Posted on 08/06/2015 9:05:01 AM PDT by LearsFool
"Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
This people honoreth me with their lips;
But their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me,
Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men." - Matt. 15:7-9
Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His day often, and exposed their man-made teachings and practices - ostensibly invented for serving God. In inventing these traditions, they had in fact invalidated (made void) the word of God (Mt. 15:6, Mk. 7:13).
What does it mean to have a heart that is far from God? Does it mean being a pagan, Satanist, atheist, polytheist, etc?
In the passage above which Jesus quotes from Isaiah, this heart is one that substitutes his own ideas for God's, while at the same time claiming to be serving Him. It's the one who's "got a great idea!", rather than humbly submitting to what the Lord has commanded. It's the one who comes up with great plans to accomplish God's goals more effectively, instead of meekly following God's plan and trusting Him to accomplish what He wills, in the way He wills.
Such a person invents his own ways to serve God, to please God, and to worship God, and then expects God to accept them. But though he honors God with his lips, his heart is far from Him. Otherwise he would simply do what God says...and God would be pleased.
What's the result of such hubris, willfulness, haughtiness? Vain worship. Not vain in the sense of conceited, but in the sense of being pointless, not achieving its purpose.
Worship of God has a purpose, but that purpose is not achieved when we invent our own ways of doing it. If our hearts are so far from God that we do things our way instead of His, we may as well stay home and sleep in on Sunday. After all, they both accomplish the same goal in the way of worship.
Imagine a wife asking her husband what he'd like for his birthday dinner. After all, she says, it's his special day. He says he'd like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake. Later he comes home to a dinner of HER favorite meal - pot roast and apple pie - instead. Was she really interested in pleasing her husband?
Is your church worshipping in vain? Invalidating the word of God? Does your church do things that "sound like a great idea!" but are not found in God's instruction book? Look around next Sunday. Ask around. Whose precepts are guiding your church, man's or God's? Keep your ears open for phrases like, "Well I think..." or "It seems to me..." and other expressions that can indicate a heart that is far from God.
Honoring Him with our lips isn't enough. If our hearts are near to Him, we will follow only His commands.
And we'll leave our own ideas in the parking lot where they belong.
Yup! That's why it's called the "Feast of Weeks". 49 days with each individual weekly Sabbath enumerated as well as the other week days by counting the Omer.
And that's why the Greek says (in all four gospels)....the first of the Sabbaths.
Matthew 16:18 - And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [Jesus’ deity] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
But that is not all, Jesus also told Peter he was going to give him the keys to the kingdom, how could one apply with out the other also applying.
The "Old" covenant spoken of in Hebrews is actually called the "first covenant" in that book. It does not reference the Ten Commandments of which the Sabbath command is a part. It instead references the Law of Moses....which is not the Law of Yahweh. There were two covenants given to the Israelites in the wilderness [Deuteronomy 29:1] and the Law of Moses was the second Law given....and later abolished by your Savior's sacrifice. The Ten Commandments still stand!
The Greek word in [Hebrews 9:1] is πρώτη and it means first under discussion.....not the first one of all. πρῶτα (PROTO) would be that word. In the Book of Hebrews we are discussing the New Covenant by Messiah's sacrifice and the Law of Moses......the first covenant being discussed. At no place in the Book of Hebrews are we discussing the fourth Commandment.
As a point of interest.....the original name for Deuteronomy was Davarim (words). The authors of the Septuagint gave it its present name when they noticed two separate laws at work throughout the pages.
Deutero/second----Nomos/law.
Certainly wise words in your post. Begs the question though: HOW can we know the best way to worship God?
John 14
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 3
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
John 4
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus tells us in Mathew 22:37,38,39,40 what his commandments are.
I know Roamer and I have had some of these conversations and I welcome the opportunity as I may have started this little exchange awhile ago in the post.
it is a battle in between our ears and hearts and boy, it is a battle that spills out into the world of religion.
Sorry in advance for length and maybe rambling- late out here.
If people don’t see that the calendar the world uses (Rome) and the calendar the Scriptures uses (His), are not the same (on purpose-daniel 7:25) , people will never see Him in the New Moons, Sabbaths and Feasts. He is the ‘reason for the season’. Those are His before they were taught to Israel. And they represent the Creative and Redemptive Work. And that is an awesome study that people may not see until the Kingdom comes.
Neither will they see Passover( and every 14th Day of His months) is the 6th and final Work Day of His 2nd work week in His Calendar - EVERY MONTH..
The Son Finished His Work on the 6th Work Day (14th) of a prophetic 4 week month, rested in death on the weekly AND annual sabbath (15th) and was Raised the day after the Sabbath (16- First Fruits)
Even when Passover lands on a Monday, HE NEVER CHANGES. Time has..that is the problem. And the whole world is deceived,just as scripture predicted.
That pattern can be see with Spirit eyes in Ezekiel 46. It will NEVER be seen with Rome’s Calendar. Because Rome ignores one day every month that the Father’s calendar does not- the New Moon Day.
Read Ezekiel 46 and ask Him some questions- why does He give different orders for New Moon Days and the Sabbath than He does for the 6 Work Days?
And why are New Moon Days not a part of the 6 Work Days?
Why does that count to 8 and not 7? (New moon 1+6 work days +1 Sabbath =8 not 7
Fair,honest questions to pose to the Creator and Redeemer..
I asked those questions. And because I did,and follow that template this day, I know now that the Messiah’s very life events (birth, circumcision, dedication in the temple, baptism, death, burial, resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit All landed on either a New Moon Day, Sabbath or a Feast. And there are hints and clues too.. And those days are memorials to Him that Israel was taught in their very history- that is how Awesome those days are. They looked to the King and His Kingdom for us, as they did for Moses and Israel.
Judaism misses that but His believers can learn it and teach and bring about the erasing of false doctrines in this world- anybody want to help Babylon fall? We can.. We should. His Bride should know all things about Him.
Religion cannot teach all that. And it is because they are using satan’s calendar.
Which hides His appointed times which is what Satan’s goal is- to steal worship.
That is why, on His calendar, tomorrow is His 7th Day, His Sabbath. The 22nd Day of His 5th month (BTW, 1st Sabbath in the wilderness happened on the 22nd day of the 2nd month- He Never Changes)
And jews and christians will work..with most of the world.
And muslims will have their Friday prayers. I suspect some will work but maybe some muslim s don’t work on fridays,because according to the Pope Gregory world calendar, it is a work day. Problem is His Sabbath can fall on any of Rome’s Days and all religions stumble into and out of it during the year.
All religions are ‘united’ on Rome’s system. So is the world major govts and business. Again, not an accident. And if one reads Daniel 7 and sees Rome as the 4th Beast, it is all prophecy unfolding..
That is why the world called today Thor’s Day and not the Father’s 6th Day.
Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 happens this very day. And it won’t be seen if one is conformed to the world..
Nobody can remember the Sabbath if you can never find it. People may pick one of their own days and call it a Sabbath, like Rome has (and sets the Judaism premise of Saturnsday and the Muslims for FriyasDay)
And Satan has done a bang up job with the world’s calendar of doing just that. All religions happy..
I pray more open their eyes to The Word made flesh, according to His Word and not the counterfeit , according to Rome’s catechism and calendar..
The world setting its work and worship with a calendar named after a Pope (pope gregory-gregorian) in these last days isn’t coincidence. It is prophetic.
Sabbath Shalom for very few Friday. But it is all a faith step. Some will read any of this and it will not register. Some may get punched in the gut, like I did when I realized how my faith was in lots of counterfeits. Humbling indeed.
May He lead you all and the world to ask those questions about the New Moon Day. Seems so small and insignificant, but it may just be a key piece on a puzzle that has been hidden from us.
Because I believe Scripture and His Creation tells us the Savior was born on one of those New Moon Days( and more than likely baptized on that same day 30 years later on His Birthday) . and the day is approaching on His Calendar.
It is not important to the world of believers ,but Rome’s December 25 is.
Go figure..
And when one learns His Calendar,one can then learn and understand why His parable of the sower used 30/60/100 as the folds in His Kingdom..
And that is something that never can be seen with Rome’s calendar. Judaism and Christianity miss it. They miss one of His Feasts every year. It doesn’t surprise me Christianity misses what it calls its birthday every year- they miss the Messiah’s too- unless it lands on Sunday.
Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear- what Truth can be proclaimed about Him and His Kingdom -
there will be no Thor’s or goddess Friya days in His Kingdom. That is just babel.
New Moons and Sabbath? You betcha.
Why! Because they commemorate His Creative and Redemptive Work. Just like His Calendar does.
What an awesome realization that a Gentile can observe His Sabbath every week and those Feasts just naturally begin on the Sabbath- not a special Sabbath or another Sabbath- His Sabbath..
No extra planning- new moon day(1), six work days(2-7), Sabbath(8). Six work (9-14), Sabbath (15), six work (16-21)
Sabbath (22), six work (23-28)
Sabbath (29)
Await new moon day. That starts His 4 complete weeks of 6 work days and the Sabbath.
That is what Ezeliel 46 shows.
And when you see that pattern,the work of Creation ‘ending’ on the 7th day is a little riddle that can be solved.
And the Son finishing His Redemptive Work on the 14th day makes more sense..
And the Work of the Holy Spirit this 3rd prophetic Work will also end on the 6th and final Work Day (21st) before the 22nd day Sabbath..
And I dare anyone to read His Word the same way after realizing any of this
He is Awesome! And Satan has done his best to bring false premises that muddies the basics of worship.
And that is the battle in Revelation- over worship.
Apologies for the length and maybe the rambling - at this hour I should be sleeping.
But talking about His Kingdom is more important..
HalleluYah!
Well.....I'm not sure what they believe about that (not being one).....but the Greek is fairly obvious in the gospels. Sunday is only relevant to the discussion because it was selected over the Sabbath.....for reasons already discussed.
O.K. This time I'll be blunt.
No....we don't. There is not one iota of evidence or a hint that the Apostles ever told anyone to now meet on Sunday. If you feel there is.... then please point it out. What you pointed out earlier said nothing (in the Greek) about any type of Sunday meeting.
I'm really surprised that folks continue using this argument. Think! When did they purchase these spices?
[Mark 16:1]1And the sabbath having past, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James, and Salome, bought spices, that having come, they may anoint him,
Which Sabbath are we speaking of here?
[Mark 15:42] And now evening having come, seeing it was the preparation, that is, the fore-sabbath,
We read in plain scripture that he died on the fore Sabbath. That would be the 14th of Nisan [Leviticus 23:5]...the Passover. Since he died before the Sabbath (Nisan 15)[Leviticus 23:6] and the women buy spices AFTER that Sabbath (the 16th) and rest again after preparing them [Luke 23:56].....doesn't common sense tell us there were two Sabbaths with a day in between?
Sure....He was still in the Tomb on the Sabbath. The High Sabbath [John 19:31] of Unleavened Bread....that is! And they would rest again for the weekly Sabbath (beginning Friday at sundown) and go to the tomb at sunrise on Saturday.....finding it empty!
As an aside......the prohibited distance is is not biblical.....it is Talmudic decided upon by Rabbinical Councils and not the inspired word of Yahweh
[Luke 24:18-21] 18And the one, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, ‘Art thou alone such a stranger in Jerusalem, that thou hast not known the things that came to pass in it in these days?’ 19And he said to them, ‘What things?’ And they said to him, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who became a man — a prophet — powerful in deed and word, before God and all the people, 20how also the chief priests and our rulers did deliver him up to a judgment of death, and crucified him; 21and we were hoping that he it is who is about to redeem Israel, and also with all these things, this third day is passing to-day, since these things happened.
If you notice.....among the things that the 3rd day is counted from is the deliverance of Messiah to judgment.
What are these these things that happened? Let's let scripture tell us.
The problem most folks have in reconciling the scriptures with a Wednesday Crucifixion. They begin the count of the 3 days and 3 nights when He is placed in the tomb by Joseph shortly before sundown of the 14th (Wednesday). The scriptures do not say that the "Heart of the Earth" means the grave.
I have always tried to get the correct chronology in mind when I study this (Heart of the Earth) event….. and I believe the convening of the Sanhedrin on Nisan 14, A.D. 30 was the starting point.
One scripture that always is reflected here is [Isaiah 53:5] as far as the trial goes:
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes "we are healed".
This procedure began during the mock trial and Our Lord was bleeding innocent blood long before he was hoisted upon the tree. If this bloodletting was not included in the "Heart of the Earth" prophecy then something doesn't add up. Peter said He was without blemish and spot when we were redeemed [I Peter 1:18-19]. His blood began to flow immediately after being beaten during the trial [Matthew 26:67-68][Mark 14:65][Luke 22:63] and these scriptures don't even take into consideration the further physical abuse from the flogging and the crown of thorns rendered under Pilate.
Innocent blood was shed for us almost immediately from the appearance before the Sanhedrin to His death on Golgotha.....all during the prophesied Three Days and Three Nights.
Scripture very definitely shows a three day progression through the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. I'll explain why this seems so confusing to some folks.
Originally the scriptures had no chapters and verses....and were all written in Capital letters with no punctuation. It wasn't until about 1200 A.D. that the Archbishop of Canterbury accomplished the editing of Holy writ.
Here's how some confusion came about with the chronology: [Mark 15:42-47]……..[16:1]
42And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. 44And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. 45And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46And 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. 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. 1And 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
The Archbishop, a good Catholic wanted to make sure that it appeared that the women were coming to the tomb on Sunday. After all....that's the theology of the Main Stream Church.
When you read Mark and see that the Sabbath of 16:1 is the same Sabbath of 15:42 you realize this is happening on a non Sabbath day because they are out purchasing spices. By breaking the chapter there the Archbishop succeeded in hiding that important detail....somewhat. The very next verse [16:2] then talks about the "First day of the week"……MIA TWN SABBATWN.
[Luke 23:56] 56And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
So....the women buy the spices the day after the First Sabbath of Unleavened [John 19:31] which was Wednesday night/Thursday day. They prepare them that same day Thursday night/Friday day (the non Sabbath day in between) and rest again for the weekly Sabbath Friday night.....but go to the tomb early Sabbath morning to find Our Lord already risen.
It was O.K. according to Hebrew tradition to anoint a body on the third day after burial whether or not it was a Sabbath day.
Scripture has always plainly told us that there was a non Sabbath day in between. It was just hidden because it didn't line up with Main Stream theology.
Now....on to the "Heart of the Earth".
There are many passages that speak of the three days and three nights and they include other things that were to be accomplished as well.
Let's take a look:
[Matthew 16:21] 21From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer "many" things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
The third day from what?
[Matthew 17:22-23] 22And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 23And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
The third day from what?
[Matthew 20:18-19] 18Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Third day from what?
[Mark 8:31] 31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
When did the three days begin? Are you noticing a pattern?
[Mark 9:31] 31For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day
Does the third day begin when he is delivered.....or when he is killed? It says nothing about the entombment.
[Mark 10:33-34] 33Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
To me it appears that there is a lot of things happening during these three days.
[Luke 9:22] 22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Does the third day count from the burial? So far.....no scripture has said this.
[Luke 18:31-33] 31Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
Where does it say the third day is counted from the entombment? It hasn't yet....and it never does. When does the three days and three nights begin?
[Luke 24:7] 7Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again
Do the three days begin when he is delivered? It's beginning to look more and more that way.
[Luke 24:20-21] And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since "these things" were done.
It appears that Cleophas and his companion on the road to Emmaus were including many things as part of the three day ordeal and not one time has the entombment been mentioned in all of the passages dealing with the three days.
The belly of the whale [Matthew 12:40] began for Yeshua as he was arrested early morning of the 14th in the garden and then all these things that were prophesied to occur during the three days and three nights began to transpire and culminated in his entombment until Sabbath morning before sunrise........72 hours later.
14th/day 15th/night = First day. 15th/day 16th night = Second day. 16th/day 17th/night = Third day.
He was arrested, delivered and tried before the Sanhedrin just before sunrise of the 14th and He resurrected just before sunrise of the 17th, Sabbath morning. Three days and three nights.
Was the "Heart of the Earth" a metaphor for being under the control and in the custody of the very mankind he would die for? Sure it was. Obviously!
Sounds like another opinion hit piece on everyone else’s religious practices. “You’re not a Christian because you don’t worship like I do!”
If I’ve misunderstood what the Lord said, please show me.
It isn’t my job to debate, educate, or otherwise correct you. The rest of us do not live by your demands of worship and you have no right to proclaim we are not Christians for not doing so. I think maybe you should read the Bible and perhaps seek professional help regarding your arrogance concerning how right you think you are.
Young's Literal Translation: [Mark 16:2] 2and early in the morning of the first of the sabbaths, they come unto the sepulchre, at the rising of the sun,
There happens to be a Greek word that designates a seven day week. It is EBDOMADA. Should we ask why Mark did not use it? You find it in the Septuagint in:
[Genesis 29:27-28]29:27 συντελεσον ουν τα εβδομα ταυτης και δωσω σοι και ταυτην αντι της εργασιας ης εργα παρ' εμοι ετι επτα ετη ετερα
29:28 εποιησεν δε ιακωβ ουτως και ανεπληρωσεν τα εβδομα ταυτης και εδωκεν αυτω λαβαν ραχηλ την θυγατερα αυτου αυτω γυναικα
The KJV: 27Fulfill her week, and we will give you this also for the service which you shall serve with me yet seven other years. 28And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
also in [Daniel 9:24]9:24 εβδομηκοντα εβδομαδες εκριθησαν επι τον λαον σου και επι την πολιν σιων συντελεσθηναι την αμαρτιαν και τας αδικιας σπανισαι και απαλειψαι τας αδικιας και διανοηθηναι το οραμα και δοθηναι δικαιοσυνην αιωνιον και συντελεσθηναι το οραμα και ευφραναι αγιον αγιων
The KJV: 24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
You do not find the Greek word for week anywhere in the New Testament. The word used in all the gospels to designate the day of the resurrection is σαββάτων. It does not mean week. It means.....Sabbaths (plural).
Regarding [Mark 16:9-20]. I don't recognize it as scripture as there is too much controversy about it being added by a "Dark Ages" monk....later on. Nevertheless....Young's translates it this way:
[Mark 16:9]9And he, having risen in the morning of the first of the sabbaths, did appear first to Mary the Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons;
No, the feast days, new moons, and Sabbaths were, according to Paul, "a shadow of the things to come".
As a point of order, Paul says the feast days, new moons, and Sabbaths ARE shadows of things to come...
And the conventional Christian view of Paul's letter to the Colossians falls apart with just a little consideration - Colossians are pagans of Galatia... Generally practitioners of the Babylonian Mysteries (Astrology). How would it be that Paul is warning them *not* to go back to Judaism? They would not have been practicing Judaism in the first place, at least not by and large...
Equally problematic, 'new moons' are not that important in Judaism... One feast alone is tied to a new moon (Feast of Trumpets) - The rest of the feasts are tied to the full moon. So why the peculiar emphasis on new moons? But, new moons are part and parcel of astrology, even to this day.
And reading further on Col2 we find Paul is speaking of 'rudiments of the world' (20) and 'ordinances [...] after the doctrines and commandments of men' (20-22)
How can that be the eternal Torah, which is the ordinances, doctrine, and commandments of YHWH?
No, standard Christian interpretation of this passage leaves much to be desired.
Very good points.........All!
Matthew 9:16-17
16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
The essence of the law is love for God and love for one another.
We may all become experts at lesser things, but if we fail at love, we are but sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Not a happy ending, that.
Peace,
SR
Exactly ...
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