Presents
Matthew 23 is an exposé on the hidden dynasty of churchianity and The Eight Woes.
Presents
Matthew 23 is an exposé on the hidden dynasty of churchianity and The Eight Woes.
You may recall back in chapter five of this great book of Matthew that Jesus Christ "went up into a mountain" and taught His disciples concerning the beautiful humble spirit and loving attitudes (the beatitudes) of true servants of God. Now, just before Jesus is about to "depart" from the temple (24:1), He teaches both the multitude and His disciples concerning the not-so-beautiful haughty spirit and unloving attitudes (the badatitudes) of false servants, those scribes and Pharisees who have usurped the laws of God by substituting their own traditions which make void His Word (Mat. 15:16). To that end, this 23rd chapter is an exposé on the hidden dynasty of churchianity and the spiritually devastating effect of the actions (works) of the playactors (hypocrites) to whom Christ gives stern warning in the form of "woes" which denote grief in judgment as opposed to the "blessed are's" of His servants in chapter five.
In the next chapter, after Christ departs from the temple, His disciples will come unto Him privately seeking knowledge and understanding concerning the events that shall transpire just prior to His second advent when He returns to smash the false rock, that fake cornerstone, and destroy every last "stone" that makes up the false messiah's idolatrous temple. Christ gives us in this 23rd chapter a clear picture of the inner workings of that temple along with an in-depth analysis of the motives and methods of operation of those who comprise its structure.Matthew 23:1
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples,
Here is the first thing every Christian needs to know and understand.
Moses was the lawgiver, a true servant of God who spoke the words the LORD gave unto him in the ears of all the people. Jesus has even referred to Moses' teaching numerous times in the last few chapters by quoting scriptures that are written in Genesis, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, etc. However, the point Jesus is now making is that Moses' seat, his authority as the lawgiver, has been taken over by those who claim to be true servants of God, even claiming to be children of Abraham through the house of Judah, but who are liars and are of the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9 & Rev. 3:9). Therefore, one had better be very careful, as in watchful, on guard at all times, and observe what they tell you before you act upon it! This applies as much today than ever... if not more so today than ever![2] Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
Note: Those who have studied the books of Ezra and Nehemiah know that at one point when the remnant of Judah and Benjamin were on their way back to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, Ezra stopped and took a census of the people and lo and behold there was not one Levitical Priest among the entire lot to perform the priestly duties in the temple. So Ezra sent a "nethinim", a temple servant, back to Babylon to acquire some true priests! However, by the time Christ arrived on the scene the temple had been taken over by the temple workers, even the kenites, the sons of Cain, who now sat in authority as those whose were to keep the law and speak His Words to the people. This was the bringing forth of the great synagogue!
Take careful notice that Jesus Christ is NOT saying do whatsoever these scribes and Pharisees bid you to do, i.e. say to you by word or writing, unless you have first "observed"! Then whatsoever you have "observed" to be holy and not profane, meaning it is true and aligns with God's Word and not after the traditions of men, that do![3] All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
You "see", the works of the scribes and Pharisees, which Christ is going to break down in great detail in the remainder of this chapter, are indeed iniquitous and in direct contrast to the works of God's servants who seek and do the will of their Father which is heaven. In other words, many preachers and ministers who set themselves up and claim to serve the householder in the vineyard sound real religious and appear as holy unto men, but they do not do the will of the Father which is in heaven. True servants of God teach His truth, His Word that heals spiritual blindness and sets the people free from religious traditions that make the Word of God of none effect. The point is that these scribes and Pharisees "say, and do not", meaning they "say" they are doing the will of God as His representatives but they do not do the will of God. So learn to observe and discern between that which is clean and that which is unclean knowing that these fakes who sit in the authority (seat) of Moses, say they teach the law, the truth of God's Word, but the words they teach are not His!
The truth of God's Word sets us free. John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." However, the traditions of men bind guilt and doubt and other burdens grievous to be borne upon our people.observe, tereo, tay-reh'-o, Greek 5083; from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to Greek 2334 (theoreo)); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon...theoreo, theh-o-reh'-o, Greek 2334; from a derivative of Greek 2300 (theaomai) (perhaps by addition of Greek 3708 (horao)); to be a spectator of, i.e. discern, (literal, figurative [experience] or intensive [acknowledge]) :- behold, consider, look on, perceive, see. Compare Greek 3700 (optanomai).
We read of some of those heavily binding traditions a few chapters back. One was seeing these bunch of hypocritical spiritual adulterers (idolaters) who daily themselves jump "in bed" with another, i.e. the false messiah, forbidding repentant divorcees to remarry! That sure is a rewriting of the law which makes void the promise of His forgiveness upon repentance, isn't it? All a knowledgeable teacher of God's Word has to do is observe by letting his or her fingers do some walking in the yellowed pages of the law of liberty (James 1:25), His Word, and set them free from the tradition that binds them. But NO! To the hypocrites who play church, that would be against their religion for it would take away some their self appointed power over men.[4] For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
"Do NOT ye after their works", said Christ! Here is what they are all about... self! The labor they do is for themselves, to reap glory and honor and recognition for themselves.
They put on an "Oh-I'm-So-Religious" outward appearance which can easily be "observed" as nothing more than "self-righteousness"! Add to that the fact that "making broad (as in broadly visible) their phylacteries" is a blatant and glaring example of their Biblical ignorance... discernable by those who can rightly "observe" the Word of God. You "see", there is no scriptural command for wearing "phylacteries" or "frontlets" which were small slips of parchment on which were written certain portions of the Old Testament. This practice stemmed from a blind and literal interpretation of certain scriptural passages where God commands His people to have the law, His Word, as a "sign" on their foreheads or upon their hands, or as frontlets between their eyes, or to tie them about thy neck! These are all figures of speech denoting how close to our hearts and in front of our mind's eye we are to keep His Word in all of our affairs, i.e. in all our hands find to do. Here are two such scriptures:[5] But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Deut. 11:18
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
This kind of reminds one of how the Biblically illiterate preachers of today literally interpret the "mark of the beast" as a literal tattoo or stamp of the number "666" on one's forehead. First of all, the scripture in Rev. 13:16 reads "in" their foreheads, not "on" their foreheads. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." The mark of the beast in one's forehead is simply the opposite of the mark or seal of God (His Word) which one must have in his or her forehead to overcome the beast. Rev. 9:4 "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."Proverbs 6:20-21
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: [21] Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
Here are the Greek words for "sealed" and "mark" respectively:
You either have "His words in your heart and in your soul (Deut. 11:18)", i.e. the truth of God's Word sealed or stamped on the inside walls of your forehead (i.e. in your brain) and thus serve Him or you have deception marked or etched on the inside walls of your forehead (brain) and thus serve the beast! It has NOTHING at all whatsoever to do with tattoos or chip implants. It is what is sealed inyour mind!sealed, sphragis, sfrag-ece', Greek 4973; probably strengthened from Greek 5420 (phrasso); a signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropriation); by implication the stamp impressed (as a mark of privacy, or genuineness), literal or figurative :- seal.mark, charagma, khar'-ag-mah, Greek 5480; from the same as Greek 5482 (charax); a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp (as a badge of servitude), or sculptured figure (statue) :- graven, mark.
Well, enough on that! Let's see what else the scribes and Pharisees love... oh, it's the same thing... themselves!
The word Rabbi was an official title of honor and was used by Christ as an example to represent the many names and fancy titles men use to exalt themselves above the people in order that they may receive glory and honor to themselves. Be it known that there is only One worthy to receive glory and honor... and it ain't any of us! Rev. 4:11 tells us who is worthy, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."Matthew 23:6
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,[7] And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
So, don't be called and recognized by some fancy title so that people "look up" to you, for then you take the focus away from Christ to bestow it upon yourself. We are all one body with Christ as the head and although there are different parts of the body, we all function together as a whole. Ephes. 4:15-16 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: [16] From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."Rabbi, rhabbi, hrab-bee', Greek 4461; of Hebrew origin [Hebrew 7227 (rab) with pronoun suffix]; my master, i.e. Rabbi, as an official title of honor :- Master, Rabbi.
We are all children of God which makes us His sons and daughters. And being sons and daughters, that makes us all brothers and sisters in relationship to each other. So we are ALL brethren as children of the kingdom and none of us is elevated above another in either height or stature. Even the apostle John did not elevate himself above the brethren with some big title or lofty position denoting superiority of any kind. So we have not only the instruction from Jesus Christ to esteem each other as brothers and sisters, we also have the examples set forth by His servants. Here are John's own words describing his relationship to us.[8] But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Note: Some may recognize the close kinship to the two churches found in Rev. 3:7-13 and Rev. 2:8-11, which are Philadelphia (love of brothers, philos - adelphos) and Smyrna (I know thy works and tribulation). They are the only two churches out of the seven found to be without fault by Jesus Christ.Rev. 1:9
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Does this require a degree or some special training to be able to understand?Since other than our biological parent we have only one Father, who is our heavenly Father, we are to call no one else our father! He is the One to whom we go and confess our sins and ask forgiveness in the name of Christ, who is our "great high priest that is passed into the heavens (Heb. 4:14)", and who sits at the right hand of the Father. If you have a confession or a prayer request, you can take it directly to Him, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5)". Anyone else who likes to play God and step in as father or mediator between you and your heavenly Father is self appointed or appointed by men, not by God. And you don't need to pledge money nor dial an 800 number to be heard of Him. He loves you for you are His child and He is your Father.Matthew 23:9
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Here's a question: Do you have to go through some self appointee to talk your earthly father? Of course not! Neither do you have to go through some man or woman to talk to your heavenly Father.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is our Master, our Teacher, even the Anointed One of God. If you therefore are a teacher of His Word, then all the credit for the knowledge and wisdom and the ability to teach must go to Him, for He is the only One who can open the seals and grant you wisdom and understanding, and He is the giver of "every good gift and every perfect gift (Ja. 1:17)", even the gifts of the spirit such as the ability to teach. Again, we labor in the vineyard for Him, not for ourselves. So if you want to be great in the eyes of your heavenly Father and please Him, then do His will and labor in the vineyard by serving your brothers and sisters to bring forth fruit for the family of God.[10] Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Are you His servant or do you serve yourself? Some men and women even name their ministries after themselves. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?[11] But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Let Satan serve as the example to all who would set themselves above the brethren! You can read about his (Satan's) abasement in Ezek. 28 and Isaiah 14 for openers.[12] And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
I, I, I, will... ascend... exalt... sit upon the mount (i.e. on high)!Isaiah 14:13-16
For thou hast said in thine heart, I willascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Oh you want play God, do you? Well, "whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (Matthew 23:12)"![14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Satan shall be bound in the pit during the great time of teaching and required obedience to the Word of God in the Millennium and so he shall serve as an example that what Christ said in Matthew 23:12 is exactly what shall happen to those who exalt themselves![15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Here is your documentation that Satan shall be bound in the pit for the thousand years while the humble servants of the Most High reign with Christ.[16] They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
That angel would be Michael who has Satan bound even now (Rev. 12:7-9) but who will soon cast him to this earth for a short time before he lays hold on him again and slams him back in the pit!Rev. 20:1-4
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
The humble servants of God shall be exalted to the thrones of rulership and they shall live(having already received life eternal) and reign with Christ during the thousand years of the Millennium. It is written, and so shall it come to pass exactly as it written. Therefore it is important that we take the time to see and understand the hearts and motives of the hypocrites, the religious play actors, the scribes and Pharisees who are the offspring of the very serpent himself, because the works they do are an abomination to our Father and bring death and desolation to the land. To that end, in our next study Christ is going to uncover in detail the extreme hypocrisy and iniquity of these hypocrites that we may see exactly how they operate, for no matter how they may appear unto men as angels of light, they do not do the will of our Father which is heaven.[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
"Blessed" are those with humble attitudes (beatitudes) who come in the name of the Lord (Mat. 23:39), meaning in the authority of the Lord, teaching His Word! "Woe" unto those who come with exalted attitudes (badatitudes) claiming His authority while teaching the traditions of men!
"THE BEATITUDES" (5:3-12) "THE WOES" (23:13-33) 1. The kingdom opened to the poor (v. 3) 1. The kingdom shut (v. 13) 2. Comfort for mourners (v. 4) 2. Mourners distressed (v. 14) 3. The meek inheriting the earth (v. 5) 3. Fanatics compassing the earth (v. 15) 4. True righteousness sought by true desire (v. 6) 4. False righteousness sought by casuistry (vv. 16-22) 5. The merciful obtaining mercy (v. 7) 5. Mercy "omitted" and "left undone" (vv. 23, 24) 6. Purity within, and the vision of God hereafter (v. 8) 6. Purity without, uncleanness within. "Blindness" (vv. 25, 26) 7. Peacemakers, the sons of God (v. 9) 7. Hypocrites, and lawless (vv. 27, 28) 8. The persecuted (vv. 10-12) 8. The persecutors (vv. 29-33)
Thus far in this chapter Christ has explained that the "works they do, they do to be seen of men" (Mat. 23:5). They like to be recognized as holy men of God and be looked up to and some like to be called by fancy titles denoting authority and/or honorability. Some even like to play the role of the Father, even being called "father" or "holy father", and have people confess their sins to them! Oh brother! Take heed and observe their works and remember that Christ said in Matthew 23:12 "... Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased...". In other words, they shall receive their just recompense for the works that they do and unless and until they repent of their iniquitous works, their reward shall be with the tares of Matthew 13:42.
Now Jesus is going to outline and expose the works of the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers and religious leaders of the people, even like the preachers and teachers among the multitudes in Christianity today. Jesus is going to address them with eight stern warnings of judgment, which is what a "woe" is, as He teaches both the multitude and His disciples (Mat. 23:1) the severity of religious hypocrisy (play acting)! His purpose in this teaching is that we might be better able to observe and know the difference between that which is "Holy" (of God) and that which is "profane" (of Satan) and cause us to discern between the "clean" and the "unclean". Teaching our people to know and discern is the priestly duty of a true servant of God (Lev. 10:10, Ezk. 44:23).
One thing is for sure though! You
never want to be on the receiving end of a "woe" from Almighty God. Therefore
"observe" these eight Woes (7 + 1) of the hypocrites in Matthew 23:13-33
and compare them with the eight Beatitudes of God's servants in Matthew
5:3-12, for they are exact opposites! (Refer to the chart in the last study
and below.)
In doing so, consider the works
of the preachers and leaders of the churches today, even your own if you
attend one, and observe if there is any likeness to the works of these
play actors. Then when we get to the "eighth
woe" Christ will reveal who is at the root of the works they do and the
traditions they follow.
"Blessed" are those with humble attitudes (beatitudes) who come in the name of the Lord (Mat. 23:39), meaning in the authority of the Lord, teaching His Word! "Woe" unto those who come with exalted attitudes (badatitudes)claiming His authority while teaching the traditions of men!
"THE BEATITUDES" (5:3-12) "THE WOES" (23:13-33) 1. The kingdom opened to the poor (v. 3) 1. The kingdom shut (v. 13) 2. Comfort for mourners (v. 4) 2. Mourners distressed (v. 14) 3. The meek inheriting the earth (v. 5) 3. Fanatics compassing the earth (v. 15) 4. True righteousness sought by true desire (v. 6) 4. False righteousness sought by casuistry (vv. 16-22) 5. The merciful obtaining mercy (v. 7) 5. Mercy "omitted" and "left undone" (vv. 23, 24) 6. Purity within, and the vision of God hereafter (v. 8) 6. Purity without, uncleanness within. "Blindness" (vv. 25, 26) 7. Peacemakers, the sons of God (v. 9) 7. Hypocrites, and lawless (vv. 27, 28) 8. The persecuted (vv. 10-12) 8. The persecutors (vv. 29-33)
Again, a hypocrite is a religious leader who claims to be, as in appears to be, a minister or prophet or teacher of God but who does not do the works of God according to the will of God.Matthew 23:13
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
In the next chapter, the very first thing Jesus Christ is going to warn His disciples about in this final generation is to beware of false prophets, i.e. religious impostors, hypocrites, who shall (and have) come in His name (Strong's #3686), which means they claim His authority as His representatives, and deceive the multitude of Christians who DO NOT "observe" what they bid them by checking out what they do and say in their Father's Word. It behooves all Christians therefore to understand how to observe these eight "woes", for if one follows after the traditions of men and becomes deceived and worships the false messiah then the kingdom of heaven shall be indeed be shut to them!hypocrites, hupokrites, hoop-ok-ree-tace', Greek 5273; from Greek 5271 (hupokrinomai); an actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e. (figurative) a dissembler ("hypocrite") :- hypocrite.
Remember in Matthew 16:19 that Jesus Christ gave His disciples "the keys to the kingdom of heaven", the truth and knowledge of His Word, which they are to use to bind people to His Word and loose them from the traditions of men whereby they are set free from bondage and those burdens grievous to be borne. In contrast, the hypocrites take away the key of knowledge which hides "the door" and hinders our brothers and sisters from entering into the kingdom. In other words, through teaching their traditions and playing church instead of teaching His Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse they sidestep the truth and keep our people Biblically illiterate whereby for their lack of knowledge they are unable to observe what their preachers and ministers are actually doing.
Observe!Is the primary focus in your church the teaching of Father's Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse... or are there a lot of other "wonderful works", at least that they call wonderful, going on instead?Luke 11:52
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
A true servant of God would espouse "the widows" of the house (of Israel) who have no husband to Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), the true Bridegroom, and He would guide them and protect them from these wolves in sheep's clothing who enter in and devour their houses! You "see", that's precisely what Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who is our Lord and our Shepherd does (Ps. 23)! But these "pretenders" who perform their traditional rituals and worship services in the name of God while they spiritually desolate the temple of God (i.e. the body of Christ) for glory and profit, shall indeed receive the greater judgment! WOE!Matthew 23:14
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
damnation, krima, kree'-mah, Greek 2917; from Greek 2919 (krino); a decision (the function or the effect, for or against ["crime"]) :- avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.
Observe!
Our
Father does not like their "works" one bit! What does your preacher
do?
They have membership drives and recruit converts and bring them into their dens of iniquity where they are indoctrinated into following the path of their traditions that will lead them both straight to hell, to gehenna, which is symbolic of the real lake of fire where the tares and all that is wicked perish![15] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Christ wants us to observe and understand this 4th Woe real good for He takes us through verse 22 to expound upon it in detail! The subject is "swearing" which is your vow or oath of service to God. You "see", these blind guides, these high-minded Biblically illiterate teachers who put up a smoke screen of righteousness before the eyes of the people to hide their act and blind others to their hypocrisy, teach that your primary obligation to God, your vow of duty and service to Him, is your gifts and your financial contributions to the church, to God's work as they call it... because by observation one should be able to tell that in far too many instances the work they do is not God's work! In fact, seeing and determining that is precisely what Christ is teaching us in this 23rd chapter.[16] Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Anyone who claims to be a servant of God and focuses more on your laying up treasure in their temple rather than laying up treasure in heaven by serving the true temple, the body of Christ, your brothers and sisters, according to that which Christ outlined in the Beatitudes, is a false prophet indeed! These religious hypocrites even lay guilt trips on people by telling them that they are robbing God if they don't fulfill their debt to Him by paying their tithes... meaning to them! Almost every Sunday you can turn on TV and hear one of them take Malachi 3:8-9 out of context and use it to promote their primary objective, which is to fleece your wallet! Here is the text from Malachi that they quote:blind, tuphlos, toof-los', Greek 5185; from Greek 5187 (tuphoo); opaque (as if smoky), i.e. (by analogy) blind (physical or mental) :- blind.tuphoo, toof-o'-o, Greek 5187; from a derivative of Greek 5188 (tupho); to envelop with smoke, i.e. (figurative) to inflate with self-conceit :- high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud.guides, hodegos, hod-ayg-os', Greek 3595; from Greek 3598 (hodos) and Greek 2233 (hegeomai); a conductor (literal or figurative [teacher]) :- guide, leader.
Do you know to whom the Book of Malachi is written? and therefore, who is robbing God.Malachi 3:8-9
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Malachi means "My Messenger" and it is written to the priesthood, those ' His messengers/our preachers are to be knowledgeable in Father's Word, not blind and illiterate, and teach His Word lest they cause our brothers and sisters to stumble at the law! Malachi 2:7-8 "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. [8] But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts." They have corrupted their priestly duties and obligations to God to teach our people the difference between the holy and the profane and cause them to discern between that which is spiritually clean to partake of and that which isn't! Therefore they shall be judged as in "WOE unto you, hypocrites!"
If you take the time to study the Book of Malachi you will "see" that it is the priests, the preachers and teachers who claim to represent Him, who are cursed because they have robbed God by doing those things we just covered in verse 5 above! They oppress and devour widow's houses and teach people to swear falsely by the gold of the temple instead of teaching them the knowledge of His Word whereby they may be set free and possess the keys to the kingdom of heaven. If you dig a little deeper you will even find that the Hebrew word for "robbed", which is only use three times in the manuscripts, means to "defraud"! In other words, these scribes and Pharisee types have defrauded both God and the whole house of Israel!Malachi 3:5
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
You could rightly say that the priests/our preachers have defrauded God by not giving Him His money's worth! You see, blessings do not flow because a Christian gives money. In fact, if a Christian is supporting one of these frauds then he or she is a partaker of his evil deeds (2 Jn. 1:11). These false prophets and teachers take in tithes and offerings but they DO NOT teach people the meat of His Word. The blessings flow from swearing to the temple, fulfilling your obligation (oath) to your brothers and sisters by teaching them and instructing them in the law of liberty, the precious Word of God!Malachi 3:9
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
We already covered Christ's instructions to His disciples in Matthew 10 that when they go out to teach they do not need financing (to take a purse) and they are not to beg for money (take a scrip or beggar's bag). If they teach and do things His way He will see to it that they are supported by the freewill gifts and offerings of those who "observe" good works! Question: How focused is your church on the gold of the temple?Is their priority the true temple, Jesus Christ, or supporting their work with your tithes and offerings? Observe Christian! Observe!Malachi 3:10
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Well, looks like we have a new adjective to describe these puffs of smoke... "moros" which means "religious morons" as is dull minded or stupid, i.e. "blockheads"! Of course if you follow them because you have not observed what they do, what does that make you?Matthew 23:17
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Which is greater, the true temple, Jesus Christ, which sanctifies and purifies the real gold, or the gold carried in people's wallets? This should be a "no brainer" for Christians but they can't see through the smoke screen!fools, moros, mo-ros', Greek 3474; probably from the base of Greek 3466 (musterion); dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless, (moral) blockhead, (apparently) absurd :- fool (-ish, × -ishness).
Are you taught that blessings come from the gifts you lay upon the altar? Are you taught that those gifts are your sacrifice unto God and you are indebted to pay them? Have you not read that God isn't interested in your gifts and your sacrifices! He wants your love and for you to get to know Him through His Word.[18] And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Don't be a fool and be fooled by these hypocrites as to what your oath (swearing) is to God! Be wise by loving your Father and your brothers and sisters and by becoming knowledgeable in His Word. And be careful to give Him all the praise and glory... NOT to men who set themselves up to receive glory for themselves! 2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in grace (love), and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."Hosea 6:6
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Christ's words in Matthew 5:23-24 quite adequately answer this question.[19] Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Again, your blessings do not come from your gifts but from serving Him and doing His will, which is to labor in the vineyard.Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;[24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Love God and keep His commands! "This is the first and great commandment", Matthew 22:38.Matthew 23:20
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
Love the brethren! "And the second is like unto it...", Matthew 22:39.[21] And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth therein.
Love and pray for those spiritual (heavenly) gifts which emanate from His throne that allow you to bring forth fruit for the kingdom of heaven. John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."[22] And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon.
Observe!
Does your church teach that your primary obligation to God, your vow of
duty and service to Him, is your gifts and your financial contributions
to the church, to God's work as they call it...?
Woe! Judgment is coming to those who play church, hypocrites! Some are so busy concentrating on tithing and raising funds, even taking pennies from small children (who have no increase) in Sunday school classes to teach and train them concerning their obligation to God, i.e. that their dutiful oath (swearing) to God is to put money in the basket when it is passed, that they completely overlook and NEGLECT to teach from His Word the things that are most important... like love and justice and faith firmly rooted in the Word of God.[23] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Note: The phrase "and not to leave the other undone" should read "and not to leave those undone"! In other words, they should have focused on the weightier matters, the things that really are important, and not neglected them as they have done! You can check out that "the other" should be translated "those" in the Greek manuscripts, noting also all the other translations that have it correctly rendered.
This is a typical MO of religionists. They all major in minor things being careful not to transgress the least of their silly traditions, while they swallow hump, line, and sinker the most abominable and unclean things, i.e. doctrines! Actually, both the gnat (Lev. 11:20) and the camel (Lev. 11:4) are unclean according to the law. The practice of the scribes and Pharisees was to strain the wine or vinegar, etc., through linen or cheese cloth so as to be sure they didn't perchance swallow an unclean gnat and thereby transgress the law! Big Whoop! What a show! They themselves are so full from ingesting unclean idolatrous spiritual meat from the profane and abominable one, Satan himself, that one little old gnat won't make any difference as to the magnitude of their uncleanness! Observe religionist's priorities and doctrines! Learn to discern between that which is clean and that which is unclean![24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Observe!
Are the priorities and doctrines of your church to teach the difference
between what is Holy and what is profane?
They appear so nice and clean and holy to disguise their works, the "whatsoever they bid you", i.e. what they say and teach! Even their big fancy churches with stained mood windows and impressive high-ceiling sanctuaries are designed to help you feel closer to God! Don't be fooled by appearances of men or buildings! It may well look like a Beth-el, a house of God, but if His Word is not what is rightly taught there then it is a Beth-aven, a house of vanity or emptiness!It may look like a man or woman of God but if he or she teaches the traditions of men and never quite gets around to teaching His Word, then the works he or she does is not His will! Observe and discern what is inside not what is outside! Test the fruit of the tree, remember? (Mat. 7:17-19)[25]Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Clean up your act you blind Pharisees! In fact give up your act... and start teaching your Father's Word as per His instructions! Then your garment will be as clean as fine linen and pure white as the snow![26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Observe!
Is your church a Bethel or a Beth-aven?
See the picture and then discern spiritually the outward appearance from that which is inside. We are now in the midst of the great famine of the end times, which is not a famine for bread nor a thirst for water but for the hearing of the true Word of God (Amos 8:11-13)! This famine and dearth has produced the valley of dry dead bones that Ezekiel saw in Ezk. 37, which are simply men and women in this final generation physically alive and walking about but who are inwardly spiritually deader than a doorknob! They have followed the traditions of men all their lives instead of being fed and eating their daily bread from the table of the Lord, i.e. His Word, and they are filled to the full with uncleanness!The only way those dry bones can come alive (spiritually) is for His breath, the Spirit of God, to be breathed into them from His Word![27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
So there you have it... religious hypocrisy at its finest.The traditions of men are iniquitous indeed and they are perpetuated by those who claim to be God's servants but who work iniquity instead of doing the will of God.[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Remember well the words of Christ we learned in chapter 7:
Observe what you are bid to do by those who go around saying "Lord, Lord", "Jesus is Lord", "Praise the Lord"!Matthew 7:21-23
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.
Who told you the works you did under the banner of Christian are wonderful works? They obviously weren't His marvellous works that His servants are to do in these last days! Have you never read the Song of Moses in Deut. 32 which outlines His plan in this final generation? The overcomers are singing that song in the ears of the people even now! Rev. 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." They have come to declare His righteousness (Ps. 22:31) and teach His Word in these last days![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?
Observe the works of those who claim to come in His name and take heed to this eighth and final Woe to know the difference between the holy and the profane and the root and branch of those who sit in Moses' seat![23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Imagine that! They pay homage to the prophets and bemoan the martyrdom of the righteous men and women of God and though they pervert the truth and deny any relationship to those murderers of the prophets, this brood of vipers are themselves the venomous spittin' image of their forefathers who murdered the prophets in the first place! To wit, even now they plot the murder of Jesus Christ in their hearts. This is not only the epitome of all hypocrisy but a true understanding of the seven Woes we just covered are based on understanding this eighth Woe which gives one the ability to truly know and observe the root source of the profane doctrines that govern the modern Christian churches and denominations. You "see", the scribes and Pharisees truly do sit in the seat of Moses for the spirit of their father himself, the abominable one, can be observed moving in the temple making desolate His house!And in the next chapter we will see that that abominable one, the abomination of desolation, shall very soon come defacto to this earth and the majority, the multitudes, of Christianity will believe he is indeed the true Messiah! Jesus Christ will now get specific and identify these physical and spiritual murderers as the offspring of Cain who are the Kenites, i.e. sons of Cain.Matthew 23:29
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,[30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Christians must be able to identify who these killers are for they claim to be children of Abraham (by race) and descendants of Judah calling themselves "God chosen people"! But alas! They are NOT descendants of Abraham which proves them to be the liars they are. Rev. 2:9 "... I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. " Do you know of their blasphemy? You "see", the children of Judah did NOT bring about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ! The sons of Cain claiming to be sons of Judah did! Today, only two Christian churches teach concerning these murderous kenites. They are the church of Smyrna and the church of Philadelphia (Rev. 2:9 & 3:9 respectively).[31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Observe Does your church teach concerning the kenites, the true murderers of the prophets and righteous men of God?
If not, you had better do some serious observing!
Like father, like son![32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
The word "generation" used here is "gennema" and means "offspring" while the term "serpent" is that same characteristic description of that "old serpent", the Devil, i.e. Satan, who was present in the fig grove and seduced mother Eve. It is a term or name that denotes what a low-life creature he is and what low-lifes his brood, his offspring, are! Rev. 12:9 will document that the "old serpent" is Satan. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
This even refers back to the parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew 21 who beat and stoned and killed the servants that the householder sent to them and then murdered the very Son of the householder. However, this is also prophetic concerning this final generation, the generation of the fig tree, for some of God's elect shall be delivered up to the synagogues to be spiritually beaten and persecuted by this same brood of vipers![34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Now understand this next verse for in it Christ documents the origin of this "generation of vipers", these offspring of the serpent!Luke 21:12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
The "generation" begins with "Cain", the very offspring of the serpent himself, who committed the very first murder by slaying his half-brother Abel. That lineage, race of people, are responsible for ALL the blood shed upon the earth from righteous Abel to Zacharias son of Barachias (see Zech. 1:1 for the proper Zacharias referred to here.)Matthew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
We will cover this in greater detail in the next chapter as it relates to what is happening right now, this very day, and in the days just ahead! For Christ has foretold us all things if we just take the time to open our eyes and ears to hear His voice and make observation! Mark 13:23 "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things."
What things shall come upon this brood of the vipers, i.e. the kenites? Judgment from all the religious hypocrisy and blood shed upon the earth! Woe! They reject Jesus Christ and have caused many others to stumble at the cornerstone![36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God were rejected by the religious community who wanted to take over and keep the vineyard for themselves! The relative point is however, that even and especially now in this final generation of the fig tree, the scribes and Pharisees have once again worked themselves into the seat of authority in the temple of God and their leaven now permeates the doctrine of main stream Christianity! Remember Christ warned us to beware of their leaven (Mat. 16:6), which is their doctrine (Mat. 16:12)! Most Christians have not observed but have rather eaten and swallowed all the uncleanness from the branches of the profane and abominable one to the point that they shall stumble and fall and worship the false messiah.The fact is, they do now![37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
In the next chapter Jesus Christ is going to talk about seeing the "abomination of desolation", i.e. Satan, that abominable desolator spoken of by Daniel the prophet. At that point we will discuss "desolation" and even inspect his spiritual weapons of mass desolation! For as we will see chronologically by means of "seeing these things come to pass" that the hour is truly late and it is high time to awaken![38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
This is part of that same Psalm 118 Jesus Christ quoted to the scribes and Pharisees regarding the cornerstone, the Rock they have rejected, i.e. Him, who shall become the head stone of the corner to whom every knee shall bow! And unless and until these tares, these kenites, repent and turn to Him and rejoice in Him saying "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord", they shall never see Him again for they shall be destroyed in the lake of fire! Here is that 118th Psalm beginning in verse 22:[39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Next, we will begin to understand the events Christ foretold us would precede His second advent and learn how to identify the final generation in which they take place! Don't miss it!Jesus outlines and exposes the works of the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers and religious leaders of the people, even like the preachers and teachers among the multitudes in Christianity today.Psalm 118:22-29
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.[23] This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
[24] This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
[25] Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
[26] Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
[27] God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
[28] Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
[29] O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.
Thus far in this chapter Christ has explained that the "works they do, they do to be seen of men" (Mat. 23:5). They like to be recognized as holy men of God and be looked up to and some like to be called by fancy titles denoting authority and/or honorability. Some even like to play the role of the Father, even being called "father" or "holy father", and have people confess their sins to them! Oh brother! Take heed and observe their works and remember that Christ said in Matthew 23:12 "... Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased...". In other words, they shall receive their just recompense for the works that they do and unless and until they repent of their iniquitous works, their reward shall be with the tares of Matthew 13:42.
Now Jesus is going to outline and expose the works of the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers and religious leaders of the people, even like the preachers and teachers among the multitudes in Christianity today. Jesus is going to address them with eight stern warnings of judgment, which is what a "woe" is, as He teaches both the multitude and His disciples (Mat. 23:1) the severity of religious hypocrisy (play acting)! His purpose in this teaching is that we might be better able to observe and know the difference between that which is "Holy" (of God) and that which is "profane" (of Satan) and cause us to discern between the "clean" and the "unclean". Teaching our people to know and discern is the priestly duty of a true servant of God (Lev. 10:10, Ezk. 44:23).
One thing is for sure though! You
never want to be on the receiving end of a "woe" from Almighty God. Therefore
"observe" these eight Woes (7 + 1) of the hypocrites in Matthew 23:13-33
and compare them with the eight Beatitudes of God's servants in Matthew
5:3-12, for they are exact opposites! (Refer to the chart in the last study
and below.)
In doing so, consider the works
of the preachers and leaders of the churches today, even your own if you
attend one, and observe if there is any likeness to the works of these
play actors. Then when we get to the "eighth
woe" Christ will reveal who is at the root of the works they do and the
traditions they follow.
"Blessed" are those with humble attitudes (beatitudes) who come in the name of the Lord (Mat. 23:39), meaning in the authority of the Lord, teaching His Word! "Woe" unto those who come with exalted attitudes (badatitudes)claiming His authority while teaching the traditions of men!
"THE BEATITUDES" (5:3-12) "THE WOES" (23:13-33) 1. The kingdom opened to the poor (v. 3) 1. The kingdom shut (v. 13) 2. Comfort for mourners (v. 4) 2. Mourners distressed (v. 14) 3. The meek inheriting the earth (v. 5) 3. Fanatics compassing the earth (v. 15) 4. True righteousness sought by true desire (v. 6) 4. False righteousness sought by casuistry (vv. 16-22) 5. The merciful obtaining mercy (v. 7) 5. Mercy "omitted" and "left undone" (vv. 23, 24) 6. Purity within, and the vision of God hereafter (v. 8) 6. Purity without, uncleanness within. "Blindness" (vv. 25, 26) 7. Peacemakers, the sons of God (v. 9) 7. Hypocrites, and lawless (vv. 27, 28) 8. The persecuted (vv. 10-12) 8. The persecutors (vv. 29-33)
Again, a hypocrite is a religious leader who claims to be, as in appears to be, a minister or prophet or teacher of God but who does not do the works of God according to the will of God.Matthew 23:13
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
In the next chapter, the very first thing Jesus Christ is going to warn His disciples about in this final generation is to beware of false prophets, i.e. religious impostors, hypocrites, who shall (and have) come in His name (Strong's #3686), which means they claim His authority as His representatives, and deceive the multitude of Christians who DO NOT "observe" what they bid them by checking out what they do and say in their Father's Word. It behooves all Christians therefore to understand how to observe these eight "woes", for if one follows after the traditions of men and becomes deceived and worships the false messiah then the kingdom of heaven shall be indeed be shut to them!hypocrites, hupokrites, hoop-ok-ree-tace', Greek 5273; from Greek 5271 (hupokrinomai); an actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e. (figurative) a dissembler ("hypocrite") :- hypocrite.
Remember in Matthew 16:19 that Jesus Christ gave His disciples "the keys to the kingdom of heaven", the truth and knowledge of His Word, which they are to use to bind people to His Word and loose them from the traditions of men whereby they are set free from bondage and those burdens grievous to be borne. In contrast, the hypocrites take away the key of knowledge which hides "the door" and hinders our brothers and sisters from entering into the kingdom. In other words, through teaching their traditions and playing church instead of teaching His Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse they sidestep the truth and keep our people Biblically illiterate whereby for their lack of knowledge they are unable to observe what their preachers and ministers are actually doing.
Observe!Is the primary focus in your church the teaching of Father's Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse... or are there a lot of other "wonderful works", at least that they call wonderful, going on instead?Luke 11:52
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
A true servant of God would espouse "the widows" of the house (of Israel) who have no husband to Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), the true Bridegroom, and He would guide them and protect them from these wolves in sheep's clothing who enter in and devour their houses! You "see", that's precisely what Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who is our Lord and our Shepherd does (Ps. 23)! But these "pretenders" who perform their traditional rituals and worship services in the name of God while they spiritually desolate the temple of God (i.e. the body of Christ) for glory and profit, shall indeed receive the greater judgment! WOE!Matthew 23:14
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
damnation, krima, kree'-mah, Greek 2917; from Greek 2919 (krino); a decision (the function or the effect, for or against ["crime"]) :- avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.
Observe!
Our
Father does not like their "works" one bit! What does your preacher
do?
They have membership drives and recruit converts and bring them into their dens of iniquity where they are indoctrinated into following the path of their traditions that will lead them both straight to hell, to gehenna, which is symbolic of the real lake of fire where the tares and all that is wicked perish![15] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Christ wants us to observe and understand this 4th Woe real good for He takes us through verse 22 to expound upon it in detail! The subject is "swearing" which is your vow or oath of service to God. You "see", these blind guides, these high-minded Biblically illiterate teachers who put up a smoke screen of righteousness before the eyes of the people to hide their act and blind others to their hypocrisy, teach that your primary obligation to God, your vow of duty and service to Him, is your gifts and your financial contributions to the church, to God's work as they call it... because by observation one should be able to tell that in far too many instances the work they do is not God's work! In fact, seeing and determining that is precisely what Christ is teaching us in this 23rd chapter.[16] Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Anyone who claims to be a servant of God and focuses more on your laying up treasure in their temple rather than laying up treasure in heaven by serving the true temple, the body of Christ, your brothers and sisters, according to that which Christ outlined in the Beatitudes, is a false prophet indeed! These religious hypocrites even lay guilt trips on people by telling them that they are robbing God if they don't fulfill their debt to Him by paying their tithes... meaning to them! Almost every Sunday you can turn on TV and hear one of them take Malachi 3:8-9 out of context and use it to promote their primary objective, which is to fleece your wallet! Here is the text from Malachi that they quote:blind, tuphlos, toof-los', Greek 5185; from Greek 5187 (tuphoo); opaque (as if smoky), i.e. (by analogy) blind (physical or mental) :- blind.tuphoo, toof-o'-o, Greek 5187; from a derivative of Greek 5188 (tupho); to envelop with smoke, i.e. (figurative) to inflate with self-conceit :- high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud.guides, hodegos, hod-ayg-os', Greek 3595; from Greek 3598 (hodos) and Greek 2233 (hegeomai); a conductor (literal or figurative [teacher]) :- guide, leader.
Do you know to whom the Book of Malachi is written? and therefore, who is robbing God.Malachi 3:8-9
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Malachi means "My Messenger" and it is written to the priesthood, those ' His messengers/our preachers are to be knowledgeable in Father's Word, not blind and illiterate, and teach His Word lest they cause our brothers and sisters to stumble at the law! Malachi 2:7-8 "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. [8] But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts." They have corrupted their priestly duties and obligations to God to teach our people the difference between the holy and the profane and cause them to discern between that which is spiritually clean to partake of and that which isn't! Therefore they shall be judged as in "WOE unto you, hypocrites!"
If you take the time to study the Book of Malachi you will "see" that it is the priests, the preachers and teachers who claim to represent Him, who are cursed because they have robbed God by doing those things we just covered in verse 5 above! They oppress and devour widow's houses and teach people to swear falsely by the gold of the temple instead of teaching them the knowledge of His Word whereby they may be set free and possess the keys to the kingdom of heaven. If you dig a little deeper you will even find that the Hebrew word for "robbed", which is only use three times in the manuscripts, means to "defraud"! In other words, these scribes and Pharisee types have defrauded both God and the whole house of Israel!Malachi 3:5
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
You could rightly say that the priests/our preachers have defrauded God by not giving Him His money's worth! You see, blessings do not flow because a Christian gives money. In fact, if a Christian is supporting one of these frauds then he or she is a partaker of his evil deeds (2 Jn. 1:11). These false prophets and teachers take in tithes and offerings but they DO NOT teach people the meat of His Word. The blessings flow from swearing to the temple, fulfilling your obligation (oath) to your brothers and sisters by teaching them and instructing them in the law of liberty, the precious Word of God!Malachi 3:9
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
We already covered Christ's instructions to His disciples in Matthew 10 that when they go out to teach they do not need financing (to take a purse) and they are not to beg for money (take a scrip or beggar's bag). If they teach and do things His way He will see to it that they are supported by the freewill gifts and offerings of those who "observe" good works! Question: How focused is your church on the gold of the temple?Is their priority the true temple, Jesus Christ, or supporting their work with your tithes and offerings? Observe Christian! Observe!Malachi 3:10
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Well, looks like we have a new adjective to describe these puffs of smoke... "moros" which means "religious morons" as is dull minded or stupid, i.e. "blockheads"! Of course if you follow them because you have not observed what they do, what does that make you?Matthew 23:17
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Which is greater, the true temple, Jesus Christ, which sanctifies and purifies the real gold, or the gold carried in people's wallets? This should be a "no brainer" for Christians but they can't see through the smoke screen!fools, moros, mo-ros', Greek 3474; probably from the base of Greek 3466 (musterion); dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless, (moral) blockhead, (apparently) absurd :- fool (-ish, × -ishness).
Are you taught that blessings come from the gifts you lay upon the altar? Are you taught that those gifts are your sacrifice unto God and you are indebted to pay them? Have you not read that God isn't interested in your gifts and your sacrifices! He wants your love and for you to get to know Him through His Word.[18] And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Don't be a fool and be fooled by these hypocrites as to what your oath (swearing) is to God! Be wise by loving your Father and your brothers and sisters and by becoming knowledgeable in His Word. And be careful to give Him all the praise and glory... NOT to men who set themselves up to receive glory for themselves! 2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in grace (love), and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."Hosea 6:6
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Christ's words in Matthew 5:23-24 quite adequately answer this question.[19] Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Again, your blessings do not come from your gifts but from serving Him and doing His will, which is to labor in the vineyard.Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;[24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Love God and keep His commands! "This is the first and great commandment", Matthew 22:38.Matthew 23:20
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
Love the brethren! "And the second is like unto it...", Matthew 22:39.[21] And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth therein.
Love and pray for those spiritual (heavenly) gifts which emanate from His throne that allow you to bring forth fruit for the kingdom of heaven. John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."[22] And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon.
Observe!
Does your church teach that your primary obligation to God, your vow of
duty and service to Him, is your gifts and your financial contributions
to the church, to God's work as they call it...?
Woe! Judgment is coming to those who play church, hypocrites! Some are so busy concentrating on tithing and raising funds, even taking pennies from small children (who have no increase) in Sunday school classes to teach and train them concerning their obligation to God, i.e. that their dutiful oath (swearing) to God is to put money in the basket when it is passed, that they completely overlook and NEGLECT to teach from His Word the things that are most important... like love and justice and faith firmly rooted in the Word of God.[23] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Note: The phrase "and not to leave the other undone" should read "and not to leave those undone"! In other words, they should have focused on the weightier matters, the things that really are important, and not neglected them as they have done! You can check out that "the other" should be translated "those" in the Greek manuscripts, noting also all the other translations that have it correctly rendered.
This is a typical MO of religionists. They all major in minor things being careful not to transgress the least of their silly traditions, while they swallow hump, line, and sinker the most abominable and unclean things, i.e. doctrines! Actually, both the gnat (Lev. 11:20) and the camel (Lev. 11:4) are unclean according to the law. The practice of the scribes and Pharisees was to strain the wine or vinegar, etc., through linen or cheese cloth so as to be sure they didn't perchance swallow an unclean gnat and thereby transgress the law! Big Whoop! What a show! They themselves are so full from ingesting unclean idolatrous spiritual meat from the profane and abominable one, Satan himself, that one little old gnat won't make any difference as to the magnitude of their uncleanness! Observe religionist's priorities and doctrines! Learn to discern between that which is clean and that which is unclean![24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Observe!
Are the priorities and doctrines of your church to teach the difference
between what is Holy and what is profane?
They appear so nice and clean and holy to disguise their works, the "whatsoever they bid you", i.e. what they say and teach! Even their big fancy churches with stained mood windows and impressive high-ceiling sanctuaries are designed to help you feel closer to God! Don't be fooled by appearances of men or buildings! It may well look like a Beth-el, a house of God, but if His Word is not what is rightly taught there then it is a Beth-aven, a house of vanity or emptiness!It may look like a man or woman of God but if he or she teaches the traditions of men and never quite gets around to teaching His Word, then the works he or she does is not His will! Observe and discern what is inside not what is outside! Test the fruit of the tree, remember? (Mat. 7:17-19)[25]Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Clean up your act you blind Pharisees! In fact give up your act... and start teaching your Father's Word as per His instructions! Then your garment will be as clean as fine linen and pure white as the snow![26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Observe!
Is your church a Bethel or a Beth-aven?
See the picture and then discern spiritually the outward appearance from that which is inside. We are now in the midst of the great famine of the end times, which is not a famine for bread nor a thirst for water but for the hearing of the true Word of God (Amos 8:11-13)! This famine and dearth has produced the valley of dry dead bones that Ezekiel saw in Ezk. 37, which are simply men and women in this final generation physically alive and walking about but who are inwardly spiritually deader than a doorknob! They have followed the traditions of men all their lives instead of being fed and eating their daily bread from the table of the Lord, i.e. His Word, and they are filled to the full with uncleanness!The only way those dry bones can come alive (spiritually) is for His breath, the Spirit of God, to be breathed into them from His Word![27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
So there you have it... religious hypocrisy at its finest.The traditions of men are iniquitous indeed and they are perpetuated by those who claim to be God's servants but who work iniquity instead of doing the will of God.[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Remember well the words of Christ we learned in chapter 7:
Observe what you are bid to do by those who go around saying "Lord, Lord", "Jesus is Lord", "Praise the Lord"!Matthew 7:21-23
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.
Who told you the works you did under the banner of Christian are wonderful works? They obviously weren't His marvellous works that His servants are to do in these last days! Have you never read the Song of Moses in Deut. 32 which outlines His plan in this final generation? The overcomers are singing that song in the ears of the people even now! Rev. 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." They have come to declare His righteousness (Ps. 22:31) and teach His Word in these last days![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?
Observe the works of those who claim to come in His name and take heed to this eighth and final Woe to know the difference between the holy and the profane and the root and branch of those who sit in Moses' seat![23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Imagine that! They pay homage to the prophets and bemoan the martyrdom of the righteous men and women of God and though they pervert the truth and deny any relationship to those murderers of the prophets, this brood of vipers are themselves the venomous spittin' image of their forefathers who murdered the prophets in the first place! To wit, even now they plot the murder of Jesus Christ in their hearts. This is not only the epitome of all hypocrisy but a true understanding of the seven Woes we just covered are based on understanding this eighth Woe which gives one the ability to truly know and observe the root source of the profane doctrines that govern the modern Christian churches and denominations. You "see", the scribes and Pharisees truly do sit in the seat of Moses for the spirit of their father himself, the abominable one, can be observed moving in the temple making desolate His house!And in the next chapter we will see that that abominable one, the abomination of desolation, shall very soon come defacto to this earth and the majority, the multitudes, of Christianity will believe he is indeed the true Messiah! Jesus Christ will now get specific and identify these physical and spiritual murderers as the offspring of Cain who are the Kenites, i.e. sons of Cain.Matthew 23:29
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,[30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Christians must be able to identify who these killers are for they claim to be children of Abraham (by race) and descendants of Judah calling themselves "God chosen people"! But alas! They are NOT descendants of Abraham which proves them to be the liars they are. Rev. 2:9 "... I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. " Do you know of their blasphemy? You "see", the children of Judah did NOT bring about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ! The sons of Cain claiming to be sons of Judah did! Today, only two Christian churches teach concerning these murderous kenites. They are the church of Smyrna and the church of Philadelphia (Rev. 2:9 & 3:9 respectively).[31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Observe Does your church teach concerning the kenites, the true murderers of the prophets and righteous men of God?
If not, you had better do some serious observing!
Like father, like son![32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
The word "generation" used here is "gennema" and means "offspring" while the term "serpent" is that same characteristic description of that "old serpent", the Devil, i.e. Satan, who was present in the fig grove and seduced mother Eve. It is a term or name that denotes what a low-life creature he is and what low-lifes his brood, his offspring, are! Rev. 12:9 will document that the "old serpent" is Satan. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
This even refers back to the parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew 21 who beat and stoned and killed the servants that the householder sent to them and then murdered the very Son of the householder. However, this is also prophetic concerning this final generation, the generation of the fig tree, for some of God's elect shall be delivered up to the synagogues to be spiritually beaten and persecuted by this same brood of vipers![34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Now understand this next verse for in it Christ documents the origin of this "generation of vipers", these offspring of the serpent!Luke 21:12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
The "generation" begins with "Cain", the very offspring of the serpent himself, who committed the very first murder by slaying his half-brother Abel. That lineage, race of people, are responsible for ALL the blood shed upon the earth from righteous Abel to Zacharias son of Barachias (see Zech. 1:1 for the proper Zacharias referred to here.)Matthew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
We will cover this in greater detail in the next chapter as it relates to what is happening right now, this very day, and in the days just ahead! For Christ has foretold us all things if we just take the time to open our eyes and ears to hear His voice and make observation! Mark 13:23 "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things."
What things shall come upon this brood of the vipers, i.e. the kenites? Judgment from all the religious hypocrisy and blood shed upon the earth! Woe! They reject Jesus Christ and have caused many others to stumble at the cornerstone![36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God were rejected by the religious community who wanted to take over and keep the vineyard for themselves! The relative point is however, that even and especially now in this final generation of the fig tree, the scribes and Pharisees have once again worked themselves into the seat of authority in the temple of God and their leaven now permeates the doctrine of main stream Christianity! Remember Christ warned us to beware of their leaven (Mat. 16:6), which is their doctrine (Mat. 16:12)! Most Christians have not observed but have rather eaten and swallowed all the uncleanness from the branches of the profane and abominable one to the point that they shall stumble and fall and worship the false messiah.The fact is, they do now![37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
In the next chapter Jesus Christ is going to talk about seeing the "abomination of desolation", i.e. Satan, that abominable desolator spoken of by Daniel the prophet. At that point we will discuss "desolation" and even inspect his spiritual weapons of mass desolation! For as we will see chronologically by means of "seeing these things come to pass" that the hour is truly late and it is high time to awaken![38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
This is part of that same Psalm 118 Jesus Christ quoted to the scribes and Pharisees regarding the cornerstone, the Rock they have rejected, i.e. Him, who shall become the head stone of the corner to whom every knee shall bow! And unless and until these tares, these kenites, repent and turn to Him and rejoice in Him saying "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord", they shall never see Him again for they shall be destroyed in the lake of fire! Here is that 118th Psalm beginning in verse 22:[39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Next, we will begin to understand the events Christ foretold us would precede His second advent and learn how to identify the final generation in which they take place! Don't miss it!Psalm 118:22-29
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.[23] This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
[24] This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
[25] Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
[26] Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
[27] God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
[28] Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
[29] O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.
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