The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1395 Haggai kc 5-3

A spiritually dead priest or preacher can surely pollute the Word of God
and cause the sacrifice of others to be unclean.
[Is the seed yet in the barn?]

Haggai 2:12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

Let's make this real simple for those who may not be familiar with the "shadows" of ceremonial law.
No matter who we are or what sacrifice we make,
neither you nor I have ANYTHING to do with the holiness of the bread or the pottage or the wine or the fruit or the oil,
understanding of course what those things represent spiritually.
So just because some priest or preacher handles
the Word of God,
that doesn't mean what he or she is teaching is the truth.

On the contrary,
a spiritually dead priest or preacher can surely pollute the Word of God
and cause the sacrifice of others (their offering in the felt lined plate) to be unclean.

[13] Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
The term "dead body" used here does not mean "dead corpse" but rather "dead soul",
i.e. a spiritually dead person!
(See note in the Companion Bible).

That is the whole point,
i.e. the people have become spiritually dead,
as we shall see in the next verse when Haggai answers back.

Note: In the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, God uses graphic imagery to allow us to visualize this spiritually dead condition of our people. The prophet Ezekiel "sees" a valley full of "dry bones", symbolizing spiritually dead people, and he is told to teach "them dry bones" the Word of God, the breath of life, and life did enter into them and they stood up and lived (Ezek. 37:10). That valley is in the "so-called Christians nations Europe and the Americas" (next vs. in Haggai), where the descendants of the ancient true "House of Israel" live today. Ezekiel 37:11 "Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts."

Where is "the whole house of Israel" today? 

They are the Christian nations of today's world.

Live Link to- "Do you know who you really are?"

Live Link to- Can these spiritually dead people be saved?

[14] Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
"So is this people" what?

(Notice He does not call them "my people"... to emphasize that they are spiritually unclean indeed!)

So is this people, this whole nation, a bunch of  "dead souls", i.e. spiritually dead.
However, you can be sure they do not think they are spiritually dead
and that they think their works,
their polluted sacrifices, i.e. offerings, upon the altar,
will sanctify them and make them whole.

The fact is though,
if you do not build your house according to God's will,
according to His Word,
your good works become unclean, even iniquitous.

Let's listen to Jesus Christ expound upon what we are learning here in Haggai:

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
These are not atheists nor people of other faiths or religions.
These are present day Christians who say, "Lord, Lord, Praise the Lord", every Sunday.

If you want to attend the wedding "feast" 
of the true Bridegroom,  Jesus Christ,
you had better carefully "consider" these words 
of Jesus Christ,
even those He speaks through His servant Haggai.

[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
People do many wonderful charitable works in the name of Christianity, but these poor spiritually "dead souls" do not "do the will of their Father".

In fact, most are so Biblically illiterate they do not even know what His will is!

That is not a criticism of our beloved brothers and sisters, but merely a statement of fact!

Having never been taught, they do not know the difference between the holy and profane,
between God's Word and the traditions of men!

They have eaten the polluted fruit from the hands of so-called Christian ministers all their lives
and they truly and sincerely think that their sacrifices (offerings) and works will sanctify them.

Consider what Jesus Christ will say to these hard working Christians "in that day", the day of His return!

[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Again, these Christians do not believe that they are working iniquity.
It is just that they are sorely deceived by priests and preachers who tell them Jesus is Lord all right,  but then proceed to pollute the Word of God with the UNCLEAN traditions of men!
Is that not exactly what Christ said would happen in these last days?

Mark 13:5-6 "And Jesus answering them began to say,
Take heed lest any man deceive you: [6] For many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

"Take heed" is "blepo" in Greek which means to "consider carefully".

It is used 5 times in Mark 13 just as "consider" is used 5 times in the Book of Haggai
whose message is to be wise and "consider carefully"
your ways and the way in which you build God's house!

You see, your foundation had better be built upon the Rock of His Word
or you are in big trouble when the "mighty shakings" come!

[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
You know the rest of the story!

Again, that foundation upon which we must build His house is Jesus Christ, the Word of God.

Take Heed!

Consider!

Haggai 2:15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:
There is much being said here, but let us at least understand this on a simple level.

Consider the time and where you go from here!

Also, you who have eyes to see and ears to hear
consider how things were before a stone was laid,
i.e. before you "came out of confusion (Babylon)" as one like Zerubbabel,
whose name means "sown or born in babel"! Remember?

[16] Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.
There wasn't much bread and wine produced, was there?

You see, if one does not labor according to His ways,
holding fast to His righteousness,
i.e. His Holy Word, using the straight and true plumbline when building His house,
just like Zerubbabel did which we shall learn about in Zech. 4:10 concerning God's elect,
then the LORD will not bless you.

Moreover, He will even curse the filthy "works of your hands".

The next verse documents it for us.

[17] I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
Go ahead and "touch" the polluted bread and wine and oil and fruit from the hands of the unclean priests and preachers.

God will send the pestilence and allow the "locusts" to come and consume all your gardens and vineyards and fig trees and olive trees.

Take Heed!

Consider!

Which do you choose, Feast or Famine, Blessings or Cursings?

Deut. 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

Amos 4:9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
How does one turn to the LORD...
by going to church and doing wonderful works in the name of Christ?

NO!

By turning to His WORD!

Yes!

Haggai 2:18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it.
Again, consider, take heed, how things have been up to now!

Think long and hard about it!

Take personal inventory!

How productive have the temple workers been?

According to Rev. 7:1-4 we still have work to do and you know what?

We learn from this great Book of Haggai that the LORD has promised to BE WITH US to the end and He has also promised to BLESS US if we do the job according to His will.

You see, for God's elect, His servants, there need never be famine, for at His table there is always a "feast"!

Do not participate in the
famine of these end times!

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing
the words of the LORD:

Eat heartily and then get to work. 

(see Ezek. 3:1)

Haggai 2:19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
You want to participate in His blessings?

Again, the choice is yours... Feast or Famine!

The work which lies ahead of us is to make sure the seed,
"His Word", is no longer left in the barn!

We must take it out and make sure it gets sown and planted among our brothers and sisters!

First however, we must make sure we study His Word
and know the difference between that which is holy and that which is profane
in order that we can discern between the clean and the unclean.

Else how can we teach others?

Live link to->> Unfortunately, most priests and ministers in this nation do not even know where true Israel resides today!

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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