A Glorious Story of Redemption and an Exposition of Easter Fables
seekers to discover truths regarding many fables attached to the Easter celebrations, the Lord God spoke to my spirit and encouraged me to first write and speak about one of the greatest story of redemption told in the Holy scriptures. Further, I was compelled to teach on this particular story as an introduction to the above mentioned topic of fables.
The following is a collection of writings including notes and scriptures, representing a four-part sermon series on the subject of redemption as well as fables associated with Easter. It is my sincere hope that as you read the following, the number one take away that you receive from this is, it is written,
“ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon”.
It is written, ”And they shall be my people, and I will be their God”
However, for about the last week, I have been seemingly arrested by God and focusing more on hearing. I have dialoging with the kingdom of heaven regarding the great movement He has us involved in regarding working to bring relief to our friends, family and all others in the Nation of Yemen. Just as a reminder, at the end of 2024 God spoke to us clearly that 2025 would be the beginning of witnessing and taking part in events that are beyond belief. The stakes are high, and as always so too must be our focus and dedication to hearing from and doing His word.
Maybe for some of you here now you are not aware of some of the events, signs and wonders that have led us to where we are today in these matters but believe me God is alive and well and moving with great power and love upon those who call out. There has been a cry out from Yemen God has heard it and has given us tasks to help answer.
Maybe some of you expect to hear a message of crucifixion, death, resurrection and redemption today being that time of year but I am not going to preach on the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Christ child of Nazareth. Nor am I going to preach to reveal more fables today. Instead, I am going to talk about one of the greatest stories of redemption ever told. The bible tells us God will abundantly pardon. In Isaiah 55 it is written,
Isaiah 55:7
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Gentiles are not Jews they are not of the tribes of Israel in fact we know by scripture that the
bible makes clear the distinctions between the Jews and all others. Even between the Jews and other tribal people of Israel.
In the book of revelations in Chapters 2 and 3 Verses 9 we find that God is against falsifying
one’s lineage by pretending to be a Jew and truly yet not.
Rev 2:9
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Rev 3: 9
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
You see, God makes it clear that those who call themselves Jew but are not, are of the synagogue of Satan. We do not claim to be Jews or decedents from any of the tribes of Israel. For me personally, I simply do not know. However, what I do know is that by a preponderance of the evidence revealed in the Holy scriptures, all peoples including gentiles have been given the opportunity to sojourn with the children of Israel, including the Jews and receive the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, the almighty God, our Father in heaven, as our own. To me, one of the greatest stories exemplifying this, is the story of Ruth.
Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God
Ruth 1: 1- 4
1. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. (Ephrathites were inhabitants of Ephratha, the ancient name for Bethlehem)
3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the
name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
Ruth 1:22
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
What is so important about highlighting Moab and the Moabites as it pertains to Ruth? You may ask. Well to answer that, we have to start at the beginning.
In Genesis Chapter 19 starting at verse 30 we find the following.
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay
yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
The Moabites were cursed along with the Ammonites and were enemies of God’s people. The fall of King Solomon can be partly attributed to these two tribes because he took wives from these tribes after God warned him not to and they ultimately worked to turn the heart of Solomon away from God.
1 Kings 11:1-2
1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
And they did turn Solomon's heart from God and he allowed them to introduce other gods into Israel to be worshiped there. This led to Solomon losing the kingship of Israel for the lineage of David, through his son.
1 King 11: 7-13
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their
gods.
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
Further on in scripture we find this.
Nehemiah 13: 1-3
1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was
found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God or ever;
2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Nehemiah and his people did not know the book of Moses, it had been hidden for some time but as they were diligently working to restore Jerusalem it was found. And they read from it and saw what was written in,
Deuteronomy 23: 1-4
23 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:
4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of
Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
You see now, Ruth came from a lineage that was created from an act of drunken incest, and
cursed. The lineage that became enemies of Israel worshiped Chemosh a false god of war and were forever banned from the congregation of the Lord. The preverbal cards were stacked against Ruth by her lineage and practices. But our God is the Almighty Yehovah the Almighty Father in heaven who will abundantly pardon.
cursed. The lineage that became enemies of Israel worshiped Chemosh a false god of war and were forever banned from the congregation of the Lord. The preverbal cards were stacked against Ruth by her lineage and practices. But our God is the Almighty Yehovah the Almighty Father in heaven who will abundantly pardon.
When Ruth's’ mother-in-law Naomi tried to convince her daughters in law to remain in Moab while she returned to Bethlehem, Ruth refused to leave her side.
Ruth 11: 11-16
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
As soon as Ruth made this commitment, she was given access to the presence of the people she was banned from. As soon as Ruth made this commitment, she was given access to the
congregation she was banned from. As soon as Ruth made this commitment, she was redeemed, accepted and received by our God who will abundantly pardon. As soon as Ruth made this commitment the cures of her lineage was cast away so far from her that God himself paired her with Boaz, into the lineage of David, thus Jesus. Boaz was four generations removed from Jesus in the lineage through David. Boaz and Ruth's son, Obed, was the father of Jesse, who in turn was David's father. Jesus was a direct descendant of David.
congregation she was banned from. As soon as Ruth made this commitment, she was redeemed, accepted and received by our God who will abundantly pardon. As soon as Ruth made this commitment the cures of her lineage was cast away so far from her that God himself paired her with Boaz, into the lineage of David, thus Jesus. Boaz was four generations removed from Jesus in the lineage through David. Boaz and Ruth's son, Obed, was the father of Jesse, who in turn was David's father. Jesus was a direct descendant of David.
This is why I say it is one of the greatest stories of redemption ever told.
I may not be an Israelite by birth but I will surely make their people my people and their God is my God
Be blessed!
Easter Fables
Part 1
2nd Timothy 4: 3-5
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Paul taught Timothy and thus us, in 1st Timothy to “Neither give heed to fables and endless
Genealogies” and in,
1Timothy 4:7
7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Further, Paul instructs us to turn away from those who are purveyors of fables.
7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Further, Paul instructs us to turn away from those who are purveyors of fables.
In recent teachings we have examined and concluded that the fall of the western main stream church can be directly attributed, in part, to the adoption of fables in place of Biblical truths. We know this to be for the expressed purpose of leading people from the truth in order to diminish the effects of the kingdom of God, on earth as it is in heaven.
Last week I told you that we would spend some time this week discussing the fable that is Easter and how easter and its practice, and ceremonies celebrated today have helped to severely destroy the spiritual effectiveness of the body seeking Christ as their savior, as a whole.
As I stated last week, though I wanted to begin then, God changed the direction. He changed the message and had me speak about the redemption of Ruth. He wanted me to preach that message and I can see now how it is a magnificent precursor to what we are going to discuss today. The redemption story of Ruth is one of the most powerful stories of redemption we find in the bible.
As a reminder, some of the major takeaways from last week, to me, were.
- The Moabites were sworn enemies of Israel
- Ruth married Mahlon, the son of Elimelek and Naomi and the brother of Chilion.
- Elimelek Naomi and their sons moved to Moab from Bethlehem
- Ruth was a Moabite who worshiped Chemosh, their god of military victory.
- Elimelek and his sons died leaving Naomi, Ruth and her sister-in-law widowed.
- Naomi decided to go back to her people in Bethlehem and Ruth refused to leave her side
- Though the Moabites were considered enemies of Israel, Ruth made a decision to sojourn.
- with Naomi, also as a sojourner, a proclamation. She proclaimed to Naomi that she would make Naomi’s people here people and Naomi’s God her God.
- That Ruth, by her lineage as a Moabite, along with the Ammonites, was forever banned from the congregation of God.
- Because of her proclamation to Naomi and the almighty God of Israel, God, who is abundant to pardon, washed away the lineage curse on Ruth, married her to Boaz and installed her into the Royal lineage of David and thus Jesus.
2 Corinthians 6: 15- 18
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel?
16 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.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
Rev. 21: 1-3
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, and be their God.
In our quest to sojourn with the Israelites we study the word closely. We want to rightly divide it and, in that quest, like Nehemiah, we have made discoveries that have washed away fables and delivered us unto deeper understandings and compelled us to seek a deeper relationship with Him. We know that we are not Jews, at least I know I am not. We also know that God is against them that call themselves Jews and are not. What most of us are, like Ruth, are people who decided to sojourn with the people of Israel. Thus, we seek to follow His statutes and ordinances. We choose to follow the commandments of our Father in heaven
In Numbers 9:13-14 it is written,
13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD;
according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.
As a stranger, a sojourner we chose to keep the feasts. We chose to keep this ordinance.
In Exodus 12 1-20 it is written,
1And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,
2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to
the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
From Exodus 18 through Exodus 34 we find Moses receiving the ordinances of God to be
delivered to His people. I encourage every one to read these chapters with intent and focus for as Paul later teaches in,
2 Timothy 3: 13- 17
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Yes, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Notice how he is reminding Timothy to continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that, from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
From a child he was taught the holy scriptures which are able to make us wise unto the salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ. What holy scripture is Paul referring to? The very same holy scriptures we are examining now, Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets and writings.
In Leviticus 23: 1-8 it is written,
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
4 These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their
seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
In Leviticus 23: 1-8 it is written,
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
4 These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their
seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Verses 5-8 are very important in that they help to lay the ground work to make a discovery we are about to dive in to. A discovery that I myself would have never made without the teachings of the Holy scriptures.
As Paul compelled Timothy to remember the scriptures of his youth I am compelled to study the same. If Paul taught that Old Testament scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Well, I want that. If I as a stranger want to sojourn with the people of Israel and make their God my God then I want to know Him, to study His character, to know what he expects out of me. I want to have all of the information I need to walk in the fullness of His blessings, peace and gentle mercies.
I want to experience Life with Him, what it is like to live walking from glory to glory. Being led by His Holy spirit and receiving His gifts. I want to walk in the fullness of His grace and
complete whatever works He sets my hands too, with excellence. I want to be His hands and feet upon the earth and walk in His power through all the challenges, and persecutions that come with choosing this life style.
Because I want this and draw neigh unto Him, I have proclaimed in sincerity that The God of Abraham, Jacob and Issac is my God. I have proclaimed Not my will be done but your will be done Mighty Father. As a light upon a hill, I want others to witness Him through
me and decide to do the same. Most of all I want to bless His heart.
This all being said, today, we live in very tumultuous times, wickedness has gained much
ground. It has gained ground exponentially because it has been assisted by the main stream
church. The church has fallen to fables it has rendered itself spiritually and naturally ineffective.
This time of year, so many people who call themselves Christians, in the mighty name of Jesus, celebrate mixture and paganism, losing sight of the deeper more powerful message that should be focused on, a message that is diminished by a focus on wicked ceremonies, people believing good to be evil and evil good. Next week we will dive deeper into this subject uncover the wicked counterfeits and discover some truths through the Holy scriptures.
Three weeks ago, we discussed the wonderful story of redemption that is the story of Ruth. To recap, Ruth was a Moabite whose tribe was forever banned from the congregation of God. We discovered that God, who does abundantly pardon, did so in the case of Ruth because Ruth made a decision to sojourn with the people of God. In doing so Ruth made a proclamation and devoted herself to be as one with the people of Israel, furthermore, to receive the God of Israel as her own. This devotion took Ruth from a lineage banned from the congregation of God and placed her in the lineage of King David, thus. Subsequent to making her declaration to God and His people, Ruth was married to Boaz, their son was Obed who fathered Jesse who was the father of King David thus placing Ruth in the very lineage of our lord and savior, Yeshua, Jesus, the Christ child of Nazareth.
Easter Fables
Part 2
Two weeks we discussed the importance of sojourning with the people of Israel and how, like Ruth, as strangers we too can declare their people to be our people and their God to be our God. We discussed how in doing so it became important for us study the scriptures to discover more of what that means and how we are to follow the statutes and ordinances of God in order to bring us into a state of obedience to Him as well as to increase our knowledge of Him and His character. It is written, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
We also began to touch on the commandments of God we find in the book of Exodus and how what is written there extends beyond the typical “Ten Commandments” that are highlighted in the book of Exodus chapter twenty. We discussed the importance of really diving into the instructions written in the book of Exodus and what a benefit it would be to study closely Exodus chapters 18-40. We discussed the importance of keeping the feasts as commanded in order to help to remind us about the importance of following the word of God, not to be just hearers but also doers of the word.
The more we continue to read and dissect the word of God the closer we should be to becoming the men and women of God, perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Remember what Paul taught Timothy in,
2 Timothy 3: 13- 17
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
In essence, Paul was compelling Timothy to remember Old Testament scripture, as times were changing and “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived.” Paul was speaking not only to Timothy at a time such as then, but to us at a time such as now as well. Knowing scripture is the surest way of developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Through this relationship coupled with a knowledge of scripture, the men and women of God, thoroughly furnished, ought not be seduced nor deceived by evil men, especially those who attempt to forward counterfeit teachings. This too is how we are able identify fables. If we can identify fables, we can turn away from them and suffer no ill effects by their propagation.
deceived.” Paul was speaking not only to Timothy at a time such as then, but to us at a time such as now as well. Knowing scripture is the surest way of developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Through this relationship coupled with a knowledge of scripture, the men and women of God, thoroughly furnished, ought not be seduced nor deceived by evil men, especially those who attempt to forward counterfeit teachings. This too is how we are able identify fables. If we can identify fables, we can turn away from them and suffer no ill effects by their propagation.
“Observe thou that which I command thee this day.”
In Exodus 34: 18
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
As we went over two weeks ago in Exodus chapter twelve, we read clearly the instructions for keeping the Passover feast as a reminder of Israel being delivered out of the bondage of Egypt. Throughout the scriptures, both Old and New Testament, we find dozens of scriptures related to the feasts and our instructions to keep them. Particularly The feast of Passover and the feast of unleavened bread.
Deuteronomy 16:1-3
1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there.
3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
In Leveticus 23: 2 We find the lord conveying this to Moses,
“ Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
When I read this, I came to the revelation that feasts of God were not traditions invented by the Israelites. In essence to call them the feasts of the Jews, to me, really has undersold their
mandated importance. These are the feasts of God that he instructed the Israelites to observe and as a sojourner with His people professing their God as my God, I began to feel a need to research this in a deeper sense. And because we find in,
mandated importance. These are the feasts of God that he instructed the Israelites to observe and as a sojourner with His people professing their God as my God, I began to feel a need to research this in a deeper sense. And because we find in,
Numbers 9:14
“And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD;
according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land”.
I became aware that there are no different ordinances for me as there are for the Israelites with regards to this. This awareness compelled me to study scripture in a deeper sense. Not to just read it, or gloss over it but to dissect it and strive to come to realizations and discover flow and correlations I had not before discovered.
For the purposes of this teaching, some of the key discoveries we make are that, as stated earlier, the feasts were not just some traditions thought up by the Hebrews rather they are actually events and times articulated by God Himself and their adherence to, is compulsory, for His chosen people as well as any strangers who freely decide to sojourn with them. He being higher in ways and thoughts obviously has His reasons for requiring His people to honor and take part in His feasts. I am sure for reasons we benefit from, we will continue to discover.
Another important aspect of discovery we make while studying this is how times and days were tabulated very differently in ancient times then they are today in the modern world. This piece of knowledge, though seemingly small on the surface, will serve to open your mind and bring a deeper understanding of how certain webs of events have occurred affecting and corresponding with others and how knowing the structure of tabulating days play into revealing truths about other events we do not otherwise see.
For example, today most of the world views a day as a period of time measured in a twenty-four hour period which lies between one midnight hour to the next. Further that the corresponding date of that day is represented by the entire time period which lies within that twenty four hour period between midnights. More simply, for example, today is Saturday May 10th. It became the morning of May 10th just after midnight on Friday May 9th and will be the 10th through the evening into the night until just after midnight when the day will change to Sunday morning May 11th. In this structure the calendar day precedes the same day’s evening.
In biblical times, the tracking of days and dates was very different. As we study the scriptures especially when it comes to events surrounding sabbaths, feasts, fasting and other celebrations, we discover that the calendar day lies between one sundown to the next. If we apply the earlier time table as it corresponds to day changes, we would say that today is Saturday May 10th and it became May 10th in the evening just after sundown on Friday May 9th and will be may tenth until sundown on Saturday. Subsequent to sundown tonight the date will change to the evening of Sunday May 11th. Further, when we apply the tabulation of days using this structure we find that in a calendar day the evening precedes the daytime.
In biblical times, the tracking of days and dates was very different. As we study the scriptures especially when it comes to events surrounding sabbaths, feasts, fasting and other celebrations, we discover that the calendar day lies between one sundown to the next. If we apply the earlier time table as it corresponds to day changes, we would say that today is Saturday May 10th and it became May 10th in the evening just after sundown on Friday May 9th and will be may tenth until sundown on Saturday. Subsequent to sundown tonight the date will change to the evening of Sunday May 11th. Further, when we apply the tabulation of days using this structure we find that in a calendar day the evening precedes the daytime.
For further example, in our ministry we have come to understand that the weekly sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. What does this have to do with revealing fables surrounding easter? Let’s dive further into scripture together and intently peel back layers of misconception to open our understandings and discover the importance of increasing our knowledge regarding this. Our quest actually begins in the book of Jonah.
Jonah. Chapter 1: 15 -17
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 12, verse 40 we find Jesus proclaiming the following
Prophesy over himself. This was to be a sign to them that did not believe in Him.
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”.
Another clue we find in John Chapter 2 when Jesus went to Capernaum. Here we read in verses 12-19,
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up.
Still another clue in Matthew chapter 27 the bible reveals how the people mocked Jesus during the crucifixion saying in verses 35-42,
“35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Around the time of the crucifixion of Jesus the Passover was about to occur. Thus, we know he was crucified in the first month Abib. In Matthew 26 we find that the Chief priests,
scribes and elders had conspired to Kill Jesus as he came into Jerusalem but would not until after the Passover feast.
Matthew 26:1- 5
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
In Mark 14: 1-2
1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
In Luke 22:1-6
1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the
multitude.
1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the
multitude.
In John 13 verses 1-2
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
On the appointed evening Jesus sat with his disciples and partook of the Passover with them.
See Mark 14: 16-18
16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.
Now we know commonly that after the Passover meal was eaten Judas who had betrayed Jesus, lead the chief priests to the group of disciples and Jesus was arrested. The following day he was brought before Pontus Pilot. This was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath. The day that is set aside to make preparations for observing sabbaths and sabbath feasts.
Mark 15:42
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
Throughout these scriptures we find the term even used often, as denoting a certain time of the day. This begs the question, when does even actually occur? We find a direct answer to this question in the book Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 16: 6
6 But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt
sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
Even occurs at the time the sun is setting through sundown until it becomes dark, at which time it becomes evening. As a general rule evening lasts until bed time at which time, after then, it becomes night time until the sun begins to rise again.
Jesus was crucified on preparation day. The day following the Passover meal which was at
sundown or even on the 14th Abib and the day before the sabbath. Because this event took place on this day, the day of preparation, the rulers knew it was important to finish the executions and bury the crucified men before sundown, or “even” on the 15th Abib or else the bodies would have to remain on the crosses the entire next day. This was because at sundown the sabbath began and as the people observed the sabbath, they could do no work.
John 19: 30-36
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
You see, crucifixion as a form of execution was not a new to these people. Throughout the years they had gained the knowledge that breaking of the legs of the person who was hanging on the cross would expedite their passing.
We know by the holy scriptures that as the day was drawing to a close, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to request that the body of Jesus was given to him so that he could make sure Jesus was intombed before the sabbath commenced at sundown of that day, the 15th Abib.
We know by the holy scriptures that as the day was drawing to a close, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to request that the body of Jesus was given to him so that he could make sure Jesus was intombed before the sabbath commenced at sundown of that day, the 15th Abib.
Matthew 27: 57- 61
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also
himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be
delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great
stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also
himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be
delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great
stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
Mark 15: 42- 47
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
John 19: 32 - 42
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the
Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a
mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new
sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
Luke 23: 50-56
50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:
51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.
52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in
stone, wherein never man before was laid.
54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the
sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
So as the scriptures clearly reveal, Jesus was crucified on the 14th Abib, preparation day, and laid in the tomb just before the sundown that would usher in the sabbath, the 15th Abib. Now, because of hundreds of years, maybe even more than thousands of years of education, humanity has been taught that this day was Friday, the day before the sabbath, now known by the world as “Good Friday”, and that Jesus lay in the tomb from Friday evening, the sixth day of the week, through Saturday or Sabado in Spanish, Sabato in Italian, Savato in Greek, Shabbat in Hebrew, the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath. Further, that Jesus rose from the dead at sunrise on Sunday, the first day of the week, making it the new sabbath day. The new day to gather, to congregate to worship and commune with our Father in heaven, right?
Wait, what? No. This makes no sense, try as you might you cannot make sense of this in any
way, even by twisting scripture, (wrest judgement) this can make no sense; therefore, it is
nonsense, a fable. A fable that cannot be reconciled with the word of God. From the beginning of time God has instructed us to rest and commune with Him on the seventh day, the last day of the week, the sabbath. The day He set aside for such a time. The only day of the week that He blessed for such a time, forever.
(Note: I have mentioned different language derivations referring to the seventh day of the week or the sabbath. Since ancient times many languages developed a word for the seventh day referring to the sabbath or shabbat that are similar in nature. Even in Swahili the word for seven is Saba. It is estimated that over 100 ancient and modern languages use a form of the word "Sabbath" to refer to Saturday.)
This was a well-known ordinance/commandment, and was practiced by the doers of the word of God prior to and after the ascending of Jesus. Throughout the bible, there are multitudes of scripture reverences to support this. In fact, I do not believe that there is any of God’s commandments more referenced in the entirety of scripture then that of the observance of and the keeping of His sabbaths. This includes the revealing of blessings promised for keeping His sabbaths as well as the penalties associated for not.
Genesis 2: 1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exodus 20: 8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Leviticus 19:1-4
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 26: 1-9
1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.
1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.
Deuteronomy 5: 12-14
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
Ezekiel 20: 11-14
11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
Nehemiah 13: 15-19
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.
16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
Isaiah 56: 1-5
1 Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying,
The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that
please me, and take hold of my covenant;
5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
This statute was of utmost importance to God. The blessings of keeping the sabbath is linked
to salvation, the prosperity of man and the land, along with pleasing His heart. Keeping the
sabbath is associated directly with being a “sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them”, saith the almighty God in heaven. It is important to him. On the sabbath days the people commonly gathered together and discussed scripture. Yeshua, Jesus, the Holy one of God, made this a practice as well.
to salvation, the prosperity of man and the land, along with pleasing His heart. Keeping the
sabbath is associated directly with being a “sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them”, saith the almighty God in heaven. It is important to him. On the sabbath days the people commonly gathered together and discussed scripture. Yeshua, Jesus, the Holy one of God, made this a practice as well.
Mark 1: 21-24
21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the
synagogue, and taught.
22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mark 6: 1-2
1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
After the ascension of Jesus, His disciples also made it a practice to convene with the people on the sabbath days to, teach the word of God and the teachings of Jesus, the Christ child of
Nazareth.
Acts 13: 13-16
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the
synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Acts 13:26-27
26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the
voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
Acts 13: 42-44
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes
followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Acts 17:1-2
17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
So, you see, incontestably, prior to and subsequent to the ascension of Jesus, the people of God in obedience to Him and his statutes, honored the commandment to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. As evidenced in an incredible number of scriptural references they gathered together on the sabbath to share the word of God. As further evidenced in Acts 13:42-44, even when confronted with exuberant desires of the people to hear more of the word preached to them, Paul, instead of gathering any other day, waited until the following sabbath to continue his teachings.
What was the root reason for gathering together in the synagogues every sabbath to read and hear the testimonies of God, a practice that the people even Jesus committed to from His earliest days recorded of His youth until his ascension? We find the answer to that in,
Acts 15: 21
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Every sabbath day, the seventh day, the day commanded, blessed and anointed by God for the salvation and sanctification of mankind. Every sabbath the people of God gathered to hear the words written in the law, prophets and writings preached to them while being read in the synagogues. This was practiced for nearly 1,400 years prior to the birth of Jesus, it was practiced by Jesus and was practiced by the disciples of Jesus after His death, resurrection and ascension to the throne.
This is more evidence that Jesus and His disciples did, in fact, honor and promote the teachings of Moses. Remember the reason Paul compelled Timothy to remember the scriptures taught to him in his youth, the law and the prophets and writings, the Tanakh. Stating, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
In Deuteronomy 17: 19 -20 Moses teaches us that a leader of the people should write down the laws and keep them with them to refer to them daily.
19And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the
commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his
kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
The Law of God is a blessing. It is a guide in righteousness along the path through to the straight Gate. As the psalmists writes, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. His laws are a blueprint for life in liberty from the weight and death that inevitably comes from an alignment with sin. The law of God is not a burden. John writes in,
1 John 5: 1-3
5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his
commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
So, despite all of the overwhelming, incontrovertible scriptural evidence contained in the word of God, how did most of humanity fall prey to misguidedly believing in fables? In particular, how were the fables surrounding the crucifixion death and resurrection of Yeshua, Jesus the Christ child of Nazareth able to be proliferated and so ingrained into the Christian society so as to lead them into practicing the pagan rituals now observed as Easter? How could the same fables cause a change in the observance of the sabbath day from the last day, the seventh day of the week, the day set aside, commanded, blessed, and sanctified by our father in heaven for the salvation of humanity, to the first day of the week, the first work day, the day from ancient times set aside by pagans to worship the Sun gods? I believe the answer to these questions are multifold.
The answers to these questions can be found in scripture, all scripture. Remember that Paul said to Timothy, “that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”. Yes, the scripture of Timothy’s youth, Old Testament scripture, the Law and the Prophets making us wise onto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
So, to begin to find the answers we have to read and study the holy scriptures.
Remember, scripture reveals to us that the nature of man can be rebellious, wicked and
disobedient. This can be further magnified by the effects of the spiritually wicked ones upon the people, the principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world and the spiritual wickedness in high places that Paul writes about in the book of Ephesians in chapter six. The same influences we are compelled to protect and arm ourselves against, by using the word of God as our guide.
We are in end times; of this I am convinced. Paul warned us about end times threats to the people of God. He prophesied of wickedness to come and people being led astray. Particularly in,
2 Timothy 3: 1-7
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Remember? he warned us to turn away from such threats. He warned us about humanity turning to fables in,
2 Timothy 4: 3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The apostle Peter, soon to meet his death, reveals that he did not follow fables when he testified of the Majesty of Jesus Christ. Why should we follow untruths, especially those that seek to diminish His divinity, and subvert His majesty?
2 Peter1:14-17
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The successful attack on the deity of Jesus, the Christ child of Nazareth is paramount for the
darkness of this world to diminish His Majesty and subvert His authority. This has been
perpetrated over time by men like who Paul warned us about. Men spurred on by the
principalities, powers and rulers of darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high
places. These have forwarded fables damaging to the authority of Yeshua Jesus and the kingdom of God. Fables like, Jesus did away with the law and the Old Testament scriptures. This is a lie forwarded by the devil himself in order to convince humanity not to receive the wisdom and power contained in the scriptures that would lead them to perfection as Paul taught. With regard to this fable Jesus actually said from His own lips as revealed in,
Matthew 5: 17-19
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
From His own mouth Jesus tells us that he did “not come to destroy” the law, further that nothing shall pass from the law until all be fulfilled. So do not break even the least of the
commandments. Now today, proponents of many of the modern new age Christian ideologies make the claim that because Jesus fulfilled the law, that this somehow means that he has released us from adherence to it, that he made all matters pertaining to the law of God complete and by His coming and subsequent to His sacrifice on the cross the salvation of mankind no longer requires that man abide in the laws, statutes and ordinances of God. This is a lie, a fable, an example of wresting His judgements. Jesus made it clear what he meant by fulfilling the Law. We find this clarification in,
Luke 24: 44-46
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Throughout the Old Testament scriptures there are a multitude of prophetic references to Jesus, the Christ child of Nazareth. Many bible scholars contend that there were more than three hundred Old Testament scriptures fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Further, that His fulfillment of the scriptures were to prophetically verify His status as the son of God, the king of the Israelites, the Massiah, our savior, The Christ. Simply put, when Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, he meant that he came to fulfill what was prophetically written about Him in the law. Then in verse (46) above, after he opened their understanding, He went on to provide an example stating that because it was written that Christ was to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day, it was incumbent upon Him to submit and subject himself to that process.
I believe it important to point out that although the Tanakh, the Hebrew bible, did contain the Torah, the five books written by Moses, more commonly referred to as “The Law”, also
contained the writings of the prophets, known as “The prophets” as well as all other books
known as “The writings”. In the days of Jesus, the Tanakh was sometimes referred to as the law and the prophets and sometimes, quite simply, the law. Throughout the New Testament
scriptures, we can find an abundance of acknowledgements of Jesus fulfilling what was written about Him in the law and in the other books of the Hebrew bible. The following are but a few examples.
Matthew 2: 16-18
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel
weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Matthew 2:23
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 21: 1-5
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of
Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
Matthew27:35
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
Mark 15:27-28
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
John:15: 24-25
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They
hated me without a cause.
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
John:15: 24-25
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They
hated me without a cause.
John19: 32-37
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Jesus did not destroy the law of God. He did not do away with the Old Testament scriptures.
These are fables. If you read and study the book of John you make the discovery that in the
beginning was the word and the word became flesh and the word was Jesus. Jesus did not do
away with the Old Testament scriptures; He is the Old Testament scriptures. He did not do away with the law of Moses because He is the law of Moses. John teaches us in 1 john 3: 4 that sin is transgression of the law.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
To transgress against Yeshua Jesus is to sin. Jesus did not come against the law of God if
anything He actually, in many circumstances, raised the standard in relation to obedience to it.
For example, in,
Matthew 5:27-28
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart.
Jesus took this violation of the law from the simpler act of physical commission to the more
complex act of uncontrolled emotions coupled with gawking and lusting. Thus, raising the
standard.
Jesus did not do away with the law or the Old Testament scriptures because they reveal
principles necessary for the man and woman of God to become holy and perfect as the Apostles taught, so that “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”, and unified with the kingdom of heaven. Can a person enter into the kingdom of Heaven without thoroughly receiving Jesus the Christ Child of Nazareth as their lord and savior and adopting Kingdom principles as delineated by the almighty God? No, because as we know from scripture the only way to the father is through the son and also, a house divided cannot stand. Yeshua, Jesus the Christ child of Nazareth cannot come against himself, nor His father in heaven, the two are one and the kingdom of heaven shall not fall.
Now that we have the information, we have received let’s circle back to the original topic of the fables surrounding the easter season and uncover the charade.
Today, when asked why we no longer keep the sabbath, the two most common answers we get from modern mainstream preachers is firstly, The disciples changed the sabbath when they began preaching on Sunday. The scripture usually site to support this belief is in the following,
Acts 20: 6-11
6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul
preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
Quite simply, the scripture tells a story of some of the disciples getting together for a meal on the first day of the week. This was obviously the evening directly following the sabbath day and could explain that sabbath fellowship was the primary reason that brought them together in the first place. In any event during this gathering Paul spoke or preached until midnight. At some time during which, a young man fell asleep and slumped over causing him to fall from a high loft and was killed as result of the fall. Now Paul, obviously full of faith, embraced the young man and he revived. After this, the men went back to eating and sat up all night talking until daybreak of the following day.
Getting together on the sabbath then sharing an evening meal after sundown on the first day of the week is something we commonly do in our own ministry. Not because of any commandment or scriptural guidance but because sometimes it just happens to work out that way. We have even been known to stay up all night until the next day, fellowshipping, worshiping, and reading scripture. Obviously minus the wonderful miracle that occurred with the young man as reported in this story, but the event as a whole is not unheard of nor is it particularly remarkable otherwise. However, we are asked to believe that this one event lends credence to the justification of setting aside the very commandments of God on this matter. Think about this. We are asked to forget about the very word of God and irrefutable evidence compiled over thousands of years of testimony and dedication to keeping the sabbaths as delineated by God himself. The very same as revealed in scripture reference after scripture reference through the teachings of Moses, the prophets, the writings, Jesus and His disciples.
As we discussed before, of all of the commandments of God, remembering the sabbaths and
keeping them holy is probably the most referenced through all of scripture, Old and New
Testament. Keeping the sabbath is directly linked to obedience to our Father in heaven from the beginning of all creation. Sabbath keeping, scripturally is directly linked to blessing,
sanctification and salvation. Are we really to believe that all of this was set aside because the
disciples pulled an all-nighter that ended Sunday morning?
Again, Today, when asked why we no longer keep the sabbath, of the two most common answers we get from modern mainstream preachers’ number two is because Jesus after his crucifixion and death, instituted a change represented in the new covenant when he rose at sunrise on Sunday, the first day of the week.
Did Jesus rise from the dead and escape the tomb on Sunday? Mainstream teaching says He did. Was he crucified on Good Friday? Again, mainstream theology says He was. But what does the bible say? In the Gospel of John Chapter twenty we find,
John 20:1
20 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the
sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Here we find some clues that can help us discern the time at which Jesus rose from the tomb. It was the first day of the week, that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. It was still dark. So, we know it was some time after sundown on the sabbath and before sunrise on the first day. This is not telling us when Jesus rose but when Mary came to the tomb and found it empty.
In Luke Chapter twenty four we find this,
Luke 24: 1-3
24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
Here again, we see that they came to the Tomb at sometime on the first day of the week, very early in the morning. This account too does not give us the time at which Jesus rose from the grave, just that they came to the sepulchre early in the morning sometime between sundown on the sabbath and early morning on the first day or Sunday.
Now in the gospel of Mark we find,
Mark 16:1-5
1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and
Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the
sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
Here as well in the Gospel of Mark we find that they came to the tomb of Jesus sometime after sundown and before sunrise and found that the tomb was already empty.
In the gospel of Matthew we find the following account,
Matthew 28: 1-2
28 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Two very important things we must understand as we read Matthew’s account. Firstly, many mis-associate the verb to dawn as exclusively having to do with describing the sunrise, such as in the case of “The dark before the dawn” or “dawning of a new day” or commonly the sunrise at dawn. Dawn can also mean to become evident to the mind; be suddenly perceived or understood.
However, as in this case dawn can also mean, the beginning of a phenomenon or period of time, the beginning of a transition from one state to another. The beginning, start, or birth of some event. For example, I could say that the discovery of atomic energy signified the dawning of a new era for all of mankind.
Secondly, many scholars believe that Matthew, by virtue of his trained profession tended to keep more intricate records and be more detailed in his accounts. Perhaps this is why his gospel record contains more chapters ie: information than the other Gospel records.
Now, given this, it is revealed that by Matthews account that it was still in the sabbath but
dawning towards the first day of the week when Mary and Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found it empty. Dawning towards the first day. Knowing now that in these times, days were tabulated from sundown to the following sundown we understand that the setting of the sun was ushering in a new day. The first day was about to begin.
As we apply the other clues we find in the scriptures, I believe that you, like me, will come to the determination that Matthews account is the most accurate. What other clues, and where do we start? Well let’s start at the beginning where we discussed Jonah, remember, Jonnah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so, shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”. Remember in Matthew chapter 27 when the Jews asked for a sign saying “What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? And Jesus answering, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”.
Remember when the people mocked him while he hung on the cross saying, “Thou that
destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross”? How about powerfully fulfilling, what was written about Him in the law “because it was written that Christ was to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day”? Or, how about when the chief priests and pharisees went to Pilate on the morning of the sabbath saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first?
Wait, they were concerned about three days’ time from the sabbath morning? Yes, but we will come back to that.
The common theme in these scripture clues continue to be three days and three nights. Since
Jesus is holy and perfect we have to make the determination that being true to his word and
scripture references, he truly meant three full days and three full nights. Further, to help us
determine when he rose, we have to understand that we are talking about complete blocks of
time.
At this point here we can already surmise that there is a massive problem with the common
narrative that Jesus was killed on good Friday, laid to rest just before sundown then rose again Sunday morning at sun rise. That would only account for two nights and one full day and a partial. It simply does not fit.
Let’s say that Matthews account is accurate and that Jesus rose from the tomb some time on the sabbath. Let’s further apply that it occurred while taking into account full blocks of time and in keeping with the notion of three full days and three full nights.
Now knowing that the days are from sundown to sundown let’s say that Jesus rose just before sundown on the sabbath. Now let’s go backwards three full days and nights starting with the dawning of the first day from the seventh or sabbath day as Matthew describes. Saturday even to Friday even, Friday to Thursday even then to Wednesday even. If we attribute this time to complete blocks of time that include three full days and three full nights from the end of the sabbath day, we can surmise that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday. Remember they rushed to get him into the tomb before sundown because sundown marked the beginning of the sabbath.
Wait, what? Beginning of the sabbath? From Wednesday? Yes, I will explain, let’s move forward and you will see how this all will make sense.
So, Jesus was crucified and placed in the tomb just before sundown on Wednesday the fourth Day of the week. He spent that night and the next full day, a sabbath, the fifth day, Thursday, in the tomb. This was his first full night and day, then from sundown through the following day this was his second full day and night, this was the sixth day or Friday. By this time Jesus had spent two full days and nights in the tomb and now it was dawning into the sabbath, the seventh day. Jesus spent that night, the third full night in the tomb then the night became the day and just before sundown on the sabbath Jesus had spent three full nights and three full days in the heart of earth, just as He said he would. Now how does all this make sense? Well let’s look at another very important clue from Leviticus. Remember,
Leviticus 23:5-7?
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Where the confusion lies for most people is that we are actually dealing with a time frame
wherein two sabbaths are occurring, a high day, or high sabbath, and the weekly sabbath,
occurring on the seventh day. Remember we discussed this,
“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away”.
The Chief priests and pharisees could not Kill Jesus until after the Passover the 14th Abib which occurred on Tuesday night the following was preparation day, the day that proceeds the sabbath. It was a high sabbath the first day of the feast of unleavened bread beginning the 15th Abib in the even. This is the sabbath that the people were concerned with to ensure that Jesus was placed in the tomb prior to the completion of its dawning.
The fundamental time line as I see it is this,
The Chief priests, scribes and elders cant crucify Jesus because the Passover was about to occur.
On the even of the 14th (our Tuesday) after Passover Jesus was arrested.
On the 14th day (or Wednesday) Jesus was crucified. Joseph of Arimathaea begged for the body of Jesus to be buried before sundown because sundown began the 15th, the first day of the feast of unleavened bread a holy convocation, a high sabbath, when no work could be done.
Jesus was placed in the ground on the 14th (our Wednesday, the fourth day of the week) just
before the new day began at sundown, the high sabbath, sundown on the 15th.
From here he lay for three full nights and three full days until just before sundown on the weekly sabbath, the seventh and last day of the week. As a special note, I want to point out that in,
Luke 23: 55-56
55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the
sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Here we find that the ladies rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. This
statement for me has a much deeper meaning when I consider closely who their teacher
was and what He taught them.
Easter Fable
Part 3
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they remembered his words,
They came to the sepulcher early on the first day of the week and found the tomb open and the body of Jesus gone. As they stood there perplexed over the situation angels in the tomb informed them, He is not here. The angels went on as if to say, don’t you remember, He told you, sinful men were going to crucify Him and kill Him and that He would rise again on the third day, you’re late, this is Sunday (the first day of the week and the fourth day from His crucifixion). By all accounts, scripture reveals that the group who came to the tomb of Jesus did so just at a time at or immediately following the end of the sabbath, and found he was not there.
So, as the angels reminded them, Jesus said he would rise on the third day, and they showed up late, the logical conclusion we can derive from this is that they came to the tomb on a day that followed the third day they came as the sabbath ended. They came on the fourth day but Jesus had already risen and was gone.
We serve a risen King, and our King bore witness to His kingdom, was sacrificed on a cross so that through Him we may have access to that kingdom. As he proclaimed, he was put into the earth for three days and three nights and he rose from the grave on the sabbath.
It is written,
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 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”. Colossians 2: 6-8
As I meditate on and research the scriptures revealing the record of Christs crucifixion, death and resurrection, I can’t help but marvel at Matthew’s account and the great displays of power that were exhibited. We find this in,
Matthew 27: 50-54
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
And in,
Matthew 28: 1-6
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
At the very moment that Jesus died, major supernatural events were set in motion. The sky was dark, the veil in the temple torn in half from top to bottom. There was an earth quake. Rocks began to break apart and graves began to open up as the bodies of the Saints in them came alive and began walking around and making their way into Jerusalem. All this as the self-assured roman soldiers, who moments before had mocked Jesus, disdainfully called Him the king of the Jews and contemptuously, sarcastically told Him to free himself. They nailed Him to a cross, stole his clothes and stabbed Him with a spear but then, at this point in time, became filled with fear witnessing the signs being displayed. They, so full of fear, became convinced of who Yeshua, Jesus really was to where they began to proclaim, “Truly this was the Son of God”.
Then, three days and three nights later as Mary and Mary came to the tomb on the sabbath, there was another earth quake and an angel with the countenance of lighting descended to the tomb and rolled the stone away. This was such a powerful event that the guards who were sent to seal and watch over the tomb passed out with fear. Ironically the guards were there to prevent the followers of Jesus from stealing the body but as we see here in this account, the body of Jesus was gone before the tomb was unsealed.
Just as Jesus told the scribes and pharisees in,
Matthew 12: 38-40
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a
sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
It is my belief that the moment of His death and the moment of his resurrection were both
signified by an earth quake, events that shook the very ground the people walked on, as a sign, with other signs and wonders following.
So, what does the contemporary celebration that takes place every spring during the vernal
equinox, such as the gathering together and crying at sunrise services on Sunday, the celebration of decorative eggs, the fond acknowledgement of bunnies and the eating of unclean swine have to do with the life, death and resurrection of The Christ Child of Nazareth? Absolutely nothing! The truth is, it’s a counterfeit, a fable that has nothing to do with celebrating and remembering the powerfully significant events that were done as a sign to remind humanity of the importance of the Gospel of the kingdom of God.
As legend has it, Easter as commonly celebrated is in actuality a celebration that was concocted as an incantation over people to save the rule of a queen over a kingdom which existed thousands of years before the coming of Christ.
After the great flood, the descendants of Noah were commanded to go forth and multiply.
However instead of going forth or spreading out as it was intended for them to do, they settled in the plain of Shinar and multiplied there into a great number. According to the bible, in the plain of Shinar the city of Babel was built and Nimrod is associated with the city of Babel and others. As we move forward with this discussion, I believe it important to reveal the genealogy of Nimrod. Nimrod was the great grandson of Noah. Noah begat Ham, Ham begat Cush/Kush and Kush begat Nimrod. Now Nimrod we know by biblical accounts was at one time the ruler over Babel. We see this in,
Genesis 11: 9-10.
9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty
hunter before the Lord.
10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
By noncanonical and secular accounts Nimrod, though a mighty hunter before the Lord, was a tyrant King who wanted to make a name for himself so he led the people of Bable to build the “Tower of Bable”. The bible says in,
Genesis 11:1-4
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of
Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
4 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.
A deeper contemplation of this story may justifiably lead one to believe that the actions of
Nimrod and His people began to challenge and mock God. Obviously, the notion of disobedience to the command of spreading out, essentially to populate the earth, gave rise to a rebelliousness that caused them to strive greatly together to build a tower that would reach to heaven. This so that they would be known as a force to be reckoned with in order to combat the command to spread out or go forth and multiply. For as they proclaimed,
Nimrod and His people began to challenge and mock God. Obviously, the notion of disobedience to the command of spreading out, essentially to populate the earth, gave rise to a rebelliousness that caused them to strive greatly together to build a tower that would reach to heaven. This so that they would be known as a force to be reckoned with in order to combat the command to spread out or go forth and multiply. For as they proclaimed,
“let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”.
reference to slime actually meant bitumen. Bitumen is a slick tar used for water proofing. In the story of Moses, his mother Jochebed made a small ark or boat, from the plants growing on the banks of the Nile River. She then coated it with slime and pitch tomake it water proof. We find this in,
Exodus 2: 1-3
1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
It is believed that the people of babel further mocking God made their tower waterproof in case God decided to come against them and their efforts with another flood. Even though they knew that God promised that He would not repeat the event of the great flood. As the bible tells us, God saw the works of the people of Babel and was seemingly surprised and impressed with their abilities in unity. So, he decided to divide them and essentially force them to disband and scatter by striking them with different languages so that they could no longer communicate with one another as a whole.
Genesis 11: 6-9
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they
begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
9 Therefore is the name of it 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.
Now, legend has it that in those days in the kingdom of Babel was a royal consort named
Semiramis, also that Semiramis was the actual mother of Nimrod and when Nimrod’s father
Cush was killed Nimrod was made ruler of Babel, later to be known as Babylon. Semiramis, in order to gain power and stature, convinced her son Nimrod to marry her, thus making her queen. Together Nimrod and Semiramis had a son named Tammuz.
In the bible there are two references to the “Book of Jasher”. We find these in,
Joshua 10:13-14
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
And in,
2 Samuel 1: 17-18
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
In the book of Jasher, chapter 27, it is written that there was a jealousy between Nimrod and Esau and that they frequently hunted in the same wilderness. Esau is the older twin brother to Jacob, the sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham. In verses five through seven we read that Esau found Nimrod in the woods and began to stalk him and his men, when suddenly Esau sprung from his hiding place and cut off the head of Nimrod.
Jasher 27:7
“And Nimrod and two of his men that were with him came to the place where they were, when Esau started suddenly from his lurking place, and drew his sword, and hastened and ran to Nimrod and cut off his head”.
Now according to legend or fable, upon the death of her husband and son Nimrod, Semiramis’ position in Babylon began to come under threat so she began to work to convince the people that she was actually a goddess. Apparently, they bought the ruse because from this time forward many stories were concocted which gave rise to more fables and pagan celebrations. Semiramis claimed that she was actually the goddess Ishtar the Mesopotamian thus Babylonian goddess referred to as the queen of heaven. She was a goddess associated with love, war, fertility and sexuality. Further that she descended from the moon to earth in a giant egg, the “Ishtar egg”, which landed in the Euphrates River.
Semiramis claimed that when Nimrod was killed and his blood was spilled on the land, it caused an evergreen to spontaneously sprout and grow, signifying a birth, new life or resurrection had occurred, further that Nimrod ascended to his place in the sun as the sun god Shamash. Thus, every year during the winter solstice, birth of longer days, an evergreen was brought into the home and adorned with Gold and silver and other decorations. But the details of this are for another teaching which we have already examined at length. And as we know, the practice of which was forbidden by God as relayed in Jeremiah chapter Ten.
After convincing the people that she was a goddess and married to the sun god, she successfully clenched her position as the deity ruler of Babylon. As a boy, Tammuz the son of Ishtar and now the sun god formerly known as Nimrod, had a fondness for rabbits, as they were allowed to roam freely within the city and in the palace court of the queen, in abundance. Rabbits were revered by the ancient Babylonians as their prolific nature represented the spirit of their deity Ishtar’s fertile and sexual character. As time went on Tammuz, like his father, grew to be a renowned hunter and often spent time in the woods questing after game.
Now as every hunter knows, the best time of the day to begin hunting is usually in the morning hours before the sunrise. After the sun has risen, many animals seek a place to bed down to escape the daytime heat of the sun. It is in the cool of the morning hours when most large game animals they are still foraging and moving about. At this time of the day many are moving from water and foraging grounds along paths to a place of security and shade where they can bed down for the day and thus become harder to locate. It is also advantageous for the hunter, as humans are not well adapted to see in the dark, so in the cool of the morning at first light is when Tammuz set out to hunt on one particular morning. As fable has it, it was on this fate full morning when Tammuz was attacked gored and killed by a giant wild boar. This event gave rise to more fables, celebrations and practices as we have earlier revealed. To this day, thousands of years later, people continue to celebrate pagan ceremonies and rituals that were created to commemorate the lives of others who were raised to the status of deities by storytelling, mere humans creating gods.
Strangely, most who claim to be followers of Jesus have adopted certain pagan celebrations and practices calling them Godly when in truth they were actually propagated to lead the people away from Godliness just as the prophets and disciples warned against. Also, very strangely, when confronted with the truth of the ungodly foundations of these practices, rituals and ceremonies, most who portend to be followers of Jesus defend their involvement while claiming the pagan ceremonies represent fun, peace, love and their participation in them is “no big deal”. The truth is mixing paganism into the life of one who claims to be “Christian” is a big deal. Disobedience to God is a big deal. Believers in Christ are called to live a life that exemplifies walking as He did, without compromise. It is written,
“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”. Colossians 2: 8
The bible is very clear that the temple of God who we are to become, a saint, a vessel worthy of His habitation, is founded upon the teachings of the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus, Yeshua, the Christ child of Nazareth as the chief cornerstone.
In Ephesians 2: 18-22 Paul writes,
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
How can we then set aside the wisdom and instruction of Jesus, the prophets and the Apostles? What do the Easter celebrations such as, egg decoration, bunnies, crying at sun rise services, the eating of swine and worshiping the Sun and the moon have to do with the life, crucifixion, death and resurrection of the Christ? Absolutely nothing. However, in their observance the man of God becomes tainted by mixture and the sin of practicing mixture. Furthermore, and maybe more importantly, because these pagan practices tend to target innocent children, they lead them away from truly knowing Jesus and can prove to be powerful mediums for causing rebellion, resentment and resistance for learning the truth behind such deceptions.
Now I know that there are those who say, but Easter is mentioned in the bible and they
celebrated it back in the days of the Apostles. To this I say yes that is true, you will find it
mentioned once in Acts.
Acts 12: 1- 4
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four
quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Yes, Easter is mentioned once in Acts as taking place at the time of unleavened bread. Just
because we see a practice taking place in the bible does not mean it is good. Harod was a wicked, and pagan King. The practices of adultery, child sacrifice, murder, Baal worship all took place and were mentioned in the bible multiple times however are these practices good? It is important to understand that the Ishtar celebration began almost a thousand years before the first passover and evolved over time, as it was begun by a fable created by man.
Passover was an actual recorded event. The time of unleavened bread is also based on actual
events. The passion of Christ is based on actual recorded events. Then as today, though they
arose at different times in history and were generally celebrated by different cultures the two
events originally had nothing to do with each other. Yet they take place at the same time of the year, but for very different reasons. Easter or Ishtar though celebrated for more than one
thousand four hundred years before the death of Christ, is mentioned once in all of the scriptures. The passover is mentioned seventy six times. Forty eight in the Old Testament and twenty eight times in the New Testament scriptures. Because of the vastly different origination as it pertains to time, mixture of the two stories was not always an issue, however today the mixture of the two celebrations is a truly, truly grave issue.
What parent in modern society, in church or not, is prevented by notions of unpopularity,
guilt and/or a desire to adhere to societal norms, from teaching their children the fallacies behind pagan celebrations? Easter is pagan, there is no easter bunny or easter eggs. Like santa clause and christmas and characters associated with them are actually demonic symbols, idols and celebrations designed to seduce the carnal mind of man. They are developed to elevate humans to pseudo god status so that they might have power and rule over others. They are created to foster and proliferate a separation between mankind and our Father in heaven and His righteousness. They were created to encourage moon and sun worship and the worship of the idols and gods associated therewith.
These are propagated and proliferated by the devil in order lead people away from walking in the principles of the kingdom of heaven. These celebrations seduce people into opening the door to gleeful fomentation of the violation of the commandments of God and aid in instructing their generations in violating the same. It is written in,
Exodus 20: 2-5
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Today, more than ever before, children are being led away from the security, liberty and comfort that comes from a relationship with our Father in heaven, His Holy Spirit and His son, our lord and savior, Jesus, the Christ. People today suffer under the weight of sin and the devastation, death and heart break it brings in more areas of our lives then can be numbered. In this, children all over the world are being sacrificed for the cause of profit, gain and the satisfaction of perverse carnal lusts. Celebrating and practicing paganism, other gods and idols, while joyously teaching children to do so as well, is but one way children are offer up for sacrifice to other gods. The world leads them away from Jesus while convincing them that Jesus happily supports the division. Without correction, the partaking in abominations is perpetuated from one generation to the next, so too is the loss of the innocent souls of the children.
Today
God is asking mankind, “How much are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of
holding on to vain and fruitless traditions, have you not heard what is written”?
Jesus, Yeshuah the Christ child of Nazareth Has inquired and it is written,
“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye”?
It is written, and Jesus said, “ Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven”.
Also,
“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea”.
Yes, pagan rituals do target children. They also target the minds of adults encouraging them to lower their guards and offer the children up to devilish things. Is not introducing your children to them and the practice thereof leading them from Jesus? Is not leading them from Jesus a grave offense?
Easter takes place every year at a specified time that is associated by the movement of the moon and sun, specifically the vernal or spring equinox. Equinox is Latin indicating equal. The equinox occurs twice each year, it is a time when the position of the sun corresponds with the position of the earths equator thus making the length of both night and day equal. Easter occurs on the first Sunday following the first full moon of the spring equinox. The pagans would have you believe that this corresponds with and delineates the time of "Pesach" or Passover. This is not true. As we discovered earlier the Passover takes place on the 14th Abib. Abib is actually in the month of Nissan, the first month. This time frame is not guided by the condition of the moon and the sun or stars but rather the time of Abib. Abib means ripening. This time is delineated by the ripening of barley on the stalk in Israel.
Easter takes place every year at a specified time that is associated by the movement of the moon and sun, specifically the vernal or spring equinox. Equinox is Latin indicating equal. The equinox occurs twice each year, it is a time when the position of the sun corresponds with the position of the earths equator thus making the length of both night and day equal. Easter occurs on the first Sunday following the first full moon of the spring equinox. The pagans would have you believe that this corresponds with and delineates the time of "Pesach" or Passover. This is not true. As we discovered earlier the Passover takes place on the 14th Abib. Abib is actually in the month of Nissan, the first month. This time frame is not guided by the condition of the moon and the sun or stars but rather the time of Abib. Abib means ripening. This time is delineated by the ripening of barley on the stalk in Israel.
The ripening of the barley sets the time of Abib in the month of Nissan. In the month of Nissan another event usually occurs as Nissan marks the lambing season. We know that the Passover celebration occurs as directed by the holy scriptures. We know by earlier lessons that Jesus was actually, born in this season, the lambing season. We also know that scripture calls for a lamb to be used for the Passover be inspected and found spotless before it can be sacrificed. Jesus was born in the lambing season. Years later, in the lambing season he was drug before the counsel around the time of the Passover. During this counsel he was inspected and declared by Pilate to have no faults, spotless, we find this in the following scriptures,
Luke 23: 3-5 &13-14
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
And
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
John 18: 37-38
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
John 19:1-6
1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him,
crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
Yeshua Jesus, the Christ child of Nazareth, the very lamb of God, was born in the lambing
season and upon inspection was found faultless, and/or spotless, and was sacrificed in the same season. His birth and death was not signified or marked in association with moon and sun cycles, but like His life, it was marked by new birth, new beginnings, seed planting and harvest. As we read and believe, in Exodus God said, “I am the Lord thy God, Thou shalt have no other gods before me”. For the follower of Jesus, the moon, sun and stars can never be a considered a deity.
In Deuteronomy 4:13-19 we read,
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
14 And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go
over to possess it.
15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
In Deuteronomy chapter seventeen verses two through five the almighty God, our Father in
heaven tells us this,
over to possess it.
15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
In Deuteronomy chapter seventeen verses two through five the almighty God, our Father in
heaven tells us this,
Deuteronomy 17: 2-5
2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:
5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
In Psalms 135: 15-18
15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
How can the man of God put his trust in an Idol he fashioned with his own hands, how can we submit ourselves to the rule of a rock or stick or another, falsely declaring to be a deity? Through our God the scriptures tell how Joshua's prayers were able to make the moon and sun stand still. In his dreams Joseph saw the moon and sun bow down to him. These are not gods.
How grave is the offense of worshiping the sun and the moon in the sight of God! Should we teach children or anyone else to take part in rituals intended to acknowledge and celebrate the gods of the moon and the sun? Should we revere the symbols of sex and fertility, the egg and the rabbit as set forth by the goddess Ishtar, or celebrate the birth of sun gods or their existence during the lengthening of days as in the winter solstice or the peak of the length of the Sun upon the land as in the equinox? God forbids it! Should we teach children to, and seduce them with games, gifts and sweets? God forbids it! Should we celebrate the sabbath on Sunday the day set aside for worshiping the god of the sun? No, this is in direct disobedience to our Father in heaven.
The scriptural evidence of this is overwhelming and irrefutable. It is not “no big deal”.
Disobedience is not “no big deal”. Should we have sunrise celebrations and weep because Jesus rose at sunrise on Sunday? No, because it is not a biblical truth. Where did the weeping at sunrise for the son of God come from?
We find a clue in,
Disobedience is not “no big deal”. Should we have sunrise celebrations and weep because Jesus rose at sunrise on Sunday? No, because it is not a biblical truth. Where did the weeping at sunrise for the son of God come from?
We find a clue in,
Ezekiel 8: 12-16
12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, the Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
This was a practice done by the ancients of Israel since ancient times. They then, as today, in the house of the lord, weep for Tammuz and worship the sun towards the east. The sun rises in the east. This is the easter or Ishtar sunrise service. It was then and is now an abomination unto God.
The word of God to Ezekiel goes on to say in verses 17 and 18,
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and
though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
So egregious is the worship of the sun and moon to God that, as we saw in Deuteronomy, He requires their worshipers be taken and stoned to death. So egregious is the act of offending children who believe in Jesus that He suggests that for such an offender it would be better to be killed by tying a millstone around their neck and casting them into deep water. Here in Ezekiel, we find it to be a grave offense, an abomination that the women practice the ritual of weeping for Tammuz while the men turn their backs on the temple and face east to worship the rising sun. All the while telling themselves. God won’t see. It’s no big deal. But He is making it clear to the prophet that He does see. He sees what goes on in the dark, in the innermost imagination of the people. He sees the weeping for the death of Tammuz, the son of the Sun god. He sees the worship of the sun and it is to Him practices that are so abominable that according to scripture, they make a man and woman worthy of being put to death.
Another abomination practiced by the ancients in direct disobedience to God was the consuming of unclean meat, particularly swine. The easter or Ishtar ham is not a new or modern practice. It was a pig that gored and killed Tammuz so in defiance to God and in vengeance of his death, pigs then and now are killed and consumed.
Another abomination practiced by the ancients in direct disobedience to God was the consuming of unclean meat, particularly swine. The easter or Ishtar ham is not a new or modern practice. It was a pig that gored and killed Tammuz so in defiance to God and in vengeance of his death, pigs then and now are killed and consumed.
Now I know that many modern-day theologians argue that Paul says that Jesus died to release us from the law so now we get to eat the poo eaters, however I contend that this is another fable that has been proliferated to lead man into disobedience to God.
It is written,
“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you”.
“For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a
peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. The swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase”.
Do not be deceived the house divided cannot stand. Yeshua, Jesus the Christ child of Nazareth did not come against the laws of God. Paul an Apostle and disciple of Jesus did not come against the laws of God. They came against the laws of the pharisees. There is a difference.
In Matthew 23:1-5 we see,
1Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and
enlarge the borders of their garments,
We are in the world but not of the world. Friends of the world are enemies of God. The man of God cannot walk on two sides of one fence, so to speak. Years ago the lord spoke to me and said,
“Beware the sin of mixture”
It is written,
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 1Corinthians 10: 21
And,
“Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods
which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.
Joshua 24: 14-15
which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.
Joshua 24: 14-15
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