As a reminder to those within the Institutional Church who believe that the Law was nailed to the cross and that the Old Testament plays only a historical role in the lives of New Testament Church members, I offer these NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGES SPOKEN AND WRITTEN BY NEW TESTAMENT SPEAKERS AND WRITERS LONG BEFORE THE NEW TESTAMENT CAME INTO EXISTENCE. Romans 15;8–Jesus came to confirm the promises made to the fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). First John 3:4–To transgress the Law is sin; for sin is the transgression of the Law. First Corinthians 10:11–The Old Testament was preserved to serve as God’s teaching tool for the end-time church. Ephesians 2:20–The New Testament Church was founded upon the words and writings of the Old Testament Prophets and the New Testament apostles. Second Peter 1:21–Holy men of old spoke and wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. Acts 17–The Apostle Paul taught the men at Berea and “reasoned with them out of the Scriptures (Old Testament) (vs 2). They in turn “searched the Scriptures daily” to see if what he was telling them was true (vs 11). Second Timothy 2:15–Study (the Scriptures) to show yourself approved of God.” Romans 10:19–Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. First Thessalonians 5:21–Prove all things of God; embrace what is right and reject what is wrong. Second Timothy 3:7–Those who do not obey the Scriptures are continually learning but never embracing the Truth. Second Timothy 3:14-16–All Scripture is inspired by God. Lk. 17:17–“Thy Word is Truth.” All of these Scriptures refer to the Old Testament.

The following statements were spoken by Jesus Christ about His Ten Commandment Law which is recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5: John 8:31–“You are My disciples indeed if you obey My commandments.” John 14:15–If you love Me you will obey My commandments.” Matthew 19:17–If you would have life, obey my commandments.” John 15:10–“If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, just as I obey God’s commandments and abide in His love.” Hopefully, these Truths will remove all doubt as to the place the Old Testament plays in the lives of God’s true saint. Now we will turn to that sacred text to the Book of Ezekiel, beginning with chapter 7.

Beginning with verse one we find God speaking through His Prophet Ezekiel to the Jews living in the area known as Israel. He is telling them that, because of their sins, the end of the nation was rapidly approaching. As He had done to the ten northern tribes several generations earlier, God was going to pour out His wrath on her and no one would be spared. Evil, He promised them, was coming upon them and He would be the One sending it. He summarizes His attitude toward the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (nicknamed “Jews” by the King James interpreters) and the actions He would take relative to His anger in verse 8: “Now I will shortly pour out my fury upon you and accomplish my anger upon you. I will judge you according to your ways and will recompense you for all of your abominations.” It was basically because of their ABOMINATIONS that God would punish them, as we will see in chapter 8.

Judah had not learned the lessons He had taught their northern brethren whom He had punished with military defeat, enslavement and global scattering. As a result they had lost all knowledge of their Israelite heritage and, as a result of their separation from Him, had become spiritual Gentiles (heathen) by taking on the spiritual and social characteristics of those among whom they lived. Read Who and Where is Israel Today. Key word–Where. It was only later when Jesus sent His apostles to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel” that their descendants would be introduced to the God their ancestors had rejected (Mat. 10:6), A few would embrace the Lord and, along with a few Gentiles, would become the New Testament Church. A few of their descendants (God’s “remnant”) continue to obey His Law and comprise His tiny church today. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13,14 and 13:31 His church remains tiny like a mustard seed relative to the tree in whose branches–denominations, faiths, etc.–live those of the false church. Though they are all called God’s people due to being part of the “tree,” only a few comprise His true church. Read Matthew 1-7: Who Are God’s People? Key word–People.

In chapter 8 we find the prophet sitting before the elders of Judah who had failed to teach the Jewish people the ways of God and, as a result, now found themselves in the same spiritual condition as their brethren whom God had vanquished from the Holy Land 133 years earlier. The Jews (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin plus some Levitical priests), believed themselves to be protected from God’s wrath because the Messiah was prophesied to come from the tribe of Judah. As a result they had gone the way of the northern ten tribes. God was about to reveal to them the error in their thinking.

In verses 1-4 Ezekiel was visited by God as, in his words: “the hand of the Lord fell upon me” (vs 1). He continues his description of the Almighty in verse four: “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plane.” Notice that God had indeed come into his presence, but what he was about to see would be a vision. In verse three God, in vision, takes Ezekiel to Jerusalem to the inner gate that faced northward where he saw “the image of jealousy which provoked (God) to jealousy.” God’s glory had come there and remained there with Ezekiel (vs 4). The image of jealousy was a statue of the Jewish people’s new god–Tammuz, the sun god whom they had embraced as a result of their association with the Canaanites who were sun worshipers (vs 14). This abominable image had been set up at the door to the inner gate which opened to the inner court–the Holy Place where was the alter at which the priests were to worship the true God (vs 3). The glory of God was not in the Holy of Holies where it would normally be. His glory had left that place and was resting over the area where stood the image of jealousy (Tammuz). God’s glory had taken that position in order to proclaim judgment on the image and the people before leaving the temple completely (vs 4). The people had profaned the God’s Temple (vss 5-17) by worshiping the sun–Tammuz.

In verse 6 God draws Ezekiel’s attention to “… the great abominations (plural) that the house of Israel commits here,” which would cause God to leave the Temple and to bring about its destruction. Then God tells the prophet that he was about to see even greater abominations. Then the Lord showed him what was taking place within the Temple’s inner room. The sight that greeted Ezekiel was “every form of creeping thing and abominable beasts and all of the idols of the house of Israel (the Jews)” portrayed on the walls of the room. Also in the room were 70 elders who were leading the worship of the many idols and assuring the people that their true God did not see what they were doing behind the sanctuary’s walls (vss 8-12). In verse 13 God prepares Ezekiel to see even greater abominations that the people were doing.

In verse 14 God shows the prophet the Jewish women “weeping for Tammuz” in the Lord’s house. Tammuz, the sun god, had been killed by a wild boar at the age of 40. According to heathen religion, he died on Friday and supposedly arose from the dead on Sunday morning. From this the Catholics get “good Friday” and “Easter Sunday.” Today professing Christendom pays homage to the mother of Tammuz known in the heathen world as the “goddess of fertility” who was known by various names among the many nations who worshiped the sun. Known as “Ishtar” among many sun worshipers, her symbols reflect her fertility reputation–eggs, chicks and rabbits. I saw a picture of a hand-carved statue of her. It had a number of breasts. In my youth one could buy colored chicks on the street in Campbell, Missouri. Each year Macy’s sponsors an Easter Parade which is televised in order to exalt the one also known as “the Queen of Heaven.” Legend has it that, following his untimely death, Tammuz arose the following Sunday and ascended to the sun and became the sun god. His mother, formerly known as Simiramus, took the title of “Queen Mother of the Sun” and is honored by so-called Christianity each year at the time of Christ’s resurrection. She receives the vast majority of attention and honor on “Easter (Ishtar) Sunday.” Tammuz, tradition held, returned each year on his birthday (Dec. 25) and left presents under trees his worshipers erected in their houses. Children left lists of things they wanted him to leave for them. Sound familiar? Read Jeremiah 10:1-5 to learn God’s attitude toward this “Christian” tradition today is known as Christmas.

In Ezekiel’s vision the women were “weeping for Tammuz” because of his tragic death at age 40. Originally, the Catholics, having swapped Jesus for Tammuz, sacrificed for 40 days each spring by denying themselves a pleasure in order to honor their god–the sun. The number of days has been reduced of late. “Good Friday” is also celebrated in honor of Tammuz. Read Simon of Samaria: The Legacy. Key word–Simon.

In verses 16-18 God shows Ezekiel an even greater sin taking place in the Temple’s inner court. There he was shown about 25 men with their BACKS TOWARD THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD AND THEIR FACES TOWARD THE EAST WHERE THE SUN IS RISING. They were observing a “sun (son) rise service” by honoring their sun god. Some still practice this act of idolatry while believing that God accepts their actions as a tribute to His Son. They are wrong. He sees it as an abomination for they honor the sun god on his weekly sabbath (rest) day–Sunday–the “venerable (holy) day of the sun (god).” Admittedly, in my ignorance I also participated in that idolatrous observance. I also “knew” that God looked favorably on my actions. As God said: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Notice that ignorance is not overlooked by one’s religiousity.

Because modern Israel (America, Britain and the Jews of the Middle East) have numerous idols which take their minds and time away from the things of God. They also bow to Easter and use her abominable symbols while wearing another God-rejected symbol around their necks and from their earlobes. Read commandment #2. The so-called “Christian nations” are going to suffer as did their biological and spiritual ancestorswho were defeated, enslaved and scattered by the Lord for their abominations. Israel, you have been warned. You have followed your false churches into the same abominations in which she now wallows. She is the sow which, having been cleansed of her filth, has returned to her wallowing hole. Like real hog wallows, she stinks to high heaven. Having grown up around both spiritual and physical hog wallows, I know the stench when I smell it. The stench undoubtedly reaches God’s nostrils. L.J.