The Jewish Nation

Jerusalem, Israel

by Leonard V Johnson

Greetings, dear friends ── in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, Yerevan, Armenia, North Shields, England, and Jerusalem, Israel. Along with my new friend in Sofia, Bulgaria. Welcome. This is Leonard V Johnson for the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries with the greatest of news the world could ever hear.

Because the tiny nation in the Middle East, Judah, is in the news so much here-of-late, let’s talk today about this Jewish nation that is called Israel.

Did ISRAEL ever cease from being a nation? You know, the majority of people believe that the Jewish people in the Middle East, the tiny nation there, is Israel. And that all that is left of Israel is there in that tiny nation. Yes, a great many have returned to Palestine and formed the nation they call Israel──but it was not a nation until May 14, 1948. And they were not a nation in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. The southern kingdom of Judah had been invaded and taken captive around 586 BC, sending many to Babylonian exile, which sets the stage for what I’d like to explore with you today. They ceased being a nation. The people were taken as slaves into Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans. They were uprooted from their homes, their cities, their towns, and forcefully taken up into Babylon. They ceased being a nation ── JUDAH, I mean. The Jewish people were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar II.

Also, of course we know now that in 70 AD, after our Lord Jesus Christ was tortured and murdered, and was resurrected unto life and returned again to the upper heavenly realms──in 70 AD the Romans besieged Jerusalem and razed the temple, marking another major conquest of the Jewish people. They weren’t considered or recognized as a sovereign nation──until May 14th, 1948. Israel was established as a nation in Palestine. And it’s the Jewish people that are there, yet grave troubles have not ceased. There are still lots of troubles there.

Now, there’s a passage of Scripture that I want to focus on today──Jeremiah 31.

You know, almost one-third of all your Bible is actually devoted to prophecy pertaining to this present time, in the next few years from now. Let’s turn in our Bibles to Jeremiah 31. It sits in the “Book of Consolation,” which delivers a message of hope, restoration, and the LORD God’s promises to the children of Israel. It shifts from earlier judgments to a glorious vision of return and a renewal for the children of Israel. In the 31st chapter, it comes to the place where it is speaking about the covenant that the LORD God is going to make with the children of Israel ── in a time that is soon to come. When I spoke this to AI, that the text changes in verse 31, it answered, “the text itself focuses on restoration rather than explicitly describing a Millennial kingdom.” So, let us THANK ALMIGHTY GOD for the glorious Holy Spirit ── if one had only AI to help guide them, we’d be all confused. So, it was talking about a time of trouble ── and indeed this great time of trouble is coming upon the United States of America and the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth Nations, respectfully, in these latter days. Notice the last verse of chapter 30 ──

“The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it, And until He has performed the intents of His heart. In THE LATTER DAYS YOU WILL CONSIDER IT.” – Jeremiah 30:24.

It’s difficult for me to sometimes believe that the United States of America is actually considering using tactical nuclear weapons on the Islamic Regime of Iran ── especially on Pickaxe Mountain! Russia has warned that it would be ‘catastrophic’ for the US! 1

A worse time of troubles is coming for our Western nations!

Now it says here, as you find such as in the 5th chapter of Ezekiel and many other places throughout God’s living word ── that subjugation is coming just like the captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel around 722 BC, when Assyria seized Samaria and deported the Israelite tribes. Now the Neo-Babylonian Empire became an empire around 620 years before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born. And Nebuchadnezzar II was the second king, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC. This ancient Babylonian Empire was in full force when the Prophet Jeremiah wrote. Well, all that was a type of what is to come ── again. That was the original Babylon. But it’s also speaking of a dual prophecy, a prophecy for our time.

THIS MESSAGE is a message that is to be shouted to the chief nations today! In the 31st chapter of Jeremiah. It shows us our Lord Jesus Christ returning and taking the children of Israel out of a terrible tribulation, and that the children of Israel are going back to the land of Palestine once again. And a new covenant is made. Notice verse 31 ──

“’ Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah ──” – Jeremiah 31:31.

So, ‘Behold the days come, saith the Eternal One, when I will make a new agreement with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah.’ There are two ‘houses,’ two ‘kingdoms,’ two nations.

Now, I want you to pay close attention ── back in the Book of Hebrews, the 8th chapter, that’s where you find the Apostle Paul speaking about the new agreement. Let’s turn there and begin reading from verse 6 ──

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a BETTER COVENANT, which was established on better promises. 7) For if that FIRST COVENANT had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8) Because finding fault with them, He says: …” ── and then he actually quotes Jeremiah 31:31. So, the Apostle Paul is speaking of the same ‘new covenant’ quoting word for word.

Now, our Savior, Jesus Christ, obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much more He is also the Mediator of a better covenant. And it’s better than the covenant made back in the time of the Prophet Moses under the Old Covenant. This better covenant is established on better promises. What are those ‘better promises’?

Notice the 9th chapter of Hebrews ──

“And for this reason He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions UNDER THE FIRST COVENANT, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” – Hebrews 9:15.

The children of Israel weren’t given any ‘promise of eternal inheritance’ back then.

They were given no promise of eternal salvation under the Old Covenant ── that covenant was made with a physical nation without the Holy Spirit. Its ‘promises’ were only those of race, not of grace. The ‘promises’ were only material, not spiritual. There was no promise of salvation or the gift of the Holy Spirit of God. If one is a true Christian, we’re going to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ ── inheritors also of what the LORD God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And you’ll find that it is not to be the Third Heaven, but rather this Earth for an everlasting possession, eternal inheritance ── and that, my friends, is the ‘better promises’ of the New Covenant.

“For if the first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.” What was the fault of the first covenant? The overall majority of these so-called Christian churches will tell you that it is God’s Law ── that awful and horrible Law that came from a harsh and stern God of the Old Testament! That God gave the people a Law, but our Lord Jesus came and did away with that Law and ‘fulfilled it,’ or ‘nailed it to the cross’ so that we no longer have to keep the Law. Well, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Yet, most of you have been taught that, and believe that. The LORD God is not at fault, but found fault with the people because they did not obey. They did not keep the holy and righteous Law of God. THAT WAS THE FAULT! The outright refusal of the people to obey! Who? “With the House of Israel and with the House of Judah.”

Now, speaking of the House of Judah ── this means the Jewish people. The House of Israel does not mean the Jewish people. In fact, the Jewish people DID cease from being a nation, and I’ll cover this with you in a moment. Yet, Israel NEVER ceased from being a nation. There is a recognized sovereign nation now calling itself Israel, but they are Judah. They are of Israel. They are descendants of Israel. Yes, they are Israelites. Nowhere in God’s living word are they called the kingdom of Israel or the nation of Israel. No place in your Bible! Notice verse 9 of Hebrews 8 ──

“’ not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; …’” – Hebrews 8:9.

That was in the days of the Prophet Moses, the Old Covenant ──

“ …’ because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.’” – Hebrews 8:9.

“’ For this is the covenant that I will make with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL …’” Not with Gentiles. Notice that it is with the House of Israel.

Our LORD continues ──

“ … ‘after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people.’” – vs. 10.

Now, what “laws” is the LORD talking about? Again, this is quoted word by word from Jeremiah 31.

“’ Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah──32) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant WHICH THEY BROKE, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.’” – Jeremiah 31:31-32.

Alright, let’s look closely at this──that Old Covenant that was made with the children of Israel back in the days of the Prophet Moses was a marriage covenant. The LORD was married to them. He was a husband unto them. And they were His wife. They had been married in the 3rd and the 4th chapters of the Book of Jeremiah, and then we find that the LORD, God Almighty, the Eternal One, had divorced them. The marriage contract was the Old Covenant.

And certainly, something to properly understand is the Ten Commandments are not the Old Covenant──like so many try and teach. Of course, many will say that I’m wrong right now. You want to believe that misunderstanding that you’ve been taught and that you’ve assumed, and that you haven’t proved. But you believe it.

Now, the Ten Commandments did form part of the Old Covenant. And that was the part where the people were to obey. And indeed, the LORD God did give them promises on obedience, and the covenant was a contract and an agreement. Which was also a marriage contract. So, the Ten Commandments as such did “bind” the children of Israel to the LORD. The Old Covenant was a contract, an agreement, a parlance, that they would agree to be the wife; they agreed to obey the LORD. And in the LORD’s parlance, the wife obeys her husband── “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the Church; …” – Ephesians 5:23.

Sadly, our societies have changed, but the LORD God has not (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). Yes, so many people think that “the God of the Old Testament is archaic.”

“’ Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.’”

And again, “ … ‘not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers’” – not according to the Old Covenant, because they broke that covenant. “’ though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.’” So, that was a marriage contract.

“’ But this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; …’”

And again, the Apostle Paul quotes this from Jeremiah 31 word for word, but this was penned between 597 BC and 586 BC, after the first Babylonian deportation and before the fall of Jerusalem. And what was the LORD God’s law? The TEN COMMANDMENTS. He wasn’t talking about the law of animal sacrifices. You certainly don’t ‘put in your mind and heart’ animal sacrifices. But the spiritual Law of God you should!

It was our Lord Jesus Christ who has told us, “’ Hear and understand: 11) Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.’” – Matthew 15:10, 11. It defiles him spiritually. That which comes out of the heart that defiles him, not what goes into the mouth, but that which comes out of his heart. Mark 7 also ──

“ … ‘Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him. 19) because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?’” – Mark 7:18, 19.

I think I cover more of this in the article, “Pork ── is it a sin to eat?”

“And He said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21) For from within, OUT OF THE HEART OF MEN, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22) thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23) All these evil things come from within and defile a man.’” – Mark 7:20-23.

So, it’s the Ten Commandments ── we are forbidden to commit adultery (physically and spiritually), which comes from the heart. Fornication and murder come from the heart. So, the Ten Commandments in your heart and in your mind, in your innermost being. The things that defile a man come from within ── a direct violation of the Ten Commandments. But the Ten Commandments were not written within the children of Israel of old, not written in their hearts and in their minds, and so came idolatry and adulteries and thefts and murders and all that sort of thing.

So, returning again to the Book of Jeremiah 31 ──

“ … ‘I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’”

Now, the LORD God is who you obey. And the Lord GOD is our Master, but He’s the kind of master who is also our servant, and we need Him, and we need what He can bless us with, and indeed He’s here to help us in service to Him. He has promised to supply our every need. He has promised to deliver us out of every trouble and tribulation. He has promised to bless us with Wisdom and spiritual knowledge and guidance, and we need those things so desperately. So that is the kind of God He is ── “ …’ and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’”

So, are you beginning to see and hear that it wasn’t the law of Moses that formed the Old Covenant, and that it was the Ten Commandments that the children of old broke?

“’ No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ …”

You won’t have to teach people to ‘know the LORD’ and describe to them just who and what is God, “ …’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. …’” – vs. 33, 34.

Well… how many atheists or agnostics ── a person who doesn’t even know if God exists ── do we have? How many characters like Sheldon Cooper of the television series The Big Bang Theory do we have? How many of them know the Eternal One today? (Be sure to read and study our free no-obligation PDF booklet, “Does God Exist?”). Are you aware that… well, certainly several surveys have been taken… but this survey, from Gritnux ── Recent research shows that about 68% of U.S. college students believe in God, but only 45% feel certain about it. 2 And it doesn’t mean that they’re converted or that they are a Christian or anything like that, but rather, they just believe in a God, they believe that God exists. Also, according to this survey, the unaffiliated rate among freshmen rose 5% per decade since the 1980s. That’s roughly 20%! Indeed, it makes us think of the Apostle Paul’s words ──

“ … they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not proper.” – Romans 1:28.

They do not know God.

And so, all during this present evil age, God’s true ministers have to teach people to know the Eternal One.

Well, at the glorious beginning of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Millennial reign, when He will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah, we won’t need to teach anymore, ‘Do you know the LORD?’ “ …’for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’” Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is soon coming to deliver our people out of this “Babylon,” this grave spiritual confusion, this gauntlet of religious confusion that people are mired in today.

Alright then… let’s now come to the opening question: Did ISRAEL ever cease from being a nation? Is Israel still a nation? Notice Jeremiah 31 and verse 35 ──

“Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name):

36) ‘If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.’”

In other words, if you can take the sun, moon, and the stars from the sky, sayeth our Eternal One, and Psalm 8:3 tells us that our Lord ── how excellent is His name ── set them there. He is the Creator of the heavens, the sun, moon, and the stars; if those ordinances were taken away, then Israel would cease being a nation.

“’ If those ordinances depart from Me,’” in other words, if they depart from the sky ──and are no more there, then “ …’ I will also cast off all the seed of Israel ’” ── Israel would cease from being a nation before Him. The LORD God says that Israel would remain a nation forever because the sun, moon, and the stars are to remain in the sky. So, when King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire took the Jews captive, where was Israel? Here, according to the Lord our God, Israel still existed as a nation when the Jews were dispersed in 70 AD, and was no longer a nation. Where was Israel? Because as our Lord God says here, “’ If those ordinances’” of the sun, moon, and stars cease, then “’ I will also cast off all the seed of Israel.’”

But is this how you’ve been taught, my friends? Is this what you’ve heard preached?

“’ If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.’” – Jeremiah 31:35-37.

But none of that has been done.

Have scientists measured the known universe? Well… the entire universe’s size remains unknown. What about the oceans of the Earth, the ‘foundations of the earth searched out beneath’? Have they been measured? As of 2026, only about 28.7% of the global seafloor has been mapped. 3 Now, scientists can certainly guesstimate the distance of the universe ── but to truly know, they do not. Is there an end to this known universe? Does logic dictate that it has an ending? Not necessarily; infinity can be “open” in one direction but finite in the other. In mathematics, infinity does not have to be infinite in both directions at once. For example, a universe could be infinite in one spatial direction but finite in the other. 4

So, Israel has not stopped being a nation.

Let’s move on to verse 38 ──

It begins to look ahead to Jerusalem’s full restoration after the Babylonian exile. It promises the rebuilding of the city from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. Spanning the north-west wall where later Persian-period walls were found.

“’ Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39) The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath.’”

This prophecy was initially fulfilled under Prophet Nehemiah’s leadership around 445 BC, when the ‘surveyor’s line’ was laid and the walls were reconstructed. So, yes, this was fulfilled historically when the Prophet Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, but it also points to a future, and permanent restoration of a holy city, that will “ ...‘not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever’” ── the New Jerusalem described for us in the Book of Revelation.

“’ And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD. …’” – vs.40.

Here, speaking of the Valley of Hinnom and the Kidron Valley. These valleys once saw fierce fighting during ancient sieges ──Assyrian forces massed chariots there in 701 BC, and the Babylonian troops surrounded Jerusalem in 586 BC. And sadly, there will be ‘dead bodies and of the ashes’ there in Har Megiddo, “the hill of Megiddo” ── that of Armageddon. The Battle of Armageddon is coming, and it’s coming soon.

So, where is Israel, where has Israel been all this time? If you would like to know, we do have an article, “Freedom ──A True Blessing From God,” that helps you to understand where the children of Israel, the kingdom of Israel, the nation of Israel, have dispersed to. Again… are you aware that nearly one-third of God’s living word is devoted to telling you and explaining to you what is going to occur to the United States of America, the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth Nations, along with the tiny nation in the Middle East ── Israel, as well as all of Europe in general. Sadly, this one-third of the Bible is often neglected or not properly understood. It is the least understood of God’s word. So, I ask, where did the United States of America originate from? Where is the US mentioned in your Bible? Be sure to read and study that article. Another wonderful book to read and study is Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright, by author J. H. Allen, which was originally published in 1902. □

Sources:

1 Janardhanan, V., 'Catastrophic': US planning tactical nuclear weapon attack on Iran? Here's what Russia said about it, WION, 20 June 2025.

2 Gritnux, College Students And Religion Statistics, Report 2026. Retrieved 19 Aug. 2026.

3 Ocean Exploration, How much of the ocean has been explored?, NOAA. Retrieved 19 Aug. 2026.

4 A Peer-Reviewed Academic Resource, The Infinite, Internet Encyclopedia Philosophy, Retrieved 19 Aug. 2026.

7th Day of Unleavened Bread ── Are YOU continuing to imbibe Christ?

AI Generated

by Leonard V Johnson

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come! ── The Days of Unleavened Bread began at sunset April 1st and run until sunset April 8th, in 2026.

Notice this posting from The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel, from their Facebook page ──

“I WILL SING TO HASHEM, FOR VERY EXALTED IS HE!” (Exodus 15:1)

Exactly seven days after leaving Egypt Israel finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place, or more accurately, between the most powerful military on earth breathing down their necks and a vast, endless ocean before them , stopping them in their tracks. What, just one week ago looked so promising, when “HaShem took the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt with their legions,” (Exodus 12:51) now looks like the end of the trail, a desperate and failed escape, destined to be forgotten. The ten plagues that devastated Egypt, bring Pharaoh to his knees, maybe they weren’t miracles, after all. Maybe it was just a bad case of climate change.

These were the exact fears of the children of Israel as they “lifted up their eyes, and behold! The Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened, and the children of Israel cried out to HaShem. They said to Moshe, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the desert? What is this that you have done to us to take us out of Egypt? Isn’t this the thing about which we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Leave us alone, and we will serve the Egyptians, because we would rather serve the Egyptians than die in the desert?” (Exodus 14:10-12) The children of Israel were not only terrified, they were divided. According to Midrash, the people split up into four dissenting camps. One group says, the jig is up, let’s march back peacefully to Egypt and face the consequences. One group said there is no hope, here is where it ends. One group said, let us go down, not in shame, but in dignity. Let us fight the Egyptian army and at least die defending ourselves. And the fourth group said, there is only one way forward and that is into the sea.

Hearing all this, “Moshe said to the people, ‘Don't be afraid! Stand firm and see HaShem’s salvation that He will wreak for you today, for the way you have seen the Egyptians is only today, but you shall no longer continue to see them for eternity. HaShem will fight for you, but you shall remain silent.’” (Exodus 14:13-14) Be silent! Stop talking and begin doing. This is the moment when, again, as told by Midrash, Nachshon of the tribe of Yehudah, marched into the sea, neither stopping nor looking back. And at the moment when the sea rose to his nostrils, HaShem rewarded His trust by splitting the sea for all Israel to pass through. When we strive for freedom, when we strive for good, HaShem will always open a path before us. This is the lesson of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. It's not enough that HaShem believes in us and will overturn the very rules of nature that He Himself established in order to bring us to safety and prosperity and peace. We need to believe in HaShem and trust that darkness, an impassable sea, and endless exile are all, ultimately, illusions whose chains and bars can be swept away by faith in HaShem and action on our part.

(https://www.facebook.com/templeinstitute/).

Brethren, we as true Christians also need to trust and believe that the LORD God will always open a path before us.

Notice here what WVTM13 writes ──

April 12th, 2025,

One of the holiest holidays of the year begins for the Jewish community … begins at sundown Saturday and is a time of reflection and celebration, …

This special time commemorates the Jewish people's exodus from Egypt. Those who celebrate … remove leavened foods and eat … unleavened bread.

(https://www.wvtm13.com/article/time-of-reflection-and-celebration-as-passover-begins/64465319).

This Passover season means so much more to us than just the Exodus from Egypt.

We Christians observe that our Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate penalty for our sins on PASSOVER and that we are to live, as He lived ── without sin and hypocrisy, which metaphorically, is what leaven represents ──

“ … ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’” – Luke 12:1b.

Truly, one way you can understand the Days of Unleavened Bread is by understanding the very central focus of the Days of Unleavened Bread – Jesus Christ!

Sadly, many minds were soiled concerning the true meaning and the teaching points which are associated with the Days of Unleavened Bread! And many of these misconceptions continue to grip many people, many remnant church groups. Well, they continue to teach ritualistic housecleaning. And to so many, the Days of Unleavened Bread is a campaign to “find leavening.” And they always claim that leaven is equal to sin. While that is a tradition, it is not Scriptural. And I want you to understand that they are teaching this as Judeo-Christianity – not as part of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ! In fact, no Scripture declares that leaven (which is short for leavened bread) is sin. There is certainly a passage that tells us exactly what sin is. It’s 1st John 3:4 – “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

Our Lord and Savior – the true Messiah - never called leaven sin. An example can be found in the Book of Matthew, chapter 13 ──

Verse 33 – “’ The kingdom [from] heaven is like leaven, …’”

And another passage that offers a perspective is in the Book of Luke, chapter 13 ──

Verses 20 & 21 – “’ To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21) It is like leaven, …’”

After the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, the LORD God revealed the annual festivals. And through Prophet Moses (the etymology of his name likely derived from combining the words “water,” “seed,” and “pond,” thus yielding the sense of “child of the Nile” (mw- š) 1, the eternal Creators formally introduced these festivals to their nation – ISRAEL. “The congregation in the wilderness” – Acts 7:38.

Within the New Covenant, we can understand from the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles that He intends the spring festivals to illustrate to His Church every year that all those God the Father has called out of this world - before, during, and after His Son’s death, and glorious resurrection unto life – are only the “firstfruits” ──

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” – James 1:17-18.

Yes, symbolically, leaven can represent sin (cf. 1st Corinthians 5:7-8). Because, like sin, leaven puffs up. And seven (7) represents to the LORD God – completion.

And certainly, a true Christian should strive daily to keep sin at bay. But to outright say that leaven is equal to sin is not Scriptural. Now, we’re dead to sin, but we’re alive through Jesus Christ! We live unto Jesus Christ! “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” ── Book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 12. He is saying, ‘Don’t let sin have control over you anymore.’ You’re free! Like the man that was on death row – now you find yourself walking down the road, and you say, “How in the world did I get off of death row and now walking along here a free man!?” You’re not in the dungeon anymore! You’re not in chains; you’re not waiting for execution anymore! You’re out of prison – you’re walking freely down the road! That is the analogy that he is making here.

The meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread is powerful! A MEMORIAL, a feast by an EVERLASTING ORDINANCE! Not a shadow, but a memorial. Notice, it is the day that is the feast “’ you shall keep it as a feast …’” It is the day that is a feast day – the 15th of Abib/Nisan – not the Passover! And it is to be kept as a Sabbath – or holy convocation, FOREVER!

Exodus 12:16 – “’ On the FIRST DAY [the first day of the seven – the 15th of Abib/Nisan] there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day [the 21st of Abib/Nisan] there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work [as in labor or occupation] shall be done on them; …’”

We Christians understand and recognize that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate penalty for our sins on the LORD’S Passover and was sacrificed smack dab in the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

All of the LORD’s Holy Days are what we call Christocentric. Meaning that they are all centered around JESUS CHRIST! In other words, we shouldn’t be so steeped and so misguided by Judeo-Christianity that we lose focus on who we are to look to! JESUS CHRIST! Recall, Jesus built His Church! The New Covenant Church!

So, if you go to JESUS CHRIST, He will forgive you – and we are told this back in the epistles of John. He is faithful to forgive!

“’ I AM the bread of life.’” – John 6:48.

The Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are pointing us to ONE THING – Jesus Christ! Brethren, He is that Unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth! He is the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! □

1 Ulmer, Rivka. 2009. Egyptian Cultural Icons in Midrash. de Gruyter. p. 269.

God's Eternal Marks Upon His Covenant People (PART THREE)

by GC LaMar

Only until God the Father calls you, places upon you the gift of repentance, properly baptized, and has hands laid upon you ── receiving the glorious gift of God’s Spirit ── you will remain under Satan the Devil’s authority, regardless of your religious claims.

The very words of our Savior, Jesus Christ ──

“’ Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.’” – John 8:43-44.

Our Lord Jesus spoke those words to religious people who claimed to know God and that He is their Father. Yet, their outright incredulous disbelief and their disobedience to the LORD God revealed their true father: Satan the Devil.

Again, speaking to those people who claim to be religious ── “’ Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom [from] heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22) Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? 23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:21-23.

The Greek word for “iniquity” (from the King James Version) is anomia, which means “wickedness, lawlessness, lawless deeds.”

Most who claim to be “Christian” will be rejected by our Lord Jesus Christ, because they practice lawlessness. They are outright, or because of ignorance, rejecting the LORD God’s commandments──including His Sabbaths and Holy Days.

The Apostle Paul ── under divine inspiration, writing to his close companion, Titus ── “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision [those that are Jewish], 11) whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. … 16) They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” – Titus 1:10 11, 16. 

Again, the Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, speaks about people claiming to be religious, yet in the end denying the very God they claim to worship ── they “[have] a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” – 2 Timothy 3:5.

A great many have a form of godliness ── they have a religious appearance ── but they deny the very power of God by either outright refusal, ignorance, or disobedience. In truth, they continue in their religiosity to remain spiritually dead, “belonging” to Satan the Devil. 

The LORD God’s People: Identified by Commandment Keeping

Our Lord Jesus Christ reveals to us in the Book of Revealing ── Revelation, the identity of His people toward the end of this present evil age: by them having within them the Spirit of God, and by their obedience to His commandments.

Romans 8:14 ── “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are [children] of God.”          

Revelation 12:17 ── “And the dragon [Satan the Devil] was enraged with the woman [Judah – the nation today called Israel], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [the Church of God], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” 

Revelation 14:12 ── “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” 

The very nature of the universe is a pairing of positive and negative. Things are dual, and so will be the final conflict: good vs evil. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s people are clearly marked: ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God, along with those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ The two groups of people ── even today ── are clearly visible: those who obey the LORD God and those who do not, those who claim faith all the while rejecting obedience to God and the keeping of His commandments. 

Revelation 22:14 ── “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city [New Jerusalem].”   

The Seal of God

The Apostle John ── inspired by a vision while on the Isle of Patmos, was told to write in a book that the LORD God would begin sealing, on their foreheads, their people throughout these two thousand years of all the tribes of the children of Israel ── “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels [more than likely the four demons that are ‘bound’ at the great river Euphrates that are waiting for God to release them, see Rev. 9:13-15] to whom it was granted [eventually] to harm the earth and the sea, 3) saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” – Revelation 7:2-3.

The seal of God marks ownership and divine protection ── spiritually marking throughout these last two thousand years 144,000 servants of God on their foreheads of all the tribes of the children of Israel: From Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph [Ephraim], and Benjamin.

Notice that Dan is not in this group. Dan is most likely the people of Ireland. And, they are sort of hard-headed, and sort of pugnacious – they want to fight, they want to argue. And at the present time – and for a long time – they have been totally bound up in bondage to the Roman Catholic Church. 

For two thousand years – even before Jesus Christ – were servants of God that are going to be in the glorious kingdom of God – and quoting from the King James Version – “ … These are they which [will come after] great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Friends, these are people who will come AFTER tribulation – after trouble, in this end time - and, maybe not even in this end-time, maybe it had been in the Middle Ages (from the 5th to the 15th century), and the plagues which were all around–they were in tribulation.

But to me, the implication is, ‘don’t do any of these terrible things to the earth and the sea until we make sure they possess God’s Spirit.’ So, these people here ── throughout these nearly two thousand years, and even before, have obeyed the LORD God, have been in deep prayers before the LORD God, have properly repented and been baptized, and have had hands laid upon them ── receiving the glorious Holy Spirit of God, which is the seal upon their foreheads.

Revelation 9:1-12 ── “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven [the atmosphere] to the earth. [Satan the Devil and his demons are being ejected from the atmosphere and being confined only to the earth!]. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2) And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. Then the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 

3) Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4) They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5) And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6) In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.”   

The LORD God’s seal protects His people from harm and destruction. Without this spiritual seal on your forehead ── the angels (more than likely the four demons that are ‘bound’ at the great river Euphrates) will be given permission to torment people for five months because they have been participating in outright disobedience to the LORD God!

Our Lord Jesus Christ Fulfilled the Law & the Prophets ── Not Abolished

Our Lord Jesus plainly says ── “’ DO NOT THINK that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets [the first five Books of Moses and the Books of the Prophets]. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18) For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away [surely a reference to Revelation 21:1], one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.’” – Matthew 5:17-18. 

He came to fulfill the prophecies that were spoken concerning Him.

Also, He kept and observed His seventh-day Sabbath and kept and celebrated His Holy Days ── providing for us His example. 

Luke 4:16 ── “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbaths day, and stood up to read.”   

John 7:2, 10, 14 ── “Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. …” – Minister Leonard Johnson speaks concerning why this phrase was said in that way in “Let Us Observe the Feast of Tabernacles!” 10) But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. … 14) Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.” 

Our Lord Jesus kept His Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Day of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the ‘Last Great Day.’ He never suggested that His feasts were only temporary or would be abolished.

Our Lord Jesus continued ── “’ Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom [from] heaven; …’” – Matthew 5:19.

Our Lord Jesus came to fulfill (to complete, fill to the full, demonstrate the true meaning of) the Law ── not to abolish it. Anyone who breaks even one of His commandments has broken them all ── including the breaking of remembering and keeping the Sabbath holy, and the keeping and celebrating the Holy Days ── they will be called ‘least in the kingdom from heaven.’

Luke 16:17 ── “’ The law and the prophets were until John. …’” – The first five books of Moses and the books of the Prophets were until John the Baptist. “ … ‘Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17) And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.’”  

The Apostle Paul explains ── “Do we then make void the law through faith? CERTAINLY NOT! On the contrary, we establish the law.” – Romans 3:31. 

Faith does not nullify the Law of God ── it establishes it. Faith produces good works ── obedience. 

The Apostle James ── inspired by God’s Spirit, explains ── “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11) For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the [whole] law.” – James 2:10-11.

We are all judged by the Law of God. Breaking any one point of the law ── including the breaking of the seventh-day Sabbath ── makes you guilty of breaking all of the commandments of God. 

The Church of God Continued Observance After Christ’s Resurrection 

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s apostles continued observing the holy Sabbath and keeping and celebrating the Holy Days even after the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ ──  

Acts 13:14 ── “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.” 

Acts 13:42, 44 ── “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. … 44) On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” 

So, the Gentiles of the city had asked the Apostle Paul if he would preach again the following Sabbath ── in the first century, Saturday was referred to as “dies Sāturnī” (Saturn’s Day), or rather in Greek, Ημέρα του Κρόνου “Imera tou Kronou” ── it was not Ημέρα του Ήλιου “Imera tou Iliou” – Sun’s Day. If the LORD God’s holy Sabbath had been changed to Sunday, the Apostle Paul had the perfect opportunity here to say to the Gentiles that it had been. Instead, he met with them the following Sabbath.

Acts 17:2 ── “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” 

Acts 18:4 ── “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks [Gentiles].”

The Apostle Paul’s ── and to note: He was called “Saul” by our Lord Jesus in the Hebrew language, and was born to a devout Jewish family that was living in Tarsus, which is now a municipality and district of Mersin Province, Turkey ── custom was to keep and observe the holy Sabbath.

And even some 24 years after the death and glorious resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ ── the Apostle Paul, writing to the saints in ancient Corinth ── “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. 8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. 

Sincerity and truth, being our Lord Jesus Christ! The Apostle Paul instructs the Gentile converts there in ancient Corinth to observe the feast ── speaking here of the Feast of Unleavened Bread ── not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread (our Lord Jesus is the bread, the bread of life) of sincerity and truth, for Jews and Gentiles alike. 

Acts 20:6 ── “But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, …” 

The Church of God that was there in Philippi ── a predominantly Gentile congregation ── observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread of the New Covenant, demonstrating continued keeping and observance by the early Church. □

to be continued ....  

God's Eternal Marks Upon His Covenant People (PART TWO)

by GC LaMar

Some people are no longer bearing eternal “marks” that distinguish them as belonging to the LORD God. The very abandonment of God’s appointed times results in loss of identity ── which is also called spiritual death.

The LORD God ── through the Prophet Hosea ── has prophesied judgment. “’ I will also cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths ── All her appointed feasts.’” – Hosea 2:11.

Dead to the LORD God: Condition of Disobedience

Those who refuse or outright reject the LORD God’s commandments──including the keeping of His Sabbaths and Holy Days──are spiritually dead, separated from the Life of God. 

The Apostle Paul ── inspired by the Spirit of God tells us ── “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” – Ephesians 2:1-3.

In the Epistle to the Colossians, he wrote ── “And you, …” – speaking to true Christians “ … being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all your trespasses.” – Colossians 2:13. 

So, until God the Father calls you, places upon you the gift of repentance, properly baptized, and has hands laid upon you ── receiving the glorious gift of God’s Spirit ── you will remain dead in your trespasses and sins. You, officially, do not belong to the LORD God; instead enslaved to the god of this present evil age.

Satan the Devil: The god of this world and his deceived followers 

The Apostle Paul reveals a shocking truth ── “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are PERISHING, 4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.

God’s living word calls Satan the Devil “the god of this age.” And that he has blinded the minds of those people who are perishing. Those who outright reject the LORD God’s holy and righteous commandments ── including the keeping of His Sabbaths and Holy Days ── continue to remain under the blindness and dominion of Satan the Devil and his demons, even if they are proclaiming that they are a “Christian.”

The Apostle John draws a stark red line ── “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned FROM THE BEGINNING. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9) Whoever has been born of God [which means resurrected into the very family of God – into the kingdom of God] does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10) In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” – 1 John 3:8-10.

He also defines what the LORD God defines as sin ── “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” – 1 John 3:4.

Those who continue in their transgressions ── the transgression of God’s Law ── are witnessing to the world that they “belong” to the devil, and not to the LORD God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested. 

The Grave Deception of Worship on Sunday 

Those who claim to be “Christians,” yet observe Sunday as their Sabbath, instead of the seventh-day Sabbath, which is now called Saturday ── are also witnessing to the world that they “belong” to the devil. Sunday observance has no biblical foundation and is but a tradition of men that disobeys the LORD God’s holy command. 

Our Lord Jesus crying out unto those who lay aside His commands for men’s traditions ── “ … ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7) And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8) For LAYING ASIDE THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, you hold the tradition of men ──’” – Mark 7:6, 7, 8. 

13) ‘making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.’” 

Our Lord GOD has never changed His Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day. 

Sunday worship originated from pagan sun-worship, and was later adopted by “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” ── the Roman Catholic Church.

Those who observe Sunday, while claiming to be “Christian,” are not children of God, but are rather children of the devil ── and are following man-made traditions. 

The Apostle Matthew recorded for us ── “ …’ Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … 6) … Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7) Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, …’” – Matthew 15:3, 6, 7.

Again, in the Epistle to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul warns us ── “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit …” – like someone trying to tell you that “man didn’t land on the moon in 1969,” or “the earth is flat,” or the “Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is one giant petrified tree.” Vain philosophy and empty deceit! “ … according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” – Colossians 2:8. 

The Rejection of the Lord’s Holy Days Because They Are “Jewish”? 

Many who claim “Christianity” outright reject the seven annual Holy Days because they claim they are “Jewish.” Yet, the LORD God specifically calls them “the feasts of the LORD” – Leviticus 23:2, 4. So, they belong to the LORD God, not any ethnic group.

Leviticus 23:2 ── “’ Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, THESE ARE MY FEASTS.’”          

Leviticus 23:4 ── “’ These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.’”

The LORD God gave these feasts to the children of Israel first, but they were always intended for all people. The false teaching that they are only for the Jews contradicts the living word of God. 

Notice the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit of God, explains ── “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29) but he is a Jew who is one INWARDLY; and circumcision is THAT OF THE HEART, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” – Romans 2:28-29.

He also explains to us in the Epistle to the Galatians ── “There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile], there is neither slave nor free …” – this phrase from the first century AD, the Apostle Paul is emphasizing that there is accountability before the LORD God and equal value of all people. “ … there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” … again, this phrase from the first century AD, the Apostle Paul is emphasizing the unity of all true Christians, regardless of whether you are male or female. 29) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” – Galatians 3:28-29.

So, true spiritual identity transcends ethnicity, gender, or social status. All who belong to Christ Jesus are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise ── they are spiritual Israel ── and are therefore heirs of the covenant promises, including the commandment of the keeping and observance of the LORD God’s appointed times. 

He reminds us ── “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh ── who are called Uncircumcision [unclean] by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands ── 12) that at that time you were without Christ, being [strangers] from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and WITHOUT GOD in the world. 13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. … 19) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” – Ephesians 2:11-13, 19.

So Gentile believers are “grafted” into the house of Israel, becoming fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. They are no longer strangers and foreigners of the Old and New Covenants of promise. Sadly, to reject the LORD God’s Holy Days because they are “Jewish” is to remain a stranger and a foreigner to the household of God.

Inspired by the Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul explains this to us via the Epistle to the Romans ── “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18) do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” – Romans 11:17-18.

This analogy illustrates the relationship between Israel and the Gentiles, where the cultivated olive tree represents Israel, while the wild olive branches represent Gentile believers. The Apostle Paul uses this metaphor to explain how Gentiles have come to share in the promises originally given to Israel, emphasizing the inclusion of Gentile believers in the spiritual blessings and promises. 

Verse 24 ── “For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?”

So, Gentile believers are “grafted” into the spiritual olive tree, which represents the house of Israel. To outright reject the house of Israel’s covenant signs, while claiming that you are “grafted” into the spiritual olive tree, is contrary to God’s living word,  and you are spiritually blind. 

Replacing God’s Holy Days With Pagan Holidays

Not only do most outright reject or explain away the LORD God’s Holy Days, but they also replace them with worldly holidays that originated in paganism. Such as Easter, New Year’s Day, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Mardi Gras, Palm Sunday, St. Stephen's Day, Shrove Tuesday ── and the list is virtually endless! Celebrations with absolutely no biblical basis, but rather have their roots in ancient paganism. 

Such as Saturnalia and the worship of the goddess Asherah ── “Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2) Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3) For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4) They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. 5) They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.’” – Jeremiah 10:1-5.

The Prophet Jeremiah ── inspired by the Lord our God of the heavens and of earth ── is describing a pagan custom of decorating an ancient Asherah pole, decorating it with silver and gold. So, indeed, there are similarities between this world’s modern Christmas tree and what the LORD God is telling us through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. The Christmas tree is a symbol. The evergreen tree was a symbol of life and fertility and was a custom of the ancient Sumerians. A practice that was incorporated… again… by “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” ── the Roman Catholic Church.

The LORD God specifically commands us that we are not to worship them in that way ── “’ When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30) take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, …’” – saying ‘I want to know how this nation worshipped their goddess Asherah (which even more anciently was Semiramis, the wife/mother to Nimrod), because I want to worship God in this manner.’ “ …31) You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32) Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.’” – Deuteronomy 12:29-32. 

Again, the LORD our God explicitly forbids anyone adopting pagan practices to worship Him! Yet, this is precisely what the Mother of Harlots ── the Roman Catholic Church and her daughter Protestant churches ── has done! 

We are warned by the Apostle Paul ── inspired by the LORD our God ── “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15) And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16) And what agreement has the temple of God [the Church of Jesus Christ] with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’ 17) Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.

The LORD our God calls for us to separate ourselves from all pagan practices such as Easter, New Year’s Day, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. □ 

To be continued.         

Some items of related interest may include

Think About This... What is meant, 'until the fullness of the Gentiles'? (Video)

Personal From... Christmas Challenges (Audio Video)

ChristMas... It's Origin (PDF booklet)

Should Christians Keep Halloween? (Video)

True Christians Don't Need To Be Stuffy Concerning Christmas (Article)

Krampus──Not For Christians! (Article)

'In Vain They Worship Me!' (Article)

When Does God's New Year Begin? (Article)

Commentary: X-Mas by GC LaMar (Article w/Audio)

True Christians SHOULD NOT Celebrate St. Patrick's Day! (Article)

Halloween Is Not Christian (Article)

Springtime Days That the Early Christians Kept (Article)

Satan's World (PDF booklet)

St. Valentine's Day ── where did it come from!? (Article)

Commentary: Happy New Year? by GC LaMar (Article w/Audio)

Commentary: History of the Sabbath by GC LaMar (Article)

What Is A True Christian? (Article)

Commentary: A Celebration to Demons! (Article)

Are You But A Traditionalist? (Article w/Audio)

Lent, Ash Wednesday, and Easter - Did the Original Christians Observe These!? (Article)

Should Christians Observe Halloween? (Article)

The Fourth Commandment! by GC LaMar (Article)

'It is a sign' (Article)

Saturday Sabbath with Jews and Sunday with Gentiles? (Article w/Audio)

Commentary: The Day of the Sun by GC LaMar (Article)

A Morning Bible Study: Are You Handling God's Test? (Article) (PDF)

Holy Day Information & Calendar (Lev. 23, Deut. 16) (Article)

God's Eternal Marks Upon His Covenant People (PART ONE)

by GC LaMar

From the beginning of God’s living word ── the Holy Bible ── to the Book of Revelation, the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God – which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) has distinguished their people from all other nations through specific signs──sacred “marks” that identify them as belonging exclusively to them.

These signs transcend any religious rituals; they are divine appointments revealing a people’s wholehearted dedication to our Creator. 

Standing at the forefront of these identifying “marks” is the seventh-day Sabbath, including the seven annual Holy Days, which the LORD God established as perpetual “witnesses” between the LORD God and those people who truly belong to them. 

The Seventh-day Sabbath: An Eternal Covenant Sign

The Lord’s Sabbath represents the most emphasized identifying “mark” throughout God’s living word. God specifically designated it as a sign of His covenant relationship with His people ──

The LORD declares, speaking through the Prophet Moses ── “’ Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.’” – Exodus 31:13.

This verse alone unveils profound truths to us. The holy Sabbath functions as a sign. It “marks” the relationship between the LORD God and their people, and it extends throughout all generations without end. And, it identifies the LORD as the One who sanctifies ── which means, sets apart as holy people.

Verses 16 & 17 reinforce this truth ── “’ Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant [agreement]. 17) It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel FOREVER; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

The word “perpetual” in Hebrew is ‘ ôlām, which means “everlasting, forever, eternity.”

The Seventh-day Sabbath as a Divine Test

The Lord GOD employs His Sabbath observance as a measure of genuine obedience and loyalty. Notice Ezekiel 20:12 ── “’ Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”     

And when the house of Israel rejected His sign, the Lord GOD expressed profound grief. Verse 13 ── “’ Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. …’” 

Truly, the defilement of His Sabbaths is tangible evidence of spiritual rebellion and covenant rejection. Keeping the LORD God’s Sabbaths holy demonstrates spiritual obedience to the authority of the LORD God, as both Creator and Sanctifier.

The LORD God commands ── “’ hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’” – Ezekiel 20:20. 

Now, to “hallow” means that you make the day holy, you set it apart from all other days. So, by keeping the Lord’s Sabbath holy, you visibly distinguish yourself from all those people who reject keeping the Lord’s Sabbath holy. This obedience to His command becomes public testimony of your covenant relationship with the LORD our God. 

Seven Annual Holy Days: Eternal Divine Appointments 

Besides the Lord’s weekly seventh-day Sabbath, the LORD God established seven annual Holy Days──also called “the feasts of the LORD.” They are not strictly Jewish holy days, or merely Jewish traditions, but are divinely appointed feasts established by the LORD God themselves for all of mankind.

We are introduced to them in Leviticus 23:1-2 ── “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2) ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations [holy gatherings], these are My feasts.’”   

The LORD’s emphasis demands our attention! “’ these are My feasts’” ──they belong to the Lord GOD, and not to the Jewish people. They are “holy convocations” ──which means, sacred assemblies that are commanded by the LORD God. 

Leviticus 23 details for us all seven annual Holy Days

Leviticus 23:5 ── the LORD’s Passover. “On the fourteenth day of the first month.”

Leviticus 23:6-8 ── the Feast of Unleavened Bread. “On the fifteenth day of the same month.” 

Leviticus 23:15-21 ── the day of Pentecost/Firstfruits. “Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.” 

Leviticus 23:23-25 ── the Feast of Trumpets. ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.’

Leviticus 23:26-32 ── the Day of Atonement. “the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement.” It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall humble yourself before the LORD. 

Leviticus 23:33-36 ── the Feast of Tabernacles. “’ The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.’” 

Leviticus 23:36, 39 ── the “Last Great Day.” “’ On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, … on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.’”

They are eternal statutes 

The LORD God over and over emphasizes that these Holy Days continue throughout all generations forever. The stand-out phrase, “it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings,” appears multiple times throughout Leviticus 23. Notice verses 14, 21, 31, and 41.

That stand-out phrase alone identifies them as eternal statues for the LORD God’s people, not temporary shadows or ceremonial practices that were abolished upon the cross. 

Obedience to the LORD God – the Foundation of our Identity & Love 

The keeping of the Lord’s Sabbaths and Holy Days flows from our hearts transformed by the love of God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ connected love directly with obedience to the LORD God ── 

“’ If you love Me, keep My commandments.’” – John 14:15.

“’ He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.’” – John 14:21. 

“ …’ If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24) He who does not love Me DOES NOT KEEP MY WORDS; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’” – John 14:23, 24. 

So, obedience isn’t simply legalism, but rather a natural response of one’s heart transformed by divine love. One’s obedience to the LORD God becomes a visible witness and evidence of true faith.

Obedience to the LORD God is an Identity “Mark” 

The Apostle John ── under divine inspiration ── tells us of an identity “mark” ── “Now by THIS we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4) He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” – 1 John 2:3-4. 

The Apostle John leaves no ambiguity. The keeping of the LORD God’s commandments is how we ── and is witnessed to others ── know that we know the LORD God. Our very obedience to them identifies us as belonging to Him. Those who claim they know God and have a relationship with God while not obeying His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in them ── so says the LORD Almighty! 

The Apostle John adds, “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit [that] He has given us.” – 1 John 3:24.

Also ── “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3) For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” -1 John 5:2-3. 

God’s Law Is Internal ── Not Written In Phylacteries or Mezuzahs

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s New Covenant includes God’s Commandments written in our hearts.

The Apostle Paul ── under divine inspiration ── tells us ── “’ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” – Hebrews 8:10. 

God’s Law ── summed up with the Ten Commandments ── is not abolished, but rather they are spiritualized from physical external commands to spiritualized desires. The LORD God’s people are “marked” by having their Laws inscribed in their hearts ── producing the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Apostle Paul reiterates ── “’ This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.’” – Hebrews 10:16.

A Clear Distinction Between the LORD God’s People and the Children of Darkness 

Again, from the beginning, the LORD God has distinguished their people from all other nations. And this separation is not ethnic, or even cultural, but is a spiritual distinction based upon covenant obedience.

When the Prophet Moses had went up to God, the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: “‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; … 6) And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ …” – Exodus 19:5, 6.

He reiterated this in Deuteronomy 7:6 ── “’ For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.’”              

Yet, to be a holy people and a special treasure unto the LORD God is conditioned. ‘If you will indeed obey the Lord GOD's voice and keep His covenant.’

And, those that do, the Apostle Peter tells us, “ … you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9. 

Grave Consequences for Rejecting the LORD God’s Signs 

The prophets of God describe for us that the rejection of the Lord’s Sabbaths and appointed times is spiritual adultery and the breaking of His covenant. Notice here the Prophet Ezekiel ──

Ezekiel 22:8 ── “’ You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.’”   

Ezekiel 22:26 ── “’ Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.’” 

Ezekiel 23:37-38 ── “’ For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. 38) Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths.’” 

So, when the LORD God’s people reject the Lord’s Sabbaths, they profane His very name and obscure their identity as the chosen people of God. □

to be continued...