It seems that every year there is significant debate over the timing of the events of Messiah’s entry into Jerusalem, trial, beating, death, and resurrection. While correctly understanding the timeline is not essential to salvation, it is certainly an interesting study, and pushes us deeper into the texts. This is a good thing, as long as it does not create unnecessary division.

Many focus on the sign of Jonah, and insist that Messiah must have been in the grave a full 72 hours. While this is a compelling argument, it is by no means the only scripture to be considered.

Notice that each of the verses below refer to Messiah being raised on (not after) the third day. Had they meant “after” the third day, a full 72 hours later, they would say “the fourth day”.

From that time forth began Yahusha to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16:21)

And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. (Matthew 17:23)

And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. (Matthew 20:19)

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. (Matthew 27:64)

For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. (Mark 9:31)

And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. (Mark 10:34)

Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (Luke 9:22)

And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. (Luke 13:32)

And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. (Luke 18:33)

Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. (Luke 24:7)

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (Luke 24:46)

Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; (Acts 10:40)

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:4)

And look closely at when He appeared on the road to Emmaus, and the two were explaining recent events: “But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.” (Luke 24:21) This was many hours after the resurrection, and they clearly state “to day is the third day”, NOT the fourth day.

So the thinking goes like this: He was arrested, tried, beaten, and put on a pole. That was the first day, the 14th of Abib, the memorial of the sacrifice of the Passover. His body was removed from the pole before sundown, and He was put in the tomb. He spent Day One of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Abib 15), also the weekly sabbath, in the tomb. After sunset on what we would call saturday nite and before sunrise on the first day of the week, in fulfillment of FirstFruits, He left the tomb. Mary got there before dawn, and He was already risen (see John 20). Actual time in the tomb, then, was between about 24 and 36 hours.

I think two things are responsible for the apparent contradiction. One is our western thought, that says three days is 72 hours. In Hebrew thought, that’s not the case. The day something happened is “the first day”. The next day is “the second day”. And the day following “the third day”. Here’s an example from the “Old Testament” — it’s the same story, recorded twice. The king sends them away “for three days”, and they return “on the third day”.

1 Kings 12

1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) 3That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 5And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? 7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 8But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: 9And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 10And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 11And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

2 Chronicles 10

1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, 4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. 5And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.

6And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? 7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. 8But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. 9And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? 10And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 11For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.

A similar thing happens in Esther — she asks for a fast of three days and nights, and the events play out on the third day…

Esther 4

13Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 14For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 15Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Esther 5

1Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

The best explanation I’ve heard to be able to reconcile this with Matthew 12:25-40 is from Craig Winn, who wrote Yada Yahweh. Craig points out that the sign Messiah promised is that He would spend three days and nights in the heart of the earth. The Greek word He used was “ge”, it’s the equivalent of the Hebrew “eretz”. And when OT scripture speaks of the heart of the “eretz”, it’s the heart of the land — Jerusalem — not the tomb. So He was saying that His sacrifice would be three days after His entry into Jerusalem. I’m not 100% convinced Craig is right, but it is an interesting possibility.

What do you think?

Peace.

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From Yada Yahweh by Craig Winn, Book 5:Good News, Pesach:

“Then, at that time, certain individuals among the Scribes (grammateus – public servants, politicians, judges, teachers, theologians, and journalists) and Pharisees (Pharisaios – the sect of rabbis who recognized, promoted, imposed, and valued the Babylonian Talmud and man’s oral traditions over Yahuweh’s Scriptures) said, ‘Teacher (didaskalos) we want (thelo – we desire) to see (horao – to witness with our own eyes and to personally experience) a sign (semeion – an unusual occurrence, a token which distinguishes) from you.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘An annoying, works oriented (poneros – unethical, diseased and blind, worthless, wicked) and adulterous (moichalis – those in relationships with whores and false gods) generation (genea – descendants of “poneros and moichalis”) seek (epizeteo – clamor for, crave, and demand) a token (semeion – a sign). But (kai – and so) no (ou) sign (semeion – unusual occurrence) shall be given (didomi – granted, supplied, or furnished) to them (autos), except (ei) the token that distinguished (semeion – the unusual occurrence of) the prophet Ionas (Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Yownah, symbolic of the Spirit). For just as (gar hosper) Ionas/Yownah was three days and three nights in the center (koilia – innermost part) of the great fish (ketos – from chasma, meaning that which opens wide) so (houto) the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in (en – by or with) the heart (kardia – the center of circulation and life) of the land (ge – earth).” (Matthew 12:25-40)

The prophetic predictions and the eyewitness confirmations are well documented and perfectly clear. Yahushua arrived in Jerusalem, the “heart and center of the land” on Monday, March 28, 33 CE, the exact day Daniel predicted over 500 years earlier. But He didn’t stay. According to Mark 14, Yahushua, sought to thwart the desire of the “Chief Priests and Scribes to seize Him by stealth and kill Him” prior to “the Feast of Passover, so as to diminish the likelihood of a riot by the people.” He did this by spending “two days,” those being Tuesday and Wednesday, “in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper.” While the Messiah was willing to sacrifice Himself on our behalf He was not willing to have any aspect of His fulfillment of the three days depicted in the Miqra’s of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and FirstFruits occur on days other than those previously specified.

So then Yahushua returned to Jerusalem, “the heart and center of the land” on Thursday for Passover dinner. He stayed in town (courtesy of Caiphas’ dungeon accommodations) so that He could attend His own crucifixion on Friday, which was still Passover. The body of the Messiah spent the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread, which began at sundown and continued through Saturday, in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Roman guards were positioned just to make sure He remained in town. Sometime after sunset on Saturday, April 2nd, and before sunrise on Sunday the 3rd, Yahushua rose from the dead. But His body did not leave Jerusalem until later that morning, going to heaven and then to a “village called Emmaus, which was sixty stadion [seven and a half miles] separated from (apo) Jerusalem.” There is a reason we were given this otherwise irrelevant information by Mark and Luke.

The bottom line is: Yahushua gave a sign that the religious and political leaders of Jerusalem “could see, personally witness and experience.” “The Son of Man was three days and three nights in the heart (kardia – center of circulation and life) of the land (ge).” His promise was fulfilled uninterrupted for their viewing pleasure beginning on Thursday afternoon and ending late Sunday morning. That’s three days and three full nights.

Before we leave this verse, I must tell you that I was initially very troubled by it, at least as it appears in English translations. Clearly, Yahushua wasn’t in, as inside, the earth for three days or three nights. Many very famous pastors use this quote to claim that He was, but by so doing they are essentially saying that the precise timelines laid out by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all wrong. They are also saying that Yahushua was wrong in claiming that there was a direct correlation between His suffering for three days with the inspired Scripture recorded by Moses and the Prophets in the Torah and Psalms.

But all one has to do is correctly translate the words and think a little, and the truth becomes obvious. This passage isn’t a contradiction; it’s a confirmation. According to Strong’s, the primary meaning of ge is land, not earth. Ge is the Greek equivalent of ‘erets, with also means “land.” The majority of the time ‘erets is used in Scripture it applies to the Land of Israel – to the Promised Land. And even if ge were afforded its fourth most prevalent meaning, from the perspective of Yahuweh, from the perspective of Scripture, from the perspective of the audience listening to Yahushua, Jerusalem was, is, and forever will be the heart, the center of circulation and life, of the Earth.

The bottom line is from prophecy to fulfillment Scripture can be trusted.

Also recognize that the Scribes and Pharisees “wanted to see (horao – to witness with their own eyes, to personally experience) a sign from Him.” And this is what they were given. Had the sign been three days and three nights inside the earth, they could not “have seen or experienced” it because they were not yet there.

When confronted with the pagan origins of many church traditions (Lent, Easter, Christmas, Sunday worship instead of Sabbath rest…), a common response is, “Well, that’s not what it means to me. God knows my heart.”

Does He know our hearts? He sure does!

Do you know what He says about them?

And YHWH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

And YHWH smelled a sweet savour; and YHWH said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto YHWH against thee, and it be sin unto thee. (Deuteronomy 15:9)

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek YHWH. (2 Chronicles 12:14)

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. (Psalm 141:4)

Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy. (Proverbs 12:20)

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. (Ecclesiastes 9:3)

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of YHWH; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of YHWH, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. (Jeremiah 3:17)

Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. (Jeremiah 4:4)

But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. (Jeremiah 7:24)

Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not. (Jeremiah 11:8)

This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. (Jeremiah 13:10)

And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: (Jeremiah 16:12)

And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. (Jeremiah 18:12)

Thus saith YHWH of hosts, “Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of YHWH. They say still unto them that despise me, ‘YHWH hath said, Ye shall have peace’; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’” (Jeremiah 23:16,17)

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. (Zechariah 7:10)

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:34-37)

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. (Matthew 15:18-20)

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20-23)

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:45,46)

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living Elohim. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:7-13)

YHWH knows that our hearts are predisposed to evil; it’s the sinful nature we’re called to put aside. Do you still trust your heart, over His word?

Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, YHWH, Elohim of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Elohim is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23,24)

Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto YHWH thy Elohim: for every abomination to YHWH, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:30-32)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_29kzJXmaE0

**Passover / Unleavened Bread thoughts coming soon!!

(Last Updated 2012-February-27)

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. (Acts 15:19-21)

These instructions were provided by the church in Jerusalem, led by James (Ya’aqob) the brother of Yahshua, to new believers throughout the Roman world. Many churches today seem to teach that this is all that’s required, but that’s not so. We see from verse 21 that these are only the foundation, the essentials and absolutes, from which a deep lifestyle change could begin. For Gentiles, many of whom came out of sun worship, these were the beginnings of walking in truth. The reference to Moses shows that converts were expected to be in the synagogue each sabbath day, hearing and learning the Torah. Over the course of a year, they would hear all of the instructions from what we now call the first five books of the “Old Testament” — the Torah.

Sadly, even these fundamentals are not taught in churches today. While evangelicals routinely preach against fornication, they rarely warn against eating blood. They portray this as a warning only against drinking a cup of blood; but the scriptural foundation clearly prohibits eating meat that still has the blood in it — it isn’t fully cooked. “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Genesis 9:4)

A little over three years ago, I decided to eat a “scripturally clean” diet. My motivation was selfish — I have a family history of heart disease, and am approaching the age where I needed to confront that reality. So my motivation was as much health as spiritual. Pork is the best well known prohibition, and what of it that I was eating — bacon, ham, pepperoni — was obviously unhealthy. At the same time, I gave up unclean seafood: catfish, shrimp, crab, oysters, crawfish. Growing up in South Louisiana, these had been favorites. It wasn’t easy at first, but I’m glad I did it. The results were surprising – and now, my tastes have changed.

Since I was a young child, I had always suffered with sinuses. 2009, when I started eating clean, was the first summer I can ever remember when I wasn’t wiped out with allergies, or doped up on antihistamines, or both. While eating unclean, I had been diagnosed with asthma, and needed antibiotics for recurring sinus infections several times a year. After I changed my diet, not only was I able to sleep with the windows open, I threw away the inhaler and sinus pills. Last year I went to see my doctor for a checkup. She asked why she hadn’t seen me in so long — then told me that I had lost twenty pounds, and my blood pressure had dropped from “borderline high” to “solidly normal”. When I think back to how needlessly miserable I had been for so many summers… The improvement has held for three years now. What a blessing!

But I’ve also found that while the principles of a clean diet are simple, our twenty-first century world has made eating clean much more difficult than it should be. Technically, I don’t eat a “Kosher” diet, as that requires extra precaution added by the rabbis, rather than just what’s in scripture. For the most part, anything certified Kosher should also be scripturally clean (with a couple of notable exceptions); but some things are “clean” that do not qualify as Kosher according to the rabbis. For a practical guide to eating clean, let’s look at the scriptural instructions related to diet, and what traps are in our modern food supply.

BLOOD

And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. (Leviticus 17:10-14)

We looked at the prohibition against eating blood in Genesis, and this passage in Leviticus is only one of several places where it is repeated. Drain the blood before cooking, and cook the meat thoroughly. And just in case you thought this was “just for the Jews”, consider yourself a stranger sojourning among Yah’s people.

FAT

It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Leviticus 3:17)

Science has finally figured out what scripture told us thousands of years ago. Fat isn’t good for us, so trim as much as you can before cooking.

SICK/DEAD

And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean. But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 17:15,16)

The dangers of meat from animals that died of disease are obvious enough that American law also prohibits using “downed” cattle for beef. Similar logic applies with carcasses killed by other animals (or other means), and left to rot, so avoid roadkill.

LAND ANIMALS

And YHWH spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the hare (rabbit), because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the swine (pig), though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. (Leviticus 11:1-8)

Cows, deer, antelope, buffalo are all fair game.

SEAFOOD

These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:9-12)

Clean: Most fish.

Not clean: Catfish, Eel, Dolphin, Turtle, Alligator, Crocodile, Jellyfish, Shellfish.

BIRDS

And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, and the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:13-20)

Clean: Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Cornish Hens.

Some say duck isn’t allowed, because they consider it to be “after the kind” of the swan. But Leviticus doesn’t prohibit “after its kind” for the swan – only the swan.

BUGS

Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:21-23)

While most of us don’t eat bugs, this shows that John the Baptist’s locust diet was in line with Yah’s instructions; and the details become important later in the study when we look at food additives (“natural flavors”) allowed by the FDA.

And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am YHWH your Elohim: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am YHWH that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten. (Leviticus 11:41-47)

Does your church make a distinction between the unclean and the clean? Does it encourage YOU to be set apart (holy), as your Creator is?

MEAT WITH DAIRY

The instructions in Leviticus are repeated in Deuteronomy 14, along with this little gem: “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” (v21b) This commandment, not to boil a young goat in it’s mother’s milk, has been interpreted by the Rabbis to mean that meat and dairy should not be eaten at the same meal. It’s fine if you want to keep them separate, but I don’t see how the plain meaning of this verse precludes (clean) cheese on your burger.

So that’s the basics, and a great place to start. From here, things get a little more complicated…

CHEESE

Milk needs enzymes to turn into cheese. Those used to come from (beef) calves stomachs, but those are in short supply, so they started using swine (pig) stomachs. Recently, “microbial rennet” has become popular – in part because of people wanting to avoid pork. Is “microbial rennet” clean? That’s not clear to me – I don’t see microbes listed in Leviticus, but they are scavengers. Then again, so is yeast… It isn’t easy to tell whether your favorite cheese is made with pork enzymes – the ingredients list usually just say “enzymes”, unless the cheese is certified Kosher (which is usually much more expensive). Lists like these are a great place to start, but are difficult to keep current: http://www.theisraelofgodrc.com/CUPL.html#Dairy

And don’t forget the cheese in your favorite snack foods – we were disappointed to learn that the “Spicy Doritos” are made with pork enzymes.

GELATIN

Gelatin shows up almost *everywhere*. Read labels carefully – I was shocked when I found it in granola bars. And your frosted shredded wheat? Frosted with sugar and boiled pig bones. Marshmallows, too! Even the capsules for your vitamins and medicine. Have a look at what gelatin is, where it comes from, and how its processed – it was enough to make my kids stop eating it, too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin

http://www.myjubilation.org/#!music-store/vstc5=worthy-is-the-lamb-cd

(No affiliation, I’m just a happy listener.)

You won’t find the words “cannibal” or “cannibalism” in the King James, but that doesn’t mean the topic isn’t addressed. It’s a big one. Let’s start with the dietary laws.

First, people aren’t kosher. “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.” Leviticus 11:2,3 This is repeated in Deuteronomy 14:3-6, “Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois. And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.”

People aren’t clovenfooted, and we don’t chew the cud.

Second, we aren’t supposed to eat anything that isn’t properly killed, and the blood drained out. So anything that dies on its own is off limits. “And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even. And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. ” Leviticus 11:39,40

Again, “Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto Yahuwah thy Elohim.” Deuteronomy 14:21a

Couple that with “thou shalt not kill” — you can’t kill someone to eat them, and you can’t eat them if they die on their own.

If you look up the etymology of the word “cannibal”, most often you find that it originated in the 1500s, and is attributed to Christopher Columbus, referring to people who lived in the “Caribbean”. Personally I think this is a stretch, as I don’t see an obvious tie between the two words. Another explanation makes more sense to me, even though it’s heard less frequently.

With few exceptions, the prescribed offerings in the Old Testament involved killing the animal, pouring out its blood, and burning the fat and internal organs. After this, the meat was either given to the priests, or divided between the priests and the family that brought the offering. Other religions copied that practice (and Israel kept similar practice even when worshiping other gods)…

The Hebrew word for priest is “cohen”. And the fertility cult that kept ensnaring the Israelites was that of Ba’al (the sungod) and Asherah (the queen of heaven). A priest of the sungod, then, offering a human (usually child) sacrifice, was known as “cohen Ba’al”; a much closer fit to cannibal, linguistically, than Caribbean.

This practice, and EVERYTHING ELSE associated with Ba’al and Asherah was condemned by Yah. “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto Yahuwah thy Elohim: for every abomination to Yahuwah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12:30,31)

So the idea of eating human flesh is strictly forbidden.

Now, what about the blood?

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. (Genesis 9:4)

It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Leviticus 3:17)

Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 7:26,27)

And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. (Leviticus 17:10-14)

Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. (Leviticus 19:26)

Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water. (Deuteronomy 12:16)

Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water. Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of Yahuwah. (Deuteronomy 12:23-25)

Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water. (Deuteronomy 15:23)

What do we make of all these repeated prohibitions against eating human flesh or drinking blood, in light of the church’s practice of communion; and the claim that the bread and wine IS the body and blood of our Messiah? (Either through transubstantiation by the priest; or present in, with, and under when it is received…)

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all agree that our Messiyah was sacrificed on Passover, after eating the Passover meal with His disciples. A traditional Passover seder follows a set routine. At the beginning, three pieces of unleavened bread (matzoh) are stacked on the table. The meal is eaten in a set order, with each food and each cup of wine tied to the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The middle piece of matzoh, called the afikomen, is broken, and eaten last. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matthew 26:26) Have you ever looked closely at matzoh? Striped, pierced, broken… The third cup of wine, known as the Cup of Blessing, follows the afikomen. “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the renewed covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:27,28)

So, was He literally telling us to eat human flesh and drink human blood on the first and third Sun-Day of every month in direct violation of Yah’s laws? Or was He telling us that His sacrifice would fulfill the promised salvation pictured in the Exodus, and that we should remember this each year as we observe Passover?

Even with the original Roman (Julian) calendar, the New Year started in the Spring.  We can see this in the names of SEPTember (Seven) OCTober (Eight) NOVember (Nine) and DECember (Ten).  They’ve lost their place, and are now two months off, since the New Year was moved.

Yes, Rome is the beast of Daniel 7, who “thinks to change times and laws”, and “wears out the saints”. How many of our traditions, and those of our churches, come from Rome, rather than scripture?

Both are the result of the same offense – keeping the Feasts of Baal.

Baal was worshiped as the sungod.

Asherah/Asthoreth/Ishtar/Eostra/Easter was his wife, the “Queen of Heaven”.

Tammuz was their son – born at the winter solstice, December 25th when our Roman calendars were established.

Ezekiel 8:13-18

13He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. 14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16And he brought me into the inner court of Yahweh’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

Jeremiah 7:8-20

Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith Yahweh. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith Yahweh, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith Yahweh: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore thus saith Yahweh Elohim; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

The historical Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, lived from 270-346AD. Already a Bishop, he gained a larger following (and a fair amount of notoriety) at the Council of Nicaea, held in 325 AD. The council lasted more than two months, and at times, the debate was heated. So heated, in fact, that Nicholas slapped Bishop Arius of Egypt across the face over a doctrinal dispute. As a result, he was arrested and imprisoned by Emperor Constantine, who was overseeing the council. Nicholas returned before the closing of the council — after claiming to have been visited in prison by the Messiah. Today, Nicholas is venerated by some churches as the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children, students, and prostitutes.

Is he found in scripture? Maybe.

Revelation 1:10,11     I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Yahshua Messiah, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of Elohim, and for the testimony of Yahshua Messiah. I was in the Spirit on Yahweh’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Among the other words he sent the churches were these:

to Ephesus — Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

and to Pergamos — Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Nicolaitan means simply, “follower of Nicholas”. But which Nicholas? The only biblical Nicholas is found in Acts 6 : the Nicholas described there is full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, and tends to the widows. Others have proposed Nicholas the Heretic – a relatively obscure player in early church history, not found in scripture, who taught that we were now “free in Christ” to engage in sexual immorality, a picture of lawlessness and spritual adultery. While this would certainly fit, and indict those who teach that the law is now obsolete, this Nicholas was a rather obscure figure in the early church.

If the Bishop of Myra is the Nicholas referred to in Revelation, what could be the doctrines Messiah hates?

The Council of Nicaea, at which Nicholas of Myra’s renown grew substantially, is best known for writing and adopting The Nicene Creed. In fact, they decreed that everyone who refused to endorse the creed would be not only excommunicated from the church, but also exiled from the Roman empire. The council also gave exceptional authority to the bishop of Rome, and stripped all authority, except honorary, from the bishop of Jerusalem. Up until this time, the church at Jerusalem had been recognized as the center of church authority, as it had been led by James, the Messiah’s brother, in the first century.

But there’s more…

One of the issues most hotly debated at the Council of Nicaea was the “Quartodecimarian Controversy” — whether to continue observing the sacrifice of Messiah on the 14th day of the month of Abib, the day of Passover. Instead of continuing to observe the Feast according to Yahweh’s instructions in Leviticus 23 (for ever, throughout your generations, no matter where you live), The Council of Nicaea endorsed independently calculating the date of “Easter”. Instead of commemorating the sacrifice on Passover, His entombment the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, and His resurrection on Firstfruits, the church would celebrate “Easter” instead — and would calculate the date the same way it had been figured by pagans long before Messiah walked the earth. You see, the English name “Easter” comes from the German “Eostra”, known in other languages as Ishtar / Ashtoreth / Asherah, the wife of the sungod Baal, the very same pagan fertility goddess that Israel kept getting ensnared by throughout the “Old Testament”. Her special day has long been the first Sun-Day after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

It is this “mixing” that Yah condemns — he calls it fornication, spiritual adultery. Paganism can not be “Christianized”; instead, Christianity was paganized by Constantine, who remained, as shown on his coins, “Sol Invictos Comiti”: Committed to the Invincible Sun.

So, before handing your kids over to sit on the lap of the Patron Saint of Prostitutes, consider… Is this really what Yahweh wants for you and your children?

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is Yahweh Elohim who judgeth her.

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for Elohim hath avenged you on her.

And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

(Revelation 18)