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It really does not make sense to type 'Jesus' as the Passover sacrifice anyway. We know from Exodus 12 that the Passover sacrifice did not serve as atonement for sins, it merely commemorates the exodus from Egypt. Even when the lamb was slaughtered in Egypt and its' blood smeared on the door-posts, the blood did not serve to atone for the sins of anyone. It was a sign for the angel of death to pass over Israelite homes during the plague of the first born. The only people in danger were first-born males. The blood wasn't a help to other people in the family, and didn't serve as an atonement for the first born or save the mothers or sisters of any family.
It would have made much more sense to type 'Jesus' after the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) sacrifice, which actually was an atonement for the sins of all the people. The problem here was that according to Leviticus 16:10, 21-22, the animal that atoned for the sins of the nation was not killed, but sent live out into the desert. (THINK)...it was not killed...it lived...as we saw earlier in the real Isaiah...."life" atones..not death!
Now the followers of 'Jesus' had another problem. According to the prophecies of ancient Israel, the Messiah was not supposed to die before completing His mission. The followers of 'Jesus,' who claimed that he was Israel's Messiah, now had to deal with 'Jesus'' embarrassing death at the hands of the Romans. So they correlated him with the slain Passover sacrifice. This tap dance around the scriptures to try and legitimize 'Jesus' as the Messiah cannot negate the clear lesson from Leviticus and the Day of Atonement that the shedding of blood is not a pre-requisite for atonement.
Answer for yourself: Where did this idea originate that one man, or that anyone for that matter, could atone and pay for the sins of one or more people?
Maybe you don't know or have never read on the subject. Many don't and have not done adequate study to know the answer. Others have. It should be perfectly clear to you, if you have ever looked into the subject, that such notions stem from the Babylonian mystery religion of ancient Mesopotamia. The Greeks and Romans, as well as their ancestors, had multiple legends whereby heroes died for followers, cities, friends, for the law, for the truth, etc. Many such “deaths” were thought to bring atonement to those who believed in such sacrificial acts. This is fact when can be demonstrable to anyone who inquires.
What is certain is that the idea that an innocent person can be killed instead of those who are guilty is not consistent with what the Bible teaches. After the sin of the Golden Calf, YHVH was so outraged that His intentions were to totally annihilate and destroy the Israelite people. Moses offers to die in their place. Notice the response to Moses suggestion:
"Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin...; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And [YHWH] said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." (Exodus 32:32-33)
Throughout the Bible, YHVH says that one person cannot die for the sins of another:
"Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin" (Deuteronomy 24:16)
"But everyone will die for his own sin; each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge" (Jeremiah 31:30)
"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself" (Ezekiel 18:20)
"He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them are an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 17:15).
"No man ['Jesus' included] can by any means redeem his brother, or give to 'God' a ransom for him" (Psalms 49:7)
Unlike the Greek Testament in the Christian Bible, The Holy Scriptures of the One True CREATOR of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob clearly teach that we are responsible for our own actions and sins. We alone must account and pay the price. God does not change! No virgin born savior deity from Babylonian mythology can contradict the clear instructions of CREATOR of Israel.
Answer for yourself: Why are there two theologies concerning atonement in your Bible; one in the Old Testament by the God of Israel who says He changes not, and then the Pauline corpus of material in the New Testament that contradicts it by paralleling pagan mystery religions and their false atonements of their false gods? This is very evident when the Old Testament is compared with the NT, and if you say you never saw it dear one you never looked deep enough for it is there!
Here is a question that Christian ministers have danced around for two thousand years, but have never truthfully answered. This question bothered me all the years I pastored.
Answer for yourself: If indeed 'Jesus' came as the final sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world, why do The Holy Scriptures proclaim that the Third Temple will be built and sacrifices resumed during the Messianic era?
The vast majority of average Christians are completely ignorant of these prophecies, as they have been cleverly hidden by their ministers. Notice the clear teachings of The Holy Scriptures regarding this:
"Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)
"From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones will bring My offerings." (Zephaniah 3:10)
"All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; they will go up with acceptance on My altar, and I shall glorify My glorious house." (Isaiah 60:7)
"And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever." (Ezekiel 37:26)
"And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to [YHWH] offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to [YHWH], as in the days of old and as in former years." (Malachi 3:3-4)
(Ezekiel 45:17) "And it shall be the princes part to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the libations...to make the atonement for the house of Israel."
Apparently, dear reader, 'Jesus' sacrifice did not make atonement for the sins of all the world. If the death of 'Jesus' had atoned for all sins for all time, why will atonement need to be made during the messianic era?
Answer for yourself: How do you answer the true words of Israel's CREATOR, Mr. Christian minister? These questions caused me to study like I never had to find the answers. The root of the whole problem lies in the texts and their authority. As a Christian Pastor I came to realize after many years of serious study following Seminary that the New Testament was little more than a propagandist Roman document full of anti-Semitic ideas and teachings. Considering all the manuscripts available to day totally a little less than 6000 pieces, there are over 300,000 contradictions and no two are “identical” or “read the same”. Surely God could do better. As if that was not enough, my heart broke within me when I discovered my KJV Old Testament was a purposefully falsified and altered translation of the Jewish Masoretic text which had been “doctored” as had the New Testament. It took over ten years to substantiate these discrepancies beyond any doubt and were a major factor in my resignation from my Pastorate. I was an ordained Pastor of an apostate faith. Such shame no man can know. I had believed “the” lie and the “very elect” was deceived. I accepted everything on “faith” never questioning anything. I was gullible for the LORD until YHVH put in my heart and head the desire to study out the conflicting errors of my Christian theology. The fruit I lay before you for your inspection as a gift to God and as a love offering in hopes your hunger for truth is greater than you commitment to tradition.
The Christian claim that only through bloodshed can atonement be made show that Christians are unfamiliar with how compassionate and merciful the Holy One of Israel really is. Sometimes, He forgives us simply because He is kind, loving, compassionate and merciful. Even when we don't seek our LORD appropriately, He has the ability to reach out to us with love and forgive us:
"Who is a [Elohiym] like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy." (Micah 7:18)
"Their heart was not steadfast toward Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity...remembering that they were but flesh." (Psalms 78:36-39)
"You have not brought Me the sheep of your burnt offerings...or the fat of your sacrifices, but you have burdened Me with your sins...Nevertheless, I will wipe out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:23-25)
Truly, truly the Holy one of Israel is a just and merciful CREATOR.
Answer for yourself: If the Christian claim that one must be covered by the shed blood of the Messiah in order to make atonement for his sins is valid, why can this claim not be validated by the writings of the prophets?
Time and time again, the writings of the prophets emphasize prayer and repentance as the method to atone for sins. I challenge any Christian to produce a scripture from Unaltered Holy Hebrew Scriptures (OT that Jesus used) that teaches us that we must believe in the atoning blood of a Messiah in order to obtain salvation [even the Christian Bible does not say it]. What the prophets teach us is that our own obedience to the laws of Israel's CREATOR combined with sincere repentance and prayer for forgiveness will atone for sin if done with the proper attitude of humility.
Clearly, the central teaching of The Holy Scriptures is that we must break away from our sinful past and sincerely repent. This is the only way to restore our relationship with the Holy One of Israel. If one strays from the path set forth by the laws of our God, one must repent and return to the path. This is how forgiveness is obtained. Even when sacrifices were offered, they in and of themselves did not effect atonement. You now have see that in the first articles in this series. The sacrifice was part of the process but only a “picture” of the sacrificer after his repentance. What is repentance? Returning to ETERNAL by forsaking our evil ways and praying for forgiveness. The prophets were constantly correcting the Israelite people for relying on blood sacrifices as the essential element of atonement instead of or without repentance and obedience to ETERNAL's laws:
Answer for yourself: Do you now begin to see what the very wise king Solomon was trying to explain in 1 Kings 8, when he said that even though the Israelite people may not always have access to the sacrifices and the Priesthood, they would always have access to the Holy One of Israel?
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, understood that repentance and not blood is the Scriptural form of atonement.
Answer for yourself: Remember the story of Jonah?
He was sent to the evil city of Nineveh {non-Jews) to warn them of their impending destruction. Jonah does not come into the city and tell the people that unless they begin offering sacrifices they are doomed. He does not tell them that unless they accept on faith that the shed blood of Israel's Messiah will atone for their sins they are lost. No! He warns them to repent. Their response to his warnings is: they fast, pray, and turn from their evil.
Answer for yourself: What is YHVH’s response to their repentance?
"When [Elohiym] saw their deeds that they turned from their wicked way, then [Elohiym] relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them, and He did not do it." (Jonah 3:10).
EVEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS TOLD HOW TO ATONE FOR HIS SINS….VERY INTERESTING....
"Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: Redeem your sins by doing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor." (Daniel 4:27).
After the ten northern tribes split away from Judah, a civil war prevented most of Israel from Temple worship. The prophet Hosea addressed this situation and instructed the people accordingly:
"Return, O Israel, to [YHWH] your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to [YHWH]. Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, for we will render as bullocks the offerings of our lips'." (Hosea 14:1-2)
We are able to approach our god directly with prayer, which is possible at all times and regardless of the size of our bank accounts; and He assures us that sincere prayer can achieve forgiveness for our sins:
The Holy Scriptures of Israel are very clear. Prayer, a humble attitude, and above all, sincere heartfelt repentance is what the Holy One of Israel requires of His people in order to atone for sins. No doubt He knew thousands of years in advance that there would come a time when some would wrongly rely on the blood of a deified human sacrifice to vicariously replace obedience to His laws. It is evident to anyone with eyes to see that a comparison between The Holy Scriptures of Israel and the Greek NT to 'Baal' will reveal two entirely different religions. One is dedicated to the One True ETERNAL of Israel; the other is dedicated to just another of many mythological savior gods of the Babylonian mysteries.
The time will come when Israel's true messiah will usher in an era of peace when all nations will believe in and seek to worship the one true Holy One of Israel of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. At that time, the proponents of Christianity will deeply repent of the day when they taught the beloved nation of Israel and the descendants of Abraham to break the first commandment and worship another besides the Holy One of Israel.
One more article left....