WHY ARE SOME FOLLOWING JEWISH TRADITIONS?
There are two verses in God's word that are used quite often when writing or speaking. They are John 17:17 in the New Testament "Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth." And Jer 7:30 in the Old Testament. "For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, says the Lord. They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it."
God's house today is being polluted by the teaching of Judaism. Judaism-- God's word calls strange doctrines. Apostle Paul assures us in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." And in verse 9, He instructs us to not be carried about with various strange doctrines. Paul's warning as was Jude's warnings are for us as it was for them in their generation. At that time many identified themselves as Christians, yet they were being taken in by the false teaching of the Pharisees.
Two important points Paul makes in the book of Hebrews, one is, that the Old Testament teachings of Judaism had come to
an end through the fulfillment of Christ. And two, was to warn those who had identified themselves as Christians, against falling back in to the practice of Judaism.
Paul, when warning the Ephesian church said, "Henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph 4:14).
We today, are witnesses to every wind of doctrine. We see Sunday keeping, we see the trinity being taught, we see God's Holy Days ignored and postponed. We see tithing to be no longer required, we see voting for church offices now. We see women being ordained as ministers in some Churches, and we see a number of Jewish fables practiced! Many of God's scattered churches are playing Russian roulette with God's truth by adding to and taking away from the truth, which we are told not to do. These who God calls false teachers are very cleaver and deceiving. Some examples of what I mean by that. We are being told by some of the scattered church leaders and groups, that we need to get back to teaching Judaism. Is that what Paul told Titus to do? Notice Titus 1:13-14, "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables [Jewish myths], and commandments of men, that turn from the truth."
The Pharisees lived in a world of religious fantasies. Paul knowing this, told the Colossians, "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh" (Col 2:23). [NKJV].
People that want to go back to their Jewish myths are putting themself into the same calabur as the Pharisees and Scribes that Christ condemned! Remember what He called them in Matthew chapter 23, hypocrites, serpents, and a generation of vipers.
Remember what God said in Jeremiah a long time ago before Christ walked on earth as a human being. "For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, says the Lord. "They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, [Church of God ] to pollute it" (Jeremiah 7: 30). Many churches of God have gone back to preaching and practicing Jewish myths, polluting God's house and His called out ones. But the called who are not polluted, are those who understand God's appointed Sabbaths and His 7 step plan for salvation, that is revealed in the Holy Days of Leviticus 23: which are Sabbaths unto the Lord.
We have now kept Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost, and now looking forward to the Feast of Trumpets. But before taking a look at step 4, the Feast of Trumpets, notice what the Encyclopedia Judaica says on Page 169, titled Passover. This is a short paragraph on Jewish history. Keep in mind many groups who teach Judaism want us to combined Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread together, keeping them as one feast festival. Is that what the Encyclopedia Judaica said to do? Quote - The feast of Passover consists of two parts; the Passover ceremony and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, originally both parts existed separately; but at the beginning of the exile they were combined" end of quote.
That statement is very clear, the 14th is the Passover not the 15th and they are two separate feasts not one [combined]. They are just as God calls them in Lev 23: 5-6, "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even [benha-orbayim, meaning between evenings, between sunset and dark] is the Lord's Passover.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of Unleavened bread unto the lord: seven days you must eat Unleavened bread." God's word confirms clearly two separate events!
Now to step 4, the feast of Trumpets, pictures Christ's prophetic return to earth. Note: all these feast were given to the whole house of Israel. "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "speak to the children of Israel, [not just the house of Judah] and say to them: the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts" (Lev 23:1-2). Then the rest of the chapter continues with naming the rest of God's feasts days.
Why am I bringing up Trumpets, God's 4th Holy Day is one day, Satan really wants postponed! He has convinced those who practice Hillel II postponement rules, to postpone this da y of our Lord's return.
step in His plan? When its weeks away? Because, it seems many people in God's scattered churches feel they need to teach the Hebrew calendar rules which follow the postponements of Rosh-ha-shanah.
What is Rosh-ha-shanah? Rosh-ha-shanah, stands for Judaism's "first calendar day of their civil new year." When following the Hebrew calendar both the feast of Trumpets, and the first day of Rosh-ah-shanah, are represented in the Hebrew calendar to be on the same month and day of the year when the 7th crescent moon appears. Rosh-ha-shanah is the civil new year for Judaism and the day most Churches of God keeps as the "Feast of Trumpets" that pictures the seventh trumpet blast, when Christ reign is foreseen and the seven last plagues are applied. "Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign Forever and ever!" (Rev 11:15). [NKJV].
Trumpets Notice what is said in the book called "The Jewish Holidays, a Guide and Commentary" By Michael Strassfeld. It will give us an understanding of when Judaism's Rosh-ah-shanah started. On page 96, "Rosh-ah-shanah is referred to in the Torah as the day of sounding the shofar [their trumpet]. It was not called Rosh-ah-shanah, the new year until Talmudic times [around 200 a.d.]. The nature of the festival is unclear. The notion of Rosh-ah- shanah as the year may have come later in the tradition. Rosh-ah-shahah as the new year is tied to the creation of the world. Thus in the Talmud there is a debate as to whether the world was created in Nisan (the month when Passover falls)or in Tishri. In fact the Bible's silence about the Fall new year and its celebration is hardly accidental. Celebrations of this festival were so fraught with pagan associations that the rather puritanical Biblical authors probably opposed the festival altogether, much as later rabbis fraught against too much paganism and magic for their comfort. Only in the Talmud does Rosh-ah-shanah emerge as a major Jewish festival, showing that the folk, then as later, did not always listen to their more purist religious leaders. It is likely that especially the first diaspora jews, those of Babylonia , did much to support the acceptance of this festival, and gave it a legacy that is in many ways reminiscent of the ancient Babylonian new year." End of quote
Rosh-ah-shanah is not the first month or first day of God's new year. Exodus 12:2, tells us when the first day and month and year is to begin. "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month (first new moon) of the year to you." You can see God's new year day and month, is not on Judaism's postponed Rosh-ha-shanah, called Feast of Trumpets by many.
While reading "The Jewish Holidays, a Guide and Commentary" we came across an interesting statement from one of his commentators, Edward L. Greenstein, an Associate Professor in the Bible, at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. It reads: "Most of the biblical contexts make it clear that the shofar [trumpet to us] was sounded primarily to announce the beginning of the special day, especially the new moon: 'Sound on the new moon the shofar at the darkening of the moon the day of our festival; for it is a statute for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob' Psalm 81:3-4. Rosh-ha-shanah is the seventh , and thus a special new moon." End of quoit. We could not have said what we believe any clearer!
Yet there are still preachers and teachers following and teaching the counterfeit postponement calendar that is not found in God's word, anywhere. Satan has not stopped there, he is influencing other thoughts as well. Some church groups are now teaching and believing, Christ was just an angle before He was born of flesh and that God the Father, married and divorced the house of Israel not His Son Jesus, the Christ. Those that believe that want to bypass the mystery of creation week, "Then God said,"Let Us [plural] make man in Our image [plural], according to Our likeness" [plural]. The plural 'us' and 'our' require the presence of at least two beings counseling together. The statement that man was to
be made in Our image and was made in God's image, leads to the conclusion that those counseling must both be, being's of the same God head. This truth is implied in various passages such as the one in Gen 3:22. Then the Lord God said, "behold, the man has become like One of Us, [plural] to know good and evil." What else does it mean "to become like one of us?" We will need to look at a few verses for that answer. Lets begin in Matthew first. "The Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "have you not read that He who made them at the beginning `made them male and female,' "and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore What God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt 19:3-6).
These words express the deepest physical and spiritual unity of a man and woman in marriage. Spiritually, same as with God the Father and Jesus the Christ, who expressed, unmistakable community of interests as one in thought, in action and they share the same name, same house, same love- meaning- out going concern!
Christ said to the Jews at the temple in Solomon's porch that were standing around Him, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). And Christ said in His prayer to His Father in heaven. "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you Holy Father, keep through Your own name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are" (John 17:11).
Every called believer is a member of Christ's body. "For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many" (1 Cor 12:12-14).
The lowliest member of the church is as much a member of the body of Christ as the most highly
endowed. Christ gave His life for all and He is no respecter of persons. Those verses should make it very clear Christ was not an angel prior to His walking in the flesh on earth.
Satan who is the prince of the power of the air would love to have Christ authority diminished. Especially knowing, his days are numbered! And his time to deceive mankind is about up. He wants us to be influenced by hearing religious terms trumpeted like "we need to get back to our Jewish heritage." The only trumpeted heritage we need to get back to is found fully trumpeted in God's word.
In ancient Israel trumpets were blown to warn of impending dangers. Those who heard the trumpets warning were prepared to defend themselves! Are the churches of God, hearing the trumpet warning of Isaiah, Jeremiah and the other prophets? Are they prepared to defend God's truth? Are they crying aloud, and sparing not, are they lifting up there voice like a trumpet, and showing God's people [God's called] their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins?" (Isa 58:1).
A call to repentance by a minister cannot be effective, unless setting fourth, clearly what man must obey from God's word. Leaders who fail to draw a clear line, between right and wrong, truth from error, so the people may understand the principles involved, are blind leaders of the blind. Who are the blind leading the blind?
John in Revelation writes, "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, `I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev 3:16-19). John is speaking of spiritual blindness.
The antidote for spiritual blindness is to gain true spiritual vision through the enlightenment of God's Holy Spirit. Verse 18, "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." That is, see sin as God sees it, and realize their real condition as a prerequisite to repentance. Verse 19, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."
Notice Isaiah 56, where the message of this chapter is fraught with meaning for God's church today. The work of repentance is centered in on a return to faithful Sabbath observance. "Thus saith the Lord, keep your judgment, and do justice: for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that does this, and the son of man that lays hold on it; that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil" (Isa 56:1-2). Those who ignored this blessing will face going through Satan's wrath.
A spirit lead Christian must have the ability to discern the truth from error, and not compromise God's true Sabbaths as many are wanting to do today, by postponing God's annual Sabbaths. "His watchmen [those whose responsibility it was to instruct and warn God's called] are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, [meaning, they lack the intelligence of a watchdog] they cannot bark; [that is they fail to sound a warning] sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter" (Isa 56:10-11).
These are shepherds whose only interest is in themselves! Making sure they are on the churches payroll for their services. Some get greedy and write books to sale or make sermon tapes to sale, while being paid on God's time clock, even though God says to give His good news away freely!
Notice what God told Daniel in His last message to Daniel. "But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (Dan 12:4 ).
We cannot ignore the fact that these signs are going on today! When drawing attention to the facts of prophecy, we are often met with doubt and suspicion yet no subject is more fascinating than prophecy! Particularly: The forecasting of the future for God's people and world events.
There are four things about prophecy we need to understand: 1). Prophecy has not been given to man to make them prophets. 2). Prophecy in God's word is for the purpose of confirming His words. 3). Prophecy is to enable men who walk by faith to know and recognize the truth. 4). Prophecy is an important part of God's revelation to His people.
Notice an example in 2 Peter 1,verse 19, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (1Pet. 1:19-21).
Peter and his companions derived their firm convictions of Christ from the way in which Christ's life fulfilled Old Testament prophecies!
In Apostle Peters second sermon: Peter stressed the fact that Old Testament prophets foretold of Christ's works. He said, "But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled" (Act 3:18).
It is because of prophecy that Paul could say: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thess 5:1-6). Paul makes it clear that it is only the children of light- those who can see clearly God's truth, who will be fully informed.
Prophecy is given for the purpose of identification and is not given to make prophets of men. Remember there are three necessary factors that must be recognized in order to accurately date prophetic fulfillment! These are: 1). Time; 2). Place; 3). Event. The time of occurrence is important, the place where it happens is important, to these two, must be added the predicted events! These are to occur at the exact junction of time and place. If any one of these three factors is missing: the particular prophecy is not in the process of fulfillment.
Now when we read Daniel 12, it has to be obvious to us at the time of Daniels writings (600 BC) people did not have the means to run to and fro like today. Today we can fly to other countries in just a few hours, we can fly to outer space, fly to the moon and back, travel down highways and freeways at 75- 80 miles an hour.
Daniel was also told: Knowledge would increase. There has been stupendous advances in science and general knowledge in this last century. What you buy or learn today is obsolete tomorrow! These things are all going to be evident during the time of God's holy people being scattered, and separated.
Daniel in Chapter 12, said he heard a man clothed in linen say, "That it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter (separate)the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Verse 8, "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, o my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried (Tested); but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Dan 12: 7-8).
Daniel recorded many prophecies but did not
understand what he wrote, nor did God intend for him to, but God does intend for us today to understand. The most basic keys to understand Bible prophecy is to reverence God and His truth found in the Bible. Not many today really stand in awe of the great God and His instruction book given to mankind. Postponements of God's annual Holy Days prove that. Take note of what Isaiah 66 says, "Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that you build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things has Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and tremble at My word" (Isa 66:1-2). Do not add to it or take away from it!
James Russell
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