There’s a dominant teaching in Christianity that there was a great exchange that happened on the cross: Jesus took our sins upon Himself, and we received His righteousness.  But on what is this teaching based?  It’s actually based on only one verse of Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21.

He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

On the surface, this looks like Christianity’s interpretation seems to be correct; however, if we place this idea back into context with the rest of Scripture, there are some major flaws with this doctrine.  However, in saying that, I’m not saying Paul was wrong, but our interpretation and translation of what Paul said is problematic.

A MODERN COMPARISON

Can a person who is innocent and not guilty of anything becomes a criminal without committing any crime?  In our culture, when you break the law, you’ve committed a crime, and a person who commits a crime is called a criminal.  But in God’s Kingdom, if you break one of His laws, you’ve committed “a sin” [crime] and a person who commits a “sin” is called “a sinner” [criminal].    But in this traditional Christian interpretation, our sins [crimes] has been transferred to Him, and His innocence has been transferred to us who are guilty.

But when Jesus was on the cross, did He literally become an idolator for us?  Did He become a murderer?  An adulterer?  A thief?  Did He become a homosexual?  Is that what we are saying?  If Jesus had to identify with us in everything to atone for us, then does that mean He cannot heal broken bones since “not one of His bones were broken”?

CERTAINTY OR CHANCE?

In examining this, let’s look at the least significant evidences first.  To begin, the infinitive “to be” in the above phrase was added by translators, it’s not in the original Greek text.  This is why it is italicized in many English translations, including the King James Version.

Next, the phrase “might become” does not mean what many Christians communicate by this doctrine.  They use it to indicate that there was a transference that happened here, “Jesus became sin for us” and we became the righteousness of God in Him.”  However, the problem here is that the word “might” does not indicate certainty at all, but only a possibility or chance of.  I mean, when we say that something “might happen,” we are not saying “it will happen,” but that there’s a possibility or chance that it could happen.  If Paul was saying that this “transference” was a certainty, he would’ve said that “we shall become the righteousness of God” or “we will becomes the righteousness of God,” but that’s not what he wrote.  He wrote that we “MIGHT become the righteousness of God in Him.”  Although this raises many questions, the next two points are the most important.

SIN OR SIN-OFFERING?

Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, the Hebrew word, chatt’ah (Strong’s #2403), and it’s Greek equivalent Hamartia (Strong’s #266), is used for “sin, transgression, sin-offering, and punishment.”  In the Hebrew mind, of course, this was completely logical, since if you “sinned” or “transgressed God’s commandments,” then you automatically fall under the “punishment” for sin and need “a sin-offering.”  And in the Greek translation of the Pentateuch, Greek speakers would’ve understood that hamartia was used for both “sin” and “sin-offering,” and that context was how they determined which one was meant.  And it is the same Greek word for “sin” and “sin-offering” that’s used here in 2 Corinthians 5:21.

WHY IS THIS DISTINCTION IMPORTANT?

This distinction is important because in Leviticus 4-6, God establishes His instructions and laws on what would constitute a valid sacrifice for sin.  In these various sacrifices, God instructs us that the sacrifice must be without spot or blemish prior to its death (Leviticus 3:1; 4:3, 28, 32; 5:15); in fact,  in “the law of the sin offering,” that the sin-offering is “most holy” (Leviticus 6:25).

But not only must it remain spotless or blemishless before its death, but it can’t be tainted, blemished or made unclean while its dying, because after its death and sacrifice, the priests are to eat a portion of it (Leviticus 6:26, 29).  In fact, 6:29 says, “All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is MOST HOLY” (Emphasis Mine).

Therefore, in order for the sacrifice to be acceptable to God, it had to remain spotless, blemishless and holy BEFORE ITS DEATH, DURING ITS DEATH, and AFTER ITS DEATH, for it became blemished, tainted, or unholy, or unclean anytime during the process, then it was no longer an acceptable sacrifice for sin.  Consequently, then, if Jesus literally became sin on the cross for us, as many Christians teach, then at that moment, He ceased being an acceptable sacrifice for sin, and we are all still damned and going to Hell.

However, if He didn’t literally become sin, but a SIN-OFFERING, remaining pure, blemishless, spotless and holy BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER His death, then His sacrifice does fit the biblical pattern, and He remains an acceptable sacrifice for sin, and our sins are not only forgiven, but we’ve been liberated from their power and control over us, by us putting our faith in Him, and therefore, we can now go to heaven when we die.

So does the distinction matter?  Absolutely!!

WHERE WAS GOD AT THIS TIME?

There are those who claim that God abandoned and turned His back on Jesus while He was on the cross.  They base this on one of the seven statements that Jesus makes while on the cross: “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; quoting Psalm 22:1).  However, there’s again a problem with this view.

In 2 Corinthians 5:19, just two verses before 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul writes,

To wit, that God was IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

How could God have abandoned and turned His back on Christ, while at the same time, being “IN CHRIST reconciling the world unto Himself”?  A more reasonable explanation for His statement is that the Hebrew word, ‘azav’tani, whose root means “to loosen, relinquish, and permit,” so the question “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?” could be translated to mean “My God, My God, Why have you loosened and relinquished Me, permitting this to happen to Me?”

“God is there in Christ” during His suffering and torment while on the cross, but instead of acting to defend Him, to come against those who have caused Him such suffering, God does not act.  We can tell that this is the intended meaning, since the very next lines are the following:

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.  O my God, but Thou dost not answer; and by night, but I have no rest.  (Psalm 22:1-2)

Then in the next section of voices, David contrasts how the fathers cried out and God came to their rescue, but God was not coming to his (Psalm 22:4-5).  And what is true for David is likewise true for David’s greater son, Jesus, the son of David.

So did God abandon His Son?  No, He was there within Him the whole time,  but He did not act or prevent His suffering.  And haven’t we all had those moments in our times of suffering when we wondered why God didn’t act on our behalf?  Where was He?  Jesus knew where He was, and that was His suffering.

JESUS’ DEATH OPENED THE WAY

Through His death on the cross, Jesus liberated us from the power and control of sin in our lives so that we can walk in obedience to God through the power of His Spirit.

In Romans 6-8, this section answers the question found in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”  In this section, Paul responds by saying absolutely not!  He says, “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer there?” (Romans 6:2).  He continues to elaborate on this throughout the rest of chapter 6, and then in chapter 7, He uses marriage as an illustration of how we’ve been freed from the control and power of sin, because we’ve died to it in Christ.  And then, Paul completes the argument in Romans 8.  So contrary to traditional Christian interpretation, Paul in this section is NOT arguing that Jesus brought the law of God to an end, but the law of sin and death.

OBEDIENCE LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

By Jesus dying to set us free from the law of sin and death, Jesus opens the way for us to live our lives in obedience to God, as “servants of righteousness,” which then results in “righteousness:”

For SIN shall not have DOMINION [rulership and control] over you: for you are not under the law [of sin and death], but under grace.  What then?  Shall we sin, because we’re not under the law [of sin and death], but under grace?  God forbid.   Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants  to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of SIN AND DEATH, or of OBEDIENCE unto RIGHTEOUSNESS.   But God be thanked, that you WERE the SERVANTS OF SIN, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered [to] you. Being then MADE FREE FROM SIN, you became the SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  (Romans 6:14-18)

Although the word “law” is not explicitly identified as “the law of sin” or “the law of sin and death,” it’s understood here by the context and content of chapter 6:1-13, but by the end of chapter 7 and in chapter 8, that context is explicitly identified and made.

In this passage, Paul makes it clear that it is SIN that will not have DOMINION (or rulership and control) over us.  There’s no mention of God’s law anywhere in Romans 6:1-13, so why would 6:14 suddenly be about the law of God when Paul had not been discussing it in the previous thirteen verses?  Those who believe that 6:14 is about the law of God demonstrate their lack of skill and understanding that things must be interpreted within their given context.

RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADS TO HOLINESS

In Romans 6:19, Paul continues the next phase of the process:

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity [weakness] of your flesh: for as you have yielded your members [of your body] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity [sin] unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants unto holiness.

Paul makes it quite clear here that since Jesus has died and freed us from the power and control of sin, that we now can choose to live in obedience to God and His Word, and it is our new obedience to God that results in RIGHTEOUSNESS, and by us continuing to be servants of RIGHTEOUSNESS that this, in fact, is yielding ourselves to being “servants unto HOLINESS.”

Then in verses 20-21, Paul reminds us that before we were “servants” [lit. “slaves”] to sin, and as a result, we willingly yielded our members to sin; however, now we need to yield our members to holiness [God and His Word] instead.

For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness [you didn’t do righteous things].  What fruit had you then in those things where you are now ashamed?  for the end [result] of those things is death.

HOLINESS RESULTS IN ETERNAL LIFE

And now in verse 22, we come to the conclusion of the process.

But now BEING MADE FREE  FROM SIN, and become SERVANTS TO GOD, you have your fruit unto HOLINESS, and the end EVERLASTING LIFE.

Notice that Paul is again telling us that through Christ’s death that we have been MADE FREE FROM SIN, not from God’s laws, but SIN and its POWER AND CONTROL over our lives.  SIN is no longer a “have-to;” instead, if we SIN, it’s because we’ve chosen to do it.  And now that we are FREE FROM SIN, we can now live our lives as SERVANTS TO GOD, living SANCTIFIED, HOLY LIVES, and what will be the end result of our lives in service to Him: EVERLASTING (or ETERNAL) LIFE.

And it is at the end of discussing this life-long process that Paul summarizes it all up with Romans 6:23, which is often quoted, again, apart from its context:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So just as the end result of sin is death, so the end result of God’s gift of Christ’s death that opens the way for us to journey this process is eternal life.  It’s at the altar that we begin the first step on that journey by repenting, confessing our sins, asking God to forgive us of our sins and asking Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.  Again, this is STEP 1 of the journey that Paul discusses and describes in Romans 6-8.

CONCLUSION

So did Jesus become “a sin” for us on the cross?  No, He didn’t.  He came our “sin-offering” on the cross, and since He paid the penalty for our sins in our stead, then we are no longer under punishment for those sins.  The price has been paid, and as a result, our sins has been expunged from our heavenly record.

And because of His death, we have been liberated from THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH, and SIN NO LONGER HAS ANY POWER OR CONTROL OVER OUR LIVES; therefore, the way has been opened so that we can begin the process of living in obedience to God,  including to His commandments and laws, which results in RIGHTEOUSNESS (that we might become, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21), and as servants to RIGHTEOUSNESS it then leads us to HOLINESS, and then the fruit and end result of HOLINESS in our lives is ETERNAL LIFE.  And this is in agreement with Hebrews 12:14,

Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD.

His death liberated us from sin and the law of sin and death, and the Spirit, which we receive because of His death and resurrection, empowers us to be able to walk this journey of obedience to righteousness to holiness to the end result, eternal life.

 

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There are many American Christians today who are going around saying that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” or that we need to “Keep Christ in Christmas,” but when we look at what the Christmas celebration encourages both in the lives of Christians and non-Christians alike, would it honor God by conforming people to the teachings of the Bible?  Does it conform to the character and nature of God?  Would He give this holiday a “thumbs up” or would He give it a “thumbs down”?

“DOES GOD ENCOURAGE MATERIALISM?”

Materialism is an intricate part of the Christmas season: trees, lights, ornaments, and all kinds of things that are bought as gifts, extravagant parties, etc.  As soon as Thanksgiving hits, sometimes even before that, the focus of people’s minds and hearts are on things.  Things that they can buy, things that they can receive, bigger and better things.  Although there may be a manger scene here or there, or someone singing a Christmas carol, they are usually lost in the hustle and bustle for things.   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus specifically said that we “cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).  “Mammon” is an old Early Modern English word for “money and material wealth.”  In this verse, Jesus says,

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  You CANNOT serve God and mammon (“money and material wealth”).

But doesn’t the Christian view of Christmas teach the exact opposite: you can have both?  After all, we’re allegedly celebrating Christ’s birth while pursuing our materialistic desires and wants.  Aren’t we, in actuality, pursuing both in His name, while at the same time, violating His own teaching?

DOES GOD ENCOURAGE COVETING?

Growing up as a child, I remember going through the Christmas catalogues that use to come in the mail, and my sister and I would construct our “Christmas toys” that we wanted.  Then we would sit around wishing and hoping for that toy, that game, or whatever it was that we’ve placed on our list.  In the Ten Commandments, the last commandment is “not to covet” (Exodus 20:17).

Even though the examples in the commandment speak about coveting things that belong to one’s neighbor, it basically is teaching us to be content with what we have, instead of going around desiring what everyone else has.  This is stated more explicitly in the New Testament:

Let your character be free from the love of money, BEING CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE; for He Himself has said, “I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5; Emphasis Mine; see also Philippians 4:11)

“DOES GOD ENCOURAGE GREED?”

It used to be on “Black Friday” that the Christmas season would officially begin, but it’s now got pushed back to “Black Thursday.”  A day when people get up extremely early in the morning, like 3 or 4 am, to stand in line to be sure to be the first ones in, so they can grab that “great deal.”  Sometimes, people will spend the night on the streets just to insure that they’re the first in line.

But then, once those doors are open, there’s a stampede of people crushing into the stores, even running over people in the process.  There’s been numerous people who have been badly hurt by people pushing them or stepping on them, trying to be the first one to get that special “Christmas gift.”  And then once inside, how many times have we seen people fight one another over one of these “gifts”?  People pushing, shoving, screaming, fighting, and even punching one another for these material things.  God defines this as “greed.”

“DOES GOD ENCOURAGE LYING?”

In addition to materialism, coveting, and greed, Christmas also encourages people to lie.  For example, parents lie to their children and tell them that Santa Claus and his reindeer are real.  They “guilt” their children into being good by telling them, if they aren’t good, then Santa won’t be giving them a gift this year.  After all, we lie again, and tell them that Santa knows when they are awake or asleep, or if they’ve been good or not; the same qualities which belong to God.

Then in telling the story of the Nativity, there are lies told there as well.  We tell people that “Three Kings” came to the manger when Jesus was born; however, the Bible teaches they came “into the house” and “saw the young child,” not “an infant in the manger” (Matthew 2:10-12).

There are other biblical proofs that the Wise men did not see Jesus at the time of His birth but when He was a toddler (1 1/2 – 2 years old) are the following:

Herod’s Inquiry & Killing of the Infants

Based upon his discussion with the wise men, Herod angrily sent out his troops to kill every child that was two years old or under when the wise men did not report back to him to let him know the identity of the child.  (Matthew 2:7, 16)  We can infer from this that the wise men had told Herod that they had been traveling about 1 1/2 to 2 years, and therefore, the reasoning for Herod specifying the age of “two years and under.”

Mary’s Temple Sacrifices

Another proof that the wise men did not see Jesus at his birth is the animal sacrifice that Mary offered at the Temple.  According to Luke 2, she offered “a pair of turtledoves” upon the completion of “her purification” (Luke 2:22-24).  According to Leviticus 12:4, the time period of her purification was 33 days, and then the offering of “two turtledoves” or “two young pigeons” was the offering that poor woman was to bring for her burnt offering and her sin offering who could not afford a lamb (Leviticus 12:6-8).

So if the wise men had, in fact, arrived during the time of Christ’s birth and given Him the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, then she would have had plenty of money to present a lamb for her sacrifice, as opposed to the sacrifice of a poor woman who could not afford it.

As Christian parents, we need to be very careful what we tell our children.  If we tell them that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are all real, and at the same time that God and Jesus are real, then obviously, when they discover that there is no Santa Claus, no Easter Bunny, and no Tooth Fairy, then it’s only logical for them to conclude that there is no God or Jesus either.  And telling someone that something is true, when it is not, is a lie.

“DOES GOD ENCOURAGE GLUTTONY OR DRUNKENNESS?”

Another aspect of Christmas is people going out to party and committing gluttony or getting drunk, or sometimes do both.  Both of this occur during the Christmas season, and both of them are spoken against within the Scriptures.  In both cases, there’s something missing in that person’s life or an emptiness they are trying to fill, either with food or with alcohol.  I’ve often found it interesting that many people who commit gluttony will point their finger and condemn the alcoholic, even though what they are going is no less a sin.

As we’ll see in next item, partying, gluttony, drunkenness and revelry were all a part of the original Roman Saturnalia and Sol Invictus feasts that were “Christianized” and brought into the Church.  Although these pagan celebrations were “Christianized” and renamed “Christmas,” these aspects of the feast have not changed.   However, the Bible teaches us against all such behavior (Deuteronomy 21:19-20; Proverbs 23:20-21; Ephesians 5:18; I Corinthians 5:11; I Corinthians 6:19-20).

“DOES GOD ENCOURAGE US TO USE PAGAN TRADITIONS?”

Originally, what we call the “Christmas Season” was known as two Roman pagan idolatrous feasts: the “Roman Saturnalia” and “Sol Invictus.”  There are many credible sources that demonstrate that the origin and roots of Christmas are derived from the Roman Saturnalia, such as the decorating of the tree, the exchanging of gifts, singing songs from house to house, eating baked goods [such as cookies] shaped like people, feasting, merrymaking, partying, and getting drunk.

Examples of sources to consult about the pagan origins and connections of Christmas are many.  For example, one could read the article “Saturnalia” at History.com, or the article “Is Christmas related to Saturnalia” at the Christian website, gotquestions.org, or even an older Christian source, Ralph Woodrow’s Babylon Mystery Religion: Ancient and Modern (1966) in his chapter on “The Winter Festival.”  And these are just a few of the sources that are out there.  In fact, according to the Christian source on gotquestions.com, during the time of the Roman empire, “the word Saturnalia became synonymous with immorality and carousing” (“Is Christmas related”).

The Christmas holiday also finds its roots in the Roman celebration of Sol Invictus (“Invincible Sun”) that celebrated the renewing of the Sun King [i.e., the sun god], Mithra, on December 25, and was linked to the winter solstice (“Is Christmas related”).

PAGAN FEASTS IN THE CHURCH?

During the time of the 4th century, A.D., there were large groups of people leaving the church to celebrate these pagan festivals to these other gods and goddesses.  In response, the Roman Catholic Church decided the best way to keep these people in the church was to create a “Christian alternative,” a mass for Christ – “Christ-mass” or “Christmas” – to these pagan festivals, much like modern churches are doing with Halloween.  In fact, the earliest mention of December 25 commemorating the birth of Christ is 354 A.D.  Obviously, then, “Christmas” did not originate with Christ or with the writings of His early disciples, and in contrast to Christian belief, Jesus is NOT “The Reason for the Season.”  Instead, He was artificially imposed into the whole thing.

The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church did eliminate some of the practices of the Saturnalia before bringing it into the church, such as people getting drunk, chasing women, going around naked as they sung songs from house to house, etc.  In addition, they changed December 25 from the renewing or birthday of the sun-god to the birthday of the Son of God, and then “Christianized” the reasoning for the other pagan-related activities, such as connecting the giving of gifts to the gifts given by the wise men.  This is likewise confirmed by the Christian site, gotquestions.com:

The early motive for celebrating Jesus’ birth on December 25 was the same that inspires modern churches to hold “Fall Festivals” or “Bible Costume Pasties” on October 31.  That is, to provide a spiritually positive alternative to what they perceive as a pagan celebration.  (“Is Christmas Related”)

Although this conservative Christian website readily acknowledges the pagan roots and connections of Christmas, it goes on to say,

So, Christians readily and comfortably acknowledge that the date, traditions, and long-term history of Christmas are connected to the pagan holidays of Saturnalia and Sol Invictus.  Yet, like a family celebrating a Bible Costume Party on October 31, it’s the people celebrating who decide what the celebration means.  (“Is Christmas related”)

Every pastor that I have personally spoken with about the pagan roots and connections of Christmas (as well as Lent, Easter, and obviously Halloween) have taken the same position:  The origins of the holiday does not matter; all that matters is what is in the heart of the individual.

THE BIBLE IS NOT THE STANDARD OF WHAT WE DO?

Of course, this raises an important question: What is the basis and standard for what we do?  Is it the Bible, or is the secular world right and Truth is only relative and subjective, so that there isn’t any absolute standard of right and wrong.  It seems when it is convenient for Christians, they will say that the Bible is their only standard of faith and conduct, but when that same Bible contradicts and challenges what they are going, then it’s up to the individual.

CHRISTMAS – A VIOLATION OF SCRIPTURE?

But I question their position for a number of reasons.  First of all, I question it because the creation of “Christian alternatives” to pagan feasts is, in fact,  a violation of Scripture.  In Deuteronomy 12, God says,

When the LORD your God shall cut off the nations from before you, wherever you go to possess them, and you succeed them, and dwell in their land; take heed to yourself that you be not snared [trapped] by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you enquire not after their gods, saying, HOW DID THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? EVEN SO WILL I DO LIKEWISE. YOU SHALL NOT DO SO UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD: for every abomination to the LORD, which He hates, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.  What thing so ever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.  (Deuteronomy 12: 29-32; Emphasis Mine)

This is not merely a passage forbidding child sacrifice; instead, the sacrifice of children is one example of pagan practices that He is addressing.  There are two basic principles here that we are being taught within this passage:

• Do NOT use the customs, traditions, practices, forms of worship, etc., that other nations use with their pagan gods, and use them with the LORD; and
• Whatever God has commanded in His Word, that is what we are to do.  We are not to add to it, nor are we to subtract from it.

However, most churches get around this prohibition by teaching that the Law of God ended at the cross; therefore, this prohibition, they say, is no longer valid or relevant to them.  The other possible common response to get around this prohibition is their teaching that the Law of God is only for Israel, and it does not apply to the church, even though the Bible teaches that God’s laws were given to both Jews and non-Jews.

“DOES THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS?”

Another explanation offered for churches participating in these “Christian alternatives” is that by the church offering these alternatives, unsaved people come to church who normally would not and, therefore, have the opportunity to hear the gospel and get saved.  This sounds feasible and good, until you realize that “in the name of salvation,” Christians are disobeying God and His Word.  Consequently, then, Christians endorse the idea that “the end justifies the means.”

CHRISTMAS – A PROFANING OF GOD’S HOLINESS?

Even after reading this, some may argue that this is all just my opinion on the matter since no one actually knows what God really feels about these “alternatives” that Christianity has brought into the church.  However, that is not so.  God has spoken to my wife, Karen, and He has also spoken to me in different ways reconfirming the fact that God is not only deeply offended by these pagan celebrations being brought into the church, but He also says that they profane His holiness.  The following is what God has spoken about this “holidays” by His Spirit:

I do not want My people dabbling in the things which I have said were unclean and unholy.  How can I, a holy God, be among the things that are unholy?  My people, you are profaning My name and causing Me to want to take you and remove you from My Holy Presence.  I cannot, and will not, I say, keep dwelling among a people who do not covet the same holy things that I covet.

Yes, I have in My commandments which I gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai, which says to not covet what is not yours, says God Almighty.  These wicked holidays that you are claiming to be yours are detestable in My eyes, says God Almighty.  How can you not see this in the Word of God that I have given you as a manual to understand the very heart of Me, says God.  I do not wish for any one of My children to have anything to do with the things of this world.  I will go farther than this, I can’t continue in a relationship with you because you are grieving the Holy Spirit that has come to be your Helper and to be your Guide.

Don’t profane My name and say you are trying to take something bad and turn it into something good for the sake of the church.  This is not true, says God.  You are doing it because you don’t care about hurting Me, says God.  If you cared about Me, you would see that I detest all the things you’re trying to push Me into.  I do not accept what you have done, and I don’t want anything more to be involved or put My name to that which is unholy and unacceptable to what My Word teaches. (“God Says: ‘My People Are Profaning My Name'”)

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE PAGAN FEASTS AND NOT GOD’S FEASTS?

It seems clear that God does NOT endorse these “Christian alternatives” of pagan feasts and practices.  They offend Him to the point where He feels like spitting His people out in disgust.  The church needs to repent and to stop celebrating these pagan feasts.  I believe the question must be asked, “Why are we celebrating these ‘Christian alternatives’ to these pagan feasts and practices — Christmas, Lent, Easter, and more recently, Halloween – when God Himself has designed and given to us 7 feasts (and I personally would add Purim and Hanukkah) for us to enjoy and celebrate?

If we were to not do “Christmas, Lent and Easter,” and celebrate the 9 feasts that God has given in His word, we would have THREE TIMES the amount of holidays to celebrate and to invite people to church to enjoy them with us.  In addition, we could bring the Bible to life in ways that we are not even coming close to doing presently.  So with at least those two benefits and there are more, it doesn’t make sense why we insist on setting aside what God Himself has given to us to celebrate feasts and practices whose origins and roots are pagan.  We need to repent, turn away from our sins, and begin walking in holiness and obedience to God and to His Word.

Works Cited

“Is Christmas related to Saturnalia?”  gotquestions.org.  Got Questions Ministries. 2017.  Web.  <http://www.gotquestions.org/Christmas-Saturnalia.html>

Nuwer, Rachel.  “The First Nativity Scene Was Created in 1223.”  Smithsonian.com.  Dec. 14, 2012.  Web.  <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-nativity-scene-was-created-in-1223-161485505>

“Saturnalia.” History.com.  n.d.  Web.  <http://www.history.com/topics/Saurnalia>

Verschage, Karen.  “God Says: ‘My People Are Profaning My Name.”  Karensshofar. wordpress.com.  June 19, 2016.  Web.  <http://karensshofar.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/god-says-my-people-are-profaning-my-name>

Woodrow, Ralph.  Babylon Mystery Religion: Ancient and Modern.  Riverside, CA.: Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Association, Inc., 1978.  Print.

 

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In my last post, called “What are the Three Types of Created Being’s We’ll See in Heaven?” I discussed the differences between the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Angels, and at the end of it, I asked the question, “Which of the three do you think Satan is?”  So in this article, I want to give my answer to that question, and on what evidence from Scripture do I believe supports that position.

WHAT IS SATAN’S NAME?

The word “Satan” is actually NOT a name, but a title, and it means “Adversary.”  Many believe that Satan’s name is LUCIFER, which is seen in the following verse:

How are you fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!  For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.  (Isaiah 14:12-14; Emphasis Mine)

However, contrary to the beliefs of many, the word “LUCIFER” is actually a Latin word that’s not part of the actual Hebrew text.  The Hebrew word here is actually hêlêl (Strong’s #1966) or “morning star.”  Some have suggested the translation of “morning star” is a conspiracy to deny the deity of Messiah (Christ) since He is the only true “Morning Star.”  However, if there’s a conspiracy, it was committed by the King James translators who kept a Latin word in a Hebrew text, rather than just translating the Hebrew term.

I believe that we are not supposed to know his name because by denying him a name, it is a way for God to completely strip him of any identity, any status, any influence or position.  And who knows?  Maybe, Satan influenced the KJV translators here to retain the Latin term so that he could give himself a name and, therefore, attempt to reclaim for himself what God originally intended to deny him.

WHAT ABOUT THE NAME “BEELZEBUB”?

After Jesus casts out a blind and dumb demon, and healing him, He was accused by the Pharisees of casting “out devils, but by BEELZEBUB the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 12:22-24; Mark 3: 20-21).  In response, Jesus says,

Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand.  And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?  And if I by BEELZEBUB cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Consequently they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

In this passage, it seems like the words “Satan” and “Beelzebub” are being equated; however, the word “Satan” here is being used in a generic sense, rather than specifically referring to “THE SATAN.”   The word “Satan” means “Adversary” or “Opponent,” and the proof that Jesus is using this term in a generic sense, rather than referring to the specific Satan is the second use of the word Satan in the phrase “if Satan casts out Satan.”

Jesus just cast out a blind and mute demon, and He is calling this demon “Satan,” so if the second “Satan” in the phrase can be used to refer to a blind and mute demon, then it’s just as likely that the first “Satan” in this phrase, referring to Beelzebub, can likewise be someone other than “THE SATAN” as well.  He could be one of Satan’s generals for all we know.  But the point that Jesus is making here that any kingdom that’s divided, or working against itself, cannot stand and endure.

“IS ISAIAH 14:12-17 ABOUT SATAN?”

This passage is a TAUNT [MOCKING] against the King of Babylon.  As we’ve discussed, the name “LUCIFER” is a Latin word, and it’s not part of the actual text.  Once you remove that from the text, then the only other thing to explain are the five “I WILL” boasts within the text:

But you said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north.  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.  (Isaiah 14:13-14)

But in spite of these boasts of what this individual will do, God responds by saying,

Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol [the grave], to the recesses of the pit.  Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, “Is this THE MAN who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness, and over three its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home.  (Isaiah 14:15-17; Emphasis Mine)

In fact, we can see a parallel of this in the life of Nebuchadnezzar.  In Daniel 4, God gives Nebuchadnezzar a dream warning him about what would happen to him due to his pride in thinking that he was solely the one who can be credited for Babylon’s greatness (Daniel 4:4-23), and what was prophesied to happen to him due to his pride:

This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord and king:  that you be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever he wises.   And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.  (Daniel 4:24-26)

And one year later, just as God warned would happen and Daniel explained, the king was glorying in himself by saying, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30), and as soon as he said those words, his dream came to pass (Daniel 4:31-33).

I can see people scoffing and laughing as “the Great King Nebuchadnezzar” who ruled with such glory and power, now lost his sanity, and they watch as he forages for grass to eat like cattle.  Am I saying that Isaiah 14:12-17 is about Nebuchadnezzar?  I’m just saying that the prophecy and what happens in Daniel seem to match, so it’s at least a possibility. Also, since the taunt identifies it as being aimed at a MAN, rather than a spiritual being, I don’t believe there’s enough textual evidence here to say that this text applies to more than just the king of Babylon.

IS SATAN A FALLEN ANGEL?

The typical description by most Christians of Satan is that he’s “a fallen angel.”  Part of this speculation comes from 2 Corinthians:

For such men are false apostles deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for EVEN SATAN DISGUISES HIMSELF AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT.  Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.  (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Emphasis Mine)

Obviously, if SATAN DISGUISES HIMSELF AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT, then an “Angel of light” is not who he truly is.  It’s a mask, a false front, a disguise, something that he pretends to be.  So if he’s pretending to be an “angel of light,” then logically, he must be  something else other than an “angel.”

In the Scriptures, Satan is pictured coming before God with the angels, the sons of God (Job 1:6; 2:1), but nowhere does it identify him as an angel.   Also, in Zcehariah 3, when Joshua is standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan on his right hand to accuse him, it still does not identify Satan as an angel.

Instead, in Revelation 12:9, we learn the following:

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and HIS ANGELS were thrown down with him. (Emphasis Mine)

Although the Bible does not identify Satan as an angel, it does teach that there are angels who work for him and serve his needs.

“IS EZEKIEL 28 ABOUT SATAN?”

Although Ezekiel 28 is specifically addressing the overthrow of the “king of Tyre,” I do believe that there is enough textual evidence here to support the idea that this passage is discussing more than just the king of Tyre.   Instead, I believe that a portion of this text about the fall of the king of Tyre is also being used to present us with a picture of the fall of Satan.

In Ezekiel 28:13, this verse begins by saying, “You were in Eden, the garden of God.”  Obviously, there’s no chance that the king of Tyre could have been in Eden; however, we know that the serpent, who is called Satan (Revelation 12:9), was, in fact, in the garden of Eden.

The passage then goes on to describe him:

Every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your SETTINGS AND SOCKETS, was in you.  On the day that YOU WERE CREATED they were prepared. (Ezekiel 28:13; Emphasis Mine)

There’s three things I want to point out about this verse:

1.  Four of the jewels that are listed here as “his covering” are also used as the “foundation stones” of the New Jerusalem that will come down out of the New Heaven: the topaz, the beryl, the jasper, and the emerald.  Therefore, at least alluding to a heavenly connection to this individual whose covering is being described.
2. There is a dispute on how the phrase translated in the NASB as  “SETTINGS AND SOCKETS” should be translated.  Many translators claim that this phrase in the Hebrew is extremely difficult to interpret.  For example, many translations translate the phrase the same way as the KJV as “TABRETS AND THY PIPES,” but one translation, the Orthodox Jewish Bible, translated it as “HAND DRUMS AND OF THY WIND INSTRUMENTS.”   While others, like the Amplified, the New International Version, the Christian Standard Bible, the Tree of Life Version and others translate it like we find in the NASB.  Many people believe that Satan was the worship leader based on the KJV, OJB, and others which describe these as musical instruments, but if the other translations are correct, then there’s no basis for such a claim.
3. Another indication that this is alluding to someone other than the “king of Tyre” is the statement that “on the day that YOU WERE CREATED were they prepared.”  If this was a man being discussed, God would have said on the day you were CONCEIVED, or on the day that you were BORN, but not “on the day that you were CREATED.”  This again suggests that Ezekiel is alluding to more than just a human king.

In verse 14, we are finally given information about this heavenly being.

You were the ANOINTED CHERUB who covers, and I placed you there.  You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire.  (Ezekiel 28:14; Emphasis Mine)

Obviously, a man, the king of Tyre, is NOT an “ANOINTED CHERUB;” indicated that both the king of Tyre and this ANOINTED CHERUB suffered a similar fate, they both were thrown down from their positions of power and authority, which is why the king of Tyre is being used to present us with a glimpse into the fate of this ANOINTED heavenly being.  Consequently, I believe that as we continue on, we will find that there’s more textual evidence to strongly suggest that this heavenly being, who was cast down from his position of power and authority, is Satan.  And as a result, then, this identifies Satan, not as one of the Seraphim or a “fallen angel,” but as a fallen Cherub.

As a cherub, then, this means that Satan also has a human form with “four faces and four wings.” His legs are straight, and his feet are “like a calf’s hoof.”  He, like the other cherubs, have “the face of a man, the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle” (Ezekiel 1:5-12).  This is definitely not the way that Satan is also pictured.  There’s no horns, no tail, and no pitchfork, and he definitely isn’t red all over.  Much like the angels and cherubs, the picture of Satan that’s often presented does not line up with the biblical record.

In verses 15, we read,

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, UNTIL unrighteousness was found in you.

When God originally created Satan, he was “blameless in his ways.”  He was not created as a sinful, evil being, but like humanity,  it is apparent that all of the heavenly being created by God were also given the freedom of choice.  Satan was perfect, “blameless in his ways,” UNTIL he chose to rebel, and Satan must be quite a charismatic speaker because he convinced one-third of the angels to join him in his rebellion (Revelation 12:4); therefore, proving that the angels, likewise, have the freedom to choose.  And then Satan, the serpent, deceived the first man and first woman, Adam and Eve (Heb. Chavah) to make the same choice that he and the one-third of the angels who followed him made, to rebel against God.  And since that time, Satan and his angels have been convincing people to do the same thing over and over and over again.

But let’s continue,

By the abundance of your TRADE you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the MOUNTAIN OF GOD.  And I have destroyed you, O COVERING CHERUB, from the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:16; Emphasis Mine)

In this verse, we read, “By the abundance of your TRADE you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned.”  What was this “TRADE“?  And how did it internally fill him “with violence,” and result in him “sinning”?   The word translated as “TRADE” is the Hebrew word r’chullatecha (Strong’s #7404), and means “traffic” or “merchandise.”  Today, I think we could include the idea of “peddling.”  But what the king of Tyre and Satan were each “peddling” led to their downfall, and as we will see, also led to the downfall of others.  It is for this reason, that God cast him as something “profane” (common, average; opposite of holy) from the “MOUNTAIN OF GOD.”

And God destroyed him, “O COVERING CHERUB,” so again, God identifies him as a CHERUB, but this time as the “COVERING CHERUB.”  Perhaps, Satan was originally one of the two covering cherubs over the throne of God, but due to his sin, he was stripped of his name, his office, his position, and even his authority in heaven, and he was branded with the name “SATAN” (Adversary, Opponent).

And what led him to believe that he could his own god?  We are told in the next verse:

Your heart was lifted up because of your BEAUTY; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your SPLENDOR.   I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. (Ezekiel 28:17; Emphasis Mine)

Satan got wrapped up in his own beauty and splendor, and as a result, he thought he could be a god as well, and that all those in heaven should bow down in reverence to him as they do God.  And so his pride and narcissistic belief that he should be the center of all things were the seeds that led to his downfall.  And apparently, he was not only beautiful to behold – contrary to the ugly, hideous picture we commonly have of him – but he was also extremely charismatic and convincing.

By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade, you profaned, you profaned your sanctuaries. (Ezekiel 28:18a)

The term “sanctuaries” may be a reference to not only to God’s temple in heaven, the three heavens, but the angels who were corrupted into following him.  So what did God do as punishment besides throwing him down from the “Mountain of God”?

Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you.  And I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you. (Ezekiel 28:18b)

According to the text, God brought “fire from the midst of you,” the fire of his pride, anger, hatred, jealousy, and it consumed him, turning him “to ashes on the earth.”  The word “ashes” here is a description of his appearance.  He is now burnt, dark, ashen in appearance, the opposite of the beauty that he once possessed.  The statement that he would be thrown “on the earth in the eyes of all who see you” is yet future.

In Revelation 12, we are told that there will be a war in heaven between Michael and his angels, and Satan, the Great Dragon, and his angels.  And that Satan and his angels would be thrown down to earth  (Revelation 12:7-9).

All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become terrified, and you will be no more. (Ezekiel 28:19)

During the tribulation, Satan will be on the earth with humanity, but he will know then that his time will be short, so he will seek to destroy as many of God’s people as possible.  Believers will be “appalled” at him, but once the Lord returns, he will be “terrified,” realizing his coming punishment in the bottomless pit and, then, into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where his memory among God’s people “will be no more.”

CONCLUSION

As we’ve seen, the best textual evidence seems to point to Satan originally being one of the covering cherubs over the throne of God.  However, he became enamored with his own looks and beauty, became filled with pride and rebellion, and began to spreading it to the angels within God’s Kingdom.  A third of the angels joined him in his rebellion and were cast out of heaven, and their names were erased from the writings of God.

His appearance was changed by the hideous fire that burned within him to a dark, black, ashened figure, and no longer the beautiful being that he once was.  He now rules as Satan, “the adversary,” the “god of this world,” and “the prince of the kingdom of darkness.”

 

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ARE ANGELS THE ONLY CREATED BEINGS IN HEAVEN?   Many people believe that all the various created beings in heaven are angels, and that angels actually have two wings.  But is this actually true, according to the Bible?  And what about the cherub?  Does it actually look like a cute little baby with wings?  But if cherubs are angels too, then why are they called “cherubs” and not “angels”?  In this study, I want to look at what the Bible actually teaches us about these heavenly beings that God created.

In contrast to what many people believe, or have been erroneously taught, there are actually different types of beings in the heavenlies, not just one.   I find it problematic in the church that we want to simplify what the Bible teaches for people, but oftentimes, we oversimplify to the point where what we’re saying isn’t actually true.

For example, the inclusion of the wise men at Jesus’ birth.  We have them arrive at the manger, and we even identify them as “kings,” but this isn’t what the Bible teaches.  The Bible says that they were “wisemen,” and no where does it identify them as “kings,” and they didn’t show up at the manger, but by the time, they arrived, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were living in a house, and Jesus is described NOT as a “babe” or an “infant,” but as a young child (Matthew 2:11).  So why do we continue to teach something that’s not biblically true?  It’s tradition!  In the same sense, why do we continue to teach that all the living beings in heaven are “Angels”?  For the same reason, it’s tradition!

But as I’ll show, they are not all angels at all, but three different types of created beings: the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the Angels.  In other words, they are NOT all angels.  Each of them live in heaven and have a part to play in God’s Kingdom.  But interestingly, the pictures we often visualize of them are often partially inaccurate, such as with Angels, or completely inaccurate, such as with the Cherubim.  So what does the Bible teach actually us about them?

A VIEW OF GOD’S THRONE IN HEAVEN

In Revelation 4, the Apostle John has a vision of him going up into heaven, and he describes the throne of God:

and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.  And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance.  And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. (Revelation 4:2-4)

The “rainbow” around the throne is an allusion to the covenant that God made with humanity and the earth, not to destroy the whole earth again with a major flood.

WHO ARE THE 24 ELDERS?

Now there’s a variety of opinions as to the identity of the twenty-four elders.   The reason for the diversity of opinion is that the Apostle John NEVER identifies who the twenty-four elders are.  Some of these opinions are the following:

• Angels;
• They are comprised of Adam, Abel, Seth, and his family line down to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;
• They represent the combined priesthood of all believers (Old Testament Israel and New Testament believers combined, Jew and non-Jew);
• The 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 Apostles;
• The Old Testament glorified Jewish saints who were raised “first in the firstfruits” resurrection of Christ;
• They are representatives of the raptured Church; or
• They represent the completed body of redeemed humanity.

As we can see, there’s a great diversity of opinion as to who these 24 elders are; however, the one thing that most sources agreed upon was that they were glorified human beings.  Those who argued that they were angels were few.  But moving on,  John then goes on to say,

And from the throne proceed flashes of lightening and sounds of peals of thunder.  And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; and before the throne there was as it were, a sea of glass like crystal;… (Revelation 4:5-6a).

The “flashes of lightening and sounds of thunder” are the same sights and sounds that Moses and the children of Israel saw at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:16).  The number “seven” represents completeness, and we can see that there are “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are,” we are told, “the seven spirits of God.”  The Holy Spirit is pictured here as “seven spirits,” because God’s Spirit is complete in His power and revelation.  It is here at this point that the first of the four created beings is introduced.

TYPE 1: THE SERAPHIM

I’ve chosen the Seraphim (pron. “Ser-ah-feem“) to describe first because they are the ones John mentions here in his vision, and they are continually involved in worship in heaven.  The Seraphim are not only described by John, but they were also described by Isaiah centuries before in Isaiah 6.  In English, we indicate that something is in the plural when we add the letter “s” to the end of a noun (like “house” sing.; “houses” pl.) but in Hebrew, this is done sometimes by adding an “im” (pron. “eem“) at the end of the word (“Seraph” sing, “Seraphim” pl).

The word “Seraphim” means “Burning Ones,” because of their continual zealous passion for God, and they continually fly around the throne of God, calling out to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty.”  The are described here in Isaiah 6:2-4,

SERAPHIM stood above Him [the LORD], each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.   And one called out to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”  And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the Temple was filling with smoke. [Emphasis Mine]

The Seraphim as we can see do not have two wings, but six wings.  A pair of wings covering the face is a position of humility, a pair of wings covering the feet is a position of respect, and with the other two wings, they use to fly and get around.  John also saw this same sight, as I mentioned, in Revelation 4:

and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.  And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.  And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who to come.” (Revelation 4:6-8)

Now although John calls them “four living creatures,” rather than Seraphim (this word may not have translated well into Greek), I believe they are the same ones from Isaiah’s vision.  Like in Isaiah’s vision, these created beings are flying around the throne, they have six wings, and they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God, the Almighty.”  And in these three details, these two scenes are exactly alike; however, in John’s account, there are some added details not given by Isaiah.

• Their bodies and wings are full of eyes in front and behind; and
• The first creature was like a lion; the second like a calf; the third had a face like a man’s, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.

So what’s the purpose for all the eyes and what do each of their faces represent?  I believe these two characteristics are symbolic of certain traits of God, such as the eyes representing the eternality of God.  Only He can see the past, present, and future all at the same time, and so the eyes are able to look forward and back. 

But what about the four faces?  Although the Bible never indicates their meaning, the following is my own thoughts.  The “lion” could represent Jesus as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Genesis 49:9; Revelation 5:5);  the “calf” could represent Jesus as “the ultimate sacrifice of sin” (Hebrews  9:12, 14; 10:10-14); the “face of a man” could represent Jesus, “the son of man” (Daniel 7:13-14); but it was my wife, Karen, who suggested the last one, “the flying eagle” could represent God’s statement to Israel that “I bore you on eagle’s wings, and brought you to Myself” (Exodus 19:4).

TYPE 2: THE CHERUBIM

The next type are the Cherubim.  The Cherubim are different from the Seraphim, but as we shall see, they do share a few characteristics.   Although the Seraphim’s function is primarily worship, the primary function of the Cherubim is to be guardians of God’s Holy Presence and His Throne, in addition to worship and serving God.   In fact, in many ways, I imagine the Cherubim as being like God’s “Secret Service Agents,” thus giving them a high ranking and position among God’s created beings.

Some might wonder, “As great as God is, why does He need Cherubim to guard or protect Him and His Throne?”  Rather than Him personally, they protect the sanctity and purity of His holiness and Presence, as well as the holiness of His Throne.  God is at war with the Kingdom of Darkness, and Satan, the prince of Darkness, would do anything to defile any and everything that belongs to God, if given the chance.  Consequently, the reason for God’s Cherubim and His angels, His military force.

The first place the Cherubim are mentioned is in Genesis.  Adam and Eve have sinned against God, and as punishment, they have been driven out of the Garden of Eden.

So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the CHERUBIM, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.  (Genesis 3:24; Emphasis Mine)

Noticed it was NOT angels that God posted there, but cherubim.   But aren’t angels just another name for cherubim?  No, for as we will see in this study, angels and cherubim look nothing alike, nor do they have the same duties.  In describing the Cherubim, God provides Ezekiel a vision of them in two passages: Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10.

THE BIBLICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHERUBIM

In this first passage, Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, is at the river Chebar with the other exiles in Babylon, when the heavens are opened, and he sees this vision of God.   It is in this vision, where he first sees what he later identifies as the cherubim.  This is how he describes them:

And within it there were figures resembling four living beings.  And this was their appearance: they had human form.  Each of them had four faces and four wings.  And their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze.  Under their wings on their four sides were human hands.  As for the face and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.  As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.  Such were their faces.  Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.  And each went forward; wherever the Spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they go.  (Ezekiel 1:5-12)

In this initial passage, we learn that the cherubim are not anything like what they are often portrayed as cute little babies with wings.  Instead, Ezekiel describes them as being human in form, but with four faces and four wings with feet “like a calf’s hoof” that “gleamed like burnished bronze.”  Their four faces were those of a man, a lion, a bull, and an eagle.  Each of the faces of the Seraphim are combined to compose the face of each of the Cherubim.   By combining these four faces onto one face, this may be a way of indicating their higher position.  But unlike the Seraphim, the Cherubim only have four wings, rather than six, and as we shall see further into this study, neither the Seraphim or the Cherubim look anything like angels.

In Ezekiel 10, he not only identifies this time that what he is describing are, in fact, Cherubim, but he also discusses in great detail about the wheels associated with them. Now in my research, I discovered that there are many speculations and ideas about who or what the wheels represent, but since this post is already rather lengthy, I want to stay focused on only the cherubim themselves.

And their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them.  The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.  And each one had four faces.  The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.  Then the cherub rose up.  They are the living beings that I saw by the river Chebar (those he described in chapter 1).  (Ezekiel 10:12-15)

Here we can see a shared description with the Sepharim, their bodies being covered in eyes and, of course, this would have been for the same reason.  But in this description, what’s translated as “the face of a cherub” would have been “the face of an ox” that He gave earlier.

In Ezekiel 10, the glory of the LORD is seen leaving the Temple in Jerusalem before the Babylonian conquest began, but afterwards, Ezekiel again reiterates his description, and that these were, indeed, cherubim.

These are the living beings that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim.  Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands.  As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar.  Each one went straight ahead.  (Ezekiel 10:20-22)

Obviously, the Cherubim do not look anything like a cute little baby with wings.  But from Ezekiel’s description, we learn that they have a human-like male form with four faces.  They have the face of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.  They have straight legs, and the soles of their feet look like the hoofs of a calf.  They also have four wings: two wings are used to fly and two wings cover their bodies, and their bodies and wings, like the Seraphim, are covered in eyes.

As God’s guardians of His Presence, it is NOT surprising, then, that God would have their images stationed within the Tabernacle and, then later on, in the Temple.  For example, we find,

• Two cherubim stationed on either side of the mercy seat, representing His throne and where He would meet with His people (Exodus 25:18-20, 22; 37:7-9; Numbers 7:89; I Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; I Kings 6:23-28: 8:6-7; 2 Kings 19:15; I Chronicles 13:6; 28:18; 2 Chronicles 5:7-8; Hebrews 9:5).
• Two cherubim woven into the Temple Veil, guarding the way into the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:1, 31; 36:8, 35; 2 Chronicles 3:10-14).
• Cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers are carved into the walls of Solomon’s Temple (I Kings 6:29; 2 Chronicles 3:7) and in the two doors of the Temple (I Kings 6:32, 35; Ezekiel 41:24-25).
• Cherubim are also carved on the borders between the ledges and on the plates of the ledges (I Kings 7:29, 36).

Although the images of the cherubim are seen throughout the tabernacle and later Temple artistically, I do not believe this implies that they are only artistic expressions and do not really exist, as I read in one Internet article.  Instead, I believe that this demonstrates artistically those who are the guardians of the sanctity and holiness of God’s Presence and His throne in heaven.

INSIGHT INTO THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE?

Also, in describing what I believe to be the Temple that will be built and used during the Tribulation period (Ezekiel 40-42), the carvings of the cherubim in the wall have a pattern of a cherub with man’s face, palm tree, cherub with lion’s face, and a palm tree, and this pattern is repeated throughout this Temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20).  What are not portrayed are the cherubim’s four faces that Ezekiel described them having earlier (in chapters 1 and 10). 

The change of the faces of the cherubim might be indicative of two possible reasons:

• To communicate the denial of the reality of the biblical cherubim, and that they themselves are the true guardians of God’s Presence: cherub with a man’s face, representing humanity, and the cherub with a lion’s face, representing the tribe of Judah being the common image for Israel; or
• To communicate that Israel at that time only accepts the two faces of the cherubim (the man and the lion), while rejecting the meaning of the other two faces (the ox and the eagle). 

These are only speculations on my part, but the cherubim described here are not representative of the cherubim we see in the earlier part of the Ezekiel’s writings.

TYPE 3: THE ANGELS

Unlike the Seraphim and the Cherubim, there’s NOT ONE single verse in the Bible that ever describes Angels as having wings.  Our belief that they have two wings is actually derived from paintings, sculptures, and other artistic works, rather than on the Bible.  Instead, the Bible consistently describes as only “men” or “good-looking men.”  For example,

And when he [Abraham] lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three MEN were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth.  (Genesis 18:2; Emphasis Mine)

Notice that although we discover later that these men were angels, there’s no indication in the account of them having wings.  We can also see this is in the following chapter in the account of the destruction of Sodom.  In Genesis 19, we read,

Now the TWO ANGELS came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom.  When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.  (Genesis 19:1; Emphasis Mine)

Later the men of Sodom come pounding on Lot’s door.  Notice how they describe these TWO ANGELS,

and they [the men of Sodom] called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the MEN who came to you tonight?  Being them out to us that we may have relations [i.e., sexual relations] with them.”  (Genesis 19:5; Emphasis Mine)

There’s no indication that the men of the Sodom saw these visitors as anything other than good-looking men.  Again, not even the slightest hint of them having wings.  How about in the New Testament?  In Matthew’s account of the resurrection of Jesus, he writes,

And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.  And HIS APPEARANCE was like lightning, and his garment was white as snow; and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  (Matthew 28:2-4; Emphasis Mine)

Again, we see in the description of the angel that he was brilliantly bright like lightning, and even his garment (or clothes) was white as snow, but there’s absolutely no mention of him having wings.  It seems evident that if he would’ve had wings, the women would have told Matthew about it.  How about one last example in the book of Acts?  As Jesus was ascended into heaven TWO ANGELS appear to Jesus’ disciples.  Notice how they are described:

And as they [the disciples] were gazing intently into the sky while He [Jesus] was departing, behold, TWO MEN IN WHITE CLOTHING stood beside them; and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?  This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  (Acts 1:10-11: Emphasis Mine)

Again, did you notice that they were described as “MEN IN WHITE CLOTHING,” who were just suddenly there, but there’s no mention or hinting of them having wings.  Consequently, there’s absolutely no biblical basis for the idea that angels have wings.

BUT WHAT DO ANGELS DO?

The angels serve four functions in God’s Kingdom.  Their primary function is as God’s military force, but they also serve as servants, worshipers, and messengers.  

AS GOD’S MILITARY FORCE

For example, as mentioned earlier, God sent out two of His angels as a detail to rescue Lot and his family and to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  There’s also the example of the Angel of the LORD who was sent out to defend Jerusalem from an attack by the Assyrians.  In response to this threat, the Angel of the LORD “struck (or killed) 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when [the other] men arose early in the morning, behold all of these were dead.  So Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed and returned home, and lived at Ninevah” (Isaiah 37:36-37). 

There’s also the example of the Archangel Michael being dispatched because another angel, who had a message for Daniel, had been detained in warfare with “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” (a fallen angel over Persia) for three whole weeks (Daniel 10:12-14).  The fact that there’s continuing war in heaven between God’s Kingdom and the Kingdom of Darkness (Satan and his angels) in Revelation 12:7.

Jesus also alludes to them as God’s military force when He speaks about His return (Matthew 16:27), and the angels will be sent out to round up, gather, and if need be rescue His people (Matthew 24:31; Mark 26:26-27).  He also refers to them as such in the Garden of Gethsemane when He tells Peter,

Jesus said to him [Peter], “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal MORE THAN TWELVE LEGIONS OF ANGELS?”  (Matthew 26:52-53; Emphasis Mine)

One LEGION is equivalent to 6,000 troops. so more than 12 LEGIONS would be MORE THAN 72,000 ANGELS,” and this would be abundantly more than enough to deal with the soldiers who were there to arrest Jesus.  And in saying this, Jesus was clearly indicating that one of the functions of Angels is as God’s military force.

AS GOD’S MESSENGERS

The word for “angel” in Hebrew is mal’akh (Strong’s #4397), and it means “angel” or “messenger.”  So we see them bringing messages from God to different people, such as to Lot and his family (Genesis 19:12-13, 15-21); to Manoah and his wife (Judges 13: 2-5, 9-20);  to Daniel (Daniel 8:16-26; 9:21-27; 10:10-21); to Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist 1:11-20); to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-37); to Joseph (Matthew 1:19-21), and to others in the Scriptures. 

In addition, here are some sample references which discuss some specific things that Angels do:

THEY GUARD, PROTECT AND RESCUE US.  For example,

• Exodus 14:19, “And the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and STOOD behind them.”
• Psalm 91:11, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to GUARD you in all your ways.” (Emphasis Mine)
• Daniel 6:21-22, “Then Daniel spoke to the king, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and THEY HAVE NOT HARMED ME, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” (Emphasis Mine)

THEY LEAD AND GUIDE US.  For example,

• Exodus 23:20, “Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to GUARD you along the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.“

THEY FIGHT AND DELIVER.  For example,

• Exodus 33:2, “And I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.”
• Numbers 20:16, “But when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent an angel and BROUGHT US OUT FROM EGYPT; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.”
• Numbers 22:31-33, “Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.  And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times?  Behold, I have come out as an ADVERSARY, because your way was contrary to me.  But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times.  If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”

THEY STRENGTHEN US.  For example,

• Luke 22:43, “Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him [Jesus], STRENGTHENING Him.”

THEY RESTRAIN THE WIND.  For example,

• Revelation 7:1, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, HOLDING BACK THE FOUR WINDS of the earth, so that no wind should blow in the earth or on the sea or on any tree.”

ANGELS ARE SENT BY GOD TO MINISTER

According to Hebrews 1:14, “Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”  Consequently, angels are sent to minister to those who are the true believers in Jesus Christ.  As an example of angels saving us when we are in trouble, let me offer this example from my own personal experience:

MY OWN TESTIMONY

My family and I was driving down to visit my mom in the middle of December; however,  the day before we left, we got this horrible snow storm.  But regardless, I decided we were going to go anyways.  It took us forever to get there.  What should have been an eleven-hour drive ended up taking us twenty-three hours!

But as we were going down the free way, we were in the middle lane between semi trucks on either side of us.  Then, out of nowhere, we hit an ice patch and our van was twirling in circles in between these two semis.  We cried out, “Jesus!”  But no sooner had we cried out for His help, the van was on the other side of the highway, facing in the opposite direction.  Even to this day, I have no explanation how I got on the other side of the freeway without hitting a single semi or car.  The only explanation I have is that God sent His angels to help us and to move our car to the other side of the highway.  I can’t offer any other explanation.

CONCLUSION

As we’ve seen, there’s more than just ANGELIC BEINGS up in heaven, there are SERAPHIM, CHERUBIM, and the ANGELS.  These three classes of spiritual beings, each have their own tasks and responsibilities in God’s Kingdom, just as you and I have our own tasks and responsibilities that we are to do as part of God’s Kingdom.

God’s Kingdom is more than just “the people and nation of Israel” or “the church,” since both of these would exclude the spiritual realm and these created beings by God.  Instead, God’s Kingdom involves both the spiritual realm, as well as the physical universe, which includes Earth, and all the people and nations on this planet.  These two realms constitute God’s Kingdom and territory.

Now in considering these three types of celestial beings, I’d like you to consider these three types and then ask yourself a question: Which one of these three types is Satan?  He is one of these three, but which one?  In my next post, I’ll give you my own answer and reasons, but until then, which one do you think he is?  To provide your answer, just click on the following link:  “Which One is Satan?” Survey.

 

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In this last part of this 4-part series, we are going to examine the last three things that the Old Testament teaches us about God’s chesed [or grace].

CHESED [GRACE] IS ASSOCIATED WITH GOD’S BLESSINGS.

Since by God’s grace, His chesed, and His redemptive acts is the way God brings us into a relationship with Him, and it is also by His grace that we are able to continue in our relationship to Him, which includes our obedience to His commandments, then it is only logical that grace [God’s chesed] should also be associated with God’s blessings.  For example,

Surely goodness and MERCY [Heb. chesed] shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  (Psalm 23:6)

For the word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth.  He loves righteousness and judgment:  the earth is full of the GOODNESS [Heb. chesed] of the LORD.  (Psalm 33:4-5; Emphasis mine)

In both of these psalms, David is praising God for His blessings, His “goodness and chesed (‘mercy’),” which he said would “follow me all the days of my life,” as well as to connect God’s “goodness,” His chesed, with the Torah, “the word of the LORD,” i.e., God’s law.

SOME OF THE THINGS GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] DOES FOR US

Here are a few specific things that God’s chesed [grace] does for us in our lives:

GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] QUICKENS MEN.

Psalm 119:88.  “Quicken me after Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed]; so shall I keep Your testimony of Your mouth.”

Psalm 119:159.  “Consider how I love Your precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed; grace].”

GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] COMFORTS.

Psalm 119:76.  “Let, I pray You, Your MERCIFUL KINDNESS [Heb. chesed] be for my comfort, according to Your word unto Your servant.”

GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] PRESERVES.

You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and Your truth will continually preserve me. (Psalm 40:11; Emphasis mine)

You will prolong the king’s life; His years will be as many generations.  He will abide before God forever; appoint LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and truth, that they may preserve him.  (Psalm 61:6-7; Emphasis mine)

LOYALTY [Heb. chesed] and truth preserve the king, and he upholds his throne by righteousness.  (Proverbs 20:28; Emphasis mine)

GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] IS POURED OUT UPON INDIVIDUALS.

God pours His chesed [grace] out on individuals, for example, Lot, Joseph, David, and Ezra.

Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed], which you have shown by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. (Genesis 19:19; emphasis mine)

But the LORD was with Joseph and extended KINDNESS [Heb. chesed] to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.  (Genesis 39:21; emphasis mine)

Then Solomon said, “You have shown great LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed], that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.  (I Kings 3:6; emphasis mine)

Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes.  Thus I was strengthened according tothe hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Isael to go up with me.  (Ezra 7:27-28; emphasis mine)

In the next examples, David is asking God about His chesed that he had experienced before.  In other words, he’s going through a difficult time, and he wants to experience those times of blessings again in his life.

Psalm 89:49.  “Lord, where are Your former LOVINGKINDNESSES [Heb. chesed], which You swore unto David in Your truth?”

Psalm 90:13-14.   “Return, O LORD, how long?  and let it repent You concerning Your servants.  O satisfy us early with Your MERCY [Heb. chesed]; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

Perhaps, you’ve gone through (or are currently going through) some really hard times, and you, like David, have asked God, “Where are those former times of blessing that I experienced before?  Why can’t I experience them again?”  And God does respond with a blessing, by giving us His grace, which helps us through those difficult times.

GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] IS POURED OUT UPON ISRAEL AS A NATION.

But not only does God pour out His chesed [grace] upon individuals, but also upon the nation of Israel.

In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] I will have compassion on you.  (Isaiah 54: 8, 10; emphasis mine)

I shall make mention of the LOVINGKNDNESSES [Heb. chesed] of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His compassion.  (Isaiah 63: 7; emphasis mine)

The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed].   (Jeremiah 31: 3; Emphasis Mine)

In the next examples, David is asking God about His chesed that he had experienced before.  In other words, he’s going through a difficult time, and he wants to experience those times of blessings again in his life.

SHARING GOD’S CHESED [GRACE]

Not only is chesed [grace] associated with God’s blessing, but we are encouraged to praise God for His blessings which He gives to us, among which is His chesed [or grace].

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] in the morning, for You have been my stronghold, and a refuge in the day of my distress.  O my strength, I will sing praises to You; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me LOVINGKNESS [Heb. chesed].   (Psalm 59:16-17; Emphasis mine)

I will sing of the LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] of the LORD forever; for what vanity You have created all the sons of men.  (Psalm 89:1; Emphasis Mine)

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Your name, O Most High.  To show forth Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.  (Psalm 92:1-2; Emphasis Mine)

I will sing LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and justice, To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.  (Psalm 101:1; Emphasis Mine)

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name…Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and tender mercies.  (Psalm 103:1, 4; Emphasis Mine)

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed], and for His wonders to the sons of men!  (Psalm 107: 8, 15, 21, 31; Emphasis Mine)

I will bow down toward Your holy temple, and give thanks to Your name for Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and Your truth.   (Psalm 138:2; Emphasis Mine)

GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] IS A PLACE OF REFUGE

God’s chesed [grace] is also something that we can rely on and turn to when we are in trouble, or when we need God’s forgiveness or protection.

Psalm 130:7.  “Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is MERCY [Heb. chesed; grace], and with Him is plenteous redemption.”

Psalm 144: 1-2.  “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.  My GOODNESS [Heb. chesed], and My fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdues my people under me.”

SHARING GOD’S CHESED [GRACE] WITH OTHERS.

God’s chesed [grace] is not only something that we receive for ourselves, nor is it something that’s only for the nation of Israel, but it’s also something that we can share with others.

I have NOT hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and Your truth from the great congregation.  (Psalm 40:10; Emphasis mine)

Because Your LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] is better than life, My lips will praise You.  (Psalm 63:3; Emphasis mine)

I believe this is one of the reasons why Paul begins his letters with greetings of “peace and grace.”  It not only combines typical Jewish and Gentile greetings of the time, but it also fulfills Scriptural teaching about sharing God’s chesed [grace] with others, and not “concealing” it “from the great congregation.”

GOD WILL JUDGE THOSE WHO DO NOT WALK IN HIS CHESED [GRACE].

And finally, the last thing that the Old Testament teaches us about God’s chesed [grace] is that God will judge those who do not follow His example and walk in it.

Our fathers in Egypt did NOT understand Your wonders; They did not remember Your abundant KINDNESSES [Heb. chesed], but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.  (Psalm 106:7; Emphasis Mine)

For this says the LORD, “Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people, declares the LORD, “My LOVINGKINDNESS [Heb. chesed] and compassion.  (Jeremiah 16:5; Emphasis Mine)

Those who regard vain idols forsake their FAITHFULNESS [Heb. chesed].  (Jonah 2:8; Emphasis Mine)

Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or KINDNESS [Heb. chesed] or knowledge of God in the land.   (Hosea 4:1; Emphasis Mine)

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?  What shall I do with you, O Judah?  For your LOYALTY [Heb. chesed] is like a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes away early.   (Hosea 6:4; Emphasis Mine)

CONCLUSION

In summary, then, in this four-part series, we’ve discovered that the Old Testament, like many things, has a much broader scope to God’s chesed [grace] than what we see in the New Testament.  The New Testament highlights those aspects of grace that deal with sin and redemption, but this is not the only aspect and views that the Bible has regarding God’s chesed [grace].  And I believe when we consider these twelve things that the Old Testament has to say about His chesed [grace], then we should realize what a large disservice we are doing when we focus on only what the New Testament teaches about it, instead of what ALL of the Bible has to say about it.

 

 

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IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN GOD’S LAW AND GRACE?    In this last part of this series, we will examine what the Old Testament teaches us about the connection between grace and the law.  This is an extremely controversial point, since for centuries, Christianity has argued that Grace and Law were opposites, and that if someone tried to follow the Law, then they were attempting to earn their way to heaven, and the cross of Christ was no longer beneficial to them (Galatians 5:4).  But is this correct, or has the writings of Paul been taken out of context and misunderstood?  In this third part of this four-part series, we are going to look at this controversial topic.

CHESED [GRACE] IS CONNECTED TO OBSERVANCE TO THE LAW.

Interestingly, the first One to explicitly connect law and grace (Heb. chesed) together in the Bible is God Himself at Mt. Sinai as He is giving Israel the Ten Commandments.  So am I saying that God taught that we are justified by the keeping of the law?  Did He not know about the cross here?  I have heard many ministers make the claim that in the Old Testament, God taught a “legalistic approach” to Him, but as we will see, the Old Testament does NOT teach what they claim.  Those who think it teaches a “legalistic approach” do NOT really know the commandments, nor have they given them any real consideration beyond just a superficial reading of the text.

In the giving of the commandments, God first of all introduces Himself to the people of Israel:

I am the LORD [Heb. YHVH] your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  (Exodus 20:2)

“I am the LORD.”  The word “LORD” here in all capitals is YHVH, the covenantal name of God, and when it was originally written, as all words in the ancient Paleo-Hebrew of the Old Testament, there were no vowels added to the words.  The vowels were added to the written text much later, and as a result, there’s been a lot of dispute as to how His name should be pronounced, which is why I just gave the consonants here.  But in this introduction, He not only tells them His name, which is what we do when we introduce ourselves to someone, but He reaffirms their relationship with Him by saying “your God.”

But not only does He introduce Himself to them and tell them that He is their “God,” but He also tells them that He is the one who had just redeemed them from slavery in Egypt; consequently, then, His relationship to them is based on the redemptive act that He had just done for them [i.e., His act of grace], “which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”   And so even in the New Testament, our relationship with God is based on His grace, i.e., His redemptive act: Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sins.   So has God changed?  Absolutely NOT!  In fact, throughout the Scriptures, we find a consistent portrait of the behavior of God: He redeems us by an act of grace, His chesed, in order to establish His relationship with us.  This is true in the Exodus, it is true in the New Testament, and it is true in our lives today.

THE LAW’S TEACHING ABOUT GOD’S GRACE [CHESED]

It is only after establishing His identity and His relationship to them,  which is based upon His act of grace, His redemption of them from slavery, that He then gives to them His commandments.  The first one being,

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)

So what we learn here in the law is that once we are in a relationship with God, which is based on His redemption, an act of His grace, then we are expected to live in obedience to Him.  So what the law teaches us, contrary to what many mainstream ministers teach,  is that OBEDIENCE FOLLOWS REDEMPTION (i.e., “salvation”), which is always an act of grace, and the obedience does NOT cause or bring about the redemption or salvation.  Therefore, the law teaches the exact same thing as Paul in the New Testament.  Grace and law are NOT in conflict at all, but both of them do have a purpose and a role in our relationship with God.

But there’s more that God wants us to learn here about His grace, God’s chesed, but to see it, we must continue on.  The first thing God requires in our obedience to Him is that He is to come FIRST and FOREMOST in our lives, and nothing else.  If we put anything before Him, including our own needs, wants, our dreams and desires, our families and yes, even our own lives, then we are in violation of this commandment.  And secondly,

You shall not make unto you ANY graven image, or ANY likeness of ANY thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  (Exodus 20:4; Emphasis mine)

God clearly prohibits here the use of ANY type of pictorial representation of Him.  But it’s in the next two verses, which is actually a continuation of this commandment, that we find the next connection between God’s commandments and His chesed (or grace).  Although in the King James, the word chesed here is NOT translated as “grace” but as  “mercy”:

You shall not bow down yourself to them [idols or other gods], nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing MERCY [Heb. chesed] unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.”  (Exodus 20:5-6; Emphasis mine)

So in this part of the commandment, we are also NOT to “bow down” and “serve” any other gods.  To “bow down” was the common position of worship, so God here is telling them (and us) that we are not to worship any other god or idol, only Him.  And we are also NOT to “serve” any other god.

What does it mean to “serve” any other god?  The word “serve” is the English translation of the Hebrew word ‘avad (Strong’s #5647), which means “to serve, work, or toil, or to work as a slave.”  I think a good modern example of this can be seen in traditional Buddhism.  The Buddha (“the Enlightened One”) is a title given to Siddhartha, the son of a king in India, who renounced his position, wealth, power, and even left his wife and child, to go and discover the cause of human suffering.  Siddhartha lived the same time as the prophet Isaiah, about 500 years before Christ.

In traditional Theraveda Buddhism, although the Buddha is not seen as “a god” (since there are no gods in Theraveda Buddhism), he and his teachings do come first and foremost in the minds of his followers; consequently, then making him an idol. And every year on his birthday, his statue is cleaned, a ritual called “bathing the Buddha.” And another form of this happens during the “Vesak Ritual,” in which devoted followers “pour scented, blessed water over an image of an infant prince [the Buddha].” In “bathing the [statues of the] Buddha,” these followers are “serving” him and, therefore, violating this commandment that we are not to serve any other god (or idol), but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But you say, “I don’t have any statues in my home, nor do I serve any,” but do you spend all your time working?  Is your job an idol in your life?  Does your service to your employer come before your service or obedience to God?  What about sports?  Do you spend all your time watching one game after another?  Do you serve your enjoyment of the games by learning all you can about them and the players, rather than spending time with God by reading your Bible?  What about other possible idols: video games, parties, money and materialism, drugs and alcohol, or even your own family?  ANYTHING that comes first and foremost in our lives before God is an idol; it doesn’t have to be a statue.  But regardless of what it is, do you “serve” it?

And why are we NOT to “bow down” or “serve” them?  For three reasons,

• Because God says, “for I the LORD your God am a jealous God.” 

This word “jealous” is the English translation of the Hebrew word qanna (Strong’s #7067), and it’s only used of God.  In doing some research, I found out in Chris Poblete’s online article “The Names of God: Qanna,” that he writes,

The fundamental meaning relates to a marriage relationship. God is depicted as Israel’s husband; He is a jealous God, wanting all our praise for Himself and no one else.

So just as any human spouse would expect complete loyalty and faithfulness, so God, as Israel’s husband, is expecting complete loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness from His people.  In the next part of the verse, God alludes to the fact that God faithfully keeps His covenant, and when that covenant is broken, God will faithfully punish those who violate it, which is what He means when He says,

• visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.

And finally, it’s in this third reason where the next chesed-connection is seen.

• and showing MERCY [Heb. chesed] unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.

Throughout the Scriptures, God consistently describes Himself, or is describes, as Him being a God who “keeps covenant” and “mercy” (Heb. chesed; or “grace”).  For example,

Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, which KEEPS COVENANT AND MERCY [Heb. chesed] with them that love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9; Emphasis mine)

What is it that we are to “KNOW” about YHVH, our God?  There are FIVE important things I’d like to point out from this verse:

• “He is God.”  There’s no other God but Him.  Hes “the real thing,” all other gods are man-made and false.
• He is “the faithful God.”  The word “faithful” is the Hebrew word ‘emunah (and it can mean “faith” or “faithful” or both at the same time).  So this could also be translated as “the faith God” or “the God of faith.”  So then how does God demonstrate His emunah, His “faith” and His “faithfulness”?
• “which KEEPS COVENANT AND MERCY [Heb. chesed] with them.”  But who are the “them”?
• “that love Him…”  Notice that our “love for Him,” is mentioned first.  So just as we discussed before, RELATIONSHIP COMES FIRST, and then secondly,
• “and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.”  OBEDIENCE always follows RELATIONSHIP, NOT the other way around.

From this, we can see that “grace,” God’s chesed, is not only involved in us coming into a relationship with God, but it is also central to our on-going relationship with God, which includes our obedience to His commandments.   So to see grace [Heb. chesed] and our obedience to God as being diametrically opposed to one another is a clear misrepresentation of what is taught here within the Scriptures.  These two things are not opposites, nor are they opposed to each other, but it is this connection between God’s grace [Heb. chesed] and our obedience to His commandments that traditional mainstream Christianity has not correctly understood.

So now let’s look at some more examples of this connection being made:

And he [Solomon] said, ‘LORD God of Israel, there is no God like You, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who KEEPS COVENANT AND MERCY [Heb. chesed] with Your servants that walk before You with all their heart.  (I Kings 8:23; Emphasis mine; see also 2 Chronicles 6:14)

And I [Daniel] prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, KEEPING THE COVENANT AND MERCY [Heb. chesed] to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments.  (Daniel 9:4; Emphasis mine)

And [Nehemiah] said, ‘I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that KEEPS COVENANT AND MERCY [Heb. chesed] for them that love Him and observe His commandments.  (Nehemiah 1:5; Emphasis mine)

As we can see, Solomon, Daniel, Nehemiah, all understood that the God of Israel was a God who “KEEPS COVENANT AND MERCY [Heb. chesed; or grace]” and the people who He “keeps covenant and chesed [grace] with are described consistently the same way: as those “who love Him and keep His commandments.” So as Christians, we might ask the question, So why is “keeping His commandments” important?  It is NOT just about the obedience, there is something more here.

THE REAL INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE COMMANDMENTS

God introduces Himself to His people – His Bride, Israel – His “new family,” and He wants her to know who He is and what He’s like, and what He’s NOT like.  This is the ultimate intent and purpose of the commandments, to describe God to us.  And by having us “keep His commandments,” He is trying to teach us, by using concrete examples, how we can become imitators of Him, which is what Paul teaches us in Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (NASB).  In the King James, it states, “Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children.”  A “follower” is one who imitates the teacher, the one they are following, so in actuality, the same message is being taught here: to “be imitators of God.”

And like any loving father, God wants us, as His sons and daughters, to imitate Him, and the commandments He gave to Moses teaches us how to do that. But another essential concept that most traditional mainstream American Christians don’t understand is the concept of KINGDOM.   In Myles Monroe’s book Rediscovering the Kingdom: Ancient Hope for our 21st Century World (2004), he points out the importance of this word:

The concept of “KINGDOM” is critical, essential, necessary, required, and imperative in order to understand, appreciate, and comprehend the purpose, intent, goal, and objectives of God and mankind’s relationship to Him and the creation.  (25; Emphasis mine)

For one thing, what we need to understand is that a KINGDOM is NOT a democracy.  God does NOT rule and reign in a democracy.  What He has is a KINGDOM, and in describing the citizenry of a KINGDOM, Monroe describes them in the following:

The Citizenry is the people that live under the rule of the king.  Citizenship in a kingdom is NOT A RIGHT, but a PRIVILEGE, and is a result of the King’s choice.  The benefits and privileges of a KINGDOM are ONLY accessible to citizens and therefore, the favor of the KING [called “grace”] is always a privilege [“unmerited favor”].  (65)

Notice that we put the Scriptures back into a “KINGDOM CONTEXT,” everything that Paul taught about how we are “saved” [become citizens of God’s Kingdom] make sense.   For example, in a democracy, citizenship is a right, but in a kingdom, it is NOT a right, but a privilege.  In a democracy, we can earn the right to become a citizen, but in a KINGDOM, there isn’t anything that anyone can do to earn that right; it is entirely a result of the King’s choice.

IT IS THE KING WHO CHOOSES

Consequently, when the King chooses who He wants in His Kingdom, then by choosing them, that person is receiving the King’s favor, or in other words, His grace.  Throughout the Gospels, it is Jesus, the Anointed King, who chooses His followers, the people of His Kingdom:

You have NOT chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:…” (John 15:16; Emphasis mine).

It is NOT us who found or choose God, but it is God who found and chooses us to be in His Kingdom.  This is the right and privilege of a King.  For example, God chose Abraham, He chose Isaac, and He even chose Jacob, as well as Joseph.  And in Deuteronomy 7, God tells the people and nation of Israel,

For you are a holy people unto the LORD your God: the LORD your God HAS CHOSEN YOU to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.  The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor CHOOSE YOU, because you are more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, has the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the Pharaoh king of Egypt.  (Deuteronomy 7:6-8; Emphasis mine)

God is telling them that He chose Israel and redeemed them because of the oath He had sworn to the fathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  And even among the prophets and kings, it is God who chooses them.   And because God chose and redeemed them, He led them to Mt. Sinai to make them a part of His KINGDOM by giving them His KINGDOM LAWS.  Israel, itself, is NOT the whole KINGDOM, but it is part of the KINGDOM, just as the church is NOT the whole KINGDOM, but a part of the KINGDOM.   And just because people begin in the KINGDOM does NOT mean they’ll finish in the KINGDOM.  We see this in the Exodus, and we see this in the life and ministry of Jesus.

THE ROLE AND RELATIONSHIP OF THE LAW

Another concept we in American Christianity don’t understand is the role and relationship of the Law in God’s Kingdom.  In His book, Monroe describes it this way:

The Law constitutes the standards and principles established by the king, himself, by which his kingdom will function and be administered.  The laws of the kingdom are to be obeyed by all, including foreigners residing in it.  The laws of the kingdom are the way by which one is guaranteed access to the benefits of the king and the kingdom.  Violations of kingdom law place one at odds with the king and thus interrupts the favorable position one enjoys with the king.  (65-66)

Every word spoken by a king is law, so how much of the Bible is “the law of God”?  All of it, since all of it is the spoken word of the King.  Any violation of kingdom law is what the Bible calls “sin.”  In the United States, when someone “breaks the law,” we call it “a crime,” but in God’s kingdom, it’s called “a sin.”  But what I found really interesting about Monroe’s discussion of Kingdom law is the following:

The laws in a kingdom CANNOT BE CHANGED by the citizens, nor are they subject to a subject to a citizen referendum or debate.  Simply put, the word of the king is law in a kingdom.  Rebellion against the law is rebellion against the king.  (66; Emphasis mine)

WE CANNOT ADD OR DELETE FROM IT

Nowhere in the Bible does God ever give people the right to alter or change or even delete any of His commandments; in fact, twice in the Bible, He prohibits this.

You shall NOT add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish aught (subtract or delete) from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2; Emphasis mine)

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: you shall add thereto, nor diminish from it.  (Deuteronomy 12:32)

Consequently, then, whenever Christians say, or teach, that any or all parts of the Law, or the any other part of the Bible is not for today is, in fact, a violation of these two commandments.

ABRAHAMIC OR MOSAIC – WILL THE REAL RELATIONSHIP COVENANT PLEASE STAND UP?

And finally, a third point that traditional mainstream Christianity has NOT understood is that the Mosaic covenant, the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai, is NOT the relationship covenant between God and His people.  Instead, the RELATIONSHIP COVENANT of the Old Testament is the ABRAHAMIC COVENANT.  We see this repeatedly alluded to throughout the Scriptures.  For example,

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  (Exodus 2:24)

And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty [Heb. El Shaddai], but by My name the LORD [Heb. YHVH] was I not known to them.  And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, where they were strangers.  And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant.  (Exodus 6:3-5)

If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against Me, and that also they have walked contrary to Me;…Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.  (Leviticus 26:40, 42).

O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye children of Jacob His chosen.  He is the LORD [Heb. YHVH] our God: His judgments are in all the earth.  He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.  Which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:…”

Over and over again, we can see that the covenant that God remembers is NOT the covenant He made with Moses and the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, but the covenant that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Why?  Because the covenant He made with Abraham, that was then passed down to Isaac, and then again with Jacob, is the RELATIONSHIP COVENANT of the Old Testament, NOT the Mosaic covenant.

The Mosaic covenant is, in actuality, an extended development and explanation of the Abrahamic Covenant.  In Genesis 17, God tells Abraham to “walk before Me, and be perfect” (Genesis 17:1), as well as to give him the covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:10-14).   But what does it mean to “walk before Me,” and “be perfect”?  To “walk before Me” means “to have an ongoing relationship with God” and the word “perfect” is the English translation of the Hebrew word tamiyd (Strong’s #8549), which means, to walk or live in “integrity, truth:- without blemish, complete, sincerely, without spot, undefiled and uprightly.”  But what does that look like?  How are we suppose to understand what all is involved in that?  And God’s answer to these questions is the Mosaic Covenant, the commandments God gave to Moses and the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai.

So what’s my point??  Throughout the Scriptures, RELATIONSHIP ALWAYS COMES BEFORE OBEDIENCE, and GOD’S GRACE (Heb. chesed) IS ALWAYS THE BASIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP, and the BASIS ON WHICH THE RELATIONSHIP CONTINUES, WHICH WILL ALWAYS INVOLVE OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND TO HIS COVENANT.   This was true with Noah, Abraham, the children of Israel, Jesus’ disciples, and with us today.  To teach that we’re saved by grace through faith, which is true, but that NO OBEDIENCE IS REQUIRED FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD is absolutely NOT TRUE, and is a clear misrepresentation of Scripture.

The final part of this series, which will come out in two days, will cover the last three things that the Old Testament teaches us about God’s grace.

 

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