Conversation with Cyrus, a WMSCOG member

In my previous post regarding clues that the World Mission Society Church of God is false, one of those commenting was "Cyrus."  Cyrus is currently a member of the WMSCOG and is willing to engage in conversation to clarify some points.  Thank you, Cyrus!

Our conversation will take place right here, through the comment section of this post.  I hope it will serve as a good source of information for the rest of our readers here.  However, I respectfully request that the comments on this post be limited to just Cyrus.  For anyone else who wishes to comment about this conversation, please visit the forum (examiningthewmscog.com/forum), or send me an email.  Thank you!

First, some ground rules, Cyrus, for you and me:

• Each comment should be made in two parts, a response to the previous point and the raising of a question.
• Response -- We should respond to the question that was last put forth, keeping in mind the purpose of explaining and encouraging understanding and not simply fighting.  Also, please avoid using phrases such as "You don't understand because you are not one of God's chosen" (more examples here).  We can also respond to the previous response, as long as it doesn't include an additional question that needs an answer.
• Question -- We should ask a question, either to further pursue the issue, or raise a different point.  For the ease of following the conversation, please limit the question to one point.  Do not ask a question related to your response and ask a new question as well.
• If we think the other's response is incomplete, inadequate, or needs to be clarified, first we should answer their question (give our response), then our question should concern the previous response.  In other words, don't avoid their question in order to focus on their response.  In this way, we should never be talking about more than two topics at once.
• Timeliness is nice, but life is busy.  A delay in answering should not be taken negatively or cause concern, unless there has been silence for more than two weeks.

I hope that is all clear.  Thank you, again, and now let's get started.  You posed the first question...

---

"Let us make man in our image... Male and female He created them" Genesis 1:26-27. "the Spirit and the bride say come... Take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22. The bride of christ is His bride. Guests are invited to the wedding supper, not the bride. We are the guests. Right?

My response:
The first part of what you wrote (Gen. 1:26-27) is about the word Elohim.  I have written about that here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.  I'm going to focus on your question about Revelation 22.  I understand your question to be, "We are the guests at the wedding supper.  Therefore, doesn't someone else have to be the bride of Christ?"

I have heard the WMSCOG say that the Church cannot be both the bride and the guests at the wedding.  But please consider this...

God is called the father of the Israelites, but God is also called the husband of Israel.  But how can the Israelites be both the children and the wife of God?  It doesn't make sense, does it?

It does when you consider that individually, the people were counted as God's children.  But corporately, together as the nation, they were considered as God's bride

In the same way, individually, we are each invited to become part of the Church, the body of believers.  But corporately, together as the Church body, we are the bride of Christ.

God uses descriptive language to help us understand our relationship with Him.

I hope you are able to understand that this is a valid, alternate interpretation of the same verses.

My question for you:
The WMSCOG teaches that there are two distinct Gods.  How do you reconcile that with verses such as these which declare there is only one God?  (Note that all of these quotes use the singular word for God.)
"For I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:22 and 46:9)
"Is there a God besides me?  Indeed, there is no other rock; I know not one." (Isaiah 44:8)
"Before Me there was no God formed; nor shall there be after Me." (Isaiah 43:10)
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God," (1 Timothy 1:17)

Ok, your turn.  Please remember the two parts, response and question.

Easter -- The WMSCOG's misunderstandings

It's Easter.  A blessed Resurrection Day to you all!

The World Mission Society Church of God's general pastor Kim Joo-Cheol has shared this about the WMSCOG's view of Christian Easter celebrations:

Most Christians celebrate Easter by eating boiled eggs on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. Actually, however, it originated from the pagan custom of serving Easter (Ashtoreth)—the pagan goddess who was associated with the spring sun. Easter is fundamentally different from the Resurrection Day Jesus established. (source)

The WMSCOG has some serious misunderstandings regarding Easter (Resurrection Day).

First, eating boiled eggs on Resurrection Day has nothing to do with serving a pagan goddess.  It has to do with Lent.  Traditionally, during the time of Lent, the people would fast, and among the foods they would not eat were eggs.  What do you do when your chickens keep producing eggs but you are not allowed to eat them?  Do you let them go to waste?  No, you boil them, and keep them until you may eat them again.  [see comments for correction] When is the fasting of Lent over, and when do you get to eat the eggs?  Resurrection Day.  That's how you get lots of eggs on Easter.  Here's more about Lent.

Second, the "first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox" also has nothing to do with serving a pagan goddess.  It has to do with the date of Easter in relation to Passover.  As the early church became disconnected from Judaism, they needed to be able to mark the date of the Resurrection (which happened on the Sunday after Passover) without having to rely on the Jewish priests for the date of Passover every year.

Passover is set for the 14th day of the 1st month of the Hebrew calendar.  Months on the Hebrew calendar begin with the new moon and are 28 or 29 days long, depending on the lunar cycle.  The full moon occurs half way through the month (on the 14th).  The spring equinox is in the first month.  That's how the date is set for the first Sunday after the full moon after the spring equinox.  (That's the simple way to explain it.  If you want to know all the complexities, study the computus.)

While I'm on the subject, I'd like to address a few other accusations against Christians concerning paganism.

Accusation: Crosses were used in ancient pagan worship.  Christians who set up crosses in their churches are following after these pagan practices. (more here)
Truth: Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross.  If you are upset about that, take up your objection with God and tell Him Jesus should have died some other way.

Accusation: Sunday was used by pagans to worship the Sun-god.  Christians who go to church on Sunday are really taking part in pagan Sun-god worship.
Truth: Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday.  If you are upset about that, take up your objection with God and tell Him that Jesus should have picked another day to rise from the dead.

Accusation: Pagans worshiped the Sun-god, and the sun rises in the east.  Christians who hold sunrise services facing to the east on Easter Sunday morning, are really worshiping the Sun-god.
Truth: The women discovered the empty tomb at sunrise on Sunday morning.  If you are upset about that, take up your objection with God and tell Him that the empty tomb should have been discovered at some other time of day.  You can also tell Him that He should make the sun rise from some other direction on Resurrection Day morning.

Think it's silly to approach God with these objections?  Of course it is.  Likewise, it is silly to accuse Christians of paganism simply because you see some surface similarities.

I think you'll like these two articles by Ralph Woodrow:
Christmas, Easter, and the Cross
Did Sunday Worship Come from Paganism?

You might remember that Ralph Woodrow wrote the book Babylon Mystery Religion which taught that many Christian practices originated from paganism.  Then he realized the research was flawed and he was wrong.  He pulled the book from publication and wrote The Babylon Connection? to correct his errors and set the record straight.  Read more about it here.

I pray you have a blessed celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus and that all our loved ones who are involved in the WMSCOG will soon see the truth and return wholeheartedly to fellowship with their families.  I also pray that the pastors and leaders of the WMSCOG will be strong enough and noble enough and humble enough to speak out about the errors and seek the truth.  And finally, I pray that Zahng Gil-Jah and Kim Joo-Cheol themselves will seek forgiveness from the true God and turn from the path they have chosen.

"Mother's" Sacrifice of Flesh and Blood...and Death?

Despite the Bible's insistence that Jesus was the one and only perfect sacrifice needed to cleanse us from sin (Heb. 10:1-14), The World Mission Society Church of God claims that "Mother Jerusalem" (Zahng Gil-Ja) is continually being sacrificed to provide cleansing from sin.

This means that they believe Jesus' sacrifice wasn't enough to accomplish our forgiveness.  As a Christian, this stuns me--how can God's own sacrifice of Himself, not be enough?!

Not only that, but "Heavenly Mother" can't sacrifice herself just once, but must continually sacrifice herself twice a week.  What does that tell you about the power of the "gods" of the WMSCOG?

But now let's turn our attention to the Passover, the Last Supper.
Mark 14:22-24

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Whose body was broken for us?  Whose blood was shed for us?  Whose body and blood do we remember with the bread and cup of the Lord's Supper (Passover)?  Jesus' flesh and blood.

The following quotes show that the WMSCOG claims this sacrifice of flesh and blood was "Mother's" sacrifice as well.

From God Who Has Saved Us:

We should not only rejoice in having received eternal life by eating the Passover bread and drinking the Passover wine, but in them we should find our Father and Mother giving us Their precious flesh and blood and looking upon us continually with eyes full of compassion and pity. God our Father and Mother have been sacrificed for us, like the Passover lamb. They've given us Their flesh to eat and Their blood to drink, and as the result of such a great sacrifice They have saved all of us, Their children.

From The Firstborn of Heaven:

So, in this age, God the Father and God the Mother have come as the Spirit and the Bride and have given us the blood of the covenant—the Passover, the blood of God the Father and God the Mother.

From The Meaning of the Sacrifice of the Passover:

Just as the mother saved her child with the blood flowing from her finger at the critical moment, our Father and Mother gave Their flesh to eat and Their blood to drink in order to save us....  We believe in Mother not just because the Bible testifies about Her, but because She is our heavenly Mother who gave us Her flesh to eat and Her blood to drink to save us from sin.

From The Wages of Sin Is Death:

When we eat the Passover bread, we have to remember that our Parents gave Their precious body and blood for us to eat in order to save us. When we drink the Passover wine, we have to remember that our sin was so great that it couldn't be forgiven without the precious blood of our Parents, and we should give thanks to Them for Their sacrifice.

How did "Mother Jerusalem" give her flesh to eat and her blood to drink?  Has her body been sacrificed and her blood shed as Jesus' was as the Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)?

Another big problem...
Read this quote from What Kind of God Is Your God?:

In the Bible, we have to find our Father and Mother who have loved us to the point of death; They were rejected by men, took up our infirmities, and bore our iniquities; They were even treated as sinners and died in the place of sinners.

Here we have two contradictions.
1. "Mother" has "loved us to the point of death" and "died in the place of sinners"?  She is still alive in Korea.
2. The WMSCOG teaches that "Mother" will not die at all, but will take her faithful followers directly to heaven alive with her.  Therefore, according to the WMSCOG she will not EVER "die in the place of sinners" or "love us to the point of death."

I am so thankful for the real Jesus was a powerful enough God that it only took Him one sacrifice to accomplish that payment for my sins.  He actually did die for me, and He rose again from the dead!  Ahnsahnghong is still in his grave, and one day Zahng Gil-Ja will be too, as is the destiny of all humans.  (Heb. 9:27)

Second Coming Christ and Traditions-- Responding to WMSCOG comments

I'm continuing to answer comments sent in recently from World Mission Society Church of God members.  This one focused on Ahnsahnghong as the second coming Christ and also touched on church traditions.

(I have not removed any words from the original comment, but I have fixed spelling errors to help anyone needing to use the online translator.)

January 17, 2012, 7:07 AM, Anonymous said...

I think that anyone can argue just about anything if they really wanted too. but when you think about all the traditions that most churches keep are never based on the bible. 

Thank you, Anonymous, for taking the time to write.  I appreciate hearing your perspective.

Do you have the tradition of celebrating your birthday with a cake and birthday candles and presents and a party?  What purpose does such a celebration serve?  Does it matter to you where that tradition came from?

Different traditions serve different purposes, of course.  The purpose of the traditions that churches keep is to help people connect with and understand God.

A friend of mine told me about a mission trip she took.  One of the 'traditions' (as you might call it) of the Christians in that area was that the Bible must not touch the ground.  They treated their Bibles such that they considered it disrespectful for it to be laid on the floor.

I can't think of a verse in the Bible that commanded that, can you?  So this tradition is not based on the Bible.  But does the tradition have value?  Yes, of course.

Purim and Hanukkah are celebrations that were not commanded by God.  The people chose to honor God and the memory of something He did by establishing these traditions.  Is that wrong?  No.  Even Jesus kept Hanukkah (John 10:22).

How can these churches keep Christmas and Sunday worship which is a fact in history that it was made to worship the sun God. 

Christmas and Sunday worship were made to honor Jesus, not the sun god.  I'll go into more detail in a future post.

When you read the bible Christ said he would come back a 2nd time and by him the one who restores all the truth we can recognize him as God but people have a fixed idea that God would never come in the flesh. But God is our Father, think about all you would do to save your children if you knew they were heading for danger. 

Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus will need to return to "restore truth"?  The WMSCOG gives the impression that Jesus failed at His first attempt because it didn't last.  Was Jesus a failure?  Of course not.

I know of two verses the WMSCOG uses to try to prove that the truth needs to be "restored."
Luke 18:8 ...when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
The WMSCOG says this means that there will be no faith on the earth, but that's not what it says.  It says, "Will He find faith?"  They assume the answer to be no, that there will be no faith at all.

This is like the mom who leaves her children for a little while and says, "When I come back will I find you doing your chores?"  She does not expect a 'no' answer.  She expects a 'yes,' even if it's only some of the children.

The other verse is Hebrews 9:28 ...To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Christ's second coming will not be to "restore truth" by bring salvation from sin again.  The word for "salvation" here has to do with deliverance, survival, and safety.  It is also used in Luke 1:71, Acts 27:34, and Philippians 1:19.  So you see it is a different sense of salvation.

Jesus came 2000 years ago and at that time everybody knew God as Jehovah but the reason he came was to establish the new covenant by keeping Passover with bread and wine instead of lamb sacrifice as in old testament. 

The reason Jesus came was to satisfy our debt for our sin by becoming the perfect sacrifice, the Passover Lamb so that death (eternal, spiritual death) would pass over us.  The Passover and Jesus' fulfillment of it is filled with wonderful symbolism.  This is a good book about it.

Did you know that Jesus didn't keep Passover "with bread and wine instead of lamb."  The Jews had bread and wine with their Passover lamb as part of the Seder meal.  The disciples prepared the Passover (Mark 14:16) and they ate the meal (Luke 22:20, notice "after supper").

God suffered in [un]imaginable pain and promised us life thru the passover. After his death at his first coming this Passover was abolished. Passover is the way to eternal life because we can have God's flesh and blood just as we have our physical parents' DNA proving we a children of God. Then how could we have eternal life if the way was blocked. 

First, there have been people keeping the Passover throughout history.  It never "completely disappeared from the world" as the WMSCOG claims.

Second, if the way to eternal life was truly blocked, then "the gates of Hades" prevailed against the Church, which would deny Jesus' words in Matthew 16:18.

God said he had to come a second time just as in his first coming. Jesus was a very common name and he was persecuted by his people and eventually sacrificed by his people. it is the same now Christ ahn sahng hong came and restored the truth and it's not that people world mission society just follow a random person just because. Just as his first coming the disciples recognized him because he fulfilled prophecy as messiah. it is the same now and sooner or later this truth will come to light. 

Jesus will return in the same manner He left, not in the same way He came (Acts 1:11).

Was Ahnsahnghong "sacrificed by his people"?  I remember being told that he died of a brain aneurysm.

And please don't use the it's-the-same-now-as-2000-years-ago argument.  Anyone can claim to be the second coming of Christ and use that argument saying, "You don't believe me, and you are persecuting me.  It was the same with Jesus."

Maybe David Koresh was the second coming Christ?  (Yes, I'm being sarcastic here.)  After all, he had a common name, was persecuted, and even killed.  And I'm sure he would have told you that he fulfilled prophecy too.

And the reason we are so persistent when we preach is because we want people to be saved and we have an eager mind and heart just as our parents did coming here. 

I understand that persistence.  When you sincerely believe something, it comes out in the way you live.  If you sincerely believe in Ahnsahnghong, then I would expect you to preach about him.  And I do believe that you sincerely want the best for people.

That's why I'm here too.  I sincerely care for you and my sister and all the others in the WMSCOG, and that's why I'm so persistent in trying to show you that "Father Ahnsahnghong" and "Mother Jerusalem" do not deserve your devotion and worship.

Easter Thoughts

He is risen!
... He is risen indeed!

While I've spent the last week taking care of my family and visiting with extended family, many thoughts have been running through my head.  Even though Easter is finished now, I'd like to share these thoughts with you.

Some people (like the WMSCOG) will say that Christians must not celebrate "Easter" because it is based on a pagan custom.  Even the name "Easter" is pagan, they say.  I have a couple things to say in response to that.

*  First, Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, not worshipping an ancient pagan god (or goddess).  Yes, "Resurrection Day" would be a much better name, but in our language today, that is what "Easter" means.  As far as I can find through research, only English and German use a form of the word "Easter" for Resurrection Day.  Most other languages use a form of the word "Passover" for the same holiday.

*  "Easter" was the name of the month that contained the Passover and Resurrection Day holidays.  And that month was apparently named after a goddess, Eostra.  There is only one source for this information, and that's from the 8th century.  You can read about it here.  Many of our months of the year and days of the week (at least in English) are based on mythology.  Does using those names means we are secretly worshipping pagan gods?  If I go to a weekly Bible study on Fridays, am I inadvertently worshipping the goddess of love Freyja (Venus)?  If you go to church on Tuesday nights (like the WMSCOG), are you actually worshipping the god of war Teiwaz (Mars)?  No, of course not.  Likewise, just because the day we remember the Resurrection is sometimes called Easter, that doesn't mean we are worshipping the goddess Eostra (or Ishtar, or Ashtoreth).

*  Meanings of words change as a language develops.  Words that formerly meant one thing now mean another.  Must we rigidly hold on to the old meaning, when the new meaning is clear and prevalent?  Would you insist on saying your friend looks "gay" meaning "merry and lively," when our current society would interpret it as "homosexual"?  No, you'd have a serious misunderstanding, even though the alternate meanings of "gay" are recent enough to still be in the dictionary.  Look up "Easter" in the dictionary--the only meanings listed are about the remembrance of the Resurrection.  That is the meaning of the word now, despite where it may have come from.

*  About the Easter bunny, you can read more about the Easter bunny here.  I consider the Easter bunny similar to Santa Claus--a distraction from the true meaning and purpose of the holiday.  Here's a funny video to make that point: Easter Linebacker.  (It's less than 3 minutes long.  Hope you like it!)

It's interesting to note...  The WMSCOG's keeps the Day of Firstfruits (celebrating the Resurrection) on the same day as the mainstream Christian churches celebrate Easter.  They don't call it Easter, but they celebrate the Resurrection on the same day, and have since 2003 (records are available on their website, watv.org).

In other words, the WMSCOG does celebrate Easter.  They call it by a different name, but it's the same day and the same purpose, the remembrance of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Matthew 28:6-7

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead...."

Communion

In talking with a WMSCOG member about the Passover and Communion, an interesting comment came up that I was reminded of today...

Even though the WMSCOG members take the bread and the cup of the Lord's Supper at Passover, they distinguish it from Communion in this way...  Communion is done at any time, and even many times, during the year.  But the Passover is done only once, on the appointed day and time.

They made a big deal about how Communion is not in the Bible (so they say), and not only that, the word "communion" is not even in the Bible (so they say).

Yes it is!  The word "communion" IS in the Bible, but you have to look carefully.  It's translated "participation" in the NIV, and "sharing" in the NASB, but read it here in the New King James Version:

1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

The Greek word there is "Koinonia" which means "fellowship, association, communion, joint participation, the share which one has in anything."  And that word is used 19 times in the New Testament.

Everlasting Covenant - One More Thing

I have to correct something I wrote in part 1 of my look at what the everlasting covenant might be. I'm not above correcting myself... :)

When I was looking at the covenants called "everlasting" and saw God's covenant with Noah I straight away remembered all the Sunday School lessons I've taught about Noah and the rainbow and how it was God's promise not destroy the earth with a flood again. I too quickly categorized it as a one-sided covenant and ruled it out of my search, BUT....

In my reading today I was reminded that the covenant with Noah DOES have requirements for the people to keep. So it is possible, after all, that this was the everlasting covenant mentioned in Isaiah 24:5. We'll call it...

Everlasting Covenant Possibility 4
God's covenant with Noah after the flood, Genesis 9:16
Focusing in on Genesis 9:4-6
But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.

“ Whoever sheds man’s blood,
      By man his blood shall be shed;
      For in the image of God
      He made man.

The part required of man in this covenant is to honor life, both that of people and of animals.
Looking at society today, I'd say that this covenant it being broken every day by someone or another.

Now, looking at the 4 possibilities, I'm reminded of something Jesus said in the book of Mark when a teacher of the law came to ask what the greatest commandment was. Jesus said,
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12:29-31)

I see that the first 3 possibilities can be rolled into "Love the Lord your God," and the 4th is "Love your neighbor as yourself." Interesting, isn't it?

This concludes (hopefully!...for now, at least) my personal study into the everlasting covenant.

Studying the Bible yourself is a great way to make it come alive, but it's always good to read what several other Bible scholars say. It helps to have their perspective and extensive research so you don't accidentally go way off track.
If you'd like to study more about the covenants, you might like the book, The Covenants, by Kevin Connor and Ken Malmin. It's written in an outline form and summarizes all of God's covenants.

What is the Everlasting Covenant? - Conclusion

And so there are:
Circumcision, Genesis 17:7
The Sabbath, Exodus 31:16
and Jesus, Hebrews 13:20
All three are called everlasting covenants.  Which is it?...
(Update--There is one more possibility in my next post "One More Thing."  Don't miss it!)
The covenants of circumcision and the Sabbath are altered in the New Testament.  They were not required for Gentile believers, and though the Jewish believers continued them, they recognized that the acts of circumcision and keeping the Sabbath were not what brought them salvation, but their faith--belief in the Lord Jesus.  So in a way, we could say they were swallowed up into the covenent concerning Jesus.  That points us to the covenant described in Hebrews 13:20.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant

While looking up "everlasting covenant" I saw that there are six verses that say God will make an everlasting covenant with His people.  They don't say exactly what it will be, but that it will happen.  Here they are:
Isaiah 55:3 and 61:8
Jeremiah 32:40 and 50:5
Ezekiel 16:60 and 37:26

Those verses point to a time which was in the future for Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.  Jesus and His everlasting covenant was in the future for them, and so it still fits.  And Isaiah 55:3 can provide confirmation:
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
      Hear, and your soul shall live;
      And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
      The sure mercies of David.
"David" was a prophetical name used for Christ.  You can see it in Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 34:23-24 and 37:24-25, and Hosea 3:5.

But the question that remains is, what is our part in keeping (or accepting) this everlasting covenant through Jesus. Is it keeping the Passover with all the particular regulations as the WMSCOG says, or is it something else? That's a good question for another day...

By the way, when my sister asked me this question, this is exactly what I did.  I started looking in my Bible for every instance of "everlasting covenant" and listing the possibilities.  That's when things got difficult with the conversation, and we didn't get any farther.  I don't know if it was something about the way I was studying the Bible, or if it was the result of pent up frustrations after some heated discussions.  But it's too bad, because I think we would have at least agreed on the right section of the Bible to settle on.

Click here for a little more on the Everlasting Covenant.

What is the Everlasting Covenant? - Part 3

Continuing on...What is the everlasting covenant broken in Isaiah 24:5?

Just a note...there are a lot of verses listed here, and I think it will take too much room to write them all out.  You might want to have your Bible handy...or BibleGateway.com which can look up the verses quickly for you.

Everlasting Covenant Possibility 2
The Sabbath, Exodus 31:16

Here is Exodus 31 verses 13, 16, and 17
13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

I've already written about the Sabbath, which you can read under the topic of "Sabbath."
Colossians 2:16, Galatians 4:9-11, Romans 14, and
Acts 15:28-29 are some of the verses in the New Testament indicate that the Sabbath is not required for salvation.
But the Sabbath is a foreshadow of the rest we have with God--rest from all our work.  (Hebrews 3 and 4, especially 4:9-11)
How do we enter God's rest?  By believing.  (Hebrews 3:18-19 and 4:3, 6, 11)
Note that in the NIV the word "disobedience" in those verses is translated "unbelief" in the KJV.
That's because the Greek word there means "disbelief, disobedience, unbelief."  It's talking about the kind of true belief that results in obedience.

Everlasting Covenant Possibility 3
The everlasting covenant of Jesus, Hebrews 13:20
(It's called the "eternal covenant" in the NIV.)

Hebrews 13:20
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant

Hebrews 9:14-15 (although it's good to read the whole chapter to see the context)
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

This new, eternal covenant was put into effect by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now, this is where the WMSCOG connects the everlasting covenant to Passover, because at the Last Supper Jesus says, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
They interpret it to mean that you must physically take the bread and wine on the exact day and time of Passover (and not at any other time) to keep this covenant.   For the WMSCOG, breaking this covenant means not keeping the Passover.

Mainstream Christians interpret this bread and wine as symbolic of Jesus' broken body and shed blood on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.  As a mainstream Christian, for me it's not a matter of breaking or keeping this covenant, but rather accepting or rejecting it.  But for argument's sake, I would equate breaking this covenant as rejecting it--rejecting Jesus, His sacrifice, and therefore rejecting God totally.
-------------
I'm not quite done looking at this everlasting covenant question.  The point of this little study is to show that we can search the Bible to find possible answers to our question.  We don't have to blindly take the answer given to us.
Now that we've found the possibilities, it's time to evaluate them and see if we can pinpoint the one answer, since our question must have only one answer.

Click here to go on to Part 4, the conclusion.

What is the Everlasting Covenant? - Part 2

What is the everlasting covenant broken in Isaiah 24:5?

That is the question the WMSCOG will ask and then proceed to explain why they believe it is the Passover.

The WMSCOG takes great pains to point out that they do not believe in "interpretations of men" but only what's written in the Bible.  So before stringing together a bunch of verses to support anyone's nice sounding idea, why not go straight to the Bible and see if it tells us directly what the everlasting covenant is?

I started with keyword searches to find a "covenant" that was described as "everlasting," "lasting," "eternal," or "forever."  There are actually quite a few, so I ruled out covenants where it was one-sided, a promise of God to do something and didn't include any requirement from the people.  You can't break the covenant if it requires nothing from you, right?  Then we can see if any of the ones left fit with Isaiah 24.  You can try this yourself and let me know if you found anything I missed....

I've narrowed it down to 3.  (I almost included God's covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7--see 2 Sam. 23:5; Psalm 89:28; and 2 Chron. 13:15 and 21:7 for descriptions of it as everlasting--but God said that even if the people turned away from Him, He would still keep His promise.  Therefore it's a one-sided promise.)

So here are the first one, and I'll address the others next time...

Everlasting Covenant Possibility 1

God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:7

(This covenant is passed down to Isaac and Jacob, see 1 Chronicles 16:17 and Psalm 105:10)

In Genesis 17, God promises Abraham that He will make him into the father of many nations, that He will give them the land of Canaan, and that He will be their God.
Then, starting in verse 9, we see what God requires Abraham to do.  Here are verses 9 and 10:

And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised

The people's part of this "everlasting covenant" is circumcision.

Physical circumcision was an outward reminder to be circumcised in your heart. (Jeremiah 4:4 and 9:25)
Jesus was circumcised. (Luke 1:59 and 2:21)
Must we be circumcised today?  Not physically, it is circumcision of the heart that counts. (Romans 2:28-29 and 3:30)
So how can our part of this covenant be broken today?  By not having our heart circumcised.
What does it mean to have your heart circumcised?  Put off your sinful nature by having faith in Jesus.
Read Colossians 2.  The whole chapter is good, but focus in on verses 11-13:

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses [sins],

Click here to go on to Part 3.

What is the Everlasting Covenant? - Part 1

Isaiah 24 begins with a description of the devastation of the earth, and then verses 5 and 6:

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants,
      Because they have transgressed the laws,
      Changed the ordinance,
      Broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore the curse has devoured the earth,
      And those who dwell in it are desolate.
      Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned,
      And few men are left.

The question posed by a commenter from this verse is… What is the everlasting covenant that was broken?

My sister asked me the same question, but she did not like my answer and the conversation stopped.  (I have to admit, I was quite frustrated at the time, and the conversation got heated, so I’m sure my tone of delivery didn’t help.)  She never followed up by telling me what her answer was.

I know that question was not asked simply for me to ponder over.  It was asked because she wanted to tell me what the everlasting covenant was that not being kept by these people who were being destroyed.  I believe she would have continued on to explain that the everlasting covenant was the Passover, and that we needed to keep the Passover so that we would not break the everlasting covenant and so we would be protected in the last days.  Am I right?

So what is this “everlasting covenant” in Isaiah 24?  Is it the Passover, or could it be something else?

I didn’t want to speculate, so I went straight to the Bible to search for what it says about a “covenant.”  There are a number of covenants that God makes in the Bible, and more than one of them are described as “everlasting” or “eternal” or “lasting” or to be kept “forever.”

Some of those covenants are promises that God made and intends to keep, with no requirements from the human race at all.  In Genesis 9, God makes an everlasting covenant never to destroy the earth and all its life with a flood again.  There is nothing we need to do as part of that agreement—it’s all God. (Click here for a correction to this part about Genesis 9.)  We can never break that type of covenant. 

We need to look for the kind of covenant where God did give the people some responsibility to keep on their part.
 
So that's the direction I'll be going next.  Stay tuned.... 

Click here to go on to Part 2.

Was the Lord's Supper a Covenant or a Command?

More from Ahnsahnghong's book, “The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life”:

Page 401, Chapter 31
“The words in John 13:34, “A new command I give you,” are the same as the words in Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” In the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it is described as the “new covenant” or the “covenant” instead of a “new command,” and in the Gospel of John it is described as a “new command” instead of the “new covenant” (John 13:34; 15:10-12). This new covenant, the new command, is a memorial day of our Redeemer. It is the Passover through which we love Jesus and also love one another in Him as He has loved us.”
And on Page 413, Chapter 31
Regarding “the new command” and “the new covenant”: “…the two are the same words; the new command is the new covenant.”

Is the "new covenant" that Jesus talked about at the Last Supper really the "new command" that Jesus wants us to follow?

First of all, the word for “covenant” used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke is the Greek word “diatheke.” The word for “command” used in John is the Greek word “entole.”

"Diatheke" = a covenant, testament, contract, compact
"Entole" = a command, order, prescribed rule

Those are two different words with two different meanings, not the same word, not even from the same root word, not even interchangeable words with the same meaning.

But if you look at the context, would the verses correspond to show us that the Lord’s Supper is both a “command” and a “covenant”? Here are the verses, first for “covenant”:

Matthew 26:27-28
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

Mark 14:23-24
Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many."

Luke 22:20
Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."

And now for “command”:
John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 15:10-12
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Is the “new covenant” the same as the “new command”?  No, or Jesus would have said, “A new command I give you: take the cup of the Passover without fail,” or “My command is this: drink from my cup.”
The “new covenant” is the blood of Jesus poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
The “new command” is to love each other.
Different.

Ahnsahnghong's Mistakes

If Ahnsahnghong is God, then we’d expect him to not make any mistakes, especially when it comes to the Bible. When I hear pastors make a mistake during a sermon (for example, recently my pastor said that Ruth had 3 sons, when the Bible says she had 2), I know it’s an accident—they merely misspoke, they’re not perfect, and it happens to the best of us. BUT if the speaker is supposed to be God in the flesh, he should NOT make mistakes—especially not mistakes in either recalling Biblical information OR in interpreting a clear Bible passage.

Ahnsahnghong makes these mistakes. Therefore he is not God. Here are some examples from his book, “The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life.”

(The page numbers correspond to the English/Korean edition I read.)

Page 105 (Chapter 8)
“Although the people of Judah seemed like they were observing God’s laws, they neither realized the Passover, the greatest commandment in the Law, nor kept it.”

Is the Passover the greatest commandment? In Matthew chapter 22 and Mark chapter 12, Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Ahnsahnghong and the WMSCOG say that it is through the Passover that we can love God completely. But if Passover were the greatest commandment, as Ahnsahnghong said, Jesus would have said so also when asked about it in Matt. 22 and Mark 12.

Page 449 (Chapter 33)
“…when the Israelites were released from slavery in Egypt, the houses that kept the Passover by putting the blood of a lamb on their doorframes were saved, while the houses not marked with the blood of the lamb suffered the plague. Even Egyptians who put the lamb’s blood on their houses, were saved (Ex. 12:12-14, 37-38).”

If you read the story of the Passover in Exodus 12, there is no mention of any of the Egyptians putting the lamb’s blood on their houses and being saved from the plague. While it’s possible that they would have been saved if they had done so, it seems that none of them did because verse 30 says that concerning the Egyptians, “there was not a house without someone dead.” And yet Ahnsahnghong says that there were some Egyptians saved?

Page 465 (Chapter 34)
“…Jesus Christ went up to the temple and preached every day during the Feast of Tabernacles, and on the last day of the feast He said:” (and a quote follows from John 7:37-39)

John 7:14 (NIV) says, “Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.” He did not preach every day during the feast.

You might think these are just unimportant errors, but is this something God would do? No.

Examining Prophecies--Passover, Part 2

I was investigating whether or not the World Mission Society Church of God's Passover prophecy would pinpoint Ahnsahnghong as the second coming Christ, when a question about dates came up...

In 2009, the WMSCOG celebrated Passover on April 9, while the Jewish community using the Hebrew calendar celebrated on April 8. When I asked about the difference, I was told that it must be because the Jews start their day at sunset, but the WMSCOG believes that Biblically the day should start at sunrise. Ok, I thought, that must be what accounted for the difference...until Passover came this year, 2010.

When I heard the news talking about Passover on March 29, I expected my sister to say that she and her church would be keeping the date on March 30--a day later, just like in 2009. But NO--they kept the same date. I was totally confused--why was it different? So now I've had to investigate a new thing--calendars.

It turns out that the WMSCOG does not follow the Hebrew (Rabbinic) calendar, or the Karaite Jewish Calendar, or the Samaritan Calendar, or any of the other several "Biblical" calendars that I was able to find. Either they have (1)made mistakes in their scheduling or (2)made their own "sacred" calendar.

(1) If they have mistakenly kept the wrong day, for example celebrating Passover on the 15th day of the first month instead of the 14th day, then they are not even keeping Passover according to their own requirements. They believe eternal life is given through keeping the Passover exactly on the correct day. If their own leader, "Jerusalem Mother", who is supposed to be God herself, can't keep the correct day, then she clearly is NOT God.

(2) If they have made their own calendar (which could be to cover up mistakes or to just be different from every other church), then how are we to know except by their own word, if their method of calendar making is correct. Every other calendar also has Biblical reasons they believe their calendar is the only correct one. Should we believe the WMSCOG's calendar simply because it was made by their "gods"? No you must prove that Ahnsahnghong or Mother Jerusalem are God first.

If one was going to be very legalistic in their search for the only preacher whose church is celebrating the Passover exactly right, then you cannot prove that Ahnsahnghong fulfills this prophecy, especially because of the problem with the calendar. It becomes circular again, since you must prove he is God before you can prove he has the right calendar and is keeping Passover the right way.

If one is not so legalistic, and only looks for a preacher whose church takes the Lord’s Supper at about the time of Passover, then there are many of those. This prophecy would not pinpoint Ahnsahnghong. And really the prophecy itself would be flawed since it assumes that the Passover is nowhere to be found apart from the second coming Christ, and yet the Passover is being kept in a number of other churches.

Either way this prophecy fails in proving Ahnsahnghong as the second coming Christ. And since it was the key prophecy, Ahnsahngong's whole claim is unsupported.

Examining Prophecies--Passover, Part 1

Finally, the key prophecy. Will this be the one to pinpoint Ahnsahnghong as the second coming Christ? Let's see...

When Christ returns
He will restore the Passover—the “Tree of Life.”
Gen. 3:22; John 6:53-54; Matt. 26:11-26; Heb. 9:28
They read Hebrews 9:28 to mean that when Christ returns to bring salvation, the “salvation” spoken of is the Passover, and that the church of the second coming Christ will be the only one to keep the Passover.

To the World Mission Society Church of God, the “Passover” is not the traditional Seder meal, but taking the Lord’s Supper (or Communion, the bread and the wine), on Passover evening. They also believe it is the physical act of eating the bread and the wine, at the specified hour on the proper day and in the correct manner, that provides the eternal life promised through the new covenant. We could argue that taking the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper is symbolic of truly believing in the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood as payment for our sins. And that we are free to partake of it and remember the sacrifice of Jesus any time of the year, as often (or seldom) as is helpful to our personal faith.

But since I know that the WMSCOG is very legalistic, I’ll approach it that way, assuming for the moment that it is the day, time, and manner of the Passover that is of supreme importance, and not the sacrifice and belief that it is a symbol of….

The WMSCOG has claimed that "the Passover was abolished at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325," and then "the Passover completely disappeared from the world." (source) If Ahnsahnghong really did have the only church in the world with the correct (legalistically speaking) practice of Passover, and the prophecy was interpreted correctly, then BINGO!—that would be the key to point to him as the only one to fulfill this prophecy. So the question becomes, was Ahnsahnghong’s church the only one, and are they celebrating Passover correctly?

Well, with some work, time, and the internet, we can track down other churches that DO celebrate the Passover—the bread and the wine on Passover night. It’s easier to find them when it’s Passover season as you can look up their calendars and see it there. For example, look for different Churches of God (like Church of God 7th Day), Adventist churches, Messianic Jewish churches.... Keep in mind that they might call the celebration the “Lord’s Supper” or “Communion,” but held on Passover night it is still “Passover”.

When I brought this point up, I was told that those churches did not count because of a variety of reasons: they might not do footwashing (some actually do, though), they are a newer congregation and could be copying the WMSCOG (but some are older), they are not celebrating on exactly the right day (wait…not even the Messianic Jews?!). In 2009, the WMSCOG had their Passover celebration on April 9, but the Jewish people celebrated on April 8 according to the Hebrew calendar. Jewish culture is steeped in tradition--could they have the wrong date? That did not sound right, so I've been investigating... I'll let you know next time what I found.

Click here to go on to Part 2.

Examining Prophecies--Lost Truth, Zion

There are just a few more prophecies to look at...

According to the World Mission Society Church of God, when Christ returns
He will restore lost truth / open the seven seals.
Rev. 5:1-5

This is another circular proof. The second coming Christ will open up the secrets of the Bible, but why should we believe him unless we know already that he is the second coming Christ? Again, only useful after you prove the second coming Christ. It’s useless as a proof for anyone, much less Ahnsahnghong.

He will establish Zion
Hosea 3:5

Zion is where the Lord’s feasts are celebrated, Passover in particular. Passover was abolished and disappeared from the earth and has been re-established. Therefore, whatever church celebrates Passover (and all the Lord’s feasts) is the true church and its leader/founder is the second coming Christ, because only God himself can bring back the Passover. (all according the WMSCOG)

In truth, there are quite a few Christian churches that do celebrate the traditional Feasts of the Lord. The WMSCOG says that they are the only church to do the Feasts the right way. But again, there are other churches who make the same claim. The WMSCOG would say that they know they are the ones who have it right because "second coming Christ" Ahnsahnghong told them so. And then this becomes another circular argument.

This is yet another prophecy related to the Passover. You’ll notice that the WMSCOG weaves this theme of the Passover through many of the “prophecies” they cite. It turns out that the Passover is their key prophecy. If that prophecy is interpreted correctly and Ahnsahnghong is the only one to fulfill it, then everything will fall into place. I'll look at that next time...

What is the Seal?

The WMSCOG talks a lot about all the dreadful things that are happening these days--earthquakes, typhoons, fires, floods, hurricanes, epidemics, attacks.... They make it all sound so frightening, and then tell you about a special way you can be protected from all these things--by getting the "seal of God" through celebrating the Passover. After all, they say, whenever the Israelites kept the Passover they were protected, and when they did not keep the Passover, they were not protected.

In my last post I looked at whether the Bible supports that claim about the Passover always providing protection to the Israelites, and it turned out the answer is NO.

But if keeping the Passover does not get you the seal of God, then are there any other clues in the Bible about what does?

How about these verses:

2 Cor. 1:21-22
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Eph. 1:13-14
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph. 4:30-32
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

From these verses, we see that the Holy Spirit seals us to show we belong to Him when we believe, not after we perform a certain ceremony or finally acheive a perfect life. In Eph. 4, Paul says the people were already sealed before they were able to get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, etc. They weren't perfect, yet they were sealed as belonging to God. That gives me hope.

Is Passover the Seal of God?

Well, I might as well tell you right off--from everything I've learned, the evidence shows that Ahnsahnghong is NOT the second coming Christ, "Mother Jerusalem" (Zahng Gil-Ja) is not God either because her claim is based on his, and the World Mission Society Church of God (which I'll refer to as the WMSCOG or COGWMS) is full of contradictions in their doctrine and practice. I'll share with you reasons why I've come to that conclusion, but if anyone wants to share with me new information to change my mind, feel free...

First of all, it's Passover season. The Passover will be celebrated on March 29 around the world by the Jewish people (and some Christian churches also). The WMSCOG talks about all the disasters and plagues that are happening in the world, and that to be safe, you must keep the Passover because it will give you God's seal of protection.

If you do the WMSCOG study about the Passover as the seal of God, they will tell you that throughout the history of the Israelites you can see how every time they celebrated the Passover, God protected them. And when they did not keep the Passover, they were not protected.

They use 2 examples, the original Passover in Egypt and the Passover during the reign of Hezekiah.

In Exodus, when God sent the plague of the death of the firstborn, the Israelites who kept the Passover were “passed over” by the death angel. The Egyptians who did not keep the Passover were struck by this plague. This was the very first Passover (Exodus 12).

Then in 2 Chronicles 30, they’ll show you how King Hezekiah celebrated the Passsover in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, while the Northern Kingdom of Israel scorned them and would not keep the Passover. Then they take you to 2 Kings 18 & 19 and tell you that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered and taken captive because they did not keep the Passover, but since the Southern Kingdom of Judah did keep the Passover they were not destroyed even though they were a much smaller kingdom.

Here’s the problem—If the Passover was the key to protection from God, it should be clearly represented as so throughout the Bible and history with many examples. It’s clear with the original Passover that God was distinguishing His people from the Egyptians. And we could make a good case that God protected King Hezekiah and Kingdom of Judah, but it may have been because of their love and obedience to the Lord and may not necessarily be a direct result of the Passover.

But what about the other times the Israelites kept the Passover? Do we see God’s protection on them because of it? I wanted to find all the occurrences of Passover mentioned in the Bible to check it out…

Exodus 12 – This is the original Passover when the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, and also gives some restrictions on who may celebrate the Passover.

Exodus 34 – God gives Moses some commandments for His people, and the Passover is among them.

Leviticus 23 – Here are directions for celebrating the feasts of God, including Passover.

Numbers 9 – This is the first anniversary of the Passover, and the Israelites celebrate as God directed them. God also gives Moses an alternative date to celebrate for those who were unclean. There is no mention about what it may have protected them from this time.

Numbers 28 – Directions for the Passover offerings are here.

Numbers 33 – This just mentions that the Israelites left Egypt the day after the Passover, as a review of their history.

Deuteronomy 16 – Here are more directions for celebrating the Passover.

Joshua 5 – This is the first celebration of the Passover in the Promised Land, with Joshua as leader, just before battle of Jericho. They won this battle, but was this a direct result of the Passover? Could be, but I think it was more of a fulfillment of God’s promise to give them the land.

2 Kings 23, and 2 Chronicles 35 – King Josiah celebrated the Passover. There is no mention of any special case of protection for the Israelites. And what happened to King Josiah? He died in a battle.

2 Chronicles 30 – King Hezekiah celebrates the Passover. This is the example of protection the WMSCOG uses.

Ezra 6 – The exiles celebrated the Passover when they returned to Jerusalem. They were able to rebuild despite opposition. Does this mean they were protected by the Passover?

And finally, Ezekiel 45 – This passage give directions about offerings to celebrate the Passover.

That’s it for the Old Testament. Only 6 distinct Passover celebrations are mentioned. And only 2 of those examples can show a comparison between a group who kept the Passover and a group who did not. Those are the 2 examples the WMSCOG uses (the Passover in Egypt and King Hezekiah’s Passover). Of other 4 occurrences:
--The 1st anniversary Passover makes no mention at all of a battle success or any other protection.
--Joshua won the battle of Jericho after his Passover but we don’t see what would have happened to any of them who didn’t celebrate it, so it’s hard to make a clear comparison.
--King Josiah’s Passover did not protect him personally in battle.
--The exiles celebrated the Passover, and as far as we know, Israel continued keeping the Passover from then until the time of Jesus. BUT they weren’t protected from being conquered and occupied by the Romans.

We also know that throughout the book of Judges, the Israelites experienced many cycles of falling away from the Lord and being handed over to their enemies, then returning to the Lord and finding relief from their enemies, only to fall away again. If the Passover were the key commandment to gaining God’s protection and favor, wouldn’t we expect to see it in the book of Judges with the Israelites keeping the Passover, neglecting it, and then celebrating it again? Instead, God hands them over to their enemies because they’ve done evil by following other gods, and then sends relief through a judge because He has compassion on them. There’s NO mention of Passover at all in the entire book of Judges. It’s nicely summed up in Judges 2:11-19. So apparently celebrating the Passover is not as important as worshiping God alone.

How about the New Testament…does what we learn there show that the Passover provides God’s protection? Here are the mentions of Passover in the New Testament:

Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 – These are all referring to the Passover at the time of the Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion.

Luke 2; John 2, 4, 6 – These chapters all mention other Passovers during the time of Jesus.

Acts 12:4 – Herod intends to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover, but the night before the trial an angel releases him from prison. Did Peter celebrate the Passover while he was in prison? Unlikely, but he probably did keep the Passover in other years.

1 Corinthians 5:7 – This compares Jesus to the lamb of the Passover.

Hebrews 11:28 – This verse mentions Moses’ faith in keeping the original Passover.

So Jesus kept the Passover but He was not protected from crucifixion, though we know that He was destined to die for the sins of us all. The Jews in general kept the Passover at this time in history (and until today), and they were not protected from the Romans (think of the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century), but you might make the case that they did not believe in Jesus and therefore lost the protection.

But what about Jesus’ disciples, who we know both believed in Him and kept the Passover? All but one of them were martyred. They were NOT protected.

My conclusion:
From studying the Passover through the Bible and history, there is no consistent connection between the act of celebrating the Passover and having God’s protection. The WMSCOG claim--that whenever the Israelites kept the Passover they were protected and that when they did not celebrate the Passover they were not protected--is FALSE.