Sabbath of the 6 Abib and the Fast for the Simple and Erroneous of 7 Abib 37/120

Dear Friends,

This message is for the Sabbath of 6 Abib and the Fast for the simple and Erroneous of 7 Abib.

For those that are new to CCG of which there are many and many of whom are to be baptised in this week prior to the Passover this message is given again. As we have discussed on previous years, on Sunday this weekend is the Sanctification of the Simple and Erroneous (No. 291). It is a very important part of the sequence of the Sanctification of the Temple of God (No. 241). It was not kept in the Churches of God for several hundred years until it was restored in the Christian Churches of God through the Grace of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. We all sin and err but we repent and we go on to help and encourage each other. This day is commanded of God through the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 45:20).

Ezekiel set up the structure so that we might understand what is required of us, and what significance it had so that we might understand the role we play in the process of the cleansing of Israel and the nations. We explained this some years ago and we will revisit that concept here.

Ezekiel describes the Glory of Israel and the Restoration of the Last Days. From Chapter 38 he describes Israel at rest and the situation that arises where Gog, the chief princes (perhaps princes of Rosh,) of Meshech and Tubal and of the land of Magog have hooks put in their jaws and are brought up against Jerusalem with Persia, Ethiopia and Libya with them. This prophecy is a very interesting situation in the Last Days because it not only applies to the Slavs in Russia and the Central Steppes but also to the Celts who are also sons of Gomer or the Gimirri or Cimmerians and these are Western Europe. Thus there are two groups, one of which is the Western Nations that are mixed with the I and J Haplogroup Semites. So some of Israel are also among these groups. Also the sons of Togarmah are present. Thus the entire Kings of the North are assembled in this sequence. The paper on Gomer; Sons of Japheth Part II: Gomer (No. 046B) deals with the distribution of the Sons of Gomer. These nations are now under extreme scrutiny and war is erupting from them over the past and coming months. We will look at what the significance of these conflicts are.

It follows that the Eastern Celts and Slavs will attempt to destroy the nation when it is re-established. This northern power is going to be used to sanctify the Lord. The Lord will cause the nations of Israel and its people to shake and they will know that He is the Lord (Ezek. 38:23). However, all of the North and West will not escape and they also comprise Israel as the Hittite alliance of old. These conflicts are now unfolding as we see in the Middle East and the wars are escalating now month by month; from the Arab Spring of last year into the conflicts in Syria and then into Iran and on to many other nations.

God will bring Gog from the North and leave only the sixth part of them alive (Ezek. 39:1-2). They will attack Israel and fall in the open field. God will also send a fire on Magog and all them that dwell carelessly in the Isles (v.6). He will make His Holy Name known in the midst of Israel and they will not be allowed to pollute His Holy Name any more.

They will bury the dead in the valley of Hammon-Gog and burn their refuse for seven years (see the paper War of Hamon-Gog No. 294)). It will take seven months to bury them and the land will be cleansed. After the seven months, permanent staff will be employed to cleanse the land continually (Ezek. 39:11-16). Then God will bring again the captivity of Jacob and they will return to Israel (v .25). He will not hide His face from them anymore and He will pour out His Spirit on the whole house of Israel (v. 29).

In Chapter 40 Ezekiel was given a vision of the measuring of the Temple. He measured the Inner chambers from the gates and the inner court (Ezek. 40:1-23). He then measured the outer court (Ezek. 40:24-34). He then measured the North Gate to where the offerings were washed and prepared (vv. 35-39, 40-43). Outside of the Inner Gate were the chambers of the singers of the inner court, which was at the side of the North Gate looking south, which was for the priest who was the keeper of the charges of the house (v. 45). The chambers looking north were for the priests who were the keepers of the charge of the altar. These were to be of the sons of Zadok and the sons of Levi (v.46). Thus in these last days we are to see the conversion of the sons of Levi and through Zadok. They are to be measured and prepared for their conversion. Then he measured the Porch.

From Chapter 41, Ezekiel deals with the measuring of the Temple. This sequence has two functions. It describes the symbolic basis of the Temple of the Restoration; but it also described the spiritual actions of the Temple of God, which Temple we are.

In this chapter he describes the cherubim as they stand on either side of the palm trees, which symbolize Jesus Christ. These are the two elohim that replace Satan and the Aeon, namely Abraham and Moses, the two mentioned as elohim in Scripture.

In Chapter 42 he measured the inner house and there the priests ate of the most holy things. This shows the function of the Spirit in revealing to the elect within the Temple the mysteries of God as they are revealed to the elect on a progressive basis.

In Chapter 43 we read of the vision of the glory of the Lord that came by way of the East Gate. This vision was as he had seen at the river Chebar. Thus the glory of the Lord that appeared to Ezekiel then was the vision he saw in the Last Days and the restoration of the Temple and was the being that entered it from the gate of the Prince which is the East Gate. This is the Messiah and thus the Messiah was the Angel of the Lord, the Cherubim that spoke with Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 43:7 he identifies the son of Man and the fact that this place was to be holy and it was to be no more defiled by the behaviour of the people in burying the carcasses of their kings and defiling the Holy Place by whoredom, which is spiritual prostitution, which is idolatry, and lies and false worship. God then commands that they put away their sin and evil doing and obey Him.

He then establishes the Law of the House, which is the Law of God as exercised by the prophets and as defined by Christ and the Apostles. The Law is Most Holy and rests on the top of the mountain (Ezek. 43:12).

From this time the ordinances of the altar are established. The Priests of Zadok will continue with the offerings of the restoration. Zadok means the righteous and it is in righteousness that the restoration will be completed as holy to the Lord. It will be for seven days that they will purge the altar with offerings and consecrate themselves and on the eighth day they will offer their burnt offerings on the altar and God will accept His people so says the Lord God (Ezek. 44:26-27).

In Chapter 44 Ezekiel was told that the prince would enter by the East Gate and that the Bread of the Sanctuary would be eaten there. The North Gate gave entrance for the host and the Glory of the Lord filled the sanctuary. God told Ezekiel to mark it well the ordinance of the House and the laws thereof. In Ezekiel 44:6-7 he says, "And you shall say to the rebellious even to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations. In that you have brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood and ye have broken my covenant because of all your abominations."

Thus the rebellious of the House of Israel, which in this case is in and associated with the Temple of God, are to abide by the ordinances and the Laws of the House and they are sanctified on the eighth day by the intervention of the Priesthood who are the elect of God. These people pollute the elect and the Temple as the Church of God. No person shall enter the Temple of God as the Sanctuary being unrepentant and the Levites that have gone away from God will bear their iniquity. That applies to the priesthood of the elect and they will bear their iniquity. They have not kept the charge of the Holy things but set keepers in charge for their own pleasure. These are they that obstruct the work of the Lord and retain the offerings of God rather than preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God so that the body of Christ might be called and educated (v. 8). Ministers shall be set in the House to minister to the people and the ministers that depart from their duty will bear their iniquity. They will not come near to the Lord. They shall be keepers of the charge of the house but never near the Lord God. The Righteous that kept the charges of the Sanctuary will come near to minister to the Lord God (v. 15).

These are they of the inner court who are clothed in white linen. When they go out to the people they will change and not sanctify the people with their white linen garments. Thus these are the elect of the 144,000 that are the inner ministry of God. "And they shall teach my people the difference between the Holy and the profane and cause them to discern between the clean and the unclean and in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep My laws and My statutes, in all My assemblies and they shall hallow my Sabbaths" (Ezek. 4423-24). This priesthood, which is of the latter days and is of the order of Melchisedek, is entitled to the tithe and that is their inheritance in Israel (Ezek. 44:8ff.).

When the land is divided by lot there is to be a holy portion for the Lord. There is to be a sanctuary divided off which is holy for the Lord in each portion (Ezek. 45:1ff.). There the priests and ministers shall live and minister to the people (v. 4). The Holy portions shall be for the whole house of Israel. The prince shall retain his possession on the opposite side to the holy place (v.7) and there is to be no oppression in Israel. The leaders of Israel are to execute justice and just balances and they are to receive a Terumah levy to provide meat on the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the Holy Days and Feasts (Ezek. 45:9-17).

In the First of the First month the cleansing of the Sanctuary begins. This period of the Sanctification (Ezek. 45:18-19) culminates in the Sanctification of the Simple and the Erroneous on the Seventh day of the First Month, Abib. The people that are sanctified in this process of the seven days are then able to stand before the Lord and on the Eighth day he says He will hear us and accept the offerings of the people. From then on the process of the Sabbaths of the Lord continues through all the feasts of the year until Tabernacles.

Thus, we see that the process above is one of selection and exclusion on a number of grounds. Those of you not excluded are the means by which the Temple is sanctified. These past few years you have all been through a trial by ordeal. The Temple is being cleansed. Those of you that made it to this point are to be congratulated. You have shown the characteristics of spiritual discernment and loyalty and the ability to stand for the faith. It is those people who comprise the Church of God that stand before the throne of grace in honour and approved of God through the testimony of Jesus Christ. Those of you that are new be pleased that God has called you in these Last Days.

The process is pushing on now to the war of this text and we are to prepare the Temple and the Church to survive.

This First day of the week we fast for the Simple and Erroneous – those people that are not clever enough to see through the wiles of this world and Satan's deceptions. Also we fast for and sanctify those that err either through the information they are given or the wrong deductions and actions they themselves make. On the eighth day we continue on with the preparation for the Passover in prayer for the church and the nation and the world.

Even though Christ's sacrifice paid for the Atonement levy we are still required to play our part and keep the sequence of the Sanctification for those that do not understand and for those unable.

The ceremonial system was eliminated with Christ.  However the Feasts and festivals, New Moons and Sabbaths were not eliminated and so whilst we do not sacrifice we keep those sequences and we will keep them in the Millennium under Messiah as foretold by the prophets.

May God bless you and keep you. May He lift up the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Wade Cox
Coordinator General