Babylon

babylon

Chapter VThe Rise And Fall Of Babylon

By: John F. Walvoord (Bio)

Early History Of Babylon

The early history of Babylon is shrouded in mystery. First mentioned in the Bible is the record of Genesis 10:8-10 which names Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, as the founder of the city in the dim prehistoric past. Its name was derived from a later experience revealed in Genesis 11where the inhabitants of the land of Shinar, the southern portion of Mesopotamia, are recorded as building a tower designed to reach the heavens. This may have been the beginning of a practice of building towers with religious significance. Such a tower is known as a ziggurat, designating an artificial mound of brick and soil elevated above the surrounding terrain.

The Biblical description of the tower is in keeping with the characteristics of the area. Lacking stones, they made brick and used slime or bitumen native to the area in the construction of the tower. According to Scripture, the inhabitants had said,

Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:3, 4).

The Scriptures record that the Lord judged the people and confounded their language with the result that the city and the tower were left unfinished (Genesis 11:5-8). The place according to Genesis 11:9 was “called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” It seems probable that the name given to the city inGenesis 10:10 actually supplanted the original name at this time, and this incident contributes to the long history of Babylon as a center of religious significance, and as a source of false religion and rebellion against the true God.

Although the city of Babylon does not rise to prominence until 1830 b.c., the area in which it is located, called Babylonia, had a long history. Early civilization near the site of ancient Ur in lower Babylonia dates from the fourth millennium b.c. and successive civilizations have been traced from 2800 b.c. The period of the early dynasties (2800-2360 b.c.) recorded an advanced civilization including great temples, canals, and other construction. The old Akkadian period (2360-2180 b.c.) included the extensive empire of Sargon from Persia to the Mediterranean. This was followed by the Neo-Sumerian period (2070-1960 b.c.), in which time Abraham was born. The land was sacked by the Elamites and Amorites in the period 1960-1830 b.c.

The history of Babylonia proper, known as the Old Babylonia period (1830-1550 b.c.), included the brilliant reign of Hammurabi (1728-1686 b.c.) whose famous Code was discovered in 1901. Babylonia was next invaded by the Kassites in the period 1550-1169 b.c. This was followed by Dynasty II of Isin (1169-1039 b.c.), whose kings were native Babylonians. In the period from 1100 to 625 b.c. the land suffered various invasions including that of Assyria. In 729 b.c. Tiglath-pileser became king of Babylon and later in 689 b.c. attacked by Sennacherib, Babylon was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt by Esarhaddon, and was finally wrested from Assyria around 625 b.c. when the Neo-Babylonian Empire was founded by Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar. With the help of the Medes, Nineveh was destroyed in 612 b.c. Necho of Egypt was defeated in 605 b.c. The stage was now set for the brilliant reign of Nebuchadnezzar which included the earlier conquering of Jerusalem in 606 b.c., the ultimate captivity of its inhabitants, and the destruction of the city itself.

The Prophecies Of Isaiah Concerning Babylon

Apart from a reference to a “Babylonish garment” in Joshua 7:21, there is no Biblical reference to Babylon after Genesis 11 until the great prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel unfolded God’s plan for the ancient city. Most of the Biblical prophecies relating to Babylon are in relation to the captivity and God’s revelation to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel concerning the ultimate end of the captivity both for Israel and for Babylon. Most remarkable, however, are the prophecies of Isaiah delivered a century before Babylon had risen to power and recorded at a time when Babylon was still in obscurity with no indication of its coming greatness. Outstanding chapters in Isaiah’s predictions are 13, 14, and 47 with scattered references elsewhere (21:9, 39:1, 3, 6, 7; 43:14; 48:14, 20).

The predictions of Isaiah have to do with Babylon’s ultimate destruction in the Day of the Lord. The near and the far view are often mingled as in chapter 13. The destruction of Babylon is pictured in Isaiah 13:1-11 as part of God’s program to punish the entire world (cp. 13:11). The historic conquering of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians is mentioned specifically in Isaiah 13:17-19.

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

The prophet seems to refer to the far view, that is, the destruction of Babylon in relation to the second coming of Christ in 13:20-22. Here it is declared:

It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

As far as the historic fulfillment is concerned, it is obvious from both Scripture and history that these verses have not been literally fulfilled. The city of Babylon continued to flourish after the Medes conquered it, and though its glory dwindled, especially after the control of the Medes and Persians ended in 323 b.c., the city continued in some form or substance until a.d. 1000 and did not experience a sudden termination such as is anticipated in this prophecy.

Interpretation has been made more difficult by the varied meanings of Babylon itself. Sometimes the term (in the Hebrew Babel) refers to the city whose history continued and was flourishing even during the Apostolic period when it became a center of Jewish learning after the destruction of Jerusalem. Sometimes the term is used in reference to the political power of Babylon which obviously fell in one night when the Medes and the Persians took control of Babylon. Sometimes it is used in a religious sense, for Babylon has been the fountain of many of the pagan religions which have competed with Judaism and Christian faith ever since. The interpretation of Isaiah 13:20-22 is inevitably determined by the meaning assigned to Revelation 17, 18.

Many interpreters agree that Babylon in its religious and political sense will be revived at the end of the age. Debated is the conclusion that the city itself will have a physical revival to become the capital of the world at the end of the age. Such a rebuilding of the ancient city would make possible a literal fulfillment of the prophecy of complete and sudden destruction as predicted in Isaiah 13:19-22.

Isaiah 14 seems to confirm that the ultimate destruction in view is one related to the second advent of Christ and the Day of the Lord. The satanic power behind Babylon addressed as “Lucifer, son of the morning” (14:12) is portrayed both in his original rebellion against God and in his ultimate judgment. The destruction of Babylon is related to the judgment upon “all the kings of the nations” (14:18).

Another massive prophecy against Babylon is found in Isaiah 47. Here a prediction of Babylon’s utter humiliation is given, and the foreview seems to relate primarily to the capture of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians. The sad pronouncement is made at the conclusion of the passage, “None shall save thee” (Isaiah 47:15). The major attention given to Babylon in Isaiah’s prophecies confirm Babylon’s importance in prophecy relating to the nations.

The Prophecies Of Jeremiah Concerning Babylon

The prophet Jeremiah like Isaiah devotes two long chapters to the prediction of Babylon’s ultimate judgment and destruction (Jeremiah 50, 51). If the prophecies of Isaiah are remarkable for their anticpation of Babylon’s rise to power and the captivity of Judah a hundred years before it actually occurred, the prophecies of Jeremiah are notable because they were delivered at the peak of Babylon’s power when it seemed most unlikely that the great nation would fall. Babylon is pictured as being punished because of its cruel treatment of Israel (50:17, 18; 51:24, 49).

Practically all of the predictions of Jeremiah seem to relate to the fall of Babylon by the attack of the Medes and the Persians. Only occasionally does there seem to be a reference to a future ultimate destruction as in Jeremiah 51:62-64. The prophecies of Jeremiah predicting the fall of Babylon at the hands of the Medes and the Persians were graphically fulfilled approximately sixty-five years later, as recorded in Daniel 5.

Major attention is devoted to the captivity of Judah in the prophecies of both Jeremiah and Ezekiel. There is almost constant reference to the Babylonian captivity of Judah in Jeremiah beginning in chapter 20; numerous references are also found in Ezekiel. Much of Jeremiah’s ministry was to his own generation as he predicted the downfall of Jerusalem and the victory of the Babylonian armies. Jeremiah is seen as the true prophet of God in contrast to the false prophets who had predicted victory over Babylon (cp. Jeremiah 28:1-17). Jeremiah’s prophecies were largely ignored. The first copy of his book was destroyed by the king (36:23). Jeremiah himself suffered affliction and imprisonment (37:15-38:13). With the capture of Jerusalem, the prophecies of Jeremiah were fully vindicated.

Most important were Jeremiah’s prophecies concerning the duration of the captivity, designated as seventy years in Jeremiah 25:11 and 29:10. It was this prophecy which was read by Daniel which led to his prayer for the return of the captives to Jerusalem (Daniel 9:2).

A prominent theme of Jeremiah’s prophecies were predictions against Egypt in which he anticipated that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer Egypt. As a traditional enemy of Israel, Egypt was thus to experience God’s judgment in the form of coming under the power of Babylon. Jeremiah devotes considerable Scripture to this theme, including 43:10-13; 44:30; 46:1-26. In chapter 44 Jeremiah sends a message to the Jews in Egypt in which he predicts that their attempt to escape the power of Babylon would only result in their own destruction.

The Prophecies Of Ezekiel Concerning Babylon

Ezekiel echoes the prophecies of Jeremiah relating to the Babylonian captivity (Ezekiel 17:12-24) and like Jeremiah predicts the conquering of Egypt (29:18, 19; 30:10-25; 32:1-32). Added is the prediction of the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel 26:7- 28:19.

It is obvious from these many passages in the prophets that Babylon occupies a large place in the prophetic program of the Old Testament for the nations surrounding Israel. It is with this context that Daniel the prophet takes up the theme and relates God’s dealings with Babylon to His ultimate purpose of bringing all nations into subjection unto the Son of God.

The Prophecies Of Daniel Concerning Babylon

Daniel’s first recognition of Babylon prophetically was in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Babylon was represented in the great image by the head of gold, and Daniel recognized the importance of Nebuchadnezzar:

Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold (Daniel 2:37, 38).

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s vision recorded in chapter 7 includes much added revelation. In his description of the first beast which represents Babylon, Daniel states, “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it” (Daniel 7:4).

Babylon was indeed like the lion, the king of beasts, and had eagle’s wings like the king of birds. That the wings would be plucked and the beast would stand as a man with a man’s heart was the divine portrayal of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience in Daniel 4 as well as an anticipation of the ultimate humiliation of the Babylonian rulers in Daniel 5. In Daniel’s interpretation of the tree vision of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, he had predicted Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation in which he suffered seven years of insanity before his reason returned. Nebuchadnezzar was ready then to give praise to God as he does in Daniel 4:2, 3, 34-37. The prophecies of Daniel were meticulously fulfilled.

The Fall Of Babylon

The fall of the Babylonian Empire came suddenly when the Medes and the Persians overran the city of Babylon in a night attack in 539 b.c. Prior to this event, the Babylonian Empire had already fallen on evil days. When Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 b.c., he was succeeded by his son Amel-Marduk who was assassinated only two years later. In 560 b.c. Neriglissar took the throne. When he died in 556 B.C, after only four years of reign, he was succeeded by his son who was assassinated shortly after he came to the throne. Nabonidus then assumed power appointing his son Belshazzar as co-ruler. It was this Belshazzar who held the ungodly feast of Daniel 5 and perished at the hands of the Medes and Persians.

At the time of the downfall of the city of Babylon recorded in Daniel 5, the city was still a monument to the genius of Nebuchadnezzar. According to Herodotus, the city was approximately 14 miles square with the Euphrates River bisecting it north and south. Two sets of walls inner and outer protected the city and, according to standards of the day, rendered it safe from attack from without. If Herodotus can be believed, the walls were indeed formidable being 350 feet high and 87 feet thick. Walls also lined the river on either side and 150 gates of solid brass protected the entrances. On the wall were some 250 watchtowers, 100 feet higher than the wall itself. The outside wall had a deep water moat some 30 feet wide.

During the height of its power, provisions were stored in Babylon supposedly sufficient for twenty years of siege and designed to discourage anyone attacking it. Within the walls the city was laid out in square blocks with beautiful houses lining the streets usually three and four stories in height. The city also included great parks and gardens, some of which, such as the hanging gardens described by Diodorus, were outstanding wonders in the ancient world. The gardens were built on terraces and supported large trees. A great bridge some 660 feet long and 30 feet wide bridged the Euphrates River and connected the eastern and western halves of the city. Notable buildings were also found such as the palace of the king, the temple of Bel over eight stories in height, and many other buildings of less importance.

It was this city, proud of its supposed invulnerability, which had ignored the rapidly expanding power of the Medes and the Persians. Media as a separate kingdom had matched the rise of the Babylonian Empire. After the Medes had captured Asshur in 614 b.c. under alliance with the Chaldeans, they had also captured Nineveh. The downfall of the Assyrian Empire, marked by these events, paved the way for the rise in power of Media which was in alliance with Nebuchadnezzar during most of his reign. Persia was also, rising in power, however, and under Cyrus II Media was conquered by the Persians about 549 b.c. Media and Persia were united in a common government which lasted until Alexander the Great in 331 b.c. Their armies had proceeded to conquer much of the territory around Babylon before the fateful night in 539 b.c. (Daniel 5).

Setting siege to the large city of Babylon, the Medes had dug a canal diverting the water that flowed under the city wall. At the very time of Belshazzar’s impious feast, they were entering the city on the dry channel underneath the mighty walls. The drinking feast celebrated by the one thousand lords apparently was shared by other inhabitants so that the normal watch kept on the walls was not observed, allowing the invaders valuable time in conquering the city before their presence was fully known. At the very time the Medes were pouring into the city, the handwriting appeared on the wall (Daniel 5:5, 24-28). Daniel correctly interpreted the writing as spelling the doom of the Babylonian Empire and the beginning of the empire of the Medes and the Persians (Daniel 5:28, 31). Thus ended the fabulous reign of the Babylonian Empire, the symbol of Gentile glory and moral and religious wickedness.

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

Continued Influence Of Babylon

Although the fall of Babylon marked the end of political rule of Babylonian rulers, much of the Babylonian culture, its pagan religions, and its ideology were continued in the kingdoms which followed. Babylonian influence was perpetuated down through the centuries especially in ancient pagan religions. Babylon, the symbol of religious confusion, was to appear again in the apostate church of Revelation 17, and its political power was to be revived in the final form of the Roman Empire as depicted in Revelation 18. Even if literal Babylon is not rebuilt as a city in the last days and subjected to the sudden destruction described in Revelation 18, Babylon as an influence for evil politically and religiously will not be terminated until Jesus Christ comes in power and glory to reign.

Part two babylon

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

part two babylon

According to the Book of Revelations, the city of Babylon has to be rebuilt once again. This is another key event for everyone to really keep an eye on. Prophecy scholars are divided in their opinion as to whether or not the city of Babylon will literally be rebuilt again. After studying the verses mentioned below – I believe that the Bible is using literal interpretation and it is meaning exactly what it is saying. If this is correct – then the city of Babylon will once more be rebuilt so God can literally wipe this unholy city off the face of this earth!

The city of Babylon is in the country of Iraq. Back in the early 70′s, Saddam Hussein started to try to rebuild the city once again. He probably got about half of it rebuilt before we took him out in our war with Iraq. It remains to be seen if Iraq will continue to rebuild this city once a new government has been put into place and things start to settle down.

God the Father has a SERIOUS PROBLEM with the city of Babylon. I personally feel that He is going to allow it to be rebuilt once again so that He can personally DESTROY IT HIMSELF. Here are the reasons why.

Back in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis, the city of Babylon was the first city where man began to worship himself in organized rebellion against God Himself. It was where Satan officially set up his initial “headquarters.” The first official world ruler was Nimrod and he ruled from the city of Babylon.

Most, if not all of the false religions of this world, can be traced back to the city of Babylon. As you will see in the following verses, Babylon is called a harlot – because from out of her came all the other false religions that have set themselves up against the one and only true God of the Bible.

From these other false religions have come massive persecution of God’s people throughout the ages. Satan and his demons have obviously been behind all of these other false religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.

It is a well known fact that many Muslims hate Christians, and there is horrible persecution going on even right now with Muslims slaughtering Christians in Sudan and parts of Indonesia. Satan and his demons rule behind these other false religions and he is the one causing all of this hatred toward Christians.

As we get into the 7 year Tribulation, God arranges for this city to be rebuilt again, and then He will “arrange” for the city to be destroyed by the Antichrist and his 10 nation confederacy in one day! The Antichrist will have no idea that he is being used as a “pawn” by God the Father when he sets out to destroy this city.

I have a feeling Satan may be able to read what I believe will be a very heavy sign from God as to why this city is being raised up again – just so God can personally destroy it Himself. I believe God is saying with the destruction of Babylon, that He is in the process of getting ready to “clean up the earth”, and that all the false religions of this world are going to be taken out when Jesus returns back to our earth to set up His Millennium Kingdom.

God will first destroy the city of Babylon and everything that it stands for and represents. And then He will eventually come after Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, all of Satan’s demons and all the other unsaved people of this earth when Jesus comes back for His second coming.

When the Millennium Kingdom is set up for the 1000 years, all the bad and unsaved people and Satan and all of his demons will be totally taken out so that we can have true peace on this earth during the 1000 years that Jesus will rule for.

As you will see in the following verses, Babylon is once again going to be rebuilt, and it appears to become a major governmental and commercial place in the world. The Bible says that the “harlot” will initially rule in tandem with the Antichrist. When the city is destroyed, the Bible says that a lot of the merchants, traders and seamen will mourn because they are no longer going to be able to trade and make money with her. The Bible says the kings of the earth were living luxuriously with her when she is destroyed, and they are all mourning because of the loss of wealth that will occur to them as a result of her destruction.

The Scripture Verses

1. This first verse tells us that the beast, who is the Antichrist, and his 10 nation confederacy will be the ones who will destroy this city. However, this verse then goes on to tell us that God Himself is the one who will “put it into the hearts” of the beast and his 10 nation confederacy to destroy Babylon. Here is the verse:

“And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, they will hate the harlot, make her desolate and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give the kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that GREAT CITY which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelations 17:16-18)

2. This next verse goes further into the actual destruction of Babylon. Apparently the city is literally destroyed in one hour! Here is the verse that wraps up what God has to say about destroying this unholy place.

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.’ For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury … In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart,’ I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow’.Therefore her plagues will come in one day – death and mourning and famine. And she will literally be burned with fire, for strong is the Lord who judges her.

And the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, this great city Babylon, the mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore … Rejoice over her, O heaven, and your holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her.”

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found … and the light of your lamp shall not shine anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” (Revelations 18:1-24)

3. Here is another verse that says her destruction will come in one hour.

“For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.” (Revelations 18:17)

Conclusion1. Babylon probably has to be rebuilt sometime before the 7 year Tribulation starts. If it is going to be a flourishing city by the time the Antichrist sets out to destroy it, it has to be rebuilt sometime before the Antichrist really comes to power in order to properly set the stage for it to be a “flourishing and wealthy” city again.

Prophecy students feel that its destruction by the Antichrist will probably come somewhere around the midpoint of the Tribulation or shortly thereafter. Remember, the Antichrist will rise to power more on peace and diplomacy during the first three and half years. It is in the last three and half years of the Tribulation that the Antichrist basically goes nuts and starts the mass persecution of the Jews and all who will not accept his mark. My guess is that Babylon is included in the last three and half years of his mass destruction of both people and countries.

2. You’ll also notice that Babylon is destroyed in one hour by fire. The first verse above says that the beast will burn her with fire. I have to believe that the Antichrist will probably launch some type of nuclear missile or bomb on Babylon to completely destroy it by fire in one hour.

3. The Bible says our God is a jealous God. The first of the Ten Commandments is “You shall have no other Gods before Me.” The second commandment says:

“You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord Your God, am a jealous God …”

All of the other false religions that have come onto this earth all have their origin with the ancient city of Babylon – and they all involve some form of idol worship.With our God the Father being the one and only true God of the entire universe, He calls all of these other false religions originating out of Babylon harlots! That is because they are not the one and only true faith involving the God of the Bible. I’ve already done an article titled the “The Basics of Salvation Through Jesus Christ“. The Bible makes it very clear that there is only one faith, one God, one religion and one Savior – Jesus Christ. God the Father will not honor in any way, shape or form any of these other false religious systems. All of these other religions are an abomination in His sight and they all have their origin with Satan himself. And the city of ancient Babylon was really the official starting point from where Satan really started to develop and work in all of the other false religions of the world today into each of the other countries around the world.

Once you understand and see the “big picture” as how God sees it, you can understand why He would want to resurrect the city of Babylon again, just so that He can set it up for its final destruction at the end of times.

The above verses also says this destruction is set up by God in order to avenge all of His people who have been martyred throughout history by all of these other false religions.

4. If you want to read more on Babylon and its final destruction, go to chapters 17 and 18 in Revelations. Those two chapters were too long for me to type out everything in this article. The above verses are highlighting the basics on this subject for you. Note Revelations 17:3 where it says:

“And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”

The woman is the city of Babylon and the beast she is sitting on is the Antichrist. This verse tells you that initially Babylon will be riding on and working with the Antichrist and probably helping him set up his agenda.There are also predi,      ,mctions that out of Babylon, will come a lot more of the New Age Movement, along with a heavy increase in sorcery, magic and the occult. Demons and their supernatural powers will be at their peak during the end times, and the city of Babylon will also have a lot of occultic activity surrounding it which will help draw a lot of people from all over the world to visit there. This would probably explain why it is going to become so popular and wealthy again once it is resurrected.

All of the above is just another powerful “puzzle piece” given by God in the Bible to let us know when we really are starting to approach the end of times and the return of His Son to our earth to set up His 1000 year Millennium Kingdom.

Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible Knowledge, articles, commentary and teaching. They currently have over 100 Bible articles – all free of charge.

CIA MKULTRA Collection

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

Cia

entire CIA MKULTRA Collection

Starting over six years ago, The Black Vault filed a FOIA request for all documents pertaining to MKULTRA and similar projects. I was told that these documents were being reviewed, and I would be contacted when the review was completed.

For years I waited, and was never contacted. The CIA, in fact, DID release the documents on three CD-ROMs yet they never notified me and my open FOIA request still pending in their office.

They knew what The Black Vault could and would do. I simply uploaded the entire contents of the CDs onto The Black Vault, and I created easy to follow indexes to these documents. Needless to say, they did not want this, since they never once wanted to contact me about the release.

Below, you will find the links to these CD-ROMs and the contents therein. You will also find a link to the gallery holding the index to these documents, so you can better navigate.

These files are organized in exactly the same way the CIA would send them to you. I simply created HTML indexes to make it even easier!

The directories contain .tif images of the documents (not my favorite format) and two other files. The .txt file is a poor excuse for a OCR (optical character recognition) of the document, which means they put the documents through a software title to make it text. You will see these are usually useless, because the process does not work on poorly photocopies documents. The .dat file in these directories is the one line description, as found in the index.

Please Note: If you need a FREE .TIF viewer – you can download Brava!® ReaderBrava!® Reader is a free application that opens, views, and prints TIFF files.

  1. MKULTRA CIA Document Index – Start here! This will list the contents of the following links, which are the documents on the CD-ROMs. Or, you can just start browsing the CD’s below – it’s up to you!
  2. CD-ROM #1: ( DOC_0000017481 – DOC_0000149499DOC_0000149500 – DOC_0000197284 )
  3. CD-ROM #2 ( DOC_0000017352 – DOC_0000017437 )
  4. CD-ROM #3 ( DOC_0000017392 – DOC_0000148094 )
  5. Discuss MKULTRA documents

Mind Control

  1. Communist Control Techniques [123 Pages]
  2. Parapsychology in Intelligence [12 Pages]
  3. Project MKUltra, The CIA’s Program of Research in Behavioral Modification [172 Pages]

Related Documents of Interest

  1. Brainwashing (CIA Records) [92 Pages] – CIA file on the topic of brainwashing, prepared for J. Edgar Hoover in the 1950s. (Due to the quality of the report, you may have to zoon the pdf to above 100% to read)
  2. Interrogation: Science and Art [371 Pages] – U.S. military personnel and intelligence officers in particular are expected to gain accurate information from detainees or prisoners and thus need to know “what works” in “educing” information through interrogation, strategic debriefing and information elicitation. This book presents the work of 13 specialists in law, psychology, military intelligence, neuroscience, computer science, conflict management and library science. The authors review what is known and not known about educing information.

Why is Earth’s Girth Bulging?

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

earth is bulging

Why is Earth’s Girth Bulging?

John Roach
For National Geographic News

This is heavy.

Something massive is moving on or within the Earth and causing the planet’s gravity field to get wider around the equator and flatter at the poles, according to a pair of scientists studying the field with sensitive satellite instruments.

The scientists are uncertain as to the reasons for this phenomenon, which was just the opposite for several decades prior to 1997, but think the answer possibly lies within long-term variation in the oceans.

“Starting after 1997, the world that was getting rounder started getting more oblate [flattened at the poles],” said Christopher Cox, a research scientist at the Space Geodesy Branch of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

At first, the scientists had any number of explanations for this observed phenomenon—from changes in the atmosphere to the amount of water in the oceans to ocean tidal effects. But the Earth kept getting fatter at the equator and flatter at the poles.

“It has finally gotten so big that we can’t explain it with any known mechanism,” said Cox, who co-authored a paper in the August 2 issue of the journal Science on this change in shape of the Earth’s gravity field.

The change in shape since 1997 is very subtle: an increase in equatorial radius of about one 25th of an inch (one millimeter) per year, according to measurements.

“What is interesting is that it tells us that some mass redistribution occurred inside the Earth system, probably the climate system,” said Anny Cazenave, an Earth scientist at the National Center for Space Studies in Toulouse, France. “This is an interesting constraint to climate models.”

Post-Glacial Rebound

Prior to 1997 the Earth was getting rounder as it recovered from thousands of years of being squished at the poles by the weight of Ice Age glaciers, an effect scientists refer to as post-glacial rebound (PGR).

As the ice sheets melted, the land that was beneath the ice started rising. As the ground rebounded in this fashion, the gravity field changed. The effect is likened to putting a finger on a rubber ball and watching it slowly bounce back.

“These extremely heavy objects basically squished the Earth, caused the land to sink and move away from the edges,” said Cox. “When they melted, they can’t instantly bounce back up.”

Observations of the Earth’s gravity field sensed with laser tracking instruments on ten satellites in orbit around Earth indicate that some phenomenon is counteracting the PGR effect and causing the Earth to get wider at the equator.

Changing Shape

“Now that we have seen the signal, what is it?” asked Cox, who said that he and his colleague Benjamin Chao at Goddard Space Flight Center were perplexed by the phenomenon.

Scientists agree on three areas that could cause large changes in the Earth’s gravity field: the oceans, polar and glacial ice, and the atmosphere.

Cox and Chao have ruled out the atmosphere as the cause and suggest that it is the result of either a large amount of water moving into the oceans as a result of global warming, movement within the Earth’s core, or some other phenomenon within the oceans.

Measurements of the amount of ice melting and flowing into the oceans are too small to account for the observed changes in the gravity field. To be the cause, it would require melting a block of ice 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) on each side by 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) high every year since 1997.

“The recent reports of large icebergs calving into the ocean in Antarctica can’t explain this because they are already floating in the ocean,” said Cox in a statement. As well, satellite observations of average sea level rise show no corresponding change in the rate of global sea level increase.

The researchers also considered movements in the Earth’s core. Scientists had assumed that such changes of mass could not cause any observable changes in the gravity field, but recent modeling efforts suggest that in some cases the changes could be detected.

“However, even in those cases, it is several times too small to cause the recent changes,” said Cox, although he added that the scenario could not be completely ruled out.

The process of elimination has led the scientists to consider that the mass must be related to a long-term variation in the oceans. An example of such a variation is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, said Cox.

Cazenave, who co-authored a perspective on this research also in the August 2 issue of Science, agreed that the observed change in the Earth’s gravity field is most likely related to variation within the oceans.

“We believe that the most plausible source is in the ocean, in particular change in the circulation of the mid- to high-latitude Pacific Ocean,” she said. “But this has to be confirmed by additional observations and modeling.”

In Sync

And while the scientists are as equally uncertain as to the effects of a gravity field that is more oblate, the change in shape curiously coincides with a span of years in which the world’s timekeepers have not had to add any leap seconds.

“It used to be that these things (leap seconds) were inserted into our time system once or twice a year. For the last several years we have not had to do that,” said Cox.

Is there a link between what is causing the change in gravity field and the fact that clocks are in sync with Earth’s rate of rotation?

Donald Sullivan, Chief of the Time and Frequency Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, does not rule out the possibility, but cautions that any number of changes in gravity can influence the Earth’s rate of rotation.

“The moon and planets, along with geophysical and climate variations can affect the rotation rate of the Earth,” he said. “If you think about this for a moment, you’ll realize that all it takes is a small change in the average distribution of mass to change this rate.”

Adam was not the First Man

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

blushing red

Adam was not the First Man

Pastor Bertrand L. Comparet

Many people have become agnostics because of the supposed conflict between the Bible and science. In truth, there is no conflict at all between a correct translation of the Bible and really proven science, not just unproven theories. One of these supposed conflicts is between the fact that science knows that human beings have lived on the earth far longer than the few thousand years covered by the Bible and the common belief that the Bible says that Adam was the first man. Yes, I know that most of the preachers say that, but the Bible doesn’t! It merely says that Adam was the first WHITE man. Let’s look at the record.

The many mistranslations in the King James versions obscure much of the truth. For example, Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” In the Hebrew it says, “Now the earth had become chaotic and empty.”

(See Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible) That is, some early catastrophe had wrecked the earth, which was not “without form and void” before that. This was a judgment of God on earlier civilizations, for their wickedness. Jeremiah 4:23-27 gives a vision of it. “I beheld the earth and lo, it was without form and void; and the heavens and they had no light. I beheld the mountains and lo, they trembled and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld and lo, there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, ‘The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.’” Therefore we do find buried ruins of cities older than Adam and skeletons which can be dated by the carbon 14 process as many as thousands of years older. But, the Bible itself tells us about this.

Next the Bible tells us about the creation of men, in the plural, in Genesis 1:26-28, saying, “Male and female created He THEM” (1:27), and God told these people, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (1:28). “Plenish” is an obsolete English word meaning “to fill”; and you cannot replenish what was never plenished, or filled, before. In the next chapter, Genesis 2 we find THE ADAM (in the singular) created. The Hebrew word, “aw-dawm” (rendered “Adam” in English) is from a root word meaning “to show blood in the face” or “of a ruddy complexion”, a word obviously not applicable to the dark races, which we also know from scientific evidence to be much older than the White Race.

Bible scholars know that Genesis 3:20 – “And Adam called his wife’s name ‘Eve’: because she was the mother of all living” – is a later interpolation, which was not in the earlier manuscripts. (See Moffatt’s translation.)

The Fourth chapter of Genesis records the birth of Cain and Abel; in the Hebrew, the wording suggests that they were twins. No other child of Eve is mentioned until the birth of Seth, when Adam was 130 years old, certainly long after the birth of Cain and Abel, which most scholars say was over 100 years earlier. Yet, when Cain killed Abel, and in punishment was driven out of the land, he complained to God that “any one that findeth me shall slay me.” Genesis 4:14. Upon being sent away, Cain found many other people, for Genesis 4:17 records that Cain not only married a wife, but built a city. You don’t build a city for just two people. These were the pre-Adamite races, mentioned in the latter part of Genesis 1.

The “Garden of Eden” was not a plantation of ordinary trees and shrubs. God did nothing so foolish as to make a special creation, just to have a man to wield shovel and pruning shears, when He already had millions of pre Adamites available for that type of work. We are told that the “Garden of Eden” contained “the tree of the knowledge (or experience) of good and evil”. No tree of the forest has any knowledge or experience of either good or evil. Ezekiel 31, says “Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and a shadowing bough and of an high stature; Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field and his boughs were multiplied and his branches became long; all the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. THE CEDARS IN THE GARDEN OF GOD could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; NOR ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN OF GOD WAS LIKE UNTO HIM IN HIS BEAUTY. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: SO THAT ALL THE TREES OF EDEN THAT WERE IN THE GARDEN OF GOD ENVIED HIM”. Obviously, the trees in the Garden of God in Eden were “family trees” of races and nations who admired and envied the early Assyrian Empire. These made up the “garden” that Adam was to cultivate. That is, Satan had been what we might call the Super- intendant of this planet, to rule it in obedience to God’s will, until he forfeited that position by rebellion against God. Adam was sent to take his place. It was Adam’s job to rule the various nations and races of the earth as God’s representative here, educating them in God’s laws and enforcing obedience to those laws. These other races and nations had been here long before Adam.

Therefore the Bible makes it unmistakably clear that we are not all descended from Adam and Eve, for there were other races on earth, already old, already numerous, when Adam was created. Among these other races there are the several who are simply pre-Adamic and one at least, which is Satanic. If you will read the third chapter of Genesis, you will notice that, immediately after the fall of Adam, when God required them to answer what they had done, God condemned Satan. The word mistranslated “serpent” is the Hebrew word “naw-khash”, which literally means “enchanter” or “magician” and, no doubt Satan still possessing angelic powers, was able to be an enchanter or magician. It is certain that the one who seduced Eve was no mere scaly snake wriggling along on the ground. Yes, I said “seduced” Eve, for that is what she admitted in the original Hebrew. Cain was the son of that seduction. The Bible uses the word “begat” with monotonous regularity but, the first time the Bible ever says that Adam ever “begat” anyone is Genesis 5:3 where it says, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image: and called his name Seth. But to get back to Genesis 3:15, God said to Satan, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between THY SEED and HER SEED.” The same Hebrew word for “seed” is used in both cases. Satan was to have just as literal “seed”, or descendants as Eve. God’s own word being pledged to this, we must expect to find it actually happening and we do. Jesus Christ, Himself, tells us of it.

In Matthew 13:38-39, explaining the Parable of the Tares Among the Wheat, Jesus says, “The field is the world; the good seed are the children OF THE KINGDOM: but THE TARES ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE: THE ENEMY THAT SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL.” Again, in John 6:70-71, Jesus had been talking with His twelve deciples and we read: “Jesus answered them, ‘Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil?’ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray Him being one of the twelve.” And again you should read carefully the eighth chapter of John, where Jesus told those who hated Him, “Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do.” He was not being vulgarly abusive in either of these cases, for He never resorted to name calling so His statement was precisely accurate. He did call some of them “serpents, children of vipers” which again, was accurate. Long before this, they had adopted the serpent as a symbol of Satan. That is why their tradition had given the word naw-khash” the translation “serpent”, when it really means “enchanter”. Jesus therefore was telling them that they were of their father the devil (or serpent, if they preferred that word). In this He was simply stating a biological fact with scientific precision and identifying the persons of this ancestry.

Whenever someone tells you that the Bible is in conflict with what modern science has proved true, don’t you believe it. The things that many preachers teach are in conflict with scientific truth, as we all know, but these preachers are equally in conflict with the Bible. Go back to the Bible, not to any man made doctrines and double check it for accuracy of translation. You will find that what the Bible really says, in its original languages, is accurate with a precision our scientist have not yet achieved.
Admin note—-I found this in one of his “older sermons

The Bible tells of the creation of MEN, IN THE PLURAL, in Genesis 1:26-28, saying, “Male and female created He THEM” (1:27), and God told these people, “Be fruitful and multiply, and Replenish the earth” (1:28). “Plenish” is an obsolete English word, meaning “to fill”; and you cannot REplenish what was never plenished, or filled, before. In the next chapter, Genesis 2. we find THE ADAM (in the singular) formed. The Hebrew word, “aw-dawm” (rendered “Adam” in English) is from a root word meaning, “To show blood in the face” or “of a ruddy complexion” … a word obviously not applicable to the dark races, which we know from scientific evidence to be much older than the White Race.

Bible scholars know the latter part of the passage in Genesis 3:20… “and Adam called his wife’s name “Eve”; because she was the mother of all living” . . . -is a later interpolation, which was not in the earlier manuscripts (See Moffatt’s Translation). It follows that Eve (which means ‘life-giver’), being Adamic, could not have mothered the earlier Yellow or Black races; an idea which is only a popular misconception engendered by fallacious Christian Education.

EVE DID NOT EAT AN APPLE!

Edenic Covenant

In Gen. 3:3, God has told Eve she is not to eat (partake) of the fruit (offspring) of the tree that was in the midst of the Garden. We know that the tree in the midst of the Garden was a racial tree because it is described in Gen. 2:17 as a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. No fruit tree has a knowledge of good or evil, so it could not have been an “apple tree”. Also, Eve was admonished not to touch* the fruit of the tree on pain of death. Certainly, touching an apple would not have called for such stern punishment. Again in Gen. 3:61 Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes (handsome) and capable of making one wise. As it turned out, partaking of the fruit of the racial tree did make Eve wise, because she knew (immediately after she and Adam had sinned) that she was naked. A fact that she did not seem to notice before the misdeed.

“to lay hands upon, to lie with” – See Strong’s Concordance.

When God asked Eve what she had done (Gen. 3:13) she said the serpent beguiled her. In the first place, the Hebrew word “Nachash”, translated “serpent,” actually means “spellbinding enchanter or magician”. Now we know how the serpent could talk to Eve. It was not a snake or any reptile with which we are familiar, but Satan, in one of his many appearances. Understanding the foregoing makes it easy to understand that the sin committed in the Garden of Eden was of a sexual nature because when Eve said she was beguiled she actually was saying she had been seduced. The Hebrew word “Nashall translated to “beguiled” actually means “to lead astray, to seduce”.

It is quite evident that before Adam and Eve sinned theirs was not a physical or sexual relationship. The Forgotten Books of Eden tell us that God, the Father, had desired to bring forth children of Light from both of them (perhaps in the same manner as Eve was brought from Adam). But when they committed sexual sin; they were reduced to a purely physical plane of reproduction (Gen. 3:16); they lost their aura or “glory” and were driven out of Eden. They were no longer children of light, free from toil and pain and death. Yet God’ s mercy did not depart from them. The fallen man and woman were restored by God’s grace to a condition of favour. They had been given mortality and they came therefore, under the dispensation of that state of being under which God made with them a second Covenant.

ADAMIC COVENANT

This Second Covenant teaches us the conditions of the life of mortal (fallen) humanity, the conditions, that is, that have governed the lives of all men since the Fall, under which, therefore we live. These conditions remain until the coming of the Christ when he restores all things created, to their original purity. This second Covenant was partly founded in a curse, for God’s judgment came upon Adam for his sin, and the judgment bore the burden of labour, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread”; the difficulty of labour, “thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”; the sorrow of life, “in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life”; physical death, “dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”. All these things, the fruit of the curse, are included in the judgment of God upon the Fall, yet how important it is to notice that even in such a Covenant, in such a statement of God’s will and purpose there is the clear promise of blessing and restoration. For you have, in the story of this second Covenant, the first promise of a Saviour, the first beginnings of God’s work of redemption through the Godly seed. It is this Covenant, made with Adam when cast out of Eden, which provides the first link in a chain that runs unbroken throughout the whole Bible; that chain of men, chosen and called out by God, who should labour for Him in righteousness, and who should be fellow workers with God to restore His dominion over the earth.

Count TO PENTECOST

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

how to count

Count TO PENTECOST

Here are some of my notes on what the Scripture teaches is the true count to Pentecost which is 50 days “after” the 7th Sabbath, not 50 days after the wave sheaf or 1st Sabbath (Lev-23:16 “Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the YHWH”

If you have Questions and wish to talk on the phone, let me know and I will call you, I have free calling.

I have not found ANY evidence to support the traditional 3rd month Pentecost but below is an abundance of evidence that conclusively proves a later Pentecost.

“INTRODUCTION”

If someone wanted to argue Pentecost in the third month, would it be asking too much for them to produce ONE scripture supporting a wheat harvest in the 3rd month “springtime”??? After all that is what Pentecost is, first fruits of the wheat harvest.

Leviticus 23:16 can be understood two ways, the traditional way is to count 50 days from the wave sheaf of the barley harvest, and another way it can be understood is to count 50 days from the morrow “after” the seventh Sabbath which would be 101 days counting the two New moon days which are not counted when counting out the 7 Sabbaths complete because the New moons are not complete Sabbaths/intermissions, but they are still “worship” days of no buying or selling.
To prove which understanding is correct, we must turn to nature and other Scripture other than the one in question. We know that Pentecost has to do with the wheat harvest and I contended there is no conclusive Winter wheat harvest mentioned in the Scripture, if someone can find a Winter wheat harvest in scriptures then there is at least a 50-50 chance that the 50 days after the wave sheaf could possibly be right, otherwise it is not even an option. The reason I say 50-50 chance is because we definitely have a conclusive pinpointed “summer” wheat harvest in the 4th month, which is found over and over throughout the Scriptures and therefore it could be understood either way is someone can find a Winter wheat harvest and then they could argue it was 50 days after the barley sheaf/Winter wheat harvest, and we could argue that it is 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete, which would be a summer wheat harvest. In other words if someone can produce scripture for harvesting wheat in the spring, instead of summer, then it could go either way but until someone finds a conclusive Winter wheat harvest it is not even an option. We must prove what the Scripture in Leviticus 23:16 is speaking of.

Now if they were no summer wheat harvest found in Scripture and you had plenty of Winter wheat harvests found in Scripture, then the obvious understanding would be to count 50 days after the barley wave sheaf for the winter wheat harvest. Simple.

On the other hand if there is no Winter wheat harvest mentioned in Scripture, (and there’s not) then the obvious conclusion is to begin the 50 day count from the morrow after the seventh Sabbath complete and then bring the new meat offering from the summer wheat, the only wheat spoken of in scriptures. Simple

Below you will read many Scripture which will harmonize with counting 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath, not the wave sheaf, such as when Aaron made proclamation of a Pilgrim feast/CHAG which was 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete and the only Pilgrim Feast this could be is Pentecost because it is in the fourth month when Aaron proclaimed this. There is no CHAG found in the 3rd month for the traditional Pentecost.

Until someone can produce a Scripture showing that there is another Winter wheat harvest to choose from, found in Scripture of course, I see no room to debate it any other way. I know that Winter wheat is now harvested in the springtime after spring barley harvest, but did ancient Israel plant Winter wheat or only summer wheat?? All Scriptures that I have found is referring to “summer” wheat. It would be nice to have an “example” of Winter wheat in Scripture if I was going to of count 50 days after the barley wave sheaf and then bring a first fruit from the winter wheat, but since there isn’t any the conclusion is obvious.
We can prove many wheat harvests in the “summer”, throughout the Scriptures, but is there one shred of evidence for a wheat harvest in the “spring”? The answer is no, so there is no Scriptural wheat harvest in the spring, so it must be understood that Pentecost is counted from the morrow “after” the seventh Sabbath/intermission, instead of from the wave sheaf it’s self.
All the males were commanded to appear before YHWH three times in the year, these three feasts centered around the three major harvests. The first one is Unleavened Bread/barley harvest, which takes place in the “springtime”, or Spring feast, then the second one takes place in the “summer”, at the summer wheat harvest called Pentecost or summer harvest, the first fruits of the summer wheat harvest is offered, not Winter wheat which is harvested in the “spring”, two weeks after the barley, and is still in the spring season.
Every where in Scripture and history from Josephus and Philo who lived at the time of these harvest, wheat was always a summer harvest. Study these EXAMPLES closely.

#1. In the book of Josephus it tells how that it was “Summer” time when the fruit of the land being almost ripe enough for reaping that Samson set fire to the fruit of the land i.e. “wheat” and grapes etc. and in the book of Judges it plainly tells that it was in the time of wheat harvest when Samson done this. Read the following from Josephus and the book of Judges.

CHAPTER 8 CONCERNING THE FORTITUDE OF SAMSON, AND WHAT MISCHIEFS HE BROUGHT UPON THE PHILISTINES
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7. (295) At this injurious treatment Samson was so provoked that he resolved to punish all the Philistines, as well as her; so it being then “summer” time, and the fruits of the land being almost ripe enough for reaping, he caught three hundred foxes, and joining lighted torches to their tails, he sent them into the fields of the Philistines, by which means the fruits of the fields perished.

In the book of Judges Chapter 15:5 it says:
“1But it came to pass within a while after, in the “time” of “wheat” harvest that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 3And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. 4And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 5And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing “corn” of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing “corn”, with the ”vineyards and “olives”.
In other words the time of wheat harvest is in the summer, NOT spring. This proves that this wheat harvest is speaking of “summer” wheat harvest and not spring harvest of winter wheat. Josephus knew enough about how many foxes etc. because he knew the Scriptures, wonder why he didn’t know that the wheat harvest was in the spring instead of summer? Or maybe he knew that wheat harvest in his time was in the Summer and not Spring. You Judge and remember the people knew about farming in those days, and to say whether he was a Pharisee or Sadducee makes no difference concerning the harvest and nature.

The following quote from Josephus also proves the wheat was Summer wheat and not Winter wheat

1. (323) In the meantime Herod’s affairs in Judea were in an ill state. He had left his brother Joseph with full power, but had charged him to make no attempts against Antigonus till his return;for that Macheras would not be such an assistant as he could depend on, as it appeared by what he had done already; but as soon as Joseph heard that his brother was at a very great distance, he neglected the charge he had received, and marched towards Jericho with five cohorts, which Macheras sent with him. This movement was intended for seizing on the corn, as it was now in the midst of “summer;”
Notice the last verse of this quote. This is found in Josephus under:

THE DEATH OF JOSEPH [HEROD’S BROTHER], WHICH HAD BEEN SIGNIFIED TO HEROD IN DREAMS. HOW HEROD WAS PRESERVED TWICE, AFTER A WONDERFUL MANNER. HE CUTS OFF THE HEAD OF PAPPUS WHO WAS THE MURDERER OF HIS BROTHER, AND SENDS THAT HEAD TO [HIS OTHER BROTHER] PHERORAS, AND IN NO LONG TIME HE BESIEGES JERUSALEM, AND MARRIES MARIAMNE

This next quote which lists the 4 seasons, proves they were known back then:
“And in addition to the four elements the seasons of the year are also four, which are the “causes” of the “generation” of animals and “plants”, the year being divided into the quadruple division of winter, and “spring”, and “summer”, and “autumn”.
XVII. (53) The aforesaid number therefore being accounted worthy”

Notice he says these four seasons Winter, and Spring, and Summer, and Autumn, are cause of the generation of animals and “plants”
In other words you have three harvest feasts each year, barley in the spring, wheat in the summer, and the annual fruits of the trees etc. in the autumn.
I have heard the argument that all harvest was Summer time, but that is not acceptable because Josephus says, “And in addition to the four elements the seasons of the year are also four, which are the “causes” of the “generation” of animals and “plants”, the year being divided into the quadruple division of winter, and “spring”, and “summer”, and “autumn”.

Bottom line is someone should have a Scripture or some kind of proof that there is a spring wheat harvest instead of a summer wheat harvest to support their 50 day count after the wave sheaf instead of 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete for Pentecost.
I can give many Scriptures and history from people that lived at this time that there is a summer wheat harvest which would have to be 50 days after the seventh Sabbath instead of 50 days after the first Sabbath.
50 days after the first Sabbath can only produce a spring wheat harvest and 50 days after the seventh Sabbath can only produce a summer wheat harvest. Which one does the Scripture teach? We know what tradition of men teaches.

It says in the book of Nehemiah Chapter 13:15:
In those days saw I in Judah some treading “wine presses” on the sabbath, and bringing in “sheaves”, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
Nehemiah saw men treading grapes in these wine presses and the grapes are not ripe until summer and the sheaves they were bringing in had to be summer sheaves. The Winter wheat is gone by this time and so was springtime.

Our Saviour indicates that after four months comes the harvest. The summer wheat matures in four months. It is sown in the first month Abib/spring and is reaped in the fourth month/summer which is seven sabbaths plus 50 days and you can bring a first fruit from it/summer fruit. This is why the hail did not destroy the wheat in Egypt because it had not come up yet because it was planted in the first month. In John 4: 35 it says:

“say not ye ., there are yet four months then cometh the harvest”

Winter wheat is at least 6 or 7 months to harvest and not for months to harvest as our Saviour said it was.
When Aaron used the word CHAG, which is only used for Pilgrim feast, it was in the Summer time and it was 50 days after the seventh Sabbath. It was also the same day that the Law was given on Mount Sinai. Ex-32:5 and Ex-31:18

Philo says that the harvest comes after the grapes are ripe and the grapes are not ripe until summer. He also tells of some men that was keeping a prelude or for feast of the greatest feast i.e. Pentecost, 50 days after the wave sheaf. That means that the morrow after the 7th Sabbath is NOT Pentecost, but the start of the 50 day count to Pentecost.

He also says that wheat was the last of all” the grains that are sowed in the field to ripen and come to harvest. This was Pentecost wheat that he was referring to, and it has to be summer wheat to ripen last, after winter wheat. Philo SPECIAL LAWS, 11 (186)

The wheat harvest and Tabernacles are to be observed at the years end/turning (Ex34:22) and that does not happened until June 21. ( after the traditional Pentecost} In other words you have a turning March 21 and then keep Passover, in the Spring and you have another turning June 21st and you keep Pentecost, in the Summer and then you have another turning September 21 in the days of Tabernacles, in the Fall. If you try to keep the traditional Pentecost in the third month/June 6, it is not at the years end or turning, which happens on June 21. and is not in harmony with Torah Law.
When they came into the land they were to reap the harvest thereof/barley, wave sheaf, count seven sabbaths/intermissions complete, number 50 days, then bring a new meat offering from “their” labors that “they” sowed in the field i.e. wheat.
In other words if they sowed the summer wheat in the first month when they came into the land they could reap a harvest for a first fruit 50 days after the seventh Sabbath from their labors which they sowed in the field, but NOT in 50 days from the time they sowed, for nature will not allow the wheat to mature in 50 days. Ex-23:16
There is so much proof supporting the count should began 50 days after the seventh Sabbath instead of 50 days after the first Sabbath.
Bottom line is, can anyone locate a “spring” wheat harvest for a 3rd month Pentecost? If not, maybe it is not there and is only a tradition of men.

Here are a few Scriptures to support the summer fruit/wheat harvest:

Proverbs 10:5

“5He that gathereth in SUMMER is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in “HARVEST” is a son that causeth shame.”

Notice summer and harvest is synonymous.

Proverbs 26:1

“1As snow in “Summer”, and as rain in “Harvest”, so honour is not seemly for a fool.”

Again summer and harvest is synonymous.

Isaiah 16:9

“9Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy “SUMMER” fruits and for thy HARVEST is fallen (some of harvest not spring harvest). 10And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field;and in the VINEYARDS there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no WINE in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.”

Notice here the summer fruits of the harvest AND the wine are connected.

Isaiah 17: 5-6
“5And it shall be as when the HARVESTMAN gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the VALLEY of Rephaim.
6Yet “Gleaning Grapes” shall be left in IT (Valley), as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith YHWH the Mighty One of Israel”.

Notice here, the harvest men gather the wheat in the Valley and what’s left of the grapes they left in the Valley which proves the grapes were ripe before the harvest as Philo says; they just didn’t go back and GLEAN them.

Isaiah 18:4-6

4For so the MASTER said unto me, I will take my “rest”, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the “heat of harvest.” 5For “afore” the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is” ripening” in the flower,

The Tanach reads, ” for the said YHWH to me: I will be at ease and I will look after my place of Foundation; like crisp warmth after the rain, like a mist in the “heat” of the harvest. For “before” “the” harvest, when the flower is finished and the bud turns to “grapes approaching ripeness,”

Notice here that this is speaking of a summer wheat harvest and says “before” the harvest the grapes are approaching ripeness”. The Grapes Are Not Approaching Ripeness in the springtime.
The phrase “THE harvest” not a harvest of wheat seems to imply that there was only one major wheat harvest and that was in the summer which rules out any possibility of counting only one day after the seventh Sabbath complete.

“6They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall” “Summer” upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 7In that time shall “the present” be brought unto YHWH of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name YHWH of hosts, the mount Zion”.

I believe “the present” that is spoken of here is the first fruit of the summer wheat harvest because it shows that the present/first fruit is brought during the summer. The above and nature demands an understanding of Leviticus 23:16 to mean 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete.

Jeremiah 8: 20
“20The harvest is past, the “summer” is ended, and we are not saved.”

This verse shows that the harvest was in the summer NOT “Spring” because it does not say the harvest is past and spring is ended. Proven once again it is a summer harvest not Spring harvest.

Jeremiah 40: 10 -12
“10As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye “WINE”, and SUMMER FRUIT, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken. 11Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; 12Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered WINE AND SUMMER FRUITS VERY MUCH.”

Notice the wine/grapes and the summer fruit/wheat is in the summer time and not the springtime. By the way in Jeremiah 39:2 it explains that this was in the fourth month when the people harvested these crops.

Jeremiah 48: 32
“32O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy “SUMMER” fruits and upon thy “Vintage”. 33And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land”

Once again s summer fruit and grapes together.

Daniel 2:35
“35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the SUMMER THRESHINGFLOORS; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them:

Notice it does not say “SPRING THRESHINGFLOORS”

Amos 8: 1-5
“1Thus hath YHWH thy Mighty One showed unto me: and behold a basket of “SUMMER FRUIT”. 2And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said YHWH unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. 3And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith YHWH thy Mighty One: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.
4Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, 5Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth WHEAT, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit”?

Notice here the summer fruit is referring to the wheat. He will return and gather the wheat into the barn on Pentecost.

Micah 7:1
“1Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the SUMMER FRUITS, as the GRAPEGLEANINGS of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the FIRSTRIPE FRUIT.

The first fruit here is referring to summer fruits or summer first fruits.

Nature proves Pentecost IN THE FOURTH MONTH.

On the day of Pentecost when they were being accused of being drunk with “new” wine, which is not found in the third month for the traditional Pentecost, Peter said “this is that, which was spoken by the prophet Joel” and when you look at what the prophet Joel said, you will see where he said that “the floors would be full of wheat and the fats full of “wine”, Once again there is no new wine in the third month to fulfill this prophecy, therefore it had to have been a 4th month Pentecost because it is agriculturally “IMPOSIBLE” for the Fats to be full of wine in the 3rd month. This is an absolute, and this alone proves Pentecost in the fourth month, which is 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath complete. Leviticus 23:16

Here is the Prophecy found in the 2nd ch. of Joel.
24And the floors shall be full of “wheat”, and the “vats shall overflow with wine” and oil. 25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name YHWH your MIGHTY One, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am YHWH your Mighty One, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of YHWH come. 32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name YHWH shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance.
Notice the prophecy was for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at a prosperous time when the floors would be full wheat and the wine presses full of wine and there’s no wine in the fats in the third month, this also is an absolute. The wheat AND wine were part of this prophecy, after all it was Pentecost when this prophecy was fulfilled in the book of Acts, 2nd ch. Says,

1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one – place…….

13Others mocking said, these men are full of “new wine”.
14But Peter , standing up with the eleven , lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem , be this known unto you, and hearken to my words :
15For these are not “drunken”, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17And it shall come to pass in the last days”

My main point is there is posivetily no new wine in the third month, so Joel’s prophecy had to be referring to the fourth month and furthermore, there are NO scriptures that will support new wine as being last year’s wine or any other than the definition found in Strong’s,

G1098
ãëå?êïò
gleukos
glyoo’-kos
Akin to G1099; sweet wine, that is, (properly) must (fresh juice), but used of the more saccharine (and therefore highly inebriating) fermented wine:—new wine.

The only new wine found in Scripture whether fermented are not, is wine that is still in the cluster or in the fats/wine presses or as our Savior refers to as not been put in the new bottles yet, and if it is put in old bottles it will burst them. This is much like the winter wheat which cannot be found in Scripture, neither can new wine be found as wine that came out of the old store or last year’s wine because by then it is not new wine and does not fit the definition found in Scripture.
There is no New wine (sweet wine) in the third moon (grapes were not ripe yet) but were at the end of the fourth moon
The prophet Joel could have said, the floors shall be full of wheat and left out about the winepresses being full of wine on this day, but He did not because it is true.

“THE APOSTLE PAUL GOES BEYOND 50 DAYS TO KEEP PENTECOST IN JERUSALEM”

I have shown were the apostle Paul kept Pentecost in Jerusalem and it was longer than 50 days from unleavened bread, to the time he arrived in Jerusalem which is a living example where someone kept Pentecost and it was beyond 50 days of the wave sheaf,

I have shown were the apostle Paul kept Pentecost in Jerusalem and it was longer than 50 days from unleavened bread, to the time he arrived in Jerusalem which is a living example where someone kept Pentecost and it was beyond 50 days of the wave sheaf,
I have also shown where the Law was given to Moses 50 days after the seventh Sabbath. I have showed many things which support beginning the count 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath, but have not seen one thing to support counting the 50 days from the wave sheaf. Now we do believe we are to count seven intermissions/Sabbaths from the wave sheaf, but days are not even mentioned until after the seventh Sabbaths, and then they are 50 of them to be numbered.

Am I missing something?

Brother Arnold

“DEBATE”

Originally posted by Brother Arnold:
Brother Chuck, I listed six reasons from Scripture why I believe that the 50 days are numbered from the morrow “after” the seventh Sabbath complete. I am still waiting for “one” reason from Scripture why you believe Leviticus 23:16 should be interpreted to number 50 days from the week of unleavened bread, is that asking too much? I await your answer.

Response by Brother Chuck,
I have already answered at least 10 times or more. I don’t believe it needs to be INTERPRETED; i’m going by what it plainly says. And you’re not interpreting it either – you’re flatout CHANGING what it says to the exact opposite.
RESPONSE by Brother Arnold,

Chuck, I don’t think I am making myself clear, please forgive me, what I am trying to say is, not counting yours or my interpretation of Leviticus 23:16, I would like to see some evidence that would support as to why 50 days should be counted from the unleavened bread instead of the morrow after the seventh Sabbath complete. Let’s not use the Scripture that is in question but find another Scripture that will support our interpretation of Lev-23:16.

Example, I believe the Scriptures I quoted prove that the wheat harvest was after the grapes were ripe and there is no denying it from the examples I gave from Scripture and Philo.
As of now I don’t believe that there are any scripture where any wheat harvest took place “before” the grapes were ripe in the fourth month which would help supports your tradition of counting 50 days from the wave sheaf instead of 50 days after the 7th Sabbath. As I have stated in other forms, even Philo, who I believe knew something about farming in those days, said that the harvest came “AFTER” the grapes were ripe. Those are his exact words.

Now I have listed six references from Scriptures why Leviticus 22:16 should be understood to count 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath. Now I would like for someone to list ONE Scripture to support the interpretation of Leviticus 23:16 as meaning 50 days “after” unleavened bread instead of 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath. END
#2. The ONLY wheat harvest Recorded in Scripture, is in the “summer” after the grapes are ripe, which is impossible for grapes to be ripe in the spring or the third month. Therefore if there is no recorded wheat harvest before the grapes are ripe, then Leviticus 23:16 must be understood as to begin to number the 50 days “AFTER” the seventh Sabbath complete, there is no room left to debate it.

chunks response, The only archangels recorded in Scripture are Michael, Gabriel, & Heylel, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t others, so your statement proves nothing. Scripture only refers to the seasons as “summer” and “winter”, and all the harvests are in “summer”, which includes what we would call “spring” and “early fall”. The plain statement of Lev.23:15 proves that there was a harvest in the 3rd month, which is “spring” to us, but “summer” in Scripture.
RESPONSE; if these are the only archangels mentioned in Scripture, then who are we to say that there are more or who are we to say they are not more? The same is true with the wheat harvest, and besides, the grapes must be ripe during a Scriptural wheat harvest, no matter what you call the Season and this is IMPOSSIBLE in the third month.
We must not add to his words or take away from them.
If we only speak where the Scriptures speak and be silent when it is silent, we won’t get into these embarrassing situations. END
Arnold’s quote
#3. All Scriptural wheat was planted in the first month and harvested in the fourth month, which is in perfect harmony with what our Saviour said in the book of John “say not ye there are yet four months “then” cometh harvest”…

Chuck response, “I did a search on “first month” and “fourth month”, and can find no mention of planting or harvesting. The fact that Scripture doesn’t say it in those exact words doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, or that it did.”

RESPONSE; that’s right Chuck, but we have proven examples where there was a wheat harvest in the fourth month and none in the third month. We also have a CHAG proclaimed by Aaron in the fourth month END

Since we don’t know what time of year Yahshua made His statement, we have no definite starting point for counting the “four months”.
RESPONSE; correction Chuck, we do have a starting point in the second chapter of John verse 23, where it says that He was in Jerusalem at the feast of “Passover”/first month and you can read from their to the woman at the well and where he made the statement. END
“Here’s what your count would look like, 1 – 3 – - – 7 and here’s what YHWH’s count looks like, 1 – - 4 – - 7 see how smooth it is with no bumps and skips, compared to man’s tradition.
His feast is held three times in the year, spring, summer, and fall. Not “spring”, “spring”, and fall.
Chunks reply,
The above has 3 parts:
1. Simple answer: Aaron lied. (as i have previously posted)
2. The “1-3—7″ makes more sense, since Pentecost is the Feast of “Firstfruits” (not “middle fruits”), and therefore would be expected to be closer to the beginning of the year.”

RESPONSE; Aaron did not lie, but understood the count began from the morrow after the seventh Sabbath and it was 50 days after the seventh Sabbath that Aaron said what he said concerning the CHAG/Pilgrim feast.
Also Brother Chuck, firstfruits means the first ripe fruits of your harvest whether it is the spring barley, summer wheat, or the first fruit of the fruit trees in the fall. END
quote:

#5. Nehemiah 13:15 said he saw men in Judah treading the “wine” press and bringing in sheaves on the Sabbath day…

But he doesn’t say this was anywhere near Pentecost, so it proves nothing.

RESPONSE; it proves that the wheat harvest comes after grapes are ripe. Sister Wendy said Larry e-mailed her some evidence that their is Scriptural harvest of wheat in the third month, If you could get them to furnish this evidence it would put the third month Pentecost back in the running as an option. End
quote:

#6. The wheat harvest must be at the year’s end/turning which happens June 21…

According to Ex.34:22, it is the “Feast of Ingathering” (Tabernacles, NOT Pentecost), that is observed at the year’s end/turning.

RESPONSE; it also mentions the feast of weeks alone with Tabernacles, they are both at the years turning/end. One turning is around June 21st, and another around Sept 21st. END

quote:

#7.The Holy Spirit through the Prophet Joel said that the Floors would be full of wheat and the “fats” would be over flowing with “wine” on the day that the Holy Spirit was poured out, which we know to be Pentecost. It is “IMPOSIABLE” to have fats full of “wine” in the 3rd month, which disproves Pentecost 50 days after unleavened bread. Joel 2:24-28

Arnold, you have your sequence of Feasts in Joel 2 incorrect. Notice:
Verse 1-11 is Trumpets – the Day of YAHWEH.
Verse 12-17 is Atonment – the Day of Fasting & repentence.
Verse 18-27 is Tabernacles – the ingathering of the corn, wine, oil, figs, and perhaps even some wheat. I believe the harvest blessings mentioned in this passage apply to all the harvests of the year, from that time onward. To demand that the wheat, wine, & oil of v24 are all harvested at the same time of year is the same logic that would demand that the “former” and “latter” rains of v23 occur at the same time.
Verse 28-29 is Pentecost. (note “AFTERWARD”, after all of the above)

RESPONSE; the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost and this was the time that the threshingfloors would be full of wheat and the fats overflowing with new wine. This is why they were accused of being drunk with new wine on the day of Pentecost. The grapes were ripe at that time and it had to be in the fourth month for grapes to be ripe. End

quote:

I could go on and on with Scriptures showing why the count begins 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath and not 50 days after the first Sabbath, but I challenge anyone to show one reason that the verse in Leviticus 23:16 should be understood 50 days after the first Sabbath or unleavened bread instead of 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath, as Scripture says.

Chuck response; I have answered all your statements above, and repeat my “one reason” as previously stated: because Lev.23:15 plainly says so.

RESPONSE; the debate is over Leviticus 23/16 and how it should be interpreted, therefore it cannot be used as proof either way. I want someone to show an example supporting their interpretation of Leviticus 23/16 as to mean 50 days after unleavened bread instead of 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete, as I have done.
Brother Arnold

Response; Brother Chuck, compare what I said the Scripture “TEACHES”, to what you said the Scripture “SAID”

The reason I believe that “ye shall number” 50 days “AFTER” the “seventh” Sabbath complete is because,
#1. The Scripture says to, in Leviticus 23:16.
#2. The ONLY wheat harvest Recorded in Scripture, is in the “summer” wheat harvest after the grapes are ripe, which is impossible for grapes to be ripe in the spring of the third month. Therefore if there is no recorded wheat harvest before the grapes are ripe, then Leviticus 23:16 must be understood to begin to number the 50 days “AFTER” the seventh Sabbath complete.

#3. All Scriptural wheat was planted in the first month and harvested in the fourth month, which is in perfect harmony with what our Saviour said in the book of John “say not ye there are yet four months “then” cometh harvest”. Winter wheat is 8 months then cometh the harvest. Wheat planted in the first month can be proven in the book of Exodus, where it teaches that all the herbs/green grass of the field were destroyed along with the barley and flax, but the wheat was not destroyed because it had not “grown up” the revised standard says it was late coming up. In other words it had been planted in the first month and was still in the dark ground and therefore escaped the hail. The Septuagint says that the hail destroyed all the green grass. Wheat is a green grass.
Had it been Winter wheat, the kind that is planted in the fall and reaped in the spring, it would have been destroyed along with the barley and other herbs/green grass of the field because it was almost ready to harvest also even if it was Summer wheat that was planted in the 1st month and had already came up when the hail hit, it would have been destroyed also.

#4. We have shown where Aaron the high priest proclaimed a CHAG/Pilgrim feast in the fourth month and it was exactly 50 days after the “seventh” Sabbath complete. I challenge anyone to show where there is a CHAG mentioned in the “third” month.

We have one mentioned in the “first” month and in the “FOURTH” month and in the “seventh” month but never do we have one mentioned in the third month, therefore the count cannot begin 50 days after unleavened bread, but 50 days after the seventh Sabbath counting from unleavened bread. 1st – - 4th – - 7th are CHAGs with two months between each.
Here’s what your count would look like, 1 – 3 – - – 7 and here’s what YHWH’s count looks like, 1 – - 4 – - 7 see how smooth it is with no bumps and skips, compared to man’s tradition.
His feasts are held three times in the year, spring, summer, and fall. “NOT” “spring”, “spring”, and fall.

Philo says in THE SPECIAL LAWS, IV (235) page 639 of my Yonge’s translation, says “for as the atmosphere is divided by an equal number of months into winter, and spring, and summer, and autumn, it complete the whole year by allotting three months to each season;”

And in THE SPECIAL LAWS, I, THE SIXTH FESTIVAL XXIX. (175)

“And there are many meanings intended by this offering of the first fruits. In the first place they are a memorial of Creator; secondly, they are a most just requital to be offered to him who is the real cause of all fertility; (175) and the sheaf of the first fruits is barley, calculated for the innocent and blameless use of the inferior animals; for since it is not consistent with holiness to offer first fruits of everything, since most things are made rather for pleasure than for any actually indispensable use, it is also not consistent with holiness to enjoy and partake of any thing which is given for food, without first giving thanks to that being to whom it is becoming and pious to offer them.
That portion of the food which was honoured with the second place, namely, barley, was ordered by the Law to be offered as first fruits; for the first honours were assigned to wheat, of which it has deferred the offering of the first fruits, as being more honourable, to a more suitable season.”

I believe a more suitable season is referring to summer, and the feasts are spaced out.

#5. Nehemiah 13:15 said he saw men in Judah treading the “wine” press and bringing in sheaves on the Sabbath day. This has to be wheat that was planted in the first month and reaped in the fourth month after the grapes were ripe (50 days after the seventh Sabbath). It would be impossible to be gathering grapes and bringing in sheaves of the Winter wheat, there is no Winter wheat mentioned any were in Scripture or any examples found in Scripture. What is it you don’t understand about that? No Scriptural spring wheat harvest, no Scriptural Pentecost, only tradition of men. I know there is Winter and summer wheat planted now days, but we are dealing with Scriptural wheat of that day.

#6. The wheat harvest must be the at the years end/turning which happens June 21, and well after the traditional Pentecost has taken place. They are keeping Pentecost before the year’s end of the turning of the year, on June 21. This is not Scriptural.

I could go on and on with Scriptures showing why the count begins 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath and not 50 days after the first Sabbath, but I challenge anyone to show one reason that the verse in Leviticus 23:16 should be understood 50 days after the first Sabbath or unleavened bread instead of 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath. The Scripture says prove all things and nature will not lie.

Brother Arnold

“HISTORY”

We will be Judged by what the scripture teaches and NOT what the Jews or any origination teaches.

Philo and nature proves Pentecost in the fourth month which ends the Pentecost controversy.

The Pentecost controversy had been raging for years and now I will show positive proof from nature and Philo the correct timing for Pentecost.

Philo was a prominent Jew that lived at the same time our Saviour did and his writings of how things were done at that time, will solve many ministers concerning Pentecost.

There are two types of wheat which are grown in the world today, one is Winter wheat which is sown in the fall and reaped in the spring and the other is summer wheat which is sown in the spring and reaped in the summer. The summer wheat takes four months to harvest, from the time the seed is sown to harvest and Winter wheat is seven to eight months from the time the seed is sown to harvest. The question is which wheat is the Pentecost wheat??? Will the real Pentecost weeks stand up.

There is a scripture in Leviticus 23:16 that has the possibility of two interpretations, one is to number ONE day after the seventh Sabbath complete and the other is to number 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath complete, before bringing the new meat offering to YHWH.

Numbering 50 days from the wave sheaf will still be in the springtime, a few weeks after the springtime barley harvest and demands a first fruit from Winter wheat.

Numbering 50 days “after” the seventh Sabbath complete will be in the summertime and demands a first fruit from summer wheat.

Philo speaks of a wheat harvest in the low lands of Egypt that was used for Pentecost and it took place in the middle of spring which would be around May 6th and the reason was BECAUSE the fruit had ripened in the low lands and was being brought in. The wheat ripened about a month or so earlier in the low lands of Egypt then it did in the high lands of Egypt therefore the summer wheat was harvested in the middle of spring and here is the quote from Colson’s translation of Philo under THE SPECIAL LAWS, 1 – (183) and it reads,

“In the middle of the spring comes the corn harvest. At this season thank offerings are brought for the low lands BECAUSE they have borne fruit in full and the “SUMMER” crops are being gathered in”

Philo calls them summer crops even though in the low lands they are harvested in the middle of spring. It is equivalent to our saying, “in the low lands of South Georgia and Florida the summer crop is ripe/summer fruit/wheat, in the middle of spring”. It would be about a month earlier than middle or North Georgia. Remember also what Josephus said concerning the wheat harvest being in the summertime when Sampson went in the time of wheat harvest to visit his wife.

You might ask how is this important and how does it prove the Pentecost wheat is in the fourth month?

The middle of spring is May 6th when the Pentecost wheat is ripe in the lower lands of Egypt, this means that in the high lands of Egypt the wheat would be ripe a month or so later around June 6, which is the traditional spring Pentecost and not enough time to harvest, thrash and ground the wheat into flower in time to bring to wave loaves out of their houses. Lev:23:17.

Someone might say they would have enough time to do it. Even if they did have enough time in the high lands of Egypt, it would be impossible for Israel to have a first fruit wheat harvest before May 6th BECAUSE there wheat ripens a month or so “after” the wheat in Egypt, which would be around July 6th, well past the time of the traditional Pentecost in the third month, but just in time for Pentecost in the fourth month, 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete.

Let me give you more evidence to support the understanding of Leviticus 23:16 to be understood as to number 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete instead of numbering one day after the seventh Sabbath complete, which puts Pentecost at the end of the fourth month instead of the traditional beginning of the third month Pentecost.

It is found in THE SPECIAL LAWS, 11 Chapter 28, (158) and Philo is speaking about the barley harvest being the springtime feast and as a reminder of the creation of the world. Here is the quote:

“ the springtime feast, as I have laid down, is a reminder of the creation of the world”

Now I will show you in the next Chapter, chapter 29, (176) where Philo is still speaking of the barley and he adds how the Law postpones the wheat harvest to a more suitable SEASON in the future. Here is the quote:

“And therefore the Law ordained that the first fruit offering should be made of barley, a species of grain regarded as holding the second place in value as food. For wheat holds the first place and as the first fruit of this has greater distinction, the LAW postponed it to a more suitable SEASON in the future. It does not anticipate matters, but puts it in storage for the time being, so that the various thank offerings may be adjusted to their appointed dates as they recur”. (50 days after the seventh Sabbath would put it out of the spring season and into the summer season which is more suitable season.) (Leviticus 23)

Philo says in THE SPECIAL LAWS, IV (235) page 639 of my Yonge’s translation, says “for as the atmosphere is divided by an equal number of months into winter, and spring, and summer, and autumn, it complete the whole year by allotting three months to each season;”

It would be more suitable for the seasonal feasts to look like this, 1 – - 4 – - 7 instead of like this, 1 – 3 – - – 7

See how smooth it is with no bumps and skips, compared to man’s tradition.

He said also in chapter 28 “the springtime is a reminder of the creation of the world” and in chapter 29 says that the wheat is postponed to “another” season (summer) by the Law.
His feasts are held three times in the year, spring, summer, and fall. Not “spring”, “spring”, and fall. Everyone of them, occur around the turning of the year, after March 21, spring barley harvest, after June 21, summer wheat harvest and around September 21, fall harvest. Remember the great lights of Genesis 1:14 were for the appointments of YHWH, and these three feasts are appointments and it takes both the sun and the moon to find them.

I found another scripture supporting the fourth month harvest and it tells how that Nebuchadrezzar conquered Jerusalem in the fourth month on the ninth day of the month in Jeremiah 39:2.

In verse 10, tells how he left the poor people which had nothing in the land of Judah and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

Jeremiah 40:7 tells how he made this man governor of the men and women and children and the poor the land of them that were not carried away to Babylon; and in verse 10 they were told to gather ye wine, and summer fruit, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken”. verse 12 says “ even all the Jews returned out of all places whether they were driven and came to land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit very much.

To show there were no breaks Chapter 41:1 says that “it came to pass in the seventh month”
When you read Chapter 39 you will see that the harvest was in the fourth month and not in the third month, same as in Nehemiah Chapter 13:15 where Nehemiah
Observed men treading the wine press and bringing in sheaves/wheat on the Sabbath day. In both cases they were gathering wine and summer fruit (wheat) the spring wheat is gone when the wine and summer fruit/wheat are gathered.

I am still waiting for one scripture for a harvest in third month.

Brother Arnold

I believe the count to Pentecost will prove or disapprove lunar Sabbaths, or solar Sabbaths. For us to better understand how that they counted Pentecost, let us go to the witnesses that lived at the time of our Saviour, to see how it was done.

I intend to show that the 50th day count to Pentecost begins on the 50th day after the seventh Sabbath, and the 50th day after the FIRST Sabbath is not Pentecost. I will give you plain instructions from the men that lived at that time, where they show that the 50 days is counted from the day “after” the seventh Sabbath complete.

Quoting from Philo page 704, chapter eight (65)

“(65) In the first place, these men assemble at the end of seven weeks, venerating not only the simple week of seven days, but also its multiplied power, for they know it to be pure and always virgin; and it is “a “prelude” and a kind of “forefeast” of the greatest feast, which is assigned to the number fifty,” the most holy and natural of numbers, being compounded of the power of the right-angled triangle, which is the principle of the origination and condition of the whole.”

I will prove that this “prelude” and a kind of “forfeast” is speaking of the morrow “after” the seventh sabbaths complete, not Pentecost which takes place 50 days from it. This forfeast was not Pentecost it is the feast that people are keeping for Pentecost today but in our Saviour’s time it was a prelude to the greatest feast/Pentecost which took place 50 days from their.

Let’s go to Philo , page 584 under The Special Laws11 Chapter 30 (176)

“THE SEVENTH FESTIVAL
XXX. (176) The solemn assembly on the occasion of the festival of the sheaf having such great privileges, is the “prelude” to another festival of still “greater importance”; for from “this day” the fiftieth day is reckoned, making up the sacred number of seven sevens, with the addition of a “unit” as a seal to the whole; and this festival, being that of the first fruits of the corn, has derived its name of pentecost from the number of fifty,”

Now as I have stated earlier in another post, that this is referring to the 16th, when the wave sheaf is offered, and is a prelude to another festival , which takes place on the morrow after the 7th Sabbath, and is of greater importance than this 16th. He is not talking about the 50th day of Pentecost here, for ever one know that Pentecost is “greater” than the 16th, he is speaking of the morrow after the 7th Sabbath, which is also a 16th when the numbering to the 50 day begins and it is also a prelude to Pentecost, same as the 16th feast was a prelude to another 16th on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, and we have record where Philo speaks of men keeping this second 16th feast as a prelude and kind of forfeast to the GREATEST FEAST i.e. Pentecost in other words this second 16th feast was greater than the first 16th feast that it was not the GREATEST feast/Pentecost which took place 50 days later.

It says from “this day” i.e. the 50th day, the 50th day is reckoned, making the sacred number of seven sevens, with the addition of a “unit” as a seal to whole.

Now to prove my interpretation of Philo is correct, I will let Philo interpret Philo, the same as I let Scripture interpret Scripture.

I will now quote from Colson’s Translation of Philo to prove what I am saying is correct. Quoting from the special Laws,11 Chapter 30,

“The festival of the sheaf, which has all these grounds of precedence, indicated in the Law, is also in fact, anticipatory of another “greater feast” (i.e. the morrow after the seventh Sabbath). For it is “from it” (the morrow after the 7th Sabbath) that the 50th day is reckoned, by counting seven sevens, which are then “crowned” with the “sacred number” by the monad, which is spent in corporal image of YHWH,”

There you have it, the seven sevens are “crowned” with the “sacred number” i.e. 50. The Word monad is translated “unit”, in Young’s translation, which I say the unit is 50, not one. Although one can be a unit, as well as 7 can, we will let Philo interpret Philo to find out what the unit is here. It clearly states that the seven sevens are crowned with the “sacred number” so I must prove that the “sacred number”, or unit, spoken of here is 50, which will prove or disapprove my point.

I will quote more from Philo in Moses 11 volume six, pg. 489, (80) it says, “there will be left the most “sacred number”, 50, the square of the sides of the ripe angled triangle, the original source from which the universe brings.”

According to Philo, the most “sacred number” is 50, and this is the “sacred number” 50 that was added to the seven sevens, called Pentecost, after the number 50. Remember seven sevens is only 49, and that the end of the 49, or seventh Sabbath, is the morrow after, and it is from this day, the 50th day is numbered. The morrow after the 7th Sabbath, is the feast of greater importance than the 16th that Philo spoke of because it is a prelude or kind of for feast to the GREATEST feast i.e. Pentecost. Same as the 16th was a prelude to the morrow after the seventh Sabbath.

Just in case you still are unsure that the “sacred number” that is referred to here, is 50, I will quote a few more proves from Philo.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON GENESIS, II
“the “perfect number fifty” is composed of these four triangles linked together, one, three, six, ten; and again of these four equal quadrangles also united together, one, four, nine, sixteen; therefore these triangles when collected together make twenty; and the quadrangles make thirty; and twenty and thirty added together make fifty.
Philo Judaeus, The Works of Philo, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems)
1997.

“But if the triangle and the quadrangle are added together, they make a heptangular figure: so that it is contained by its virtue in the number of fifty, “that divine and holy number;”

ON THE LIFE OF MOSES, I
Philo Judaeus, The Works of Philo, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems) 1997.

(80) And if any were inclined to count those five pillars of the outer vestibule in the open air separately, as being in the outer court as it was called, there will then be left that most holy number of fifty, being the power of a rectangular triangle, which is the foundation of the creation of the universe, and is here entirely completed by the pillars inside the tabernacle;
Philo Judaeus, The Works of Philo, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems) 1997.

ON THE CHANGE OF NAMES

Philo Judaeus, The Works of Philo, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems) 1997.

XXXIX. (216)
Philo Judaeus, The Works of Philo, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems) 1997.

“(228) Was it not for this reason that Abraham also, at the time of the destruction of Sodom, began at fifty and ended at ten?
Therefore, propitiating and supplicating YHWH, entreat him that if there could be found among his creatures a complete remission so as to give them liberty, of which the “sacred number” of fifty is a symbol,”
Philo Judaeus, The Works of Philo, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems) 1997.

The number 50 is the sacred number that crowns the seven Sabbaths, not the number one.

Bottom line is that in Philo’s day and in Aaron’s day, the feast of Pentecost was numbered from the morrow “after” the seventh Sabbath complete were counted.

This not only proves Pentecost in the fourth month, it actually disapproves solar only calendar count, because they both stand or fall on Pentecost. Which I believe is the day that YHWH will come for the wheat harvest.

I will add more to this later,

See our web site at www.lunarsabbath.info or call (770) 483-8542 or write to Brother Arnold 3466 Hightower Trail Conyers Georgia ZIP code is 30012.

Brother Arnold
The autumn festivals came after the summer harvest, But the fall festivals were associated with greater rejoicing (Deuteronomy 16:13-15). Why the theme of rejoicing? The conclusion of a wine harvest is an appropriate time for festivities. But another reason may be that Tabernacles celebrated both the summer harvest of both wheat and grapes. Note the mention of both grain and grapes in verse 13: “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress.” Remember that the new wine offering was brought with the first fruits of the wheat, at Pentecost.

Doesn’t this imply that the wheat and grapes were harvested in the summertime before Tabernacles?

Another fact that suggests a later Pentecost and that the “1st day of the week” is “after” the new moon, is found in Amous-8:5

“Amos 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? (This proves that there are 2 back to back worship days and “then the 1st day of the week begins, and everyone knows that you can buy and sell on the 1st day of the week but with the Roman week the 1st day of the week will sometimes fall on the New moon, a day of no buying and selling.”)
Verse 5. Saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn?…. The first day of every month, on which it was forbid to sell any thing, or do any worldly business, being appointed and used for religious service; and which these carnal earthly minded men were weary of, and wanted to have over, that they might be selling their grain, and getting money, which they preferred to the worship of YHWH.”
See
2 Kings 4:23; And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? It is neither new moon, nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

We know that the true Pentecost will always fall on the last Sabbath of the month or the day before the last Sabbath of the month, which will always be followed by the new moon worship day and no one would be able to sell the new crop of wheat until the first fruit was waved AND the new moon and Sabbath was gone and these greedy crooks were anxious to get started as soon as the new moon was over, which ALWAYS followed the last Sabbath of the month and that is why new moon and Sabbath is mentioned here together, it was the EARLIEST that anyone could possibly sell any of the new grain for eating. Now the Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, along with the new moon, as no buying or selling was to be done on it, so no trade or commerce was to be carried on on that day; which made it a long and wearisome one to worldly men, who wished it over, that they might be about their worldly business.
To me this proves that these people were anticipating the first day of week which “always follows” the new moon, so they could begin cheating the people when selling this new Pentecost wheat harvest, which now could be legally eaten and everyone loves fresh bread and those that were not farmers would buy from them.

“THE COUNT TO PENTECOST “PROVES” LUNAR SABBATHS”

The only way the Hebrew speaking Jews and the Greek speaking Jews could have arrived at Pentecost on the same day is by Lunar Sabbaths. This is an absolute because if one group counted from the 16th and the other from the Roman weekly Sabbath that falls within the week of Unleavened Bread, they would not be there at the same time unless the Roman Sabbath happened to fall on the 15th. the word Sabbath in Leviticus 23:11 is the Hebrew word for the weekly Sabbath and thousands of people have this knowledge including the Hebrew speaking Jews.

On the other hand, thousands of people including the Greek speaking Jews have the knowledge that the morrow after the Sabbath is referring to the 16th of the first month every year because in the Greek Septuagint it says, “on the morrow of the first day the Priest shall of wave it” The first day is referring to the 15th or first day of unleavened bread, and the morrow after the 15th, (or 1st day), is the 16th.

We know from the book of Acts that they where Greek speaking Jews as well as Hebrew speaking Jews from every nation kindred and tongue, including Greek speaking Jews from Alexander Egypt, gathered for the day of Pentecost. Some read from the Septuagint and some read from the Hebrew text and both knew that the 15th was the weekly Sabbath because they were at Pentecost on the same day.

The point is this, when these Greek speaking Jews read the Septuagint and started their count for Pentecost on the morrow after the 15th every year and they arrived on the same day as the Hebrew speaking Jews that began the count on the morrow after the weekly Sabbath, which can only mean one thing and that is that the Hebrew speaking Jews understood the 15th to be the weekly Shabbat and they started their count on the same day as the Greek speaking Jews that read from the Septuagint.

In other words, these thousands of people on both sides are half right because the ones that believe the morrow after the 15th, which is the 16th, is right and the ones that believe the morrow after the weekly Sabbath, which is the 16th is right also because the 15th is the weekly Sabbath but neither one understands that their fathers had compromised the lunar week for the Roman week.

Josephus and Philo records that the count for Pentecost begins on the 16th which is the morrow after the Sabbath and the Septuagint was read and quoted from, same as the Hebrew text, and everyone was at Pentecost on the same day and there was no controversy among them concerning Pentecost until they adopted this false Roman week.

The Universally Jewish Encyclopedia and another 100-year-old Jewish Encyclopedia both records that ancient Israel originally kept lunar weeks and lunar Sabbaths.

Philo the Jew, which lived at the same time our Saviour did, records that the weeks were by the moon and also Clement of Alexander. Most people know that the month were originally by the moon but failed to realize that the 4 phases of the moon were used for the weeks. For more information see www.lunarsabbath.org

Brother Arnold

“The following supports a later Pentecost”.

In Philo,
it says there are “THREE” months per “season”.

SPECIAL LAWS, IV (235)
(235) …. “for as the atmosphere is divided by an equal number of months into winter, and spring, and summer, and autumn, it completes the whole year by allotting “three month” to each season;”

And in ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION IV (11) it says that at “three” “seasons” of the year the males are to appear before YHWH.

This would have to be one appearance in the “spring”, one in the “summer”, and one in the “fall”, “NOT” two in the spring season as the traditional Pentecost is, none in the summer, and one in the fall.

IV. (11) “Be thou therefore O my soul in all your entirety always visible to Creator, for “three” separate times, that is to say for time divided according to a threefold division; not drawing after you the female passion arising from external sensation, but offering up to him manly thought, the encourager to and practiser of persevering courage. “For at “three seasons” of the year every male must “appear” before the Master the Creator of Israel” this is the injunction of the Holy Scriptures”.

What could be plainer?

Three months per season will put Pentecost in the summer season, “not” the spring and the Jews understood that the “wheat” was a more honorable grain and that YHWH deferred the first fruits of it until the summer season. (see below)

Philo says that barley holds “second” place in honor and wheat the “first” place and the first fruits is deferred to a more suitable season. (summer, NOT spring)

SPECIAL LAWS 11 XXIX. (175)

“That portion of the food which was honoured with the second place, namely, barley, was ordered by the Law to be offered as first fruits; for the “first” honours were assigned to “wheat”, of which it has deferred the offering of the “first fruits”, as being more honorable, to a more suitable “season.”

This teaches us that there is a first fruit offering of barley in the “spring”, and then three months later there is a first fruit offering of wheat in the “summer”, which is a more honorable grain for a more suitable season, then three months later there is a first fruit offering of the fruit of the trees in the “autumn”, and three months later the cycle begins anew with the spring barley again and this completes the whole year. This does not harmonize with the tradition of today where there is “two” first fruits in the spring season, (Passover and Pentecost) none in the summer season, and one in the fall (Tabernacles). The scripture speaks a lot of the summer fruit and the summer harvest.

It is agriculturally impossible for wheat to be mature enough to harvest at 7 weeks after Pesach, if planted in the first month. If the Son of YHWH represented the corn of wheat that has to first die before it can germinate and spring forth out of the ground representing his resurrection on the 3rd day after Pesach and then the maturation of this wheat for APP 90 something days before there can be both a physical harvest and a spiritual harvest of souls receiving the Son as the Bread of Life which came down from above. And also receiving the Law of the Spirit of Mashiach which has made us free from the Law of Sin and death. Romans 8.

He was planted in the first month and He typed himself as being wheat in John-12:24 and a true allegory would be to bring forth fruit and a harvest in about 90 to 100 days. Why did He wait 50 days from his death according to tradition, for the harvest of souls on the day of Pentecost, when it takes wheat almost twice that long to harvest? He was also known as a more perfect and desired grain than barley. He will gather his wheat into the barn. The barley is less honorable than wheat and could be referring to Old Testament saints and the wheat referring to those that are in the last days that really did not see all the signs and wonders as the Old Testament saints had. I believe a person would be more honorable who believes and have not seen because He said “blessed” are they who believes and have not seen.

John 20- 28 “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Master and my Creator. 29YHWH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: “blessed” are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

I believe it is more blessed and honorable to believe without having seen, unlike the barley harvest the wheat harvest is truly walking in faith and in the Old Testament the men that were really honorable and blessed were the ones that were looking ahead to something they had not yet seen but by faith believed YHWH

John-12:24 says,

24…..“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of “wheat” fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ….
27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. …..32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33This he said, signifying what death he should die”.

Once again a corn of wheat can NOT bring forth a harvest in 50 days and I can not picture our Saviour not using a true analogy.

At Passover they ate “old bread” and old “wine” in the first month, before the 16th, and on the day of Pentecost then ate “new bread and new wine” in the 4th month.

Joel-3:12-
12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13Put ye in the sickle, for the “harvest is ripe”: come, get you down; for the “press is full”, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision. 15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16The MASTER also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the MASTER will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17So shall ye know that I am the MASTER your Creator dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
18And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the MASTER, and shall water the valley of Shittim. 19Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. 20But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the MASTER dwelleth in Zion.

Notice: it say’s that the harvest is “ripe” and the “fats” (wine presses) are full, which is agriculturally “impossible” with the traditional Pentecost, same as in
Nemiah-13:15 where they were treading the wine presses and bring in sheaves on the Sabbath day.

Mark2:22 22And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles. 23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn”.

Same as Nehemiah Chapter 13:15:
In those days saw I in Judah some treading “wine presses” on the sabbath, and bringing in “sheaves”, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

Acts-2: 13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

He also said He was the vine and a vine that is planted in the first month/spring is not expected to produce fruit in 50 days, no more than a corn of wheat is.

What does Pentecost actually commemorate? We know that Passover and Tabernacles commemorates leaving Egypt’s bondage (type of sin). Both the 1st and 7th months are duplets in many ways.

In the spring season of the first month, a natural lamb was killed which was a type of the DEATH of the true lamb of YHWH.

The only thing I see that Pentecost commemorates is the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, which was written on “two” tables of stone and was fulfilled in Acts on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out and the Law was written in our hearts/minds which both are also made up of two sides, the right and the left.

I don’t know of any major event to commemorate at this season other than the giving of the Law which was written on two tables of stone, 50 days after the seventh lunar Sabbath complete.

1. Exodus 24:12
And YHWH said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will “give” thee “tables of stone,” and a “Law”, and commandments which “I have written”; that thou mayest teach them.
Exodus 24:11-13 (in Context) Exodus 24 (Whole Chapter)

Notice: it says He “will” give tables of stone, and a Law, and commandments which He “had written”; that Moses may teach them. It does not say in this verse “when” He would give him the tables of stone and a Law and commandments that “He had written” that Moses may teach them but in several other verses it is specific as two when He actually gave Moses the tablets and Law that He promised in this verse. Moses went up to receive the written Law, on tables of stone, and that happened at the end of forty days and forty nights, or 50 days after the seventh lunar Sabbath complete.

The evidence shows that this was done at the “end” of the 40 days and 40 nights, not at the beginning.

1. Exodus 31:18
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an “end” of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of The Master.
Exodus 31:17-19 (in Context) Exodus 31 (Whole Chapter)

Once again this was at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights which is 50 days after the seventh lunar Sabbath complete, if you understand that they came to the mount in the 3rd month, on the self same day that they went forth out of Egypt’s bondage, which would be the 15th or 16th depending on how you counted. (Ex-19:3-4) either date can be made to work, but only one is right.

Deuteronomy 9:8-11
9When I was gone up into the mount to “receive” the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which YHWH made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: 10And YHWH delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of YHWH; and on them was written according to all the words, which YHWH spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 11And it came to pass at the “end” of forty days and forty nights, that YHWH gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 9:10-12 (in Context) Deuteronomy 9 (Whole Chapter)

It is “conclusive” that the tables of stone were given at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights which is exactly 50 days after the seventh lunar Sabbath complete. There’s nothing conclusive that the Law and tables of stone was given on any other date and there’s nothing else that happened at this time to commemorate, except the giving of the Law, as far as I know of.

Moses said a prophet like unto me shall YHWH raise up, and in Luke it says,

Luke 4:2
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
Luke 4:1-3 (in Context) Luke 4 (Whole Chapter)

Deuteronomy 5:22
These words YHWH spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. (Delivered at the end of the 40 days and nights, i.e. 5o days after the seventh lunar Sabbath. There’s no question as to when they were delivered to Moses. The question is, is this the day or event to commemorate? If not what other major event happened at this time that was so important as to make it one of the Chags?

EVERY one of the feasts of YHWH and Holy days commemorates something, including the weekly Sabbath, why not Pentecost?

2. Exodus 32:15
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
Exodus 32:14-16 (in Context) Exodus 32 (Whole Chapter)
3. Exodus 34:1
And YHWH said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
Exodus 34:1-3 (in Context) Exodus 34 (Whole Chapter)

If these tables of stone were not important, why did YHWH command Moses to make more? i.e. if Moses had already been given the Law without the stones, why make more stones? The stones were what YHWH promised to give mosses in Ex-24:12 when He said come up into the Mt and I will give you tables of stone and a Law that you may teach them. This proves the Law was given at the end of the 4o days and nights.

4. Exodus 34:4
And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as YHWH had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
Exodus 34:3-5 (in Context) Exodus 34 (Whole Chapter)
5. Exodus 34:29
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
Exodus 34:28-30 (in Context) Exodus 34 (Whole Chapter)

The Prophet Moses had the Law (will of the Father) in his hands and The Prophet YHWH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS had it in his heart. (The Law is the will of the Father and He said low I come to do thy will oh Father)
Deuteronomy 4:13
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Deuteronomy 4:12-14 (in Context) Deuteronomy 4 (Whole Chapter)
Deuteronomy 5:21-23 (in Context) Deuteronomy 5 (Whole Chapter)

Deuteronomy 9:10
And YHWH delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of The Master; and on them was written according to all the words, which YHWH spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
Deuteronomy 9:9-11 (in Context) Deuteronomy 9 (Whole Chapter)

The question is when were they signed, sealed, and delivered? The above shows they were actually given to Moses to be taught, at the end of the forty days. The tables of stone were very important because man can only remember so much at a time.
It seems the whole is referring to the tables of stone and Law and commandments etc. as synonymous and if so, the Law was given at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights. This makes the word Chag that was spoken of by Aaron ligament. (Ex-32;5)

6. Deuteronomy 9:15
So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my “two” hands.
Deuteronomy 9:14-16 (in Context) Deuteronomy 9 (Whole Chapter)

Moses may have been getting tired here because before he said hand, singular

Luke 4:2
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
Luke 4:1-3 (in Context) Luke 4 (Whole Chapter)

I now have no problem accepting that Pentecost commemorates the event of the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai, which was 5o days after the seventh lunar Sabbath complete.

1. Deuteronomy 33:2
And he said, YHWH came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he “came” with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery Law for them.
Deuteronomy 33:1-3 (in Context) Deuteronomy 33 (Whole Chapter)
2. Jude 1:14
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, YHWH cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jude 1:13-15 (in Context) Jude 1 (Whole Chapter)

The above is the fulfillment of Enoch’s Prophesy about the coming of YHWH with 10 thousands of His saints, (At Pentecost) which could be a duel prophecy. We know YHWH came once at the Mt, according to Moses (ON Pentecost and gave the Law) and we know He came again in Acts on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and I believe the prophecies in Joel, Rev, and others show that the next coming for Judgment and to gather His “wheat” will be at Pentecost also. I have a lot on this but have not put it on paper yet.

All the feast of YHWH commemorates some great work of YHWH and He seemed displeased that men kept the enjoyable feasts but had forgotten why, or the true reason behind keeping the feast, therefore they can’t be acknowledging what He had done at that time, and give Him Glory.
Isaiah 5:12
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the “work” of YHWH, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Isaiah 5:11-13 (in Context) Isaiah 5 (Whole Chapter)

It seems that all the feast of YHWH points to or is connected or represented in the leaving Egypt event. Unleavened Bread, Tabernacles, Day of Atonement, Pentecost, and the weekly Sabbath feast because they were given rest from Egypt’s burdens on this day (Deut-5th chapter). I can’t think of a commanded feast that can not in some way be linked to leaving Egypt.

Brother Arnold

Every one of the feast of YHWH is to commemorate a major event, without exception, even the weekly Sabbath feast, and there is no pinpointed major event 50 days from wave sheaf. They are three commanded major feasts called Chags and we know that two of them are connected with leaving Egypt’s bondage on the 15th, where they had no Laws of freedom.
Could the feast of Pentecost be the major event connected with the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai which gave them liberty and not bondage? If so, all we have to do is pinpoint what day this event took place and then we will know if the verse in Leviticus 23, “even unto the morrow “after” the seventh Sabbath complete, shall you number 50 days” is referring to 50 days after the wave sheaf or 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete. We do have a pinpointed given of the Law 50 days “after” the seventh lunar Sabbath complete, a day that Aaron called a Chag to YHWH.

Brother Arnold Bowen

“ENCYCLOPEDIAS”

Lunar Sabbath History Philo True Pentecost New Proof

SHEPHERD-PROPHETS

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

kings of yah!

kings of the east
SHEPHERD-PROPHETSConsider these facts. The Pyramid was built in Egypt, notorious for its idolatry and polytheism. Yet Pharaoh Cheops became “arrogant towards the gods” during his reign and shut up the temples, cast out the images, and compelled even the priests to labor in the quarries. Herodotus says that the Pyramid was thirty years in building, the first ten years building prepatory works, with crews of 100,000 working on three-month shifts, and that after this thirty year period Cheops reverted to worship of the Egyptian gods. What strange power could cause such a radical thirty year break in the polytheistic habits of the Egyptians?

Herodotus extensively interviewed an Egyptian priest about the building of the pyramid and he attested that a noted stranger abode in Egypt at the time of Cheops, a shepherd, to whom rather than to Cheops the Egyptians attribute this edifice. The Egyptians call him “Philition” or “Philitis.” Josephus also quotes Manetho, an Egyptian priest and scribe, who says there was a period in the Egyptian past when, by peaceable means, some “shepherd kings” had the Egyptian rulers “in their hands.” Manetho said that some say they were Arabs. Seiss, with characteristically sound scholarship and reasoning, makes a case that the biblical Job was the Arabian who directed the Pharaoh in the building of the Great Pyramid. Seiss points out that the image of a pyramid is “unquestionably” the subject when God addresses Job out of the whirlwind in Job 38:

“Then the LORD answered Job from the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that makes my purpose unclear by saying things that are not true? 3 Be strong like a man! I will ask you questions, and you must answer me. 4 Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off how big it should be? Surely you know! Who stretched a ruler across it? 6 What were the earth’s foundations set on, or who put its cornerstone in place 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted with joy?”

Seiss says that since YHWH’s object is to convince Job of his incompetency to judge of and understand Him, it is as if the Almighty is saying: You laid the foundations of the great structure in Egypt, but where were you when I laid the foundations of the far greater pyramid of the earth? You laid the measures of the pyramid in Egypt, but who laid the measures of the earth, and stretched the line upon it? You fastened down in sockets the foundations of the pyramid in Egypt, {the Great Pyramid is built on four sockets} but whereupon are the foundations of the earth fastened? You laid the pyramid’s completing capstone amid songs and jubilations, but who laid the capstone of the earth when the celestial morning angels sand together, and all the heavenly sons of God shouted for joy?

In our day the idea of shepherds being special agents of God in the building of a monumental structure would be ludicrous in the extreme. Such is our age. The fault line of commentators referred to above is sharp, because the difference between faith and unbelief is the difference between light and darkness. The Bible says that God revealed to shepherds some of the most important information ever given to humankind:

Luke 2:8-15: That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened. 10 The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. 11 Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” 13 Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying: 14 “Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.” 15 When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.”

Abraham was also a shepherd, like Job, wealthy with flocks and herds. How is it that he was brought to the attention of the pharaoh of Egypt and the King of Gerar in his travels?18 Was it simply that Sarah, his wife, was so pretty? The Jewish records say that Abraham was learned in the science of astrology and with his elaborate knowledge of the heavens and their meanings he attracted the attention of these kings. We know from the biblical record that God communicated with the shepherd Abraham many times, several times using the “stars” as a teaching vehicle. YHWH Himself directed Abraham’s eyes toward the heavens, indirectly corroborating the Jewish oral tradition that says Abraham was a gifted astrologer:19

Gen 15:5 “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them’: and he said unto him, ‘So shall thy seed be.’”

The eye of faith sees it as a real and distinct, not vain and imagined, possibility that the Pyramid was directed by shepherds guided by Divine wisdom. Such faith offers a sufficient explanation of what would otherwise be the dilemma posed by the advanced knowledge and technology exhibited by the Pyramid. It is with those who do not accept the Divine authorship of the Pyramid with whom the burden rests for a better explanation.

THE PLACE OF THE PYRAMID IN THE BIBLE

There is a biblical reference to the Great Pyramid which is instructive:

Isa 19:19-20 “At that time there will be an altar for the LORD in the middle of Egypt and a monument to the LORD at the border of Egypt. 20 This will be a sign and a witness to the LORD All-Powerful in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help, he will send someone to save and defend them. He will rescue them from those who hurt them.”

Notice that there is a reference to an “altar” and a “monument” that will be in Egypt. The location of this “altar” and “monument” is sketched in terms which seem to be contradictory; it will be at the “border” of Egypt at the same time it will be in the “middle” of Egypt. The apparent contradiction offers a chance to pinpoint the identity of this “monument” since few candidates would be able to be both the “border” of something, and also its “middle.”

Note the horizontal line below the bottom of the delta quadrant.

The Pyramid is at the center AND the border of Egypt

This represents the border between the two countries making up ancient Egypt: Lower Egypt (the delta) and Upper Egypt (the South). The Great Pyramid is at the border of Upper and Lower Egypt. Yet this is also the center of the land of Egypt if the two ancient countries be viewed as one, a single Egypt. Note also that the Pyramid is at the center of the natural quadrant formed by the regular curvature of the delta. It is also at the center of present Egypt in that Cairo is the capital of the country and at the center of its business and cultural life. It is also at the border of ancient Egypt in still another way.

The Great Pyramid is sometimes called the “Great Pyramid of Gizeh”. “Gizeh” means “border’, thus indicating in still another way that the Pyramid is associated with a “border”. The name “Gizeh” is probably drawn from the fact that anciently the borders of Egypt were considered to extend as far as the watered, green areas all along the Nile. The desert outside this fertile strip was not really part of the country. Thus the division line between fertile strip and desert is the natural “border” of Egypt. It is along this “border” that the Pyramid is situated. Thus by two separate sets of triple confirmation, the Great Pyramid answers the apparent riddle of being at both the border and center of Egypt. To find any other object or concept fulfilling this prophecy’s specifications would be extremely unlikely. The Biblical standard of proof, given at Deuteronomy 19:15 and affirmed in the New Testament (at Matt. 18:16 and 2 Corin. 13:1) has been met:

“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” (Deut. 19:15)

The Pyramid is certainly a “pillar” as the text calls for, and also an “altar” in the sense of being a witness to the Lord. This sense for “altar,” as a structure of witness and not for offering sacrifices, is used several times in Scripture, such as this reference in Joshua 22:

26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us,

An interesting occurrence of gematria also helps pinpoint the Great Pyramid as God’s special revelation. Here is the Hebrew of the Pyramid text, Isaiah 19:19, 20:

The Hebrew of Isaiah 19:19,20

Gematria is the science of finding meaning in the numerical value of words. In the Hebrew language each individual letter has a numerical value. Thus every word has the numerical value of the sum of the value of its letters. If one adds up the numerical value of all the Hebrew characters in the Great Pyramid text the value is 5449. This is the height in inches of the Great Pyramid!

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THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE PYRAMID

The Great Pyramid has been called “the Bible in stone” because its passage systems reveal geometrically, in line and symbol, the same profound spiritual truths and plan of salvation specific to the Bible, as will be seen as this study unfolds. And just as there are time prophecies of significance in the Bible, the Pyramid’s silent geometry reveals a remarkable chronography, prophetic time in stone.

The challenge to deciphering the prophetic scale is deciphering what measure of length equals what measure of time. The key to this scale is given in the Pyramid, in the upper horizontal passage system’s first ante-chamber, in what is known as “Enoch’s circle.” Enoch was translated when he was 365 years old. A circle is a symbol of eternity and Enoch thus “entered eternity” at 365. The circle formed in that first antechamber, defined by the floor and the two hanging walls measures 365.25 inches.

The Pyramid speaks with geometry, not words

The term “inch” is probably ultimately derived from Enoch’s name, for he was bestowed with many secrets of knowledge and filled with the spirit of prophecy. Being a student of mensuration, and probably the pre-eminent “father” of that discipline, it is fitting for the “inch”, the basis of the English system of measures, to be a memorial of the prophet Enoch. This is rather like Lincoln finding his place on every American penny. Enoch stands as a symbol for the character and faith which must be obtained by those who would pass through earth’s final ordeals and be translated at last when the Messiah returns at the end of this present wicked age. With the scale of an inch for a year, the Pyramid yields its chronography.

That a linear measure could represent a time period is alluded to by Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount. The Savior asks at Matthew 6:27, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”

The Greek for “stature” indicates “age-length,” not linear length. Jesus is not giving a formula for how to grow a basketball star, of seven-foot-plus stature, but rather is asking, “Which of you by worrying can add one ‘cubit’ of time to his life-span?” One authority claims that Jesus’ association here of a time measure and a linear measure is the only such usage in all of ancient Greek literature. While the point Jesus is making is that worry is fruitless, he is secondarily mixing a metaphor which yields the interesting equation that length can equal age. This simple idea will be plugged into part two of our study of the Pyramid.

WHAT “WORLD” DID GOD SO LOVE?

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

PART ONE OF TWO

WHAT “WORLD” DID GOD SO LOVE?

Does all mankind belong to that “world”?

Do only certain men belong to that “world”?

Who are those people then that God loves? Where do they come from?

These are very important questions which have to be answered and faced up to, like it or not. A very solid foundation has been established from both Testaments to build upon and this shows the world of an exceedingly exclusive, chosen, called, predestined and elect race of people. Most people have some thought about the existence of a “chosen people”, and somehow they come up with the label “The Jews” for these people. “The Jews” is a generalisation which cannot equate to Israel! And, Jesus always condemned “The Jews” for what they were [John 8], so “The Jews” [as the popular term] cannot be Israel!

THE TWO VIEWS OF “THE WORLD” ARE TWO DIFFERING GOSPELS

The two views commonly taken are really two separate gospels. One of them must be another gospel. Those who believe another gospel, the Apostle Paul states, are accursed! This is really very serious, so to not be accursed we have to look well at both gospels! Both cannot be right. One is the gospel of the universal. One is the gospel of the particular.. So think this through well. Either God loves all men, [including those God says that He hates] or He loves only His elect.

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach (proclaim) any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached (proclaimed), let him be accursed.

After a few more paragraphs, we will have summaries of these two different gospel options to consider.

DOES GOD LOVE THOSE HE DECLARES THAT HE HATES?

The Bible tells us of God’s hatred as well as God’s love. So if God hated even one man, He would not so love the world. He does say Esau have I hatedIf God hated just Esau, then Edom could not be included in the “all” of Go ye into all the world or “the world” of God so loved the world. If God failed to save all mankind, then He is not almighty and unchangeable. He must be powerless if The World means all mankind. All men are not saved. Could the death of Jesus and the redemptive Love of God ever be in vain?

Quoting from R.K. and R.N. Phillips in “The Book of Revelation”, Part Two:

For those who are firmly convinced that the one who was crucified is Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, please note that He is capable of hate. The Greek word is miseo, to hate, regard with ill-will, to detest, to abhor. This puts the followers of the Nicolaitanes in the same category as Esau [whom God hated before he was born]. If deeds have nothing to do with resurrection, why does Jesus make such a statement about the deeds of the Nicolaitanes? If all men are equal before God, why did God hate Esau before he was born?

God’s love of the Elect is in no way limited. He so loved this “world” of His Elect. This is the order of Israel He loved and sent His Son to redeem. This is for whom Jesus died. We are told He came to save HIS PEOPLE from their sins.

Scripture says, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. We have to look at which “world” is being addressed and see that the “whosoever” refers to “all” of that part being spoken about and not “all” of everything. The context here is Israel. The whosoeveris a mistranslation; it literally means the entire one which refers to the entire nation of Israel, as determined by the context.

Now we can go back to the Old Testament Scriptures with understanding and see just why it was so important to quote all the Scriptures which show that the Law and the Ten Commandment were given to Israel alone. It is vital to understand this. Redeeming Love can only mean redemption from the curse of a broken Law. This Law Covenant had not been made with all races. Israel is the world Jesus came to save. Hebought back or redeemed Israel. That redemption price, by Law, could be paid only by a kinsman – according to the Law God gave Israel. Hence Jesus is the kinsman of Israel (He is David’s greater son). Jesus is not the kinsman of any other race.

JOHN CHAPTER THREE

Let us go back to John 3 where Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, a Master of Israel. In context, Israel is the “world” they were talking about. Consider, For God so loved the world; the word “for” refers to the immediate, preceding discussion. This provides the context. To whom is Jesus speaking? This tells us which kosmos is under discussion. The whole subject matter concerns Israelites and a master in Israel, Nicodemus.

v3 They have to be ” begotten from above” [not born again as translated] to be able to perceive [in their mind’s eye] the Kingdom.

v5,7 Unless this spirit is inherited FROM CONCEPTION, none can enter the Kingdom [1 John 3:9].

v8 Those who are thus born of the Spirit (Israelites) respond to the call of the Spirit.

v14,15 And even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

To which race did Moses lift up that serpent? Which race was then healed and cleansed from the serpent bites? It was only Israel.

WHICH “WORLD”?

At the beginning of this chapter we quoted Mark 16:15 in connection with going into all the kosmos and “preaching” [that is, proclaiming] the gospel to every creature. Which “world” were the disciples to go into? This is a fair question. When the disciples were sent to the lost sheep of the House OF ISRAEL, to whom and to which “world” were they sent? When Jesus said in Matthew 15:24: I am not sent BUT unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel, to what race was He sent? Are we to say Jesus was wrong and that He was sent to every race? Are we to say Jesus was wrong in sending His disciples only to Israelites? If they were told go ye into all the world, why did they not go to the Negroes, the Chinese or the Indians? Why did they choose only one direction and proceeded to where the Children of Israel were? The location of the House of Israel at that time can be easily established historically.

Matt 11:1 ¼ he departed thence to preach in their [disciples’] cities.

Matt 10:5-7 Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach (proclaim), saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The disciples were instructed specifically not to go to certain peoples. The disciples of Jesus went out from Galilee knowing exactly where to find these “lost” sheep. They were not so “lost” that they could not be found!

“ALL”, “EVERY ONE”, “WHO-SO-EVER”, ETC.

Consider again these two verses:

John 3:16 God so loved the world …

Mark 16:15 Go ye into all the world …

Such verses are the basis of the thought that the go and preach the gospel to every creature of Mark 16:15 refers to going to every person of every race on earth. Let us consider some of the words in these verses.

Preach or kerusso means to proclaim, or to announce good news like a town crier. It does not mean “to make disciples” or “to evangelise”, as many teach.

But where were they to make their proclamations? Was it to everyone of every race? Let us look at every creature. The Greek word ktisis is given by:

Strong G2936-7 as original formation, building, creature, and ordinance.

Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words: ktizo is used among the Greeks to mean the foundation of a place, a city, or a colony … It is a significant confirmation of Rom 1:20,21 that in all non-Christian Greek literature these words (ktizo and its derivatives) are never used by Greeks to convey the idea of a Creator or of a creative act by any of their gods. The words are confined by them to the acts of human beings.

This is the creature [or rather, creation] of Mark 16:15.. The word ktisis in the Greek is used to indicate the product of human building or formation. In this context it refers to a village, or place where people live. A ktisis is built by man, not God. The disciples were to go specifically to the places or the villages or places where the Israelites lived.

Matt 10:23 Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, til the Son of Man be come.

We cannot make the cities of Israel mean the cities of every race. Note here that Jesus is speaking of the time of the end.

What is the area of proclamation? Is it not all the world of Israel?

What were they proclaiming? Was it not the Gospel of the Kingdom?

The Kingdom is what Jesus and John the Baptist came proclaiming repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Who proclaims that today? It is impossible to believe and teach both the modern universal gospel to all races and the exclusive Kingdom of Heaven at the same time. He confines all the world to the cities of Israel! In other words, it is to be proclaimed in the dwellings or places where the Israelites live right up to the end of the age.

ARE “ALL” and “EVERY” LIMITED EXPRESSIONS?

Does “all” usually mean “all of everything” or “all of that part being spoken about“? Does all the world mean all the planet, or just all of that part of the planet being spoken about. A look through Young’s Analytical Concordance will show how these words are used. This will give an indication without having to go into the Greek. Being certain on this topic is well worth the time involved researching lexicons to determine the correct meanings of the words used. The words for allevery etc. are often singular, NOT plural. Thus they refer to:

“all” the one [group] or

“the whole” of the class or

“the entire” of the class

To grasp the use of all in Greek and Hebrew, consider Deut 28:10 and all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee. Here, all the peoples of the earth does NOT include Israel. In the same way, go ye into all the world is NOT inclusive of every race. Failure to understand this is the source of error in the modern popular teaching. Jesus says that it is not given for everyone to hear or to understand. Immediately we have just one exception, then “every” and “all” cannot include that exception, or the other exceptions. If an exception is made about the Edomites who cannot find repentance, or of those Jesus said, leave them alone, then these cannot be part of the “all” being addressed. Jesus did not proclaim to certain peoples, as we have seen. Jesus said He was sent to Israel to saveHis people from their sins. Are we to be wiser than Jesus?

And, what are the two differing gospels?

GOSPEL NUMBER ONE [The FALSE Gospel of the universal]

This is that gospel which cannot be found throughout the Law, The Psalms, the Prophets or through the New Testament. So, it must be false. It says:

The Law and The Ten Commandments were given to every race, as a covenant.

Jesus gave His Life so that He becomes the Redeemer of all men, to redeem them from the curse of that broken law, even if the other races did not have the covenant-law relationship.

God loves all men and every individual member of all the human races, including those God says He hates.

The gospel is for all sinners of every race, [not the sinners of my people, Amos 9:10].

All are called. There are no Tare or Goats , despite what Jesus says to the contrary.

All are chosen. There are no inferior vessels, despite what Paul says to the contrary.

There are no Twelves Tribes of Israel any more – even if they are throughout the New Testament.

All men are supposed to have faith – even if the Bible says all men have not faith.

The Father gave Jesus to all men of all races, not all men of Israel only.

All races are pre-destined – God must have been wrong to expect Israel to destroy certain mixed races; all are the same now.

There are no elect people nor any election according to grace.

God has mercy on everyone, not just on whom He chooses or elects.

There are no scriptural differences between men of different origins.

Men always includes women.

Non-Israel races can be adopted into Israel – even though the Bible says who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, [Rom 9:4] and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came.

God may be worshipped acceptably within any culture and religion; all being paths to God.

All races are the same in God’s sight.

It is now up to all sinners of all races to embrace the love of God or not to embrace it.

This gospel says it is up to everyone of every race to either have eternal life or to perish. This would mean God is not sovereign in giving the choice only to Israelites. This is the gospel of individual universal salvation.

This false gospel claims that, in general, mankind is sovereign and makes the choices.

GOSPEL NUMBER TWO [The True Gospel of the particular]

This is the everlasting gospel, the true gospel in which we stand if we continue in The Faith that was once delivered unto the saints and delivered to no one else. This says:

God loves only the “world” of His elect nation and that election is established before having done good or evil. There is no reference to God loving “all mankind”.

Jesus came to those chosen from before the foundation of the world (which should read: overthrow of the order).

Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep only. He said I lay down my life for the sheep [John 10:15]. He did not add “for the goats and everyone else as well”!

Jesus came to save His people from their sins. They were already His people. The gospel is for the transgressions of my people[Isa 53:8].

It is the gospel of grace - and I will be gracious to whom I will.

It is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.

God is merciful to whom He will [Rom 9:18].

The Sons [huios] of God are “adopted” out of the Children [tecknon] of Israel, not out of other races.

The Potter makes different vessels, according to His purposes, some for glory and some for destruction [Rom 9:21].

All races are not equal in God’s sight.

God does not accept mixed worship of Ba’al and Himself.

The gift is given only to the elect, through regeneration and efficacious calling of God.

Jesus is the Redeemer of both houses of Israel.

That is, the true gospel says that God is absolutely sovereign and particular!

This is no new doctrine. It can be found even in the songs of the redeemed people who constitute only one race of people:

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
A remnant weak and small
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.

CHAPTER 5: STUMBLING BLOCKS TO AN EXCLUSIVE ISRAEL

Earlier we looked at the general reactions which immediately spring to mind when the consistent pattern of Scripture about The Exclusiveness Of Israel is introduced to people. It is time now to look at the stumbling blocks that modern teaching put in our way. It is appreciated that people’s objections and concerns are very genuine and that such people are sincere. It is also recognised that it is difficult for people to “unlearn” what they have been taught for years. It is necessary to look at a selection of stumbling blocks which would represent most of those that are raised, so that they will not be hindering progress through the main part of this book.

1. IT IS CONTRARY TO THE NATURE of God

This is a sincere feeling that many have, but it has its origin in an unbalanced view of the character of God. Where there is continual emphasis on the Love of God and almost total neglect of the Righteous Judgements of God, this is understandable. The wrong teaching about “all” and “every”, together with the absence of teaching about the sovereignty of God, are the root cause of this feeling. In His nature, God is unchanging. That God should create vessels for different purposes is not readily acceptable to many people, but it is the clear teaching of Scripture. For example:

It is God who put the perpetual enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman [Gen 3:15].

It was The Lord who put a mark upon Cain [Gen 4:15].

It was God who saved Noah and his family because Noah was perfect in his generations [Gen 6:9].

God gave different destinies for Noah’s sons Ham, Shem and Japheth.

God even placed different “last days” destinies on each of the 12 Twelve tribes of Israel [Gen 49 and Deut 33].

We find scriptural discrimination between “men” as enowish or adam, etc.

We find words for “men” that do not apply to women in both Hebrew and Greek (iysh and aner).

Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated [Malachi 1:2,3 and Rom 9:13].

God chose Israel and said they should not be reckoned among the nations [Num 23:9] and the God of this people Israel chose our fathers [Acts 13:17].

And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for he shall save His people from their sins [Matt 1:21]. They were and are God’s people before they are saved.

2. “OF EVERY KINDRED, TONGUE, PEOPLE AND Nation”

Rev 5:9,10 ¼ for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on earth.

Rev 7:9 I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne …

NOTE: Attention is drawn to out of in the first verse and of in the second verse. Both are the same Greek preposition ek with the literal meaning showing it is not all the nations, peoples etc but a people taken ‘out of’ them and not ‘of’ them.

These two passages appear to stand out against what has been written so far. It looks conclusive as a statement to say that before the Throne of God will stand people from every race on earth. This appearance is used as a basis for the teaching about universal racial or national salvation. Because this does not fit with any foundation in the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets, these verses require closer examination. Firstly, we must look at what this verse is fulfilling. We must ask if there is any stream of prophecy confirming the popular multi-racial view. If there is none, we must go back to the original prophecies.

Exodus 19:5,6 ¼ ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. ¼

NOTE: In the Hebrew all people is plural with the article giving the meaning all the peoples.

These verses are addressed only to Israel, as are a multitude of other Old Testament prophecies.

This is also confirmed in the New Testament by the Apostle Peter regarding the same singular, peculiar people.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.

Although there is reference to every tribe, tongue, people and nation, these are all national, not racial, terms. It must be remembered that Israel had twelve tribes which became scattered among nations and peoples.. Their languages became those spoken by their captors and later those of the nations amongst whom they were dispersed or scattered. This is from whence the people of Israel were regathered. They were from among every tribe, tongue, people and nation, as was prophesied. It is repeated again that there is no prophecy about all races being in the Kingdom of Heaven or of any race being redeemed other than Israel. Others had no broken Law-covenant that required redemption. But Israel is redeemedout of [not of] every kindred, tongue and nation and people.

Quoting R.K. Phillips in Incontrovertible Facts Of The Bible, we find:

This ‘Holy Nation’ was to be the next step in the re-establishment of the Sovereignty of the Kingdom of God on the Earth. This Sovereignty of God denotes a sphere of God’s rule and requires that:

1. It has a territory;

2. It has a people;

3. It has laws;

4. It has a King;

5. It has an economy;

6. It has an administration

All these things God was now about to give to the Children of Israel and at Sinai the people accepted God as their King, thus making them a holy nation. God has never rejected that Sovereignty over that throne or that nation.

If every race was included then this would all be meaningless. A number of commentaries refer to the redemption as that of the people who had once been redeemed from Egypt. The Exodus is the first place where there is mention of redemption [Exodus 15:13]. The redemption in Scripture is always that of Israel, and of Israel only. The issue of the redemption of Israel is stated before the Covenant of the Law.

Bullinger comments:

But now the People had been scattered among every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation and therefore they must be redeemed from out of these the second time, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up, out of the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people from Assyria, ¼ and from the islands of the sea.

The regathering is always of His People and not of other races. Contrary prophecy does not exist!

The scene of Rev 5:9 is in heaven as it is in Rev 7:9.. Here there is a great multitude out of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues. It does not say of all races; the word genos (races) is not used in this passage.

It may not be appreciated that Israel is spoken of as the families of Israel, the Tribes becoming nations.

Jer 31:1 At the same time, saith the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

3. “ALL THE ENDS OF THE Earth”

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.

The word translated as the earth is the Hebrew word erets which is mostly translated as “country” or “earth” in the sense of a localised area or that earth belonging to a people [for example, the land, or earth, of Israel]. In context, this whole chapter is about Israel and no other. It certainly is not used in the generalised sense as the universalists who try to prove the expression the ends of the earth means every race or place on Earth.

4. THE EXODUS

When Israel made the Exodus from Egypt, it is evident that some Egyptians, or some of mixed blood, came out with the Israelites. The claim has been made that these saw the miracles that God had done in the Land of Egypt, and so they joined themselves to Israel. These are then said to be a type of non-Israelite Gentiles joining the church.. This mixed multitude was continually a problem within Israel. It should be remembered that these were not permitted to assemble with Israel, before God, because they were not Israelites. There are two expressions translated, The congregation of the Lord, namely the edah of Israel and the cahal of Israel, and this difference is important because they separate the mixed multitude travelling through the wilderness from the Israelites themselves.

5. “EVERYONE THAT Thirsteth”

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters …

The context shows this is addressed to Israel alone. The sure mercies of David [v3] indicate the people of whom He is commander. The everyone [kole] of this verse is touched upon at the end of the previous chapter. Concordances do not convey the meaning of this word, but there is a parallel where the Greek equivalent is considered in the next objection.

6. CORNELIUS

This man is used by many as an example of a so-called “Gentile” non-Israelite being saved. The place of birth, or citizenship tells us nothing about race. But this man’s race can be determined by Scripture, even if he is not described as a “Jew” [or "Judean"]. In the AV of Acts 10:28, Cornelius is described as being of another nation but, the Greek text uses the word allophulos which is a compound of allos [another of the same kind], and phulos [a kindred tribe (phule)].

Cornelius was a devout man, we are told, and he feared [the] God, therefore he was one who could believe. According to Vine, devout meanscareful as to the presence and claims of God.. So Cornelius knew the Old Testament claims of God upon Israel. We do not find devoutbeing used of people other than Israelites. Also, he feared “God” [Acts 10:2] and he prayed to [the]God and was heard by [the]God. “God” here is ho theos, the term used to denote the one true God. So, Cornelius was not a Roman polytheist! He was an Israelite!

7. PETER’S SHEET VISION

Universalists use the account of Peter’s sheet vision to suggest that the unclean animals in the sheet represent peoples of all races, but the rest of the chapter shows otherwise. That they are called Gentiles by translators in verse 45 only confirms that the wrong meaning is put on this word Gentile.. Historically, the House of Israel, which was scattered among the nations, was considered unclean and common by those practising the Jewish (Edomite, Tradition of the Elders) religion. In saying that it was unlawful, Peter knew that what he was doing was contrary to the Tradition of the Elders in Judea. As will be shown later, Peter was being shown that the ten Tribes of The House of Israel would be cleansed under the New Testament. The animals in the sheet represented the unclean and uncircumcised members of the House of Israel.

This vision in Acts 10 is also used to promote the idea that the prohibition against eating certain unclean meats is no longer valid. The symbol is taken literally! When Peter declares what God has shown him, God does not tell him that he should eat unclean meats, but that, God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. The word another in another nation [v28] has already been covered in [6] above to show that this refers to people of the same kind. “Nation” here is phulos and not ethnos or demos which are often translated as “nation” and “people”.. The distinction is noted by Vine under “nation” and refers to allos (another), and phulon (a tribe).

Acts 10:36 The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching (proclaiming) peace by Jesus Christ

This follows on to say that a start was made in the Holy Land and continued to the uncircumcised Grecians of the House of Israel [Acts 11:20]. This fulfilled the Word as being sent to all Israel, both circumcised and uncircumcised. In verse 35 we have every nation which, as the next verse explains, are the nations of Israel [the former tribes of Israel which were dispersed among all the other nations]. This confirms what the Old Testament says about the Law and God’s word being given only to Israel. Israel was scattered among “every nation” [v35], and the Word [logos] was sent to Israel specifically, according to this verse. The Word of God was sent to Cornelius, as an Israelite. The in every nation of verse 35 is commonly and incorrectly given the general meaning of every as being every race, as explained in the previous chapter. Cornelius was one of those who feared and believed God. He had that spiritual capacity within him from his conception. These men had the capacity to believe God and so could accept the ‘good news’ and be reinstated as God’s people. “All men” is thus all the men of dispersed Israel and all the men of the Judean nation who were of Israel.

Acts 10:43 To Him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

The prophets did not witness or prophesy of redemption and remission of sins for all races. Evidently it is thought that they should have, according to the common popular doctrine. The prophets were giving witness about Jesus and Israel [v43].

8. THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH

Here we have a man who went to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning and reading the Scriptures in his chariot. It is impossible for a pagan to be returning from an Israelite feast, let alone reading the Scriptures. Although he was of Ethiopia, this says nothing about his race or genes; it only tells us where he was living. If he had been a black man, he would not have been allowed near the temple as he would have been an alien. The Jews would have killed such a person immediately. We can see this when the Apostle Paul tried to take one who was suspected of not being an Israelite into the temple [Acts 21:8]. Would Phillip be sent to one who was not called by God and to one who “could not” receive the Word? The weight of this passage says the Ethiopian was an Israelite, even if his residence was in Ethiopia.

9. THE WIDOW OF SAREPTA

Again, there is nothing conclusive to say the widow was not an Israelite in this passage [Luke 4:24-28]. The principle is no different to that given in Matthew 13:57 where Jesus did few mighty works in His home town. There are however two points that should be noted:

The widow woman obviously knew that Elijah was a man of God, and she knew about sin and therefore the Law which was given only to Israel [1 Kings 17:18].

Elijah was a prophet of Israel sent to Israel and he said to the woman, Thus saith the Lord God OF ISRAEL.

10. “GO INTO THE HIGHWAYs”

Matt 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

Again, the standard universalist doctrine teaches this Scripture wrongly in an endeavour to say everyone of every race is included in this call. There is a lot more in these verses than meets the eye. The servants were told to go to the cross-roads [diex] but instead they went to the ways [hodos]. Both words are translated as cross-roads in the KJV. At the cross-roads there is a separation place, but on the ways, or the path between two places there is no separation place. The consequence of going to the wrong place to invite people to the wedding was to bring in people who were an un-separated mixture of two kinds. In verse 11 there is a man not having on a wedding garment. This suggests that one group does not have on the wedding garments and the consequence is that the evil or the bad guests are to be cast into outer darkness.

Where do the churches go today to preach? Do they go to the hodos or to the diex? Should we be going to the lost sheep of the House of Israel as Jesus commanded His disciples? Should it not be to Israel to whom the New Testament is made? The New Testament still pertains to those who had the Old Testament and direct statements to the contrary cannot be found in Scripture. [Please read Jeremiah 31:31-34 to review the limitation given].

11. “EVERYONE THAT ASKS RECEIVES”

Luke 11:10 For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

In the New Testament there are many like Scriptures that use the words all and everyone, whosoever etc. In the Greek the situation is similar to that already pointed out to be the case in the Hebrew. We could take the meanings of these words as either:

All of everything or

All of that part being spoken about.

We are not at liberty to choose which meaning suits us to prove a doctrinal position, but this is what most do. Usually it is done in ignorance or without thought because of the traditional teachings. We cannot mis-apply these words to suit ourselves. We can read the Scriptures from the viewpoint of generalisation or from differentiation, but both cannot be right at the same time. It is always necessary to take note to whom any passage is addressed. This defines the context of the passage. In this passage Jesus isolates those He is addressing. He says twice, I say unto you and uses the pronoun ye. He was talking to his disciples as Israelites.

We find that many of the stumbling blocks are based upon mis-understanding of all, all men whosoever, every, everyone and such words. Lexicons give much space in covering these words. In his coverage of “all” [Greek: pas] which is often translated in these various ways. Vine’s Expository Dictionary says:

Before proper names of countries, cities and nations, and before collective terms like Israel, it signifies either all or the whole, for example, Matt 2:3, Acts 2:36. Used with the article, it means the whole of one object. In the plural it signifies the totality of the persons or things referred to.

This totality only refers to that part which is the subject of the context. Thus all men [of Israel] cannot mean all of every race in the world.

Thayer confirms this [under ref 3956]:

The words “world” and “all” are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture, and it is very rarely the “all” means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts — some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to either Jew or Gentile …

Thayer quoted the last sentence from one of Spurgeons’s lectures and this book shows that view to be incorrect. However, the important point to note is that the “all” is recognised as not being a universal “all”.. Its precise restriction is the purpose of this book. From a note from Josephus [Wars 2:19.1] we read:

Here we have an eminent example of that Jewish language, which Dr. Wall truly observes, we several times find used in the sacred writings; I mean where the words “all” or “whole multitude”, etc., are used for much the greatest part only, but not so as to include every person, without exception; ¼

In considering all similar objections listed, this must be taken into account.

12. “WHOSOEVER SHALL CONFESS ME”

Luke 12:8 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.

The “you” Jesus is addressing is not the multitudes, but the disciples only. The word “men” is one of many words translated as “men”. There are differing kinds of “men” and different words for “men,” in the original languages. Men may have differing origins and be of differing seeds and plantings. To deny this is to deny Jesus’ words. To deny and to teach differently is to deny Me before men.. These things are not being taught today because they do not fit in with the “all” of the all the world universal doctrine.

13. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA

This passage in John 4:12 is easily satisfied in the words, Art thou greater than OUR FATHER JACOB who gave us this well. She was a descendant of Jacob and thus was an Israelite. How anyone can use her place of residence to say she was a non-Israelite is hard to comprehend. Samaria contained a mixture of races. In Acts 8:14 we can see that certain of the Samaritans received the Word of God. In the first verse we find evidence of the scattering abroad to Samaria. Philip proclaimed the Word in Samaria as did Peter and John. Their proclamation was concerned with the Kingdom of God.

14. PENTECOST

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Here we have another whosoever and so we must determine to whom the whosoever relates. This whole chapter is exclusive to the people to whom the prophet Joel made his prophecy. This was made to Israel so how can any say it was made to others? If every prophecy is made to everyone then we have a grey mass and everything is likewise an obscure grey. Nothing is ever clear! What would be the point of prophets giving different messages to different people if all people were the same?

The whosoever relates only to those to whom it is spoken. Peter makes this very clear in verse 36 Let ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL know that God …. Who was he addressing? The whosoever and “all” is exclusive to that group. The whosoever and the all flesh does not allude to anyone other than genetic Israelites.

At Pentecost some scattered Israelites came to Jerusalem from different countries. This does not say that they were from different races. Would they have come to the feast if they had been pagans or if they were following other cultural beliefs? Such would not even be permitted to enter the temple [Acts 21:28]. Yet this is said to be so to try to prove the generalisation that people of all races came to the feast. The bulk of the House of Israel had become scattered among other nations and the majority of these were to be reached later. The gospel was to be proclaimedwhich began from Galilee [Acts 10:37] and was published through all Judea. Jesus sent His disciples away to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and it is not unreasonable to suggest that some among those sought out attended the Feast of Pentecost. We read about Jews [Judeans] “dwelling” (katoikeo) in Jerusalem [Acts 2:5] and of others “dwelling” in other countries [Acts 2:9] attending Pentecost. To infer that nationality and race are always the same thing is far from honest! And, of course, the notion about the “Church” being a “Gentile” Church of non-Israelites following Pentecost is nonsense simply because there were Jews there.

15. ALL MEN JUSTIFIED BY THE FREE GIFT

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Our prime consideration in this verse is the latter part because we are establishing the identity of these all men. In all this book of Romans, the subject people are of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh [Rom 4:1] and so this book is not written to any others than Israelites. The subject people are indicated as we in this chapter and these people are identified as being Israelites. If there is any hesitation in acceptance of this statement, you should go back and re-read the sections on the exclusive nature of Israel in the book of Romans. In Romans 4:16 we read that the promise might be sure to all The Seed. It is not to all seeds on earth, but to that particular seed or sperma being addressed.

A similar situation occurs in Romans 7:6 That we being delivered from the Law. The pronoun we only refers to those to whom the Law had been given and we have given proof that the Law was given to Israel only. Because of this, the all men in this verse applies only to the seed of Abraham through Isaac and to nobody else.

16. “WHO WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED …”

1 Tim 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The notes on “all” and “every” in the last chapter, and within this chapter, apply here. That it does not mean a blanket every person on earth is obvious from the fact that all men are not saved. In the following verses there are the words who gave Himself a ransom for all … and these words show that the all concerns only those who needed to be ransomed, that is, those who were under the Law which is exclusively to Israel.

17. SALVATION TO ALL MEN

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

The all men in this passage is the same as that in the passage above. It is again limited by those to whom it is addressed, namely God’s elect [Titus 1:1], and in Titus 2:14 we can see that this again limits the scope of all men to those who were given the law … who gave himself for US, that he might redeem US from all iniquity ….

18. “BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE …”

2 Peter 3:9 … But is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any [that is, any of us] should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Here we do not have the word “men” mentioned, but in its place we have the indefinite pronoun tis which denotes some or any person or object … any man … whomsoever, or certain men etc … see Strong G5100. Certain men are not all men in general.

Thayer [5100] It indicates that the thing with which it is connected belongs to a certain class, or resembles it.

In this book Peter is writing to the one Holy Nation. He is writing to the strangers of his own blood. Peter again refers to Our Fathers indicating that the people to whom it was written were the children of the Fathers, and so the “any” is racially exclusive. All men on Earth do not have “The Fathers” Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their progenitors. In this passage Peter is pointing out that God is long-suffering to “US-ward” and not to “THEM-ward”.. Peter is writing to an Holy Nation.. He is not writing to “The Church” as a multi-racial group.

19. THE KINGDOM NOW INCLUDES Everyone

Jesus spoke of The Kingdom.. The disciples where told to go and proclaim The Kingdom and that the time was at hand. After His resurrection Jesus spoke to the Apostles about this Kingdom.

Acts 1:3 ¼ being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

This appears to be the prime message of Jesus and He taught it right up to His ascension. But who is willing to teach this today? We hear much about the gospel of universal salvation, but this is not what Jesus taught. Try to find the gospel of universal salvation in the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets. Then try to find it in the New Testament as the fulfilment of the Old Testament. “The Church” might seem to be an answer, but the fulfilment still has to be in us their children [Acts 13:32,33]. If this is so, then The Church still has to be racial; the members still have to be the children of The Fathers.

The disciples asked Jesus before His ascension, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom TO ISRAEL? [Acts 1:6]. Look again at this. To whom is the Kingdom to be restored? Is there ever a suggestion that any but genetic Israel will be included in that Kingdom? The meaning ofIsrael includes ruling with God.. If Israel was made up from all the nations, then who are the other nations over which Israel is to rule with God? Jesus used the word ‘salvation’ only twice, but 78% of the gospels are about the Kingdom.

Consider these expressions:

The KING Is the King of ISRAEL.

The REDEEMER Is the Redeemer of ISRAEL.

The HOLY ONE Is the Holy One of ISRAEL.

The FATHER Is the Father of ISRAEL ["My Son"].

Look in vain for these titles to apply to other than Israel.

20. THE LORD’S PRAYER

When we pray as Jesus taught, OUR Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, THY KINGDOM come, what are we saying?

Is the pronoun our referring to all races or to Israel?

Is God ever called the Father of races other than Israel?

Is Thy Kingdom ever other than the Kingdom over which the King of Israel will reign?

A close examination will indicate that the particular “Father” referred to is Our Father, the One in The Heavens. It is not “their” father.

21. THE ISRAEL OF GOD [Gal 6:16]

It is common to hear that The Israel of God means The Church. This statement is used as a basis for sermons about universal salvation. It is so easy to make a wrong statement and then use that statement as a foundation. But being based on a wrong foundation, this doctrine cannot stand. The Israel of God means the Israel of the Supreme Divinity. It says nothing about God being the God of all the races. This book of Galatians is written to them that were under the Law, that is to Israel. There will be those who say that there is now a spiritual Israel as well as a natural Israel, as a way of promoting universal salvation. So let us look at this.

22. THERE are TWO ISRAELS: ONE NATURAL, ONE SPIRITUAL

To say that there is a natural Israel and a spiritual Israel is the only way out of the dilemma some people have in trying to fit their doctrines and prophecy together. Their dilemma arises from the wrong basic traditional teaching that:

The Jews are National Israel, [or "Natural Israel" or "God’s natural people"].

The Gentiles are The Church, [or "Spiritual Israel" or "God’s heavenly people"].

In a later chapter we will labour to show that “The Jews” are not Israel and that “Gentiles” may be Israelites. Obviously there are two groups of peoples concerned. There is no denying this. This is why it is so important to determine exactly who the two groups are.

In the Old Testament there is no dispute about this. Israel separated into two Kingdoms which were basically:

The House of Israel [ten Tribes] ¼ known as Ephraim.

The House of Judah [two Tribes] … known as Judah.

These two Houses had enmity between them, and according to prophecy, they retain this enmity until unity is restored under the New Testament which the two Houses receive nationally. The timing of the reunion is at the time of the regathering of both Houses of all Israel. Ephraim and Judah are unique identities, through Scripture from the time of the division of Israel into two Kingdoms, until the regathering of Israel as a whole.

Isaiah 11:12,13.. ¼ and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

Here in the Old Testament we find two groups within all Israel which stay two national groups until the time given to once again become one group. They are still the two groups to whom the New Testament was given.

Heb 8:8,9 Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; …

There is no record in Scripture of the New Testament being made with any other two groups. This verse says that they are the same race with which God was involved in the Exodus from Egypt. Again we have definition in the words their fathers.. This gives a racial statement of meaning that cannot be spiritualised. The problem that then arises is, that if the covenant people were to be spiritualised into two different groups, one Israelite and the other non-Israelite, then one of the original two national groups would have to have vanished or the two combined.. Despite the fact that this cannot be found in prophecy in the Old Testament, or in the New Testament as fulfilment of prophecy, the belief about Jews and non-Israel Gentiles is still taught as being truth. In order to accommodate all races, another doctrine had to be created and this is actively promoted.

JOHN 3-16 FALSE P# 2

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

JOHN 3-16 FALSE

This non-scriptural doctrine pre-supposes that non-Israel races need salvation from a broken law which they were not given to break in the first place. This cannot be found as a doctrine in either Testament.

NOTE: No statement about the final destiny of non-Israel races has been made or suggested in this book. The idea about all races needing redemption comes mainly from the misuse of all, whosoever etc in the New Testament. But there is no denial that the non-Israel nations should be made subject to the Law of Christ. Jesus will rule with a rod of iron, and the nations will bring their glory to the New Jerusalem, but we are told that the other nations will be outside that City.

The extra-scriptural doctrine about “Jews and Gentiles” arises from interpretations of the books of Romans and Galatians. But, the racial statements cannot be eliminated from these books, even if it is thought God should have given the covenants to every race on Earth. The expressions, The House of Israel, and The Twelve Tribes still exist through the New Testament.

In concluding his argument about the so-called “Jews and Gentiles”, the Apostle Paul says:

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away un-godliness from Jacob.

There is no mention about any but all Israel being saved. None other than the seed of Jacob are included in being turned from un-godliness. Other races can never be part of all Israel or Jacob.

Rom 3:30 Seeing that it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

Those whom God would justify are shown to be:

The circumcision … The House of Judah.

The uncircumcision … The House of Israel.

The House of Israel had become dispersed among the nations and were known as the un-circumcision. They had become as strangers and aliens to the Judeans, but they were still Israelites by race. To the Judeans who had the temple worship, the House of Israel was unclean and was despised.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

It is still to Abraham’s seed that the promises were made. This includes all from Jacob to Jesus who believed God. All Israel was saved by Jesus. But it is belief in God that saves the individual person within that seed. The popular doctrine says the seed is only a spiritual seed which can be made up from all races.

Rom 4:16 ¼ to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; ¼

Paul is not talking about other races. It is always to the one seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. These are the children of promise. Prophetically the New Testament is made only with the two Houses, the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Hebrews 8:8 shows the promise of the New Testament concerns only these two Houses. This is the fulfilment of Jer 31:31. Paul sums up the two parties, and declares:

Rom 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, ¼

All the objections in the world are not going to change what pertains to Israel or to the Word of the Lord. This verse says Who ARE Israelites.

23. STRANGERS can become Israelites

It is claimed by many that the word strangers indicates other than Israelites. In the Book of Peter we find this Apostle to the circumcision writes to strangers scattered as also does James, in the first verse of his book.. The Strangers scattered, contains the same word that is used in James, who addresses his book to the Twelve Tribes. Please look this up and make sure about this. So these strangers are still of the Twelve Tribes!

If any want to consider this matter further they can find that looking at the word pilgrim as used by Peter will help. This is exactly the same word that is translated as stranger in 1 Peter 1:1. The words, pilgrims and strangers, also appear in Hebrews 11:13 which clearly isolates them as being Hebrews [that is, Israel]. A later chapter titled Pilgrims, Strangers and Israel examines this in more detail.

This again is the language of the Old Testament where David says:

Psalm 39:12 ¼ for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

My fathers gives immediate racial identity. But, further to this, the Hebrew words used for stranger and sojourner are:

Ger meaning a stranger (an unknown person) of ones own blood, tribe, or race.

Toshav meaning only a pilgrim or a temporary resident, and one who has no rights OR KINSHIP in any way at all with the people of the land in which they have taken temporary residence.

In this Psalm, David is saying that he is a stranger away from his home with God and he has no kinship with any other race around him. Peter make this same distinction.

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father ¼

In Chapter 2 of this book we looked at this word “elect” and the elect nation, whom God is saying that He foreknew in the Old Testament.

Rom 11:2 God has not cast away his people which he foreknew.

1 Peter 2:10 goes on to quote from Hosea, (which is a book dealing primarily with the ten-tribed House of Israel).

1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

In Hosea and Peter, the not a people refers to the same people and hence cannot be non-Israelite “Gentiles”. Peter would have had trouble in convincing the Judeans that they had become not a people at some past time.

24. JESUS IS NOW THE KING

Remember how God said that David would never want for a descendant upon his throne until Jesus came to take this throne?

Jer 33:17 For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want for a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel.

At the time of Jesus, the throne of the Kingdom of Judah and Solomon’s line had long gone from Judea. The throne must therefore be manifest somewhere else and within the ten tribes headed by Ephraim. The Epistles are in full accord with the Law, The Psalms and the Prophets. But they are not in accord with tradition!

The people to whom Peter was writing had a King [1 Peter 2:13 and 1 Peter 2:17]. This again confirms that these people were not the Judeans, although they were Israelites. The people addressed had a king they were to honour. Peter tells us who they were racially. The indicators are given in the expressions an Holy [that is, set-apart] nation and a peculiar people as pointed out in the early chapters of this book.

25. “IN THEE SHALL ALL NATIONS BE Blessed”

The phrase all nations is supposed to mean ‘every race’. The reason why this cannot be so is presented at the end of the chapter entitledGalatians and Israel Exclusive.

CONCLUSION

We can see that the churches today have a major problem in doctrine. This is simply through wrong teaching that has arisen through failure to base doctrine upon the same basis used by Jesus and the Apostles. The basis must ever be the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets.

The Law and the Word of God were given only to Israel among the nations. Because of the misuse of the word all, particularly within the New Testament, the presumption is made that the Law of Moses, together with the associated covenant with Israel, was given to every person of every race. In this way, all have sinned is taught forgetting the context statement whatsoever the Law saith, is said to them who are under the Law [Rom 3:19].

Look at this quotation which is one of many which shows “all” in the reverse situation.

Deut 28:10 And all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee.

Here all the people of the earth does not include Israel! This same situation exists more often the other way around with all being Israelites. There is yet one more important impediment preventing people accepting an exclusive Israel. It is addressed in the next chapter, That Unfortunate Word “Gentile”. The unity of the Scriptures is made or broken upon this word Gentile and what that word actually means.

CHAPTER 6: THAT UNFORTUNATE WORD “GENTILE”

When we establish the exclusive nature of Israel as being a holy (set apart) race among all the other races of this globe, we find conflicts with the common belief about “Jews and Gentiles”. The common teaching is that “The Jews” are Israel and the “Gentiles” are everyone else. The two views are against each other; one cannot be held together with the other because we will show that “The Jews” cannot equate to all Israel and that some “Gentiles” may be Israelites in Scripture. Because the traditional teaching is so ingrained in commentaries, concordances, Bible dictionaries, books and in people’s minds, it is very hard for anyone brought up with this belief to shake it off.

Accordingly we will make an examination of both the words “Jews” and “Gentiles” as used in Scripture.

That there are two parties in the New Testament does not mean to say the two parties have to be Jews and Gentiles in the way that this is taught. Rather than that, the existence of the two parties confirms what is taught in the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets about the division of Israel into two kingdoms from which arose the House of Israel [ten tribes] and the House of Judah [two tribes]. These two houses are shown in prophecy to be a continual vexation to each other, with a wall of partition between them, until they are reconciled together under the New Testament [Isaiah 11:13].

WHERE DID “GENTILE” COME FROM?

This word, GENTILE, originated from the Latin Vulgate translation, where the Roman doctrine said that the Roman Church had become the Israel of the Bible. Even more recently, Pope Pius XI reinforced this saying, “Spiritually, we Christians are Semites”. The inference of the word, Gentile, in the Roman Catholic context is one who is not of Rome. In the English translations that were based upon the Latin Vulgate, this Latin word has carried on with a similar meaning but instead of meaning not of Rome it has become to mean not of Israel.. In the minds of those to whom Rome and Israel were synonymous, there was no difference; to be of the Roman Catholic Church was to belong to and to be part of Israel. Rome accommodated all races who could buy citizenship. Rome calls herself a universal church with a universal Pontiff and is the originator of both modern and ancient universalism in the Christian religion.

But, unfortunately, translators have transliterated this Latin word, Gentile, into their versions, and it has carried forward even into recent translations. By transliterating the Latin form, it has allowed scope for the idea that it referred to Roman and non-Roman to continue. Switch the “Roman” to “Israel” [because Rome said she was Israel] and we then find how Rome expressed the two parties as “Israel” and “non-Israel”.. This has continued even to this day. This doctrine has found its way into commentaries and Bible dictionaries and through these media, most Christians are still influenced.

The Latin meaning of Gentiles is confusing in its own right – it does not mean ‘nations’. The Latin noun gen means ‘a nation’ and is equivalent toethnos. However, the word gentiles does not come from the noun but from the adjective, gentilis, which means of or belonging to a nation. In his epistles Paul does not write to nations as a whole, but to individuals within, or belonging to other nations. As all his writings are to Israelites, he uses ethnos to refer to his outcast kinsmen of Israel because that is how they were addressed in the Old Testament Scriptures – Gen 19:4-6; Gen 18:18; Deut 32:41 (the “with” is not in the Hebrew text); Ps 22:27,28; Ps 57:9; Ps 67:4; Ps 81:8; Ps 108:3; Ps 117:1; Is 5:26; Is 11:12; Is 34:1; Jer 1:5,10.. The Latin distorts and obscures these facts and we need to check its context every time it appears in the text.

HOW “GENTILE” IS MISUSED

In both the Hebrew and the Greek there is no word even approaching the way “gentile” is used today. In the concordances we can see the influences of the religious teaching of the day and age where the Roman influence is manifest.

Strong H1471. Gowy or goi [goyim Pl.]: a foreign nation, hence a gentile, also a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts, heathen.

Strong G1484. Ethnos [Ethne Pl] a race [as of the same] habit, that is, a tribe; spec. a foreign [non-Jewish] one [usually by impl. pagan] gentile, heathen, nation, people.

We must remember that concordances give usage rather than definitions but within these we can see part of the true meaning like of the same habit and tribe. The lexicons are more definitive.

Thayer: A multitude [whether of men or beasts] associated or living together … of the same nature or genus.

Vine Denotes firstly a multitude or company, then a multitude of people of the same nature or genus.. It is used in the singular of the Jews for example, Luke 7:5, Luke 23:2; John 11:48:50-52.

Vine goes on to show that Gentile is used in Scripture of both Jews and non-Jews. [Strong and Vine use the word "Jew" for "Israel" following the understanding of the periods].

HOW the HEBREW AND GREEK WORDS ARE TRANSLATED

It is time to look at the words translated as Gentile in the KJV translation of the Bible and immediately something strange will be seen:

Hebrew: gowy, goi, goyim Greek: ethnos, ethne
374 times as nations 64 times as nations
143 times as heathen 5 times as heathen
30 times as gentile(s) 93 times as gentile(s)
11 times as people 2 times as people

In a later chapter, Galatians and Israel Exclusive, we will look at the “Greeks”. In the original text the word Hellen is used thirty five times, but our translators have also chosen to translate this word (wrongly) as “gentile”, particularly in the Book of Romans. Ethnos and Hellen are quite different words! Sometimes the justification is to say that the Greeks were not Jews and therefore they must be Gentiles. This is not translating; rather it is interpreting Scripture in the translations. There is no rhyme nor reason for all these various translations and mis-translations, other than to perpetuate a belief!

The commonly accepted meaning of the word “gentile” immediately falls flat from the translation point of view alone. When we add the fact that the word in Hebrew is used also of Israel it falls even flatter! When we show the real meaning from the New Testament, it becomes so flat that it cannot be seen! The Hebrew and Greek words mean “nations” as races and peoples. They mean any group of a common origin, including Israel.

Let us look at some Old Testament Scriptures where the word Gowy, Goi or Goyim are used. If we apply the logic concerning Gentiles for these verse, we can see the ridiculous conclusions that could be reached. Remember that Goi and Ethnos are used of Israel as well as of other races.

Gen 12:1,2 Now the Lord said unto Abram … and I will make of thee a great nation ¼

Gen 17:5 ¼ a father of many nations have I made thee.

Did God make a great non-Israel “gentile” nation out of Abraham and did Abraham father many Gentiles? Was the great nation other than Israel?

Gen 25:23 And the Lord said unto her (Rebecca), Two nations are in thy womb ¼

Could Rebecca have known what would become two non-Israel “gentiles” were in her womb?

Gen 48:19 ¼ and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

There is no evidence in Scripture that Ephraim would produce a lot of non-Israelites.

Gen 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father (Isaac) fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation.

Could the sons of Jacob be non-Israel “gentiles”?

Jer 31:36 If those ordinances [the sun and the moon] depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me for ever.

As the word for “nation” is the same as that translated “gentile”, we could equally read the seed of Israel shall not cease from being Gentiles before Me. We could even say Israel would not cease from being heathen! This is absurd!

When we consider the word ethnos, which is sometimes translated “gentiles” in the New Testament, we have another block of translations among which we could make transpositions. The consequences are equally absurd!

Luke 7:5 For he loved our nation, and has built for us a synagogue.

Would that section of Jewry be pleased if the Centurion had built a synagogue for the so-called gentiles or the heathen? “Nation” is the wordethnos.

Luke 23:2 We found this fellow perverting the nation, ¼

Would “The Jews” care so much if Jesus was perverting the “Gentiles”?

John 11:48 ¼ the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

For the Romans to come to Judea and take away “our” gentiles gets a little silly.

John 11:49,50 Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

Caiaphas did not know that this word ethnos would be translated as Gentile and heathen and note he used “nation” in the singular. Jesus did die for the sheep which the Father had given Him and only that many. He gave Himself a ransom for many; but not every race on earth. It has been explained that the Law and Covenants were given to the seed of Israel only.

Acts 10:22 Cornelius … of good report among all the nation of the Jews ¼

“Nation” is ethnos which is often translated as “gentiles”, so could we possibly have “Gentiles of the Jews”?

Acts 24:17 ¼ I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings.

Here Paul would be saying that he brought alms to his “Gentiles” in Jerusalem. Paul was an Israelite.

We just have to admit that there is no such word in all of Scripture which matches up with the common acceptance of the word “gentile”. We can now see that goi and ethnos can mean both Israelites and non-Israelites.

Some teachers who admit to goi and ethnos being used of Israel declare that in the singular they refer to Israel and in the plural they refer to all the non-Israel nations. Galilee of the Gentiles in Matthew 4:15 is said to refer to “gentiles” because it is the plural. When we make a comparison with Acts 1:11, ye men of Galilee, and Acts 2:7, are not all that speak Galileans? it has to be admitted that the disciples were Israelites even if they were from Galilee.

POPULAR THEOLOGY ABOUT “GENTILES” … IS IT RIGHT?

We have already made comment on the origin of the word “gentile”.. We have pointed out that there appears to be no evidence that the Apostles could properly distinguish between Israelites and non-Israelites in the nations, to which they went. Hence the message had to be taken to the nations in order for the message to reach “all men” of the descendants of the outcast Israelites. These men had the capacity to believe God and so could accept the ‘good news’ and be reinstated as God’s people. But the Roman error was picked up and it has come to prevail. Luther, Knox, Calvin and Wesley together with cult leaders such as William Miller, accepted the error. Of course, the originator, the arch-cult-type, the Roman Catholic Church keeps on its unchanging doctrine. But she is the one with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and by whom they have been deceived through her sorceries [Rev 17:2 and Rev 18:23]. It was Rome who originated the error in doctrine.

But we are told to come out of her my people [Rev 18:4]. This is the time to come out. God’s chosen people are warned to come out of all of Rome’s doctrines, including Rome’s universalism! Multitudes today are going Rome’s way. What religion leads the ex-communist states? What is sweeping the earth? But the great whore will be cast down; God has so decreed, and none need be partakers of her plagues. Who rejoices when Babylon is cast down? Is it not the holy [set-apart] apostles and prophets? [Rev 18:20]. One has to come out to be set-apart! The Faithful and True will come to judge and make war on that false prophet Rome [Rev 19:11]. The “wife” must get ready. It is the saints [Israel by Bible definition - see Psalm 148:1] who wear the white linen [Rev 19:8]. The voice from out of the Throne addresses His servants.. This is why time was taken in Chapter Two to establish clearly just who is the servant race and who are the saints in Scripture. They are the ones who have the right to enter the city through those twelve gates. Would there be much point in mentioning this if every race went through those gates?

Rev 21:12 And a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes the children of Israel.

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Who works the abomination in doctrine? Is it not the mother of harlots and abominations? Who spreads the doctrine of universalism? Who originated it? The meaning of Catholicism is universalism! Search the Scriptures and see which race is the only race written in the Book of Life!

THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER

JESUS IS THE REDEEMER OF KINSMEN. This is another view some take. If anyone believes the go ye into all the world and Jesus died to save the world doctrine in the way Rome interprets the world, then that person cannot believe that He is our [that is, Israel’s] Kinsman-Redeemer. At the Second Advent Jesus will ignore those who are not His kinsmen.

TO WHOM DID THE APOSTLE PAUL WRITE?

In our second chapter, The Exclusive Nature of Israel in the New Testament, many New Testament Scriptures were quoted to show that the Apostle Paul wrote to Israelites and that he could not have been writing to anyone else.

Gal 2:7 … the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter.

Rom 11:13 For I speak unto you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, ¼

It is important to remember that the word translated as “gentiles” in these verses is ethnos in Romans and hellen in Galatians. Ethnos refers to Israelites by the same term that applied to them in the Old Testament. Hellen will be discussed in the chapter Galatians and Israel Exclusive. Everyone who has been taught that the Gentiles are always non-Israel does experience difficulty in “unlearning”. This is understandable, because this doctrine is what theology has taught; this is written into translations in a way which makes unlearning difficult.

Now we can look at some other Scriptures from the New Testament that show Israel as the only people being addressed.

Acts 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching (proclaiming) peace by Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:43 To Him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 13:23 Of this man’s seed hath God, according to his promise raised up unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.

Acts 13:32,33 ¼ how the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the sameunto us their children ¼

Here we see direct Scriptures that are particular and exclusive. In Chapter Two many such Scriptures were pointed out. We also have awhosoever to which all the prophets of Israel give witness. Now, in the Old Testament books, to what whosoever does the Redeemer of Israel come? Is it whosoever of Israel as the prophets say, or is it the whosoever of every race as translators think it should say? A positive decision has to be made!

Someone might be thinking, Yes, but there are still two parties. This problem completely disappears when we take note of the historical fact that Israel separated into two Kingdoms and became known in prophecy as:

The House of Israel [10 tribes].

The House of Judah [2 tribes].

Subsequently, both Kingdoms went into captivity in Assyria and Babylon, respectively. Following the captivities, all of the 12 tribes (except for a small remnant) went North and were dispersed among the nations. These became known as the Dispersion or Uncircumcision. A small remnant of the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom returned to Palestine and formed the Judean nation. The ruling classes of the Judean nation were dominated by Edomites and their subversion of the Scriptures, the Traditions of the Elders, became the religion of the land. The Judean nation practised circumcision and hence in the Scriptures, are referred to as the Circumcision. Consequently, the New Testament refers to two groups – the Uncircumcision (the Israelites outside the Judean nation) and the Circumcision (the Israelites inside the Judean nation).

The other uncircumcised races are not included in the uncircumcision, because the sum of the two groups addressed is all Israel.

JESUS’ MINISTRY WAS NOT PRIMARILY TO THE JEWS OR IN JUDEA

Most people would question this statement without even thinking about it! But let us look at this matter more closely. In the gospels, Jesus makes a clear distinction between Galilee and Judea, the latter being the territory of “The Jews.”

John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

John 11:53,54 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim.

Matt 19:1. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea, beyond Jordan.

Matt 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee[from Judea].

Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee

The highlighted words show clearly that the two territories are treated differently. There was a clear barrier between the two.

Matt 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom …

Matt 4:15,16 The land of Zabulon and the land of Nepthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness saw great light …

The latter verse identifies these Israelites in Galilee and calls them “gentiles”! In the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, the footprints of Jesus are presented graphically on Pages 274 and 275 showing that Galilee was the major area of Jesus’ ministry.

Matt 4:13 And leaving Nazereth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum …

Most Christians seem to think that Jesus dwelt among “The Jews” in Jerusalem, but this is not so. Christians seem to think that Jerusalem was the centre-point of Jesus’ teaching ministry. Jesus went to Jerusalem at particular times for particular purposes. His disciples did not appreciate these times about going up to Jerusalem, as Jesus once told them, Your time is always now, but My time is not yet [John 7:6]. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament times exactly regarding the Sabbaths and the feasts of Israel. Jesus said He knew the exact day of His crucifixion at Jerusalem [Matt 26:2]. He went to Jerusalem on exactly the right day [Nisan 10th] to be chosen by the Israelite people among the population as their King, and He was delivered to become the all-sufficient sacrifice for the redemption of His people.. Jerusalem was the centre-point where Jesus would fulfil His mission and His Father’s Will to be the Passover Lamb for Israel. The institution of the Passover Lamb was only to Israel.

Across the border from Judea, mention is made of Ephraimites and Galileans [Benjamites]. Jesus was safe amongst the Israelites in Galilee whereas He was not safe amongst the Judeans. This fulfilled the prophecy made by Moses:

Deut 33:12 And of Benjamin he said, the beloved of the Lord shall dwell safely by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

We have seen from Matthew 4:15,16 above that these Israelites in Galilee are called Gentiles. It was Galilee from whence Jesus picked out eleven of His disciples. Judas, the Judean, was the one who betrayed Jesus! Eleven of the disciples were not of “The Jews” and were not of Judah either. When Jesus ascended, the witnesses are described as Men of Galilee in Acts 1:11 and Acts 2:7. In Acts 2:22 those addressed were Men of Israel, but not “Jews”. But whilst addressing the Men of Israel, the disciples soon came up against “The Jews” in the national leadership. The more we look into this matter, the more impossible it becomes to say The Jews and the Men of Israel refer to the same people. Today most denominations insist that “The Jews” and “Israel” are the same! We read that some of the priesthood believed in Jesus; all were not Edomites or other proselytes. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews and so was among the leaders. But his counsel was somewhat different as a non-Edomite! Jesus was speaking primarily of the leadership in general when referring to “The Jews”. Jesus described these leaders as hirelings, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not. Each such person in the religious leadership was climbing up some other way and each was a thief and robber [John 10:1]. In Verse 5 Jesus calls them strangers and they are identifiable because of what they were doing as making them different.

COMMENT

God says that Israel would always be a nation. The word ethnos could not apply to a multi-racial church. Israel is a separate people of a common racial origin. They would remain a nation [or nations] as long as the sun and the moon are shining [Jer 31:36].

The Hebrew and the Greek words which are sometimes translated “gentile” have both pagan and Israelite connotations. The words goi andethnos are used of any group of a common racial origin. The idea that the word refers only to non-Israel people comes from the translators, who took their lead from the Latin Vulgate whose interpretation of “gentile” was one who was not of Rome. This can never mean not a Jew in the sense it is given today. There are other words that apply to heathen and barbarians and Paul could have used these to describe non-Israelites if that had been his mind. But he did not! What the word “gentile” has come to mean is not the original meaning and therefore not the true meaning.

It is necessary to point out:

If “The Gentiles” does not mean what we have been taught, then the word “Church” may not mean what tradition teaches either.

If we want to declare that “The Gentiles” are non-Israel, then why does God say something different and still isolate Israel and Judah from the other races?

If any want to say that Israel is now “The Church”, called out of every race, then they have a problem understanding the difference between race and nationality. These are not identical. Israel was scattered among the nations, and is regathered out of [not of] them. This means that they are separated from other races.

The Apostle Paul concludes his argument in the Book of Romans by saying:

Rom 11:26 And so shall all Israel be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away all ungodliness from Jacob.

It is not said that the Deliverer will turn away ungodliness from others as well as from Jacob or that other than all Israel will be saved. We cannot somehow change all races into “Jacob”.

The parties that make up all Israel are still the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Thus says the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets! Thus says the New Testament also! Therefore, the two groups are not “Jews and non-Jews”, or “Jews and Gentiles” in the popular concept.

WHAT IS BEING SAID?

This chapter says that the so-called “gentiles” being addressed cannot possibly be other than Israelites. In general, they represent the House of Israel as opposed to the Judean nation. The Bible is a book about the whole nation of Israel and the covenants and promises made to that nation, either as a whole nation or to individual parts of it. The other races are mentioned in the Bible only as they affect Israel.

In the second chapter, we looked at many Scriptures that show the exclusive nature of Israel through the New Testament. The term “Greeks” will be examined in the chapter Galatians and Exclusive Israel.

The popular modern use of “gentiles” is wrong!

CHAPTER 7: COULD THE MODERN JEWS BE ISRAEL?

Although the Bible is the main source of information in this paper, there are quotations given in support from various Jewish Encyclopaedias as well as from the Roman historian Josephus. Modern Jewry should find no offence at direct quotations from their own encyclopedia. Modern Jewry talks about being the singular ancient people chosen by God, about being Edom and about being multi-racial, all at the same time. Christians and non-Christians have been mis-lead into thinking that the word “Jews” refers to a singular race of people being God’s chosen people, but in fact, this is not so. The “Jews” returning to the Israeli state today are multi-racial and we could hardly admit that a Chinese Jew and a Negro Jew are of the same race!

We will start with three references from “Jewish” sources which may help those who have been led to believe that the word “Jews” relates specifically to Israelites.

From Alfred M. Lilienthal’s book What Price Israel:

Here’s a paradox: an anthropological fact, many Christians have more Hebrew – Israelite blood in their veins than their Jewish neighbours.

The Jewish author Yair Davidy in his book The Tribes – Israelite Origins Of Western Peoples [Foreword by Rabbi A. Field] tells in much detail that the Saxon folks are Israel.

Jewish author Harry Golden wrote in 1967:

Isaiah the prophet wrote that the remnant of Yahweh’s people would be found in the Islands of the Sea.

These Islands are shown to be North and West of Palestine, that is, the United Kingdom.

Modern Jewish authorities who say, Modern Jewry is Edom [that is, they descend from Esau, not Isaac].

Quoting from the modern Messianic Jewish writer John Fischer in his book, The Olive Tree Connection, we find:

Page 96. The Jews of today are truly a people from many ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds.

Page 97. Jewishness, however, consists of many elements: sociological, cultural, ethnic, religious, national, racial, historical, psychological and intellectual. The strength and mixture of these elements varies from person to person. This variety, therefore makes Jewishness elusive to define.

Jewishness is elusive to define simply because many racial and ethnic backgrounds cannot be one singular racial and ethnic background at the same time. At the time of the gospels a similar situation existed. The reader might readily see the multi-racial situation with the modern Jew, but at the time of the First Advent, this was not so obvious.

Mr. Fischer goes on to say:

Perhaps the Jews of the world are best described as a large community of people undergirded by a strong set of traditions.

These traditions were, and still are, a strong deceiving spiritual force. Traditions or religion do not specify race; traditions do not make any people The People of The Book. Jesus had problems with the Jewish traditions and we will see that the principles behind these traditions prompted Jesus to say some very disparaging things about the Jews in Judea that highlight both racial and belief factors.

The very title to this chapter might well astound those who have been brought up to believe that “The Jews” always means Israelites. One of the strange things about the words Jew, Jews, and The Jews as used today, is that these terms are not generalised in the Hebrew and Greek originals the way they are commonly used today.

According to the popular concept, the word “Jew” is supposed to relate to Israel or to all of God’s chosen race as a single entity. But prophecy from Moses onwards gives separation between each tribe of Israel and separation in destiny between the House of Israel and the House of Judah, right into the last days. Yet the Churches lump all the tribes of Israel together and call them “The Jews” and add in any person of any race who calls himself a Jew.

Most Christians talk a lot of nonsense when it comes to the subject of Jews. They can talk about a non-Israel “Church” which is supposed to have inherited the same promises that were made to Israel and at the same time talk about Jews being Israel. In effect Christians talk of two Israels. Furthermore, we hear popular but nonsensical sayings such as Abraham was the first Jew. If “Jew” is supposed to relate to Judah, then how could Abraham descend from his own great-grandson, since Abraham pre-dated the Tribe of Judah by three generations?

So, there is much misconception about the word “Jew”. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus says that there are people who call themselves “Jews”, but who are not Jews in fact. The Greek text uses the term Judeans, not Jews – there are those who call themselves Judean (of the Judean nation set up by the remnant from Babylon) who are not Judeans. Let us work through this to determine the identity of these false Judeans.

Quoting from R.K. and R.N. Phillips in “The Book of Revelation”, Part Two:

The word Jews in verse 9 should be translated Judeans – this is a direct reference to John 8:25-59 and John 10:25-39 where Jesus unmasks the Edomite interlopers. In the letter to Smyrna He shows the activities of these interlopers are well known to Him and will not go unpunished in the fullness of time. Mentioning them in this letter sets the contrast between the deeds of the Pharisees with their Traditions of the Elders and those who obey God. The same Judeans are named again in the letter to Philadelphia.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

We find the words, Yehuwdah or Yehuwdiy, used 813 times in the Old Testament and they are usually translated as Judah, but as “Jew” or “Jews” in the books of 1 Chronicles, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah and Daniel. In the remainder of the Old Testament, “Jews” usually refers to the remnant of the House or Tribe of Judah which returned to Palestine from Babylon. Yehudah simply means ‘Judah’ and is the name of the patriarch Judah. It is used to refer to the tribe which stemmed from him. It is also used for the land or territory occupied by that people, and following the division of Israel after Solomon’s death, it was used for the House or Kingdom of Judah. This was the only term used in this way up to the time of the Babylonian captivity. Following their deportation into Babylon, another term was employed. This was Yehudi [plural:yehudim]. Originally this word meant an inhabitant of Judea, or the people who came from that country. As such it does not necessarily represent descendants of Judah, but can include any people of other races who resided there. It applies to the Edomites who moved into the land vacated by the Southern Kingdom when it was taken to Babylon. It has come to represent any persons, irrespective of racial origin who embraced the Jewish religion, Judaism.

From Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11.5.7 we read,

So the Jews prepared for the work; that is the name they are called by from the day that they came up from Babylon, which is taken from the tribe of Judah, which came first to these places, and thence both they and the country gained that appellation.

By the time of our Lord, this mixed Edomite/Israelite population had absorbed proselytes from many other sources and made Judaism (the Edomite corruption of the Pentateuch) their religion. This explains the antagonism of the Jews towards Jesus – He made many references to their practice of encouraging proselytes into the nation.

The nation that formed in Palestine after the captivity of the Southern Kingdom in Babylon, was made up initially of people from the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, together with some Levites. They settled in two regions, with the Judahites primarily in Judea and with Benjamin in Galilee. Internally they are referred to as Judeans and Galileans in the New Testament. The Judeans of the region of Judea came to include all the people living there, regardless of their racial origins. All these people are referred to by translators as “Jews”, because they were “of Judea”. But this does not mean “of Judah” only. Included in the population were many descendants of Esau [Edomites]; these came to control the temple, and these were the leaders whom Jesus said could not hear [and understand] His words.

This is the view of modern Jewish authorities:

Encyclopedia Judaica 1971, 10, 21:

From the division of Israel and Judah, the term Yehudi applied to all the residents of the Southern Kingdom, irrespective of tribal status.

The words “Jews” and “Judean” did not apply to the Northern Kingdom. They never have!

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the New Testament we have two different words rendered as Jews:

Strong G2455 Ioudas Of the descendants of Judah [Hebrews 8:8 where it is a racial term].

Thayer Praised or celebrated … see Gen 29:35 - the tribe of Judah, the descendants of Judah.

Ioudas is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Yehudah. In the nine NT references it is rendered as Judah, Judea (the land of Judea) or Judas, always in reference to Judah, his descendants, or their country.

Strong G2453 Ioudaios Belonging to Jehudah or of Judea [in the sense of as a country].

Thayer The word is also used of Christian converts from Judaism [Gal 2:13] – of Jewish Christians

Vine It especially denotes the typical representatives of Jewish thought contrasted with believers in Christ.

Ioudaios is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Yehudi. It is translated as “Jew” and includes proselytes to Judaism. This then is more a matter of being a Jew by religion or region, rather than by race.

Thus we can see that the generalisation of the word Jew cannot be sustained in Scripture. One Greek word covers all the peoples occupying the former land of the covenant people, while the other word covers the covenant House of Judah in isolation. Ioudaios does not specifically refer to race at all and usually refers to people who are not of the descendants of Judah. This does not mean to say that there were no Ioudas [Judahites] or members of other tribes amongst them. From all this we can see that Jew and Judah are not synonymous terms and that there is a sharp distinction between them. It follows that the name, Israel, should not be applied to the Jewish people as a whole or to the country they occupy.

Historically, in the land of Judea, in addition to Judahites, there were Canaanites, Edomites and others, all of whom were proselytes to the Jewish religion. As a consequence these were labelled “Jews” since they were “Jews” by religion and they lived in the land of Judea. But they were not of the descendants of Judah! The territorial term explains how Paul could be called a Jew. Paul was a Benjamite [Philippians 3:5]. Paul and eleven of the disciples did not descend from the Tribe of Judah.

To help with understanding here it must be pointed out that the word Ioudaios can cover a mixture of races which may include some of Ioudas,both of which were in the territory of Judea. In the New Testament, the words translated as “The Jews” are used in a bad sense, whereas today they are commonly used in a good sense. Jesus continually condemned “The Jews” [plural] as did the Apostle Paul. “The Jew” [singular] as used in Romans is used in a different sense. First of all then, we will consider the bad sense in which “The Jews” is usually used in Scripture.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This territorial term for Jews in Greek is in line with the United Nations and Race Relations Conventions. Under auspices of these bodies, the dictionary definition of ethnic, which used to mean peoples who are other than Christians or Jews, has been changed. The re-interpretation refers to any group’s common or characteristic customs, culture, classification, traditions, beliefs, speech, descent, colour or ethnological division or national origin. In this context multi-racial Jews can thus now be claimed to be an ethnic group. Anti-Semitic now is made to refer to anything against the new concept of having this “Jewish” ethnic group.

In Judea, there were many races, and these could all be called Jews in the sense of being “Judeans”, having this territory and/or a religious belief in common. Hence the phrase The Jews does not necessarily mean any common genetic origin such as physical descent from Abraham through Isaac. In John 8, Jesus was talking to the Judean leadership who historically were mainly of Edomite extraction, and hence this majority were not Israelites in the racial and Biblical meaning. Israelite is a genetic racial-tribal term through Scripture.

In this book, the word translated as “The Jews” and “Judeans” refers to the Judeans of any race in the territorial or religious sense, [not the racial sense] and this must be taken this way. It does not relate to Israel racially at all. The word “Judahite” is used in this book to refer to the House of Judah, which is racial.

Those Who SAY THEY ARE JEWS, BUT ARE NOT

Rev 2:9 ¼ I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan.

Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; …

At face value, the translation is saying that there are people who say that they are Jews but who are not Jews in fact. The common acceptance of the word “Jew” says every Jew, regardless of race, is a good Jew and that everyone who says that he is a Jew is a Jew. Jesus is contradicting this. Let us go a little further and see some other things Jesus says about “The Jews”.

JOHN CHAPTER EIGHT

John 8:21 ¼ ye shall seek me, but shall die in your sins …

This thought might upset some Christians who generalise everything and teach that everyone who seeks will find in the way they do. The ye is to the particular people being addressed. Jesus says of the Jews that they shall die in their sins. So it does not include everyone in Judea. The Judahite by race and the “Jew” by religious tradition are not the same thing. We will again see that amongst the Judeans there was a racial mix and that those of the Judahites could believe, whereas the non-Israel proselytes to Judaism could not believe [see v31].

v21 … whither I go, ye cannot come.

Jesus is saying that it is impossible for the Jews to go where He was going.

v23 ¼ Ye are from beneath; ¼

This is in contradistinction to “from above” in the same verse or the term Christians usually but incorrectly refer to as “born again”. The Greek text reads begotten from above.

v44 Ye are of your father the devil, ¼

v47 ¼ because ye are NOT OF GOD.

These are clear statements about who they are; that they are not begotten from above, nor of God.

v19 ¼ Ye neither know me, nor my Father, if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

This matter of knowing and being known of God has already been touched upon in an earlier chapter. Oida (know) signifies primarily to have seen or perceived, or to know from observation.

v 37-39 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed … If ye were Abraham’s children

Here Jesus makes a distinction between Abraham’s seed and Abraham’s children. All of Abraham’s offspring were not heirs of the promises made to Abraham, for it was in Isaac shall thy seed be called – these are the children of the promise.

v 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Some might like to rationalise this away, but it has earlier been pointed out that only Israel can hear [hear and understand and act upon] God’s word. We have seen that The Word and The Law are stated in the Old Testament as given only to Israel of all the races on earth, as a covenant.

v 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

In these last two verses there is the word “hear”. Thayer’s lexicon gives several meanings, among which we find:

To be endowed with the faculty of hearing [not deaf]

To attend to [use the faculty of hearing].

To understand, perceive the sense of what is being said.

The cannot and the not of God indicate that the Jews Jesus was addressing could physically hear but could not use their full faculty of hearing. Because they were not begotten from above, they do not have the innate spirit that provides the capacity to hear and understand and act on what Jesus is saying.

v55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say I know Him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: ¼

Secret Orders and the Church By Elder Wayne Pet

Created by pastorbuddy on 3/10/2009

PART ONE

Secret Orders and the Church

By Elder Wayne Peters


Contents

  1. Historical Position of the Church
  2. The Secrecy of Freemasonry
  3. Freemasonry and the Bible
  4. Freemasonry and Christ
  5. The Religion of Freemasonry
    1. The Opinion of Freemasonry’s Authorities
    2. Freemasonry As A Works System
    3. Evidence From Rituals
      1. Initiation Introduction
      2. Initiation Prayer
      3. Initiation Lambskin
      4. The Masonic Funeral Service
  6. Summary

Secret Orders and the ChurchThe Church of YAHWEH has historically not accepted for membership anyone who is currently a member of a secret order. Similarly, the Church has withdrawn fellowship from any member who became a member of a secret order unless, after appropriate labor with the erring brother or sister, the secret order membership was renounced.

The secret order most often encountered is the Masonic lodge and its various branches including the Masons, Scottish Rites, Shriners, Eastern Star, Demolays and Rainbow Girls. Therefore, this study deals primarily with why a person cannot consistently belong to both the Church and the Masonic lodge. The same scriptural principles would apply to other secret orders.

I. Historical Position of the Church

The historical practice of the Church in not allowing within its fellowship members of secret orders such as the Masonic lodge is well documented. The Kehukee Association, which consisted of churches from which many present day Primitive Baptist churches derived, took action on this issue on May 20, 1786. Its action is documented in the following extract from the Association’s minutes:

“At this Association it was held to be disorderly to hold communion with a Church member who frequented a Free-Mason Lodge.”

Sylvester Hassell, in his work History of The Church of God, documents other declarations and actions taken by Primitive Baptists of various states recognizing that it is unscriptural and disorderly for church members to belong to the Masonic lodge. These actions were generally taken in the early part of the nineteenth century.

While some other Baptist orders have also taken a scriptural stand against church members belonging to the Masonic Lodge, the sad fact is that today many call themselves both Baptists and Masons.

II. The Secrecy of Freemasonry

The Masonic lodge system is clothed in secrecy. In fact, one of the earliest oaths taken by an initiate into Freemasonry includes the following:

“I furthermore promise and swear I will not communicate the grand Masonic word except in the way and manner in which I received it and then only in a low breath. To all of which I solemnly and sincerely promise and swear to keep and perform the same without any equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion of mind in me whatever, binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken thence and with my body burned to ashes and those ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven so that there might remain name, trace nor remembrance no more forever of so vile a wretch as I… .”

Jesus condemned such oaths:

Matthew 5:36 – Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

This condemnation of oaths like those required of Masons was recognized in the London Confession of Faith of 1689 in Chapter 23, Of Lawful Oaths and Vows:

“The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear; and therein it is to be used, with all holy fear and reverence; therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name,or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred.”

(Matthew 5:34-37; James 5:12; Hebrews 6:16; 2 Corinthians 1:23; Nehemiah 13:25)

God’s word not only prohibits such oaths, but also includes specific instruction regarding things taught and practiced in secret:

Ephesians 5:11,12 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

A practical consideration of the secrecy of Freemasonry (as if we knew none of the secrets) discloses the inconsistency of Freemasonry and membership in the true Church. For example, Christ says that his people are not to live secret lives, but rather they are to live open lives giving testimony to him:

Matthew 5:14-16 – Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

God’s children are to let their light shine in the praise of their glorious Lord through a life of open obedience. Openness is a part of the Church and worship. In fact, what good motivation could a church member have for participation in secret activities? Jesus said:

John 3:20-21 – For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The principle of this text is clear: Those with evil motivations desire secrecy; those with good motivations desire light. Since God’s children are to abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22), they should not participate in activities that are secret and give the appearance that such activities are not Godly and cannot be done in the light!

Jesus Christ by his own example taught that “secrecy” is contrary to the truth of the gospel and the manner of life required of His obedient children:

John 18:19-20 – The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

Scripture condemns secrecy as contrary to the instruction of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel has no secret parts or portion. The secrecy of Freemasonry is contrary to the clear example and instruction of scripture, and this factor alone should be enough to cause God’s children to have no fellowship with the secret teachings and activities of Freemasonry.

God’s children are to live in obedience to the instruction of scripture, not some secret creed; and they are to allow nothing to be exalted above what God has revealed in His Word:

Deuteronomy 29:29 – The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Romans 16:26 – But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

2 Corinthians 10:5 – Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

God has revealed the Word to his children in the scriptures; are the secrets of Freemasonry superior and more authoritative than God’s word so that they must be guarded in secrecy?

III. Freemasonry and the Bible

Masons treat the Holy Bible as a mere “symbol” of the will of God, and for this reason they accept any “holy book” on their altar. This fact is declared in the Freemasons own recognized authorities (all references to books describing Freemasonry are to Freemasonry’s own recognized authorities and none are from books or writings that are being analytical or critical of Freemasonry):

“The Bible is used among Masons as a symbol of the will of God, however it may be expressed. And therefore, whatever, to any people expresses that will, may be used as a substitute for the Bible in a Masonic Lodge. Thus in a Lodge consisting of Jews, the Old Testament alone may be placed upon the altar. And the Turkish Masons can make use of the Koran. Whether it be the Gospel of the Christian, the Old Testament to the Jew, or the Veda to the Brahman, it conveys the same idea, the will of God to man.” Albert G. Mackey, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry.

“The prevailing Masonic opinion is that the Bible is only a symbol of divine will, law or revelation, and not that its contents are divine law, inspired or revealed.” Henry Wilson Coil, Masonic Encyclopedia, page 520.

“Masonry propagates no creed except it’s own most simple sublime one; that universal religion, taught by nature and reason.” Albert Pike, Morals & Dogma, page718.

“The Book of the Law shall be an indispensable article of the lodge furniture. This book, however, need not necessarily be the Holy Bible; but according to the religious faith of the members of the lodge. It may be the Koran, the Zend Avesta, or the Vedas or Shasters.” The Freemasons Pocket Companion, pages 4445.

Thus, Freemasonry denies that the Bible is the inspired word of God! To make Freemasonry acceptable to persons of all faiths, it treats the Bible as just one among many acceptable religious books, and by doing so denies that the Bible is the only rule of faith and practice for God’s children. The Bible is treated as merely a “symbol” of God’s will along with many other books. If the Bible is only a symbol of God’s will, then to the Mason the art of the lodge is above the revelation of God’s will as set forth in the Scriptures. This is contrary to the clear teaching that scripture is the inspired word of God and there is nothing above it:

2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

God’s children are to beware of any teaching that is contrary to scripture, and certainly any teaching that claims to be superior to God’s Holy Word falls within that category:

Colossians 2:8 – Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

IV. Freemasonry and Christ

Freemasonry does not recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Rather, rather it denies the diety of Christ and relegates Him to being just another bearer of part of the light of the “religion” of Freemasonry:

“The true Mason is not creedbound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth.” Manly P. Hall, 33rd, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, page 65, Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co. Richmond, Va.,1976.

“It [Masonry] reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the lawgiver to the Jews, in Confucius and Zoroaster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabain Iconclast, great teachers of morality, and eminent reformers, if no more; and allows every brother of the order to assign to each such higher and even divine characteristics as his creed and truth require.” Albert G. MackeyEncyclopedia of Freemasonry, Revised Edition, 1921, page 525.

“We do not undervalue the importance of any Truth. We utter no word that can be deemed irreverent by anyone of any faith. …And as little do we tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth was but a man like us, or His history but the unreal revival of an older legend.” Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, page 524.

Contrary to the teaching of Freemasonry, the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Christ, and the only Saviour and Son of the true and living God:

1 Corinthians 8:6 – But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Acts 4:12 – Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

1 John 2:22 – Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

The Christian believes that Jesus is the Christ and the only Son of God, and Freemasonry teaches that Jesus is just one of many bearers of light. With this blatent inconsistency of belief, how can one claim to be both a Christian and a Freemason? The fact is that he can’t without being totally inconsistent in both belief and practice, for the truths of Christianity and and the beliefs of Freemasonry are totally inconsistent and incompatible!

PART TWO

ROYAL HOUSE OF GILGAL? ?

V. The Religion of Freemasonry

To better understand why members of the Church cannot consistently belong to a Masonic lodge, it is important to have some understanding of what Freemasonry is and what it teaches.

First, and foremost, Freemasonry is a religion. Most Masons contend that Freemasonry is not a religion, claiming instead that it is a “fraternal order” or a social order for personal improvement which engages in benevolent work. However, as discussed more fully below, the argument that Freemasonry is not a religion is refuted by the officially prescribed activities and creeds of the lodge. While Freemasonry may not be a religion in name, it is certainly one in creed and practice.

The religion of Freemasonry is a secret religion which teaches that good works and activities as taught by Freemasonry are the way to heaven. This works religion is contrary to the doctrines of grace taught by the Word of God and held by the true Church.

The Bible teaches that there is but one gospel, and that any teaching contrary to the one true gospel is subject to God’s curse. Church fellowship is not to be maintained with anyone who, after they have been labored with in love, teaches or adheres to doctrine contrary to the one true gospel of Jesus Christ:

Galatians 1:6-9 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

2 John 1:10 – If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

Titus 3:10 – A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

The Greek word translated “accursed” in Galatians 1:6-9 is “anathema” which means a religious ban or excommunicated thing or person. Those who teach and adhere to doctrine contrary to the doctrine of scripture are to be banned or excummunicated. Of course, this should only occur after appropriate labor in accordance with the instruction of scripture and in a spirit of love.

If anyone can understand why a person cannot simultaneously be a member of the Baptists and the Mormons, or the Church of God and the Catholic Church, or any two religious bodies that are totally inconsistent in doctrine and practice, then they should be able to easily understand why a person cannot at the same time be a member of the true Church and the Masonic lodge! A person simply cannot in good faith subscribe to two different religious beliefs when they are so diametrically opposed to each other.

1. The Opinion of Freemasonry’s Authorities

Freemasonry is a religion. While those who want to be active in both Freemasonry and the Church may argue otherwise, the fact that Freemasonry is a religion is asserted by Freemasonry’s own and most widely accepted authorities:

Albert Mackey, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry:

“The religion of Freemasonry is not sectarian. It admits men of every creed within its hospitable bosom, rejecting none and approving none for his peculiar faith. It is not Judaism, though there is nothing in it to offend the Jew; it is not Christianity, but there is nothing in it repugnant to the faith of a Christian. Its religion is that general one of nature and primitive revelation handed down to us from some ancient and patriarchial priesthood–in which all men may agree and in which no men can differ.” (Page 641)

Henry Wilson Coil, Masonic Encyclopedia:

“Freemasonry has a religious service to commit the body of a deceased brother to the dust whence it came and to speed the liberated spirit back to the great Source of Light. Many Freemasons make this flight with no other guarantee of a safe landing than their belief in the religion of Freemasonry.”

Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma:

“It [Masonry] reverences all the great reformers. It sees Moses, Confucius, Zoroaster, Jesus of Nazareth, … Great Teachers of Morality, and Eminent Reformers, if no more: and allows every brother of the Order to assign to each such higher and even Divine Character as his Creed and Truth require.” (Page 525).

“Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahman, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above all the Baalim, must needs leave it to each of its initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion.” (Page 226)

The above statements from authorities accepted and approved by Freemasonry clearly document that Freemasonry is a religion and is considered as such by knowledgeable Masons.

When Masons assemble together, they meet in a “temple” to offer “prayers” to the “Great Architect of the Universe”; and “kneel” at the “sacred altar” to engage in their “sacred vows”. On the “sacred altar” is a “Volume of Sacred Law” which can be a Bible, a Koran or any other holy book. What more could be required before an assembly could accurately be referred to as a religion?

2. Freemasonry As A Works System

The religion of Freemasonry is a works system which teaches that man earns an eternal home in heaven by his good works. Freemasonry teaches that “conduct which is essentially necessary to …gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above” (See 3. Initiation Lambskin below).

There is not a single mention of Jesus Christ or salvation by the grace of God in the ritual teaching of Freemasonry! Therefore, the teaching of Freemasonry is contrary to the plain teaching of the Bible that salvation is by grace and not by works:

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Acts 4:10-12 – Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, …Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

3. Evidence From Rituals

The rituals of Freemasonry, when examined in the light of God’s Word, confirm that Freemasonry is a religion, and also that it is a false “works system” of religion. Portions of the Masonic rituals will be discussed below to document this fact!

a. Initiation Introduction

The initiation ritual for a Freemason discloses this works system. As part of the initiation process, the candidate is introduced to the “Senior Deacon” as follows:

_________, a poor blind Candidate, who desires to be brought from darkness to light; who wishes to receive a part of the rights and benefits of this right worshipful Lodge erected to God and dedicated to the holy Saints John, as many brothers and fellows have done before him.

One of the Mason’s own leading authorities on Freemasonry describes this ritual as follows:

“There he stands, without our portals, on the threshold of his new Masonic life, in darkness, helplessness and ignorance. Having been wandering amid the errors and covered over with the pollution of the outer and profane world, he comes inquiringly to our door seeking the new birth and asking a withdrawal of the veil which conceals divine truth from his uninitiated eyes.” Albert Mackey, The Manual of the Lodge, page 20.

Freemasons say that they are the light which reveals divine truth, contrary to what Jesus Christ says about himself being the light:

John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Jesus Christ is the source of spiritual light for God’s children, not Freemasonry:

2 Timothy 1:10 – …Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

b. Initiation Prayer

The initiation prayer for a new Mason, which is offered by the Worshipful Master, is as follows:

“Vouchsafe thine aid, Almighty Father of the Universe, to this our present convention, and grant that this Candidate for Masonry may dedicate and devote his life to thy service. Endue him with the competency of thy divine wisdom, that by the secrets of our art, he may be better enabled to display the beauties of holiness of thy holy name. Amen.”

Notice that it is by the “secrets or our art” that the initiate, who was in darkness but now has the light, can display the beauties of holiness! Is this not contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ that we are to follow him:

John 12:26 – If any man serve me, let him follow me;

Also notice, that this prayer is not in the name of Jesus Christ, as his name is not mentioned in Freemasonry.

The Grand Lodge of the State of Maryland has issued a statement explaining the significance of this prayer, and also disclosing the works system of Masonry:

“Thus, Masonry is a great fellowship of men of all countries and ages who are capable of discovering in the religious teachings of all humanity, some of them crude indeed, the fundamental truth common to them all: that God is the Father of all mankind and all men are brethren, that this principle is worth dying for, and that he who remains steadfast in the service of this ideal may well hope for and expect immortal life.”

According to the doctrine of Freemasonry, eternal life can be expected by all men of all religions, if they are Masons who remain steadfast to their Masonic service! They thus obviously have no need for the benefit of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, for they claim to earn eternal life through their secret Masonic arts!

If Freemasonry has a way to eternal life, why should they keep it secret! Why not share it with all? The fact is the lodge has no way to eternal life and has nothing to share with God’s children who through his grace are saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

c. Initiation Lambskin

Upon the completion of the initiation, the new Mason is addressed by the Worshipful Master as follows:

“I’d like to present you, Brother _____, with this lambskin, or white leather apron, which is an emblem of innocence and a badge of a Mason… He therefore who wears a lambskin as a badge of a Mason is continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct which is so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above.”

Notice that the Mason is taught that it is “purity of life and conduct” by which one gains admission to heaven; contrary to the teaching of the scriptures that we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.

d. The Masonic Funeral Service

The standard Masonic funeral service which is recited by fellow masons states:

“Masonry seeks constantly to build the temple of the soul, and thus to fit us for that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. When our brother labored with us in Masonic attire, he wore a white apron, which he was taught was an emblem of innocence and a badge of a Mason. By it, he was constantly reminded of that purity of life and that rectitude of conduct so necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above.”

Again, as in the other parts of the ritual, at the grave praise is given to the Mason for his good life by which he earned an eternal home. Not one mention is made of the saving work of Jesus Christ. It is adherance to the teachings of Masonry which Freemasonry claims to fit one for heaven; thus denying that salvation is alone by Jesus Christ!

Not one mention is made of the fact that Jesus taught that we are saved by him alone:

John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Ephesians 2:8-10 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The Bible teaches that we get to heaven by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and not by the “secret art” revealed by Freemasonry.

VI. Summary

Freemasonry in its oaths and rituals teaches a works system of salvation, and thereby denies that salvation is by the grace of God and through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Those who deny salvation through the Lord Jesus have no right to fellowship in His Church.

The secret practices and doctrines of Freemasonry are contrary to the doctrines of the Bible and the Church. Freemasonry and its teachings conflict with the truth of God’s Word. There are many good men, sincere in their Christian beliefs, who as Masons also hold to beliefs contrary to their Christian beliefs.

It is likely that there are many Masons who do not realize that the teachings of Freemasonry are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Bible. It is important to remember this in dealing with Masons, and to help them to compare the teaching of scripture with the teaching of Freemasonry.

When a child of God is led to a knowledge of the truth of the doctrines of grace, and compares those true doctrines to the teaching of Freemasonry, they should follow the teaching of Jesus and renounce that which is contrary to his Word:

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 – Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; …

God’s children who are entangled in the yoke of Freemasonry should repent of their error and follow Jesus’ instruction to “be ye separate.” To do less than this is to deny the clear teaching of YAHWEH and the Bible!