Escaping from the Mystery, that is Babylon

Escaping from Mystery Babylon

Brother Theodore Three Bears

Equality for all in God’s Eyes

The most arrogant issue of theology that developed out of Paul’s writings is that God has two plans of salvation, one plan for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. As Christians we really need to ask ourselves why this is so. What is the big stumbling block to our brothers and sister who practice Judaism to accepting Y'shua as the promised messiah and great prophet Moses said would one day follow him. While many believe Jews are simply stiff necked, and this is true according to God, still they were the first followers of our Lord. What I have discovered is that those who would accept Y'shua have two major issues in reconciling their long held beliefs. The first is the apparent total abrogation of the Law, and as Christians, we know this is not true, our Lord never abolished the law, in fact, He strengthened the Law, but still many believe he did. Simply because one man said He did, Paul. The second reason is perhaps the greatest of all that does center on the Law that is Y'shua being the perfect sin sacrifice or the Passover Lamb.

Was Y'shua the sin sacrifice that the majority of Christians believe He was? Why do many Jews believe He is not, and a few who also call themselves Christians also do not? We cannot stay divided on this issue, for if we are all God’s children then we must accept God as being absolutely true. God plays no favorites with those in His presence, and what is the law for one is the law for the other.

There is one law for strangers and natives.

'You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am YHUH your God. “ (Leviticus 24:22)

Y'shua said rain falls on both all.

"that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

In this, there is eternal truth. The truth will always be the truth, but it will never appeal to everyone. Yet, appealing to everyone was not what God or Y'shua wanted. If He wanted to appeal to everyone, then He easily could have come off the cross and taken the earthly throne of David. This is what many devout Jews believed the Messiah would do and Rome would have fallen apart in an instant.

Sin and Sacrifice

The sin sacrifice first introduced to the ancient Israelites occurred in the fourth chapter of the book of Leviticus. In this, the sin sacrifices are for unintentional trespasses either against the commandments or against those things that YHUH calls holy.

"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of YHUH in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, (Leviticus 4: 2)

"If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of YHUH, then he shall bring to YHUH as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering. (Leviticus 5:15)

Atonement requires the shedding of blood. As God places life in the blood it is perfectly reasonable to see that atonement requires the taking of a life. However, it is important to understand what atonement is and what it is not. Atonement is the payment of the penalty.

'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' (Leviticus 17:11)

As a penalty, atonement would wipe out everything including intentional sin. Atonement is not a guarantee of forgiveness, and He shall not accept it unless it comes with a heart-felt confession. Sins that are intentional God reserves to for Himself whom to forgive, and there are some sins He will not accept any payment for His forgiveness.

Then YHUH said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever." (1 Samuel 3:11-14)

No matter what Eli or his house would do, God would never accept a sacrifice from them. This only affects Eli, but this should not be misread to make the reader believe that this cannot happen to him or her or that the intentional sinner cannot receive forgiveness. God throughout the Old Testament shows His willingness to forgive those who knowingly sin, if these sinners approach God with a humble and repentant heart confessing their sins, these sins would be forgiven.

Still no matter how we read it, in the Old Testament the sin sacrifice is only for unintentional sins, and this is what Y'shua lived and died under. Two things need to understanding before leaving the concept of intentional and unintentional sin. God will forgive all forms of unintentional sin, but He still considers them sin that must be atoned for, but not through ceremonial sacrifices. Second God reserves for Himself and His Son the forgiveness of intentionally committed sins. Nevertheless, there is one sin God will never forgive, nor can the blood of His only Son atone for.

"And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. “ (Luke 12:10)

The Law of the Sacrifice

The actual mechanics of the Sin Sacrifice are immortalized in the book of Leviticus. Depending on the social status of the person, a specific type of animal was required. For unintentional sins committed against that with is holy to the Lord there was only one animal, a perfect ram. For sins unintentionally committed against one of the Lord’s commandments, these animals changed depending upon the status of the person, with the exception of when the whole congregation sinned. All animals were to be perfect and unblemished. For priests the offering was a bull, for the rulers they offered a male goat, and for the individual it was either the female kid of a goat or the female lamb of a sheep.

There are two types of Sin sacrifice, the daily sacrifice, which those sins committed unintentionally that become known to the sinner as an individual, and there is an annual sacrifice for all sins that were committed by the people of Israel including some that sins were not made known and for the general uncleanness of Israel as a whole.

The Day of Atonement as recorded Leviticus chapter 16 is not a sin sacrifice as is the daily sin sacrifice. Although there is a sin sacrifice element in the ceremony, it is from the people of Israel to God, for both them as a community and for those whose sins remained hidden and uncovered. During the ceremony, the High Priest would sacrifice a bull for his sins and offer a ram as a burnt offering. For the people of Israel two goat kids were used one was used for a sin sacrifice and the other was placed the iniquities of Israel and let go. It was called the scapegoat, and this goat would carry away the iniquities of the whole of Israel so God’s wrath would fall upon the goat and not Israel.

In all ceremonial sacrifices, there were very specific requirements under the Law of Moses as to how the sacrifice was to be presented, made and offered to the Lord. It is to be presented before the Lord as perfect, no deformities, no blemishes, and rightfully owned by the person making the sacrifice. Its throat cut from ear to ear in one motion, except for birds. From mammals, the fat and certain organs are removed, the flesh is divided and YHUH’s portion burned, and the blood is sprinkled on the alter.

Under the full Law of Moses Y'shua could not have been a sin sacrifice. If we except that God is eternal, that God does not lie, and His word is forever then we as Christians must accept that this is true. Y'shua was not a bull, He was not a goat, He was not a ram, and while John calls Him the Lamb of God, He was not female. He was beaten, He was bruised, He was scourged and He bled from the crown of thorns, He was blemished. His throat was not slit by the priests the Roman soldiers crucified him. His blood was not sprinkled on the altar on the temple in Jerusalem, nor was his fat removed nor was the quarters of His body burned. Y'shua was not the sin sacrifice as proscribed by God through Moses. Please understand that this concept is a rouse by Satan to make you think that you are saved, while in truth you are unprepared to meet the Lord for you have not heard His words on what you need to do.

God made man in His image, man did not make God in his.

Growing up in a Christian house, I heard all the apologetics and mysteries. The Romans were surrogates for the priests, because the priests turned Y'shua over to Romans, they metaphorically slit his throat, even if they did not carry out the actual sacrifice. The cross became the holy alter to receive the blood of the sacrifice, and His body was burned when He descended into hell for three days. I have even seen them try and to fit Y'shua into the role of the sacrifice and Barabbas as the “scapegoat.” Y'shua and Barabbas were presented to Caesar’s legate not the Lord, and I have already heard that all authority is from God, form of reasoning. Lots were not used, if God chose Y'shua than there would have been absolutely no need of the priests to place their agents into the crowd before Pilate and scream for Barabbas. God will not be influenced by our desires, nor is God an American president who makes his decisions based on opinion polls. I have seen many a priest and pastor use many of Paul’s epistles twist things to show that these things happened. I am sorry, but Paul’s Christ of mystery does not qualify to change God’s eternal laws that were known to all Jews at the time. The God of Abraham is not the god who commands through a mystery.

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off." (Deuteronomy 30:11)

Before Y'shua walked the earth as a humble laborer and rabbi, the Father both forgave and offered forgiveness of sins, and Y'shua being the sin sacrifice was unnecessary.

"Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." Then YHUH said: "I have pardoned, according to your word; (Numbers 14:19-20)

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good YHUH provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, YHUH God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." And YHUH listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. (2 Chronicles 30:18-20)

Therefore YHUH brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. Now when he was in affliction, he implored YHUH his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that YHUH was God. (2 Chronicles 33:11-13)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. (Psalms 32:1)

You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. (Psalms 85:2)

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psalms 86:5)

You answered them, O YHUH our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. (Psalms 99:8)

Bless YHUH, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, (Psalms 103:2-4)

"To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. (Daniel 9:9)

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to YHUH, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)

"Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.” (Jeremiah 5:1)

Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. (Micah 7:18)

All that was required of us was to turn away from our sinful lifestyle, humble ourselves and turn our face to God. He was not asking for much, and although He would take vengeance on our actions, His mercy always abounded in His word. Y'shua was not the sin sacrifice. He did not meet the Lawful requirements of the sin sacrifice, nor did God require His Son pay for our sins when He our Father and our God was always ready to forgive us.

As true followers of Y'shua, we are obliged to follow Him to the Father, and not follow Paul to the thousand of churches that divide us on theological issues of truth and salvation. If this means we must walk away from generations of our traditions to join with Y'shua than this is what we must do as His true family. We like to quote bible verses out of context to prove our own point. Take for instance “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) We love to say this proves either the oneness of God or a trinity depending on our church, but when read and understood in context Y'shua is talking about purpose. He and the Father are one in spirit that drives purpose. Y'shua was not and never could be an acceptable sin sacrifice under the Law God gave to Moses.

A Sacrifice for an UN-Original Sin?

I can hear the hierophants now, “It was not the things we have control over, Y'shua was sacrificed because of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Someone has to make atonement for the sin Adam and Eve passed on to us. A sin we did not commit, but still God demands payment for. We needed to wait for someone who was not born with this taint of blood. This is why Paul said, ‘For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,’ (Romans 8:3) Now you understand why you need us to tell you these mysteries. ” My dear departed Aunt Helen had a good saying for this kind of mystery, “donkey dust!”

The whole concept of original sin was never inscribed in the laws of Moses, or in the pleas of the prophets. Nor was it ever mentioned by the Son of God. In truth, the concept of original sin comes from someone else. A self-appointed apostle of a resurrected Y'shua, Saul of Tarsus, made the assertion that has no basis in Scripture.

Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned. (Rom. 5:12)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Y'shua our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

It is true something went wrong back in the Garden of Eden, but what was it? God created mankind in a perfect place, where all of mans needs were met. All mankind needed to do was to stretch forth his hand and find an abundance of food. God gave man purpose by placing under him the remainder of His creation. Yet, there was one thing God forbad man to have, not a general sense of knowledge, but the specific knowledge of what is good and what is evil.

And YHUH God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)

Yet throughout our collective history, we have attributed original sin to this act of disobeying God in the tasting of the forbidden fruit. Nevertheless, there are two points that scream for attention. One is literally right in front of our eyes. God did not FORBID Adam from eating, God warns Adam of the consequences of eating the fruit. There is no way any reading of the verse Genesis 2:17 can be construed as a divine commandment punishable by God’s wrath. I liken this to the parent who tells their child not to touch the hot cup of coffee or they will be burned. The second point requires we use our reasoning. Without the knowledge of good and evil, man could never sin against God for to man there was no concept of good or evil. Paul, the author of original sin, actually supports this concept in his letter to the Romans

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." (Romans 7:7)

Now we are faced with a difficult choice, if we believe completely in Paul, that is if Paul is correct in original sin, and that there is no sin without knowing the difference between right or wrong. Then we find the Father of our Lord Y'shua being an arbitrary and capricious god who punishes us simply for His own amusement, or we have to start to reevaluate those things, which we have carried around as sacrosanct dogma. In light of this, we must change our preconceptions of either Paul or the God Y'shua called Father. For if, there is a God to believe in, this God must be faithful and consistent, and otherwise your god is named “luck.”

God’s first “unrecorded” act of mercy.

We know something happened that day to get God’s attention into what was happening and to take some very drastic measures. If man was truly incapable of sinning why was God’s so severe that we were exiled from the presence of God? So what then really happened on that day?

We see that at the end of that fateful day God pronounced His decision. Yet, in His decree was God punishing man by expelling him from the Garden. Just punishment serves only one purpose to teach a lesson so that the violator learns from their transgression, other than that punishment becomes mere retribution.

And the YHUH God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. (Genesis 3:22-23)

Some like to say that God added additional punishments to both man and woman, which are enumerated in Genesis 3:16-19 but was this punishment or the natural consequence of being outside of the Garden and God’s presence on earth. As shown, this could not be punishment for there was nothing to punish, like the child who reaches for the hot cup and is burned, the consequences of the action becomes the punishment if one insists on using the word.

Perhaps it is best that we look at what God said again, for the clues.

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Genesis 2:17)

What was the fruit that hung on the tree of knowledge of good and evil? It is obvious from the words in Genesis that it is simply that, the knowledge of what is good and what is evil. Yet in its subtle simplicity, humanity has spent his days trying to understand what he did that was so wrong. Is it not the knowing of what is good and what is evil the crowning achievement of humanity?

The answer is no, this is not our crowning achievement. We did receive the knowledge of good and evil, but lost the perspective of innocence in the process. In the place of innocence grew our bane as a species, our desire to pass judgment on one another. Prior to eating this fruit, God was our center of existence, for it was a time we judged nothing or no one and we were content to be in God’s holy presence.

We gained the ability to “judge” that is what comes from having the knowledge of choice. What is good and what is evil, is a judgment, but what we see is through our eyes. Our selfishness is a clouded, filter that bends the truth to our needs. Is the tiger that kills the lamb evil? Is the lamb good? If we were to place ourselves inside a hungry tiger, killing the lamb to survive is good. And when we place the our point of reference inside the lamb whose throat is enclosed by the jaws of the tiger, ready to pierce its life containing veins and arteries the tiger is evil. To the Creator of both the tiger and the lamb, what is good and what is evil?

We see from only our own selfish needs, and we never stop to see the needs of the other. God sees all things from all places, and while the death of the prey is violent and to a God who is compassionate it is sad, it is by no means evil. Many species serve a purpose, but left unchecked they will soon destroy their environment, and thus themselves. Both the tiger and lamb serves God’s purpose in neither a good nor an evil manner, they simply serve God’s purpose.

What is evil is when we use this knowledge to impose our judgments on our brothers and sisters. God created us to enjoy each other, not to beat each other into the ground with our selfish needs that deprive others of justice and our egocentric beliefs that condemn the innocent. True, we need to live together in peace and harmony, which is why God gave us His laws to live by. It is His most holy eyes that see our true needs, and He meets those needs.

There is no such thing as original sin, except for the first sin that we knowingly commit out of our own desire to judge others, rather than face judgment ourselves. Again, there is no need for God to have sent His Son for this purpose. God wastes nothing. Why are we asking Him to make His Son suffer so we can feel good about ourselves?

I do not know about you, but I thank YHUH for kicking us out of the garden before we could reach out and take the fruit of immortality. Can you imagine a world where selfishness ruled, where people raped and tortured each other day, after day? A place where there was not even hope in death? No, God did not punish us, He saved us, and He rescued us from ourselves.

Nevertheless, if people insist on continuing to judge others, then let them judge what YHUH our God meant when He said,

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)

The Big BUT . . .

As I wrote those words, I can feel the venom burning my skin at this moment, from the fangs of those wolves in sheep’s clothing. A billion people are taken back, “It cannot be, it is plainly in the bible. Even in the Old Testament Y'shua is identified as the sin offering.” Nevertheless, there are some people out there who I can honestly feel the pain and hurt from, people who with all honesty and humility believe that Y'shua is the perfect sin sacrifice. I know you truly wish the serve the Lord, to have hope, and I can near your cry of NOOOoooooooo, trail off in my mind, as these words sink into your heart. I take no pleasure in causing you or anyone any pain. Nevertheless, this pain will pass, and soon you find the truth, for if you seek God with all your heart, it will rejoice at the truth. The truth is Y'shua was not any form of sin sacrifice, but through Him, you may find both the redemption and peace we have always longed for.

John the Baptist announced to us all that Y'shua was our savior who takes away our sins. John was both an Old Testament and New Testament prophet, a transition. This transition combines the truth of what was before and will come.

The next day John saw Y'shua coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Let the words of the foolish pass over my hearing.

While there is no biblical proof or assertion by the Law, or the Prophets, or Y'shua Himself that is so, I still sought how this would be rectified into scripture. Often I have thought more that He was the Passover lamb especially in light of Exodus prophesy of John 19 and 1 Peter’s description Y'shua being without blemish the similarity of the Passover Lamb. This has much more truth in this than the sin sacrifice, but still is this the true purpose?

"Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb.” (Exodus 12:3-4)

It is true Y'shua was chosen days before His death. The moment Y'shua cleaned out the temple from the corruption of the moneychangers He was marked. It was one thing to be a country rabbi speaking out against the corruption of the Priests and Pharisees, but it was another thing to do so boldly in their own den of thieves. This was a serious challenge to the temple priests, they had already formed an alliance with Rome to maintain their position in the temple, as our churches are allied with governments today, and they too receive their license from the modern Caesars. If they could not control the temple in a peaceful manner, then the Romans would intervene. Surely, the Romans would find out about this, so the temple priests were faced with a choice, Y'shua or them. They chose Y'shua to pay the price, they themselves would not pay for being faithful to God.

In reading Exodus, each family was to select their own lamb, but there is the exception to share the lamb based on the size of his household with his neighbors. One could try to force all families into one family of Israel and place the High Priest as the head of the family, but that is all one can do is try. Y'shua said He came for the lost children of Israel, and they all were not there.

“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.” (Exodus 12:5)

Both Y'shua and Barabbas were male, and one could say Y'shua was the docile sheep and Barabbas the arrogant goat. In reading this verse, it is possible that salvation could have been made by the crucifixion of Barabbas, for we have no proof that Barabbas had a blemish. Think of the repercussions if Satan had the multitude in the Antonia fortress call for Y'shua’ release. You may argue that God would not allow this to happen, but it was Satan who came into Judas and the temple priests. Therefore, the question is why many times we see God hardening the heart of some to do His will, but now the blame is on Satan for Y'shua betrayal. If God truly intended Y'shua to be our Passover lamb, we would see God’s hand all over this. God would have hardened Judas and the priests and God would have left nothing to Satan.

“Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.” (Exodus 12:6)

It is true that God did create twilight in the middle of the day.

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Y'shua had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:43-46)

I cannot deny the similarities of the selection and slaughter of the Passover lamb parallel the death of Y'shua. Still parallels never meet. One use of parallels can be as a reference. In this parallel, they go to diverge at one crucial point.

“And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.” (Exodus 12:7)

And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. (Exodus 12:22)

There is a parallel with this and our Lord’s crucifixion.

After this, Y'shua, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Y'shua had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:28-30)

When I think of how Y'shua really must have looked on that cross, His face pummeled by the temple guards, His body cut open by forty brutal lashes of the Roman flagellum, and the blood that ran down his face from the crown of thorns. I must accept from my knowledge of forensics that some of His blood was collected on that sponge at the end of the hyssop.

The ultimate purpose of the Passover lamb is to use the blood to mark our doorways so death passes over our homes. The true question is who took that hyssop and sprinkled our Lord’s blood on their doorposts and lintels? If Y'shua was the true Passover lamb, we as Christians have totally missed the point. We worship at the foot of the cross, we revere the crown of thorns, worldly rulers have sought the spear that pierced Him, and we all wish to have the nails pierce our hands and feet. However, that hyssop and sponge was left there unseen and unnoticed with the Romans. If Y'shua was truly the Passover lamb the cross means nothing, and never once were we told to pick up this hyssop and cover our doorways with His blood. Y'shua did tell us to pick up our cross and follow Him, which indicated that our personal salvation did not end at His cross, but will end at ours. Is God so cruel that He spells out His plan in remarkable detail in full daylight so all can see and leave the most important thing in darkness for us to discover on our own? If you want to believe this then you must admit that it is our works that save us, because we have worked very hard to find this meaning, it took me 49 years, six months and 23 days. Nevertheless, I have not found the hyssop and sponge.

Let us look at what Y'shua said concerning that Passover. We can rest assured He would have told His disciples about God’s plan to make Him the Passover lamb. If this were God’s true purpose of Y'shua’ death then they would need to know so they could spread the good news of the fulfillment of God’s plan.

Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." (Luke 22:15-16)

However, Y'shua did eat with his disciples, and He was referring to the next time Y'shua would eat with disciples would be when they too entered into the kingdom of God.

He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.” (Matthew 26:23)

Now as they sat and ate, Y'shua said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.” (Mark 14:18)

Here we have Y'shua eating the Passover meal with them. Y'shua has already celebrated Passover. The Passover lamb does not eat the Passover meal. There is no scriptural evidence that there would be two Passovers in one year, there is no scriptural evidence support an idea that there would be a Passover like anyone has ever seen, or would ever see again. If it were Y'shua’ intent to be the Passover lamb He would not have eaten with His disciples, He would have abstained from eating to make His point. Y'shua abstained from drinking wine that night to make His point as to the coming of the kingdom of God. The next time wine touches His lips was only a brief moment before he gave up His Spirit.

There was a reason why God had the events Y'shua’s last time in Jerusalem parallel the Passover preparations. One reason God choose Passover for Y'shua's death was so the greatest number of people would witness Y'shua’s triumph. There was no mass media in that time to get the message of Y'shua’s victory over death out to the people of Judea and during Passover Jerusalem was packed with people from all over. Like Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval and New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Jerusalem during Passover was the place and the time to have the maximum number of people witness what was about to happen.

There is danger in believing Y'shua was the Passover lamb, we see Y'shua ate with His disciples, again I stress the Passover lamb does not eat the Passover lamb, and nowhere in the bible is any animal found eating itself. Only man has the ability to consume himself in his own sins. There is a parallel to this thought, and it is not of God. It is called the Ouroboros, a pagan symbol of serpent eating itself. The Ouroboros comes from ancient Egypt, and was adopted by the Phoenicians and Greeks, and is used to represent rejuvenation and eternal life. There is only one person and one place in the bible where Y'shua is called the Passover lamb contradicting the Law and the Lord, Paul to the Corinthians.

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Paul is the false prophet who our Lord spoke of numerous times. Paul is allowed to remain in the bible so God can test us. Nowhere in any place in the bible does the Lamb eat the Lamb, to force Y'shua into this position is to place the Ouroboros in place of Y'shua and follow the Ouroboros and not the Father and Y'shua.

"If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'-which you have not known-'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for YHUH your God is testing you to know whether you love YHUH your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

Foolish man don’t you know that the proof is in Isaiah

Isaiah the prophet of God describes what would happen to Y'shua in remarkable detail, and how everything done to Y'shua would be for our benefit. From the stripes that healed, to vision of Y'shua being lead to the slaughter as a lamb all point to only one possible person, Y'shua. Moreover, did not Isaiah say He would be the sin sacrifice?

Yet it pleased YHUH to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of YHUH shall prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

Nevertheless, Isaiah is looking past the current temple structure, into the future. Yes, Isaiah is looking way beyond the Mosaic Law to a time when blood will not be used. Rather Isaiah is saying that this man’s soul, that is his life will be used. The soul and the blood are not the same thing.

"But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Genesis 9:4)

The Hebrew word for both life and soul is nephesh (Strong 5315), and Hebrew word for blood is dam (Strong 1818). If Isaiah intended for us to use Y'shua’ blood he had the correct Hebrew word to use, “dam.” Instead, Isaiah is telling us to use Y'shua’ soul and the soul (nephesh) has a very different meaning than blood (dam). This may seem trivial, but in Leviticus, we can find the subtleties that make an important distinction.

'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' (Leviticus 17:11)

"for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.” (Leviticus 17:14)

The soul to Isaiah is the self, the life, the creature, the person, the appetite, the mind, the living being, the desire, the emotion, and the passion. While the soul is in the blood and it is nourished by the blood, it is not the blood itself, even though they appear to man to be the same.

As there is a difference between the soul and the blood, so there is a subtle difference between 'sacrifice' and 'offering.' Sacrifice or zebach in Hebrew (Strong 2077) is used with the death of an animal with one link to an offering. However the Hebrew for offering is olah (Strong 5930), and besides the common meaning that wraps around sacrifices it has another meaning, that meaning is ascent, stairway and steps.

When we revise “When You make His soul an offering for sin” to read “When You make his passion to be a stairway out of your sin,” we truly come to honor Y'shua in full glory as the Son of God. What was Y'shua passion and how can we use it to get out of our sin. Y'shua’ passion was to be an obedient son. Y'shua followed God’s Laws (these were God’s Laws not Moses’ laws). Y'shua was passionate for mercy and justice. He adored children and honored the faithful. If we do these things out of love of the Father and Son, we can get out of our sinful life. Isaiah is telling us to live our lives as Y'shua lived his. Y'shua also tells us the same thing.

Then Y'shua said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53)

We know from Genesis we have life in us, so Y'shua is not talking about giving us something different. Human blood with the exception of some minor differences in the proteins is human blood. Y'shua is saying, “I have something in my blood that you do not have. Passion, a passion that can never be put out, even in death, I have passion for my Father, and my Father’s will! And His will is that you return home with me.”

A guillotine of the stiff necked.

Many point to the Gospel writer Matthew records Y'shua, own words proving He would be the sacrifice for sin. Y'shua even references Leviticus that only blood can atone for sin. I am told how much more proof do I need than this?

“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28)

Okay, you got me. This is true, Y'shua said this, but not for the reasons you think. Because Y'shua never believed that, His life needed be sacrificed for our sins. Y'shua abolished sacrifices with these words.

"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Matthew 19:13)

Repeatedly in the bible do we find the Father forgiving our sins. All we ever needed to do is repent. That is all the Father ever asked of us. Repent and turn ourselves back to Him. How beautifully and forcefully Y'shua said this in the parable of the prodigal son. However, Y'shua saw the people, He knew the people and knew He would need to sacrifice His life so they would believe.

He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” (Matthew 19:8)

Our own hard hearts caused Y'shua’ death, not a predetermined command from the Father. I can hear Y'shua now, “I am here in the midst of you. I have healed the sick, given sight to blind, made the lame walk, cast demons from the possessed, fed five thousand of you with a handful of food, and I even brought the dead back to life. I have given you the words My Father gave me to give you to get you out of your sin and to return you to your rightful place as His children, but you arrogant people have hardened your hearts to me, and you demand that a life be given before you trust the promise of your God. So be it, I will give Myself up to show you the way back to the Father.”

After He said this to His disciples, He left to go pray in the garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed,

“And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." (Mark 14:36)

There is only one cup Y'shua can be speaking of. The cup He had just told His disciples His blood would fill, the cup of the new covenant. As we see Y'shua was not the willing sacrifice as we all been lead to believe, but He is the perfect Son of obedience who does the will of the Father.

Let us return to when our Lord first mentions this cup, as this is the only relic of our Lord we truly need to find. Not to find in the physical sense, but in the way our lord gave us the directions to find. We find that this cup was mentioned during the last supper of all three synoptic gospel writers.

“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28)

And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.” (Mark 14:24)

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20)

Only hours before His betrayal our Lord refuses to say that He is going to become a sacrifice for our sins. Instead, He states He is going to shed His blood for the new covenant. It is only in Matthew that the remission of sins becomes linked to the new covenant.

Therefore, to find how our sins can be put into remission we will need to look at the new covenant. Before we examine the new covenant, it is important to understand what covenants are and the mechanics involved in establishing a covenant between God and man.

We must let go of our traditions and allow Y'shua to speak to us plainly and clearly. Let Him finish what He is saying and wait until the question is asked before you answer. He has given us all the answers that we need to fully understand what he wants of us. He left nothing a mystery and when He seen His disciples lacked understanding He explained it to them.

Y'shua gave us a test to determine where we stand in our relationship to Him and to the Father. Y'shua speaks of mysteries in parables, but these are plain as day for those who are worthy to receive His knowledge and understanding of the Father and of His kingdom.

“And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Matthew 13:10-11)

And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,” (Mark 4:11)

And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.' (Luke 8:10)

While recorded three times, Y'shua only speaks of speaking in a mystery one time, concerning parables. There was a reason why He did this, it was His test to determine who are a true disciple and His friend. While the three synoptic gospels tell us He speaks plainly and clearly in a mystery, the reason some can understand and others cannot is told in the forth Gospel.

"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15)

Compare our Lord’s single utterance of a mystery to the twenty-one mysteries of Paul and tell me whose gospel resides in a mystery. Who is a friend of Y'shua, those who cloud the minds of men in mysteries, or those who hear Him clearly and plainly?

Y'shua gave His life so we can enter into the new covenant as true sons and daughters of Israel. There is no mystery here. I know you do not want to believe this, but the answer has always been there, looking you in the face every time you open your bible. We find how and why Y'shua had to give His blood in the laws regarding covenants.

In Love there is Mercy and always Hope to those who Love God.

As the Father gave Moses His ten commandments He told us that from Him we can expect mercy, He even told us how we could show our love to Him by keeping His commandments.

“but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:6)

From our God’s mercy comes our hope.

“Behold, the eye of YHUH is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:18)

God’s love is His mercy and it is our hope, for there is no other hope.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

In one verse, Y'shua closes the door and categorically states He is not the sin sacrifice for sin as permitted by Moses under the law. Still in this same one verse, He tells us not to give up hope. The hope is in that he does not destroy the law. As you read these words from the Gospel of Matthew, you will see Y'shua is not the sin sacrifice, as He is not destroying the law. Still Y'shua is not done, He is not destroying the Prophets either, including Isaiah’s prophesies that only appear to be saying that Y'shua is the sin sacrifice. Y'shua is telling us it is not over yet, as you read focus on one word, “fulfill.”

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)

Fulfill, the word has two meanings according to the rendering of the Greek word pleroo (Strong 4137). These are 'to make full' and 'to complete.' There is no meaning of the word to indicate that the Law was abolished when completed. When Y'shua died on the cross, the Law has been rendered complete, that is, there will be no additions or subtractions. When He gave up His spirit, all the prophesies concerning Him were made full, no one shall add or subtract from what was written about His purpose. In fact, the very next verse the Lord categorically denies the idea that the Law is over.

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one dot will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18)

What the Lord means by this is that nothing further will be added or removed from the Law; however, He did give Peter the authority to bind or loosen the Law. The moment the Lord said this, He was not finished, because He uses the present infinitive tense of the verb. The application of the Law and the all the unfulfilled prophesies the prophets spoke of were not finished, but nothing would added or removed from the law until all was done. We can reasonably expect that every prophesy was not fulfilled on the cross, simply because the Lord made prophesies of His own concerning the events that would occur after His crucifixion, such as His return in triumphant glory and the coming of the man who comes in his own name. When He said it is finished in respect to the prophets, only those things which He was to fulfill were finished, later day prophesy is still pending, but the Law stands until “all” is fulfilled.

God does change His relationship with us, based on how we maintain that relationship with Him, but He does not do it without telling us He plans to do so. God does this either with His own voice or with the voice of His Holy Prophets. Pay attention to the words 'the Law and the Prophets' Y'shua used in Matthew 5:17. While the Law appears singular, it is capitalized to indicate the collection of individual laws, and the Prophets are plural to indicate that there was more to fulfill than only Isaiah.

It is all spelled out.

The secret of YHUH is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. (Psalms 25:14)

God does not leave us in the dark to uncover a mystery by using soothsayers and old bones to discover His will. God plainly speaks his commandments and plans to us in many ways. He can speak to us directly, He can speak to us through His Son, He can send an angel, or He can speak through His prophets.

'I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. (Deuteronomy 18:18)

Now it is time to understand how God establishes His laws and plans with us is through a Holy Covenant. A covenant is promise to perform, or more simply put a contract between man and God. This can be one sided or it can be agreed upon. The most famous one-sided covenant in the scripture is the one God made with Noah, that HE would never cover the entire earth with floodwaters. Noah made an offering to God after the flood waters receded and the animals left the ark. Noah did not ask God for anything in return, God accepted Noah’s offering and made a promise. God gave Noah all the fruits, herbs, and permission to eat meat, but not the blood. He blessed Noah and his sons, and prohibited the shedding of the blood of another man.

"Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9:11)

A covenant of agreement is initiated either by man or by God. When a covenant of agreement is made, it does not take effect until both parties accept it. Hezekiah initiated a covenant with God when his intention to ask God for mercy for the sins the people committed under his father Ahaz.

"Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with YHUH God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.” (2 Chronicles 29:10)

The other type of a covenant of agreement is where God lays out the terms, and we accept them. As you review these agreements, it becomes obvious that God is the one who gives the most, and in return, we offer a token of acknowledgement of God’s authority. The most famous contract God made with a man was with Abraham.

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; (Genesis 17:4-10)

Signing the Contract

God is offering Abraham so much, land, wealth, bountiful children, and all God is asking for Abraham to accept God as his and his descendents, and a piece of skin to seal the agreement. However, it was not a worthless piece of skin, the covenant was sealed in, it was sealed in blood, and the skin became the offering. When a covenant of agreement is made, it is literally signed in blood. It was Moses’ wife Zipporah who saw this.

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet, and said, "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!" So He let him go. Then she said, "You are a husband of blood!"-because of the circumcision. (Exodus 4:25:26)

The skin was what God wanted from Abraham as a token. However, anyone who has ever witnessed a circumcision knows it is very bloody. The blood becomes a very powerful ink in which we bind the contract with our signatures. In the blood is the life force, it has the power to speak to God.

' And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.' (Genesis 4:10)

God is eternal and true, there is no need for Him to have signed the contract, but we are not trustworthy and our faith in God, in all of us can never be considered eternal. The blood acts as a witness against us, as our signature does on any contract.

God only asked one physical part of us, and only from the males. As God refines future covenants with us, God is not asking for an arm or a leg as a token, He only asks for our obedience, but He still demands the covenant is sealed in blood. God changes the offering from our physical flesh to that of an animal. The animal is still the token payment to God for His blessings, as the foreskin was to Abraham and all generations after him.

An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. (Exodus 20:25)

It is the blood of the animal that serves as a witness. Witnessing is very important in the trust of a contract. If God could give speech to Balaam’s donkey to witness against Balaam, God can surely call a sacrificial animal to testify against us at our judgment.

"Therefore we said, 'Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, 'but that it may be a witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of YHUH before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, "You have no part in YHUH." (Joshua 22:26-27)

Here is a covenant between the tribes of Israel, and they ask the sacrifice to serve as their witness before God. The particular agreement was so that the children of Reuben and Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh who also serve YHUH would insure that the rest of Israel could never deny them a part of YHUH. The sealed this with the blood sacrifice, and said it would serve as a witness to God.

Breach of Contract Clause

God only establishes changes His laws and His relationship with us through a covenant. God does not force this covenant upon us. It is a covenant that we freely agree into in order to receive the benefits God has promised. We are free to enter into the covenant with God and we are free to leave it. However, we have no rig