Israel and the New Covenant
Some things Christians believe never fail to amaze me. One of them is what is named “the New Covenant.” Covenants have been and always will pertain to Israel, not the Church of God in Christ Jesus.
The Book of Hebrews will be a lot more familiar to a Hebrew than to a Gentile. The language and the words used will be much more understandable to them. Nevertheless, this “new” covenant mentioned in detail 14 times from 8:6 to 13:20 will leave even former Gentile, now Christian believers, with no doubt to whom this covenant applies.
8:6 tells us that Jesus will be the mediator of this new covenant. Verse 8 begins a quote of Jeremiah 31:31-34 which goes like this:
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,……NASB
It is pretty clear “to whom” this new covenant applies. This prophecy is yet to come to be fulfilled.
8:10 and 10:16 says “After those days,”—-after what days? “Those days” aren’t just any days, but refer to the Day(s) of the LORD, the days of the vengeance of our God.
Matt 24:19
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in “those” days!
KJV
Matt 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake “those” days shall be shortened.
KJV
Matt 24:29-30
Immediately after the tribulation of “those” days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
KJV
Yes, after these days of the Great Tribulation, will this new covenant be enacted for the faithful of Israel who live through it and those who are raised from the dead at the First Resurrection, that of the Just.
Covenants apply to Jews, not Gentiles nor the Church of God. God Bless!
Fred S. Wolfe
The Birth (genesis) of Jesus Christ, Part II
Matt 1:20
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
KJV
“For that which is conceived (gennao, a verb, 1080) in her is of [the] holy ghost.” First of all, there is no definite article “the” in the texts. When there is no article, there should be no capital letters. It should read: “for that which is to be born in her is of holy spirit.” “That which is conceived” is the single word gennao* (1080, from ginomai, 1096), meaning to procreate, regenerate, or engender. In the Bible, it is variously translated as “begat,” “should be born,”“were born,” “been born,” “shall bear,” “bear,” “brought forth,” “be born(again),” “was born (Moses),” “is delivered,” “which gendereth,” “is born (us who believe),” “free born (Paul),” “is begotten (us),” etc. In Matthew 1:20, it should have been translated as “that which is to be born,” instead of “conceived.” This distinction will become more succinct in the following verses.
Unfortunately there is not a Bible in print, that I know of, that makes the necessary distinction between The Giver (The Holy Spirit, who is God) and The Gift of (holy spirit). The presence or absence of the definite article “the” determines which one The Bible is talking about.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive (sullambano, 4815)8 in thy womb, and bring forth (tikto) a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called [the] son of the Highest: and [the] Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not (never had intercourse with) a man? And the angel answered, saying unto her, holy spirit shall come upon thee, and power (dunamis, 1411) of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also [that] holy thing which shall be born [of thee] shall be called [the] son of God. ( Lk 1:31–35, AT)
First, notice that this passage is in the future tense (some of which is still in the future), while the previous one from Matthew was in the past tense. Second, notice that the word translated as “conceive” is totally different than the word used in Matthew. Sullambano (to seize, take, conceive) is made up of two words: sun (4862) and lambano (2983). Lambano means to take or receive objectively. Sun denotes union; with or together by companionship or process. The same word is used in Luke 1:46:
“And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her,who was called barren.”
In Luke 1:35, the angel said, “holy spirit shall come upon thee.” “Come (1904)” and “upon (1909)” are the same words used in Acts 1:8a:
“But ye shall receive (lambano) power (dunamis, 1411), [after that] the holy spirit is come upon you.”
“Come (eperchomai)” means to supervene and to arrive, and “upon (epi)” is a superimposition, as a relation of distribution, rest, or direction. In this verse from Acts, Jesus is instructing his disciples as to what they should expect on the day of Pentecost. The gift from the Holy Spirit came upon them just as it came upon Mary, accompanied by the power needed to be “witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth.” In these two passages, the word “power (dunamis)” denotes the inherent, miraculous, power of God, which shall “overshadow (episkiazo, 1982)” or cast shade upon. Every usage of the word dunamis in the Bible is in relation to the power of God, whether in a cloud casting a shadow or the shadow of Peter cast over people who desired healing.
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, [which] said (saying), This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. ( Mt 17:5)
Jesus was born, came into existence, just like you and I were, with the exception of how he was conceived! God’s spirit, of or from God, took care of the conception with the accompaniment of His inherent, miraculous power! The same power that raised Christ and Lazarus from the dead. Jesus did not pre-exist his birth. God did not take on the form of a man and come down from His throne and decide to become a baby and leave Mike & Gabe in charge of the heavenly hosts for 31 years! He did not die for 72 hours then somehow wake Himself up and raise Himself up from the dead. Too many people in the Christian world are far too entrenched in Greek Mythology and Mysticism. There are no Scriptures as absolutely clear as these that show the coming into existence of my Lord, Jesus Christ.
* gennao (1080), is used 97 times in the NT and this is the only time it is translated as conceive.
8 NT:4815 sullambano (sool-lam-ban’-o); from NT:4862 and NT:2983; to clasp, i.e. seize (arrest, capture); specifically, to conceive (literally or figuratively); by implication, to aid: KJV – catch, conceive, help, take. Strong’s
The Birth of Christ–Out in the Cold Stable or In a warm House?
(The guestchamber in those days was a room adjacent to the house for the lodging of guests. These days some people have Guest-houses, while others may have Guest-rooms. The Greek word this is translated from is used 1 other time in Luke and once in Matthew. In both instances it is translated “guestchamber” in the King James Version: Mark 14:14
And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
KJV; Luke 22:11
And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? KJV)
Joseph and Mary were not out in the cold with no place to go. They were at a friend’s house or at the very least a friend of a friend. They were like royalty, direct descendants of King David and they were in the city of David. They didn’t just arrive but had been there at least a few days already . Anyone would have been glad to have them in their home, let alone the fact Mary was in her 9th month of pregnancy. John Schoendeit of Spirit and Truth Fellowship adds this light on the subject:
“Another thing we must understand about houses in the East is that it was common for people to bring their animals, such as the family donkey, a couple of milk goats, or a cow or two, into the home at night. Such animals were very valuable, and the people brought them in at night to keep them from being stolen and to protect them from harm. Also, the animals added heat to the house, which would be very welcome on chilly nights. The woman in Endor who King Saul visited at night had her calf in the house with her: “And the woman had a fat calf in the house” (1 Sam. 28:24, KJV). [10] Of course, if the family were shepherds or herdsmen, they would not bring the whole flock or herd into the house, but would have a family member or hired guard watch them in the field, just as the shepherds were in the field on the night Jesus was born.
It was a common practice to raise the floor of the part of the house where the family lived, and keep the animals in an area that was a little lower. [11] Knowing this helps us understand Luke 2:6 and also where that idea that Jesus was born in a stable came from. Jesus was laid in a manger, which is an open trough, box, or bin, where the animal food was placed so the animals could feed easily. In Western society, mangers are in barns or stables, so if Jesus was laid in a manger it made sense he was born in a stable. However, in Eastern society, where the animals grazed outside during the day and were brought into the house at night, the manger was in the house. Having the manger in the house kept the animals calm and contented in the tighter quarters of the house, just as many modern farm animals have a feeding trough in their stall stay calm and content.
Everyone knew the manger was in the house, so when the Bible says that Jesus was laid in a manger “because” there was no space in the guest room, any Easterner would understand perfectly that the guest room was full so Jesus was born in the main part of the house where the family and animals stayed. Sometime after his birth he was safely placed in the manger, which would have been filled with clean hay or straw and would have been the perfect size for him. This was not to demean him in any way, but to care for him. The protective walls of the manger kept him safely guarded and away from busy feet and a bustling household, as well as warm and protected from any drafts or cold air in the home.
Another thing that helps us understand the Christmas story is understanding Eastern hospitality. In the East, guests were given special treatment of all kinds, including behavior that seems very extreme to us. For example, in the record of Lot and the two strangers, Lot would have handed over his own daughters to the mob before surrendering his guests (Gen. 19:8). Similarly, the people with whom Joseph and Mary stayed would never displace their guests from the guest room, but instead would inconvenience themselves, graciously bringing the couple into their living space.”
See more athttp://www.truthortradition.com/articles/retelling-the-christmas-story.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Who is My Brother?
It has been on my heart recently to talk a little about love. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can be particularly challenging for a lot of people. 1John 4:20 tells us “If someone says ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar: for the one who does not love, agapao, his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Agapao love is demonstrated by being full of good will towards, to have preference for, to wish well to, and regard the welfare of. Everyone who born again of God’s spirit is a brother or a sister.
Jesus said in Mt.12:50, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother.” Jesus is my brother and hopefully yours too. A father can be a brother as well as a mother and a sister!
One may not think they actually hate someone else but the absence of love as described above is hate. Love is something that must be proved day in and day out, not something to be assumed. We must reach out to those we love and we must, in particular, love our brothers in Christ. To fail to do so makes us liars, when we say we love God.
Galatians 6:10 tells us, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” The words I want to emphasize here are “while we have opportunity.” The day will come when that opportunity will no longer be available: they will be dead or we will be. I was fishing the other day with a 38 year old man who lost his father when he was 51…….He expressed to me how he wished he had taken more advantage of him when he was alive.
Let’s not take for granted the lives of our earthly and spiritual families this holiday season or any other and reach out to them, demonstrating the love we have for them and the love we have for God. Tomorrow may be too late.
Whom Do Men Say That I Am?
This is one of the more important questions Jesus asked his disciples. Here is the text:
Mark 8:27-31
And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
KJV
We can see here that the Christ, Christos and the Son of man are synonymous.
The devil knew Jesus was the Son of God, Mt. 4. Devil spirits knew he was the Son of God as well, Mt. 8:29, Mk. 3:11. Martha believed it as well, Jn. 11:26.
Yet, today most of Christianity believes something entirely different. The reason it is so critical to know and believe who Jesus Christ was and is, is because it is foundational. The apostle Paul laid the foundation for the Christian Church:
1 Cor 3:10-15
As an expert builder using the grace that God gave me, I laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11 After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that is Jesus the Messiah. 12 Whether a person builds on this foundation with gold, silver, expensive stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 the workmanship of each person will become evident, for the day of judgment will show what it is, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s action. 14 If what a person has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss. However, he himself will be saved, but it will be like going through fire.
ISV
If you believe that Jesus Christ is someone other than who he is your work that you are building is not “in Christ,” and consequently you will suffer the loss of rewards because of it. You will still be saved but you may be a little singed!
Some men have told me, “I would rather have 1700 years of church history on my side to support what I believe.” Really? There will be no pointing fingers at the Judgment seat of Christ, sorry. You will be all alone and solely accountable. All that matters is believing what the Word of God says, not history.
Num 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
NASU
Who do you believe Jesus is?
ANGRY YET? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE.
The Bible, the words of the One, True God, (YHWH), says that we are to get Angered, “BE ANGRY” about certain things, “YET WITHOUT SIN,” in Ephesians 4:26. Yes, it should make us angry when, as the preceding verse implies, we are surrounded by LIARS. We have many examples in the world today of people who are angry and sin because of their anger. Anger is an innate emotion that we are not to be denied. I am angry that some government officials think they can get away with murder, instead of just telling the truth.
2 Co 10:4 tells us “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) KJV. Taking matters into our own hands is not the answer. The WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE MIGHTY THROUGH GOD. Our anger, our outrage, needs to be taken to God through our prayers. The previous verse in 2 Co 10 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:” The way we carry on our warfare is spiritual, not physically.
In the final chapter of the greatest revelation given to the Church of the Body of Christ, Paul, by way of our Lord, Jesus Christ says:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Eph 6:10-18
Yes, we should be angry about what is going on in high places in our country and around the world today. Taking matters into our own hands as the two domestic terrorists recently did is not the answer. Fervent Prayer Is.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Jas 5:16
JESUS CHRIST, OUR PASSOVER
Why is Passover relevant to the Christian? Glad you asked. We all know JC was considered the Lamb of God, but why? If you have studied the Word of God at all, you will know that Jesus and his disciples “prepared” for the Passover, a Jewish time of commemoration. The beginning of Passover always started on the 14th on Nisan, with the slaying of the Passover Lamb sometime before sunset. Even though Jesus “prepared” to eat the Passover with the disciples, he did not eat it with them. Instead he, figuratively, became the Passover Lamb, which was sacrificed for us.
1 Co 5:7……..For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:KJV
(The Last Supper was the last time the disciples had a meal together with Christ before him being crucified on a tree and raised from the dead. IT WAS NOT THE PASSOVER MEAL. Besides the timeline, the type of bread eaten at the Last Supper was forbidden during the Passover and the the ensuing 7 day period of the Feast of Unleavened bread.)
Furthermore, Jesus was dead in the grave with no consciousness for 3 full days and 3 full nights = 72 hours. There is no way in Hell to fit 3 full days and 3 full nights between Sunset Friday and Sunrise Sunday. Therefore, there is no such thing as Good Friday! Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb,was sacrificed for us and was buried on a Wednesday around sunset beginning the 1st night (Thursday). At dawn Thursday began the first day. At sunset Thurs. began the 2nd night of Friday, then Friday day; thenFri at sunset began the 3rd night, Saturday; then Saturday at sunset completed the 3 days and 3 nights. Sunset Sat. began Sunday night:
Jn 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.KJV
Jesus was already gone. Mary was 10-11 hours late, (depending on Daylight Savings Time). By the time she got there he had already been with the 2 fellows on the road to Emmaus. Who knows everything he had done by then?
The point is, the Bible has Integrity, it cannot contradict itself. If you believe half the stuff Tradition teaches about, this time of the year, you are deluded.
2 Th 2:11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: KJV
If you believe Christ was crucified and buried on Friday evening and rose from the dead by Sunday at sunrise, you have been misled and it is no one’s fault but your own. If you believe that 3 days and 3 nights can fit in between these days, you will believe anything anyone tells you; and that is dangerous.
God bless,
Apostasia–apostasy or departure; error or truth?
There is some controversy regarding this word in 2 Th 2:3. The following are displays how several translations or versions has it:
for unless the apostasy comes first, NASU
for unless the falling away comes first, NKJV
for unless the rebellion comes first, ESV
for except the falling away come first, ASV
for unless there come a revolt first, Douay-Rheims
for it will not be unless the departure comes first, WEB
except there come a falling away first, KJV
Apostasia has been translated as a falling away, a departure, a revolt and a rebellion. It was transliterated as apostasy, which is not a translation at all. This transliteration has evolved into revolt and rebellion, as well. My vote is on departure, but if apostasy were correct, what would it look like?
Noun, The abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.
Synonyms: defection – recreancy
There are 18 prepositions in the New Testament, one of which is apo. Apo governs only the Genitive case and denotes motion away from the surface of an object, as a line drawn from the circumference. It is used as motion away from a place. For example:
Mt. 3:16: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway “out of” (apo) the water:
Mt 8:1 When he was come down “from” (apo) the mountain,
Ac 15:38
But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed “from” (apo) them
Mt. 19:4 and Acts 20:18 mark the distance which separates the 2 places or the interval of time between the 2 places.
Apo also marks the origin or source whence anything comes such as birth descent, residence:
Mt 2:1
there came wise men “from” the east
Mt 15:1
which were “of” Jerusalem, saying,
Ac 10:23
certain brethren “from” Joppa
Apo may also be used of deliverance or passing away from any state or condition:
Mt 14:2 he is risen “from” the dead (From E. W. Bullinger.)
With all this biblical evidence you should be able to see that apo governs physical displacement, not a mental change in attitude. Bullinger uses a circle to represent how the preposition apo acts: a line drawn away from its edge. This circle represents the earth and the line drawn away from its surface is our departure to Heaven. There is no evidence whatsoever of a defection away from truth or God in any way, shape or form.
If not, what?
SALVATION: get it now, while supplies last!
The Biblical Tetragrammaton, the Hebrew Name for God the Father. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus once said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” Prior to Christianity, only Jews had the promise of Salvation. Their Salvation (as well as ours) was not only something in the future, beyond the grave, but something here and now as well. The word alone is used three times as much in the Old Testament as it is in the New. To the Jews it meant Deliverance, Victory, Rescue or Safety.
For anyone who has read even a little of the OT one can see how often Israel prayed for deliverance from their enemies and how many times YHWH delivered them. (Might not be a bad idea today as well.) I have read that Salvation in this day and age has relatively no value for one’s current circumstances, but, nothing could be further from the truth. Whatever it meant for Israel it certainly means for us who are born again, as well.
In Moses day, salvation could be seen: “But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord (YHWH) which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord (YHWH) will fight for you while you keep silent.” NASU
The same was true of David: “And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord (YHWH) in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; 3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence. 4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. 2 Sa 22:1-4 NASU
WOW! Just look at these verses and realize the relevance of salvation for us today! In those days these words were used to describe everything attributed to God, Yahweh (YHWH). For us, they are also now attributable to Jesus, whom YHWH made both Lord and Christ. (I cannot help but explain something here for those who may not know: LORD in all capital letters in the OT is the proper name of God, YHWH. Some translation say Jehovah, but the most accurate is YHWH. There is a difference between Lord and LORD. Jesus is our Lord. His and our Father is our LORD.)
Jesus Christ was YHWH’s plan for Salvation to Gentiles who would be grafted in to fully share in the promises of God to Israel and their inheritance! This is exactly what it says in the gospel of Luke. This is what Simeon declared when Jesus was brought to the Temple some forty days after his birth: Lk 2:30-32, for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” ESV
All these aspects of salvation are available are available, now, today, to all who positively affirm what Romans 10:9 and 10 says, which is part of Paul the apostles prayer to God for Israel! Salvation is not something currently out of reach; it is readily obtainable. Get it now, while supplies last!
(See Chapter IV, page 19 of my new book at http://www.fredswolfe.com)
Is Your Faith based on “Another” Gospel?
When Paul spoke about another gospel he was speaking about anything other than his own gospel which he was preaching:
Gal 1:11-12
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. KJV
Paul did not receive the revelation of Matthew, Mark Luke and John. He received the gospel of Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians. These epistles are in the exact same order in every Greek Manuscript.
Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians are Doctrinal
Corinthians and Philippians are Reproof
Galatians and Colossians are Correctional.
The revelation Paul received from our Lord Jesus in these letters supersedes everything else, as these are written directly to the church of God which is the body of Christ. These represent the Sacred Secret that God kept from everyone until Paul.
To confirm that Jesus did not know about this secret, he told his disciples that some of them would not die until they saw him returning in the clouds. Yet, they all died. Jesus and the disciples believed that the Great Tribulation described in the book of Revelation and Daniel would begin immediately after his ascension. They all expected Jesus to return within 7 years.
But, God threw them all a curve ball for the sake of the Gentiles. Thank Him He did! We are now living in that time period, the Age of the Secret, the Administration of Grace. Essentially the book of Revelation has been held in abeyance for about 2,000 yrs now.
See Romans 2:16, 16:25; 2Ti 2:8 concerning Paul’s gospel. See also the word “doctrine” in 1st and 2nd Timothy. God bless!
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