s seed causing all nations to be blessed and the promise that was given to Eve that through her seed the serpent head will be crushed.

Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring (in Hebrew זֶרַע -> seed); he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

 

Day 4 – Years 3000-4000:

The arrival/creation of the Sun to separate the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:14-18 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights–the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night–and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

The major event taking place at the end of the 4th millennium is the coming of our Messiah to bring light into the darkness. One prophetic scripture relating to the coming of the Messiah can be found in Malachi 4:2.

Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Also Jesus Himself referred to being the light:

John 12:46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

Noticed that day 1 was the Creation of Light and Darkness (coming of sin into the world) and on Day 4 we have the Creation of that what separates the light from the darkness (coming of the redeemer enabling us to overcome the Darkness/Sin).

Another interesting detail is in verse 13:

And let them be for signs and for seasons ^H4150

H4150
מוֹעָדָה    מֹעֵד    מוֹעֵד
mô‛êd    mô‛êd    mô‛âdâh
mo-ade’, mo-ade’, mo-aw-daw’
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): – appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).

Seasons basically represent God’s Appointed Times. We will discuss later on how God’s appointed times are a foreshadow of Jesus’ first and second coming, but how fitting is the fact that God created the Sun, the Moon, and the stars as signs for God’s Appointed Times that foreshadow Christ coming to this earth both His first and second coming!

Day 4 is the fulfillment of the promise given to Eve about the seed of the woman crushing the head of the serpent and to Abraham that through his seed the whole world would be blessed! It represents Christ coming into this world as our redeemer.

Day 5 – Years 4000-5000:

Birds and Fish come into the picture.  The 2 things that I have to think about when thinking about fish and birds are:

1. Matthew 4:19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
2. And the Holy spirit being presented in scripture as a dove. John 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

The two key events that took place at the start of the 5th Millenium and are continuing throughout Millennia are

• The Great Commission that was given to us to go into the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20)
• and, we received the Holy spirit on The Jewish feast of Pentecost that enabled us to do the Great Commission (Acts 2:2-4)

Day 6 – Years 5000-6000:

The sixth day represents the creation of man and its rule over the earth. In the last Millennium, we see how the population and knowledge of men have grown exponentially!

Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Truly this millennium is the Millennium of Men. What is striking in Daniels prophesy is that it is linked to the end of times! So basically signaling the end of Man’s rule over the earth for a period of 6000 years! Wow, how this matches in both, representing the 6th millennium and a period of 6 millennia!

Day 7 – Years 6000-7000:

The Sabbath representing a day of rest a set-apart day to God!

Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

I think most of us are aware of the Millennium Kingdom. A period of Thousand years where Jesus will rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the Earth. The day of the Lord mentioned many times in scripture refers to the second coming of Christ at the end of Day 6, where He will wage war on earth against the armies that march up against Israel. Also known as Armageddon.  We can read all about it in the book of Revelation, the end of Day 6, and the start of Day 7!

End of Day 6:  Revelation 19:16-21 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Start of Day 7: Revelation 20:1-6 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Here we see that the coming of the day of the Lord (His second coming) announces the start of a new period of the Thousand-year rule of Christ on earth. This is what the Sabbath always represented the Shabbat is the shadow of Jesus 1000 years reign on this earth, a time of rest and renewal of Both Earth and those who live on it. It will show how God intended Man to rule over it and also how men suppose to keep His Instruction given to us from the start.

When Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath He literally meant it!

Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords for the full 1000 Years on this earth. Also, Hebrew 4 start to make a lot more sense

Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
…
Hebrews 4:8-9 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God…

That day as spoken of in Hebrews 4 is for those that are part of the First resurrection as we can read in Revelation 20:6 This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Similar to Paul we have to fight the good fight and finish the Race so we may enter that rest:

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

 

God’s Appointed Times

We ended with the Sabbath which is a perfect introduction to God’s Appointed Times or His instruction to us on how He wants us to worship Him! We find them in Leviticus 23 and are also known as the Feast of the LORD/YHVH (יהוה).

Just an interesting fact about the word Holidays, the word ‘Holiday’ comes from the word Holy-day and these are the days God declared Holy and are given to us as instructions to follow.

So what do these have to do with the Shadows for things to come? We saw already in Colossians that Paul mentioning the Appointed times as

“These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Colossians 2:17.

So, let’s look at a summary of God’s appointed times as they are mentioned in Leviticus 23:

1. The Sabbath
2. The Passover + Feast of Unleavened Bread
3. The Feast of Firstfruits
4. The Feast of Weeks – Pentecost
5. The Feast of Trumpets
6. The Day of Atonement
7. The Feast of Booths/ Feast of Tabernacles  + The 8th day

We already discussed the Sabbath on how this is the shadow of the Millennium Kingdom. One important note to make is that Biblical days start with Sunset and end with Sunset the next day, so the Sabbath starts on Friday Sunset and ends Saturday Sunset (see also Leviticus 23:32)!

The others mentioned here can be grouped into 2 different periods:

1. The Spring Feast
   a) The Passover + Feast of Unleavened Bread
   b) The Feast of Firstfruits
   c) The Feast of Weeks – Pentecost
2. The Fall Feast
   a) The Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎)
   b) The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר)
   c) The Feast of Booths/ Feast of Tabernacles  + The 8th day

So, what is the significance of these 2 periods, and are they a shadow of things to come in themselves?

Similar to having 2 times for the feast we also have 2 comings of the Messiah/Christ. In the Old Testament, we also see 2 types of Messiahs described.

1. One Messiah is described as a person who has to suffer and be pierces and pay for our transgressions as we can read in Isaiah 53, this reflects a lot of what happened to Joseph when he was sold into slavery and suffered while he was innocent.
   We know this Messiah also as Messiah Ben (son of) Joseph.
2. The other Messiah is the one that is prophesied about that will come and establish His Kingdom and reign bringing peace to the world, the one the Jews were looking for when Jesus came the first time. This Messiah is also known as Messiah Ben (son of) David

The 2 comings of the Messiah as a Shadow of thing to come, we get:

1. The Spring Feast  – First coming of the Messiah as Messiah Ben-Joseph
2. The Fall Feast – Second Comming of the Messiah as Messiah Ben-David

Having this in mind let’s first look at the spring feast and how they match perfectly with scripture and the feast.

Spring feast

The spring feast starts in the First Month of the Hebrew Calendar named Abib or also know as the month of Nisan (copied from Babylon exile).  When we look at the dates for the feast we getting the next list:

• 10 Abib: Shabbat HaGadol – Inspecting the Passover Lamb (Exo 12:3)
• 14 Abib: Passover – Starts with the offering of the Passover Lamb on the 14 of Abib and eating of the Passover Lamb the same evening which is 15 of Abib start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
• The day after the First Sabbath during the Feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread is called The Feast of Firstfruits
• Pentecost / Feast of Weeks: the countdown for this started with The Feast of Firstfruits, from this day they started to count the weeks hence the naming feast of weeks, the day after the 7 weeks or 7 Sabbaths is Pentecost

So, while the first 2 feasts are fixed the others depend on the actual day the dates fall. It is noteworthy to point that the start of the Month depends on the start of the New Moon. When God said in Genesis 1:14 “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night and let them serve as signs to mark seasons ^H4150and days and years”, the Hebrew word used for seasons is actually referring to God’s appointed times!

So, let’s start looking at how these days match what Happened to Messiah Ben-Joseph, Jesus first coming.

Shabbat HaGadol (10 Abib)

Before Jesus dies He entered Jerusalem and the people hailed him as the Messiah, most in the Christian world know this day as Palm Sunday, we read about this in Matthew 21:1-11 and it is the best known for verse 9 when the Jews shouted:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

This actually happened on the 10 of Abib which is the inspection of the Lamb. This would be most likely at the same time all the 1-year old lambs were brought in from Bethlehem to Jerusalem so they could be selected by each family and be taken into their homes as it was commanded in scripture.

Exodus 12:1-8 NIV1 The Passover
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.

So, Jesus coming into Jerusalem on the 10th of Abib represents the Lamb coming to be slain and God bringing His chosen Lamb into His home (Jerusalem) as it was commanded in scripture up to the day it gets slaughtered on day 14 at twilight.

Passover (14 Abib)

The day Jesus becomes our Passover Lamb and gets killed for our transgression on the 14th day at twilight. The meaning of twilight in those days is the time just after the sun reached its highest point and starts the process of going down to the time it sets and it gets dark. Jesus is recorded to have died at 3 PM on the 14th of Abib right in the middle of the twilight.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Almost 2 years ago, just before Easter, the pastor did a series on the Jewish feast for several Sundays. When we got to the Passover it suddenly struck me and I realized that Jesus actually died on that Festival day being our Passover lamb! That was kind of the turning point for us and we start to wonder why not celebrate Passover instead of Easter, an actual Biblical Holiday instead of a holiday that has a pagan root and is nowhere to be found in scripture?

Again this event matches exactly with scripture and God’s appointed days.

Passover moves into the Feast of Unleavened Bread and we saw Paul already referencing this in 1 Corinthians 5:7. What is significant about this is that this is the first official feast and it lasts for 7 days, reflecting the creation week. Also, The last of God’s appointed times “Feast of Tabernacles” takes 7 days. So we have a beginning and an end Feast (Aleph א and a Tav ת) both taking 7 days!

Feast of Firstfruits

The next on the list is the Feast of Firstfruits. This date depends a lot on what day the Passover starts because it is the day after the first Sabbath during the Feast of Passover/Unleavened bread.

When we check all scriptures related to the testimony of Jesus’s disciples during and after the crucifixion the only possible day for14th of Abib would be on a Wednesday (see also the Timeline ), so the idea of a good Friday is exactly that an idea and not based on scripture! This would give us the date for Firstfruit being the 18th of Abib. The day of Jesus Resurrection!

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

Also, note that a Biblical day starts at Sunset so the Day of FirstFruit starts just after the Sabbath at Sunset on a Saturday! When we look at the number of days and nights Jesus was in the grave we get:

• 15 Abib, 1st night + 1st day:  High Sabbath see also John 19:31
• 16 Abib, 2nd night + 2nd day: The woman bought the spices after the high Sabbath (Mar 16:1) and prepared the spices before the normal Sabbath (Luk 23:56). The Only day this can be is on a Friday where Thursday was a High Sabbath (Joh 19:31)  and Saturday the normal Sabbath.
• 17 Abib 3rd night + 3rd day

So, what was the only sign Jesus said he would give the Parasees?

Matthew 12:38-40 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Besides that, we can see that Jonah was a shadow of what would happen to Christ we see that scripture lines up perfectly with God-appointed feast and also with prophecy. Jesus Died on a Wednesday and He rose from the dead on Saturday evening (not on Sunday)!

Jesus presents Himself as First-Fruits to the Father on the day of FirstFruits at the same time as that the priest would be required to do so (Leviticus 23:10-11, this would be on our Sunday). We know this from the encounter Jesus had, at the grave, with Mary Magdalene. Jesus told her not to hold Him for He had not yet returned to the Father (Joh 20:17).

John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

Later on, the same day, he told Tomas to touch His wounds (Joh 20:27), this indicates that at the moment with Mary He had not yet presented Himself to the Father as the First-Fruits, while with Tomas he already did! A beautiful picture of what happened on that day!

Pentecost or Feast of Weeks

The last of the Spring Feast is Pentecost or also known as the Feast of Weeks due to the counting of the weeks from the day of Firstfruits. The Jewish feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) was primarily a thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest, but it is also associated with the remembrance of the Law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Interestingly, Pentecost is the Day God went into covenant with the people of Israel and gave us His Laws to govern that covenant. It is also the date that God gave instructions on how to build the Earthly Tabernacle which is a shadow of the heavenly Tabernacle Moses saw from Heaven.

Hebrews 8:5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Exodus 25:8-9 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

So how does this day matches Jesus first coming? Most Christians actually know Pentecost very well while at the same time many would not even know that it is an actual Jewish Feast or one of God’s appointed days. They see it as something for Christianity especially if you are Pentecostal.

The key shadow for this feast is the New Covenant God prophesied in Jeremiah and can also be found in Hebrew 8:8

Jeremiah 31:31-34 NIV1 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new (חָדָשׁ châdâsh) covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law (תּוֹרָה Torah) in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD.  “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

So, how does this match that what we all know as the event that took place on the day of Pentecost and we read about in Acts 2, the coming of the Holy Spirit? The link with regards to the Holy Spirit can be found in Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Most will associate the giving of the Holy Spirit with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but the key function of the Holy Spirit is to move us to follow His decrees and be careful to keep His Laws (Torah). The Hebrew word for Law used in Jeremiah is the actual Torah (תּוֹרָה)!

God will put His Torah (not a new Law, but the same Law) into our minds and hearts (new hearts of flesh instead of stone) and gives us His Holy Spirit to move us to follow His decrees and to keep His laws! So what is the new part of the New Covenant?

1. New hearth of flesh replacing the heart of stone
2. He will write His Law (תּוֹרָה Torah) in our heart and our minds instead of on stone
3. He will give His Spirit to help us to keep His decrees and His Laws

So, again God’s appointed time reflects exactly what happened during the First Coming of Christ.

We can also see that the sequence of the events seems to be perfectly aligned to the sequence of the first feast which brings us to the start of Jesus coming which is His birth. So, if all the events are in sequence then Jesus’ birth should have taken place before the 10 of Abib. We saw already a few hints with regards to Jesus’ birth in this article and will recap them to paint an awesome picture.

10 of Abib is the day that the 1-year-old lambs were brought from Bethlehem to Jerusalem for the families to select them and bring them to their homes. The fact that the Lambs are exactly 1 year old gives us a clue about the time of year that the Lambs got born. This was in the spring around the month of Abib! Also, Bethlehem is known to be the area to breed the Lambs for the Temple sacrifices and this matches exactly with Jesus’ place of Birth! We know that on Jesus’ birth the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks at night. The only reason for shepherds to do this is to assist when the sheep are giving birth at night!

The other clue is the Instructions God gave to Moses to make the Tabernacle, let’s look at that verse again:

Exodus 25:8-9 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

We know another scripture that talks about Jesus being the Word becoming flesh and Tabernacles among us:

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So, it was on Pentecost that Moses received the instructions on how to build it but how long did it take them to build it so God could dwell among them? Actually, we know the exact date for this, and guess how long did it take them to build the Tabernacle?

The time of the conception for the design of the Tabernacle till the completion of the Tabernacle was 9 Months!! We can read when the Tabernacle was finished and God instructed Moses to erect it in Exodus 40:1-2

Exodus 40:1-2 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

WOW!!! So Mary became pregnant with Jesus through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and Jesus was born on the First of Abib, on new Year’s day!!! Hope you start to see the pattern. How completely + beautiful does God-appointed times match the First coming of Christ, Messiah Ben Joseph! We can expect the same for His second coming!

 

The Fall feast

The Fall feasts have not come yet but we are very close to the start of it. As it has not yet happened it is harder to know for sure what each feast exactly represents, but we can get an idea of what will happen.
The Biblical month for the start of the Fall feast is the seventh month called Etanim and is also know after the Exile as Tishri. The feast dates for these are kind of fixed based o the start of the seventh month:

• 1 Etanim – Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎)
• 10 Etanim – Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר)
• 15 Etanim – The Feast of Booths/ Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎)

We know that Jesus second coming as Messiah Ben David will be announced by shouting and trumpets which match the start of the Fall Feast that starts with the Feast of Trumpets! The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎), literally “day of shouting or blasting”!

Leviticus 23:23-25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”

Most of us are aware of the second coming of Christ. As mentioned before that Creation being a shadow of things to come which ended with the Sabbath representing the coming of the Day of the Lord, this is the start of the Day of the Lord!

Most of the Fall feasts are presented in the last few chapters of the book of Revelations and Isaiah, but it all starts with the Seventh Trumpet:

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.“

This is just the start of the Lord’s day, the start of His second coming.

The key event for this day will be the First Resurrection of the dead and the collection of the saint who kept God commandments and their faith in Jesus:

Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

Revelation 20:4-6 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (5) The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר)

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance.

Leviticus 23:26-32 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”

It is 10 days after the second coming of Christ and might be seen as the day of reckoning/judgment. When Jesus returns He will wage war with the nations that march against Israel.  How long this war will last is not known but it will not be a pretty picture. It can end in hours or it can last 10 days. In today’s time, the time between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur is used for self-evaluation, repentance, and reconciliation and those Ten Days of Repentance, as they are known, are seen as an opportunity for change. Maybe Jesus is giving those that march against Israel 10 days to repent before Judgement takes place.

But 2 things we know for sure will happen during this time:

1) The beast and the false prophet get captured and are thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 19:19-20 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

2) Satan will be bound and thrown in a bottomless pit and be locked up for a time of Thousand Years.

Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

The Feast of Booths/ Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

With Satan being bound for a thousand years we get to the start of the Millenium Kingdom, a period of peace and rule of Christ on this earth. One of the reasons given to us for Sukkoth in Leviticus is to be reminded that God made the people of Israel dwell in booths when He brought them out of the land of Egypt

Leviticus 23:42-43
You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your
generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought
them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord (YHWH) your God.”

The feast itself is 7 days and then we have a mystical 8th day which is kind of the key to understanding the meaning of Sukkot. As mentioned early the first Feast (Feast of Unleavened Bread)  was 7 days and this last Feast is 7 days. The same period as the shadow for the Creation Week. This is not coincidental.

There is no doubt that The feast of Sukkot is related to the Millenium Kingdom, which is basically day 7 of the Creation.

We also know that during the Millennium Kingdom, the whole world is required to celebrate this festival on Sukkot, we read this in

Zechariah 14:16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.

Further, we know that we will be taught to obey all His commandments

Micah 4:1-2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

So, it looks like the feast is trying to summarize the History of man and reminds them of how He took them out of Egypt (representing the world or those living in lawlessness) and made them dwell in temporary dwellings as a symbol that this all is actually temporary and it will come to an end.

So how does this relate to the 8th Day?

John 7:37-38 On the last day of the feast, the great day (meaning the 8th day), Jesus (Yeshua) stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

It is not coincident that Jesus mentioned this on the 8th Day of Sukkot, Jesus is referring with this to the New Jerusalem

Zechariah 14:7-8 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.

and

Revelation 22:1-2 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

We had 6 millennia of man ruling on earth, turning this earth into a mess, then we get 1 Millennium of Jesus ruling the earth turning it into what it was meant to be, and on the end of the 7 the day we read that both Heaven and Earth will be destroyed after Satan gets released and gathers again an army to march against Jerusalem. (Revelations 20).

Now that the 7th day has ended we enter the 8th-day end we see a completely new beginning with a New Heaven and New Earth, and the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven onto earth.  We read about this in Revelations 21:

Revelation 21:1-7 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

The 8th day represents the new creation for eternity, there will be no more night and no more sin, all who are in this new creation have no need to be reminded of how to obey God for it will come naturally to each and everyone completing the New Covenant made with The house of Judah and the House of Israel.

Jer 31:34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Also, note that we are not meant to go to heaven but instead will dwell on the New Earth where God will actually dwell among us as He always intended “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them”!

How beautiful is the Word of God and how perfect is everything planned! We can take comfort in these crazy times with the knowledge that God is in control and things will go according to how He planned it, demonstrated to us through the shadow of His appointed times.

We started with Genisis 1:1 and ended with Revelations 21 and 22, which is I believe a perfect end to this article.

With this said I like to end with the question: Are you keeping God’s appointed times and worship Him as He instructed us, or do you worship God in your own way and follow Pegan feasts that have no foundation in God’s Word?

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

 

The Second Shema (שְׁמַע שֵׁנִי)

Shema (שְׁמַע): literally means listen, heed, hear or obey, and it is directly linked to acting on what you hear not just hearing! The Shema is well known in the Hebrew community and exists out of 3 parts:

1. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
2. Deuteronomy 11:13–21
3. Numbers 15:37-41

The first part of the Shema can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (5) Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (6) These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. (7) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  (8) Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  (9) Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Jesus/Yeshua was directly quoting this commandment when He was asked what are the greatest commandments, we read this in Matthew 22:36-40:

Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.“

The fact that Yeshua quotes this as the first and greatest commandment is significant and shows that He was always pointed us to the Father.

The second part of the Shema can be found in Deuteronomy 11:13–21 and the key message coming back over and over is that we have to obey God’s commandments and not to follow any other Gods.

Many do not realize that we are actually commanded in Torah to Listen to the one likened unto Moses and that if anyone does not listen (שְׁמַע) to Him than Elohim will call that person to account! This is a strong warning to Shema that person, the second Shema.

We read this in Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. (16) For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” (17) The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. (18) I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.  (19) If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. (20) But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”

Several parts are very interesting in this passage. The first one talking about how the Prophet will speak only Elohim’s words, see verses 18b-19

(18b) I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. (19) If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

Now let’s look at what Yeshua said about Himself

• John 5:30
  “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
• John 7:16
  So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
• John 10:37-38
  If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;
  if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
• John 12:49-50
  For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment–what to say and what to speak.
  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
• John 14:10
  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

Yeshua’s testimony about Himself matches perfectly with what we read in Deuteronomy 18:18b-19. Yeshua/Jesus directly referred to Deuteronomy 18:15, we can read this in John 5 verse 46:

John 5:46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

The second part that stood out to me is verse 20:

(20) But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”

When I read this a second time it suddenly hit me! This passage is directly referring to Deuteronomy 13 and the test Elohim gave us to test if a person is a true Prophet or Teacher. To read it in proper context we have to include the last verse of chapter 12.

Deuteronomy 12:32-13:1-6
(12:32) See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
(13:1) If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, (2) and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” (3) you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. (4) It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. (5) That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

Compare this to the passages of the Shema we find in Deuteronomy 6 and 11

Deuteronomy 6:14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you;

and

Deuteronomy 11:16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.

 

The significance of this is huge, the person likened unto Moses that we are instructed to listen to and obey (to Shema Him), is directly linked to the test given to us to test if a Prophets/Teachers instructs us to keep Elohim’s/God’s commandments and not teaching against them. It clearly shows that Yeshua never could teach against any of Elohim’s commandments. Yeshua the one likened onto Moses said Himself:

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

He told us to listen and obey Him the same as He listens and obeyed the Father.

John 15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

The Torah commands us to do the same:

Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him!

 

The 3^rd part of the Shema is Numbers 15:37-41 and found this quite interesting. Numbers 15:37-41 is talking about wearing of tassels to remind us of the keeping of Elohim’s Commandments

Numbers 15:37-41 The LORD said to Moses, (38) “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. (39) You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. (40) Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. (41) I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.’ “

It is a reminder for us to obey all His commandments, including the second Shema; to listen and obey the one likened onto Moses – Yeshua.

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ (23) And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Mat 7:21-23

To me, this was the scariest passage in the Bible. I would not measure up to anyone that prophesy or cast out demons and do any type of mighty works like healing the sick. But Jesus is telling them “I never knew you”. The people that He addresses believed that they served Him, stating that they did those things in His name! So this scripture is referring to many people that believe they are Christians! Nevertheless, Jesus states very strongly “I never knew you” and follows with “Depart from me you workers of lawlessness”

The reason why he denied knowing them was that they are workers of lawlessness. On the other hand, Jesus starts out saying; only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven.

The first thing coming to my mind is the Lord’s Prayer:

Mat 6:9-10 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (10) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Those described in Mat 7:21-23 believed that they are disciples and most likely all of them have prayed the Lord’s Prayer, but Jesus denies knowing them and the key phrase here is “Workers of Lawlessness”. So, what does Jesus mean with this?

We read in 1 John 3:4

1Jn 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. (ESV)

1Jn 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (NIV)

So it seems very clear that there is a connection between doing the will of God and keeping God’s Laws, so let’s look at this connection in more detail. Before this passage, within the same chapter, we have two other passages that are directly related to this one:

1. A Tree and Its Fruit
2. The Narrow and Wide Gates

A Tree and Its Fruit

Preceding this paragraph Jesus talks about wolves in sheep’s clothing and that you recognize them by their fruits.

Mat 7:15-20 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (16) By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? (17) Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.

For ages I thought that those good fruits are all the good results we have as being Christians; witnessing to others and bringing them to Christ, helping others, and of-course the Fruit of the Spirit come to mind (Gal 5:22-23); love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

But if I am honest I can find many of these qualities in the world as well and therefore it does not distinctively set Christians apart from Non-Christians, except for Love in the context of: “Love one another. As I (Jesus) have loved you – Joh 13:34″. So, let’s have a closer look at what type of fruits God is after and how that relates to doing His will.

What is the good tree bearing good fruits?

Psa 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (3) He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

And who are the wolves in sheep’s clothing?

Eze 22:26-27 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. (27) Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.

We see here that those who delight in the law of the Lord are compared to a tree that is planted by streams of water and yields its fruit (the right fruit) in season. Psalm 40:8 confirms this as well:

Psa 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

We also see that the wolves in sheep’s clothing are those priests or pastors that teach that there is no difference between what is holy and what is common, between what is considered clean and unclean, and that shut their eyes to keep the sabbath!!

Does this not sound familiar to you? Is this not exactly what is preached in churches today? We are told that we can ignore the day that God declared Holy and choose any day we want, also we can now eat anything we want because Jesus declared now all foods clean! (see also In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”) and we are told that we no longer have to keep the Sabbath as commanded within the 10 Commandments.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

Another common misconception within Christian Churches is concerning the passage about ‘The Narrow and the Wide Gates’ just before the previous passage about ‘A Tree and Its Fruit’.  Noticed that all these passages are in the same chapter and come right before the one we are talking about in Mat 7:21-23, and are directly related to one another.

Mat 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (14) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

When I grew up I remember seeing a big poster displaying an image of the narrow gate that leads to Heaven and on the other side a wide gate and we see all the sinners going through it, partying and enjoying themselves, ignoring God and ending up in Hell.

At that time I believed that all Christians are those who enter the narrow gate and all non-Christians are entering through the wide gate.

But we saw already that when Jesus said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…”, that He was not referring to unbelievers but to those that believed they are Christians!

Note also that He mentioned “On that day many will say to me ‘Lord, Lord…” matching the wide gate, saying: “…and many enter through it”!

Please take a minute and think about this! The people on the wide road are those who believe they are Christians but are not recognized as such by Christ!

We see a confirmation of this in Luke 13: 23-27 were Jesus said something very similar, but here we see that Jesus said that many seek to enter the narrow gate but will not be able to! In seeking to enter we see that they are interested, not people who do not want to have anything to do with God:

Luke 13:23-27 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, (24) “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (25) When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ (26) Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ (27) But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!‘

Peter last words are warning us about the error of the Lawless man

Jesus referred to the “workers of lawlessness” while Peter warns us, in his last words, to be careful not to be carried away by the error of Lawless men. Both refer to ‘Lawless’ which is not coincident, Peter even warns that it can lead to the fall of your secure position, same as what Jesus is saying in Mat 7:21-23!

2Pe 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.

Before this verse, Peter warned that Paul’s teachings are difficult to understand and that they will be taken out of context by ignorant and unstable people.

2Pe 3:16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Take note that Peter is not referring to Lawless men as horrible sinners that enjoy breaking the law but as ‘ignorant and unstable people’ that are (like wolves) within the assemblies of believers who take what Paul wrote out of context!

So, how is Paul’s Teaching being taken out of context? Paul’s Teachings are used within Church Doctrine to teach that God’s Laws, given by Moses, have been abolished and no longer apply to us. Is this not the definition of Lawless men:

Lawless Men = Men that don’t believe the Law applies to them! = workers of lawlessness

I hope you start to see a pattern, the wolves are those that teach that “there is no difference between what is holy and what is common, between what is considered clean and unclean and that shut their eyes to keeping the sabbath” and the Lawless Men are those that no longer believe that the Law of God, as given to Moses, applies to them.

In conclusion:

This is not nice teaching and something not many like to hear, but something we as Christians have to consider. Maybe you understand now why I said it at the start that this was the scariest part for me in the whole Bible. But it does not need to be scary. We are not required to do miracles or cast out demons or any of the other big things, but instead, we are simply asked to do the will of God by keeping His instructions for us. Throughout the whole Bible God keeps on repeating one thing, obey me!  (see also what His instructions are for us)

If God does not change as he said in Malachi 3:6-7 and also Hebrew 13:8

Malachi 3:6-7 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.

Hebrew 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

And Jesus did the will of the Father

John 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgement is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Then is it not a logical conclusion that the way of doing the Father’s will is to walk as Christ did? For us ‘to love one another the way Jesus loved us’ requires of us to walk as Jesus did and to become like Jesus.

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)

Jesus did the will of the Father by keeping His commands. When we delight in God’s Laws and do them, then we are like a tree planted beside streams of water and bearing the right fruits in season, the fruit of obedience by doing the will of the Father! Let’s examine ourselves and ask:

1. are we doing the Will of the Father by keeping His commands?
2. are we truly disciples of Christ?

In the end, we can’t blame the pastor or others, we are all asked to do God’s will and are responsible for obeying Him. If we don’t, Jesus will Say:

‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

 

I hope that God speaks to you through this article. May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

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Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Psa 119:97)

When you ask people if they are law-abiding citizens, most will answer that they believe they are. In general, countries that have a good functioning Law system and less corruption do better than those who don’t. One of the key reasons why the Western countries have done really well is because they had a Law system that was based on Judeo-Christian values.

Without really realizing it, we, as law-abiding citizens, following hundreds, if not thousands, of laws (traffic, council, state, and federal). Most of the Laws are not that hard to keep, just stick to common sense and to some basic rules, like do to others what you would have them do to you.

Mat 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

When asking people about God’s law you will notice that it brings up more negative emotions than positive ones. Emotions expressed are; it is impossible to keep and the law enslaved or is bondage, but you will hardly ever hear anyone say how much they love God’s laws, or that they delight in His laws as David and Paul did! Read Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible and it is all about how wonderful God’s law is!

Jesus gives a very good summary of God’s Law when asked what is the greatest commandment in the law:

Mat 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.“

At the heart of God’s law is ‘Love’, love God and love your neighbor, so how come that so many have such a negative view when it comes to God’s law?

Most are due to our misunderstanding of what God’s law actually is. In this article, we will try to create an overview of what God’s law is and also highlight what it is not. Once you get a clear understanding of what the Law of God is you will also understand why David says that he loves God’s laws and why Paul calls God’s law a delight, holy, righteous, and good.

What is not the Law of God

I think it is best to tackle this issue first because a lot of our misunderstanding of God’s Law has to do with us reading scripture and assuming that it is talking about God’s Law, while it is talking about another law.

One key verse we find in Act 15:8-10 where Peter explained what happened when he visited the house of the centurion named Cornelius and how God accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit. He then states that we should not put such a heavy yoke on the gentile’s shoulders that neither they nor their fathers been able to bear:

Act 15:8-10 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. (9) He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. (10) Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?

The keywords here are “a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear”, most will believe that Peter is talking about God’s Laws but he does not refer to God’s Law, instead, he is referencing the Laws of the Jews, the traditions of the elders also known as the commandments of men.

Peter was talking in this passage about an earlier event described in Acts 10:24-33 where he visited the house of the centurion named Cornelius after he received a vision from God about a blanket filled with animals. Noticed what he said in verse 28:

He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. (Act 10:28)

It is not against God’s Law to visit Gentiles or be associated with Gentiles, quite the opposite, God’s Law tells us that they should be considered as one of their own, we read:

Lev 19:33-35 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. (34) You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (35) “You shall do no wrong in judgement, in measures of length or weight or quantity.

Num 15:14-16 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he shall do as you do. (15) For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. (16) One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”

The Jews at that time were not only subject to God’s Laws but Jewish laws as well. One of the topics in Acts 15 was the question if Gentile believers were required to be circumcised. When a Gentile converted to Judaism, through circumcision, they were not only required to keep God’s Laws but also the Jewish laws imposed on them by other Jews! This is what Peter is opposing!

We have countless examples where Jesus is fighting with the Pharisees in regards to these man-made laws. Few examples are:

• Mark 7:1-13 were the disciples of Jesus did not wash their hands before eating
• or when Jesus and His disciples went through a grain field and picked some grain and ate it on the Sabbath (Math 12:1, Mark 2:23).
• Paul is accused of bringing a gentile into the temple and by doing so defiled the temple (Act 21:28), while we read in Num 15:14 that everyone should be able to bring an offering to God.

You can find many other examples but when you test them in scripture you will find that they are not God’s Laws but instead are man-made commandments, traditions of the elders also referred to as the Oral Law (Talmud). Jesus actually mentions the heavy burden they place on people’s shoulders:

Mat 23:2-4 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, (3) so practice and observe whatever they tell you–but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. (4) They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

As we can see, from what Jesus said, one key reason why we believe the Laws are too hard to keep is that we mix-up ‘commandment of men’ with God’s Law.

But there is another reason why we believe that God’s Laws are impossible to keep. Church doctrine teaches us that in the old covenant a person could only receive salvation by keeping God’s Law and that we now, in the new covenant, are instead saved by grace through faith. This is not a Biblical concept but church doctrine!

Try to find anywhere in the Old Testament where the children of Israel are told that they will find salvation by keeping the Law, you will find it nowhere. Instead, you will find that salvation has always been through faith and faith alone. Something Paul tries to make very clear in both Romans and Galatians. When Paul says in Galatians 3:11 “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”, he is actually quoting old testament Habakkuk 2:4, very similar we see in Rom 4:2-3 and Gal 3:6:

Rom 4:2-3 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. (3) For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (quoting Genesis 15:6)

Gal 3:6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (quoting Genesis 15:6)

As we can see it is not an Old Covenant vs New Covenant issue or only a New Testament concept, salvation has always been through faith. To me, it only shows that a person saying this simply does not understand the New Covenant and instead is teaching what they have learned from church doctrine.

Church doctrine is one of the main causes why people have such a negative perception of God’s Law. God does not want us to keep His commandments for salvation, instead, God wants us to desire with our hearts to keep His commandments and that this desire is reflected in our actions by doing them the best we can (our fruits). He wants us to keep His Laws as an expression of our love for Him! Remember His Laws are all about love!

The Law according to Paul

But what about Romans 7, Paul clearly states that he can’t stop doing what is wrong, so clearly it is not that simple? Romans 7+8 are key to understand Paul when he talks about the Law because in these chapters He is not only talking about the Law of God but he specifies 3 other laws:

1. The Law of Sin (Rom 7:23)
2. The Law of the Spirit of Life (Rom 8:2)
3. The Law of Sin and Death (Rom 8:2)

These 2 chapters are perfect to show what God’s Law is and what it is not! Church doctrine teaches that the Law enslaves, causes bondage, and imprisons us and they do this because they do not get what Paul is actually telling us in these 2 chapters. Paul here explains what is actually causing bondage and what enslaves, and how it relates to God’s Law.

In Chapter 7 Paul draws a picture of a conflict between God’s Law and Sin, Paul says in this chapter that God’s Law is:

• holy, righteous, and good
• spiritual
• a delight

But he is wondering how come, that a law that is good, holy, spiritual and righteous, causes so much conflict within someone’s soul?

Rom 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
…
Rom 7:17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

Paul finds the answer to his problem at the end of chapter 7:

Rom 7:21-23 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  (22) For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; (23) but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

He finds another Law at work in his body and calls it The Law of Sin, this law directly opposes the Law of God. It is not God’s Law that enslaves or causes bondage but The Law of Sin that does this!

How this all relates to what Jesus did for us on the cross can be found in the last verse of Chapter 7 and the first 2 verses of Chapter 8:

Rom 7:24-8:2 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (25) Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
(8:1) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (2) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

We read here that:

the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

and we read in 1 Co 15:21-22 the next:

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (22) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1Co 15:21-22)

So, here we find the other 2 laws that Paul defines, and they are directly connected to the Curse of Adam and the Blessing of Christ:

1. the Law of Sin and Death (the curse of Adam – death through one man)
2. the Law of the Spirit of Life (Life through Christ countering Adam’s curse)

God’s Law does not bring death but “The Law of Sin and Death” (“Adam’s Curse”) does, Jesus does not set us free from the Law but He set us free from the “Law of Sin and Death”. This is at the heart of the New Covenant.

Eze 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

I would recommend studying all Paul’s definitions of different laws and their characteristics; it will help to understand what Paul writes in all of his letters. To give a summary of what we have found in Rom 7 + 8:

• The Law of God (holy, righteous, good, a delight, spiritual, it identifies sin, blesses us when we keep it, but curses us when we break it)
• The Law of Sin (directly opposes the Law of God, Enslaves, imprisons, resulting in the fruits of sin)
• The Law of Sin and Death (Curse of Adam, brings death)
• The Law of the Spirit of life (frees us from The Law of Sin and Death, help us to resist sin, convicts us of sin when we sin, resulting in the fruits of the spirit)

An example of how it can help us to understand what Paul writes:

Rom 6:12-14 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. (13) Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
(14) For sin shall not be your master ^{(schoolmaster -Gal 3:24)}, because you are not under law (of sin), but under grace.

What Church Doctrine fails to do is testing what they believe with the Old Testament, as the Bereans did (Act 17:11). If they would test the idea that the Law enslaves, they would find that the Old Testament actually claims the opposite:

Psa 119:44-48 I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. (45) I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. (46) I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, (47) for I delight in your commands because I love them. (48) I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

We are warned by Peter in his last words, that what Paul writes will be taken out of context, and that we should be on our guard so that we are not carried away by the error of lawless men!

2Pe 3:15-17 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. (16) He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (17) Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
(Lawless Men = Men that don’t believe the Law applies to them)

You might have heard the argument that the law has more than 600 commandments and no one is able to keep them all. As we saw in the start, by being just law-abiding citizens we are already keeping hundreds if not thousands of laws right now. Very similar is it with God’s commandments. Many of the commandments are just common sense, others only apply to the priest and temple services and cannot be observed today because of the destruction of the Temple at 70 AD. Some laws are specific for a certain target group and as such only expected to be kept by that target group. Very similar to traffic laws regarding driving a car, if you do not drive a car then those laws are not applicable to you.

When we look at the ruling James makes in Acts 15:19-21 in regards to new Gentile believers we read; that all new believers should right away abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from that what is strangled and from the blood. We also read something most Christian denominations skip, that the rest of the Law they will learn in the synagogues on the Sabbath!

We are not right away expected to understand all the Laws and how they apply to us, instead, we will learn them on the Sabbath when we study God’s Law. Around the World, on every Sabbath, the Torah gets read in all the synagogues, and every year they go through the complete Torah. Starting from Genesis 1:1 right after the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) on the eighth day of the festival. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekly_Torah_portion

God’s Law is not an impossible mountain to climb, but more a slope, and when we test the idea that God’s Laws are too difficult, with scripture itself, we read that Gods Laws are not burdensome or too hard to keep:

1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Deu 30:11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.

Hopefully, you start to see that a lot of the negative emotions with regards to God’s Law are due to us not understanding what God’s Law is. So let start looking at what God’s Law actually is.

What is God’s Law

If we have to summarise God’s Law using single words we read:

• Perfect (Psalm 19:7)
• Just (Nehemiah 9:13)
• Good (Prov. 4:2,Rom 7:12)
• Life (Prov 6:23)
• Truth (Psalm 119:142)
• Light (Isaiah 8:20,Psa 119:105,Prov 6:23)
• Way (Malachi 2:8,Psa 119:32,Psa 1:6 ,Prov 6:23)
• Freedom (Psalm 119:45)
• Holy (Rom 7:12)
• Delight (Psa 1:2 , Rom 7:22)
• Not burdensome or difficult to keep (Deu 30:11,1Jn 5:3)

Jesus also showed us in Mat 22:36-40 that at the heart of God’s Law is Love. When we look at the meaning of the word Torah (Hebrew for Law), it actually means instructions.

The word “Torah” in Hebrew is derived from the root ירה, which in the hif’il conjugation means ‘to guide’ or ‘to teach’ (cf. Lev 10:11). The meaning of the word is therefore “teaching”, “doctrine”, or “instruction”; the commonly accepted “law” gives a wrong impression. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah)

So simply put, God’s Law = God’s Instructions for us. When you think of this you start to realize that the whole Word of God is His instructions to us. We see in many scriptures that the law is referenced as “his word”, we see this also in 1 Jn 2:3-6:

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. (4) The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 Jn 2:3-6)

Furthermore, we read in Psalm 119 a lot about what God’s Law actually is, and similar to what we saw in 1 Jn 2:3-6, we see that the words ‘your law’ and ‘your word’ are used interchangeably. Once we start to understand what God’s Law really is, it will change us!

We all know that Jesus is “the Word”:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

But we also read what Jesus says about Himself:

Joh 8:12 …, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life.”
…
Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.

On the other hand, we saw already that God’s Law is:

• The Way (Malachi 2:8, Psa 119:32, Psa 1:6, Prov 6:23)
• The Truth (Psalm 119:142)
• The Life (Prov 6:23)
• The Light (Isaiah 8:20, Psa 119:105, Prov 6:23)

In other words, Jesus is the Law (Jesus = the Word = God’s Instructions for us = the Law)! He is the living embodiment of the Law, our example to follow!

If we love Christ, we love the Law, something 1Jn 2:3-6 and 1Jn 5:2-3 try to make very clear to us:

1Jn 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. (4) The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

1Jn 5:2-3  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. (3)  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Once we understand that Jesus is the living embodiment of the Law and that we as His Disciples have to walk as He did, things start to make a lot more sense. Jesus is the example that we, as His disciples, must follow.

Verses like Rom 10:14, where the word end actually means ‘end objective’ or ‘goal’, start to make a lot more sense:

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end ^{telos (τέλος)} of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

A telos (from the Greek τέλος for “end”, “purpose”, or “goal”) is an end or purpose, in a fairly constrained sense used by philosophers such as Aristotle. It is the root of the term “teleology”, roughly the study of purposiveness, or the study of objects with a view to their aims, purposes, or intentions.
This is demonstrated in the way one can say that the telos of warfare is victory or the telos of business is the creation of wealth.

The telos of the Law is Christ!

When we ask Jesus in our heart, we actually invite the Law of God in our heart, which is a key component of the new covenant!

In Conclusion:

Now that we know that Jesus is God’s Law it is not hard to understand why David says that he loves God’s laws and why Paul calls God’s law a delight, holy, righteous, and good. Read Psalm 119 and rediscover how wonderful God’s Law is!

Freedom is not found outside the Law, outside the law lives anarchy, freedom is found within the Law, in Christ!

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

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And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. (18) And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, (19) since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) (20) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. (Mar 7:17-20)

I just read an article that China is reclassifying dogs as Pets rather than livestock (food) in response to COVID-19 outbreak. Most of us will throw up at the thought that some people eat dogs as food. Just imagine reclassifying the next examples as food like cockroaches, worms, maggots or street rats.

Hope you are not just eating something, but I try to make a point here, most of us would not classify or consider these examples as food, period! So, this raise the question; when Jesus referred to ‘all foods’, what did He classify as food? Did He refer to ‘all food’ as that what was classified as food within scripture or did he classified as food anything that was eaten at that time around the world?  It is important for us to understand what Jesus classified as food in order to read this scripture within proper context.

Mark 7:1-23 is the key scriptures used today to preach in church doctrine that Jesus declared all foods clean, including that what was classified in the Bible as unclean (Leviticus 11).

Other scriptures used for this argument are:

• Acts 10:15, were Peter has a vision of a sheet with unclean animals
• and what Paul writes in Romans 14:14

We are going to look at these scripture within the proper Context of what the passage is trying to say.

Mar 7:1-23 Clean and Unclean

When reading the whole passage you will notice that not once is their any reference to any food being eaten which was classified as unclean in the Bible! We don’s see the Pharisees getting upset because the disciples of Jesus were eating prawns or pork, no they got upset because the disciples did not was their hands before eating as it was custom to do based on their traditions.

Mar 7:1-5 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, (2) they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (3) (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders, (4) and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) (5) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?“

It is quite clear that the context of the whole passage has nothing to do with the eating of unclean animals but to do with eating with unwashed hands, which according to the man-made commandments made the person unclean. As such we have no reason to even think that Jesus definition of ‘All foods’ would include animals considered unclean in scripture.

Jesus response to them speaks volumes to what He thought of their traditions and man-made commandments and is key to understand what Jesus is actually saying to His disciples in the end. We read His response in the next few verses:

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”‘ (that is, given to God)– then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mar 7:6-13)

Now just think of this: He calls them hypocrites for honouring God with their lips but not with their hearts and in doing so establishing man-made commandments and traditions making God’s word void. Then Jesus, according to today’s church doctrine, does exactly the same in verse 19, declaring unclean animals clean, an in doing so making God’s word void!  Honestly, would that not make Jesus a bigger hypocrite than the Pharisees?

The argument used for this is Jesus explanation of the parable to the Disciples as we can read in verses 17-23:

Mar 7:17-23 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. (18) And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, (19) since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) (20) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. (21) For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, (22) coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. (23) All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

So, the key argument in summary here is:

“That what goes into the mouth does not make a person unclean but that what comes out of the heart of that person does.”

Just think for a moment:

This argument is valid today as it was 2000 years ago, but it was also valid the day God gave that law, so the question than is: Why did He gave the Law in the first place?

This also does not make any sense; He first gives the Law and then abolish that Law using an argument that was valid on the day He made that Law!

Any Bible believing christian, being honest to themselves, should by now have some serious questions about what is being taught to us by church doctrine regarding this subject!

Beside this, Jesus could not have abolished the Dietary Laws given to us in Leviticus 11, if he would, he would actually break the law and therefore not be able to fulfil the law perfectly, which is something all Bible believing Christians are in agreement about He did! We can read this in:

Deu 4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

and in:

Deu 12:32 See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

So, if Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly than this simply means he did not abolish any laws. Something He tries to also make very clear in Mat 5:17!

We have another passage in the Bible that refers to the same event and highlights exactly what the real context is for Mar 7:1-23, we find the same story in Mathew 15:16-20:

Mat 15:16-20 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? (17) Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? (18) But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. (19) For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (20) These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.“

So, when we read the text “Thus he declared all foods clean” He is simply saying that not washing your hand, or not doing any of the other man-made commandment, will not make foods, which are clean in itself, unclean! Instead of nullifying or making God’s word void, Jesus made the man-made commandments void!

Acts 10:15, Peter’s vision

Act 10:15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

This passage is about God giving Peter a vision of a large sheet hanging by its corners and within it all type of animals, both clean and unclean, and then instructing Peter to eat them. When we read this passage we notice first of all Peter’s strong refusal to what God is ordering Him to do, we read:

Act 10:9-18 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. (10) And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance (11) and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. (12) In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. (13) And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” (14) But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” (15) And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (16) This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. (17) Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate (18) and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.

Peter says “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”, from this we know that the animals shown were according to Peter common and unclean. But the key question we must ask here is; why did Peter refused a direct instruction from God, especially in the context of Mark 7:19?

If Jesus clearly explained to the Disciples in Mark 7:19 that from now on all animals are to be considered clean, then why would Peter refuse to obey!

The only explanation is that Jesus never implied this in Mark 7:19, this is something that is implied by church doctrine and has no scriptural foundation!

Again, if we look at Peter’s response “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” we notice that Peter identified 2 types of animals:

1. Common (opposite of Holy so basically unholy/impure)
2. Unclean

While in scripture we only have the distinction between ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ animals (Leviticus 11). The text says that within the sheet were all kinds of animals …, this means both ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ were within the sheet.

So, why did Peter identify the clean animals as common and why did he not kill the clean animals and eat those?

Understanding this will help us to understand the whole topic much better. The reason why Peter called the clean animals common has to do with Jewish Law that states that once a clean animal touches an unclean animal, the clean animal becomes common or impure.

Because all animals in the sheet touched one-another, Peter no longer considered the clean animals as clean, but instead classified them as common (unholy)! The Gentiles were also viewed by the Jews as either unclean or common, due to the very likelihood they get in touch with unclean things or they did something that made them unclean.

I hope you start to see why God showed Peter the sheet with animals, and how this links to Cornelius the Gentile, who is mentioned before and after the vision.

Christian doctrine today will use the words; “What God has made clean, do not call common.” as an argument that God declared animals that were unclean, now clean. But is this the case?

Notice that God only addresses the ‘common’ part of Peter’s argument and not the unclean part when He said; “What God has made clean, do not call common“.

God never referred to the unclean animals, and never declared unclean animals clean, this is what gets read into the text! He rebukes Peter for calling “clean” animals “common”!

Peters response shows us a few more things:

1. He was still keeping the dietary laws as given to us in Leviticus 11, even after Jesus resurrection and Pentecost.
2. Peter was also still under Jewish law, and that is what prevented him from doing what God asked of Him.
3. Peter’s understanding of what Jesus said in Mark 7:19, is clearly not what mainstream doctrine teaches today.

As mentioned already, Peter was wondering what the meaning of the vision was, and if we keep on reading, we will find out what God revealed to Peter, and what the vision actually means!

Act 10:25-29 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. (26) But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” (27) And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. (28) And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. (29) So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

As we always say, context is everything! God showed Peter that he should not call any person common or unclean. So God was not declaring unclean animals clean but he wanted to teach Peter a lesson not to call any person common or unclean, especially if that person is seeking God.

It is important to note that when Peter mentions that “how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation (gentiles)”, that He was not referencing God’s Law but Jewish Law (man-made laws). It is nowhere to be found in the Bible that gentiles are to be considered unclean, quite the opposite, the Law specifies that they should be considered as one of their own, we read:

Lev 19:33-35 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. (34) You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (35) “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.

Num 15:14-16 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he shall do as you do. (15) For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. (16) One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. (18) He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (19) Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Again, reading a verse within context shows us clearly what the Bible tries to teach us, while reading the verse by itself would result in taking the text out of context and leaves us with a con (context-text=con)!

Romans 14

Basically, the whole chapter is about food and it tells us not to judge others about what they eat or do not eat.  It also tells us not to eat or drink anything that might cause others to stumble even though you believe that it should be perfectly okay to do so. Before we start to go through this chapter verse by verse, it is important to note that Paul never references the word Sabbath once in this chapter or in the whole letter to the Romans! As it is a letter, we must take the whole letter into account in order to understand the proper context.

Let’s have a look, the first verse is key in the whole chapter!

Rom 14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. (ESV)

Rom 14:1-2 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters. (NIV)

Paul starts this chapter indicating that he will be talking here about opinions, disputable matters. The definition of disputable is; not established as a fact, and so open to question or debate. So, we are talking about matters that are subjective and not objective!

God’s Laws are not subjective, they are objective and are actually used to judge others! We read in the same letter in (Rom 2:27) that Paul tells the Jews, who are physically circumcised but are not keeping the laws, that they will be judged by the gentiles that are actually, keeping those same laws! You cannot judge someone on disputable/subjective matters, and that is exactly what Paul tries to make clear in this chapter. On the other hand, we are taught that we have to judge on matters of the law!

When it comes to God’s Laws, we read:

Rom 2:27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.

1Co 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

Mat 18:15 “If your brother sins against you,[2] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Luk 17:3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

1Ti 5:20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

Joh 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Joh 7:51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

Zec 8:16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;

So, if the whole chapter is about subjective matters and we are asked not to judge the weak in regards to these matters, while at the same time the Bible instruct us to judge our brother when it comes to breaking God’s Laws, then we can only conclude that:

1. The whole chapter is not talking about God’s Laws
2. Instead it is only talking about personal beliefs, opinion or man-made rules, things we should not judge others on as long as they do not conflict with God’s Laws.

Now that we established that this chapter is not referring to God’s Laws lets continue with the key verses that are being taken out of context. The first one is verse 5 which is used to say that we can worship God on any day we like:

Rom 14:5-6 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. (6) He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

First thing we noticed is the reference to what “One Man considers”; what man consider to be holy is disputable as long as it does not conflict with what God instructs us to do. As Peter and the other apostles said “We must obey God rather than men!” (Act 5:29).

So what are these sacred days referring to? We read this at the end of verse 6:

“He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God”

To abstain from food is the definition of fasting, which makes a lot more sense given that the whole chapter is about food. So why the dispute about what day to fast or not to fast? The reason for this can be found in Luke 18:12

Luke 18:11-12 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

The Pharisees were eager to announce to the whole world that they are fasting 2 times a week but the Bible does not specify what days they fasted. From other writing in those days we know that the days were most likely on the second and fifth day of the week and also that Christians were encourage not to keep those same days as those hypocrites the Pharisees. We find this in the First century writings “The Didache – Chapter 8”:

The Didache (Teachings of the Apostles – First Century Writing), chapter 8:
“But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation.” (Wednesday and Friday).
(http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html)

Noticed that Fridays is mentioned here as the day of Preparation. If the Sabbath was no longer to be observed as the Day of Rest, like church doctrine is trying to imply, then what were they preparing for on that day? Anyway, it shows a very good reason why their were disputes about what days to fast or not to fast, and explains a lot better what this paragraph is talking about.

The fact that church doctrine is trying to read the Sabbath into this text makes totally no sense, and shows again how they try to use a single verse to build support for a doctrine that is not supported within scripture. To elevate what man considers to be holy to the same level as that what God calls Holy is simply unbelievable!

Another verse that is being used in a similar way as Mark 7:19, is Rom 14:14

Rom 14:14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

Paul seems to reference what Jesus said in Mark 7 and would classify food in the same way as Jesus would, which is based on what is defined as food within Scripture. The context here again is not unclean food, nowhere in the whole chapter do we read anything related to eating anything classified by scripture as unclean. Similar to Mark 7 we dealing here with issues in relation to the food and not the food in itself. We saw already that this chapter is about opinions or disputable matters, as such some people might be of the opinion that something is unclean because of:

• a person not washing their hands, similar to Mark 7
• the food comes from the markets and might be food offered to idols
• the pot or the plate, that contains the food, is not cleaned in a specific way
• they did not pray for that food before eating it
• etc…

So, we see many personal reason why one person might consider something unclean and what Paul tries to teach us here is to accept that person and don’t judge them. He even tells us that it is better not to eat or drink something if that would cause a person to stumble:

Rom 14:19-23 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (20) Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. (21) It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. (22) So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. (23) But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

In Conclusion

By using 3 single verses we see that mainstream churches try to build a doctrine that is not based on context!

1. Mar 7:19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)
2. Act 10:15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
3. Rom 14:14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

By ignoring the context of these verses we get misled to believe that today we can eat anything we like. Jesus did not nullified the laws given to us in Leviticus 11 and when reading these verses within proper context we can clearly see that none of the verses support this doctrine that most churches are teaching today.

We even find some very strong rebuke with regards to this type of teaching in the old testament:

Eze 22:26-27 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. (27) Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.

It seems that God has a very good reason why He tells us not to eat anything what He considers to be unclean. More than anytime, now with the COVID-19 outbreak, we should think about this! I personally believe that the COVID-19, SARS and the Swine flu would never happened if people would keep God’s Dietary laws.

I hope that this article helps you to:

• keep what God declared Holy and clean as such, Holy and clean.
• distinguish between what is Holy and common and between what is clean and unclean.

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

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“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:17-20)

“Do not think” are the first words used here, and Jesus goes on saying “I tell you the truth”! But even though Jesus used crystal clear and very strong words, most Churches now teach the complete opposite; because Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses, they believe we no longer have to keep them.

One of the first problems with this is the sole focus on the fulfilling of the law. While Jesus is not only talking here about the Law but also about the Prophets! He came not to abolish them but to fulfill (plēroō – fully preach) them.  “Them”; refers to both the Law and the Prophets.

The word ‘fulfill’ here gets translated by the church as ‘end’ or ‘finish’. like when you finish a cup of coffee there is no longer a need for drinking it, but this would not contrast abolish, which is the clear objective within the context. It would be good to get a better understanding of what is meant here by the word ‘fulfill’.

Fulfill

When looking at the root meaning of the word fulfill we see that the Greek word plēroō is being used.

πληρόω | plēroō |play-ro’-o
Thayer Definition:
1) to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full
2) to render full, i.e. to complete

Strong:
From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: – accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.

The word plēroō can mean ‘end’, ‘expire’ or finish, but let’s look at the context and try to use those word within the verse:

• I have not come to abolish them but to end them
• I have not come to abolish them but to expire them
• I have not come to abolish them but to finish them

None of them makes sense because the context tries to point out an opposite (do not think) to ‘abolish’, and ‘end’, ‘expire’ or ‘finish are not opposites of ‘abolish’, they pretty much have similar meanings. A much better fit is ‘fully preach’ or ‘perfect’.

• I have not come to abolish them but to fully preach them
• I have not come to abolish them but to perfect them

We find a similar use for this word in Rom 15:19:

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached (plēroō) the gospel of Christ. (Rom 15:19)

One of the prophecies about the Messiah is that he will magnify the law and make it honorable again which fits with “fully preach” or “perfect” them:

“The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable” (Isaiah 42:21 KJV).

So, we can see within the context that ‘fulfill, in regards to the law, does not refer to ‘end’ or ‘finish’ the law, but more to ‘fully preach’. Jesus, by fully preaching the Law, was a perfect example to us so we understand how to keep it, and do as Jesus did. It is also clear that Jesus disciples had the same understanding because all of them kept all the laws after Jesus went to the Father, even the smallest of the laws, as Jesus instructed us in this passage. See also my article “Are we disciples of Christ or of the church fathers“.

The Prophets

As mentioned already, Jesus is not only referring to the law he also talks about fulfilling the prophesies made by the Prophets. As part of the Lord’s prayer we still pray “your kingdom come” and many prophesies have still not come to pass:

• His Kingdom has not yet come!
• Also, Jesus did not yet return.
• We are still expecting The day of the Lord.
• Armageddon has not happened.
• Heaven and Earth are still here and therefore we have no new heaven, new earth or a New Jerusalem.

The context is pretty clear that “until everything is accomplished” includes all prophecies!

It is very interesting Jesus mentioned that heaven and earth have to disappear before one letter of the law does:

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything (both Law and Prophesies) is accomplished. (Mat 5:18)

This happens to be one of the last prophesies that will take place (see Revelations 21) followed by the creation of a New Heaven, New Earth and the coming down of the New Jerusalem. Only after this “all is accomplished”! We read this in Rev 21:1-6:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. (Rev 21:1-6)

It just lines up perfectly! With this, the last Prophesy gets fulfilled and it matches exactly what Jesus said (see also Isaiah 65:17-19)

To take away any confusion, we read the same in Luke 16:17:

 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. (Luk 16:17)

I don’t think the Bible can get any clearer than this, Jesus even instructs us not to break even the least of the commandments in verse 19:

Mat 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Not many know this but there is a very interesting reason why Jesus refers to “heaven and earth” with regards to the Law. We find the reason for this in Deuteronomy 30:19

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (Deu 30:19)

God calls on heaven and earth to be a witness to make sure His people are keeping His commandments! As long as we have this heaven and this earth they will be God’s witness of us keeping God’s commandments.

The Spirit of the Law

As we already saw the word fulfill refers to ‘fully preach the law’ or ‘perfect the law’, even though God’s word states that His Laws are already perfect (see Psalm 19:7), the Jews’s understanding of the Law was far from perfect! As Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah will Magnify the Law and make it Honourable again, Jesus is doing exactly that in verses 21 to 48. These verses are in reference to verse 20:

Mat 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

All the topics in verses 21 to 48 start with the words “You have heard that it was said” which clearly refers to the understanding the Jews had about the law at that time. Noticed that Jesus does not say “For it is written” as He did when He was referring to actual Scripture. We find 3 examples of this in Mathew 4:

Mat 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Mat 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”

Mat 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'”

He is referring, in Mathew 5 verses 21 to 48, to the teaching known to them in those days and not to scripture itself! This is important to note because Jesus had to keep the Law perfectly to be a perfect sacrifice. By adding new commandments He would be breaking the Law (Deu 4:2, Deu 12:32). All that He is referring to in these verses can be traced back to the Old Testament.

One good example is the last one about “Love your enemies”

Mat 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Nowhere are we commanded to hate our enemies in the Bible, you will not find it anywhere! Quite the opposite when you check the Old Testament you find several passages that tell us to help our enemies when they are in need.

“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him,” (Exodus 23:4-5).

and

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,” (Proverbs 25:21).

Jesus is saying that for us to exceed the Pharisees we have to apply the spirit of the Law and not only the letter. Mathew 5 verses 21 – 48 are highlighting the spirit of the law as it was always intended! Jesus is not adding to the Law. And to use Jesus’ words: “Do not think” he came to subtract anything from the Law. Jesus Magnified the Law and made it Honourable again!

The Berean Test

As the Bereans did, we have to test that what we believe is in agreement with the rest of scripture, which was for them the Old Testament (see Acts 17 verse 11).

So, what position does the Old Testament support:

1. The Law of Moses has been fulfilled and therefore no longer applies to us.
2. The Law of Moses has been fulfilled (Fully preached) and still applies to us today.

When checking what the old testament says with regards to these positions, we can find countless verses throughout the Old Testament stating “throughout their generations” or “Forever” in relation to the Law. Just some of the examples:

Exo 31:16-17  Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'”

Exo 31:13  “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.

Exo 12:14  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Exo 12:17  And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Exo 12:24  And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

Lev 16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

Lev 16:31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

2 Chronicles 2:4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

Psa 119:44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever,

Psa 119:159-160  See how I love your precepts;  preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. All your words are true;  all your righteous laws are eternal.

Deu 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Deu 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always.

Lev 10:15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.

On the other hand, when looking for any verses supporting the position “that after the Messiah comes, the laws of Moses no longer apply”, we find:

Nothing, not one verse!

If the law of Moses would end and be replaced with a new law then we must be able to find it in one of the prophesies, as is stated in Amos 3:7:

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

Again, we have 2 positions:

1. The Law of Moses has been fulfilled and therefore no longer applies to us
2. The Law of Moses has been fulfilled (Fully preached) and still applies to us today

Old Testament confirms position 2 and not position 1, that the Laws remain in place for us today.

Misconceptions within the Church today

Some may say “What about the New Covenant? The Old Testament speaks about the New Covenant, with the New Covenant comes a new law or not?”

When you read Jer 31:31-34, Eze 36:26 and Heb 8:1-13 you will find that what is new in the New Covenant is not the Law, the Law (tôrâh H8451 as mentioned in the verse) is the same.

In the New Covenant God will remove the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh, then He writes the law (tôrâh) on their hearts and minds and He will give us His Spirit that will help us to keep the Law instead of breaking it.

There is a big misconception in Churches teaching that with the New Covenant comes a new law. The idea of a new Law being introduced with the New Covenant has no Biblical foundation! The once making the argument will show a few verses from Paul and make a beautiful picture of a Cross with on the Left the text ‘Old Covenant’ plus the text ‘The Law’ and on the right, you have the text ‘New Covenant’ and the word ‘Grace’.

But you will never see a Pastor go over the scriptures directly related to the New Covenant line by line! I had totally no clue what the New Covenant was about except for what I was taught by church doctrine. How many Christians today have studied this topic for themselves?

Read for yourself Jer 31:31-40, Eze 36:22-38 and Heb 8:1-13 (quoting Jer 31:31), and ask yourself the next 3 questions:

1. What was wrong with the Old Covenant?
2. What is new in the New Covenant?
3. And with who will the New Covenant be made?

The last one will shock you because God does not make it with the Gentiles!

This will bring us to another big misconception in Churches today with regard to this subject. Many will say but the Old Testament is for the Jews and the New Testament is for the Gentiles. See all the verses quoted in the Barean test, it clearly mentions Israel all the time, for example:

Exo 31:16-17  Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'”

One of the things I learned is that there is a big difference when the Bible talks about the people of Israel and the Jews. Jews are descendants from the House of Judah, the other house is the House of Israel. Not many Christian realize that the people of Israel got split up into 2 kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom which was the House of Israel (10 tribes), and the Southern Kingdom which was the House of Judah (the tribe of Judah and Benjamin + some of the tribe of Levi).

Both got exiled for their disobedience to God’s Laws, first, the House of Israel was taken captive and exiled by the Assyrian, later on, the House of Judah got exiled to Babylon by the Babylonians. Only the House of Judah returned to the land of Israel but the House of Israel never did! So, when we talk about Jews we basically refer to the House of Judah only. During Jesus’ time, Israel was only made up of the House of Judah.

Why I am mentioning all this? Because it is of key importance for us to understand that the key objective of God is to unite back the 2 houses, both the House of Israel and the House of Judea into a New Kingdom with one people, the people of Israel, and not to create a new church! This is why we read the next verses in the New Testament.

Mat 15:23-24  Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” (24) He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

Luk 4:43 But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

Mat 6:9-10 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (10) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Act 1:6-7 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (7) He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Act 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Act 26:6-7 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. (7) This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me.

We find also confirmation of this in the Old Testament:

Jer 31:10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’

Jer 3:18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.

Psa 106:45-48 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. (46) He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. (47) Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. (48) Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!

Mic 2:12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.

Eze 37:22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.
…
Eze 37:24 ” ‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.

Isa 27:12 In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one.

Isa 56:6-8 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant– (7) these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (8) The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”

Hos 1:11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

As you will read in the scriptures regarding the New Covenant and notice from these verses, the New Covenant is only with the House of Judah and the House of Israel. The only way for us Gentiles to be part of this New Kingdom of Israel and the New Covenant is by being crafted into the New Kingdom as Paul mentions in Rom 11:11-24. We do not read about 2 Olive trees but one and the ‘wild olive shoots’ (Gentiles) get grafted into that one tree. Right after this scripture, Paul writes:

Rom 11:25-27  I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (26) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. (27) And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.“

The whole idea of the Old Covenant is for the Jews and the New Covenant is for the Gentiles has no Biblical foundation. We are all part of one body, part of one tree, and are all children of Abraham through our Faith in Christ. There are no 2 trees and 2 bodies and 2 different laws, one for the Jews and another for the Gentiles.

1Co 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

We read in Rom 2:23-29 that the Jews brag about the law that they did not keep while the Gentiles are actually keeping that same law, not 2 laws but one and the same law for all! Paul also states here that “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code”:

Rom 2:23-29 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? (24) As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (25) Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. (26) If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? (27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. (28) A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. (29) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

He also says:

Gal 3:26-29 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

By your circumcision of the heart you become sons of Abraham and sons of God, and by this become part of Israel and God’s covenant with the House of Judah and the House of Israel, God’s New Kingdom!

In Conclusion

Jesus used very strong words to make it very clear that He is not going to end the Law, He furthermore makes it very simple for us to understand what He is saying, by referring in 2 separate occasions within Scripture, that not one letter of the Law will pass as long as we have this Heaven and Earth.

So, if you wake up and you notice that the earth is still here then remember what Jesus said:

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. (Luk 16:17)

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

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As mentioned in the Intro of the web-site, when we take the text out of context we are left with a con (context-text=con). It is important to read scripture in the proper context to be able to get a correct understanding of what the Bible is trying to teach us.

One of the first keys to getting a proper understanding of a Bible verse is to read the surrounding verses before and after as well. Try to understand what the writer tries to communicate. If necessary, read the whole paragraph, and sometimes you have to read the paragraph before or after to understand the complete topic. A good example of this is Hebrew 4, to get a good understanding of Hebrew 4 you must read Hebrew 3.

When you read a letter, like Romans or Galatians, it is not only important to understand the paragraph you read, but the whole letter. It is relevant in such a case to try to understand what the objective is of that letter. Research can be a useful tool to get an understanding of the reason and the target group for the letter. This will help you to understand the correct context.

For example:

Col 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

This is a verse that is used a lot to show that we no longer have to keep the festivals or the Sabbath, or we can eat whatever we want, but when you look at the context you see that this is not the case.

First of all, we have to understand why Paul wrote to the Colossians. Paul wrote this letter during his first imprisonment in Rome to the Colossian church after he had received a report that the church at Colossae was under attack from false teachers. He wanted to make sure they understand the true Gospel rather than the misleading view given to them by the false teachers (Colossians 1:25; 2:1–4).

So, the key issue here is the introduction of wrong teachings. We get a better overview of the context of that particular verse when we read the verses before and after Col 2:16:

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
…
Col 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
…
Col 2:20-23 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

The header in the NIV gives a good summary of the topic:

Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ

The whole topic is about human commandments and regulations, not about God’s commandments! So it is not talking about: let nobody judge you when you do ‘not keep’  the feast or Sabbath, which would be against God’s commandments and would make it about God’s commandments, but instead, it is talking about how to do, or not to do them, like:  “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”. Rules that are being introduced by false teachers Paul was informed about. This is a very good example where taking the text out of context leaves you with a con!

This gives us the first key:

Key 1:  Do not read just single verses, make sure you understand the whole topic that the writer writes about, by reading the verses before and after it, and in some cases, read the last part of previous chapter or the start of the next chapter to make sure you get the context right. With regards to a letter, make sure you understand the purpose of the letter and who the target group is.

Also when reading a verse check other translations. In general, I use the NIV because it is easy to read, but I will also read the King James Version (KJV) and the Young Literal Translation (YLT) when I am studying a topic.
To give you a good example of what you might miss:

Act 18:20-21 (NIV) When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Act 18:20-21 (KJV) When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; (21) But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

The reason for his decline is given in KJV and also in the YLT but is missing in the NIV and ESV versions.

Besides using more than one translation, you might want to look up the root meaning of a particular keyword within the verse. In the case of the New Testament, it would be good to understand the Greek word used and for the Old Testament, it would be good to check the Hebrew.

A good example would be Rom 10:4

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

You can not get clearer than this ‘Christ is the end of the law’, case closed! Or is it? Let’s look at the root meaning of the word ‘end’. The word in Greek used for ‘end’ is telos (τέλος):

A telos (from the Greek τέλος for “end”, “purpose”, or “goal”) is an end or purpose, in a fairly constrained sense used by philosophers such as Aristotle. It is the root of the term “teleology”, roughly the study of purposiveness, or the study of objects with a view to their aims, purposes, or intentions.
This is demonstrated in the way one can say that the telos of warfare is victory or the telos of business is the creation of wealth.

So Christ is the goal (purpose, intentions, or end objective) of the law which paints the verse from a whole different perspective. The telos of the Law is Christ!

Another good example is in Hebrew 7:12

Heb 7:12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

When we read this verse by itself it looks very obvious, the law has changed and could easily be used as an argument as such. When I read it the first time my first response was, what was changed? Besides that I was also interested to find out what the original Greek word was that is used in this verse, because the word ‘change’ can have 2 different meanings, and can easily be explained with using money as an example:

1. When I have 1000 US$ and travel to Europe I have to change that money into Euros to be able to purchase things. This is an actual change of the money itself, from one type into another.
2. When I have 1000 US$ and I give this money to a friend then the money in itself does not change, it simply changes hands or ownership.

So, which one is the one used in Heb 7:12? When we check the original Greek word used we get:

μετατίθημι | metatithēmi | met-at-ith’-ay-mee
From G3326 and G5087; to transfer, that is, (literally) transport, (by implication) exchange, (reflexively) change sides, or (figuratively) pervert: – carry over, change, remove, translate, turn.

In this case, it means a transfer, change sides, or carried over. What this verse is saying is, that when we have a transference from an Earthly Priesthood (order of Aaron) to a Heavenly Priesthood (order of Melchizedek), the requirement of the law is also transferred. So Jesus is not a priest based on the order of Aaron, which requires a priest to be a descendant from Aaron (Levi) but instead is priest based on the order of Melchizedek, which predates and is superior to the order of Aaron.

This leads us to the second key:

Key 2: Use different translations, don’t only read the verse in one translation, and check key words for the root meaning in their original language or try to find out how it would be used during the first century church.

It is very easy to just pick several verses and base a whole sermon, or even a doctrine, on those verses, but what we believe it is saying has to agree with the rest of scripture. This includes the Old Testament, as Paul said to Timothy in 2 Ti 3:16-17:

2 Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Keep in mind that when the Disciples wrote something, others would test what they wrote to the scripture they had access to at that time. That scripture is what we know as the Old Testament or also known at that time as the Tanach, which has 3 parts:

1. Torah (‘Teaching’, also known as the Five Books of Moses)
2. Nevi’im (‘Prophets’ eq. Joshua, Samuel, Isaiah …) 
3. and Ketuvim (‘Writings/Scriptures’ eq. Psalms, Job, Chronicles …)

A good example of this can be found in Acts 17:11. We find Luke praising the Bereans for testing everything Paul said with the scriptures to see what Paul said is true:

Act 17:11-12 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

It is very important to pause and understand the significance of this! They tested all that Paul said with the Old Testament (Tanach), to see if what Paul said agreed with what the Old Testament is saying. We read also that many Jews believed, from which we can conclude that what Paul said agreed with Scripture!

Paul himself testifies to this in his trial as we can read in Acts 26:

Act 26:22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen — that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.

So, this gives us our 3rd key for reading the Bible in proper context:

Key 3 – The Berean Test: What we believe a certain passage is saying has to agree with rest of scripture (including the Old Testament)! If it does not agree with the rest of scripture then our understanding of what we read is not correct and we have to study the Scripture in the same way as the Bereans did in order to get the correct meaning.

Key 4 is closely linked to Key 3. God gave us in the Bible a test we have to apply for any prophet or teacher, even if that person does great miracles, we have to use that test to see if that person is from God or is a false Prophet/Teacher. Besides testing a person if He/She is from God, we can also use this test to check if our understanding of what we read is correct or not. We can find this test in Deuteronomy 13. I use Key 1 here, by including the last verse of the previous chapter, to get the right context for this subject:

Deu 12:32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

Deu 13:1-5 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

So the test is to see if that person is directing you away from God’s Commandments and against obeying His voice and follow another religion! The last verse in the previous chapter is key:

Deu 12:32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

We can find a similar verse in Deu 4:2:

Deu 4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

This gives us Key 4:

Key 4 – The Deuteronomy 13 Test: Test what you read to Deuteronomy 13, if you believe it is teaching against the keeping of any of God’s commandments or adding to it, then your understanding of what you read is simply not correct. We are clearly instructed against adding or subtracting from the Law (Deu 12:32 and Deu 4:2).

Another verse in the Bible that we should use to test things to is Amos 3.7:

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

We can see a very good example of this in Acts 15:13-18

When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
“After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ that have been known for ages. (Act 15:13-18)

We see that James mentioned that the prophets are in agreement with what Peter said and therefore believed that this was in line with scripture.

When you believe God revealed something new to you and it conflicts with other Scripture (Key 3), or it is not something the prophets have foretold, then what you believe God revealed to you is not from God! A lot of new sects are created based on these so-called revelations that have no foundation in the Word of God.

Test everything to the word of God (Key 3):

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21)

This gives us our last key:

Key 5 – The Amos 3 Test: Anything promoted to be a new revelation from God has to be in agreement with what God has revealed through His prophets in scripture.

 

Summary of the Keys

• Key 1: Do not just read single verses, make sure you understand the whole topic that the writer writes about, by reading the verses before and after it, and in some cases, read the last part of the previous chapter or the start of the next chapter to make sure you get the context right. With regards to reading a letter, make sure you understand the purpose of the letter and who the target group is.
• Key 2: Use different translations, don’t only read the verse in one translation, and check key words for the root meaning in their original language or try to find out how it would be used during the first-century church.
• Key 3 – The Berean Test: What we believe a certain passage is saying has to agree with the rest of scripture! If it does not agree with the rest of scripture then our understanding of what we read is not correct and we have to study the Scripture in the same way as the Bereans did to get the correct meaning. (Acts 17:11)
• Key 4 – The Deuteronomy 13 Test: Test what you read to Deuteronomy 13, if you believe it is teaching against the keeping of any of God’s commandments then your understanding of what you read is simply not correct. We are clearly instructed against adding or subtracting from the Law (Deu 12:32 and Deu 4:2).
• Key 5 – The Amos 3 Test: Anything promoted to be a new revelation from God has to agree with what God has revealed through His prophets in scripture. (Amos 3:7)

 

In Conclusion:

Trying to understand the correct context is much like trying to draw a line in the correct direction. It is impossible to draw a line correctly based on a single point, the same is true of trying to understand a Bible topic based on a single verse or a doctrine based on single verses. To be able to draw a line in the correct direction we need a minimum of two validated points. The more validated points we have the more accurate the line will be. It will also help us to identify points that are incorrect because they will not even get close to the line established by the other points that were validated. Very much similar is it when we read verses in the Bible.

Check that what you believe is in line with God’s Word (both Old and New Testament) by using these 5 simple keys.

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mat 28:18-20)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Jesus as our Master

When we are to be Jesus’s disciples, we basically acknowledge that Jesus is our master and teacher. As such our objective should be to strive to become like Him and do exactly what He does. When looking at what the dictionary says about master, I found 2 interesting definitions.

In the Meriam Webster Dictionary, we find master as a definition for a person:

• a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal

And with regards to objects:

•  an original from which copies can be made especially: a master recording

To be disciples of Jesus as our Master we clearly have to strive to be like Him and do as He did.

Somehow within Christianity, we seem to think that Jesus had to keep the law in order to fulfill it, but we don’t, and can therefore live a life different from what Jesus Himself lived. Because Jesus fulfilled the Laws of Moses we believe they no longer apply to us. Instead, we follow, what we believe to be, a new set of commandments that Jesus gave us; like love one another as He loved us. We also believe it is good to honor our parents and of course we should not kill or steal. But are we living our daily life the way Jesus lived?

Is not one of Jesus’s commandments, to do exactly that?

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:13-17)

We also see that Paul instructed fellow believers to do as he does because He does what Jesus did.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Co 11:1)

So how did Jesus live His life and did His disciples actually lived similar lives? These are very important questions we as Christians should ask ourselves!
Around 20 years ago, there was a very popular slogan within the Christian community that goes like this: WWJD – What Would Jesus Do. So, let’s look at what Jesus actually would do.

What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)

To understand and answer the question: ‘What Would Jesus Do’ we have to look at ‘What Did Jesus Do (WDJD)’

The good thing is that we have very good records of His life. If we have to summarise what Jesus did do in one single sentence, it would simply state:

“Jesus did the will of the Father”

•  John 5:30
  “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgement is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
• John 7:16
  So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
•  John 10:37-38
  If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;
  if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
•  John 12:49-50
  For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment–what to say and what to speak.
  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
•  John 14:10
  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

Jesus and the Law of God

I believe that every Bible-believing Christian is in agreement that Jesus perfectly kept the Laws of Moses in order to be able to fulfill them. If Jesus kept the Laws of Moses are, we, as Disciples of Christ, not to do the same?

He actually tells us exactly that.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:17-20)

Not only tells he, in very clear terms, that he did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets, but also that not one dot or iota of the Law will pass until Heaven and Earth pass away and all is accomplished (all -> both the law and prophecies) which we see happening in Revelation 21 – 22
He furthermore commands us not to relax the least of the commandments and that we have to teach them to others. These are direct instructions from Jesus to us!

So if you are of the opinion that we now have to obey Jesus commandments instead of the Laws of Moses then this Bible scripture causes a big issue because Jesus directly instructs us to not even think of relaxing the least of the commandments of Moses, in fact, he even tells us that we have to do better than the Pharisees did:

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:20)

The Pharisees were focusing on the letter of the law, and Jesus emphasized that in order for us to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, we have to follow the Spirit of the law and not just the letter of the Law.

The Pharisees, in order to keep the letter of the law, invented many other commandments to prevent them from breaking the letter of the law. Jesus refers to these as ‘Commandments of Men’ and indicated that those Commandments of Men are actually nullifying God’s commandments, something he got seriously upset about. We read this for example in Mark 7:6-13.

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”‘ (that is, given to God)– then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mar 7:6-13)

Notice how Jesus reference both the prophets and the commandments of God! He also refers to the Pharisees as honoring God by their lips but not with their heart, meaning that they are focused on the letter of the law not the spirit of the law.
He rebukes them for making void the word of God. From this, we see that Jesus took God’s commandments very seriously and took issue with anyone who rejects the word/commandments of God.

The crazy part is that this passage is used within Christian doctrine to teach that Jesus made void the Dietary Laws given to us in Leviticus 11, with regards to clean and unclean animals!
Even though the context of the whole passage has nothing to do with the eating of unclean animals but to do with eating with unwashed hands, which according to the men made commandments made the person unclean.

Just think of this, Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites for nullifying or making God’s law void, and then, according to Christian Doctrine taught in Churches, He himself makes void the commandments regarding clean and unclean food? Would this not make Jesus the biggest hypocrite on the face of the earth?

Also, think of the argument which is used for abolishing the law regarding unclean foods. The argument goes like this:

“That what goes into the mouth does not make a person unclean but that what comes out of the heart of that person does.”

This argument is valid today as it was 2000 years ago, but it was also valid the day God gave that law, so the question then is: Why did He give the Law in the first place?

Jesus did not abolish the Dietary Laws given to us in Leviticus 11. If he would, he would actually break the law and therefore not being able to fulfill the law perfectly, which is something all Bible-believing Christians are in agreement about that He did! We can read that by abolishing any law he would break the law, in:

Deu 4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

and in:

Deu 12:32 See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

So, if Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly then this simply means he did not abolish any laws. Something He tries to make very clear in Mat 5:17!

Other scriptures that show Jesus relationship to the Laws of God given to Moses:

•  Matthew 19:17
  “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
• Mat 22:36-40  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
• Mat 23:2-3
  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you–but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”
• John 15:10
  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
• Luk 16:17
  It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

So, What Did Jesus Do?

• Jesus kept all of God’s commandments, not only to the letter but also in spirit.
• Jesus took God’s commandments very serious and rebuke those who nullified them
• By keeping the Laws of Moses perfectly He fulfilled the law and showed us by example how to keep them.
• By keeping all the Laws, He kept:
  – the Sabbath,
  – the Feast
  – and all Dietary laws
• He opposed the men made commandments regarding the Sabbath and other Laws

Isaiah 42:21 nicely summarises what Jesus did:

“The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable” (KJV).

This is another prophesy Jesus fulfilled. Jesus did not only keep his Father’s commandments he magnified the law by pointing out the spirit of the law and he made the laws honorable again! As His disciples, are we not to follow His example? Ask yourself are you doing what Jesus did?

Did the Disciples do what Jesus did by following Jesus’s example?

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1Jn 2:3-6)

As we can see not only Jesus told us to follow His example, we also read that the disciples taught the same in 1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 Jn 2:6)

This verse can’t make it any clearer than that we have to walk the way Jesus walked which simply means do what He did. With regards to checking if the disciples did as Jesus did, my key focus will be on Paul as Jesus disciple, because Paul is mostly used to make the argument that the laws of Moses are abolished. As mentioned earlier Paul told the fellow believers in Corinth to imitate him because he imitates Christ

1 Co 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (ESV)

According to Paul himself, he imitated Jesus in everything He did. So, let see if this is really the case?

Are Paul and the disciples keeping the Law of Moses?

The book of Acts is full of examples where Jesus’s disciples are falsely accused of teaching against the law of Moses. If they are falsely accused of teaching against the Law of Moses then this implies that they are actually teaching to keep the Law of Moses!

The first person to be killed for being a disciple of Christ is Stephen who stood falsely accused of teaching against God’s Laws. We read this in Acts 6:11-14

Act 6:11-14 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” (12) So, they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. (13) They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. (14) For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

So, the fact that it states here that they produced “false witnesses” with regards to

• “he is speaking against the law”
• and he promotes a religion/doctrine that wants to change the customs of Moses

We can conclude that instead, he was:

• not speaking against the Law of Moses
• not preaching a religion/doctrine that wants to change the customs of Moses!

Preaching that any of the Laws of Moses are abolished/obsolete is exactly that, both: teaching against the Law and the customs of Moses! But this is exactly what mainstream Christianity now believes!

We also read in Acts that Paul faced court on several occasions over false accusations that he teaches against Moses and the Law or that he is breaking the law.

James, an Apostle, and Disciple of Jesus that walked with Jesus testified on behalf of Paul that he is keeping God’s laws as given to us by Moses and that the accusation, made against him, is false. We read this in:

Act 21:21-24 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. (22) What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, (23) so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. (24) Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.

This is not something to take lightly, James testifies on behalf of Paul that he keeps the laws of Moses. This directly implies that James himself was very serious about the law given by Moses, and taught others to be as well even the least of the commandments, like the vow, as Jesus commanded us in Mat 5:19!

Paul in the next chapter also testifying about another Disciple of Christ, Ananias, as a devout observer of the Law (law of Moses).

Act 22:12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.

The Jews hated Paul so much that we have one instance where they took an oath of not drinking or eating until Paul was killed. We see this in Acts 23

Act 23:12-13 The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. (13) More than forty men were involved in this plot.

To make a long story short in this case; the Jews failed in their attempt to kill Paul because the commander of the Roman army was told of the plot and he prevented it. But we read that he still wanted to find out what they accusing Paul of doing wrong:

Act 23:28-29 I (commander) wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. (29) I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.

We see here again that they try to accuse Paul of preaching against the Law but found there was no charge that justified imprisonment or death. Both, teaching against what Moses was teaching and not keeping the Sabbath are laws that are punishable by death.

In Acts 25:7-8 we read about another trial against Paul:

Act 25:7-8 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. (8) Then Paul made his defence: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

We see over and over that Paul is being accused of breaking the law of Moses, and teaching against that what Moses taught, and every time we see they could not prove it.
We are not talking about a traffic violation; this was a matter of life and death!

So, did Paul lie and both Paul and James deceived the Jews?

No, they did not! By doing that they would break the law plus make themselves hypocrites!
Look at what Paul says when they urge him not to go to Jerusalem

Act 21:13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul was ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. That is not something a liar would do.

 

What about the feast and sacrifices?

What about the feast as described in Leviticus 23 and sacrifices? Did the disciples still keep those? We already read before in Acts 21:23 that James asked Paul to perform a vow to show that he is serious about the Law. This vow is most likely what they call a Nazarite vow. We also read in Acts 18:18 that he did this vow before. We read about this vow in Numbers 6:1-21.

Part of this vow is to make three offerings:

1. a lamb as a burnt offering,
2. a ewe (a female sheep) as a sin-offering,
3. a ram as a peace offering.

In addition to a basket of unleavened bread, grain offerings, and drink offerings, which accompanied the peace offering. They would also shave their head in the outer courtyard of the Jerusalem Temple and then place the hair on the same fire as the peace offering.

From this, we see that the Disciple still kept the Temple rituals and actually still did sacrifices!

So, the logical question then is: Should we do sacrifices today? The answer is no; for the simple reason that after the destruction of the temple 70 AD the infrastructure for the sacrifices is no longer in place. We do not have a temple and the priesthood that can assist in the sacrifices as is commanded by the law. So, when the law requires sacrifices to be made only at the temple (Deu 12:13-14) with the assistance of the priest (Leviticus chapters 1 to 7), then not doing sacrifices, when there is no temple and priest, is actually obeying the law! This is not much different from when the Jews were exiled after the destruction of the first temple. This does not mean that sacrifices are abolished but are instead suspended. We see that in the Millennium Kingdom they will be resumed as we can read in Ezekiel 40-48 and Zechariah 14:20-21.
The destruction of the temple also did not result in the end of the law. Actually, we see great stories like Daniel and his friends keeping the Law even when they were in exile, Ezekiel, Esther, and Malachi are other great examples. We read that God values obedience more than any sacrifice:

1 Sa 15:22 But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

With the question, if Paul kept the feast, we find several verses in the Bible that support this.
First one we find in:

Act 18:20-21 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; (21) But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. (KJV)

The part explaining why he declined is not in the NIV or the ESV but can be found in the KJV and the YLT.

We see in another passage about Paul’s determination to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. He had intended to be there for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, but circumstances required him to keep the feast locally (Acts 20:1-6). That made him even more determined to be in Jerusalem for the next Holy Day—the Day of Pentecost

Act 20:1-6 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. (2) He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, (3) where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. (4) He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. (5) These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. (6) But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Paul was determent to keep the feast as we can also read in:

Act 20:16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

So, what did Paul and the other Disciples Do?

• They kept God’s Commandments as taught by Moses
• They taught others to keep the commandment, even the least of them, as Jesus instructed them in Mathew 5:19
• By Keeping the Laws, as taught by Moses, they kept:
  – the Sabbath,
  – the Feast
  – and all Dietary laws

In conclusion:
We see that Paul and the Disciples imitated Christ and walked as Jesus did. Again, we have to ask ourselves the question:

If the Disciples imitated Christ and walked as Jesus did, are we not to do the same?

So how come we don’t see this preached within Churches and instead we are made to believe, by mainstream Christian Doctrine, that we no longer have to obey the Laws taught by Moses as Jesus and His Disciples clearly did?

Where in history did we, as so-called followers of Christ, change from following Christ’s example to something totally different?

Looking at History we see that in the whole first Century, all believers in Christ, whether Jew or Creek, obeyed God’s commandments including the Sabbath, Feast and Dietary laws.

In Acts 15: 19-21 we see the ruling of the Council of Jerusalem regarding the instruction to be given to the Gentiles:
We read that all new believers should abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from that what is strangled and from blood. We also read something most Christian denominations skip, that the rest of the Law they will learn in the synagogues on the Sabbath!

Act 15:19-21 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

A key part of the ruling by the Council in Jerusalem was to learn Moses teaching on the Sabbath in the synagogues!

We read in several Bible verses that Paul is teaching the Gentiles/Greeks on the sabbath in the synagogues:

Act 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. (KJV)

Act 18:4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

We also see that this was the case for the church in Romans. When researching the Church in Rome I found the next article on Wikipedia which is very interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_to_the_Romans
The churches in Rome See also: Early centers of Christianity § Rome

Papyrus, Oxyrhynchus, Egypt: 6th century – Epistle to the Romans 1: 1–16
The most probable ancient account of the beginning of Christianity in Rome is given by a 4th-century writer known as Ambrosiaster:
It is established that there were Jews living in Rome in the times of the Apostles, and that those Jews who had believed [in Christ] passed on to the Romans the tradition that they ought to profess Christ but keep the law [Torah] … One ought not to condemn the Romans, but to praise their faith, because without seeing any signs or miracles and without seeing any of the apostles, they nevertheless accepted faith in Christ, although according to a Jewish rite.

Clearly, Ambrosiaster did not believe we should still be keeping the Torah but never the less praised the Christians in Rome for following Christ even though they kept Torah.

This is a good example that the first Christians all kept Torah (God’s Laws), as was given by Moses and did as was instructed in Acts 15, they went to the synagogues and learned the Torah.

When researching the matter, you will find many other examples where the First Century Church kept God’s commandments as Jesus and His Disciples did, and that this started to change slowly after the first century. You will be able to find records up to the 4th Century that Christians kept the Sabbath, and only after the Church of Rome starts to prosecute those who still were keeping the Sabbath it seems to fade out of the picture.

So, what changed after the First Century Church? To answer this, we have to look at what the church fathers taught, and with this starting to ask ourselves the Question:
Are we Disciples of Christ or of The church fathers?

 

The Teachings of the Church Fathers

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
(2 Ti 4:3-4)

We see in Timothy that Paul warns of a time coming that men will not put up with sound doctrine. Paul foresaw what was to come and already in a very early stage, at the end of the first century, we see this starting to take shape.

Very early in the second century, we can find writings that started to go against what is preached in the Gospels.

When I asked my friend where in the Bible, we are instructed to worship God on a Sunday instead of the Sabbath, he gave me a quote from one of the first church fathers, the 3rd Bishop of Antioch. He could not find anything in the Bible because it is simply nowhere to be found in the Bible!

I will never forget this quote because it not only showed me that worshipping God on a Sunday is a man-made commandment, but it also showed me one of the key reasons why they tried to change the worship from the Sabbath to Sunday.

Ignatius, the third bishop of Antioch, who died in AD 108, wrote:
“If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him… Let us therefore no longer keep the Sabbath after the Jewish manner, and rejoice in days of idleness; for “he that does not work, let him not eat.“…let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week]” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_Ignatius_to_the_Magnesians

I could not believe my eyes when I saw this! Not only does it go directly against God’s commandments and what Jesus instructed us in Math 5:19, it shows very clearly the start of Anti-Semitism by branding the Jews basically as lazy (rejoicing in idleness)!

I believe this was one of the first known writings of the church fathers where we see that Anti-Semitism is at the heart of the change from first-century church to the church that we know today.

We will look at just a few quotes from the early church fathers, but you will be able to clearly see that Anti-Semitism played a key role.

Some Anti-Semitic quotes of the “Church Fathers”

Ignatius Bishop of Antioch (98-108A.D.) – Epistle to the Magnesians
For if we are still practicing Judaism, we admit that we have not received God’s favor…it is wrong to talk about Jesus Christ and live like Jews. For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity.

“Epistle of Barnabas” Chapter 4vs 6-7 (between 130A.D. and 138 A.D.)
Take heed to yourselves and be not like some piling up you sins and saying that the covenant is theirs as well as ours. It is ours, but they lost it completely just after Moses received it.

Origen of Alexandria (185-254 A.D.) – A ecclesiastical writer and teacher who contributed to the early formation of Christian doctrines.
We may thus assert in utter confidence that the Jews will not return to their earlier situation, for they have committed the most abominable of crimes, in forming this conspiracy against the Savior of the human race…hence the city where Jesus suffered was necessarily destroyed, the Jewish nation was driven from its country, and another people was called by God to the blessed election.

Pope Sylvester (A.D. 314-337) – quoted by S. R. E. Humbert, “Adversus Graecorum Calumnias,” in J. P. Migne, Patrologie, p. 143
“If every Sunday is to be observed by Christians on account of the resurrection, then every Sabbath on account of the burial is to be regarded in execration [cursing] of the Jews.”

John Chrysostom (344-407 A.D.) – One of the “greatest” of church fathers; known as “The Golden Mouthed.” 
The synagogue is worse than a brothel…it is the den of scoundrels and the repair of wild beasts…the temple of demons devoted to idolatrous cults…the refuge of brigands and dabauchees, and the cavern of devils. It is a criminal assembly of Jews…a place of meeting for the assassins of Christ… a house worse than a drinking shop…a den of thieves, a house of ill fame, a dwelling of iniquity, the refuge of devils, a gulf and a abyss of perdition.”…”I would say the same things about their souls… As for me, I hate the synagogue…I hate the Jews for the same reason. From “The Roots of Christian Anti-Semitism” by Malcolm Hay

St. Augustine (c. 354-430 A.D.), Confessions, 12.14
How hateful to me are the enemies of your Scripture! How I wish that you would slay them (the Jews) with your two-edged sword, so that there should be none to oppose your word! Gladly would I have them die to themselves and live to you!

So why the Anti-semitism? I personally believe one of the key reasons for it was the destruction of the temple in 70 AD + exile of the Jews, to put it simply; be associated with Jews was like being associated with Losers. They saw the destruction of the temple as God punishing them, and because God punished them, they must have done something wrong, like killing God’s son.

Very much the same we saw at the end of the Second World War, the days before it ended all Germans were Nazis, the day after the surrender suddenly nobody was a Nazi or wanted to be associated with Nazis

Basically, the gentile Christians wanted to separate themselves from the Jews by differentiation; like the Sabbath by replacing it with the Sunday as Ignatius proposed:

Let us therefore no longer keep the Sabbath after the Jewish manner, and rejoice in days of idleness; for “he that does not work, let him not eat.”…..let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week]”

Another key factor I believe was, as Paul already mentioned in 2 Ti 4:3-4, that a time is coming that people will not put up with sound doctrine and gather teachers around them to tell what their itchy ears want to hear.

Anybody that wants sound doctrine and do the will of God, like Jesus did, would clearly be able to see that what Ignatius proposed is going directly against God’s commandments and God’s will. But for business owners, with slaves and servants, this sounds like music in the ears or not? Having the capability to call on your servants 24/7 – 7 days a week.

When Jesus spoke of the Sabbath was made for Man and Man not for the Sabbath, that shows me that our Creator knows His creation. He knows that it is not good for mankind to work 24/7 – 7 days a week – 52 weeks in a year. The same applied to the rest of His creation where we find that there is a sabbath year for farming.

The combination of these key factors I believe caused the church to drift away from the first century church, resulting in a totally new religion.
Up to that time there was no difference between Greek or Jew as Paul said in Rom 10:12, today we see 2 totally different religions and within Christianity many different denominations. Some suggesting this number to be over 30000, something not really that hard to believe as not every itching ear likes to hear the same things.

One thing is for sure only very few denominations are following Christ the same way as the first century Christians did. This sounds kind of familiar doesn’t it? What did Jesus say again?

Luk 13:23-25 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’

The Church Fathers and the Laws of Moses

We saw that the Disciples walked as Jesus did in every way including keeping all the laws, they taught to walk as Jesus did and to be imitators of Christ.
Is this what the church fathers taught, or were they in fact directly teaching against it?

The sect of the Nazarenes

We read about Paul the following:

Act 24:5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Paul was called a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, with other words the sect of Nazarenes were the followers of Jesus Christ, His disciples that Jesus spoke of in the great commission. As His disciples we saw already that they kept the Laws as Jesus did, including the Sabbath, the Feast and all the Dietary Laws. We even saw that they still attended the Temple ceremonies including sacrifices up to 70 AD

The reason I focus on the sect of Nazarene is because we have several writing of church fathers that address the sect of Nazarene, describing them exactly as we already saw, as mainly Jews, believing in Jesus as the Messiah born of a virgin, died for us on the Cross and rose from the Dead, but they are still keeping the Laws of Moses (the Torah). They label those who follow the sect of the Nazarenes as heretics for still keeping the Laws given by Moses like the Sabbath, the Feast and the Dietary laws.

Basically, calling all those that followed the way of the Nazarenes heretics! This includes Peter, Mark, Mathew, James, John, Paul and all the other Apostles and Disciples of Jesus.

Try to find one true disciple of Christ in the whole New Testament that would not fit the profile of what our church fathers labelled as heretics! You will find none!

Instead we see that the early church fathers, as mentioned before, wanted to differentiate themselves from those who walked like Jesus did and were called the sect of Nazarenes.

Let’s look at the quote of the fourth century “church father” Epiphanius:

“But these sectarians…did not call themselves Christians–but “Nazarenes,” … However they are simply complete Jews. They use not only the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do… They have no different ideas, but confess everything exactly as the Law proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion– except for their belief in Messiah, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the dead and the divine creation of all things, and declare that God is one, and that his son is Yeshua the Messiah. They are trained to a nicety in Hebrew. For among them the entire Law, the Prophets, and the… Writings… are read in Hebrew, as they surely are by the Jews. They are different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the following. They disagree with Jews because they have come to faith in Messiah; but since they are still fettered by the Law–circumcision, the Sabbath, and the rest– they are not in accord with Christians…. they are nothing but Jews…. They have the Good News according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear that they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written.” (Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

In this quote Epiphanius confirms that the sect of Nazarenes still kept the Torah just as all other Jews did! It also describes the sect of Nazarenes exactly the way as we found the early Disciples of Christ lived.

We also read here that they totally departed from the way the Nazarenes worshipped like Paul, Peter and all the apostles and all early Disciples did, and by doing so basically departing from the way the first Century Church followed Christ, creating a new man-made religion.

In a letter to Augustine, Jerome makes an amazing admission concerning the Nazarenes:

“The matter in debate, therefore, or I should rather say your opinion regarding it, is summed up in this: that since the preaching of the gospel of Christ, the believing Jews do well in observing the precepts of the law, i.e. in offering sacrifices as Paul did, in circumcising their children, as Paul did in the case of Timothy, and keeping the Jewish Sabbath, as all the Jews have been accustomed to do. If this be true, we fall into the heresy… [of those who] though believing in Christ, were anathematized by the fathers for this one error, that they mixed up the ceremonies of the law with the gospel of Christ, and professed their faith in that which was new, without letting go what was old. …In our own day there exists a sect among the Jews throughout all the synagogues of the East, which is called the sect of the Minæans, and is even now condemned by the Pharisees. The adherents to this sect are known commonly as Nazarenes; they believe in Christ the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary; and they say that He who suffered under Pontius Pilate and rose again, is the same as the one in whom we believe. But while they desire to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither the one nor the other. I therefore beseech you, who think that you are called upon to heal my slight wound, which is no more, so to speak, than a prick or scratch from a needle, to devote your skill in the healing art to this grievous wound, which has been opened by a spear driven home with the impetus of a javelin. For there is surely no proportion between the culpability of him who exhibits the various opinions held by the fathers in a commentary on Scripture, and the guilt of him who reintroduces within the Church a most pestilential heresy. If, however, there is for us no alternative but to receive the Jews into the Church, along with the usages prescribed by their law; if, in short, it shall be declared lawful for them to continue in the Churches of Christ what they have been accustomed to practice in the synagogues of Satan, I will tell you my opinion of the matter: they will not become Christians, but they will make us Jews.
(Jerome; Letter 75)
(1) “Minæans” apparently Latinized from Hebrew (MINIM) (singular is MIN) a word which in modern Hebrew means “apostates” but was originally an acronym for a Hebrew phrase meaning “Believers in Yeshua the Nazarene.“

Augustine and Jerome tell us that the Nazarene doctrine, in which the Torah is still observed, began with “the preaching of Christ” and that this was the doctrine kept by Paul, but the “church fathers” of Christianity declared this to be an error and a heresy.

So, according to the church fathers Augustine and Jerome, Nazarene sect began with Christ and Paul, and Gentile Christianity began when the Nazarene faith was rejected as an error by the church “fathers.”

We are now presented with two different groups:

1. Sect of Nazarene, started with Christ and of whom Paul was one of the ringleaders, that teaches us to walk the Way Jesus walked and be imitators of Him, keeping the old testament laws.
2. Gentile Christianity, that reject the old testament laws and called, all that are of the sect of Nazarene, heretics and in error.

So, in conclusion, my question to you:
Are you a Disciple of Christ or are you a Disciple of the church fathers?

Just a closing thought:

Jesus Loved His Neighbour as Himself as was commanded. If we are His disciples and walk as He walked by doing what He did, we are to love our neighbours as He loved them.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (Joh 13:34-35)

May God Bless you and don’t forget to test everything!

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Other Resources used:
https://thenazareneway.com/sabbath/39_prohib_sabbath.htm
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/sunset-to-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/jesus-christ-and-the-sabbath
https://www.119ministries.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazirite

anti-Semitism
http://www.yashanet.com/library/fathers.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_Ignatius_to_the_Magnesians