Isa 28:9 Tzav la-tzav, tzav la-tzav, kav la-kav, kav la-kav z'eir sham, z'eir sham [Precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line, a little here, a little there].
G-d Does NOT Require A Blood Sacrifice
By Dr. Akiva Belk
Parasha Vayikra
Leviticus 5:11-13
But if his means are insufficient for two turtle doves or for two young doves, then he shall bring, as his guilt-offering for that which he sinned a tenth-ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall not place oil on it nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. He shall bring it to the Kohen, and the Kohen shall scoop his three fingers full as its memorial portion and cause it to go up in smoke on the Altar, on the fires of Hashem; it is a sin-offering. The Kohen shall provide him atonement for the sin that he committed regarding any of these, and it will be forgiven him; and it shall belong to the Kohen, like the meal-offering.
Hashem gladly accepts a simple product grown from the soil of the earth upon His altar as a sin offering. A product of grain ground into flour offered by a poor Jew. Obviously flour is not a blood sacrifice. It is a grain sacrifice. These verses of the Torah clearly dispute what the author of the Epistle of Hebrews wrote in chapter nine verse twenty-two. The King James Translators state: And almost all things are by the law [the Torah} purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. The New International Version states: In fact, the law [the Torah] requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
It is interesting that so much emphasis is placed on just the words without shedding of blood is no remission" and "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.The word ALMOST and the words NEARLY EVERYTHING are ignored! Yet their presence agrees with Leviticus 5:11-13. In other words a blood sacrifice is not the only way.
Much has been made of the offerings of Hevel and Kayin. Hevel's offering was from the best of the first fruits of his flocks. Kayin's offering was from the rotten spoilage of the earth's produce. An attempt has been made to conclude that Hashem accepted Hevel's offering because it was a blood sacrifice and on the other denied Kayin's offering because it was a product of the earth. Not true! The Stone Chumash states in reference to the two sacrifices that Hevel selectedthe choicest of the firstlings of his flocks. The King James Version states "the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof." The NIV states: "Hevel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of the flocks." A simple study of Genesis chapter four verses three through seven will show that Hashem compared the attitudes behind the two sacrifices. One attitude was extremely grateful and generous the other was stingy and selfish. Hashem would have accepted both offerings had they been the choicest of the firstfruits. The NIV commentary states: The contrast is not between an offering of plant life and an offering of animal life, but between a careless, thoughtless offering and a choice, generous offering. Motivation and heart attitude are all important, and G-d looked with favor on Hevel and his offering because of Hevel's faith. This is emphasized by the writer of the Episle of Hebrews in chapter eleven verse four: ...By faith Hevel offered G-d a better sacrifice than Kayin did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when G-d spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.... To this the NIV comments: ...Both brothers brought offerrings to the L-rd: Kayin from the fruits of the soil, and Hevel from the firstborn of his flock. the chief reason for acceptance of Hevel's sacrifice was that he offered it by faith... It is implied that Kayin's sacrifice was rejected because it was without faith, as a mere formality.
Another area of serious misunderstanding is the Passover in Exodus Chapter twelve. It has been erroneously implied that the sacrifice of thousands of animals prior to the deliverance of the nation Israel proves the need for blood sacrifice. The fact is that the lamb / kid was one of the highly respected gods of Egypt. It was forbidden to kill a lamb or a kid for any reason. This was the last god of Egypt to be slain. On the tenth of Nissan, which was Shabbos, hundreds of thousands of Jews selected an unblemished male lamb or kid within its first year to be slain on the fourteenth of Nissan. This was a sign by every Jewish slave in Israel of their faith in G-d. It was a great miracle that the Egyptians did nothing. As a result that Shabbos is called "the Great Shabbos." The nation of Israel made it very clear that on the fourteenth of Nissan they were going to kill over 1/2 million lambs and kids right if front of the Egyptians. Then each Jewish household declared their freedom from Egyptian gods by killing the lamb or kid and placing its blood on the doorpost of their own home. The bold Jewish defiance of the Egyptians' god was an audacious statement by the Jews of their trust in Hashem! The blood was a sign to the Egyptians that every Jewish household had slain their god. This action one year earlier would have brought certain death. The blood on the doorpost was the evidence required by the Angel of death. The blood on the doorpost does not necessarily mean everyone in the dwelling were in agreement. Just the same, regardless of one's obedience, disobedience, faith or lack of faith, if blood was on the doorpost as prescribed by Hashem, everyone in the house was spared from death. This differs uniquely from belief and acceptance in Jesus. According to Christians / Messianics, it is an individual choice. As a result, it is preposterous to make any attempt to connect the blood on the doorpost with believing in Jesus. Belief in Jesus requires that an individual acknowledge Jesus as the son of G-d. In no way did blood on the doorpost imply what each individual in the dwelling believed. In addition, Christians / Messianics require that you believe as a prerequisite that Jesus died for your sins and, without his death, your sins cannot be forgiven. In no way does selecting a lamb four days prior to its slaughter imply or suggest in any way that the nation Israel perceived as forgiveness of their sins. And to make such a suggestion is absurd and ludicrous. Christians / Messianics are insistent that you profess that Jesus shed his blood and gave his life for you. Nowhere, in the deliverance of the nation Israel from Egypt is there any reference or implication that the blood from the slain lambs required any type of profession of each individual or group dwelling in the structure where the lamb's blood appeared on the doorpost.
Christians / Messianics believe that Jesus is the only name given whereby you can be saved. This is ludicrous! Human sacrifice is forbidden. Murder of a human being is forbidden.
The blood from over 400,000 lambs was placed on the doorposts of each house throughout Goshen. The deaths of these lambs were a terrifying sight to the Egytians since they were Egyptian gods. So, in fact, the nation Israel killed the idolatrous diety of the Egyptians and feasted on their bounty before departing. Each Jew proclaimed their allegiance to Hashem by killing the Egyptian god and placing that god's blood on the doorpost. This was an act of defiance against the Egyptians. The blood on the doorpost represented, Hey Egypt, we have killed your god! THE BLOOD ON THE DOORPOST DOES NOT REPRESENT A PROFESSION OF FAITH THAT STATES WE BELIEVE IN YOUR GOD! So, the action by the nation Israel is the EXACT OPPOSITE to what Christians / Messianics would have you believe.
Unlike the Christian / Messianic tenet, the purpose for the blood on the doorpost was a witness of Jewish obedience to Hashem and defiance of the Egyptian god.
Finally, the notion that our sins are not forgiven because our Holy Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed is ridiculous. Psalms fifty-one verses sixteen and seventeen state: You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O G-d, you will not despise. While we greatly desire our Temple and look forward to the day it is restored we take great comfort in the fact that Hashem desires the sacrifices of a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart...
It should also be noted that in the third Temple animal sacrifices will be restored forever! That being the situation what becomes of the belief that Jesus is the only way? What becomes of the indoctrination without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin? Until our Temple is restored we are comforted because Hashem is Merciful, Gracious and Longsuffering. Hashem hears our cry and we cry to Hashem daily!
.
Akiva
Jesus & Hercules Parallels
10 Christ-like Figures Who Pre-Date Jesus
By JAMIE FRATER
I recently watched the documentary Zeitgeist (Part 1) as well as Bill Maher’s movie Religulous. Both made mention of claims often made that there are many stories that predate Jesus but have striking parallels. I decided to follow up on these claims and see what kind of information was out there to substantiate these assertions.
As a non-christian, I am approaching this topic purely as an interested observer. I am assuming half of the people who read this will automatically say the claims are false and the other half will say they are true. The truth I found is that it is difficult to know for sure.
Here are ten of the figures often sited:
Both went to their temples at the age of twelve, where they are said to have astonished all with their wisdom. Both supposedly fasted in solitude for a long time: Buddha for forty–seven days and Jesus for forty. Both wandered to a fig tree at the conclusion of their fasts. Both were about the same age when they began their public ministry:
“When he [Buddha] went again to the garden he saw a monk who was calm, tranquil, self–possessed, serene, and dignified. The prince, determined to become such a monk, was led to make the great renunciation. At the time he was twenty–nine years of age… “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age.” (Luke 3:23). Both were tempted by the “devil” at the beginning of their ministry: To Buddha, he said: “Go not forth to adopt a religious life but return to your kingdom, and in seven days you shall become emperor of the world, riding over the four continents.” To Jesus, he said: “All these [kingdoms of the world] I will give you, if you fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). Buddha answered the “devil”: “Get you away from me.”
Jesus responded: “…begone, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10). Both strove to establish a kingdom of heaven on earth. According to the Somadeva (a Buddhist holy book), a Buddhist ascetic’s eye once offended him, so he plucked it out and cast it away. Jesus said: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, and throw it away;.” (Matthew 5:29).
According to Bhagavata Purana some believe that Krishna was born without a sexual union, by “mental transmission” from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki, his mother. Christ and Krishna were called both God and the Son of God. Both were sent from heaven to earth in the form of a man. Both were called Savior, and the second person of the Trinity. Krishna’s adoptive human father was also a carpenter. A spirit or ghost was their actual father. Krishna and Jesus were of royal descent. Both were visited at birth by wise men and shepherds, guided by a star. Angels in both cases issued a warning that the local dictator planned to kill the baby and had issued a decree for his assassination. The parents fled. Mary and Joseph stayed in Muturea; Krishna’s parents stayed in Mathura. Both Christ and Krishna withdrew to the wilderness as adults, and fasted. Both were identified as “the seed of the woman bruising the serpent’s head.” Jesus was called “the lion of the tribe of Judah.” Krishna was called “the lion of the tribe of Saki.” Both claimed: “I am the Resurrection.” Both were “without sin.” Both were god-men: being considered both human and divine. Both performed many miracles, including the healing of disease. One of the first miracles that both performed was to make a leper whole. Each cured “all manner of diseases.” Both cast out indwelling demons, and raised the dead. Both selected disciples to spread his teachings. Both were meek, and merciful. Both were criticized for associating with sinners. Both celebrated a last supper. Both forgave his enemies. Both were crucified and both were resurrected.
Homeric tales about Odysseus emphasize his suffering life, just as in Mark Jesus said that he, too, would suffer greatly. Odysseus is a carpenter like Jesus, and he wants to return his home just as Jesus wants to be welcomed in his native home and later to God’s home in Jerusalem. Odysseus is plagued with unfaithful and dim-witted companions who display tragic flaws. They stupidly open a magic bag of wind while Odysseus sleeps and release terrible tempests which prevent their return home. These sailors are comparable to Jesus’ disciples, who disbelieve Jesus, ask foolish questions, and show general ignorance about everything. It’s amazing that either Odysseus or Jesus ever manage to accomplish anything, given the companions they have, but this simply demonstrates the power and ability of the one true leader who has a divine mandate to lead the people out of darkness and into a brighter future.
Romulus is born of a vestal virgin, which was a priestess of the hearth god Vesta sworn to celibacy. His mother claims that the divine impregnated her, yet this is not believed by the King. Romulus and his twin brother, Remus, are tossed in the river and left for dead. (A “slaughter of the innocents” tale which parallels that of Matthew 2:13-16). Romulus is hailed as the son of god. He is “snatched away to heaven” by a whirlwind (It is assumed that the gods took him), and he makes post mortem appearances. In his work Numa Pompilius, Plutarch records that there was a darkness covering the earth before his death (Just as there was during Jesus’ death according to Mark 15:33). He also states that Romulus is to be know afterwards as ‘Quirinus’; A god which belonged to the Archiac Triad (a “triple deity” similar to the concept of the Trinity).
Dionysus was born of a virgin on December 25 and, as the Holy Child, was placed in a manger. He was a traveling teacher who performed miracles. He “rode in a triumphal procession on an ass.” He was a sacred king killed and eaten in an eucharistic ritual for fecundity and purification. Dionysus rose from the dead on March 25. He was the God of the Vine, and turned water into wine. He was called “King of Kings” and “God of Gods.” He was considered the “Only Begotten Son,” Savior,” “Redeemer,” “Sin Bearer,” Anointed One,” and the “Alpha and Omega.” He was identified with the Ram or Lamb. His sacrificial title of “Dendrites” or “Young Man of the Tree” intimates he was hung on a tree or crucified.
Heracles is the Son of a god (Zeus). It is recorded that Zeus is both the father and great-great- great grandfather of Heracles, just as Jesus is essentially his own grandpa, being both “The root and offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16) as he is part of the triune God which is the father of Adam and eventually of Jesus. Both are doubly related to the Supreme God.
Diodorus writes that,”For as regards the magnitude of the deeds which he accomplished it is generally agreed that Heracles has been handed down as one who surpassed all men of whom memory from the beginning of time has brought down an account; consequently it is a difficult attainment to report each one of his deeds in a worthy manner and to present a record which shall be on a level with labours so great, the magnitude of which won for him the prize of immortality.”
Jesus is also said to have done a very large number of good works. John 21:25 says that: “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
Hera tries to kill Heracles as an infant by sending two serpents after him, yet Heracles survives by strangling them. This parallels Herod’s slaughter of the innocents in an attempt to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13-16).
Heracles makes a descent into Hades and returns from it with Theseus and Peirithoüs, just as Jesus descends into the “lower parts of the earth” or Hades (Ephesians 4:7-8); Though Jesus does not bring anyone up from it. Heracles’ body is not found and he is assumed to have been taken by the gods:”After this, when the companions of Iolaüs came to gather up the bones of Heracles and found not a single bone anywhere, they assumed that, in accordance with the words of the oracle, he had passed from among men into the company of the gods.”
In the middle of the 100s AD, out along the south coast of the Black Sea, Glycon was the son of the God Apollo, who: came to Earth through a miraculous birth, was the Earthly manifestation of divinity, came to earth in fulfillment of divine prophecy, gave his chief believer the power of prophecy, gave believers the power to speak in tongues, performed miracles, healed the sick, and raised the dead.
Zoroaster was born of a virgin and “immaculate conception by a ray of divine reason.” He was baptized in a river. In his youth he astounded wise men with his wisdom. He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. He began his ministry at age 30. Zoroaster baptized with water, fire and “holy wind.” He cast out demons and restored the sight to a blind man. He taught about heaven and hell, and revealed mysteries, including resurrection, judgment, salvation and the apocalypse. He had a sacred cup or grail. He was slain. His religion had a eucharist. He was the “Word made flesh.” Zoroaster’s followers expected a “second coming” in the virgin-born Saoshynt or Savior, who is to come in 2341 AD and begin his ministry at age 30, ushering in a golden age.
Attis was born on December 25 of the Virgin Nana. He was considered the savior who was slain for the salvation of mankind. His body as bread was eaten by his worshippers. He was both the Divine Son and the Father. On “Black Friday,” he was crucified on a tree, from which his holy blood ran down to redeem the earth. He descended into the underworld. After three days, Attis was resurrected.
Born of a virgin, Isis. Only begotten son of the God Osiris. Birth heralded by the star Sirius, the morning star. Ancient Egyptians paraded a manger and child representing Horus through the streets at the time of the winter solstice (about DEC-21). In reality, he had no birth date; he was not a human. Death threat during infancy: Herut tried to have Horus murdered. Handling the threat: The God That tells Horus’ mother “Come, thou goddess Isis, hide thyself with thy child.” An angel tells Jesus’ father to: “Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt.” Break in life history: No data between ages of 12 & 30. Age at baptism: 30. Subsequent fate of the baptiser: Beheaded. Walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. Was crucifed, descended into Hell; resurrected after three days.
Source:
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-christ-like-figures-who-pre-date-jesus/
Watch this short video explaining the Jewish understanding of Isaiah 53.
Chosen People Ministries has focused on Isaiah 53 because it believes this passage is one of its most powerful proof-texts. When read out-of-context and mistranslated, Isaiah 53 gives the impression of a prophecy describing the suffering and death of the messiah, specifically Jesus dying for our sins.
This Christian interpretation is absolutely incorrect for several good reasons. Isaiah commonly uses familiar metaphors and often speaks of the people of Israel as a single individual referred to as the Servant of God. Moreover in nine previous passages, Isaiah identifies the Servant to be Israel, as we see in Isaiah 41:8 “Israel is my Servant…” and Isaiah 43:10 “You are My witnesses says the Lord, and My Servant whom I have chosen…”
Chapters 52-53 describe the reaction of the nations of the world when they witness the future and ultimate redemption of the Jewish people.
Initially, the nations viewed the Jewish people scornfully and considered them to be rejected by God and deserving of suffering and His divine punishment. Isaiah states that in the future, the nations will be shocked and dumbfounded when they witness God’s unexpected and glorious redemption of the Jewish people.
The nations will then contrast their new realization of Israel’s grandeur with their previous beliefs. Ultimately, they will conclude that the Jews were not rejected by God, but in fact, they suffered from the unjustified and disproportionate persecution inflicted upon them by the nations of the world.
To validate their biased misinterpretation, missionaries intentionally avoid mention of a critical fact. In Isaiah 53:5, they deliberately mistranslate the word “from” as“for”, andthereby claim that the Servant will suffer for the sins of the Jewish people. In fact, the verse says that the nations of the world will actually admit that Israel – the Servant of God – “was wounded from our transgressions, bruisedfrom our iniquities.” In the original Hebrew, the letter “מ – mem” which serves as the prefix to the words “transgressions” and “iniquities” means “from”, not “for.”Therefore, this verse cannot be read as supporting the Christian view that the Servant, namely Jesus, suffers for the sins of the world.
