Does the Law Still apply - Free book

Does the Law of God Still Apply?

By J. C. Caissie

Order more copies at www.biblelaw101.com

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This book is dedicated to: Yahweh, for blessing me with much more than I deserve.

My wife, for her support and for listening with an open ear.

My close friends who also diligently studied the scriptures and came to the same conclusion about Yahweh’s laws.

Those that have been and will be persecuted for following Yahweh’s laws.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Book __________________________________________ 7 Opening Thought:________________________________________13 Chapter 1 :

Overview of Why the Law is for Today ____________ 15

Chapter 2 :

Understanding the Scriptures ___________________ 25

Chapter 3 :

The Law of God is Forever ______________________ 29

Chapter 4 :

Jesus Instructed from the Law __________________ 39

Chapter 5 :

Did Jesus Break or Teach People to Break God’s Law? ______________________________________ 49

Chapter 6 :

All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments______________________________ 59

Chapter 7:

Law Commentary on Acts ______________________ 67

Chapter 8:

Commentary on Romans 2 _____________________ 79

Chapter 9:

How I Love thy Law ___________________________ 87

Chapter 10: The Purpose of the Law ________________________ 91 Chapter 11: The Purpose of the Sacrifices____________________ 95 Chapter 12: Making Sense of the Law _______________________ 99 Chapter 13: Questions for Those Who Think the Law of God is Abolished __________________________________ 113 Chapter 14: Does God want us to Keep the Feast Days? _______ 125 Chapter 15: Christ, Our Passover _________________________ 135

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Chapter 16: Passover Warning ___________________________ 139 Chapter 17: Jesus Cleansed Everyone who has Repented from their Sins __________________________________ 143 Chapter 18: Does God want us to Keep the Sabbath? _________ 145 Chapter 19: Shadow of the Seventh Day Sabbath ____________ 151 Chapter 20: The Laws of Yahweh vs The Laws of the United States ____________________________________ 159 Chapter 21: Kingdom Rewards for Keeping the Law ___________ 173 Chapter 22: The True Meaning of Repentance _______________ 179 Chapter 23: Comman Arguments Against Keeping the Law _____ 183 About the Author’s Journey ______________________________ 203 Closing Scripturs: _______________________________________207

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About the Book

I want to first point out that I am not a professional writer. This book is actually the first book that I ever put together.

I mainly put this

book together because some of my friends and family ask me why I follow God’s laws. This book was to walk them through my reasoning using the scriptures. This book is mainly a collection of articles that I wrote on my website: www.biblelaw101.com. This is why you will see some of the same points and some scriptures mentioned more than once.

I did have to write a few more chapters for this book (and I

then posted many of them as articles on my website), so the reader would have less questions after reading the book. You can probably read every chapter in this book from articles on my website (although they might not be word for word, and I at times change some wording of

my

articles).

I

also

have

many

other

www.biblelaw101.com that I did not put in this book.

articles

at

I sometimes

refer the reader to these articles. Feel free to go to this site and email me your questions AFTER you read this book from cover to cover.

Maybe you will agree with my conclusions of this book or maybe you won’t. I do not have time to debate people. Although I have assisted in leading a few people to this truth about the law, it was ultimately God who chose them. God purposely hid many truths in the scriptures and it will ultimately be Him that reveals them (many times by you diligently seeking them out). In fact, the reason why Jesus spoke in parables is to conceal the truth from the people who were not ready to hear it (Matthew 13:10-17).

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Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Proverbs 2:3-5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.

The hidden treasures of the knowledge of God will not fall in your lap.

You must be searching. If you are not searching for the truth when reading this book (or reading the Bible), then you will not find the truth.

You may also go to my website and download this book for free. You may then take it to a coping place and have them print it out and bind it.

You may make as many copies as you want and distribute them,

as long as: •

No profit is gained in any way (if it cost you $20 to print up the book and bind it, you may sell it for that amount, but you can not add anything for your labor).

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•

The book must be in its entirety, with this page and the cover page. Nothing can be added or taken away without my consent.

I also ask you not to waist your time and give this book to someone who has no respect for God’s major laws, such as stealing, murder, and adultery. First try and correct this problem before you teach them about the other laws. (See Chapter 7-“Law Commentary on Acts” – Acts 15). If they are committing adultery, (hopefully every Christian knows it is still a sin to commit adultery) then learning that the rest of the laws still apply will only make the person’s offence abound (see footnote at end of Chapter 10-“The Purpose of God’s Law) because it is likely that they will not follow the “least commandments” if they do not follow the greater ones.

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

I have also found out that there are many levels of truths in the bible that are related to each other and that one will most likely not find one truth until he or she finds another. Therefore, I also find it pointless to give this book to Evolutionists.

I have also found that most people

who keep the law also believe that when we die, we go to the grave and wait for Yahushua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) to come back and resurrect us from the graves (at the last day) to rule and reign with Him for a thousand years. For me, the truth about the law came this way: Creation -> The Scriptures are true -> We are waiting for resurrection and judgment day and the Millennial reign after death -> The law of Yahweh is still applicable today. To some, this truth might HTTP://WWW.SERVANTOFMESSIAH.ORG

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have come a different way, but I usually teach the Evolutionists about Creation before I teach them the law.

I also recommend my article

titled, “The Gospel of the Resurrection of the Dead� found at www.biblelaw101.com.

Also note that just because I refer to an author or a book (besides the Scriptures), does not mean that I agree with that author on every issue.

This book is NOT for those who are not totally committed, for it will bring a sword to your life, family, and friends (Matthew 10:34) and could bring many stripes if one continues to transgress the law of God (Luke 12:47-48).

Check your heart now. If you are currently going to a Sunday keeping church and the Holy Spirit told you that you should be keeping the Sabbaths and Holy days, how easy would it be to tell your friends at church this?

You know that some of your friends will think you are

weak minded for letting yourself get brainwashed in a cult. You know that some of your friends will probably think less of you. Are you too prideful to obey God because of what your friends might say? What if God told you that during a certain day of the year, to go outside and blow a ram's horn? Would you blow it quietly so your neighbors will not look at you funny and wonder what the heck you are doing? If so, you should not read any further, for this could bring a harder judgment on you. Again, this book is for those who are completely committed to Yahweh and would obey Him no matter what others might think about them.

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When reading this book, the Spirit of God might convince the reader of the fact that not one jot or tittle has passed from the law (Matthew 5:17-18) and that the law given at Mount Sinai is applicable for today.

I have had a few friends who, after they started keeping the laws of God, even their closest friends (who claim to be strong Christians) stopped speaking to them. I have also had many similar experiences.

I have had people, who were very nice to me at one time, shun me after they find out I keep the law. I never tried to force my beliefs on them nor did I tell them they were sinning, but their attitude towards me changed drastically. were “Christians”.

The sad thing is, 100% of the time, these

I sometimes think they would not have shunned

me if I was a fornicator, but keeping the law was too much for them. I don’t see how my, keeping the Feasts of God, the Sabbaths, and doing little things like putting the Ten Commandments up on my door post could offend anyone.

But I have noticed that some Christians only

started talking bad about me after they learned I kept the law.

You will also notice that I use “Yahweh” many times instead of “God” or “Lord”.

I have a few reasons why I do this. The main reason is

that I do think it was wrong of the translators to translate “yhwh” to “LORD” (all caps) because “LORD” is used as a title today, and “yhwh” is short for a proper name. I use Yahweh to personalize and specify “LORD” and “God”. There are many gods in the world as well as there are many deities that people call “Lord”, but there is only one Yahweh.

There are some that believe that even saying or reading “God” or “Lord” is a sin. I do NOT believe this. People can use the title, “Great Spirit Chief in the sky”, and as long as that definition fits the definition of whom Yahweh is, then I don’t see a problem with them using that

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title. But again, “Yahweh” makes it clear of whom you are referring to.

All scriptures used in this book are from the KJV (unless otherwise noted) with “Yahweh” substituted for “the LORD”.

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Opening Thought I have been in conversations before where someone who claims to be a Christian and claims to follow the scriptures would say something like, “I know that is what the Bible says, but do you really think we should be doing that” or “I know that is what the God said to do, but do you think God would really want us to do that”.

When reading this book (and reading the Bible), you might come across many verses in which you think something similar. I propose to the reader that we all should mold our beliefs around the Scriptures instead of molding the Scriptures around our beliefs.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

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Chapter 1 An Overview of Why the Law is for Today

First, I need to say that the law of Yahweh (God) was never designed to save anyone. It is by the grace of Yahushua the Messiah (Jesus, the Christ) that we (those who turn from breaking the law) are saved.

Jesus did NOT “nail the law to the cross”! The Messiah's death on the cross did NOT abolish one jot or tittle from the law (Matthew 5:17-18).

It did NOT give us permission to sin (sin is transgression of the law).

In fact, you can't have grace without the law! If there is no law, then there would be no grace. If Jesus abolished the law, there would be no more sin (again, sin is transgression of the law). If there is no more sin, we would not need "grace". Here is an analogy: Let’s say you are visiting a friend in an unfamiliar city. You are driving at 55mph and pass through a school zone sign while looking for your friend's street. You continue to go 55 in a 25mph zone. You get pulled over and ticketed.

You appear before the judge. The judge looks at

the law and finds you guilty of breaking the law. Then your friend (who happens to be the judge's son) steps in and says, "Judge, I know my friend broke the law. He knows he broke the law. He was new to the area and was ignorant of the law. He assures me that he will be more careful to watch for the speed limit signs in the future. Let me give grace to my friend and pay his fine for him". And so, your friend pulls out his wallet and pays the court $200.00.

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This is similar to what the Messiah did at the cross. He did not abolish the law. He paid the penalty for breaking the law.

Now, let’s say you are visiting the same friend and you now think that since your friend is the judge's son and he got you out of paying the ticket the first time that the law in that town does not apply to you.

You think that you can speed as much as you want. Do you think your friend will continue to pay your fines when you don’t repent (turn) from breaking the law?

What if you appeared before the same judge for the 6th time and you said something like, "yes, I broke the law, but this law must not apply to me because I always break it and never have to pay a dime." Do you think the judge will let your friend continue to pay the fines for you? Do you think because you know the judge's son, that you are above the law no matter what or that the law does not apply to you?

(The penalty being of having to appear before the judge and the judge continually fining you should prove that the law does apply to you.

Also, the fact that the Judge's son continually has to pay your fine should also prove to you that the law still applies to you).

Romans 6:14-15 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin [transgress the law], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

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Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

When I found out that there were some 'cults' running around keeping the law of God, I wanted to prove through the bible which doctrine was correct ("Prove all things" 1 Thessalonians 5:21). So I bought several speckled notebooks and titled them with things like, "Is the Sabbath for Today?" "Tithing", "Is the law abolished?" etc. I then started in Matthew and read the gospels and wrote down all the verses for or against those topics. I found that Yahushua the Messiah (Jesus, the Christ) was undoubtedly pro-law (as you can see when you read chapters 4 through 6 of this book). Then I got to Acts, and saw that the disciples were still keeping the law after Jesus died on the cross (see: Chapter 7-“Law Commentary on Acts”). Then I got to Romans and after the first couple of chapters I was convinced that Paul too was pro-law (see: Chapter 8-“Commentary on Romans 2”). Then I started reading further and it appeared that Paul was against the law (contrasting his statements in Romans 2 and in Acts). Then later I saw verses from him that were pro-law again. After I got through Romans, I was honestly beginning to think Paul was a little schizophrenic. It wasn't until I got to Peter that I realized why I couldn't understand Paul.

Peter says that Paul’s epistles are hard to understand for those who don’t know the scriptures (at the time I was researching this topic, I, like most Christians, was very ignorant of the law and the Old Testament).

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2 Peter 3:16-17 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

You therefore beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware

lest

you

also

fall

from

your

own

steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; The word translated “wicked” is the Greek word “athesmos” which means lawless or one who breaks the law. Here is Strong’s only definition: 1) one who breaks through the restraint of law and gratifies his lusts So Peter here is saying, Paul’s epistles are hard to understand for people who are untaught in the rest of the scriptures… (then right after he says)….Beware of the lawless.

When reading Paul’s epistles, it sometimes appears that he is pro-law, and sometimes appears that he is anti-law. This is why the Jews were so confused about Paul’s writings. They even wanted to make sure Paul was still keeping the law and told Paul to prove that he still keeps the law by making offerings for some vows, which Paul did to show the Jews that he still kept the law (Acts 21:21-26).

Anyway, since it is clear that Paul’s epistles are not clear and appear

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to go either way, how did I come to the conclusion that Paul was actually pro-law?

1. Peter says that it is hard for them to understand for those who do not understand the rest of the scriptures. I have been to many Christian churches. I went to a Baptist church a while back. There was about 50 older adults there (average age probably 45). When my dad said that there were other Sabbaths besides the weekly Sabbath, not one of them knew that. When I made a few other comments about the law, not one of them had a clue what I was talking about. Once, I was talking to a Christian girl who attended church all her life (she was in her 20s), and she did not know who Abraham was. Just recently, I was talking to a woman in her mid-40’s, who also attended church almost all her life, and she did not know that David came after Moses. I would easily assume that they do not know “the rest of the scriptures”, and yet think they know Paul. They are quick to quote, “we are not under the law but under grace”. But Peter says that it is hard for those who do not know the rest of the scriptures. Just go to any Christian chat room that allows a multitude of people from a multitude of religions and see which ones know the Old Testament (OT) better. Or start attending a Baptist or Pentecostal or Catholic Church (pick one…I haven’t found one that knows much of the OT). Or watch some televangelists and count how many times he quotes the OT.

Even

though I trust no one when it comes to teaching me the scriptures and I am not a member of any church, if I knew no other scripture besides this one verse from Peter and I had to blindly pick who had the correct interpretation of Paul’s epistles by looking at Peter’s comments, I would have to pick the people who know the law and the OT such as

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the Messianic Jews or other law keeping denominations (See: Chapter 2-“Understanding the Scriptures”).

Plus, right after Peter says “[Paul’s] epistles are hard to understand…” he says, “beware of the lawless”. Hmmm…looks like he wanted us to beware of the ones that broke the law.

Plus, show me in the “rest of the scriptures” (the OT) where the law was going to be abolished before the millennium reign. (The “rest of the scriptures” do say over and over and over again that the law is forever.).

2. Paul’s pro-law scriptures are very solid. Just take the first 2 chapters of Romans for example (See: Chapter 8-“Commentary of Romans 2”). While some of the verses that appear to be anti-law are “difficult to understand”, they can be explained MUCH easier than the very solid scriptures that are pro-law.

3. Jesus’ comments, God’s words from the OT, and basically the rest of the scriptures would be impossible to ignore. (See: Chapter 3- “The Law of God is Forever” and Chapter 4-“Jesus instructed from the Law” and Chapter 5-“Did Jesus Ever Break or Teach People to Break God’s Law?” and Chapter 6-“All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments”).

4. The Acts of the Apostles would be impossible to ignore (it is like Paul would be preaching one thing, but doing another) (See: Chapter 7-“Law Commentary on Acts”).

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5. The actions of Christ, which is a very productive way of teaching, support keeping the law. Christ lead his life as an example (1 Peter 2:21). Christ kept all the commandments (including the Sabbaths and Holy Days).

6. People that knew the law, loved the law. The scriptures talk about how wise and great the law is and how other nations would look upon the wise law and wonder how they got such a great and wise law.

(See: Chapter 9-“How I Love thy Law” and Chapter 10-“The Purpose of God's Law”) 7. The law makes sense. It doesn’t make sense to abolish a law that separates Lepers from healthy people or a law that says you can not have sex with a close relative. I do believe that God has a reason for every law (even if we can’t figure the reason out). (See: Chapter 11“Making Sense of the Law”).

8. Also, it doesn’t make sense for any lawmaker to make a law, and then when his son lives his life without breaking the law, for that law to be abolished. [If G. W. Bush was king and he had a son that died at 33, without a criminal offense, would that be your defense in court for breaking the law? Would you say, “Your Honor, I do not have to follow the law because G. W. Bush’s son followed it.”? That makes much less sense to me than going in front of the Judge and saying, “Yes, I have broken the law, and I have repented” (see: Chapter 21-“The True Meaning of ‘Repentance’” ) and then the son of the King steps in and pays your fine. (Paying one’s penalty for a crime proves that the law is in place)].

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9. There is no New Testament (NT) law. Some just count all the laws mentioned in the NT and say that these are our new laws. For one, who made up that rule? Does it make sense to say that the King’s son has to repeat all the law for it to stay in effect? And since the NT was not put together until many years after Jesus’ death (and canonized much later than that) what laws would be in place until one could get access to the whole NT? 10. It does not make sense for God to establish a law, then abolish it, then re-establish it again [like the feast of Tabernacles (Zec 14:16-19) and the Sabbath (Isaiah 66:23)] (See: Chapter 13-“Questions for Those Who Think the Law of God is Abolished”, Chapter 14-“Does God want us to keep the Feast days”, and Chapter 18-“Does God want us to keep the Sabbath”).

11. The feasts and Sabbaths were set up to point to the Messiah and his redemption plan of God’s people (See: Chapter 17=”Christ our Passover”). Since the Messiah has not fulfilled all these feasts and the shadow of the Sabbath (See: Chapter 19-“The Shadow of the Seventh Day Sabbath”), it does not make sense for His people to stop practicing these. Also, we were told to keep the Passover in 1 Cor 5:78 (See: Chapter 18-“Passover Warning”) and in Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.

12. If God’s law is abolished, then why are we and all the other nations having so many curses? How can someone suffer the penalty for breaking the speed limit (a traffic ticket) if the speed limit no longer applied? The fact that someone can suffer the penalty for

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breaking a law proves that the law applies to that person [Do you think that it is possible that the reason why our farmland's topsoil is depleting is because we do not practice the land Sabbath or the reason why our money is becoming more and more worthless is because we are using "unjust weights and measures" (See: “Unjust Weights and Measures” at biblelaw101.com) or the reason why we have so much evil, crime, and fear of terrorism in our country is because we do not enforce God's laws? (See: Chapter 20-“The Laws of God vs the Laws of the United States”)].

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Chapter 2 Understanding the Scriptures

The Bible gives us the key to understanding God’s word.

Psalm 119:97-100 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: Psalm 111:10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding

have

all

they

that

do

his

commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Isaiah 28:9-13 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

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For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of Yahweh was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Here, Yahweh is saying that His word is in code. A precept is a law. So the code is "precept upon precept" or "law upon law". Many preachers say they know Yahweh and have understanding of Yahweh's word.

Unless

they

keep

the

law,

I

know

Yahweh's

word

says

they

lack

understanding.

1 John 2:4 He

that

saith,

him,

and

keepeth

not

his

commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

To understand the scriptures I would first study the first 5 books of the Bible (The Law). I would go through and try to make sense of all the law, and try to find out how all the law hangs on the 2 great commandments

(Matthew

22:35-40).

When

you

see

how

not

committing idolatry and keeping the Sabbath and eating only clean foods also falls under “love thy neighbor”, and that not stealing, or not committing murder, also falls under “Love Yahweh…”; then a lot of understanding of God and his law opens up (this is explained in more

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detail in Chapter 6 – “All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments”).

Many times when a preacher or a Bible commentary suggests new scriptural reading to a new Christian, they usually suggest one of the gospels as the first book to read and then one of Paul’s epistles as the second book. This goes totally against logic because Peter says, that Paul’s epistles are hard to understand for those who do not know the scriptures. Maybe this is one reason why there is so much confusion today.

2 Peter 3:16-17 As also in all [Paul’s] epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

You therefore, beloved, since you know this

beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; As pointed out earlier, Peter tells us that Paul’s epistles are hard to understand by those that are untaught in the rest of the Scriptures.

Right after that he tells us to “beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked (lawless)”.

So, before reading Paul’s epistles, it makes sense to read “the rest of the scriptures”.

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Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

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Chapter 3 The Law of God is Forever*

When I ask someone (who believes the Bible), do you think that God will ever flood the whole earth again? So far, 100% of the time, they answer, “No”.

I ask them, “Why do you believe this?”

They say, “Because God said he wouldn’t”. (Referring to Genesis 9:1116) Let us look at the promise God made about never flooding the earth again.

Genesis 9:11-16 And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant,... and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant

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between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

By looking at the above verses, I will have to agree that God said that this covenant was “everlasting” and it will continue generation after generation perpetually. God also used this terminology to describe the “New Covenant”. And people have faith that the “New Covenant” will be “everlasting” too. But how can someone, who thinks that God can break His “everlasting” covenants, have faith that He won’t do the same with these two covenants? Do you think He can break His “everlasting” covenants?

Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

The Hebrew word translated as “perpetual” in Exodus 31:16 is the same Hebrew word translated as “everlasting” in Genesis 9:16 (referring to the flood) and Jeremiah 32:40 (referring to the New Covenant).

Since the same Hebrew word is used in all three cases, how can someone have faith that Yahweh will not abolish the “flood” covenant or the New Covenant if they believe He had already abolished the covenant in Exodus 31:16?

Here are just a small percentage of scriptures that clearly state that the law is forever:

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Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Exodus 12:17 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.

Exodus 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Almost everyone, with some biblical background, will sooner or later ask me, “So do you think we should stone people for breaking the Sabbath?” Well, presented that way, it is not too clear which way I should answer, so I’ll answer this, “Should a private citizen in the United States today, go out and stone someone for breaking the Sabbath?” The answer to that is no. The reason is the same as “should an ambassador to the United States enforce the United States’ laws while he is living in Russia?” The answer to that is “no” as well. You

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see, the ambassador is not a police officer (a high priest servant) hired to find people who transgress the law (sinners), to bring them to the Court house (the Temple), in front of a judge (a Levite priest). And until God’s system is back in place, one (that is a Citizen of the Kingdom of God) cannot enforce any penalties of God’s laws while in a foreign land (any nation that does not have God’s laws as the laws of the nation). Just as an American ambassador, while over in Russia, cannot enforce the laws of the United States (even though he is still bound by US law), you as an ambassador of Christ, can not enforce the laws of God. To put it another way, let us say that King David or a Levite was taking a trip to another country, and he saw someone breaking the Sabbath. Even though they have the authority to arrest them when they are in Israel, they have no authority while in another country.

(Not to mention that everyone needs a trial and at least 2 witnesses for the death penalty. Also if David brought the Sabbath breaker to the foreign court, it would not do any good because their laws were different than Israel's laws.)

We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Philippians 3:20). Christ is our King (Revelation 19:16). We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Unless God sets up a country again with His laws and His temple, we as ambassadors have no authority to enforce God's penalties anywhere on Earth.

Leviticus 16:29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall

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afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: Leviticus 16:31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

Leviticus 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

Leviticus 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

2 Chronicles 2:4 Behold, I build an house to the name of Yahweh my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of Yahweh our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

Psalm 119:159-160 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O YAHWEH, according to thy lovingkindness. Thy word is true from the

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beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Deuteronomy 11:1 (NKJV) Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge,

His

statutes,

His

judgments,

and

His

commandments always.

Leviticus 10:15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as Yahweh hath commanded.

Now, almost everyone that does not know the law (which is most Christians) would say, “If you think the law of God is not abolished, then does not that mean that we should sacrifice animals for our sins”?

Well, I’ll answer that question with two questions: 1. Do you know a Levite priest that can do this for you (who can trace his genealogy back to Levi)?

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2. Can you make a sacrifice when God’s temple is destroyed?

Many people have said to me, “If you are going to follow God’s law, then you need to make sacrifices”. These people do not have a clue about God’s law. It would be a sin for me to make a sacrifice right now (or forever) for at least a couple of reasons. One, I am not a Levite.

Second, the temple is destroyed.

Most people do not know why God created the sacrifices in the first place. Sacrifices never forgave anyone for any sin (except Yahushua’s sacrifice on the cross). The sacrifices were for shadows, for a remembrance of sin, for feasting (it is hard to have a feast without food), for a fine (like paying money for a traffic ticket), and for feeding the government officials who were the Levites (See Chapter 11 – “The Purpose of the Sacrifices”).

Deuteronomy 4:30-31 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to Yahweh thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For Yahweh thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Okay, this scripture just said that in the latter days when we are in tribulation, if we turned to Yahweh and be obedient to Him, He will not forget the covenant of their fathers. What covenant do you think he is talking about? If you read all of chapter 4 he is without a doubt talking

35

about the covenant he made with Israel. Most Christians think that God already forgot about this covenant, but God clearly said that He will remember it, “even in the latter days”!

Also see: Deuteronomy 28:15-46; Exodus 27:21; Exodus 28:43; Exodus 29:28; Exodus 30:21; Exodus 31:16; Leviticus 24:8; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8 (to name a few). *I believe that the word “forever” is relative to this earth and universe.

“Forever” refers to time. Physicists can tell you that “time” is relative.

Many physicists who believe the Big Bang theory, say there was no time before the Big Bang. Physicists who believe that God spoke a mature creation into being (2 Peter 3:5) also say there was no time before “the beginning” (Genesis 1:1). So, either way, time (relative to this earth and this universe) started when the earth and universe began. Time (relative to this earth and this universe) will end when the earth and universe ends.

I believe that “Forever” actually means, “Until the end of time”. So this would mean that when the heavens and earth pass, “forever” has passed.

When Christ comes back, he will make “new heavens and a new earth”.

Revelation 21:1 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.

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At this time God will make a “new covenant� and many of His laws will be deleted or changed for instance: Laws concerning marriage will change tremendously (Matthew 22:24-30). Also, today Yahweh does not send drought and plagues to nations who do not go to the Feast of Tabernacles [as He will in the millennium reign (Zechariah 14:16-19)].

I also doubt that there will be need for laws concerning: Wars, teaching the laws to your children (see Hebrews 8:11), gorging oxen, or circumcision.

Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. 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.

The above verses imply that the law will pass, when heaven and earth pass.

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Chapter 4 Jesus Instructed From the Law

The following are some of the scriptures that show Jesus instructing out of the Law of God. Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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.

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.

Matthew 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery

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Matthew 22:35-40 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(Also see Mark 12:28-31) Jesus is not making up new commandments here. They asked him “which is the great commandment in the law”. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. (See Chapter 6: All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments ) Matthew 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.

Here is Strong’s definition of the word translated “iniquity” in the above verse: 1) the condition of without law a. because ignorant of it b. because of violating it 2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

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Matthew 23:2-3 (NKJV) Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

Jesus and his disciples did not listen to the Pharisees many times. But when they sit in “Moses’ seat” they were teaching out of the Torah. At this time Jesus commands his disciples “whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do”.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

I won’t go through and list every time Jesus told people to “repent”…Here is something to think about though. When Jesus told them to “repent”, from what were they to repent and to what did they think Jesus was referring? They knew that Jesus was telling them to repent from their sins (which at that time, no one will argue, was the transgression of the Mosaic Law). Also, for this reason, I will not list every time Jesus used the word “sinner” or “sins”. Like when Jesus said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee”. Jesus was also referring to the only law given to the Jews at the time (the Mosaic law). “Sinners” are those who transgress the law.

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Also, since there is very little debate about if Jesus kept the law, I am not going to point out all the times Jesus kept the law (feasts, etc.).

But I will point out here that Jesus did live His life as an example to us (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). I also will point out that usually the best form of teaching is by demonstration.

There are many other quotes of Jesus that I believe are talking about keeping the Law of God, for instance: Luke 11:28 …Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. but, I will not list these because of their vagueness.

Mark 1:41-44 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those

things

which

Moses

commanded,

for

a

testimony unto them. (Also see: Matthew 8:4; Matthew 12:11-12; Luke 5:14; Luke 17:14;)

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Mark 2:23-26 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? (Also see Matthew 12:3-5; Luke 6:3-4) When they accused Jesus of breaking the law, Jesus used the law as a defense. Showing them they were in error.

Mark 7:7-9 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the

commandments

of

men.

For

laying

aside

the

commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Jesus is rebuking people for “rejecting the commandment of God�.

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Mark 7:10-13 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (Also see: Matthew 15:4) Jesus is reinforcing the commandment given in Exodus 21:17, which states: “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.” (See Chapter 3 – “The Law of God is Forever” to see why many people today do not have the authority to put some people to death).

At the same time, Jesus is also reinforcing the

commandments given in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 referring to "Honour thy father and thy mother".

Mark 10:17-19 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good

but

one,

that

is,

God.

Thou

knowest

the

commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. (Also see Matthew 19:17-19; Luke 18:18-20)

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Some use this as proof we no longer keep the other commandments.

Do you think that is what this man (who was very likely a Jew, being instructed out of the law) thought when Jesus listed 6 of the commandments? Do you think this man thought now that he could break all the rest? Or do you think this man got the point?

Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Also see Matthew 4:4) This was quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3. In context, this verse was talking about the law of God. Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship Yahweh thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Also see Matthew 4:10) Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 6:13. Does this law apply? What says that Jesus has to quote every law for it to still apply to us? If the President of the United States comes to your town, does he have to quote every single law for them to still be enforced?

Luke 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt Yahweh thy God. (Also see Matthew 4:7)

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Quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16 Luke 10:25-26 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

When asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life”, Jesus says, “What is written in the law”…why do you think he said that?

Continuing with verses 27 and 28 And he answering said, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

This man that came up to Yahushua already knew that ALL the law hangs on those two commandments (found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18).

When Yahushua says, “Thou hast answered right:

this do, and thou shalt live.”; Yahushua is reinforcing the whole law (See:

Chapter

6-“All

of

the

Law

Hangs

on

the

Two

Great

Commandments”).

Luke 11:42 (NKJV) “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of

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God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. (Also see Matthew 23:23) When Jesus says, “these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone", he is reinforcing tithing.

Luke 16:28-31 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

When a law breaker wanted to return from the dead to warn his brothers of breaking the law, Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” What did Moses write to us?

Moses wrote the law. It looks like from the above verse that we should “hear” him.

John 7:19-22 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto

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you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

Jesus again uses the law in defense and rebukes the people for not keeping the law.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Where are Yahushua’s commandments? Some say that these are the two greatest commandments. Well, that is two of them, and as Jesus said,

“All

the

law

hangs

on

these

two

commandments�.

The

Commandments that Jesus was referring to was the Commandments given at Mt. Sinai.

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Chapter 5 Did Jesus Ever Break or Teach People to Break God’s Law?

Some people will say that Jesus actually went against the law of God. Here are some of the attacks that are commonly used:

Claim #1: Jesus broke the Sabbath Scriptures: (Matthew 12:1-8; 9-13) (Mark 2:23-28) (Mark 3:1-5) (Luke 6:1-5; 6-10) (Luke 13:10-17) (Luke 14:1-6) (John 5:1-18) Answer: Jesus’ disciples plucked corn on the Sabbath to eat, and Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath day. For some reason, to some people, this is proof that Jesus abolished the Sabbath, because they think he broke the Sabbath.

Jesus did not break the Sabbath. When accused of breaking the Sabbath, during the corn plucking, Jesus quoted right out of the law, showing the Pharisee’s their error.

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He used the Law as a defense (John 7:22-23). Plus, how much labor was required for Jesus to heal someone? It seems that all he really did was speak the words and it was done. But how much labor was done is not even an issue. If a child has a bad fever, everyone (including the Pharisees) would spend

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much time and effort trying to bring down this fever, no matter what day it was. And at one point Jesus said, “Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you (including the Pharisees) on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”

(Luke 13:15-16). When his accusers heard this they “were ashamed” (Luke 13:17), because they knew that Jesus was right and that He did not break the law.

Every time that Jesus had to defend His actions, showing that He was not breaking the law, He is reinforcing the law.

Claim #2: Jesus went against the law of God when He allowed the adulterous woman to go free.

The scriptures: John 8:3-11: And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without

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sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

The law that the scribes and Pharisees were referring to: Leviticus 20:10: And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife,

even

he

that

committeth

adultery

with

his

neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Answer: Jesus was always the first to point out the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. If the common interpretation is correct (that the Pharisees could not cast a stone at her because they had sin in their life too), then Jesus would have called them “Hypocrites”. But He did not do this. Why not?

The big question that needs to be answered first is what did Jesus write in the sand that made everyone leave her alone? If Jesus just said, “he who without sin, let him cast the first stone”…many selfrighteous Pharisees would have jumped at the chance to throw stones

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at her. Plus, nowhere in the law does it say that you must be without sin to put someone to death! So what did Jesus write that was so profound that made them drop stones and leave?

When someone asked Jesus about the law, most of the time, he quoted right from the law. In this situation the Pharisees asked Jesus about the law.

John 8:5 “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”

It would make sense that Jesus would give them the answer from the law. Notice that after they asked Him if He thinks that she should be stoned, Jesus stoops down and starts writing something in the dirt.

Jesus probably wrote out the law pertaining to their question and then underlined or circled both the adulterer and the adulteress.

Notice that they only brought Jesus the woman. They even said that they caught her “in the very act”. So, where was the man? Why were they trying to stone her without stoning the man? Like today, maybe they had a double standard back then too? Today, if guys go out and have sex with multiple women, he is a stud. And if a woman goes out and has sex with multiple men, she is a slut. Whatever the reason, there was no man with the woman to be stoned. Therefore, they would be breaking the law if they stoned her without the man. This is why no one dared to cast a stone.

Think about it. The whole reason they brought the woman to Him in

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the first place was to tempt Him, “that they might have to accuse Him”. If Jesus just told them flat out to let her go, they would have been able to accused Him (and probably try to stone Him) for teaching against the law of God. Jesus then puts them in their place when He wrote out the law.

Claim #3: Jesus replaced the law with just two commandments Scriptures: Matthew 22:35-40 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Answer: See Chapter 6-“All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments”

Claim #4: Jesus “fulfilled” the law, so we don’t have too.

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Scriptures: Matthew 5:17-18: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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.

Answer: If He did come to abolish the law (by following it), then why did He say, “I have not come to destroy the law”? He should have said, “I have come to destroy the law by following it completely”.

The belief that, “Jesus fulfilled the law so we don’t have to”, does not make any sense. I would not want to use that phrase for my defense of breaking the law. Do you think that would fly in today’s courts?

What if the Governor came to your town and drove himself from the courthouse to the ball park. During his route, he obeyed all the traffic laws. Would this repeal the traffic laws in your town? What type of law is set up so that if one person follows it completely, then it would be abolished so no one has to follow it anymore? Did God have no purpose for the law, except to make us all sinners?

People assume that when Jesus said that He came to fulfill the law that He meant that He came follow the law perfectly. This is an incorrect assumption. Almost every time Jesus used the word “fulfill” he was talking about some prophecy being fulfilled. Jesus has not fulfilled the law yet. He will do that when he comes back. Jesus has fulfilled

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Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First Fruits, Pentecost (the Spring Feasts), which foreshadowed Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 5:7-8; I Corinthians 15:23; Acts 2:36 and many more).

The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (the Fall Feasts), are foreshadows of the resurrection of the dead, Judgment day, and the millennial reign with Christ. These feasts were a part of the law. Christ has not fulfilled all of these feasts yet. Jesus will fulfill these Fall Festivals when He comes back.

Therefore, “not one jot or one tittle” has passed from the law. (Also, heaven and earth are not passed yet.)

Claim # 5: Jesus abolished the dietary laws before He died.

Scriptures: “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” (Matthew 15:11) Answer: If you look in context, the topic is not if one can eat unclean meats, but it was about washing your hands before you eat.

I believe staying away from unclean meats is mainly a health issue (and still a sin). Eating unclean meats does not spiritually defile someone (nor did it ever) or mean someone is an evil person. If you went to a buffet style restaurant and picked out some meat that was labeled “beef” and started eating it to later discover it was pork, you don’t need to offer up a certain prayer or make a certain sacrifice to seek forgiveness for eating pork.

You just simply stop eating it as

soon as you find out (turn from eating pork).

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Notice that Christ said this before His death… If Christ is saying here that we can eat unclean meats, then here are a couple of points to ponder: 1. How could He be changing this law before He died?

2. Why didn’t the Pharisees jump on the chance to accuse Him of teaching against the law here?

3. Why are there still health consequences for eating unclean foods? (Two good books on this topic are:

Dr Don Colbert’s

“What Would Jesus Eat” and Dr. Jordan Rubin’s “The Maker’s Diet”) (Also see: “Scriptural Evidence that Unclean Meats are Bad for One’s Health” at www.biblelaw101.com) 4. Why didn’t the disciples know that He was saying they could now go eat unclean meats? [Peter was still keeping the dietary laws after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 10:14). Paul also continued to keep the whole law (Acts 24:14)].

5. If Yahweh wanted to show us that unclean animals were now clean, then why does the NT continue to mention them in context of unclean things?

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

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Matthew 8:28-32 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

And he said unto them, Go. And when [the devils] were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

Philippians 3:1-3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

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Revelation 22:15 For

without

are

dogs,

and

sorcerers,

and

whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

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Chapter 6 All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments

I remember one time a preacher told me, “God replaced all his law with just two commandments; ‘Thou shalt love Yahweh…’ and ‘love thy neighbor…’” (referring to comments that Jesus made before his death on the cross in Matthew 22 and Mark 12). Did Jesus really replace Yahweh’s law with just two commandments? Let us look at the scripture more closely.

Matthew 22:35-40 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

If you asked someone, “What is the greatest country in the world?” and they respond, “Miami, Florida”; then, obviously, they did not understand the question. Jesus did understand the question. Jesus did not make up two new commandments here. When He was asked, “which is the great commandment in the law?”, He actually answered their questions correctly. He quoted straight from the law of God. “And

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thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” is quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” was quoted from Leviticus 19:18. He not only told them the two greatest, he reinforces the whole law (to get out of the little trap the lawyer set for him) when he says, “On these two commandments hang all the law”. What do you think was going on in the mind of these “law observant Jews” at the time Jesus said this? Do you think it was, “Yippee, all the law is destroyed except those two commandments”? Or, knowing the law better than most of us today, they thought, “Hmmm…you know… he is right! All the law does hang on those two commandments.”

I have heard people say, “The first four commandments hang on ‘Love Yahweh’ and the last six hang on ‘Love thy neighbour’. Actually all the law hangs on the two Great Commandments simultaneously! Both of the two Great Commandments are actually intertwined together.

Another way to put it is, “you can not have one without the other”.

You can not love God and hate your neighbor.

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

It is easy to see that “thou shalt not murder” and “thou shalt not steal” hangs on “love thy neighbor…”, but not only does it hang on “love thy neighbor, it also hangs on “love Yahweh…”.

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When you steal, murder, or commit adultery, you are hating your brother, therefore, you are not loving God. So when I “love my neighbor” by not stealing from him, I am also loving God. 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:

and

his

commandments

are

not

grievous.

Stealing, murder, committing idolatry, and working on the Sabbath are all

against

God’s

commandments.

By

being

obedient

to

His

commandments, you are loving God. When you love God, you love your brother also.

1 John 4:21 …That he who loveth God love his brother also.

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

The above verses show that when we keep God’s commandments we are “loving our neighbor”.

Again, it is easy to see how “thou shalt not steal” hangs on “love thy neighbor”. You can actually go though all the law of God and, with quite a lot of thought, figure out how each commandment (not committing idolatry, keeping the Sabbath, the dietary laws, etc.)

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hangs on “love thy neighbor”. I will touch on just a couple of laws that do require some thought to see that when we keep them, we are “loving thy neighbor”.

I don’t think anyone would argue that not committing idolatry hangs on “love Yahweh…”. It is harder to see how it also hangs on, “Love thy neighbor…”. The reason why not committing idolatry also falls under “love thy neighbor” is because sin spreads like a virus. This is why God had the death penalty for idolatry, adultery, and Sabbath breaking.

And it is why God commanded us to kill all males in a nation that we go to war with (Deuteronomy 20:13-18). It is not because God is sadistic. It is because He loves us. If idolatry, adultery, and Sabbath breaking are allowed, in just a few generations it will spread like weeds on a farm. Just 60 years ago, most of the United States kept Sunday as the Sabbath, and adultery was not too common. Now, both violations are very common. Just forty years ago, you would not be able to watch any unmarried couple sleeping in the same bed on public television. Now, the majority of couples that sleep together on television are not married or they slept together, on the show, before they got married.

Deuteronomy 20:13-18 And when Yahweh thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword… 18That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against Yahweh your God.

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And here is what happens when we think that we know how to love better than God and decide not to keep His “sadistic” commandments.

Psalm 106: 34-42 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom Yahweh commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath

of

Yahweh

kindled

against

his

people,

insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed

them,

and

they

were

brought

into

subjection under their hand.

When we let “sin” get a foot in the door, before you know it, “sin” is sitting on your couch sipping coffee. God is pretty smart. He can see this. And since it is God’s will that no one will perish (2 Peter 3:9), God commanded us to pluck out the weeds so He can have a larger crop.

This shows much more love towards His people than allowing sin to spread. In the long run…not listening to Yahweh (who knows what “love” is better than anyone), will bring more physical and spiritual

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death, than if we kept what some people might call his “cruel” commandments.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Another reason why not committing idolatry and keeping the Sabbath is “loving your neighbor” is because the penalties that occur on the nation for breaking these commandments.

Nehemiah 13:15-18 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. 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. 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? 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.

What type of “wrath” would be upon Israel for profaning the Sabbath?

The “wrath” is the penalty that the nation will suffer for breaking the

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Sabbath. The penalty for Sabbath breaking and idolatry is national captivity. (Jeremiah 17:19-27, 52:12-13; 2 Chronicles 36:17) Leviticus 26:1-6; 14-17; 31-35 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 Yahweh your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am Yahweh. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 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. 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. 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.

(14-17) But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain

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before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

(31-35) And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

Again, when we walk in God’s commandments, He will protect all of us. He will give us rain in due season, increased yields, protection from terrorist,

and

many

more

blessings.

If

we

go

against

his

commandments, we will end up as servants, another nation will overthrow us, and we will be in constant fear (even when no one is in pursuit). Many people who love their nation go “fight for freedom” or “fight terrorists”. But if you really love your nation, you would also keep the laws of God. A question to those people who think God abolished the law: Why would a loving God abolish a single law when all the law hangs on “love thy neighbor…” and “love Yahweh…”?

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Chapter 7 Law Commentary on Acts Acts 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

Acts mentions the “Sabbath day’s journey” here, a law that should have already been abolished.

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

The Disciples kept the Feast of Pentecost.

Acts 10:9-16 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

But Peter said, Not so, Yahweh; for I have never eaten any

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thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Notice that even after Christ’s forty days with His disciples, after His resurrection, Peter is still keeping God’s dietary laws. Many will use these verses to say, “see we no longer have to keep God’s dietary laws”. How can someone use Peter’s vision as evidence that the dietary laws are abolished? Since when do visions mean exactly what is seen? Also even Peter knew that he had to figure out what the vision meant.

Continuing with verses 17-20 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

Peter’s vision did not mean, we may now eat cats, dogs and cockroaches. Peter tells us what the vision meant in verse 28.

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Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Acts 13:13-14 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

Another verse showing Paul observing the Sabbath day.

Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles

besought

that

these

words

might

be

preached to them the next sabbath.

If the Gentiles were meeting with the disciples on Sunday, then why did the Gentiles ask the disciples to preach the sermon on the next Sabbath? Why didn’t the Gentiles just ask the disciples to preach this tomorrow at church? Why wait a whole week to hear it again?

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Continuing with verses 43-44 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. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. Acts 14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

These verses are more verses that show that the disciples and the Gentiles were meeting on the Sabbath day.

Acts 15:1 "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved."

In many conversations that I have had, the first “proof” people give, that the law was abolished was when the disciples decided that the Gentiles do not need to be circumcised to be saved. A person will say, “See, we know that circumcision is abolished and all the Gentiles have to do is “abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood”. If you look at the verses in context, starting from the first verse, you should see that the whole

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debate was not if the law still applies....it was do you have to be circumcised to "be saved".

Acts 15:5 "But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

Some will point out the above verse and say, “see this proves that the debate was also if the Gentiles should keep the law”. The Pharisees were usually crafty at their words. The Pharisees obviously wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised. So they are going to gain influence to their side by every little means possible. They purposely said, “and to command them to keep the law of Moses”, because it makes a stronger point for their case than, “Are we going to require the Gentiles to be circumcised?” Because again, that was what the whole debate was about. The debate was not, if they should keep the law of Moses. And actually, later in this same discussion, the disciples acknowledge the law.

Continuing with verses 6-7 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

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Jesus walked with His disciples for forty days after He rose from the dead. That is at least 5 weekly Sabbaths plus one High Sabbath (the last day of unleavened bread). If Jesus did "nail the law to the cross"...don't you think he would have mentioned it during those forty days. Don't you think that when his mother or someone was preparing unleavened bread for Him on the last days of unleavened bread, that He would have said something like, "You know....you don't have to do this anymore....I abolished that law"... Or during one of the Sabbath days, He would have said something to let the disciples know that the law was abolished? I mean this would be HUGE news! How do I know Jesus didn't mention that to his disciples? Because if He did, there would not have been “much disputing” about should the Gentiles be circumcised. Also, the debate was not, “is circumcision still a law”. It is still a law that we should follow. Will breaking this law keep you out of the Kingdom of God? No, (Thank God for His Son!) but males who are not circumcised have about a MUCH higher chance to get penile cancer than those who are circumcised. This is a penalty that is still in force for breaking one of God’s laws.

Acts 15:19-21 "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day."

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The disciples here are saying, “Why teach them the whole law, when the law of Moses is being read (notice present tense) in the synagogues every Sabbath day?” The disciples just hit on the major issues for the Gentiles (abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood). Notice they didn’t say, “Don’t murder, don’t steal...”, why didn’t they? Do these laws not apply to the Gentiles? They do apply; it is because this was not a big issue that the Gentiles needed to work on.

One more thing to point out is why would the disciples say the above statement if they did not expect the Gentiles to attend the synagogue and listen to the law on the Sabbath?

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Again, Paul is preaching to the Jews and the Greeks, in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Acts 18:18-21 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

And he came to

Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means

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keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

Paul is still keeping the feasts of God, after Christ ascended into heaven.

Acts 20:6-7 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. 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.

This is the best and only evidence that people use to show that the disciples changed the day of worship to Sunday. However, these above verses are actually evidence that the disciples were keeping the law of God. In the KJV (with italicized words) the word “day” appears in italics.

This means that the word was not in the text used to translate the KJV (it was an added word). So we now have, “And upon the first of the week”. But that is not all. If you check the Strong’s concordance for the word “week” used in this verse, you will see that the King James’ translators actually translated “sabbaton” meaning “Sabbath” to “week”. So it should read, “And upon the first Sabbath”. What does that mean? Well, if you notice from verse 6, this time frame was right after the days of unleavened bread. Those who study and practice the

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Law of God, know that this is the time where one counts seven Sabbaths to the day of Pentecost. This day when they met was on the first Sabbath. These verses not only show that they were keeping the Sabbaths, but also it shows good evidence that they were keeping the feasts of God. Acts 20:16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

Again, Paul hasting to keep the feast of Pentecost.

Acts 21:21-26 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things

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offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

If the law was “nailed to the cross” and Paul was actually teaching against the law of God, don’t you think that Paul would be sending a mixed signal here? They are asking him, “prove to us you still keep the law” and Paul says, “Okay”. If the law was truly abolished, Paul had his chance right here to show everyone this. He not only blew it, by keeping quiet about it. He MAJORLY BLEW it, by going into the temple to purify himself and others.

Paul was not required by the law to make sacrifices for people who have made vows. Paul was not doing this to obey the law. He was doing this to show that the law was not abolished. This is the reason why the Luke (the author of Acts) says, "As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing." Just as Paul was not required by the law to make these offerings, neither are the Gentiles (or any non Levites) required by the law to make offerings for someone else's vows. (Numbers 6) Acts 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

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The Greek word for “believing” is also sometimes translated as “commit unto”.

Acts 24:10-11 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: Paul was very aware that Sabbath breaking has a death penalty. But Paul says, “For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die”. Paul is either bluffing, schizophrenic, or he is still keeping the Sabbath.

Acts 25:7-8 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.

Paul was detained by authorities. They were trying to find a real charge so they could punish him. (They didn’t care if he had lust in his heart 3 years ago, or something to that effect.) Paul then tells the accusers that neither the Jews, nor Caesar has any right to continue to hold him in custody because, “Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I

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offended any thing at all”. Now, is Paul lying here? Did Paul just say, “Neither against the law of the Jews neither against the temple…have I offended anything at all”? If Paul was breaking the Sabbath, then he could not say the above statement without lying.

Acts 28:17-18 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

Paul again tells the chief of the Jews, “I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers.” Again, if Paul was not keeping God’s laws, then Paul would be lying here.

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Chapter 8 Commentary on Romans 2

The thing that started me on this journey of accepting the law of God was trying to prove why I do not have to keep the Sabbath. One of my friends said she kept the Sabbath from Friday evening until Saturday evening. I was born and raised in Sunday keeping churches and went to school at a Christian school for several years. I read my Bible. I knew much of the Bible, so I thought. I figured she was wrong; and I wanted to prove to myself that I was in the right by keeping Sunday as my "rest" day, even though I didn't do much resting on that day.

So if anyone ever asks me, "why do you keep Sunday", I would have an answer from the Bible.

1 Peter 3:15 ...and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things;...

To prove that I was in the right and that the law was abolished, I first started in Matthew and read the whole New Testament. I didn’t find out until I got to Peter that I went about it the wrong way. (See: Chapter 2 – “Understanding the Scriptures”) I figured if there was any scripture to say that the law was abolished, it would obviously be in

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the New Testament. After reading the gospels, the evidence was pointing to keeping the law (See Chapter 4- “Jesus instructed from the Law” and Chapter 5- “Did Jesus Break or Teach People to Break God’s Law?”).

Then

I

read

Acts

and

thought

that

the

evidence

was

very

overwhelmingly pointing to keeping the law today (See Chapter 7“Law Commentary on Acts”). Then I got to Romans. At first when I was reading Romans, it looks like Paul is reinforcing God’s law. In the 27

verse

of

Chapter

1

Paul

is

reaffirming

the

law

against

homosexuality. In verses 29-31 Paul reaffirms the laws against fornication, covetousness, murder, being disobedient to parents, breaking covenants, and being unmerciful.

In Chapter 2 verse 9 Paul writes: “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;” So the question came to my mind, “why are the Jews getting punished first over the Gentiles?” The answer can be found in a couple other scriptures.

In Leviticus 26:18, God tells Israel (the people that were given the law) that if they disobey His law He would punish them seven times more. Also Jesus states:

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Luke 12:46-48 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Both of these verse show us that if you know God’s will and know His law and do not do it, you will be punished more for your sins than if you were ignorant of it. When Paul says that the Jews will be punished first, he is confirming the law.

Then in verse 13 Paul says: “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

This epistle was written to the Romans. At this time, they did not have the New Testament to go through to try and find the “new law”, but they did have the Mosaic law to look at. What do you think was going on through the mind of the person reading this passage back then when he says, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”?

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Continuing with verse 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: What law do you think Paul was referring to when he said, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law"? It was the Mosaic law!

Continuing with verses 17-18 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; I might not be a rocket scientist yet, but does not the above verse say that the Jews “knowest his will…being instructed out of the law”?

Doesn't this imply that to know God's will you must get it from the law?

Anyway, by the time I got to this verse, I am thinking that Paul is without a doubt saying that doing the law is “His will”. Then Paul continues to sound “pro-law”. But my thoughts changed many times before I got through Paul's epistles, and I didn't find out until I got to Peter why it was so hard to understand them. It was because I needed to learn "the rest of the scriptures" better before I could understand Paul's epistles.

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Continuing with verses 19-22 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Paul believed the law could be used as an instructor. He believed that one could gain knowledge from the law.

He believed that the Jews

could guide the blind because they were instructed out of the law.

Then Paul goes on to say: Romans 2:23-25 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

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Paul is not saying anything new here. Paul got this doctrine right out of the “Old Testament”. (Notice: “as it is written”) There are a few nations today that have a national identification card.

These cards are signs that the person belongs to that nation. If that nation decided to kick the person out and ban his citizenship and did not take his card from him before he left, when that person tries to get back in the country, that card would not profit him at all. When the Israelites were circumcised the circumcision was a physical sign that they were apart of God’s covenant and kingdom. If they would break the law willingly, they would be “cut off” from God’s kingdom and their “circumcision” (physical identifier) would not profit them at all.

Numbers 15:30-31 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

Then Paul makes his first big statement that people use against the law by saying:

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Romans 2:26-29 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. But how did Paul come to this conclusion? By looking at the whole context of Chapter 2 which can be summed up in one verse: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness…”

Paul concludes that sin done willfully can “cut off” one’s citizenship into God’s kingdom therefore those who know not the law, but keep the law that is “written in their hearts and conscience” would count for citizenship into God’s kingdom.

Romans 3:1-2 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

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Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. (NKJV) Isn't Paul saying that there is an advantage to be circumcised here?

And notice why they have that advantage.

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Chapter 9 How I Love thy Law

I was in a discussion with a preacher once. He told me that there were flaws in God’s law (when we were discussing tithing). Then he said that is why Jesus came, to abolish the law, because it had flaws. Now, does that really make sense? I believe there are many flaws in our governmental laws; does that mean we should abolish all of them?

Does it make sense that God would abolish good laws like “thou shalt not murder” and “thou shalt not steal”? Does it make sense to abolish God’s feasts? These days were set up to point to Christ and His redemption plan for the world. Does it make sense to abolish a celebration that points to the Messiah? And does the law of God have flaws? The only thing I can see from the Bible about what was missing from the law is a way that we might enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This does not mean there was a flaw in God’s law.

For some reason, so many people hate the law of God. They think it is meaningless, archaic, sadistic, fanatical and a yoke of bondage. Let us read some other views about the law from the Bible.

Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of Yahweh; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

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Psalm 19:7-11 The law of Yahweh is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple.

The statutes of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahweh are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Psalm 119:70-72 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119: 127-131 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light; it

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giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth,

and

panted:

for

I

longed

for

thy

commandments.

Psalm 119: 159 Consider how I love thy precepts: Psalm 119: 164-167 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. YAHWEH, I have

hoped

for

thy

salvation,

and

done

thy

commandments. My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as Yahweh my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do

them;

for

this

is

your

wisdom

and

your

understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as Yahweh our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

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By looking at the previous verses, it doesn’t look like God thought the law was a “yoke of bondage”. It looks like God thought His law was a pretty good idea. If Israel kept His law, they would prosper so well that other nations would see how great their law was, which would lead them to the lawgiver. It looks like any wise nation would think His law was a pretty good idea too.

People who think the law was a “yoke of bondage” do not understand the scriptures. The law was made for our own good (Deuteronomy 13:10). They give us understanding, make us wise, and by keeping them we are showing love to God and to our neighbor. It is no wonder why it is so hard for the Jews who study God’s law to accept mainstream Christianity.

Psalm 119:44-48 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.

And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

For some reason the Psalmist that wrote the above statement thought he was walking “at liberty” for seeking Yahweh’s precepts. It doesn’t sound like this person was under a “yoke of bondage” to me.

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Chapter 10 The Purpose of God’s Law

I have heard many people say, “the reason God gave us his law was so that we would fail in keeping it, thus needing a savior”. Some might use Romans 5:20-21 to say this. (See footnote at the end of this chapter for a detailed explanation of these verses.) That sounds good on the surface, but does the logic of God setting us up for failure so He can save us really make sense? Plus, where does it say that in the scriptures?

I am going to show you God’s purpose for the law. God did not hide His purpose from us. God tells us plainly the reasons for the law.

The reason why every government, including the government that God set up, has laws is to keep order and punish the people who break the law. Under Yahweh's laws, the criminal might have to pay a fine of a goat or, depending on the seriousness of the crime, a much harsher penalty would apply. God also set up the death penalty for very serious crimes. Most governments have adopted many of God’s laws, such as “thou shalt not steal”, “thou shalt not murder”, and “thou shalt not commit adultery”. (It is actually still against the law in the United States to commit adultery.) Likewise, all governments have penalties for breaking the laws. Most governments use the death penalty for serious crimes like murder.

Governments also have laws for economic growth. The United States wants to be a prosperous nation. This influences the passage of drug

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laws, traffic laws, etc. When people are sick or injured, not only are they not productive, but many times they are a drain on other people’s productivity.

A

nation

can

not

be

prosperous

if

too

many

nonproductive people are supported by productive people. God set His nation up with very wise laws. If Israel obeyed God’s laws, other nations would look at their health and prosperity and know that Israel is following the true God. Deuteronomy 4:5-8 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as Yahweh my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as Yahweh our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

God’s laws were also set up as a “shadow of good things to come”.

God’s feast were set up as shadow of Christ’s first and second coming, and the weekly Sabbath was set up to show God’s seven thousand year plan for the earth.

Hebrews 10:1

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For the law having a shadow of good things to come...

Col 2:16-17* Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come… *See Chapter 23 – “Common Arguments Against Keeping the Law” for more explanation of this verse.

Footnote: Romans 5:20-21 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life

by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:20-21 does not say that the reason God put the law in place is so everyone can become sinners. The word “abound” means to increase. This verse is not saying “that offence might come into existence”, it says, “so it might increase”. Do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not commit fornication, was never told to the Asians (as far as I know), but if they do these things they are still sinning? Yes. (Cain killed Abel before the law was given. It is clear that what Cain did was a sin even before the law was given.) And if God did give them this law, and they disobeyed it, then the offence is increased. Those who were not given the law will not be judged as hard as we are,

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because God never spelled it out for them. Also notice that it does not say, “so that sin may increase”. The sin is still there, whether God spells it out for us or not. It is the offence that increases. It is true that the more sin in one’s life, the more grace will be given to that person when he repents of that transgression (Romans 5:20), but “shall we continue to sin [transgress the law], that grace may abound?

God forbid!” (Romans 6:1-2 KJV) Luke 12:47-48 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

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Chapter 11 The Purpose for the Sacrifices

I have heard statements like, “God required animal sacrifices for forgiveness of sin in the Old Testament, but now we have Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our forgiveness of sin”.

This statement is mostly wrong. Christ’s sacrifice was for everyone’s sin (who has repented), including for the people who died before his death. The other thing wrong with the above statement is the fact that animal sacrifices never forgave anyone for any sin!

Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

In the OT, the people would bring a goat to the priest.

The priest

would then sacrifice the goat and their sins would be forgiven (Leviticus 4). It was not the ritual or the animal sacrifice that cleansed the person of sin and it was not the blood of the goat that cleansed the person from sin (Hebrews 10:4). It was the act of turning away from their transgression and following Yahweh’s laws plus the future death of the Messiah on the cross that forgave the people in the OT of their sins.

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The belief that the blood of sheep and goats could cleanse someone from sin drastically takes away from the gospel (the good news) and takes away the necessity for a savior.

Since the sacrifices did not forgive anyone from any sin, then what were they for?

They were set up as shadows (Hebrews 10:1), (1

Corinthians 5:7-8), (John 1:29), for celebrating the feasts* (which actually falls under the "shadow of good things to come"), for feeding the Levites (Joshua 13:14), and lastly, they were set up so we can reflect on our own sins.

Hebrews 10:1-3 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

Many people ask God for forgiveness, and then just totally forget about their sins. God wants you to remember your sins for a few reasons. By remembering your sins you can have more appreciation for God’s grace, and it would be much harder to become self righteous. Also, by remembering your sins, it would help you in learning from your mistakes.

To sum up this chapter and the last chapter, God’s purposes for his

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laws and sacrifices were to run His government (to keep law and order, punish criminals, fund the welfare program, support the government officials, maintenance for government buildings, etc.), for health and prosperity (personal and national), for shadows of good things to come, and for remembrance of sin. The law was never designed to forgive anyone for their sins. Thank God for His Son! *God set these feasts up so we can celebrate Christ's redemption plan for His people. It would be a pretty lame feast if there was not any good food at the party. One of the reasons why it was a law to sacrifice the young animals for the feasts is because their meat is more tender. If you were going to throw a feast, wouldn't you bring out your best food? Most people consider the meat from young animals a delicacy. These feasts were not meant to be a burden, but a celebration that everyone would look forward to.

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Chapter 12 Making Sense of the Law

Many people believe that sin (transgressing the law), somehow, spiritually defiles someone. This is not always the case.

A lot of the

laws God set up were laws to run a physical nation (with or without boarders). Many of these laws are mentioned in this chapter.

We can test some of the laws of God like we can test the laws of science to find out if they are abolished or not. To find out if the law of gravity was nailed to the cross, we can drop things. (Obviously the law of gravity was not nailed to the cross).

You see, every law has a

penalty; otherwise it would not be a law, it would be a suggestion.

When you break the speed limit law, the penalty is a fine. Let us test some of God’s laws to see if they are in effect: 1. Did you know that if you eat a lot of hamburgers and fried foods that you will get fat, and possibly die before your time from numerous possibilities of things like a stroke or some other failure in your body?

Did you know that God said when you kill the cow to separate the fat and do not eat the fat? Today, even though we think some of God's laws were smart, we do not obey that law. We chop up the fat and grind it into hamburgers. Then, with the leftover grease we cook French fries and fried chicken. Just imagine how much healthier we would be if we just practiced this law. This law was given to us so we can stay healthy, if this law was nailed to the cross, the penalty should

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have also been nailed to the cross. I still see a penalty. Why would God take away a law but keep the penalties enforced?

Deuteronomy 7:12-15: Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And Yahweh will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases [notice God did not say plagues] of Egypt which you have known.

Hmmm....it looks like, by reading the above verses, that if we keep His laws we would stay healthy. I see a lot of people breaking God’s laws today. I also see a lot of unhealthy people. Even the ones who look healthy are still dying early from strokes or cancer. Hamburgers, French fries, and fried foods have become very popular in the last 50 years. So have cancer, strokes, and doctor bills.

2. The Law Concerning Leprous (Mold in the) Houses: Leviticus 14:33-42 (NKJV):

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And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: "When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give you as a possession, and I put the leprous plague [Decomposition by mildew, mold, dry rot, etc., and so in verses 34-53 ] in a house in the land of your possession, and he who owns the house comes and tells the priest, saying, "It seems to me that there is some plague in the house,' then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest goes into it to examine the plague, that all that is in the house may not be made unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to examine the house. And he shall examine the plague; and indeed if the plague is on the walls of the house with ingrained streaks, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall, then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days.

And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look; and indeed if the plague has spread on the walls of the house, then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which is the plague, and they shall cast them into an unclean place outside the city. And he shall cause the house to be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city. Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other mortar and plaster the house.

I have a friend that had a job inspecting for mold in houses. A regulation that book he had even quoted the above verse and based

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much of their procedures from this law. These mold inspectors found wisdom in this law.

3. One of God’s laws was to bury your human waste when you are camping (at war) [Deuteronomy 23:12-14]. I was in the Army for a while, and I am SO GLAD we still keep that law. [Uncle Sam probably saw that the penalty for that law was still in effect (a whole lot of solders getting sick at one time and possibly being “delivered up to our enemies”) so they thought that God was pretty smart (whether they realized it or not) and decided to obey that one too].

4. My dad went to the doctor a few years back. The doctor told him to not eat pork or lobster. Well, God told him that too. Maybe if he listened better, he would not have had to go to the doctor. Is it a coincidence that both the foods the doctor told him to stay away from are unclean? I have heard from people that have had strokes or heart attacks, that the first thing the doctor does is to tell them not to eat pork....Well, here is a thought....if we followed God's law, just maybe we will see less heart attacks and strokes.

5. Even farmers can tell you that you can not plant the same crop, year after year in the same location. God said that too. Wow, maybe God knows what He is talking about. However today, we get greedy for money and think we are smarter than God. So, instead of practicing the land Sabbath, we practice crop rotation and use fertilizer and pesticides (insects do not attack healthy plants1). It would have been healthier and cheaper just to listen to God and practice the land Sabbath. Again, I see that the penalty is still in force. Why would God take away a law, and leave the penalty? If this law was nailed to the

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cross, we should be able to plant crops year after year with no penalties. I am not saying that you have to do these to be saved.

Salvation was NEVER by works. I would not even classify these as works because when Jesus comes back He will "reward every man according to his works". I do not think He will give a big reward for not eating animal fat, but you will surely have a healthier life if you do not.

6.

Uncircumcised men face a much higher risk of many health

problems.

A dad has four children. He tells the children not to touch the iron.

One of the children thinks this yoke of "bondage" is too much for him to bare. He touches the iron and gets burnt.

Another child refuses to touch the iron, just because his dad told him not to.

Another child thinks, "My daddy is wiser than I am, so there must be a reason not to touch the iron. Even though I might know the reason, I am not going to touch the iron."

The fourth child goes to his daddy and finds out the reason and logic for not touching the iron and praises his dad for loving him enough to watch out for his welfare.

Below is from: http://www.circs.org/library/schoen/ “In Wolbarst's 1932 review of 1,103 cases of penile cancer

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in the US, none occurred in Jews, even though 33 cases would have been expected since Jews constituted three percent of the population. Wolbarst cited similar figures from Europe and noticed that Moslems who perform circumcision later in childhood also appeared to be protected against penile cancer; ...In a classic 1935 report and discussion, Dean analyzed 120 cases of penile cancer from Memorial Hospital in New York City. None were in Jews, although more than one third of other cancer patients at the hospital were Jewish. He concluded that 'prophylactic treatment of cancer of the penis consists in circumcising all male infants a few days after birth. 'In actuality, the American public and medical profession did respond to this evidence, because preventing cancer of the penis, as well as simplified genital hygiene, was the predominant factor in establishing newborn circumcision as the standard of care in the US in the 1940s. By 1980, it was estimated that more than 50 percent of US males (more than 60 million) had been circumcised.In the past 55 years, there have been 750 to 1,000 penile cancer cases with 200 deaths annually in the US; of the total of about 50,000 cases of penile cancer during this period, only 10 of the affected men had been circumcised as newborns, a ratio of uncircumcised to circumcised men with cancer of 5,000:1. " Again, I still see a penalty. These doctors see a penalty too. They think it is wise to follow this law. Must one be circumcised to be saved? No!

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Would a loving father tell a child...."okay, you can now touch the iron" when the iron is still hot?

It has also been reported that circumcision reduces the males chance of being infected with HIV. I have seen evidence from both sides of this story, and while there remains some doctors who say this is not true, there are very many medical sites that say it is true.

From MedicineNet.com: "Uncircumcised men are known to be at much greater risk of becoming infected with HIV than circumcised men. Over 40 studies have found that men who are circumcised have a lower risk of becoming infected with HIV from an infected

sexual

partner

than

uncircumcised

men.

Circumcised men are two to eight times less likely to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than uncircumcised men.

Perhaps the most dramatic evidence for this protective effect has just appeared in a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The study was of couples in Uganda where each woman was HIV positive and her male partner was not. Over a period of 30 months, no new infections occurred among 50 circumcised men, whereas 40 of 137 (29.2%) of the uncircumcised men became infected -- even though all couples were given advice about

preventing

available to them."

infection

and

free

condoms

were

2

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God also instructed us to circumcise on the eighth day. Science has now learned that a person has a higher percentage of vitamin K (a blood clotting agent) in his system on the eighth day than any other day of his life3. Every time I hear of some baby bleeding to death after a circumcision gone wrong, I wonder if they would have survived if the circumcision was done on the eighth day.

7. Lepers were to be separated from the healthy people.

Leviticus 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.

Does this make sense too? Do you think this law was “abolished” at the cross? Wouldn’t you want a leper to yell, “unclean, unclean”, if you were approaching him? Picture two lepers sitting by a road. A stranger is approaching them. One is about to cry out, “unclean, unclean!” If you were the other leper, would you say, “Shut up! You are putting us back under the bondage of the law.”?

8. It is against the law of God to drink blood. A penalty is bad health.4, 5, 6

America still drains the blood from the cow before they butcher it

(although their methods do not drain the maximum amount of blood7).

One purpose for blood is to clean out the toxins from the body. Many toxins can be found in the blood and transmitted by the blood. Just like God told us to do to stay healthy, we do that today because it is

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unhealthy to drink blood. So, obviously, that law was not nailed to the cross.

9. It is against the Mosaic law for a man to marry his sister. The only penalty I can think of is the fact that their children would have many genetic problems. The preachers and politicians (law makers) think that this law is also a good law to follow. Even the preachers that say "only the New Testament laws apply" still for some reason think this law should also apply.

10. If you lent someone some money or other property (or someone was just holding it for safe keeping for you) and it was stolen from him, and the thief was not found, then according to Yahweh’s law, the person that was holding your property shall reimburse you for the stolen property (Exodus 22:7-12). this law?

Can you see the wisdom behind

Why would Jesus’ death on the cross abolish such a wise

law?

There are many commandments that God set up that He gave no scriptural proof for why He set them up, such as the following: 1. Posting the commandments on your door posts (Deut. 6:9).

2. Not to loan a fellow Israelite money on interest (Leviticus 25:37).

3. Not to decide a case with just one witness Deut. 19:15.

4. That a leper shall cry “unclean, unclean” when someone approaches him (Leviticus 13:45).

Now, even though God did not tell us why He set up these laws, I don’t think it is wrong to try to do some research and logically guess

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(using the Spirit) why He gave us those laws. Here are the reasons I came up with (it is not scripture, just man’s fallible logic).

1. Probably for a sign for others and a remembrance for you that you keep God’s law.

2. Because God wanted the Israelites to be so prosperous that other nations will look at them and notice their law (See Chapter 10 – “The Purpose of God’s Law”). It is hard to be prosperous when you are in debt and paying interest.

3. Even eye witnesses are unreliable8 (plus if you had only one witness, he could be lying).

4. Because leprosy can spread through physical contact. (This would be a health law).

Now, I could be wrong on one of these reasons, I could be wrong on all of them. I am not saying that my reasoning is equal to scripture.

But in any case, we still should obey the law, whether we know the reason or not.

It does help to know the reasons and to make sense of God’s laws because it helps us to figure out other sins, for instance here is something that God tells us the reason for: Deuteronomy 22:8 (NKJV) When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it.

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By looking at the reason, you can apply this to not filling in a hard to see pot hole in your front yard, because if someone falls in it they can hurt themselves. Or if you have exposed live wires running though your garage, you should get them fixed fast so “guilt of bloodshed” will not be on you.

So I do think it is a good idea to go through the law and try and reason out why God gave us every law.

There are many laws that I have no good clue on why He gave them to us, but I figured, He is smarter than anyone else. I am sure He gave them to us for a reason, for instance: Deuteronomy 22:10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

I am not a farmer (yet) and have not studied this matter but maybe God set this law up because they do not work well together. Or maybe one is stronger than the other and it might be like driving a car with a bad alignment. I really don’t know, but I figure God is the creator of these beasts and He understands these animals better than anyone on earth will ever understand them, so I’ll just take God’s word for it.

Yes, I know

there is a spiritual aspect to this too, “not to yoke believers with unbelievers”. This spiritual aspect still applies today: 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

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The above verse is from the “New Testament”. So if the spiritual reason for God setting up this law has not changed, why would the law change?

Can you make sense of the following laws:

Murder, Adultery,

Fornication, Stealing, Bearing false witness, gluttony, eating an animal that dies of itself. With much thought and some research, one can probably make sense of all the law of God. Does it make sense to abolish a law that makes sense?

References: 1.

Don Chapman, “Why Insects Attack Plants,” (BioOrganics, Inc., April

2005),

organics.com/BioNews/Why_Insects_Attack_Plants-405.html

http://www.bio(accessed

September 15, 2008).

2.

To Circumcise or Not? The Matter of AIDS (MedicineNet.com, June 12, 2000) http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=13 603 (accessed September 15, 2008)

3.

S.I. McMillen, “None of These Diseases,” 4 of 5

http://www.trosch.org/the/circumcision-cancer.pdf (accessed September 15, 2008) 4.

Michael Greger M.D., “USDA Measures Don't Go Far Enough to Protect the American Public” (Organic Consumers Association, December 31, 2003),

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/greger123103a.cfm (accessed September 15, 2008) 5.

Wendy Ann Wilkenfeld, “Food Regulation in Biblical Law” (LEDA at Harvard Law School, April 27, 1998)

http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/233/wwilkenfeld.html

110

(accessed September 15, 2008) 6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible: “Acts 15”

http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/acts/gill/acts15.htm (accessed September 18, 2008) 7.

Don Colbert, M.D. What Would Jesus Eat? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson

8.

“Eyewitness Identification” (Wikipedia Foundation Inc.)

Publishers, 2002), 59-60

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewitness_identification (accessed September 18, 2008)

111

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Chapter 13 Questions for Those Who Think the Law of God is Abolished

For those who think that the Law of God was “nailed to the cross”, please consider the following: 1. Did God say over and over and over again that his law was forever? (Exodus 31:16; Exodus 12:14; Exodus 12:17; Exodus 12:24; Exodus 31:17; Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 16:31; Leviticus 23:21; Leviticus 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4; Psalm 119:159-160; Deuteronomy

5:29;

Deuteronomy

11:1;

Leviticus

10:15;

Deuteronomy 28:15-46; Exodus 27:21; Exodus 28:43; Exodus 29:28; Exodus 30:21; Exodus 31:16; Leviticus 24:8 and so on) See Chapter 3 – “The Law of God is Forever”.

2. Did Jesus follow the law and didn't He live His life as an example to us? (1 Peter 2:21)

3. Why was Jesus preaching/teaching/and instructing people to follow the mosaic law while He was on earth?

(See Chapter 4-“Jesus instructed from the Law” and Chapter 5-“Was Jesus For or Against the Law”)

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4. Why will we be keeping the feast of tabernacles in Jerusalem after Jesus returns to earth? (Did Jesus abolish this law only to have it reinstated?) [Zechariah 14:16] Does it make sense for God to make a law, and then abolish it, then to reinstate it later on?

Many people will give an answer like this: “This can not be literal because how can you fit millions or billions of people into one city.�

Those who say this do not know the scripture. The dimensions of the New Jerusalem during the Millennium will be almost 2 million square miles!

Revelation 21:1-2, 15-16: 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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,

coming

down

from

God

out

of

heaven,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband‌. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

12,000 furlongs is approximately 1380 miles. 1380 miles times 1380 miles is equal to 1.90 million square miles.

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5. Why will God kill people who eat pork after Jesus returns?

[Isaiah 66:17]

6. Why will we be keeping the Sabbath after Jesus returns?

[Isaiah 66:23]

7. Why did Paul go to the temple to make offerings to God even after Jesus’ resurrection? [Acts 21:26] (Does not the scriptures tell us that he went into the temple to prove to everyone that he was not teaching against the law?)

8. Why did Paul have to go to a feast if the law was abolished?

Acts 18:21: “I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem”

9. What is the shadow of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, and when were they (or when will they be) fulfilled and by whom?

Jesus has not fulfilled the whole law yet. He will do that when He comes back. Jesus has fulfilled the Spring Feasts, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First Fruits, and Pentecost, which foreshadowed Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and the pouring of

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the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 5:7-8; I Corinthians 15:23; Acts 2:36 and many more). The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, foreshadows the resurrection of the dead, Judgment day, and the millennium reign with Christ. Also, the seventh day Sabbath foreshadows the millennium reign. These are a part of the law that will be fulfilled when Christ returns. Therefore, not one jot or one tittle has passed from the law. (Also, heaven and earth are not passed yet.)

10. Is marrying one's sibling a sin? If so, how do you conclude that it is?

One might rightfully hang that law on "love thy neighbor, but with some thought, one can show every law God set up hangs on "loving your neighbor" and/or "love Yahweh". (See: Chapter 6-“All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments”)

11. What was the purpose of the law? (I have heard from many that the purpose of the law was just so we would fail to keep it and therefore need a savior, but I do not buy that) (See Chapter 10-“The Purpose of God's Law” and Chapter 11-“The Purpose of the Sacrifices”)

12. Didn't Jesus tell us that ALL the law of God hangs on the two great commandments?

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Matthew 22:35-40: Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus did not make up 2 new commandments here. He quoted straight from the Law (Torah). “Love Yahweh...” is quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and “love thy neighbour..” was quoted from Leviticus 19:18. See Chapter 6 – “All the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments”.

13. Why would God want to repeal a single one of His laws when every single one them hang on “Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”?

14. Matthew 5:19 states: 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

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do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Now, we know that when Jesus says "least commandments" he can not be referring to what he called the "greatest commandments" which is "Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." So, what are the least commandments?

15. Deuteronomy 8:3 states: "man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Yahweh."

Since this is quoted from the Torah (the law), is this not talking about the Mosaic Law? When Jesus quoted this verse, would not He be using the same meaning?

16. Jesus walked with His disciples for 40 days after He was resurrected (Acts 1:3). Wouldn't the topic of the law being abolished come up at least once? If the law was abolished I could easily picture Jesus saying something such as..."Oh yeah, I abolished that law, lets go eat some dogs." or, since He was resurrected during the feast of unleavened bread He might say something like this, "hey guys, we do not need to eat unleavened bread during this time any more because I abolished the law!" How do I know that Jesus did not say anything like this? Because Peter was still keeping the unclean meats law after

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Jesus ascended into heaven and the disciples were in a debate on whether or not the Gentiles should be circumcised (there would be no debate if Jesus would have mentioned that the law was abolished). So the question is why didn't Jesus mention that He abolished the law during the 40 days after His resurrection?

17. Deuteronomy 11:1 states: "Therefore you shall love Yahweh your God, and keep His charge,

His

statutes,

His

judgments,

and

His

commandments always." -NKJV Didn't God say to keep his commandments always? (Also see Deuteronomy 7:9 Leviticus 3:17)

18. The following verses is about the Great Tribulation: Behold, Yahweh maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for Yahweh hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and

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fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. [Isaiah 24:1-6] The questions are: a. Why is the earth defiled? (Hint: read the whole sentence with the bold words in it) b. What is this “everlasting covenant” and how are we going to break it?

19. I have noticed that just about the whole "Old" Testament talks about how good the law is, or how it would make you wise, or that you get understanding, (See Chapter 2 – Understanding the Scriptures) or good health, or protection of God (Leviticus 26) by practicing the law.

Is that no longer the case? Why do Christian churches even have the old testament with their Bible if they can not use it for "doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"? Doesn't 2 Timothy 3:16 state that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"? Or am I misinterpreting that too?

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20. When John wrote "for sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4) what law was he referring to? (The NT had not been put together at that time.)

21. Yahushua said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32). If "sinners" means "those who transgress the law" (1 John 3:4) and "repentance" means "to turn from" (See: The True Meaning of "Repentance"), then isn't Yahushua saying, "I have not come to call the righteous, but to those who transgress the law to turn from breaking the law."?

22. If the law of God is a “yoke of bondage” then why would God free the Israel from slavery only to put them back in "bondage"?

23.

When Paul wrote “Romans”, he wrote it before the New

Testament was put together. So when he said “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20)

and “I had not known

sin, but by the law” (Romans 7:7), what law was he referring to?

24.

Why is the Dragon “wroth” at those who keep Yahweh’s

commandments when His commandments are abolished?

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Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

25. Matthew 5:17-19 states: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. 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.

Also, Mark 16:17 states: And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Now, I see heaven and I see earth. I will go out on a limb here and say they have not “passed away”. So, by looking at what Jesus said, that would mean the law has not passed away. Many will say, “Oh, but everything has been fulfilled”. To them I ask, “Are all prophecies in the Bible come to past?” And aren’t the Sabbaths (including the high Sabbaths) a “shadow of things to come”? If so what are

122

the shadows of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the seventh day Sabbath (and who will fulfill these shadows)?

123

124

Chapter 14 Does God want us to keep the Feast days?

To figure out if God wants us to keep the feast days, we will answer these five questions: I. How long did God say we should observe these commandments?

II.

Does

the

New

Testament

support

us

keeping

these

commandments?

III. Why did God want us to keep them in the past?

IV. Does the reason of why God wanted us to keep them in the past still apply?

V. Is there any evidence that we will be keeping the Feast days when Christ returns?

I.

How

long

did

God

say

we

should

observe

these

commandments?

Exodus 12:14-24: And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance

125

for ever....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. ...And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

Leviticus 16:29: And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: Leviticus 16:31: It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

Leviticus 23:9-43: And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you:... it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths

126

shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days...

And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations...

And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before Yahweh your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto

Yahweh.

On

the

first

day

shall

be

an

holy

convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you...

127

And ye shall keep it a feast unto Yahweh seven days in the year.

It

shall

be

a

statute

for

ever

in

your

generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Yahweh your God.

II.

Does

the

New

Testament

support

us

keeping

these

commandments? a. Jesus kept the feasts [John 2:23; 7:2-10] and He led His life as an example to us. [1 Peter 2:21-23] b. Jesus’ disciples kept the feasts even after the death and resurrection of Christ.

Acts 18:20-21 When they desired [Paul] to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by

all

means

keep

this

feast

that

cometh

in

Jerusalem: Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

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Acts 20:16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. c. We are instructed from Christ, concerning the Passover, to “do in remembrance of me� [Luke 22:1-19] Luke 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

Luke 22:7-19 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house,

The

Master

saith

unto

thee,

Where

is

the

guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them,

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With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

What was Christ doing? He was eating a Passover supper. The Passover was set up to foreshadow Christ’s sacrifice at the cross. It makes sense that we would now do this “in remembrance” of him.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I have received of Yahweh that which also I delivered unto you, that Yahweh Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew Yahweh's death till he come.

Many have used the phrase, "as often as ye drink it..." for evidence that Jesus was not talking about the Passover, but He was talking about what many churches call “communion”. They incorrectly assume

130

that Jesus is giving us freedom to drink this cup "often". When Jesus said, "as often as you do this...", He was NOT saying we could do this often as we like! Remember, what where they doing? They were eating a Passover meal. How often do you do a passover meal? Once a year! He was saying, "Every time you do this....(Every time you do a Passover meal...)". That is, every time you take the PASSOVER cup and the PASSOVER bread, we do it in remembrance. Before, we were commanded by God to do Passover in remembrance of God freeing the Israelites from bondage of slavery. Now we are commanded by Jesus to do the Passover (or at least part of the Passover) in remembrance of Him freeing His people from bondage of sin and death.

Christians actually get the tradition of communion from the Catholic church. And just like the Catholic church incorporated the pagan holidays, such as Easter1,2 and Christmas3,4 with their religion, so they did with other pagan rituals such as their Mass/Communion.5,6 d. We are instructed by the by God, through Paul, to keep the feast of unleavened bread.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

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See: Chapter 18-“Passover Warning” to see how to keep the Passover with “sincerity and truth” God set up the seven festival days to foreshadow Christ’s death, resurrection, His pouring of the Holy Spirit, His second coming, judgment, and His millennium reign. I will not go in much detail about those here. There are many good books on this subject for much detailed study that will really awe you.

See: Chapter 17-“Christ, our Passover” A good book on the shadows of all the feasts and the Messianic fulfillment of them is “The Seven Festivals of the Messiah” by Eddie Chumney IV. Does the reason of why God wanted us to keep them in the past still apply?

Yes and no. The fall feasts, have not been fulfilled yet, so the original reason still applies. The spring feasts have been fulfilled, so now we are suppose to do them “in remembrance” of their original purpose and fulfillment.

V. Is there any evidence that we will be keeping the Feast days when Christ returns?

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Zechariah 14:16-19 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith Yahweh will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Isaiah 66:22-23 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Yahweh, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahweh.

References: 1.

Lew White, Fossilized Customs (Louisville, KY: Strawberry Islands Publishers, 2002) 12-15

2.

Richard Rives, Too Long in the Sun (Charlotte, NC: Partakers Publications,

3.

Lew White, Fossilized Customs (Louisville, KY: Strawberry Islands Publishers,

2002) 117-126 2002) 29-38

133

4.

Richard Rives, Too Long in the Sun (Charlotte, NC: Partakers Publications, 2002) 127-134

5.

Lew White, Fossilized Customs (Louisville, KY: Strawberry Islands Publishers,

6.

Michael Scheifler, “Pagan Sun Worship and Catholicism The Monstrance and

2002) 76

the Wafer God”

http://biblelight.net/monstr.htm

(accessed September 18, 2008)

134

Chapter 15 Christ is Our Passover Here are just some of the many, many ways that Christ fulfilled the role of the Passover lamb.

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast... [1 Corinthians 5:7-8] 1. The Jews call the Passover, "the festival of redemption".1 Christ is our Redeemer [Galations 3:13, Titus 2:13-14, and many more].

2. The Passover lamb had to be killed at 3 p.m. on the 14th day of Abib.2,3 Christ died at 3 p.m. on the 14th day of Abib (Matthew 27:45-50) 3. The Passover lamb had to be killed in Jerusalem, but outside of the city gates. (Deuteronomy 16:5-6, then look at 2 Kings 21:4) Christ was killed in Jerusalem, but outside of the city gates. (John 19:16-19, Hebrews 13:10-13) 4. The Passover lamb must be unblemished. (Exodus 12:5) Christ was unblemished (1 Peter 1:18-20)

135

Also, when Pilate said, "I find no fault in him." [John 19:4, 6] he was essentially saying, that Christ was without blemish.

5. The whole assembly shall kill the Passover lamb. (Exodus 12:6) Everyone who has ever sinned [which means everyone] is responsible for killing Christ.

6. Not a bone on the Passover lamb was to be broken.[Exodus 12:46] None of Christ’s bones were broken.[John 19:33-36] 7. In preparation of the Passover, the Jews would go through their house in search for leaven (leaven represents sin [Matthew 16:6-12, Luke 12:1, 1 Corinthians 5:2-8]) and clean all the leaven from their house.

In Matthew 21:1-13, you can see that Jesus went into Jerusalem, then cast out the thieves from the temple. So, that would mean that at the same time the Jews were cleaning the leaven from their houses, God was cleaning the leaven (sin) from His house.

8. The last words from the high priest as he cut the Passover lamb's throat was "It is finished"4

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John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, 'It is finished': and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

That means that at the same time that the high priest was saying "It is finished" (referring to the Passover sacrifice), The High Priest (Jesus) was saying the exact words (referring to The Passover sacrifice)!

9.

"In Jesus' day, vinegar was soured wine, plain and unmixed. This was given to Jesus when He said, "I thirst!"

(John 19:28-30) This was simultaneously spoken by the high priest on the temple mount."5 10.

"The

highest

point

in

the

evolution

of

the

Pesach

(Passover) came in the last century of the second Temple, when the Jews suffered from the heavy oppression of the Romans. It was during this period that the Messianic hope flamed up, and in the minds of the Jews the deliverance of the future became bound up with the first redemption in Jewish history: the deliverance from Egypt...This belief gained added strength in this period of Roman occupation and oppression.

Jews began to believe that the

Messiah would be a second Moses and would free the Jews the self-same eve, the eve of Pesach (Passover).

So

Pesach

(Passover)

became

the

137

festival

of

the

second

as

well

as

the

first

redemption;... Jewish hearts beat faster on the eve of Pesach (Passover), beat with the hope that this night the Jews would be freed from bondage of Rome, just as their ancestors were released from Egyptian slavery."6 The really awesome thing is that at the same time when the Jews were looking so hard for the Messiah to bring the second redemption on Passover eve, the Messiah did bring the second redemption on Passover eve!

11. The blood of the Passover lamb was put on the doorposts for death to pass over their houses.

When we accept God's perfect sacrifice for our sins, we enter into God's family. By faith, we walk though the doorway into God's house, through the blood of The Lamb (Christ) that is on the doorposts, and death will pass over us!

References: 1. Hayyim Schauss, The Jewish Festival (New York:Schoken Books Inc., 1996), 38.

2. Ibid, 53.

3. Edward

Chumney,

The

Seven

Festivals

of

the

Messiah

(Shippensburg:Treasure House, 2001), 29.

4. Ibid, 46.

5. Bree Keyton,

The Passion What Does it Mean?

(Chula Vista: Black Forest

Press, 2003), 72.

6. Hayyim Schauss,

The Jewish Festivals

(New York: Schoken Books Inc.,

1996), 46.

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Chapter 16 Passover Warning

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, (remove sin from your life) that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

When you see a "but" you know that the next part of the statement is going to contradict the first part. I will show you that when Paul says, "sincerity and truth" he is not saying something spiritual that we can't understand. When he says "sincerity and truth" he means the opposite of "wickedness" (lawlessness).

When Paul says to keep it in "sincerity and in truth" he using it in the same way as found in Joshua 24:14 (the only other time that phrase is used in the scriptures): Joshua 24:14 "Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers

139

served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye Yahweh".

The Hebrew word that was translated to "sincerity" in Joshua also translated as "without blemish" and "perfect". Also, Psalm 119:142 states "thy law is truth". Both times the scriptures use the phrase "sincerity and in truth" it means, "perfect obedience to the law" or "without sin".

In Corinthians, chapter 11 Paul again tells people to be without sin when he tells them to examine themselves and not to drink the Passover cup unworthily.

Before one takes the Passover meal, one must examine himself and purge out the old leaven (have repented from his sins).

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 For I have received of Yahweh that which also I delivered unto you, that Yahweh Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew Yahweh's death till he come.

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Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of Yahweh, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of Yahweh.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning Yahweh's body.

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened of Yahweh, that we should not be condemned with the world.

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Chapter 17 Jesus Cleansed EVERYONE who has Repented from their Sins

One common argument people use against keeping the feasts is, "The Messiah cleansed us from our sins so we no longer have to do the rituals that were set up to do this (like the Days of Unleavened Bread and the Day of Atonement)".

For those who use an argument similar to this one, let me ask you, "Do you REALLY think that these rituals ever cleaned anyone from any sin?" (because that is what the above statement implies).

The fact is these feasts never cleansed ANYONE from sin! If it were possible, we would not need a savior. The people that were alive before the Messiah died on the cross are STILL saved by Jesus' blood on the cross! Let me rephrase...Before the Messiah's death, the feasts (or Day of Atonement) did not cleanse ANYONE from ANY sin, but just pointed to the Messiah.

Other than Jesus adding to the Passover Supper when He told us to "do this in remembrance...", not much else has changed! They STILL do not cleanse anyone of their sins and they STILL point to the Messiah!

See Chapter 11 – “The Purpose of the Sacrifices”

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Chapter 18 Does God want us to keep the Sabbath?

Just as we approached the question to keep God’s feasts or not, we will approach the Sabbath the same way. So, to answer, “Does God want us to keep the Sabbath?” we will answer these five questions: I. How long did God say we should observe this commandment?

II. Does the New Testament support us keeping this commandment?

III. Why did God want us to keep them in the past?

IV. Does the reason of why God wanted us to keep them in the past still apply?

V. Is there any evidence that we will be keeping the Sabbath when Christ returns?

I.

How

long

did

God

say

we

should

observe

this

commandment?

Exodus 31:13-17 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know

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that I am Yahweh that doth sanctify you…Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

II.

Does

the

New

Testament

support

us

keeping

this

commandment?

Matthew 24:15-22 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

There are many places in the scripture where the disciples went into

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the synagogue on the Sabbath to preach. Most people will say, they were only doing this only to witness to the Jews but they were still meeting on Sundays to have church. Here is a verse to think about…

Acts 13:42-44 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles

besought

that

these

words

might

be

preached to them the next sabbath. 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. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God If the Gentile church was meeting on Sunday, then why would the Gentiles be meeting to hear the preaching on the Sabbath and why did the Gentiles ask “that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath”? Why didn’t they just ask them to preach it tomorrow at church?

Acts 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

If the Sabbath was abolished, then there would be no such thing at this time of a “Sabbath day’s journey”.

Also, after Jesus rose from the grave He spent forty days on earth with

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His disciples and others [Acts 1:3]. In forty days He would have spent at least five end of the week Sabbaths plus the High Sabbath at the end of the days of unleavened bread. During one of these, Jesus could have mentioned to His disciples that this law no longer applies. How do I know He did not? Because if they knew that the Sabbath was already abolished, there would have been no debate about the Gentiles and circumcision later in Acts 15.

Acts 20:6-7 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. 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.

In the above verses, the disciples were not keeping Sunday. They were actually keeping the Sabbath. If you have a KJV (with added words in italics) you would notice that the word “day” is in italics. Now, get your Strong’s Concordance, and look up the word that was translated as “week” in the above verse. You will notice that the word translated as “week” in the above verse is actually “sabbaton” meaning “Sabbath”. So it should read, “upon the first Sabbath, when the disciples came together”. What is this “first Sabbath”? Well, if you look at verse 6, you will notice that is taking place right after the days of unleavened bread. This is the time where the people would count seven Sabbaths to Pentecost. This was the “first Sabbath”. Many Sunday keepers present the above verses as their absolute proof that we should keep Sunday. I wonder, if they analyzed these verses, if

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they would start using these verses as “absolute proof” for keeping the Sabbath, or will they hold their tradition over the Bible?

III. Why did God want us to keep the Sabbath in the past?

It was a sign between God and Israel “that ye may know that I am Yahweh that doth sanctify you [Exodus 31:13] It is “a shadow of things to come” [Colossians 2:16-17] (See Chapter 19 – “The Shadow of the Seventh Day Sabbath”)

IV. Does the reason of why God wanted us to keep the Sabbath in the past still apply?

As you will see in the next chapter, one of the reasons that God set up the Seventh day Sabbath was to foreshadow the Millennium reign with Christ. It foreshadowed it when it was created, and since Christ has not returned yet, it still foreshadows it today. So, does it make sense that God will abolish the Sabbath if it still points to the return of Christ? If not, then that means the reason of why God wanted us to keep the Sabbath still applies.

V. Is there any evidence that we will be keeping the Sabbath after Christ returns?

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Isaiah 66:22-23 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Yahweh, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahweh.

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Chapter 19 The Shadow of the Seventh Day Sabbath Colossians 2:16-17 [The Sabbaths] "are a shadow of things to come" Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done...

2 Peter 3:3-8 states: Knowing this first, [this seems pretty important] that there shall come in the last days [I believe Peter is referring

to

the

time

that

we

are

currently

living

in] scoffers, [people who do not believe (scoff at) the Bible] walking after their own lusts, [they probably do not believe it because they do not want to believe it.]

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep [all those guys that witnessed the destruction of the world or who were able to talk to Noah, Shem, Ham, or Japheth have died.], all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [Sounds like uniformatarianism. You know, statements like..."well, we see a river running though the bottom of this canyon, and it is eroding further down at a

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rate of 1 mm per year, therefore we conclude it has always been like this and that this canyon is 1 million years old."]

For this they willingly are ignorant of, [This statement says it plainly. ignorant of?

They are ignorant...But what are they

Keep reading...they are ignorant of the

following]

•

that by the word of God the heavens were of old [God spoke a mature creation into being],

•

and the earth standing out of the water and in the

water:

[Water

was

above

the

atmosphere...the canopy theory] •

6

Whereby the world that then was, being

overflowed with water, perished: [The old earth, that was very different than today's earth, perished by a flood] But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against

the

day

of

judgment

and

perdition

of

ungodly men.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing [this sounds pretty important], that one day is with Yahweh as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Ok, first of all Yahweh (through Peter) did not say, "one day is with Yahweh as a billion years, and a billion years as one day." He said,

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"that one day is with Yahweh as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." What does this verse mean?

Well,

what

was

he

talking

about?

He

is

talking

about

the

creation, judgment, and the Messiah coming back.

Now remember Colossians 2:16-17 states “[the Sabbaths] are a shadow of things to come". I believe that means,...the Sabbaths "are a shadow of things to come" (The annual Sabbaths and the weekly Sabbath). Peter here is giving us a key to unlock the shadow of the creation week. So, let us look closely to the creation week and relate it to a thousand years and the second coming of the Messiah.

Also, I do not hold Yahweh to exactly 1000 years for each day. I think it is an estimate.

Other things that I think are estimates are

statements like the following: Numbers 11:21 "And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month."

Now when I get to His Kingdom, I am not going to call God a liar if I find out that it was actually 600,021 footmen. In Physics we learn of the term Significant Figures. If we use significant figures in this verse, God could have anywhere between 550,000 to 649,999 footmen. And if we use it in 2 Peter, a day could be anywhere between 500 to 1,499 years. So keep that in mind when I speak of a millennium.

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Day 1: Yahweh separated the darkness and light * saw the light, that it was good: Shadow of the 1st millennium: Yahweh kicked Satan out of heaven and Adam learned the difference between good and evil.

Day 2: Yahweh divided the waters.

Shadow of the 2nd Millennium: The flood came and Yahweh divided the earth (separated the continents.) •

And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; [Genesis 10:25]

Day 3: Genesis 1:9-13 9

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be

gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering

together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb

yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

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12

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding

seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13

And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Shadow of the 3rd Millennium: Yahweh promised Abraham that through His seed, Jesus would reap a Harvest.

Day 4: Yahweh created the Sun. •

it is the greater light that rules over both day and night because the moon's light is just a reflection of the sun's light.

•

the sun is the physical light of the world

Shadow of the 4th Millennium: The Messiah came down and is the spiritual "light of the world" Yahushua rules!

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:

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Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Day 5: Genesis 1:20-23 20

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly

the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21

And God created great whales, and every living

creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22

And God blessed them, saying, Be

fruitful, and

multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23

And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Shadow of the 5th Millennium: Remember Peter's vision about the unclean animals, now being clean and Peter understood it to mean go witness to the Gentiles. (Maybe the 5th millenium has something to do with witnessing to the Gentiles and the multipling of the witness of the Gentiles?)

Day 6: God created the beast.

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The Shadow of the 6th Millennium: The Beast (Anti-Christ will come and rule)

Day 7: God rested.

Shadow of the 7th Millennium: We are going to rest in Him for a thousand years commonly known as the millennium reign with Christ.

•

and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. [Rev. 20:4]

•

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. [Rev. 20:6]

The information below is from Dr. David R. Reagan's article titled “The Feasts of Israel”: “Because God's division of time into sevens, or weeks, so thoroughly permeates the Scriptures, the Jewish Rabbis concluded before the time of Jesus that human history would extend over a "Week of Millenniums," or for a period of 7,000 years.

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According to the view most frequently expressed in the Talmud, there would be 6,000 years of human toil and strife followed by 1,000 years of peace. This Millennial Sabbath would be the period of the Messianic kingdom during which time the Messiah would reign in person over all the world from Jerusalem (Isaiah 24:21-23).

In other words, the Jews had concluded long before the book of Revelation was written that Yahweh's reign on earth

would

last

a

thousand

years.

Revelation

20

confirmed this deduction by stating six times that the reign would last a thousand years.

The concept of the Millennium in the book of Revelation is therefore nothing new. The concept is rooted in the creation week of Genesis. It is reaffirmed in the week of feasts of Israel six feasts related to sin and toil leading up to a sabbath feast of rest.”1

References: 1.

Dr. David R. Reagan “The Feasts of Israel – A Study in Symbolic Prophecy” http://focusonjerusalem.com/thefeastofisrael.html (accessed September 18, 2008)

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Chapter 20 The Laws of Yahweh vs. the Laws of the United States

For Yahweh is our judge, Yahweh is our lawgiver, Yahweh is our king;... – Isaiah 33:22

Many people today have turned Yahweh's laws into religious laws, when they were actually designed to run a nation. (This does not mean that you do not have to follow Yahweh's laws today. If your allegiance is to Messiah, the King of Israel, then you are apart of His Kingdom. You are apart of Israel.) Yahweh's nation was designed to have Yahweh as King. The High Priests also had servants who acted as police officers (John 18:3-10) by detaining criminals and taking them before the Levites Priests who would serve as the judges today. Later, we rejected Yahweh as our King (1 Samuel 8:5-22). After that we replaced His laws with our laws because we thought ours were better and more "loving". That is right! We thought we could "love" people better than Yahweh can!

We will later compare Yahweh's laws with The United State's "better" and "more loving" laws.

Yahweh thought His laws that He set up were better than any other national laws. He thought they were so good, that other nations would look upon the nation that Yahweh set up and say to themselves

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"Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people" (Deuteronomy 4:6)! Was He wrong? Every nation seems to think so, because all nations have rejected His laws for their own.

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as YHWH my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and

say,

Surely

this

great

nation

is

a

wise

and

understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as YHWH our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Let us see how wise Yahweh's laws are.

Yahweh ran His whole nation off of a ten percent voluntary income tax, plus an extra ten percent every third year of a seven year cycle for the welfare system (tithes did not go to spread a religion, it went to the government). This will come out to an income tax that was less than 13%! Most people in this world would love to have a 13% income tax!

In 2008, the average American worked until April 23, to pay for all levels of government1. That is right; the average "free" American paid 31% in overall taxes (if you do not count inflation as a tax) and somehow they think that they live in a "free" country! And they want

160

to spread this "freedom" to countries around the world! Let me share a condensed story from the Bible with you.

A pharaoh had a dream once. He could not interpret that dream.

Yahweh, through Joseph (the boy with the coat of many colors), interpreted the dream for Pharaoh. He told him that there was going to be seven good years, followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh then made Joseph second in command and in charge of overseeing the nation (Egypt) to get ready for the famine. During the famine, many cities came to Egypt for food. At first they bought food with the money they had stored up. Then when they ran out of money, they traded their flocks and herds of cattle for food. Then, when they ran out of cattle to trade, they sold their lands and themselves into slavery to Pharaoh.

"Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my master, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part..."[Gen 47:23-26] Did you notice that these people who were now owned by Pharaoh only had to pay a 20% income tax! No property taxes, or sales taxes,

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or all the other hidden taxes...but just a 20% income tax! If you think about it, being a slave to Pharaoh at this time was a whole lot better than being "free man" to the United States. But being a voluntary servant of Yahweh is much better than either! Again, under His system, we would only pay less than 13% and we would get many more blessings than any other government can give!

Psalm 119:45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

These are the blessings that we would receive if we kicked out the millions of laws given by the government and replaced them with Yahweh's laws: 1. Yahweh will give us rain in due season, (Lev 26:4).

2. Our crops will not fail (Lev 26:4).

3. We will have peace in the land (Lev 26:6-8).

4. Our days will be prolong in the land (Deut 5:33).

5. Our cattle will have plenty of grass to eat (Deut 11:15).

6. We will be able to eat until we are full (Lev 26:5).

7. Yahweh will take away all sickness (Deut 7:15) and we will live full lives (Exodus 23:26).

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8. Yahweh will, "pour you out a blessing, and will give you so much; you won't have room to store it all! (Malachi 3:10)".

9. We will lend to other nations and will not borrow from them (Deut 28:12).

As of 01/26/2009 the national debt (not including state, local, and household debt) is over $10,600,000,000,000 (at 5% interest rate, we would have to pay over $530 Billion a year just to cover the interest!).

To pay off the total debt it would cost every family of 4, more than $140,000 (and again, that does not including state, local, and household debt)!

10. Multiplied cattle (Deuteronomy 30:9).

11. Multiplied crops (Deuteronomy 30:9).

12. There will be no terrorists in the land (Lev 26:6).

Leviticus 26:3-6; 14-17; 31-35 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 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. 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. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will

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rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

(14-17) But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

Definition of "terror"2: 1. Intense, overpowering fear. See Synonyms of fear.

2. One that instills intense fear: a rabid dog that became the terror of the neighborhood.

3. The ability to instill intense fear: the terror of jackboots pounding down the street.

4. Violence committed or threatened by a group to intimidate or coerce a population, as for military or political purposes.

Continuing with verse 31: And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into

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desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

The United States as a whole is keeping less and less of Yahweh's laws as time goes on. In the last hundred years, we are paying more and more taxes (sowing our seed in vain). We are seeing more and more sickness, and we see more and more "terrorists" whose whole goal is to strike "terror" in the hearts of American people. Yahweh said that if we would obey His laws, this would not happen. Yahweh is not in breach of contract here, we are. I am not a prophet, but I do not take Yahweh's word with just "a grain of salt". The next thing we will see is a sword coming though our land and our cities becoming waste (unless we repent).

Deuteronomy 28:65-66 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but YHWH shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: If the law no longer applies, then why all the curses?

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1.

Heart attacks are #1 cause of death in the U.S. (trembling heart)3

2.

More and more people have failing eyes4

3.

We spend over 30% in overall taxes (sowing our seed in vain)1

4. Terrorism 5. More "sorrow of mind" (ADD5, autism6, Alzheimer's disease7 , etc.)

6. More failing crops 7. More and more national debt (Deuteronomy 28:44) 8.

More and more cancer 8

In Deuteronomy 28, Yahweh lays out many of the curses that will come on Israelite nations for not keeping His law. Then He says that these curses will be a sign and a wonder for ever!

Deuteronomy 28:45-46 ...because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of YHWH thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

For some reason, America and other Israelite nations, are getting these same curses now and they do not know that it is Yahweh sending them signs and wonders (even though Yahweh said there would be signs and wonders to His people forever!) (One more point: How can these curses be "signs and wonders" forever for breaking Yahweh's laws if His laws are abolished?)

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Let us look at some other laws that Yahweh thought were good ideas for a nation: If someone steals your new car and wrecks it today, and you do not have insurance, you are out much money. Then, your tax dollars has to put that thief in prison for a few years which can cost between 10 and 50K a year! (In 2008 it cost the United States tax payers about 60 billion dollars to keep criminals locked up9.

Also, the United States

currently makes up about 5% of the world’s population, but hold’s about 25% of the world prisoners.10) When this guy is locked up, usually his biggest influence is not the guards or preachers that come in once a week, but other criminals that he spends his days with.

In Yahweh's system, you don't even need to buy theft insurance. If someone steals your new car and wrecks it, under His laws, you can just announce that anyone who catches the thief will get a new (unscratched) car! Because under Yahweh's system, when the thief is caught he will have to replace your new car with five new cars (Exodus 22:1).

This will allow you to pay a bounty of one car to the bounty hunter that catches the thief and the best part is, it will give you 4 cars as payment! I know what you are thinking now...the crook probably will not be able to afford it. That is fine too, then the thief will work for you until the debt is paid. If he doesn't work for you, he will get whipped with up to forty lashes a day (Deuteronomy 25:3). It won't take too many days for this thief to shape up and start working to pay off his debt. Also, how many repeat offenders do you think there will be under this system?

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Under Yahweh's system, there was a place to hold them until the verdict, but there was never a jail sentence. But by looking at the penalties that Yahweh set up, I am sure the rehabilitation rate (for those not executed) was much higher than our current system.

Another law of Yahweh is not to bear false witness. Meditate on this law for a moment: Deuteronomy 19:16-19 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

How many times have you heard of a case where someone accused another person of a huge crime in which the accused could get the death penalty or many years in prison, later to find out that the accuser was purposely lying?

Then the accuser might get a few

months in jail or a slap on the wrist.

This false witness more than

likely cost the tax payers thousands of dollars in legal fees, court fees, and investigation costs (not to mention all the money it cost to detain

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the accused for the months that it took to prove the accuser was lying). The accusation also would cause much stress on the accused and his or her family. Do you think that the accuser should be let off with a light sentence for such a huge accusation? Do you think if the United States followed this law that we would have drastically less false witnesses? Yahweh said it would.

Continuing with verse 20: And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

Today, the United States has millions of laws! The United States has more lawyers than any other country!11

We have lawyers who

specialize in certain fields that can not possibly know all the laws for their specialty. Many businesses have lawyers on their monthly payroll just to keep them out of trouble. This cost is passed onto the consumers.

All of Yahweh's laws can fit on a few pages of paper. We could cut the number of our lawyers to next to nothing. Lawyers are like the soldier bees. They do not produce anything; they only consume the production of the workers. The less percentage of soldier bees a colony has, the more excess produce they will end up with.

The following professions could be eliminated (or close to it) under Yahweh's system. This would reduce the number of "soldier bees" and increase the number of "worker bees" and therefore increase our the nations overall productivity.

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1. IRS (Just to comply with the complex income tax laws in 2004 it cost America $244 Billion12) 2. Lawyers 3. Correction officers 4. Tax form preparers 5. Health Care providers 6. Insurance providers Today, government officials can have private businesses on the side or own huge amount of stock in certain arms companies or oil companies.

This could influence a government official's decision to go to war with another nation or change some laws that would benefit his company.

Anyone who could make many millions of dollars from one decision can be influenced by the money. Yahweh was aware of this. In Yahweh's system of government, all public officials are there for life and are fed, clothed, and housed, but get no retirement fund and no property. I wonder if the reason Yahweh set it up that way was to prevent bad decisions or evil acts based on personal prosperity. Maybe Yahweh is pretty smart after all!

My purpose for writing this chapter is not to start a new party called, "The Mosaic Law Party" to run up against the Republicans and Democrats (although I do think a party like this would spark thought

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on God’s laws and the wisdom behind them). I wrote this article because more and more debt, sickness, terrorism, failing crops and other penalties are coming to our nation. If people are not aware of where the blame lies, then when they see more sickness, they will think we need more drugs and more drug research. When they see more terrorist they will think we need more laws, less privacy, and more police. When they see more crops failing, they will think we need to genetically engineer better crops. When they see more and more taxes, they will think the next president will be their savior. And, one day, when they see that our government has gone bankrupt, they will think that our next fiat currency will be better. All these so called solutions just mask the problem (and we are using so much labor in creating these temporary masks).

We are to blame for all these penalties.

References: 1.

“Tax

Freedom

Day

and

Tax

Burden,

1900-2008”

(Tax

Foundation, March 26, 2008) http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/386.html (accessed September 18, 2008) 2. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, (Houghton

Mifflin Company, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000, Updated in 2003) 3.

“Heart Attacks – The Bare Facts” (About.com, December 30, 2006) http://menshealth.about.com/cs/hearthealth/aheart_attack.htm (accessed September 18, 2008).

4. “Improving the Nation's Vision Health: A Coordinated Public Health Approach” (Center of Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and

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Human

Services-USA),

5-6,

www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/vision.pdf (accessed September 18, 2008).

5. “Defining Food Allergies” (AllergyKids,LLC, 2008),

http://www.allergykids.com/index.php?id=3&page=Defining_Foo d_Allergies (accessed September 15, 2008).

6.

“What is Autism: Facts and Stats” (Autism Society of America, 2006) http://www.autismsociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_factsstats (accessed September 18, 2008)

7. “Fact Sheet – Alzheimer's Disease: Statistics” (Alzheimer's Association, 2004)

www.alzheimers-illinois.org/statistics.pdf (accessed September 18, 2008) 8. “U.S. National Cancer Institute Manipulates Cancer Statistics” (Cancer Prevention Coalition) http://www.preventcancer.com/losing/nci/manipulates.htm (accessed September 18, 2008) 9. Pierre Thomas and Jason Ryan “U.S. Prison Population Hits All-Time High: 2.3 Million Incarcerated” (ABC News, June 6, 2008)

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=5009270&page=1 (accessed September 18, 2008) 10. Adam Liptak “Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations” (The New York Times, April 23, 2008)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/us/23prison.html (accessed September 18, 2008) 11. Michael W. Hodges “Economic Productivity Report” (Financial Sense Editorials, March 6, 2007) http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/hodges/2007/0306.html (accessed September 18, 2008) 12. “Total Federal Income Tax Compliance Costs, 1900-2015” (Tax Foundation, October 26, 2006)

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Chapter 21 Kingdom Rewards for Keeping the Law

Entering the Kingdom of God is not a pass or fail issue. Some will be called "great" in the Kingdom, and some will be called, "least". Some will have a big inheritance, and some a small. Below are a few verses that show that not everyone will be resurrected equally.

Luke 19:15-19 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

Matthew 19:27-29 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye

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also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Matthew 18:3-4 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 19:7-11 The law of Yahweh is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahweh are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Matthew 5:19 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

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whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

By looking at the above verse, can you tell me who will be called “least in the kingdom” and “great in the kingdom of heaven”?

Caution: If you found out that you were going to be called “great in the kingdom of heaven” would it affect you in a negative way? How about if someone walked up to you today and gave you ten million dollars, would that affect you in a negative way? I know some people who have a lot of money, and they walk, talk and behave with much pride.

They think that they should be called “great” on earth. Some of them have the “look at me” attitude. And the absurd thing is, some of these people were blessed (or cursed) with the money from a marriage, inheritance, or some “lucky” investment, and they still walk around with their shoulders back, in a “look at me” attitude. Many will probably say, “If someone gave me a million dollars, it won’t affect me”. Well, the chances are extremely high that it will.

Matthew 19:23-24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

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There is nothing wrong with having a lot of money. In fact, having a lot of money is supposed to be a good thing. Keeping the law is also supposed to be a good thing, but to the Pharisees, keeping the law was like a rich man showing off his wealth. The Pharisees got “puffed up” by keeping the law. They were very prideful of keeping the law.

Pride is first on the list of the six things Yahweh hates (Proverbs 6:1617). By looking at other people, the Pharisees thought that they were more righteous than others because they thought they kept the law better than the others. They would also add things to the law that they thought would make them a more righteous person.

Keeping the law can make you healthy, wealthy and wise, but it will not make you righteous. Just one small sin will make you unrighteous.

Don’t look at other people and their failures. Let God be their judge.

Focus on fixing your own shortcomings and then the true meaning of “grace” becomes much clearer.

Just as someone giving you a ten million dollar gift, Christ gave you salvation as a free gift. You didn’t earn it. Don’t get puffed up! We are only made righteous by the blood of Christ!

There might be a lot of people who are just coming to the realization that the law still applies. Many of these people will want to go out and tell everyone of their “new revelation”. I personally will not teach someone that the law still applies unless they are ready to hear it.

There are some things that are not meant for everyone to understand (Matthew 13:10-15). If I think that the person will become like the Pharisees and “puff” themselves up, then I avoid telling them about some of the law and focus on other things in that person’s life first.

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To sum it up: Christ gets you in the Kingdom (for those who repent).

Keeping the Law of God is one way you can get better rewards in the Kingdom (as long as you don’t get puffed up).

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Chapter 22 The True Meaning of “Repentance”

Many people think to “repent”, is to say you are sorry, and to ask for forgiveness. This definition is mostly wrong. Knowing the true definition of "repent" could be a matter of life and death. Before I go further, I’ll point out a few verses.

Exodus 13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: Exodus 32:11-14 And Moses besought Yahweh his God, and said, Yahweh, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent

of

this

evil

against

thy

people.

Remember

Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land

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that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And Yahweh repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

Now, do you think that God asked someone for forgiveness? Do you think God would EVER need to ask someone to forgive Him? Some people look at these verses and think that God can make mistakes.

They think this because they don't know the true definition of the word "repent". The way I see it, the definition of “repent” is to change your current path. It does not even have to mean that your old path was wrong. So, when Moses was asking God to “repent” he was not asking Him to “say you are sorry” or "you are in error". He was asking God to turn from His current path of destroying the Israelites.

Ezekiel 18:24-30 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live?...

Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of Yahweh is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

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Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Master Yahweh. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

The word translated “Repent” in verse 30 is the same Hebrew word translated “turneth away” in verses 24, 27 and 28 and “turn yourselves from” in verse 30. Notice, in the above verses, that even the righteous can "repent" from his righteousness. This proves that the word "repent" has nothing to do with admitting you are in error.

To sum it up, asking God to forgive you of your sin means nothing unless you repent from your sins (turn from breaking the law). In fact, if you don't "repent" from your sins, your prayers are an abomination to God. Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

Keys to receiving forgiveness: 1. You must repent from your sins (turn from breaking the law).

(Acts 3:19).

2. You must forgive others (Matthew 6:12-15).

3. You must humble yourself (1 Peter 5:5; 2 Chronicles 7:14).

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from

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their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

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Chapter 23 Common Arguments Against Keeping God’s Laws

Below are several arguments that people use for breaking God’s laws (like the Sabbath and Holy Days):

1. The law was abolished The most common verse that I have seen in support of the law being abolished is in Ephesians (another one of Paul’s epistles).

Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;...

In the KJV (one with the added words in italics) you will notice the “even” is italics. Some Bibles such as Amplified Bible and Jerusalem Bible, have other words instead of “even”.

Amplified Bible: By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances...

Jerusalem Bible: “destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law.”

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So which version has the correct interpretation of this verse? Should “even” have gone after enmity/hostility or does caused by fit the context better? Or should have another word been used? First, let us look at the verse and see what word flows better.

Enmity means “hostility”, so by using the KJV and replacing “enmity” with hostility, the average person should be able to read the verse and see what word flows better.

Having abolished in his flesh the hostility, even the law of commandments......

Having abolished in his flesh the hostility caused by the law of commandments...

Although “caused by” is a better word to use than “even”. A word that fits best here is “towards”.

Having abolished in his flesh the hostility towards the law of commandments...

So what does it mean that Jesus abolished the enmity (hostility) towards the law?

Paul tells us in Romans that the carnal mind is enmity (hostile) against God and His laws.

Romans 8:7 KJV

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Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Romans 8:7 (NASB) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, Before one accepts Yahushua as their Messiah, he desires to follow his own will or the will of another deity. At this time he/she is walking in the flesh which is hostile towards God and His laws. When someone accepts Yahushua as their King of Kings, and Yahushua’s Spirit comes and starts to dwell in that person, then the person will start having a desire to do what is right and do Yahushua’s will over their own will.

At this time this person no longer has hostility towards Yahweh and His laws. Also at this time the uncircumcised (the Gentile) will no longer be “strangers and foreigners”, but “fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

2. The law of God was “fulfilled by Jesus”(using Matthew 5:17) so (for some reason) it no longer applies to us.

First, we should look at the scriptures more closely and in context to see if that even makes sense.

Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or

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one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 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.

The people who use this argument incorrectly assume the following: 2a. That to “fulfill” means that we no longer have to obey the law.

In context, Jesus makes it plain that heaven and earth will pass before one jot or tittle will pass from the law.

Then He talks about people

breaking the least commandments will be called least in the Kingdom.

Also, we know that Jesus instructed from the law (See Chapter 4 “Jesus Instructed From the Law”), that Jesus followed the law, (1 Peter 2:21) and we know that He lead His life as an example to us.

One of the definitions of the Greek word that was translated “fulfill” in this verse is, “carry out”. Although, fulfill makes perfect sense to me when read in context, some might need to read “carry out” to get the correct understanding of what Jesus was saying.

2b. Jesus did fulfill the law If I told you that I was going to put a pool in your back yard, and I dug a hole the first day and that evening left and told you that I will be back, why would you assume that my job was finished?

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It is true that Jesus said that He came to fulfill the law, but where in the scriptures can you prove that He did the whole job during His stay, 2000 years ago?

The people who do not study the OT and the law are usually the ones that make this error. If one would study the law, one would know that the laws were “shadows of good things to come” (See Chapter 10 “The Purpose of God’s Law” and Chapter 11 – “The Purpose of the Sacrifices”).

Jesus fulfilled the Passover, the Days of Unleavened

Bread, and Pentecost (the Spring Feasts) 2000 years ago. When He comes back, He will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Also, the 7th day Sabbath will be fulfilled at the Millennium reign.

3. We are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 6:14-15 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? shall we sin [transgress the law], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

When Paul says things like "we are not under the law, but under grace". He is not saying that the law does not apply. Notice the word "but" used here. "But" means, "on the contrary".

Finish these statements:

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I'm not cold, but ___________.

I'm not rich, but ___________.

I'm not healthy, but _________.

If I said, "I am not cold, but hot", that would make sense. If I said, "I am not cold, but poor", that would not make sense. What ever I say after "but" has to be contrary to the first part of my statement.

Is "grace" contrary to "law"? NO! "Grace" is the same as "mercy" or "pardon". Just as the analogy of the speeder having his ticket paid for (at the beginning of Chapter 1 – “An Overview of Why the Law is for Today”), "grace" was the time where the son paid the fine. "Grace" is not contrary to "Law"! "Grace" is contrary to "Penalty of the law"! In the above verse, "under the law" is the same thing as being under the penalty of the law (sin having dominion over someone). As I pointed out earlier, you can not have grace without the law.

4. We are not justified by the law but we are justified by faith, therefore we shouldn’t keep the law.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

I never claimed to be justified by the law.

No one (except the

Messiah) was ever or will ever be justified by the law.

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Also notice the last half of the above verse. knowledge of sin”.

“for by the law is the

From the above verse, can you tell me how to

know what “sin” is?

5. If you keep one law you must keep all 613.

This argument is common by those that are against Yahweh’s laws.

They make it sound like a huge burden. I would like to point out that many of the statutes can be summed up to one law. For instance, if one only has sex with his or her spouse (of the opposite sex that is not closely related to him or her) then that person is in compliance with at least 22 of the 613.

If a person is not a farmer, a king, a soldier, a Nazarite, a leper, or a Levite priest, then over a hundred of the 613 laws do not apply to that person.

Some might say something like, “So, you admit you do not follow all the law, and only the ones that applies.” Then they will quote James 2:10 out of context. To them I point out that Jesus was not a leper, a Nazarite, a Levite, or a farmer, so He did not have to practice the laws that applied to those specific people.

I think it is much easier to follow God’s 613 (actually, there are more...the official Jewish count missed a few) than to obey the 2.5 million laws of the United States. God is so smart and loves liberty, He can run His whole nation with less than 1000 laws!

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Most people who say something like, “look at the burdensome 613 laws you have to obey” have not even read all the laws. Yahweh did not give us crazy laws for no good reason. With a little thought, one can make sense of every law and sometimes, God even tells us why He gave us that law (See Chapter 12 – “Making Sense of the Law”.

With a little more thought, one can see how all the law hangs on “love Yahweh” and “love thy neighbor” (See Chapter 6 – “All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments”).

6. Doesn’t Paul allow us to keep any holy day we wish and eat pork and other unclean meats and keep any day of the week for our rest day in Colossians 2?

Col 2:16-17: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.* *If you have a KJV with words in italics, you will notice that the word “is” is in italics. It should read, “Let no man therefore judge you …; but the body of Christ.”

There are two ways to look at these last verses of Col 2:13-17. Either Paul is telling the Sunday keepers not to let people judge them for keeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath, or he is telling the Sabbath keepers not let people judge them for keeping the Sabbath instead of

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Sunday (which was a common practice with the Greeks in their worship of the sun god.).

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, the majority of Colosse were Greek and native Phrygians. Since the Jews, for the most part, rejected Christ, most of these converts were likely to be Greek (Pagan sun worshippers that worshipped on Sunday). These new ex-Sunday keepers are now starting to keep the Sabbath because they are shadows of the great things that Christ will fulfill and because Yahweh’s law says to do this. They are going against the grain of their culture, their family, and traditions. So Paul is telling them….”Hey, don’t let them judge you. These Sabbaths are shadows of good things to come (the Messiah’s first and second coming). You don’t have to answer to them. The only one you have to answer to is Christ”.

It would not make sense for Paul to tell the new Christians in this pagan sun worshipping nation, to not let anyone judge you in respect of a holy day or Sabbath, if these people continued with the pagan holy days and Sabbaths of their culture.

7. The law was our school master and we are no longer under a school master therefore the law does not apply to us.

Galatians 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

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“No longer under a schoolmaster” does not mean that Yahweh’s laws do not apply to us. Again, Yahweh and the Messiah are clear that the law is forever (until heaven and earth are passed).

This is from Strong’s for the word “schoolmaster”1: “Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.”

These “schoolmasters” were more about keeping the kid in line rather than actual teaching. When a child steps out of line, he would have to pay for his mistake by getting correction. Children do not do what is right “just because” (by nature).

They usually do what is right so

they will not get in trouble. After the children are mature, then they do not need a guardian to keep them in line because the mature child now has an understanding of why the rules were laid out by the guardian. He understands why the guardian had to put the strap to him when he stole candy or pushed another kid down. Now, when the child is no longer under the guardian, he does not go steal or start fights because he has a good understanding of why these rules were in place under his guardian. Because of the mature child’s understanding he wants to obey the rules.

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After we learn the law, and after we are justified by faith, then we no longer perform the law to avoid trouble (we know that Christ’s blood will cover the sins of those who repent…see: The True Meaning of "Repentance"), but we perform the law because we have a good understanding of why the law was in place (See: The Purpose of God's Law and All of the Law Hangs on the Two Great Commandments). A person keeping the law without Christ (like the Jews today), do things like Passover and other Feasts, and other parts of the law only because God said, “do this” and they do it so they will not get in trouble with God. A Christian (with the holy spirit in them) should do the law, not because they will get in trouble if they do not, but because they have a better understanding of why the laws were laid out by God and they want to obey God. 8. Gentiles do not need to follow the law because the law was given only to Israel.

The most common argument that I hear from anti-law scholars that have studied this issue is that the law was given only to the Jews, but not the Gentiles, therefore the Gentiles do not have to keep the laws of God.

I personally think this is the hardest theory to argue because

people who use this theory not only say that the OT is not applicable to the Gentile, but this theory also allows the person to say something like, “Of course Peter and Paul still kept the laws of God after Jesus rose from the dead, they were ‘Jews’” and “Of course Jesus preached from the law, he mainly preached to the Jews.” This really limits the scriptures I can use to prove my point (it also really limits the scriptures the “Gentile” can use for “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”).

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Before I go on, I must explain the government/kingdom that God set up on earth. God set up a government/kingdom with Himself/Jesus as our King (John 1:49; John 12:13; Matthew 25:34; Rev 19:16 and so on). Just like all governments, He needed national laws. These laws are to keep peace and order, for national prosperity, and also to show allegiance to the King.

He named His kingdom “Israel”.

Also, note

that Israel does not even have to have a piece of land to be a nation (as you can see when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years).

The following is a list of reasons why this theory does not work:

8a. When a non-Jew repents (turns from breaking the law) and accepts Jesus as his King, he becomes grafted in to Israel (God’s kingdom) Romans 11:13-26 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

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And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shall be saved:

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8b. For a physical “Jew” or an Israelite to be “cut off” from Israel, all he has to do is stop obeying the law.

Exodus 12:15 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.

Exodus 12:19 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.

Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Leviticus 7:27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

All any Israelite, that did not want to keep the law any more, would have to do is stop obeying the law and become a Gentile.

Would it

make sense for a King to make a law for only half His people and then tell that half that if they don’t like the law, just do not keep them and

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you can be apart of the other half that does not keep them (but no penalty for those who do not keep them).

8c. The Jews are just one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Many Christians today who believe they are physical Gentiles are wrong. If you are an Anglo-Saxon, the chances are high that you are a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel)*.

But

this fact really means nothing because the chances are also high that because of your transgression of the law, you have been “cut off” from Israel at one time or another. To be grafted back in, you must repent from breaking the law.

God will graft the natural branches back in,

just as He will graft the unnatural branches in. *For more information about who the physical tribes of Israel are and where they are located today read the following: Genesis 48 and 49; The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found! by Steven M. Collins; Israel's Tribes Today by Steven M. Collins; Lost Tribes of Israel by K.C. Reader Harris; Judah’s Scepter and Joseph’s Birthright by J. H. Allen; (I also have posted short articles about this topic at www.biblelaw101.com).

8d. There was only one perfect example of how to live given (by Jesus).

Jesus kept the law. Is Jesus only the example to the Jews

and not the example to the Gentiles?

8e. The scriptures tell us that one gets understanding by keeping the law.

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Psalm 119:97-100 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: Psalm 111:10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding

have

all

they

that

do

his

commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Doesn’t the above verse say that the law can give understanding and “a good understanding have all they that do his commandments�?

This implies that those who do not practice his law have a poor understanding.

8g. Jesus told us that ALL the commandments hung on "Love thy neighbor..." and "Love Yahweh". Are Gentiles not expected to "Love thy neighbor..." and "Love Yahweh"?

Matthew 22:35-40

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Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? (he is obviously referring to God's Laws) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5).

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (quoted from Leviticus 19:18).

On these two commandments hang all the law (the Sabbaths,

the

dietary

laws,

EVERYTHING)

and

the

prophets.

(See

Chapter

6-

“All

of

the

Law

Hangs

on

the

Two

Great

Commandments”)

8f. Only a fool would not want to do something that God Himself claimed to be “wise”.

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as Yahweh my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations,

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which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as Yahweh our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Doesn’t God say in the above verses that other nations (Gentile nations) would look upon Israel’s laws and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”? Would you say then that it would be foolish for a Gentile king to say something like, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people, to have such a perfect law, but I don’t want my people following such a law. We will continue following the laws that I make.”?

9. The God I serve would never want us to put people to death for adultery, homosexual acts, or other transgressions.

The

God I serve would want us to accept them and witness to them.

Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife,

even

he

that

committeth

adultery

with

his

neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

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Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Malachi 3:6 For I am Yahweh, I change not; 10. We are no longer under the “Old Covenant”, but are now under a “New Covenant”.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Does everyone know Yahweh, from the least to the greatest? We have many evangelists and missionaries today that go out and try to teach his neighbor and his brother saying something like “know God”? So by looking at the above verse, can we possibly be in the “new covenant” mentioned?

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What about the cup of the “new testament” that Jesus offered?

Matthew 26:27-29 (NKJV) Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.

For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

When Yahweh made a covenant with Noah and the later generations, He gave a rainbow as a sign (physical evidence that the covenant took place). When Yahweh made a covenant with Abraham, there was a sign of circumcision. When one makes a contract or a covenant with someone else, many times a signature is required. This cup that the Messiah was holding was the document for his disciples to sign. Here is basically what is taking place here: The Messiah was sitting across the table from his disciples with the document (the physical evidence of the covenant). He slides it across the table to His disciples. His disciples sign it (by drinking the cup).

The disciples slide it back. The Messiah then tells them that He will sign it when He comes back.

When the Messiah comes back, He will drink the cup and the new covenant will begin.

References: 1.

"Strong's Definition for #3807" http://www.apostolicchurches.net/bible/strongs/ref/?stgh=greek&stnm=3807 (accessed September 18, 2008)

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About the Author’s Journey

My father came from a Catholic background (was studying to be a Catholic priest before he met my mother). My mother came from a Baptist background.

Shortly after they were married they began

attending a Methodist church. I attended this church until I was about 10. At this time I started attending an Episcopal church. Also at this time I attended a Church of Christ school (from age 10 – 15). From the ages 12-15 I attended a non-denomination (Pentecostal style) church. Then at the age of 15, I started attending a Baptist church. I attended this church until I was 19 (but visiting other churches every so often).

After I went into the army, I attended various churches

(mainly Pentecostal style) on and off.

After I got out of High School, my desire to learn more began.

I

started getting interested in science and religion (but was still not really interested in the scriptures). I was so interested in science, that when I was in the Army, I would set my VCR to record “Bill Nye the Science Guy” so I could come home and watch it. One day, while I was in the army working midnight shift, I was listening to Art Bell on the AM radio (he had some interesting guests, some scientists, some nut-balls, it was sometimes interesting to listen to). One night he had Dr. Kent Hovind as a guest. Dr. Hovind stated that he believed that the earth was a young earth, that evolution was incorrect, and that the earth was created in six literal days. I thought this was absurd. I had even debated some young earth creationists before about how the earth was old. I thought I’d at least get a laugh out of it, so I continued to listen.

I then ordered one of his videos so I could

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disprove all what he said. The video was interesting, and stumped me many times.

I then ordered all his seminars and all his debates.

I

was very disappointed when I got to the debates because I was rooting for the evolution side and they would always lose. I got very frustrated.

I thought this case was closed a long time ago.

After

further study, I was discussing the creation/evolution topic with a friend and he asked me, “So, what do you believe”.

I thought and

said, “Until someone can give me hard proof for evolution, I am going to have to lean towards the creation side”. Now, after further study (of science and scripture), I have no doubt that the Bible is correct and that the earth was created in six literal days. After I accepted the fact that there is no conflict between science (knowledge) and scripture, I started reading my Bible more. At this time, I would say my beliefs were similar to the Baptists (except for a few doctrines).

Then one

day a friend of mine told me that she kept the Sabbath and Feast Days. I thought that the law did not apply to Christians, but I had to prove to myself from the Bible that I was correct. It was about this time I stopped going to church (although I would meet with some people in a church like setting every now and then). I stopped going to church mainly because I had been going just about all my life and saw how ignorant I still was of the scriptures. I also noticed that most of the people around me in church were still ignorant of the scriptures.

I also did not want to be influenced by any denomination (they all claim they have the truth).

I wanted the scriptures and the Spirit

alone to do the brainwashing. So every Sunday, instead of going to church, I would stay home and read the scriptures.

I bought many

speckled notebooks and titled them with all sorts of doctrines that are debated such as, “Is the Sabbath for today”, “Is the Law of God Abolished”, “The Resurrection” etc.

When I would come to a verse

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that talked about one of the subjects, I would write it down. In my “Is the Law abolished” notebook, I had several verses that were pro-law and several verses that seemed to be against the law (mainly from Paul’s epistles).

I knew there couldn’t be a conflict.

So I had to

explain all of one side or all of the other. This was my first big step in finding the truth about the law.

Then, after about a year or so of

study (it takes a while sometimes to unlearn what you have learned and see the scriptures with virgin eyes to allow the spirit to show you the truth), I realized that the law was still in effect.

At this time I

started to study the law and I saw how much wisdom was behind it.

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Closing Scriptures

Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things;...

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Ephesians 12:12-13 ...of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

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