This is a response to the article written by Peter Hammond "RETURN of the JUDAIZERS?", in the July 2010 issue of Joy Magazine. (PDF Copy of article)
There is a groundswell of people who are beginning to celebrate the Feasts of the Lord as well as obey His commandments as best as they are able. This is not being done for the sake of redemption, but rather out of a sense of obedience to scripture and as a demonstration of their love for our God: Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Much has been said of these people and there is even an accusation that they are 'modern day Judaizers' and are zealously misleading people with false doctrine. Before judging on this topic, come on a journey through scripture with me to see for yourself who the Acts15 Judaizers were, what they taught and whether this move today has anything in common with them.
Judaizers
Among the allegations made of this modern day uprising is that, like the Judaizers, they teach against Sunday worship, Christian feasts such as Good Friday and Ascension Day as well as the use of English names in the Bible.
Did the Judaizers assert these things? Is that allegation consistent with scripture? Acts 15 tells us only of their insistence on circumcision as a requirement for salvation.
Act 15:1 And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
The issue was salvation through circumcision and Paul makes it abundantly clear in the book of Galatians that one cannot be saved through circumcision.
So why did these Judaizers bewitch the Galatians into believing circumcision was needed for salvation? Paul tells us in Galatians that they wanted to avoid persecution in addition to boasting in your flesh. Gal 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Gal 6:13 For not even they who receive circumcision do themselves keep the law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
Does this alleged modern day protégé of the Judaizers insist that circumcision, or the Law for that matter is required for redemption? The answer is no. Is it fair to suggest that anyone who takes God's Law seriously is a Judaizer, by definition? I think it is quite the contrary.
The Law
Firstly, let us establish what the Law can and cannot do. The Law is able to bless you if you keep it and curse you if you choose not to keep it. Deut 28, amongst other passages, deals with this. The Law also defines or shows us our sins. This is quoted from The Collins English dictionary: sin : n a transgression of God's known will or any principle or law embodying this b the condition of estrangement from God arising from such transgression. The scriptures define 'sin' similarly. 1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
This makes perfect sense; a standard exists by which man is judged. By this measure we fall short of the glory of God and our wages become death, for the wages of sin is death, until the Messiah paid the price for our transgressing the Law.
Can the Law redeem us? Certainly not! Paul states unequivocally in Galatians 2:16-17 that we are not justified by keeping the Law. The only way one could be justified by the Law would be by keeping the whole Law perfectly. Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
These passages illustrate this adequately. If you were able to keep the whole Law perfectly, Christ would become of none effect to you because you would have done it all by yourself and for yourself. We know this is not possible for all men have fallen short of the glory of God. Our only hope is in our Messiah whose blood, rather than the blood of bulls and goats is able to redeem us from our sins (breaking the Law).
What is the curse of the Law? This is the authority the Law has over you when you break it, that is, until you are redeemed. Expect the Law to redeem you and it remains your curse when you break it.
Did Jesus come to do away with the Law? Let's see what scripture says: Isa 42:21 Jehovah is delighted for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify the Law and make it honorable. Isaiah prophecies accurately that Jesus will magnify the Law. That is exactly what He does in Matt 5:27-28 when He says that adultery has already happened in a man's heart when he looks upon a woman with lust in his eyes. The Law condemns only the physical act of adultery. Jesus also says: Mat 5:17 Do not think that I came to annul the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to annul, but to fulfill. Mat 5:18 truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth pass away, in no way shall one iota or one point pass away from the Law until all comes to pass. Mat 5:19 Therefore, whoever relaxes one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.
We need to ask a few questions at this point. Did Jesus come to annul (destroy) the Law and the Prophets? The word fulfill (Gk, Pleroo) is to 'fill up'. How can this be seen as 'remove'? Has heaven and earth passed away yet? How much of the Law will be removed before then? Should we teach men to break the Law? Jesus also speaks harshly of those who do lawlessness in Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Iniquity is from the Gk word 'anomia', which means, "violation of Law". Are we to purposely violate God's Law? Certainly not! John 14:15 and 15:10 encourage us to once again keep the Law.
Paul
Let us first spend a moment on problems that plague our understanding of Paul's writings, as they did in his day. Peter tells us that the things of which Paul writes are some things hard to be understood. He says that those who are unlearned in applied nuclear science will twist his words to their own destruction.
2Pe 3:15b ...as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Ok, forget the nuclear science; the unlearnedness may refer to scripture?
Other things he said are a little more straightforward, like: Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Why, because without the Law, one cannot define sin, remember?
Paul himself laments about being misunderstood. Rom 3:8 and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come?
A perfect example of this would be the account in Acts 21 where Paul comes to Jerusalem and James tells Paul of how everyone is accusing him of teaching against the Law. James suggests Paul puts these fears to bed as follows: Act 21:21 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.
Act 21:22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Act 21:24 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.
Throughout the book of Acts, it is evident how Paul and the other apostles kept the feasts as well as the Sabbath. Why people lose sight of this becomes understandable when you see for example how the account of Paul going to Jerusalem for a feast in Acts 18 has been deleted from some translations. Act 18:21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will.KJV Among others, a modern translation like the ASV reads: Act 18:21 but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again unto you if God will, he set sail from Ephesus.ASV What is the agenda of this omission?
Feasts
Paul's keeping of the feasts are not the only New Testament records of the feasts being kept. Jesus himself kept the feasts, which you will see if you page through the book of John. What interests me is that in the New Testament, these feasts are called the 'feasts of the Jews'. I find this intriguing, because throughout the Old Testament, they are called the 'feasts of the LORD or Jehovah'. Lev 23:1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, The set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.ASV
The New Testament disowns these Feasts and places them in the possession of just the Jews, or the House of Judah. What about the 10 lost tribes or the House of Israel that are scattered amongst all the nations of the earth? Need more info on them? Try Google 'House of Israel'. Were the Feasts not given to all twelve tribes?
God says He has not forgotten the House of Israel: Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, 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; Also see Amos9:9 below.
Did Jesus Himself not say that He came for this House of Israel? Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
He also decrees that these feasts are to be kept forever throughout your generations and wherever you live: Lev 23:14b it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
They are also set for a purpose: Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
The word 'convocation' comes from the Hebrew word miqra, which means a 'rehearsal'. What is being rehearsed?
If you take the time, you will notice how Jesus has enacted the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Shavuot with the most precise accuracy at His first coming. The Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles remain prophetic shadows for His coming again. It is therefore not surprising that to this day the house of Judah call the Feast of Trumpets the 'feast of the day and hour that no man knows', for they do not know on which of two days the new moon would be sighted!
Zechariah prophesied that during the millennial reign of the Messiah: Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
New Covenant
When God cut covenant with Abram, He decreed it to be everlasting: Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
The ten lost tribes or the northern tribes or the house of Israel are all heirs of this seed and to them too remains the promise of this everlasting covenant. They too stood before Mount Sinai when Moses went up on their behalf, they crossed the river Jordan into the Promised Land, they were removed from the land to be scattered throughout the earth because of their idolatry and God promises that He will sift them out from among the nations. Amos 9:9 for, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, like as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least kernel fall upon the earth.
He said He would establish a renewed covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Yes, I said 'renewed' covenant. I will explain. Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, 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;
The Greek word for 'new' is kainos, which accurately translated means 'refreshed'. Neo would be new with respect to age. We can also look at this verse where it quoted from in the Old Testament. Jer 31:31 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;
Here the Hebrew word for 'new' is chadash (H2319), which like chodesh (H2320) or 'new moon' comes from the root H2318, which means 'rebuild, renew or repair'. In the case of the new moon, it is not literally a new planet orbiting our earth each month! Similarly, God did not discard the everlasting covenant made with Abram.
This modern concept of a brand new covenant is a man made fabrication, just like the notion that the Sabbath has been done away with.
Sabbath
Firstly, when is the Sabbath? It begins at the beginning of the seventh day, which by Hebraic understanding is at sunset on a Friday and lasts till sunset on Saturday. The common practice is for people to get together at the end of the Sabbath to 'break bread' or have a meal together.
The first appearance of the Sabbath was during the account of the creation in the book of Genesis. God made the earth and everything on it in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. He commands the Sabbath to be kept in the book of Leviticus and we see how it has been kept by some people to this day.
If you make a quick word search of 'Sabbath' in the gospels, you will find 45 times where Jesus is either teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath as His custom was, or He is tearing down rabbinic man made added laws or Takanot regarding the Sabbath. One interesting use of the word is where the disciples ask Jesus when His second coming will take place. In His reply, He says that we should pray that it would not occur on a Sabbath, or during winter. This would suggest that He is saying that just like winter, the Sabbath would still exist at the time of His second coming. Mat 24:20 and pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath
A similar search in the rest of the New Testament will reveal that the apostles also kept the LORD's Sabbath on the day the LORD commanded it to be kept. It was their custom to gather at sunset on the Sabbath, which would be on the first day, to have a meal together. Read Acts 20:7-9 with this new (neo) understanding and whilst Paul's preaching till after midnight is still an impressive span of time, it is nowhere near the colossal preach that I once heard a pastor said of him; that being from Sunday morning till after midnight when Eutychus fell from the window!
Act 20:7 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. Act 20:8 and there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
Act 20:9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Prophecy of the millennial reign of the Messiah tells us that we will keep the Sabbath at that time: Isa 66:23 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 the LORD
I do believe it was the emperor Constantine who decreed the day of rest to be on a Sunday, and I believe he decreed it on the 7th of March 321AD: "Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades rest on the venerable day of the sun; but let those who are situated in the country, freely and at full liberty, attend to the business of agriculture; because it often happens that no other day is so fit for sowing corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted by heaven."- Edict of March 7, 321 A. D., Corpus Juris Civilis Cod., lib. 3, tit. 12, 3.
This quote can also be referenced from the Encyclopedia Britannica, amongst others.
We also know from the historian Socrates that this edict was slow to take effect and that despite the forceful way that it was implemented, Sunday as a day of rest was still not widespread in the 5th century, says: "Almost all the churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this."- "Ecclesiastical History," book 5, chap. 22
The Catholic Church does not seem to hide the fact they were responsible for perpetuating this change: "You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify."- Cardinal Gibbons, in "The Faith of Our Fathers," edition1892, page 111
And the protestants (the Catholic church regards the modern day Evangelical church as also just merely protesting) happily follow: " By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feast days commanded by the same church."- "Abridgment of Christian Doctrine," by Rev. Henry Tuberville, D. D., of Douay College, France (1649), page 58
...and thus pay homage to this Catholic edict: "We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A. D. 336), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."- "The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine," by Rev. Peter Geiermann, C. SS. R.., page 50, third edition, 1913, a work which received the "apostolic blessing" of Pope Pius X, Jan. 25, 1910. . . Need I say more?
The Calendar
Something else we have inherited from the Catholic Church is the changes that they made to the calendar. Have you ever considered that despite the fact that septem, octo, novo and deci mean seven, eight, nine and ten respectively; the months of September, October, November and December are the ninth through twelfth months? Were they not once positioned just as our Creator intended when He said: Exo 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
The month in question is the month of the Passover, which would align the above said months correctly.
Christian festivals
Many of the Christian festivals are not commanded in our scriptures, by neither their timing nor their form. In fact the only Christian festival that lines up with scripture at all is Pentecost, which coincides with Shavuot. I find myself curious at its name. While 'pente' means 'five', we know the feast is on exactly the fiftieth day after the scriptural feast of Firstfruits. Remember in 1Cor15:20 where Jesus became the firstfruits? Well, Shavuot has been happening on that same Sunday each year since Leviticus 23 said it should!
While Passover must be: Lev 23:5 in the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S Passover, Easter is timed as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Same date? That happens very seldom. Same feast? Consider this etymological definition of Easter:
Easter O.E. Eastre (Northumbrian Eostre), from P.Gmc. *Austron, a goddess of fertility and sunrise whose feast was celebrated at the spring equinox, from *austra-, from PIE *aus- "to shine" (especially of the dawn). Bede says Anglo-Saxon Christians adopted her name and many of the celebratory practices for their Mass of Christ's resurrection. Ultimately related to east.
Should we be worshipping before the 'goddess of fertility and sunrise'? Some people say, "That's not what it means to me." What does scripture say in God's Ten Commandments? Deu 5:7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me. I suppose the same would go for goddesses?
With regards to the timing of Christian festivals, this Catholic source provides the following:
"The reasons for celebrating our major feasts when we do are many and varied. In general, however, it is true that many of them have at least an indirect connection with the pre-Christian [pagan] feasts celebrated about the same time of year - feasts centering around the harvest, the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, but Dec. 25 in the old Julian calendar), the renewal of nature in spring, and so on". Source: The New Question Box - Catholic Life for the Nineties, copyright 1988 by John J. Dietzen, M.A., S.T.L., ISBN 0-940518-01-5 (paperback), published by Guildhall Publishers, Peoria Illinois, 61651., page 554.
Conclusion
One needs to understand that keeping the Feasts and commandments of the Almighty will make one no more Jewish than eating pizza makes one Italian. The house of Judah is only two twelfths of the original descendants of Abraham who stood at Mount Sinai.
The name Jesus has no translated meaning in scripture and the 10 000 Mexican families who name a son by this name each year are in no way being disrespectful or blasphemous. Also consider that the letter 'J' only came into the English alphabet in the 1630's. Yahshua, however, means God (Yah) our salvation (shua). Look up the Hebrew word 'salvation' in your Strong's Concordance. Matt1:21 now makes a whole lot more sense: Mat 1:21 and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. If His name be Yahshua, that is.
I personally prefer to use 'Yahshua' for it is written in the book of Acts: Act 4:12 "And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by whom we need to be saved."
Daniel 12:4 says that in the last days, knowledge will increase, thus we deduct that ignorance will decrease. Scripture says in: Act 17:30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: Act 17:31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness...I ask only that you prayerfully consider the words of this letter and act boldly on your convictions. Also, Paul regarded the Bereans highly for in: Act 17:11 these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
I ask too that you would do likewise.
With regards to this upsurge in people who regard the Laws of God to still be pertinent to our worship of Yahweh, the most high God, the following words of wisdom can be drawn from Gamaliel in the book of Acts: Act 5:38 and now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone, because if this counsel or this work may be of men, it will be overthrown, Act 5:39 and if it be of God, ye are not able to overthrow it, lest perhaps also ye be found fighting against God.'
Ladies and gentlemen, please consider that in fighting against this move, you may be fighting against the Almighty!
written by
Pontius the Pilot.
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