Shalom brother,<\/p>\nIf the commandments of Yahweh were done away with by Yahshua, then why does it say in
\nI John 2:4-7; II John 1:6; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 22:14. Yahshua also said in John 14:15,
\nJohn 15:10.\u00a0 Yahshua took away the sacrificial laws and the death penalty, his blood is so pure that there is no need for further lamb sacrifices. His death paid for our sins forever! His resurrection gives us eternal life if we accept him as our Savior!\u00a0 Yahshua kept his father’s commandments, the feasts he also kept.\u00a0 He was born on a Jewish feast, he was crucified and resurrected on a Jewish feast, and will return on a Jewish feast!\u00a0 Moses did not write the Ten Commandments, Yahweh did with his finger. Moses wrote another set of ordinances, ceremonial laws, that Yahshua nailed to the cross!\n
And as for giving the Torah to just the Jews, according to Exodus 12:38, it clearly states that a mixed multitude left Egypt with the Israelites, so the Gentiles also received the Torah at Mount Sinai and they joined Israel. Read Exodus 12:49, the strangers are the Gentiles!<\/p>\n
As a Messianic Jew from the tribe of Benjamin out of Spain (sepharad) whom I recently discovered that the Hispanics from Spain are from the tribe of Benjamin or Judah according to Obadiah 1:20 (sepharad is modern-day Spain) from 70 A.D. the destruction of Jerusalem until the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 A.D. Jews lived and thrived in Spain. Look under Google where are the tribe of Benjamin is now.<\/p>\n
Yahshua is not Christian, Catholic, Baptist, or any other man-made religion. He was the son of Yahweh, prophet, Jewish rabbi, teacher, pastor, evangelist. He left as a Jewish rabbi and he will return as a Jewish rabbi!<\/p>\n
And as for the date of birth of Yahshua, he was not born on December 25. That is a lie from the Roman Empire church (Constantine). Yahshua celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22-23) feast of dedication is Hanukkah!<\/p>\nThank you for your time! May Yahweh bless you and keep you!
\nShalom!\n\t
I am going to do my best to address your email as sections.<\/p>\n
You said, “Jesus took away the sacrificial laws and the death penalty.” I agree sacrificial laws are no longer in use, but I disagree with your statement that the rest of the Old Testament is still in use. I also disagree with your statement about taking away the death penalty; Jesus saved us from the second death (hell). People who remain in sin are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:5). Under the new covenant, religion is separated from secular government. Earthly governments have the authority to impose death penalties (Romans 13:4). Christ’s church does not have physical death penalties.<\/p>\n
However, consider this: To state that Jesus took away the death penalty is to say he also changed the judicial law. You then run into the problem that the Ten Commandments were a part of the judicial law. To claim a change in judicial law is to claim the Ten Commandments were changed — a position that you reject.<\/p>\n
Under a theocratic physical government, there is no separation of religion and secular society. All are one. When you tithe, it goes to the temple and to the priests (taxes, in a sense), who make sacrifices and offerings and burn incense unto God. To take an oath that was binding by law, you would get a priest (Nehemiah 5:12).<\/p>\n
There is no longer a priesthood or a temple as found in the Old Covenant. There is only a spiritual priesthood of believers (I Peter 2:9) and a spiritual temple composed of believers (I Corinthians 3:16-17). Each Christian is a priest offering spiritual sacrifices (I Peter 2:5). Instead of a physical nation, it is now a spiritual kingdom where the capital is in heaven. Not only is the temple no longer needed but the Levites’ positions are done away with in government, which means no land allotted to them, food, etc. No longer are any of the tribes supposed to have so much land, the tax system (tithing) no longer exists, the death penalty for breaking the Sabbath no longer exists (Numbers 15:32-36), and no longer is any food but blood forbidden or becoming unclean through physical touch (Colossians 2:16-23). All parts of the Old Covenant or Law depended upon a theocracy, which no longer exists as they did under the Old Covenant. Under the new covenant, a new law was formed. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life.\u00a0If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture<\/strong>,\u00a0eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him<\/strong>. Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord our God<\/em>” (Leviticus 24:17-22).<\/p>\n
“If a man\u00a0commits adultery<\/strong>\u00a0with the wife of his neighbor, both the\u00a0adulterer and the adulteress<\/strong>\u00a0shall surely\u00a0be put to death<\/strong>.\u00a0If a\u00a0man lies with his father’s wife<\/strong>, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness;\u00a0both of them shall surely be put to death<\/strong>; their blood is upon them<\/em>” (Leviticus 20:10-11).<\/p>\n
“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; and you shall\u00a0be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins<\/strong>, and it shall be a sign\u00a0of the covenant between Me and you<\/strong>. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall\u00a0be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant<\/strong>. And the\u00a0uncircumcised male child<\/strong>, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that\u00a0person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant<\/strong><\/em>” (Genesis 17:10-14).<\/p>\n
“But Daniel resolved that he would\u00a0not defile himself<\/strong>\u00a0with the\u00a0king’s food<\/strong>, or with the\u00a0wine\u00a0<\/strong>that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him\u00a0not to defile himself<\/strong><\/em>” (Daniel 1:8).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
New Covenant Law<\/h4>\n
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth<\/strong>.’\u00a0But I say to you,\u00a0do not resist the one who is evil<\/strong>. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.\u00a0And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,\u00a0let him have your cloak as well.\u00a0And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.\u00a0Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you<\/em>” (Matthew 5:38-42).<\/p>\n
“It is actually reported that there is\u00a0sexual immorality<\/strong>\u00a0among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a\u00a0man has his father’s wife<\/strong>. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this\u00a0be removed from among you<\/strong>. … But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of\u00a0sexual immorality<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0greed<\/strong>, or is an\u00a0idolater<\/strong>,\u00a0reviler, drunkard, or swindler<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0not even to eat with such a one<\/strong>. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.\u00a0Purge the evil person from among you<\/strong><\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:1-2,11-13).<\/p>\n
“Was anyone called while\u00a0circumcised<\/strong>? Let him\u00a0not become uncircumcised<\/strong>. Was anyone called while\u00a0uncircumcised<\/strong>? Let\u00a0him not be circumcised<\/strong>.\u00a0Circumcision is nothing<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0uncircumcision is nothing<\/strong>, but\u00a0keeping the commandments of God<\/strong>\u00a0is what matters<\/em>” (I Corinthians 7:18-19).<\/p>\n
“In Him\u00a0you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands<\/strong>, by\u00a0putting off the body of the sins of the flesh<\/strong>, by\u00a0the circumcision of Christ<\/strong>,\u00a0buried with Him in baptism<\/strong>, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead<\/em>” (Colossians 2:11-12).<\/p>\n
“Therefore\u00a0let no one pass judgment<\/strong>\u00a0on you in questions of food and drink<\/strong>, or with\u00a0regard to a festival<\/strong>\u00a0or a\u00a0new moon\u00a0<\/strong>or a\u00a0Sabbath<\/strong>. These are a\u00a0shadow of the things<\/strong>\u00a0to come, but the\u00a0substance belongs to Christ<\/strong>. …If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to\u00a0regulations\u00a0<\/strong>– “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch<\/strong>” (referring to things that all perish as they are used) – according\u00a0to human precepts and teachings<\/strong>? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting\u00a0self-made religion<\/strong>\u00a0and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”<\/em>\u00a0(Colossians 2:16-17, 20-23).<\/p>\n
“And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand:\u00a0it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,<\/strong>\u00a0but\u00a0what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person<\/strong>.” … And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that\u00a0whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?<\/strong>\u00a0But\u00a0what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person<\/strong>. For out of the\u00a0heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander<\/strong>.\u00a0These are what defile a person<\/strong>. But to\u00a0eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone<\/strong><\/em>” (Matthew 15:10-12,16-20).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The type of punishment for one’s actions has changed. The way you act toward someone who is harming you has changed. Those within the church are to be held accountable by the church; those outside the church are held accountable by God. Circumcision is no longer required. There have been significant changes in the laws between the old covenant and the new.<\/p>\n
You claimed only certain laws have changed without evidence or Scripture. I have shown how all the Old Law or covenant is intertwined. You can’t have one without the other. There is no separation.<\/p>\n
What is the conclusion of this matter? To change one part of the old law affects and changes the rest in some way or form. Please understand I do not believe Jesus changed the Old Law, but that he brought to its completion; thus fulfilling it (Matthew 5:17). He replaced it with a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:6-7,13).<\/p>\n
Is Jesus Returning on a Jewish Feast?<\/h3>\n
You said Jesus is returning on a feast. Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only<\/em>” (Matthew 24:36). You do not have knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ did not have.<\/p>\n
Does it matter if God spoke or wrote the law, and did Moses make up laws?<\/h3>\n
With this assumption, you said, “Moses did not write the Ten Commandments, God did with his finger. Moses wrote another set of ordinances, ceremonial laws, that Jesus nailed to the cross!”<\/p>\n
Do you understand the definition of these words?<\/p>\n
Definitions<\/h4>\n
\n
- ceremonial<\/dt>\n
- adj<\/em><\/dt>\n
- involving or relating to\u00a0ceremony or ritual<\/strong><\/dd>\n
- n<\/em><\/dt>\n
- \n
\n
- the\u00a0observance of formality<\/strong>, esp in etiquette<\/li>\n
- a plan for formal observances on\u00a0a particular occasion; ritual<\/strong><\/li>\n
- (Christianity \/ Ecclesiastical Terms)\u00a0Christianity<\/em>\n
\n
- the\u00a0prescribed order of rites and ceremonies<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
[Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\u00a9 HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003]<\/p>\n
\n
- ordinance<\/dt>\n
- n.<\/em><\/dt>\n
- \n
\n
- An authoritative command or order<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- A custom or practice established by long usage.<\/li>\n
- A Christian rite, especially the Eucharist.<\/li>\n
- A statute or regulation, especially one enacted by a city government<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
[The American Heritage\u00ae Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright \u00a92000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by\u00a0Houghton Mifflin Company<\/a>.]<\/p>\n
\n
- ordinance<\/dt>\n
- n<\/em><\/dt>\n
- an authoritative regulation, decree, law, or practice<\/strong><\/dd>\n
- [from Old French\u00a0ordenance,<\/em>\u00a0from Latin\u00a0ordin\u0101re<\/em>\u00a0to set in order]<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n