Sabbath 7/1/27/120
The Fast for the Simple and the Erroneous.
Dear Friends,
This Sabbath is one of the only times we actually fast instead of feasting on the Sabbath. This year the seventh of Abib falls on the Sabbath. As we know, this day is the day set aside for the Sanctification of the Simple and the Erroneous in both the people of God and the unaware in the society as a whole. The sanctification is to be undertaken in the Millennium also as we are told by Ezekiel. The scriptural basis for the fast is explained in the paper Sanctification of the Simple and Erroneous (No. 291). On this day we go before the Lord asking that the sins of the simple of our people and the people that sin by error are forgiven, and that the Lord intervenes to bring them to repentance and understanding.
In the nation of Israel this was a physical setting of spiritual principals. If it was a valid process before the Church under the Prophets and Judges, then, it also is valid today. The nations of Israel (USA, England, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and many other European nations which we identify in the Abraham’s Legacy web site (at www.Abrahams-Legacy.org)) are not aware today that they are in fact the Israel of disobedience. In order for it to be corrected in truth, there are those who have been brought to repentance. They have become the spiritual Israel of many peoples and who are priests of Ha Elohim, the One True God, Eloah. We are the Church of God, the Church of The Yahovah of Hosts. We are given to Yahovah, (the voice) Jesus the Messiah. The only born Son of many sons.
The penalty under the era before the Church for rebellion and disobedience was to have THE God, Ha Elohim, Eloah “break forth” upon them.
To remain in the congregation of God as a Holy People there was a requirement to be sanctified. For any who are sanctified, or set apart, are a Holy People. They are not better than others. They are not intrinsically more righteous than others, but are chosen by Ha Elohim for a specific purpose.
What does it mean to sanctify a congregation, or a person, or anything for that matter?
It means: to render or acknowledge or to make venerable, or to hallow; to separate from profane things and dedicate to God; to consecrate things to God; to dedicate people to God, to purify, to cleanse (either externally or internally) or to purify by expiation. It means to be free from the guilt of sin. It is primarily concerned, in the congregation of God, to purify internally by renewing of the soul. Sanctification in the Church is the process of becoming consecrated to God, which is an integral aspect of being a member of the people of God, which is a gift of God (1Thes 4:4).
The Bible tells us to sanctify the congregation with a fast (Joel 1:14; 2:15-16). In this week we have been praying and studying to prepare ourselves for the Passover so that we may be sanctified in order to take that feast. Christ also tells us that we are sanctified through the truth of God, which is His word (Jn 17:17).
Thus, by prayer and fasting in the study of the word of God, we are sanctified.
The priesthood is also required to be sanctified and prepare itself by command of God, yet precious few do.
Let the priests also, which come near to Ha Elohim, The God, sanctify themselves, lest Ha Elohim break forth upon them (Ex. 19:22).
It is through this process that we are able to undertake the Passover. Even though our leaders and most of our priests are not obeying the Law and not undertaking this process, they can be saved by our intervention. What should we be doing in order to remove error and to keep the Passover correctly?
Well, in the first instance, we should be preparing to take the Passover in all diligence. We should look to God and the congregation of the elect and keep the Passover and Unleavened Bread diligently, for the Lord’s Supper and the Preparation Day on 14 Abib and the full seven days of the feast from 15 to 21 Abib.
In the first two weeks of the First Month, from the New Year on one Abib through the fast of the seventh of Abib to the thirteenth day of Abib, we begin the sanctification process and prepare to go to the Passover. This was symbolised by the physical requirement to remove the leaven from our homes. We are reminded of getting rid of spiritual sin and physical ‘sin’ by removing leaven from our homes. Then we go to a safe place of God’s choosing. We are washed clean and renewed with the foot washing, and the wine and unleavened bread service of the beginning night of 14 Abib. Even though we may return to our own homes, if we are in the place that the Lord has chosen, we must remember Lot’s wife and separate ourselves from the cares of the world. In this way, we remove the old leaven of malice and wickedness each year as it may have accrued.
Look at the facts of the Seven Great Passovers of the Bible (No. 107). In each of those Passovers, the sanctification process and the keeping of the feast for the full seven days was critical to the restoration of the congregation. In one case the congregation was not ready because the priests were unfit in that they did not sanctify themselves, and the assistant Levites performed in their place. In one restoration the congregation was not ready on time and so they kept the second Passover. That is, they kept the Passover of the Second Month as provided for by Law. If you can’t keep the first Passover correctly, then you keep the second Passover in its stead and you get ready for that one.
In each lapse in the history of the Passover, the failure of the priests brought about the failure of the congregation. The restoration was effected by the few who remained faithful and sanctified themselves properly.
Today is no different. The ministry is usually at fault whenever there is error. We fast on this day for all those people.
In this process of restoration we keep the feast seven days because God tells us through His servants the prophets, that is what He wants us to do and we are either obedient or we are not one of the elect.
In Exodus 12:14 we read:
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall KEEP(chagag SHD 2287) it a FEAST(chag SHD 2282) to the Lord (Yahovah SHD 3068) throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a FEAST (chagag SHD 2287) by an ordinance (SHD 2708) for ever (SHD 5769).
Exodus 12: 15-20 says:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. 16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
The following notes are important concerning the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread or indeed the Feast of Tabernacles also in its proper time. However, here we are concerned with the Passover and Unleavened Bread.
The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon makes the following note (4th Printing 1999, of the1906 Edition, Page 290).
(SHD) 2282 Chag
Festival – gathering, feast pilgrim feast.
Blue letter bible
1. Feast esp. one observed by a pilgrimage 2. A festival sacrifice
root word from 2287
(ibid) 2287 Chagag
Make Pilgrimage, Keep a Pilgrim feast.(betake oneself to or towards an object
of reverence; Make a Pilgrimage to Mecca; Sab. Make Pilgrimage Sab. Denkm.86
of 85 Syr. Celebrate a feast.
Blue Letter Bible:
1) to hold a feast, hold a festival, make pilgrimage, keep a pilgrim-feast,
celebrate, dance, stagger
a) (Qal)
1) to keep a pilgrim-feast
2) to reel
In the notes of the NASV Key Study we read:
[T]his mas. noun comes from [SHD] 2287. It means festival or feast. The main ideas were the celebration of a holiday. This noun occurs 61 times and usually refers to the three main festivals of Israel, which required a pilgrimage: The Passover with the feast of Unleavened Bread; The Feast of weeks; and the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a season of religious joy.
The following definitions can be taken as acceptable to CCG:
Pilgrim: one who journeys, esp. a long distance, to some sacred place as an
act of devotion; a traveller or wanderer esp. in foreign lands.
Pilgrimage: a journey, esp. a long one made to some sacred place as an act of
devotion; a long journey, esp. one made to visit a place held in honour. (cf.
Living Webster Dictionary 1977).
Exodus 23:14-18 says:
14 Three times you shalt keep a Feast unto me in the year.15 you shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days, as I commanded thee in the time appointed of the month (moon) Abib; for in it thou came out from Egypt: and none shall see my face [The Lord God: ha ‘adon Yahovah] empty handed.16 and the feast of Harvest, the first fruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field; and the feast of Ingathering, which is in the (turn) end of the year, when thou has gathered in thy labours out of the field 17 Three times in the year ALL thy males shall appear before The Lord God. 18 You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of My Sacrifice [The Passover Offering] remain until the morning.
We see from the original of this text that we meet with God by appointment there at the feasts in the appointed place and way (Ex. 25:22, 23:14-17; 29:42-46; 34:22-24; 40:34-35). The Church of God determines where the set place is and God places His hand there. Anyone who does not bring an offering will not see the face of God, that is, the Messiah who is the glory of the God of Israel and the Angel of the Presence at Sinai.
The Church does not and will not condone the failure to keep the feast seven days and return to labours unless those labours are in emergency services and the care of the sick. It is we who prepare ourselves and the congregation, and then God acts to sanctify the place of meeting and the priesthood in the execution of the duties of the elect congregation.
Exodus 29:42-46 of the New World Translation (NWT) renders the text:
42 It is a constant burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before Yahovah, where I shall present myself to you people to speak to you there. 43 And I will present myself there to the sons of Israel, and will certainly be sanctified by my glory 44 and I will sanctify the tent of meeting and the altar, and I shall sanctify Aaron and his sons for them to act as priests for me 45 And I will tabernacle in the midst of the sons of Israel and I will prove to be their God. 46 and they will certainly know that I am Yahovah their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I may tabernacle in the midst of them. I am Yahovah their Elohim. (Emphasis added)
It is a conditional relationship and without our obedient participation, we
cannot have Yahovah our Elohim tabernacle with us. It is we who act as the Tabernacle
of God. Through the Holy Spirit God resides within us, and this is especially
concentrated at the Feasts and when we are together.
We are thus required to keep three feasts per year. All our males are required by law to be there. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be kept for the full seven days of the feast, and to be kept as a feast. The action of doing labour on the five median days of the feast does not mean that we are allowed to return to our normal vocations on those five days unless it be to supply the needs of the feasts or the urgently in need. Trade can be undertaken for food. The sick can be cared for and other necessary things undertaken. But under no circumstances must a minister fail to provide the feast instructions and ceremonies during the entire period of the days of the feast.
The Bible demands that we keep the feast away from our dwellings for the first thirty-six hours of the feast, from the evening of 14 Abib to the morning of 15 Abib, being two nights and one day. We are then allowed to return to our homes on the morning of the fifteenth. However, that does not mean we are allowed to resume our normal vocational activities. Nor is it acceptable to return to labour and meet in the evenings. The sacrifices were conducted in the mornings and the evenings at the third and the ninth hour of the day. There were no night sacrifices. There were only two meals, one on the 14th and another on the 15th of Abib. You keep it seven days and none shall appear before the Lord empty-handed. You shall bring an offering (Ex. 23:15; Deut. 16:1-8). We see the requirements of the offerings and the daily services as spoken by the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel’s comments on the Feast of Unleavened Bread:
Ezekiel 45: 21-24 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.23 And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall prepare meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.
The prince is required to supply the offerings for the seven days and the people are present for the full seven days. In each restoration there was a large quantity of animals supplied for the sacrifices but the mandatory offerings at the temple are specified here.
We see in Hezekiah’s Restoration that the measure of the success of the restoration of the people was by the zeal and manner of the keeping of the feast the full seven days.
The text in 2Chronicles 30: 20-27 shows that the priests were unsanctified and in this restoration a great number of the priests sanctified themselves. The people kept the feast the full seven days in sincerity and truth. They praised the Lord day by day for the full seven days, praising God and making offerings and confession to the Lord, and the priests and Levites taught the knowledge of the Lord for the seven days. They were so zealous and so joyful in the return to the knowledge of the truth that they decided to keep the feast another seven days in praise of God and the study of His word.
20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD. 22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.24 For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.
In Hezekiah’s Restoration we see it is the Lord who healed the people, but the people had to be sanctified and gathered to Jerusalem.
In Luke 2:41-52 we have an account of the Passover that the Messiah went to in Jerusalem at age twelve, where he was found among the elders in the Temple asking questions at the end of three days after the feast. The text in Luke 2:41 says plainly that Christ’s parents went up every year to the feast at Jerusalem. They kept it according to the custom of the feast and fulfilled the days of the feast (Lk. 2:42-43). That is they kept the full number of days of the feast (NASV Study Bible notes to the text). By Christ’s obedience to God, as inculcated in him by his parents, he increased in wisdom and stature. This was to qualify him for his office and consecrate him to discharge that duty. In this text we see he was about his father’s business in power and strength of the Holy Spirit, having completed the full period of the days of his twelfth Passover and commenced the process of adolescence leading to manhood.
From Josephus’ statistics in Wars of the Jews we know that the numbers at the pilgrimage in Jerusalem were well in excess of two and a half million people eating the Passover there annually.
God’s three feasts have seven components:
The three times a year God commands his males to assemble before Him (cf. Deut.
16:16) involve seven as the number of perfection. There are seven days of Unleavened
Bread, seven perfect Sabbaths to Pentecost, and seven days of Tabernacles. The
element of seven and how we keep the sevens are relevant in proportion to how
much we prepare ourselves to remove our sins and to partake of God’s nature
in those periods. Proverbs 16:3 shows us that as we give our ways to the Lord,
he will establish our thoughts. Only by obedience will you be given more understanding.
Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles are for seven days and Pentecost is composed
of seven perfect Sabbaths:
Leviticus 23:5-14 shows us that we are required to keep this seven day period and make an offering unto the Lord for seven days (Lev. 23:7)
Leviticus 23:5-22 and 23:34-44 show us the seven times sequence in the preparation and implementation of the three feast periods.
23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Wave Sheaf commences the count to Pentecost
9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10 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: 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. 14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Thus, from the Passover preparation, we begin the journey of Seven Perfect Sabbaths which is the structure of completion and perfection until we receive the Holy Spirit in power at Pentecost. Only by keeping the Wave Sheaf offering during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, can we commence the journey in obedience.
Pentecost Count:
15 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 shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. 18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. 19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 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. 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners
Tabernacles also follows the seven-day sequence:
Lev. 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 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 the LORD your God. 44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.
We can see reference to the Feast of Tabernacles in Numbers 29 and Ezekiel 45:25.
The seven days of Tabernacles is followed immediately by the eighth day which is a feast day in its own right, namely the Last Great Day, which as we know symbolises the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the millennial system, and in which judgment we share having perfected ourselves in this process.
It is thus obvious that we have three seven-day sequences and one process of seven weeks to Pentecost. The first seven days is for the sanctification of the Congregation of the Lord. At the end, we fast for those who have failed to take the appropriate actions and procedures themselves through ignorance or error. The second is for the nation through the Passover so that God may tabernacle with us. The Seven Week process is so that we of the elect may receive the Holy Spirit within us as a Church and as individuals within the Church at Pentecost. We then commence the journey to becoming elohim ourselves through all nations through the gift of grace.
The sequence is clearly done in this way to prepare us for the receipt of the Holy Spirit, and then perfect us so that we can experience the Messiah and the millennial system symbolised by the Feast of Tabernacles of the Seventh Month. The two seven day periods of Passover and Tabernacles begin and end with an eighth day; one being the Lord’s Supper where we commence the gift of grace, and the Last Great Day where we complete that gift of grace and assist in the extension of the Holy Spirit to others in perfect judgment, which is the education and correction of those in error. Thus, the sequence mirrored in the sequence of sanctification from the first to the seventh of Abib ends in the extension of sanctification of those who are simple or in error. The process is carried on through to the end result, which is seen in the millennial system and the Last Great Day, which sees the extension of the gift of eternal life to all mankind through the effort of Christ and the Church.
If the full seven days of each feast were holy days and non work-days, we would have all the limitations of the Sabbaths for the full seven days of the feasts and they would be unworkable and a burden. However, because God allows us this freedom does not mean we should take it as licence to turn back to the old leaven of malice and wickedness and be enmeshed in the cares of the world. God allows us time during the feast to get other tasks done; yet it is His Holy time, and for that part of the days of the feast we need to be in services, Bible studies and eating with our brethren. We are to focus on what God has prepared for us and not on the normal problems of home or work. We are to be on a pilgrimage and focused on what God has determined for us. We need to worship Him more correctly and love our fellow man more completely, and we need to be gathered to where God places His name to accomplish this. God clearly states there are blessings for obedience and we all need to be about our Father’s business.
The reason the Churches of God were subjected to so much confusion and error in the twentieth century was because they did not keep the laws of God and progress faithfully through this system.
The Church of God introduced the Hillel Calendar to its midst under Hebert Armstrong and he carried that on into the Radio COG/WCG systems. Even so, the Radio Church of God kept the Feast of the Passover and Unleavened Bread for the full eight-day period from 14 to 21 Abib. The brethren were zealous in what they did understand. In 1967 the Church began to abandon the Feast of Unleavened Bread and no longer kept the seven days of the feast and began to work on those days. The result was that they were given over to confusion and a ministry that collapsed theologically. They adopted a ditheist godhead of two eternal gods, and finally they moved to adopt the triune god, and declared the Laws of God no longer to be in operation or valid. Some moved back to the ditheist position under various offshoots but, because they do not understand the nature of God, they cannot keep the proper system until they repent in their understanding of God. Many other churches of Sabbatarian background likewise have corrupted the sequence. Some are Trinitarian; others keep no Laws of God declaring them no longer valid. Some miscalculate and even keep four Passovers a year, and wash their feet with their stockings still on. The bizarre corruption is only limited by the ability of the fallen host to influence gullible humans who are cut off from the Holy Spirit.
Truly it was written by God through the prophets:
The ways of Zion are mourning, because there are none coming to the festival. All her gates are laid desolate, her priests are sighing. Her virgins are grief stricken, and she herself has bitterness. (Lam. 1:4 NWT) (emphasis added)
The feasts were corrupted through the desire for power and the use of the power of the fallen host to cause the Church to err. God says to Israel and the elect:
“stop bringing in any more valueless grain offerings. Incense, it is something detestable to me. New Moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convention, I cannot put up with the use of uncanny power along with the solemn assembly. 14 YOUR New Moons and YOUR festal seasons my soul has hated. To me they have become a burden, I have become tired of bearing them”(Isa. 1:13,14).
God will not tolerate corruption of His feasts.
And I shall certainly cause all her exultation, her festival, her new moons and her Sabbath and her every festival season to cease. (Hos. 2:11 NWT)
God, also through His servants, has cleansed His congregation many times before, and He did it again to the Church so that we might restore the true doctrines as they were originally kept.
When Ahab had corrupted Israel, God raised up men such as Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, to isolate and eliminate the servants of Baal in Israel. Baal was the triune god of the Babylonian system. The ditheist or twofold god is but a facet of this god. Jehu began to eliminate these false worshippers and then the congregation was gathered together and through a deception God separated the congregation of Baal from His own people and then destroyed them and none were left alive. In spiritual terms, none who worship a false god will inherit life and the Kingdom of God.
20 And Jehu went on to say; “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal”. Accordingly they proclaimed it. 23Then Jehu entered with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. He now said to the WORSHIPPERS OF BAAL; SEARCH CAREFULLY AND SEE THAT THERE MAY BE HERE WITH YOU NONE OF THE WORSHIPPERS OF YAHOVAH BUT ONLY THE WORSHIPPERS OF BAAL. (2Kgs. 10:20,23 NWT).
When they were assembled and the true worshippers of Yahovah were removed, Jehu appointed 80 men and ensured that they eliminated the false worshippers from the congregation of Israel on forfeiture of their own life. In that way, Baal was removed from Israel at that time (2Kgs.10: 24-26). The ministry are charged with this duty in the restoration. No worshipper of the triune system or of multiple gods will be allowed to remain in the congregation and enter the Kingdom of God.
So, God said through Nahum that they will not keep the festivals improperly, but they will be restored.
Look! Upon the mountains the feet of one bringing good news, one publishing peace. O Judah, CELEBRATE YOUR FESTIVALS, pay your vows; because no more will any good-for-nothing person pass again through you, in his entirety he will certainly be cut off (Nah.1:15 NWT).
When Messiah comes they will keep them all and none will be allowed to corrupt the feasts or the understanding and knowledge of God. From then on the adversary and the fallen host will be confined and no longer preach idolatry and corruption (Isa.66: 18-24; Zech.14: 16-21). People will know the One True God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (Jn. 17:3).
We obey now as the Church and we are faithful to the faith once delivered to the saints. Only in this way can the restoration be completed.
The first step is to engage in the sanctification process of 1 Abib and move to 7 Abib, and the congregation is then in a position where it can move to the Passover and Christ can renew his relationship with them. In this manner, we assist them by making it possible for the erroneous to be made eligible for renewal. The keeping of the feasts in the correct manner is essential for the continued relationship with God in the Holy Spirit and the progression in faith.
By obedience we make it possible for others to understand and to be added to the body of Christ, and for the Body to grow as the Church of God and in truth and honesty of conviction
We will issue this as a paper. A tape will be issued and it is to be played
to the Churches of God.
Wade Cox
Coordinator General
© Copyright 2004 Christian Churches of God, All Rights Reserved
