Posted on 09/29/2006 8:27:34 AM PDT by Buggman
In my first article on the Fall High Holy Days, we saw that the Feast of Trumpets is intimately linked by both Yeshua and Sha’ul with Yeshua’s Second Coming on the clouds of heaven, and saw that this corresponded with the expectations of the rabbis. Now we come to the second of the Fall Feastdays, and the holiest day of the Jewish—which is to say, Biblical—calendar: Yom Kippur takes place on the tenth of Tishri, nine days after Rosh Hashanah.
On that day, the high priest would put on a special coat of white linen and carry out a very unusual sacrifice.
And he shall take the two goats, and present them before YHVH at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for YHVH, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which YHVH's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before YHVH, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. . . .Today, the sacrifices which were the centerpiece of the Levitical ceremony cannot be held of course, but this does not make it impossible to observe the day. Like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur is not a pilgrimage Feast: No one was required to be in Jerusalem (other than the cohenim, or priests) for its service. However, those outside of Jerusalem still bore the responsibility for not doing any work, gathering in a holy convocation (i.e., in their home synagogues), and for denying themselves (Lev. 23:27ff). Out of these three commands, modern Judaism has built its customs.And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. (Lev. 16:7-10, 20-22)
After a final, festive meal in the afternoon before Yom Kippur, Jews the world over dress in white in remembrance of the High Priest’s white linen robe that he would wear within the Holy of Holies, and at sundown go to what is known as the Kol Nidre (“All Vows”) service. The Kol Nidre is a prayer sung to a haunting cadence, which asks God to release one from any wrongful oaths taken that year. It dates to the Middle Ages, when Jews were forcibly converted to Christianity; they would ask God to release them of the vows taken at the point of a sword. Another traditional song is Avinu Malkeynu (“Our Father, Our King”), which translates as follows:
Our Father and Our King
Our Father and Our King
Our Father and King
Be merciful to us
Be merciful unto us.For we have done no deeds
Commending us unto You
For we have no deeds commending us to You
Be merciful, save us, we pray.
Synagogue services typically run all day, with observant Jews petitioning God to forgive their sins. Fasting, denying one’s self, is mandated by Torah, and observant Jews will usually refrain from any comforts at all during the day, including bathing, wearing leather shoes, etc. It should be noted that Isa. 58 and Mat. 6:16-18 both speak against fasting to be seen and fasting in lieu of true repentance:
“Wherefore have we fasted,” say they, “and Thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?” Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.True self-denial is not the mere restraint from food, though it may include fasting from food (Mat. 6:16-18, 1 Co. 7:5).Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to YHVH? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isa. 58:3-7)
Yom Kippur ends with the Neilah (“The Closing of the Gates”) service and a final blast from the shofar. It is said by the rabbis that the gates of Heaven through which our prayers of repentance can rise close at this time, sealing one’s fate for the year. Of course, in the Messiah Yeshua, we may always “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). However, there is still an eschatological truth to the rabbinical belief, discussed in the previous article on Rosh Hashanah.
Of course, it may rightly be asked in what sense can one be atoned for on this day without blood, “for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11). One who believes in the Messiah Yeshua, of course, looks to Him and His perfect sacrifice for their atonement. Non-Messianic Jews follow the belief established by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai that acts of righteousness provide atonement (Avot de Rabbi Nathan 4:18). However, even in the Jewish community, the need for blood redemption still runs deep. In the ceremony called Kaparot, practiced only in very Orthodox circles, a chicken is waived over the head three times as the man says,
“This is my substitute, my vicarious offering, my atonement. This fowl shall meet death, but I shall enjoy a long, happy life.” After reading several selections from Job and the Psalms, the person lays his hand on the head of the bird as a symbol of identification, it is killed as his substitute, and given to the poor for their final meal before the fast. (Howard and Rosenthal, The Feasts of the Lord, p. 126)Why is a chicken used instead of a goat, for example? Because goats, bulls, oxen, rams, and lambs could only be offered for sacrifice in the Temple, so the rabbis forbade the use of any animal which might make it appear that one was continuing the sacrificial system. (Turkey or chicken is substituted for lamb for the Passover dinner in most Ashkenazi homes for the same reason.)
In Biblical times, of course, a bull and two goats were the sacrifices made. The bull was offered for the sins of the High Priest and the other priests, so that he could be purified before entering into God’s presence. The goats, one for Yhvh and one for the scapegoat would then atone for Israel. The word “scapegoat” is a translation of Azazel. Keil and Delitzsch explain the significance of the word:
Azazel, which only occurs in this chapter, signifies neither “a remote solitude,” nor any locality in the desert whatever (as Jonathan, Rashi, etc., suppose); nor the “he-goat” . . . The words, one lot for Jehovah and one for Azazel, require unconditionally that Azazel should be regarded as a personal being, in opposition to Jehovah. . . We have not to think, however, of [just] any demon whatever, who seduces men to wickedness in the form of an evil spirit, as the fallen angel Azazel is represented as doing in the Jewish writings . . . but of the devil himself, the head of the fallen angels, who was afterwards called Satan; for no subordinate evil spirit could have been placed in antithesis to Jehovah as Azazel is here, but only the ruler or head of the kingdom of demons. The desert and desolate places are mentioned elsewhere as the abode of evil spirits (Isa. 13:21 and 34:14; Mat. 12:43; Luk. 11:24; Rev. 18:2). (Keil, Johann and Franz Delitzsch, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, [e-Sword version 7.0.0, ed. Rick Meyers, 2000-2003])And yet, while the “scapegoat” was, in effect, given over to Azazel, to the very Enemy himself, the “two goats . . . must be altogether alike in look, size, and value; indeed, so earnestly was it sought to carry out the idea that these two formed parts of one and the same sacrifice, that it was arranged that they should, if possible, even be purchased at the same time” (Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, p. 248). So all speculations that the scapegoat might represent Satan or the Antichrist or some other evil entity fall short. What could these two goats signify other than the dual-natured Messiah Yeshua? He carried away all our sin, just as the scapegoat would be sent into the wilderness with the sins of Israel: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psa. 103:12). Unlike the lambs, goats, and bulls that died on the altar, our Messiah rose again. Thus, like the two goats, He was both sacrificed and yet lives.
A red ribbon was tied in the horns of the scapegoat. When the goat was led out before the people, if God accepted the sacrifice, the ribbon would miraculously turn white as a reminder of the promise that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). It is most interesting that for the forty years between the sacrifice of Yeshua and the destruction of the Temple, the scarlet ribbon did not turn white!
Forty years before the Temple was destroyed the chosen lot was not picked with the right hand, nor did the crimson stripe turn white, nor did the westernmost light burn; and the doors of the Temple’s Holy Place swung open by themselves, until Rabbi Yochanon ben Zakkai spoke saying: “O most Holy Place, why have you become disturbed? I know full well that your destiny will be destruction, for the prophet Zechariah ben Iddo has already spoken regarding you saying: 'Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour the cedars'” (Zech. 11:1). (Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 39b)Hebrews 8 -10 explains that when Messiah completed His sacrifice on the cross, He entered the heavenly Holy of Holies, of which that of the Tabernacle and the Temple were merely copies, to complete the Yom Kippur ritual of atonement. The sacrifice was not accepted because it was being offered by the wrong High Priest:
For Messiah is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others . . . But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. (Heb. 9:24-25, 10:12-13)But if this is the sole and sufficient fulfillment of the feastday of Yom Kippur, then we have a problem. In every other feastday that we have seen fulfilled in history, the fulfillment took place on that day. Yeshua was offered up on Passover as the Lamb of God, thus taking away our sin just as leaven was removed from the Hebrews’ houses during the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He rose as the firstfruits of the dead (cf. 1 Co. 15:20-23) on Sfirat HaOmer or HaBikkurim, the Feast of Firstfruits. The Church was given the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) in power on Shavuot, or Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks. And we have seen that His Second Coming seems likely to occur on a Rosh Hashanah in order to fulfill that feastday. Why then would the Day of Atonement be out of sequence?
The Exodus
The Feastdays of the Torah are divided into three groups—the spring feasts, Shavuot (Pentecost), and then the fall feasts—each of which is linked to a distinct stage of the Exodus and Israel’s instruction at Sinai. In addition, there are at least three minor feasts (that is, those which were not ordained at Sinai) which are also prophetically significant. The key to understanding the Feasts’ prophetic significance is to understand their historical significance.
When YHVH reorganized Israel’s calendar by proclaiming the month of the Pesach (Passover) to be the “beginning of months” (Exo. 12:2), He was establishing that His plan of salvation begins with the Passover. However, to truly understand God’s plan, we begin our brief study not with the Passover, but with the six “silent” months which separate the Passover from the previous Sinai-ordained Feastday, Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. Within this “silent period” lie two minor Feasts: Hanukkah, which celebrates the victory of Israel over the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes, and Purim, which celebrates her victory over the forces of Haman some three centuries earlier as is described in the book of Esther. Hanukkah has an eschatological significance which will be explored in another article, but for now it is enough to note the element these two feasts share in common: Both celebrate YHVH’s “hidden” protection of and provision for His people. Though He did not act with any obvious miracles like fire from the sky or supernatural plagues, nevertheless He brought His people to victory against overwhelming odds: In Purim by the placement of a Jewish queen, and in Hanukkah by giving the Jews might in battle.
These “silent” months between Sukkot and Pesach correspond to the 430 “silent years” which lead up both to the Passover of the Exodus (Gal. 3:17) and the Passover of the Messiah. Both periods were characterized by the lack of a true prophet to lead the people, “a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of YHVH" (Amos 8:11). God had not forgotten His people, but it probably felt to them like He had.
When the Lord fulfilled His promise to redeem His people from bondage, it was through the Passover and the death of a Lamb. God’s people were set free from Egypt via the blood of the lamb painted on their doorposts, so that they would not die in God’s wrath. Likewise, God’s people were set free from sin by the blood of the Lamb painted on their hearts, so that they would not die in God’s wrath. The seven days of the Feast of Matzah, in which all the leaven had to be removed from Israel’s houses and no leaven could be eaten, represents the quick removal of Israel from Egypt (in which there was no time to make leavened bread) and the complete removal of all sin in our lives by the sacrifice of Yeshua as we flee the ways of the world.
In the third month after Israel’s departure from Egypt, they arrived at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:1). There God descended on the mountain in fire, with the sound of a shofar (vv. 16ff), and called Moses up the mountain to begin giving him the Torah. According to Jewish tradition, the day that this happened was the day of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, a date consistent with the Biblical record. Like HaBikkurim, the Feast of Firstfruits for the barley harvest, on which Messiah was raised as the Firstfruits of the dead (cf. 1 Co. 15:20), Shavuot is a firstfruits festival for the wheat harvest. On the first Shavuot, the firstfruits of the nation of Israel began receiving the Torah. On Shavuot after the death and resurrection of the Messiah, the firstfruits of the Church began receiving the Torah written on their hearts by the giving of the Spirit of God in the form of fire and with a great sound (Jer. 31:33, Ezk. 36:26-27, Acts 2:3ff).
After giving Moses the first commandments, the Lord called him back up the mountain to receive further instruction, and Moses remained with Him for forty days (Exo. 24:18). It was during this period that Aaron led the people in the sin of making and worshiping the golden calf. When Moses descended again from the mountain and saw this, he smashed the stone tablets on which God had written His commandments, signifying that Israel had broken the covenant they had made to follow all of God’s commands, and many in Israel died, both at the hands of the Levites whom Moses commanded to take arms against their kinsmen, and by a plague sent by God. Moreover, Moses removed the Tent of Meeting (not the Tabernacle, which had not yet been built, but a different tent in which Moses lived and met with YHVH; Exo. 33:7ff) to outside the camp, signifying that the people’s sin was great enough that God had removed the visible place which was the focal point of Israel’s worship and His Presence.
The parallel is not difficult to understand: Forty years after Yeshua ascended into Heaven, Israel still had not repented as a body from her “golden calf.” Just as Israel in the Exodus fell into the sin of worshipping God in the manner of their tradition (in this case, image-based worship), which they learned while in Egypt, instead of worshipping God in the manner in which He had commanded them, Israel in the first century fell into the sin of worshipping God in the manner of their traditions rather than doing so through the Messiah as He had commanded them. While the details differed, the essential core of the sin was the same.
So was the punishment. As Israel in the Exodus was punished by the sword and plague, so Israel in 70 AD was punished by the sword and plague. And as Israel in the Exodus had the Tent of Meeting removed by their prophet, Moses, so Israel in the first century had the Temple removed by the prophet after Moses, Yeshua HaMashiach. The destruction of both Temples took place on Tishbi b’Av, or the 9th of the month of Av. While it cannot be proven, the timing of the Golden Calf incident makes it quite possible that Tishbi b’Av is the day on which Moses removed the Tent of Meeting as well.
In the Exodus sin, God’s fury was so great that He said to Moses, “Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation” (Exo. 32:10). YHVH-Tzva’ot, the Lord of Hosts, was actually planning to destroy the whole nation and start over with Moses and his children! This is, in fact, what Replacement Theology claims that God did to Israel in the first century: destroyed them, and replaced them with the Messiah’s “children,” the Church.
Those who believe that God has cast away His chosen nation need to take another look at Exodus. Moses, who had not joined in the sin of the people, interceded for Israel so that God would not utterly destroy them, though He did punish them, even (temporarily) taking away their place of worship. Are we to think that Yeshua did any less, or that His intercession for Israel would be any less heard? And notice the basis on which Moses interceded for Israel: Not on the basis of their obedience or repentance, but on the basis of YHVH’s Name—that is, His reputation—and His promises (ibid., vv. 12-13). It is on this same basis that the Lord has already begun returning Israel to her land: “Thus saith the Lord YHVH; ‘I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy Name's sake . . .’” (Ezk. 36:22).
The Future Fulfillment
“Okay,” the amillennialist answers, “clearly not all of the Jews were destroyed, but the Temple was, and since we are now the Temple of God, there will be no other.” Again, keep reading. After seeing to the punishment of Israel and removing the Tent of Meeting, Moses was told by God, “And I will send an angel before thee . . . for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way” (Exo. 33:2, 3). But Moses, not content that a lesser angel go with Israel, returned up the mountain, and interceded with God for another forty days, going without food or water, until YHVH relented and agreed to send His Presence with Israel. The form in which His Presence went with Israel was in the pillar of fire and cloud which was intimately connected with the Tabernacle:
The Tabernacle of Israel was known by several names. . . The name dwelling from Heb. mishkan, from shakan, to “lie down,” a “dwelling,” connected itself with the Jewish, though not scriptural, word Shekinah, as describing the dwelling place of the divine glory. (Unger, F., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, R.K. Harrison, ed. [Moody, 1988] “Tabernacle of Israel,” p. 1238)According to the Talmud, the day on which Moses returned with the second set of stone tablets, showing that YHVH had forgiven Israel and restored fellowship with them, was the day of Yom Kippur (Tractate Taanit 30b), and the forty days that he fasted before God correspond with the forty days of T’shuva (Repentence) that are traditionally observed leading up to the Day of Atonement. (This forty-day period of fasting may be the same forty-day period that Yeshua spent fasting and being tested in the wilderness after His baptism.)
Likewise, the day on which Yeshua will return to restore His fellowship with Israel, and direct them in building a Temple greater than that which they built on their own, just as Moses directed Israel in building a Tabernacle greater than the former Tent of Meeting which was taken away from the camp, will be on Yom Kippur. Like the Levitial High Priest emerging from the Holy of Holies to show that God had accepted the sacrifice of the goat on the people’s behalf, Yeshua will emerge from the Holy of Holies in Heaven to show Israel that God has accepted His sacrifice on their behalf.
Yom Kippur is not yet complete. Our High Priest is hidden from our eyes, beyond the veil, making intercession for us day and night, but He has not yet emerged to show all Israel that His blood-stained garments have been turned as white as snow, proving that the Father has accepted the High Priest’s sacrifice on behalf of all Israel, not just the remnant that now believe. When He does, carrying the sign of a covenant restored before Israel even as Moses did, then the Temple promised by Ezekiel will be built, just as the Tabernacle was.
When will the High Priest come forth? On the last day of Daniel’s Seventieth Week when Israel and Jerusalem will “make reconciliation for iniquity” (Dan. 9:24). The word for reconciliation, kaphar, is most often translated “atonement.”
With Israel’s sins atoned for, the way will be made for the final stage of the Messiah’s reconciliation of all things to Himself. Next we will study Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, when Yeshua will be officially crowned King over all the nations . . . on His birthday.
Shalom, and God bless.
What else can I say other than what I have already stated on numerous occasions?
I happen to agree with the vast majority of Christians who interpret the Scripture to say two fairly clear things:
1) The moral law regarding the weekly day of rest and worship was "changed" by the example of Jesus and His apostles from the last day to the first day of the week.
2) The ceremonial law having to do with the regulations of Israel as a "church under age" (to use the language of my confession) were temporary and passed away with the coming of the new covenant.
The arguments for both of these positions have been laid out from Scripture by faithful churchmen for 2000 years. It doesn't help for folks on your side to call this "paganism" or try to identify it as one other piece of erroneous Roman Catholic doctrine, since neither of these claim can be supported by reality. The fact is that there is a the vast number of non-pagans and non-Roman Catholics who hold (1) and (2) who get their views from the Bible rather than from Mount Olympus or Rome.
The bottom line for me is that I would need to have a very good, substantial reason from Scripture to buck the testimony of these faithful men for 2 millennia. Sine I believe in true sola Scriptura I believe that no Scripture is a matter of private interpretation, but rather the church as the body of Christ has a part in helping her children come to a correct understanding of the truth. That may sound "Roman Catholic" to those ignorant of church history and doctrine, but it is clearly the view of the magisterial reformers through whom my theology flows.
Some folks have had their "eyes opened" by sitting at the feet of recent, innovative teachers. My eyes were opened when I started to read in the Bible in light of the teachings of the historic church fathers. I trust the Holy Spirit in preserving truth in the "catholic" (universal; everywhere for all time) church. This is the difference between sola Scriptura and solo Scriptura.
The arguments I have seen here calling for change do not rise to the level of universal suitability. It's that simple. These practices -- last day sabbath-keeping and following old covenant shadows -- are not, according to Scripture, true marks biblical godliness or love for Christ.
Let me also make it clear that I do not believe this is simply a matter of taste, like chocolate vs. vanilla. Nor do I believe that God "speaks" differently to a handful last day sabbatarians than He does to the rest of us. That would make Him the author of confusion to His church.
I believe it boils down to a fundamental error on the part of last day sabbatarians and old covenant law-keepers as to how to interpret the Word of God.
If even the last day sabbatarians cannot agree on which laws are to be kept and which are not, why hold the rest of the church to an impossible standard?
With all this in mind, and since the universal teaching and practice of the church has been established for 2000 years, how would you go about changing that practice? Yes, you can convince an unwary soul here or there to adopt your views, but far more "Sunday keepers" are converted every year than the handful of folks who may adopt last day sabbatarian views.
How do you convince the larger church that your views are more than just a cultish fad?
"We", meaning.....generically.....modern Christianity, Tonto.
I really don't mind if any celebrate Christmas at all. And, I most certainly do not believe it is going to cause any to lose their salvation. Just know what is actually being celebrated.....is my point.
By your answer, I would assume you don't put much credence on the traditional holidays either.
There is no literal bread or passover sacrifice in view in that passage at all. So Luke and Paul are not speaking of the same "feast"
It is still called by the same name.....and takes place at the same time.....and the Apostles and their second, third, and fourth generation disciples still celebrated the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread well into the fourth century. You know that.
I've been busy today and have not had a chance to look through all these posts. That being said, given all your scripture verses on "not one iota will pass away until the Law is fulfilled" has been accomplished. The Law is finished, completed, satisfied. It was satisfied by Christ.
You and I and topcat and buggman and everyone else would never be able to keep the Law. Some people would say that's unfair of God to impose impossible standards. The Law isn't bad just because we can't live by it. But it does show our failings.
God demands perfection and breaking His Law is death. The solution was Christ.
The Law of the Spirit has sent us free from these restrictions so that, while we may fail and want to go to that baseball game on Saturday, God understands and has set us free to worship Him as best we can. Where we fail we have an advocate who intercedes for us and helps us in our weaknesses.
However, I also believe that God giving "looser" dietary standards for the Gentiles
was a mercy born out of His foreknowledge that not everyone would have kosher meat to eat.
There are many parts of the world where pig is the best food animal available,
and it would be putting people's health at risk to forbid them from it.
Therefore, I conclude that it is good for a person who has the luxury of choosing
what meats to eat to choose to keep kosher out of a love for and desire to be like
our Lord Yeshua in every way, but not required. I also believe that it's better to not
serve pork and shellfish at church functions as a show of respect for any Jews,
believers or not, who may be present. But as a matter of private practice,
since the Torah itself is ambiguous about the requirement for Gentiles to keep kosher
and the NT even more so, I consider that a matter of private conscience.
Guidance can be gained as to what is Rabbinical or not by reviewingPlease don't confuse the folks about Kosher which is rabbinical
b'shem Y'shua
and not scriptural and dietary standards which are in the Torah.
the Karaites, who strictly keep the Tanach and not the rabbinical traditions.
Then why bring it up, esp. when writing to me? And why denigrate those who do by referencing "drunken parties"? Either you have an issue with "Christmas" or you don't.
It is still called by the same name.....and takes place at the same time
The "temple" on earth and the "temple" in heaven and the "temple" that is the church are all "called by the same name", but they are clearly not the same thing.
Thus we see the same in 1 Cor. 5:7. Jesus is our spiritual "passover". We participate in His "passover" and we truly "keep the feast" when we practive our religion not with " malice and wickedness" but rather with "sincerity and truth". That is the simple teaching of 1 Cor. 5. There is absolutely no mention of the physical elements associated with the old cobvnant passover observance in that passage. He spiritualized the passover and applied it to Christ.
As I said in a earlier post, that fact that Paul was not speaking of the literal feast day of the Jews is evidenced by the fact that he later speaks of the commuion of Our Lord when the church is to participate in "often".
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." (1 Cor. 10:16,17).
The "breaking of bread" is the Lord's Supper, not the feast of the Jews. It is what the apostles did when they gathered together with the church (cf. Acts 2:42; 20:7). It is what the church does today on a regular basis.
This is the Lord's Supper wherein Christians remember our Lord's sacrifice on our behalf. It is not "the feast" since that phrase is never used in conjuction with the supper. Just read 1 Cor. 11.
A very important distinction; thank you for pointing that out.
With all this in mind, and since the universal teaching and practice of the church
has been established for 2000 years, how would you go about changing that practice?
Yes, you can convince an unwary soul here or there to adopt your views, but far more
"Sunday keepers" are converted every year than the handful of folks who may adopt last day sabbatarian views.
How do you convince the larger church that your views are more than just a cultish fad? Matthew 7:14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn {bushes} nor figs from thistles, are they? Matthew 7:17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 7:20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven {will enter.} Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' Matthew 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
b'shem Y'shua
Do they worship Jesus as the Savior of men, and divine person of the triune God?
If not, then they do not "strictly keep the Tanach" since Jesus Himself said that the "Law of Moses" along with the Prophets and the Psalms all testified of Him.
If they do not recognize Jesus, why should we believe they properly interpret the Tanach?
The "Tanach" without Jesus is just another tradition of men, no?
[Matthew 7:13 etc.]
Again, without an interpretation of the passage which unequivocally condemns the theology and practice of the universal church for the last 2000 years, just quoting a verse is useless.
E.g., show us that eating swine flesh, for example, is a form of "lawlessness" according to the Bible.
All heretics and cults quote the Bible.
B'shem Y'shuaNo! I believe the Tanach is the Holy Word of G-d.
If not, then they do not "strictly keep the Tanach" since Jesus Himself said that the "Law of Moses" along with the Prophets and the Psalms all testified of Him.
If they do not recognize Jesus, why should we believe they properly interpret the Tanach?
The "Tanach" without Jesus is just another tradition of men, no?
Amen.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -- John 14:6
TC>The "Tanach" without Jesus is just another tradition of men, no?
Amen.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -- John 14:6
131 posted on 10/12/2006 10:32:30 AM MDT by Dr. Eckleburg
They simply do not know the foreign word: Jesus The Karaites know and profess that YHvH is their salvation.
b'shem Yah'shua
Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation;
"Yah has become my salvation" translates to Yah'shua
This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him.
So they do not follow the teaching of the apostles and prophets, is that correct? (Eph. 2:20)
Have they been baptized in the name or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? (Matt. 28:19,20)
Do they "confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in their hearts that God has raised Him from the dead?" (Rom. 10:9,10)
Do they follow the commands of Jesus? (John 14:15)
Peter said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved", not "beleive on your rendition of 'YHvH' and you will be saved".
Sounds like they have a "zeal for God, but without knowledge." Unfortunately for them, Paul makes it clear that their zeal cannot save them. Neither can "Tanach" keeping. Only the acknowledged blood of the true Lamb of God.
If they are not followers of Jesus then they practice a false religion.
The "Tanach" without Jesus is a human tradition. Otherwise you can just throw out all of the NT since it serves no purpose.
"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." (Gal. 3:24,25)
Matthew 25:40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.'Y'shua is speaking about the Jews when he speaks of his brethrenMatthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Matthew 25:42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me {nothing} to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
Matthew 25:44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
Matthew 25:45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
Matthew 25:46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
It does matter. And scripture does say that a holy convocation is to be held on the sabbath:
Lev 23:2 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.
Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
As far as worshipping on other days, certainly one can worship God on any day, but the sabbath is a mark, a reminder, a token, and a separate covenant that God HAS established with his children, the children of Israel:
Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
God sanctified, set aside, specific days that he expects his worshipers to convene on. Convening on days AT THE EXPENSE of God's days at the best shows ignorance of God's instructions and at the worst blatant disregard and disobedience of God's instructions.
This might seem a little harsh, but those who purport to teach and expound on what exactly God wants are held to a pretty high standard. God does things, and wrote down things, for a reason. He knows that once human thought and reasoning begin to interpret an issue then corruption certainly follows.
In the case of the sabbath and his holy days, God left specific, written instuctions. Yet man in his wisdom has decided that they don't mean anything. There's something wrong with that and anyone who advocates and teaches something different should be called out on it.
Christ's brethren are those who believe in Him, and no other.
"And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, 'Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.' " (Matt12:49,50)
"Whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great." (Luke 9:48)
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)
Whoever does not acknowldege Jesus is not doing the will of the Father, and consequently is not Christ's brethren.
"But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham;" (Rom. 9:6,7)
"As it is written: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'" (Rom. 9:33)
The trick is to look at what all the Bible says about "Israel", anmd to not make excuses for unbelieving "Zion". In reality these Karaites are merely stumbling over Jesus.
The will of God is not bound up in the shadowy law of the old covenant. The will of God is in seeing Jesus Christ as He is revealed supernaturally in the Scriptures through the power of the Spirit.
Exactly. You've hit the nail on the head. This is the problem one has. God doesn't have one standard for Jews and another for Gentiles. All are held accountable to His ONE standard. There is only one Ten Commandments. I doubt if any of us would say this is only applicable to the Jews. This is part of the Law. The WHOLE Law. There isn't part for this person and part for that person.
The problem is no one will be able to live by these standards. While you personally may wish to try to live your life to this standard, it is wrong to ask this of others. It amounts to living under the Law.
Convening on days AT THE EXPENSE of God's days at the best shows ignorance of God's instructions and at the worst blatant disregard and disobedience of God's instructions.
And that is in fact the issue. There's no problem with adding a day to be observed--like my oft-exampled annual pot-luck dinner to celebrate a particular congregation's founding--but any such gatherings must not violate God's Word or override His Appointed Times in any way, nor can such "local traditions" be used as a means of judging the orthodoxy or fellowship or faith of others.
So then, we can say that there's nothing wrong with having a Sunday service--or with having a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday service for that matter--but that those trying to follow a strictly Biblical belief, lacking any passage in the NT which overrides the Mosaic command, should gather together on the Sabbath as well.
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