When is the beginning of a new day (part two)

 

 What separates one day from another is it not a period of darkness which is called night? And what is the rationale for the separation? Day is the period designated for man to do his work as alluded to by Jesus who said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:4-5)

The night is designed for the human body to rest; it is the time when the metabolic regeneration process of the body takes place in order to recuperate, rejuvenate and reenergized the body to be able to face the challenges of the following day.  Therefore, if a new day begins either at sunset or at midnight how logical it is for the recuperation, rejuvenation and reenergizing of the body to take place when the body has not released, discharged or exerted the energy it has stored up?

Furthermore, the source of light in the physical realm is the sun, but darkness on the other hand has no source, it is actually the absence of light, for as long as light is present there is no darkness. On the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ is the source of light as we have been duly admonished saying; "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (1John 1:5-6).

Now in the spiritual realm the source of darkness is Satan the devil as illustrated by Jesus Christ who said; "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:19-20).

And the source of evil is Satan the devil as we have been duly instructed saying; "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).

It is also important to note that, light and truth are synonymous and darkness and lies are also synonymous and therefore, darkness and lies originated from Satan the devil when Lucifer the light bringer fell into perdition and became darkness.

Now, since darkness is the absence of light it is clear that day preceded the night which is made abundantly clear by the scriptures which states; “Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness" ( Genesis 1:16-18).

I normally use the game of cricket as an analogy to help resolve this paradox which has so many innocent and sincere believers bamboozled. The example I use is the “caught and bowled” scenario in the game of cricket where a bowler bowls to a batsman and the batsman hits the ball back to the bowler and the bowler catches the bowl. Although the bowler first bowled to the batsman before the batsman hits the ball back to the bowler who catches it, the dismissal of the batsman is not recorded as bowl and caught but rather caught and bowled, despite the fact that the ball was first bowled before it was caught.

 This is the same analogy that is in effect with the evening and morning controversy. It is not because the evening and the morning is recorded as being the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth day that one should assumed that a day begins in the evening.

One may not have noticed it but if you study the word carefully, you will see that evening is not associated with the seventh day, it simply says; “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown” (Genesis 2:1-5).

I therefore beg to ask the question, since it is clearly stated that on the sixth day God created all living creatures of the earth according to its kind and finally man, then the evening and the morning were the sixth day, where did the evening of the seventh day fall ! Was it at the beginning of seventh day or at the end of the seventh day?

This conveys a lot of meaning which many people has not yet understood; what this denotes is that, the Lord’s Sabbath’s are not associated with darkness, they begin at the dawn of day and ends at sunset. Night and day also represents two literal kingdoms which govern this world, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.

For example, we were all born under the dominion and ruler-ship of the kingdom of darkness, but when one is converted and has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are admonished to: “give thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).

We have been admonished saying; “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:6-8).

We have been further warned saying; “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are neither of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night: But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8).

https://www.amazon.com/author/luciusjoseph

So then, beginning a new day at sunset is a sign of spiritual ignorance, but to begin a new day at midnight is to be under the sway and dominion of the kingdom of darkness because this was introduced to the world by the Roman Empire to whom Satan gave his power, his throne and great authority.

Now, let us look at some other biblical examples to prove without any shadow of doubt that a new day does not begin either at sunset or at midnight.

To be continued stay tuned

Wit brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

When is the beginning of a new day?

Let us look briefly at this massive cloud of deception that has been hovering over the earth for quite a long time and which was orchestrated by the great dragon, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world and has given his power, his throne, and great authority to the fourth beast which is the Roman Empire.

Let us take this opportunity to unveil this massive cloud of deception that is hovering over the entire world by starting from creation. Before the Lord God who created the heavens, the earth, the seas and all things that are in them, the earth was in total oblivion in complete darkness and time was not in existence, there were no seconds, minutes, hours, days, nights, weeks, fortnights, months and years.

Now, there are three different schools of thought when it comes to the subject of “when is the beginning of a new day!” The irony of truth is, all three ideologies cannot be right, only one is right and the other two are false, but how can we prove which one that is right?

The three schools of thought are midnight which is the most popular, sunset and sunrise. So the logical question is which one is correct? I will attempt to make this debate as short and simple as possible by considering a few basic points.

 https://www.amazon.com/author/luciusjoseph

1.      Creation week

The most popular scripture used by those who teach that a day begins at sunset is what is stated in the scriptures regarding what the Lord did during the six days of creation which state, “So the evening and the morning were the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, six day”.

Because the word evening precedes the morning, people are assuming that a day begins at sunset. The irony of truth is, before recreation week, time was not in existence, the earth was in complete darkness due to the disobedience and rebellion of Lucifer the light bringer. Notice I say recreation week because when the Lord first created the earth it was beautifully made it was not null and void.

When the Lord who by the way is Jesus Christ before He became man first created the heavens and the earth it was beautifully made as He mentioned to Job saying; “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7).

It is due to the rebellion of Lucifer who was the light bringer that the earth became null and void and darkness was on the face of the deep. The fall of Lucifer is recorded in scriptures and it is stated as follows, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart: ' I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

The prophet Ezekiel also gave us a synopsis of the downfall of Lucifer who was personified by the prince of Tyre and of whom it is written; “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: " You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.

 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” Jesus confirmed the downcast of Satan by stating; “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Ezekiel 28:12-17; Luke 10:18)).

This is where and how it all began, Satan’s quest to be worshiped just as God is worshiped and this I think is what has been eluding the minds of the majority of people who are ignoring or completely disdaining the days which the Lord has set aside to have fellowship with Him and instead substituting them with other days instituted by man to whom Satan has given his power, his throne and great authority. In order for Satan to induce people to worship him instead of the Lord God, he has a substitute or a counterfeit to every day and festival the Lord has ordained for His honor and glory.

 So then, it is because of the downfall of Lucifer who lost his brightness and became darkness that the earth became null and void and darkness covered the face of the deep. So when it was time for the Lord to recreate the earth for man’s existence the Lord said, “Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:3-5).

Therefore, it was only when the Lord said, “Let there be light” that a day came into existence, and the light He called it day, and the darkness He called it night, then to complete the daily cycle, the Lord added the darkness which He called night to the period of light which He called day to create the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth day respectively.

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The Feast of First fruits

 

 Feast of First-fruits/Wave sheaf offering

This festival is the Sunday during the seven days of Un-leavened bread known as the feast of the first fruits when the Israelites were required to offer an offering of their first harvest to the priest, to be offered to the Lord, and be accepted on their behalf. For thus spoke the LORD to Moses saying; "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it" (Leviticus 23:10-11).

This festival was a shadow of the reality who is Jesus Christ when He presented Himself to the Father on behalf of humanity after His resurrection as He said to Mary when He met her in the tomb; "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20: 17, 19).

And so the rationale for this festival to all humanity and especially to believers, it is to commemorates the Risen Christ who is the first to be resurrected from the dead to immortality, and has become the first of the first fruits. Observing this day therefore, expresses one’s gratitude and appreciation to Jesus Christ for the new life we have in the Spirit:

This new life in the spirit was foreordained by God even before the foundation of the world as we have been duly instructed saying; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).

This foreordained plan of God was fulfilled in Jesus Christ at His resurrection and ascension to heaven as we have been admonished saying; “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-7).

The good news which this day reminds us of is that, humanity was begotten in Christ Jesus at His resurrection as we have been admonished saying; “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24).

The truth of the matter is, God the Father, according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.(1 Peter 1:3-5, Acts 17:28).

This day also reminds us of our future resurrection as we have been duly admonished saying; “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15:41-49).

I therefore beg to ask the question, why do the majority of those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ not observing this very meaningful festival? Why are they placing so much emphasis, delight and interest in their own personal anniversaries and festivals that are based on the customs and traditions of men and giving little or no attention to those that ascribe honor and glory to Jesus Christ? These is really sad and even those who are acknowledging this festival, their rationale for observing it is pagan in nature and they are not really to commemorating humanity’s new life in the spirit.

Truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Observing these festivals is not being legalistic; they are observed voluntarily as a means of expressing one’s gratitude and appreciation to the Lord in memory of what the Lord did for humanity on that particular day, so let each be fully convinced in his/her own mind, he who regards the day, observe it to the Lord, he who does not regard the day to the Lord he does not regard it, For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

https://www.amazon.com/author/luciusjoseph

Was Jesus Christ resurrected on a Sunday (part two)

In order for one to confirm the day and time Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead it is imperative that we know the day and time that He was placed in the tomb. So then, if the day which followed His death was a High Day Sabbath, this means that the women who followed Him rested on that day, the next day after the High Day Sabbath the women purchased and prepared the spices and the fragrant oils to anoint Him.

After purchasing and preparing the spices and fragrant oils, the women again rested according to the commandments and at the end of the Sabbath very early while it was still dark, as the first day of the week began to dawn the women went to the tomb with the ointment to anoint Jesus but the tomb was empty, He had already risen from the dead. So then when and what day was Jesus Christ  resurrected?

Jesus Christ definitely was not resurrected on Sunday and so, Sunday which is the first day of the week has absolutely no connection or association with the three days and three nights which the Lord gave as the only sign to prove that He is the Messiah.

The three days therefore are as follows;

1. The weekly Sabbath (Saturday) the day on which women rested after purchasing and preparing the spices and fragrant oils to anoint Jesus after the Sabbath.

2. Friday, the day the women purchased and prepared the spices and the oils.

3. Thursday, the High Day Sabbath which followed the Passover.

And the three nights were Wednesday, the night of the crucifixion, Thursday, and Friday.

So then at what time was Jesus Christ placed in the heart of the earth? According to the Gospels Jesus Christ was placed in the heart of the earth very late in the evening for it is written; “Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed” (Matthew 27:57-60: Mark 15:42).

Jesus Christ gave up the ghost at the ninth hour of the day which is three O’clock in the afternoon according to the Roman Calendar, Jesus Christ must have stayed a few hours on the cross after He died, and by the time Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to asked for the body and permission granted to take down the body, then Nicodemus came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury, this again must have taken a few hours to accomplish,

Therefore, it is conclusive that, by the time Jesus was placed in the heart of the earth it was late in the evening and theoretically, in order for Jesus Christ to fulfill the sign He gave to prove that He was indeed the Messiah He had to be resurrected precisely at the same time He was placed in the heart of the earth after spending three days and three nights.

So then, what is the significance of the Sunday which follows the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ? The Sunday which follows the death of Jesus Christ is called, “the Feast of First Fruits” It is the day on which Jesus Christ ascended to the Father in heaven after His resurrection

 Remember while Mary Magdalene who stayed behind in the garden weeping after they did not find the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb, Jesus came and said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (Which is to say, Teacher)? Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (John 20:15-17).

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:19-21).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ indeed plays a very important role and it is associated with our act of worship and the celebration of the feast of First fruits, for we have been duly admonished saying; “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up --- if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-18).

So, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not what that is being questioned, but rather the time of His resurrection, for we have been duly admonished saying; “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

Jesus Christ is the reality, so He fulfilled a perpetual statute which the Lord gave to His people saying; "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the LORD. Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings” (Leviticus 23:9-14).

The problem here is that, most people used Easter Sunday resurrection theory as a pretext to promulgate the observance of Sunday as the Lord’s day, instead of observing the Lord’s seventh day Sabbath, but the truth of the matter is, Jesus Christ was not resurrected on Sunday, He was resurrected on Saturday evening and He being the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep presented Himself to the Father on the day after the Sabbath, the Feast of first fruits.

His ascension to heaven after His resurrection fulfilled the perpetual statute the Lord gave to the children of Israel which they are to observe forever throughout their generations. This leads us to another massive worldwide deception which is, when is the beginning of a new day? Does a new day begin at sunset, midnight, or at sunrise?

To be continued stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Was Jesus Christ resurrected on a Sunday

When was Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead? The majority of believers in Jesus Christ believe that He was resurrected on a Sunday and so Easter Sunday has become one of the holiest days in the Christian community. But I beg to ask the question was Jesus Christ resurrected on Easter Sunday?

I know that this will be for many a very hard and bitter pill to swallow, but our God has given us the responsibility to prove all things and to hold fast to what is good because the whole world is under a heavy cloud of deception and the majority of those who profess to be teachers of the Gospel are themselves deceived and are unfortunately deceiving the many.

So let us therefore inspect the word of God and prove for ourselves whether Jesus Christ was resurrected on Easter Sunday as it is commonly believed and taught .According to the scriptures we have been instructed saying; “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come; see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:1-6).

In the gospel of John we read that, “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1).

What is clearly stated is that the time the women went to anoint Jesus on the first day of the week (Sunday) whether while it was still dark or, as the first day of the week began to dawn, the crux of the matter is, Jesus was no longer in the tomb He was already risen from the dead as He said He would. And what He said was, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”

And so the logical question is, did Jesus Christ truly spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth as He said He would?  The logical answer to this question is, He certainly did because this was the sign He gave to prove that He is indeed the Messiah. Anything short or beyond this period of time would consider Him as an impostor, Therefore, the exact time Jesus Christ was placed in the tomb, at the expiration of three days and three nights He was resurrected from the dead.

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday

 

When was Jesus Christ crucified

The majority of believers grew up with the perception that Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday and hence the reason why there is this Good Friday and Easter Sunday celebrations in the western world, but let us be realistic was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday?

We need not be deceived by any false teachings because we have been given the assurance saying; “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things”.  And, “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (1 John 2:20, 26-27).

Now, with regards to exactly when was Jesus Christ crucified and how long He would be in the tomb He confirmed this on several occasions to the Jews who requested a sign from Him to prove that He was indeed the Messiah. On the first occasion after His first recorded miracle of turning water into wine, and soon afterwards driving out both men and animals from the temple, and over turning the tables; the Jews demanded a sign from Him saying, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove Your authority to do all this!”

Jesus’ reply to them was, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple He was referring to was His body (John 2:18-21).

On another occasion, some of the teachers of the law (Scribes) and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).

 On another occasion some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal (be perfected)” (Luke 13:31-32).

This He said in reference to what He would be doing during the three days and three nights He would spend in hell, as alluded to by Peter who wrote; “For Christ died for sin once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water’ (1 Peter 3:18-20).

 These spirits to whom the gospel was preached whilst in hell were judged according to men in regard to the body; and those who heard the voice of the Lord lived. As it is written: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live”(1 Pet.er 4:6; John 5:25).

On many occasions Jesus Christ explained to His disciples saying, “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew  16:21; 17:22-23; 20:19; Luke 24:46).

Therefore, there is no shadow of doubt that the length of time the Lord was prophesied to stay in the grave was three days and three nights and this is the sign to prove that He indeed is the Messiah So the logical question is, did Jesus say exactly how many hours constitute a day and how many hours constitute a night?

There was no ambiguity in the mind of Jesus Christ, as to how many hours constitute a day and a night; because, when he was told that Lazarus, the one whom He loved was sick, He replied, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Then He said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” But His disciples replied, “Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews tried to stone You, and You are going back there? Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light” (John 11:4-10).

In this context one has to conclude that, when Jesus said that He was going to spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, He literally meant seventy-two (72) hours, and not part of a day as a day, as it is commonly taught.

So then, when was Jesus Christ crucified and placed in the tomb was it on a Friday? The scriptures states clearly “that because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away” (John 19::31).

When Pilate gave permission to take down the body, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the customof the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby” (John 19:1-42).

It is absolutely clear that the day following the death and burial of Jesus Christ was a High Day Sabbath which was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, so the people rested. Now, after resting on the day following the death and burial of Jesus Christ the scriptures state the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:55-56).

Please note carefully that, it was after resting of the Sabbath that the women bought and prepared the spices and ointment as confirmed by the Gospel of Mark which reads; “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him” (Mark 16:1).

And after purchasing and preparing the spices and fragrant oils, they again rested according to the commandment which is the weekly Sabbath, so I therefore beg to ask the question, was Jesus Christ crucified and buried on a Friday?

And if He was crucified and buried on a Friday and after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, meaning that it was not yet the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb, but Jesus was not in the tomb He was already risen, what is this implying? Is it not implying that Jesus did not spend three days and three nights in the grave as He prophesied He would and this obviously would make Him an impostor because, He did not fulfill His one and only sign to prove that He is indeed the Messiah.

Please note again carefully what He said to the scribes and Pharisees who asked Him and said; “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).

I therefore, beg to ask a question, are we worshiping the true Messiah! Or are we worshiping a false messiah an impostor who did not fulfill his one and only sign to prove that he is indeed the true Messiah? Let your conscience and the anointing which you have received be your teacher and guide.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Feast of Unleavened Bread current or obsolete!

 

Feast of Unleavened Bread current or obsolete!

I beg to ask the question, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is it current or obsolete?  Judging from how this feast is being perceived in our religious circle where the majority of professing Christians are not observing it or even know about it can lead one to the conclusion that this festival has been abolished or no longer important, but is it? Let us prove to see the status of this festival.

This festival was first introduced to the children of Israel when the Lord delivered them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt when the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron concerning the Passover and later said to them; “   'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

“On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat --- that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.”

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread." (Exodus 12:14-20).

Let us first and foremost note carefully the conditions that are associated with this ordinance and taking into consideration the fact that Jesus Christ who gave the instructions to Moses and Aaron is the same yesterday, today and forever.

1. . The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron  saying“' So this day shall be to you a memorial”

What is a memorial?  A memorial is something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc., In this case, it is to preserve the memory of the children of Israel deliverance from their bondage of slavery in Egypt.

2.      It is a feast to the LORD throughout your generations.

What is a feast?  It is a day set aside for celebration, in this occasion, it is a day set aside to celebrate and to give honor and glory to the Lord for His deliverance of the children of Israel from the bondage of slavery and this is to be observed throughout their generations.

3.      It is an everlasting ordinance

An ordinance is a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority, and this authority is no other than the Lord Himself who, on this same day brought the armies of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

4.      It is also a time to have a holy convocation

For thus says the Lord; “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.'" (Leviticus 23:4-8).

Please note carefully the instructions, “seven days you must eat unleavened bread.” I therefore beg to ask the question, why are we who claimed to be believers in Jesus Christ who Himself gave all these instructions to Moses and Aaron are so antagonistic, disrespectful and irreverent to the Lord’s instructions? Are these instructions insignificant, vain, useless or even made obsolete?’

Let us find out the truth of the matter, some people will have us to believe that these everlasting ordinance is applicable only to the children of Israel, but is it? Please, let us bear in mind the fact that, Passover and days of unleavened bread including the children of Israel deliverance from their captivity in Egypt was a shadow of the reality.

The reality is Jesus Christ as we have been duly admonished saying; “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 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. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

The feast of Unleavened Bread therefore, has more of a profound meaning to believers today than what it means to the children of Israel. The children of Israel were delivered from the bondage of physical slavery, but we have been delivered from the bondage of sin and death. Let us therefore be honest with ourselves and ask ourselves this one very important question.

If the children of Israel because of their deliverance from physical slavery are to observe this period of time as a memorial, a feast, a holy convocation throughout their generations as an everlasting ordinance, should we not observe the day the Lord delivered us from sin and death as a memorial, a feast, a holy convocation throughout our life time as an everlasting ordinance?

The choice is left to each individual to decide for themselves; for we have been duly admonished saying; “Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it” (Romans 14:4-6).

We should also bear in mind the fact that, this day has brought peace between both Jews and Gentiles as we have been duly instructed saying; “ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:14-18).

So then, when it comes to the worship of the One and only true God, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus. And if we are Christ's, then we are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” Also, we are in the situation, “where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, neither slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28-29; Colossi ans 3:11).

Therefore, observing or not observing the Lords ordained festivals is a matter of love, gratitude and expressing our appreciation for what the Lord has done for us. But when one considers the amount of time, resources and passion we are willing to exert in celebrating our birthdays, anniversaries, and other public holidays it is a shame to see how irreverent , disrespectful and ungrateful we are to the Lord, what a travesty!

But truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.. Again, let me emphasize the fact that, this is all a matter of expressing one’s love, gratitude, reverence and appreciation to the Lord for what He has done for humanity.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph