The greatest danger facing all Believers today is not some outside enemy, or persecution, or even death. Our greatest danger is something that we hold dear among ourselves, and is revealed in the many warnings given in Scripture. That something can cause Yahushua to have a few things against us. That something is our widespread practice of (unknowingly) eating of things sacrificed to idols.
Let’s see what this is, so that we might remove it from our practice.
I have a few things against you
For those who are serious about preparing themselves for their Bridegroom, and who desire to be among the “Lamb’s Wife (who) has made herself ready” (Rev 19:7), Yahushua gives a curious warning:
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)
First, let us notice that the above passage in Revelation is addressed to the last-days congregations (that’s us). Next we see above that the Doctrine of Balaam results in a stumblingblock (something that impedes our walking in The Way.) And finally, we see the nature of this particular stumblingblock — to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. These two items describe one single stumblingblock, and one single practice we hold dear.
The above passage tells us this one stumblingblock results from the teaching (the Doctrine) of Balaam. So let’s review what Scripture reveals about the Doctrine of Balaam.
The Doctrine of Balaam
As we saw in detail here, the Doctrine of Balaam is not greed, but is simply the practice of the Error of Balaam. In summary, the Error of Balaam was that Balaam rejected the earlier Word of Yahuweh, but was willing to obey only the later Word of Yahuweh. For this, Yahuweh sought to kill Balaam.
Today we are doing exactly the same as Balaam did. We are practicing the Doctrine of Balaam — for most of our congregations have rejected the earlier Word of Yahuweh, and have accepted only the later Word of Yahuweh. This has happened because many have believed the words of the theologians, and have not read the Scriptures for themselves. Let’s look briefly at some of the results of the Doctrine of Balaam.
Since the Doctrine of Balaam is the rejection of the ‘earlier’ Word of Yahuweh in favour of the ‘later’ Word of Yahuweh, we see that there will be ignorance and misunderstanding as to Yahuweh’s will for us today.
If a Doctrine or practice is truly of Yahushua, it will be found within the writings of ‘Moses and all the Prophets’ (Jo 5:47; Lk 24:25, 27). It will also be seen being practiced in the lives of Yahushua, and His disciples, and the apostle Paul, as we are told we have them for our examples (Php 3:17; 1Pet 2:21; 1Jo 2:6; 1Jo 3:2).
Substitution of man’s own Doctrine or practice, in place of that prescribed by Yahuweh, is the basic definition of idolatry. Throughout the Scriptures Yahuweh pleads with His people to forego their idolatries, which Yahuweh likens to spiritual fornication.
Now let us see how the rejection of the earlier Word teaches us to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Things Sacrificed to Idols
We noted that the above passage in Revelation is addressed to the last-days congregations (to us). Yahushua is telling us that the Doctrine of Balaam teaches men to ‘eat things sacrificed to idols.’ So now we see this is not only idolatry and fornication (a man-made substitute) but is related to the eating of a sacrifice.
We now see that this passage refers to the eating of a FALSE sacrifice, a substitute for the TRUE Sacrifice — for which only the Body and Blood of Yahushua qualifies!
Now let’s look closely at this. As Believers, what are we told to eat and drink that represents the Body and Blood of Yahushua? Scriptures tell us exactly:
18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. … 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:18; 26-28)
14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? … 22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. (Mark 14:14; 22-24)
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: … 19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:15; 19-20)
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed ['Passover'] took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
The above passages reveal that the Body and Blood of Yahshua are eaten and drunk at the Passover meal. Yahushua and His Disciples are an example for us today. This Passover meal (the TRUE Lord’s Supper) was not some new Doctrine for the Disciples — it was something Yahuweh’s people had practiced for thousands of years, as commanded of ALL of Yahuweh’s people, in Lev 23:4-5. Yahushua was simply revealing the TRUE meaning of Passover for them, and for us today.
Now that we have an understanding from Scripture of the New Covenant Passover, we can more easily understand the words of Yahushua:
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53)
We now understand clearly from Scripture that Yahushua is referring to the Passover meal, which is only for His people, and is not for ‘outsiders.’ It is the outsiders who have ‘no Life in them’ (Yahushua living in them). The ‘outsiders’ can not keep Passover, for it is ‘Messiah-in-you’ who desires to keep Passover; only those who have been ‘Born-Again’ have Messiah living within.
Yahuweh commands His people to observe Passover as a memorial for ever (Ex 12:14), a Feast we see practiced by Yahushua and all His Disciples. Even Paul reminds us not to fail to keep Passover (1Cor 5:7-8).
Man-Made Substitute for Passover
The Doctrine of Balaam, however, rejects the earlier Word of Yahuweh, thus allowing the Doctrines of Men to create a ‘substitute’ Passover, even calling it by the Biblical name ‘communion.’
When we refuse Yahushua’s Passover, but then practice a man-made replacement of Passover — even if we call it by the Biblical name of ‘communion’ (aka the Lord’s supper) — we are then practicing idolatry! We have substituted a man-made practice in place of a Biblical practice. In Yahuweh’s sight that is spiritual fornication, because we are supposed to be His people, and we are supposed to be ‘Betrothed’ to Him as a Bride.
When we forget the ‘earlier’ Word of Yahuweh, men will attempt to invent many doctrines to take its place.
Now we can understand how most congregations today unknowingly promote and teach their people to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. Now we can see how widespread the problem is today, as addressed by Yahushua in the above passage in Revelation.
Conclusion
For those who desire to prepare themselves for their Bridegroom, let us cease immediately committing idolatry, and fornication, and eating of things sacrificed to idols. Let us instead begin to embrace the TRUE Passover meal — the TRUE Body and Blood of Yahushua. We will do this only when we cease practicing the Doctrine of Balaam, and begin to obey the earlier Word of Yahuweh.
—
Related Content: Testing & Warnings
For further details of the Wilderness Testing of the Believers, and of the Warnings given to the Bride concerning her Testing that must occur before entering in with the Bridegroom, see the following articles:
Entering the Kingdom: The Wilderness Testing of the Believers – An Overview of the testing
Entering the Kingdom: The Wise Virgins’ Checklist – An Overview of the testing, and a Scripture Checklist
Entering the Kingdom: The Two Love Tests - Further details of Father’s testing of the Believers
The Love of Many Grows Cold - the measuring-stick used to test the Believers
The Doctrine of Balaam: A Warning to the Bride – The Root cause of failing the test
Eating Things Sacrificed to Idols: A Warning to the Bride – a major cause of failing the test
What Your Pastor Never Told You About The 2nd Commandment – Warning – a major cause of failing the test
Removing the Abominations: A Warning to the Bride – a major cause of failing the test
—
Thank you for your hard work. I also stopped keeping Easter when i found the truth of passover.
Thank you biblefortruth, for your comment and testimony. The same happened to us. When we began to walk in obedience to the True, Father opened our eyes to see the False! And thank you for your encouragement!
What is the man made passover? You said all that to say no conclusion.
Thank you Bonnie, for your visit, and your question.
You asked, “What is the man-made passover?”
Perhaps the article is not worded in a clear manner. I will try to do so here. But in order to be more clear there must be a little further explanation.
As Followers of Yahushua, we have been taught to celebrate the ‘Lord’s Supper’ (also called ‘communion’) in remembrance of Him, whenever we assemble together. The practice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper weekly or monthly in this manner is not according to Scripture, but is a ‘counterfeit,’ a man-made ‘subsitute’ for the Biblical practice of celebrating Passover. Let’s see why this is true.
When we eat the true sacrifice (Messiah, who is the Biblical Passover Lamb), we are to do so in the manner and time prescribed in Scripture. His body and His Blood are both Passover sacrifices, and are the true sacrifices we are commanded to eat.
Scripture also reveals, however, that any substitute for Yahuweh or His Word, or any substitute for the true and Scriptural practice of His Word, is simply an ‘idol’ in its most basic sense. Any celebration of Passover in a manner not commanded, or on a day not commanded, is a substitute for the true, and is thus a form of idolatry.
The true Passover occurs only once each year, on the fourteenth day of the first Biblical month of the year. When we celebrate the ‘Lord’s Supper’ not as part of the Biblical Passover, but at a time and in a manner of our own choosing, we are celebrating a mere substitute of the True.
And so it is, that when we eat a substitute for the true sacrifices, we are not eating sacrifices made unto Yahuweh (according to His Word), but we are actually eating sacrifices made to idols (to a man-made idea, as a substitute for the true).
When I first began to see in Scripture the error of the popular practice of the Lord’s Supper, I was shocked. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. As a Believer, I had been celebrating the Lord’s Supper for more than twenty years! Thus for me, it required not only ‘two or three witnesses’ to confirm what I was seeing, but I needed dozens of witnesses of Scripture–because what I was seeing was a serious assault on everything I had known as a Believer. I was undergoing a shaking, even to the foundation of what I understood of the Scriptures.
It was only through much prayer, and seeking Father, that He confirmed what I had seen, with many, many Scriptures. Truly the Holy Spirit leads us gently, but surely, into all Truth! He then directed me to write what I had seen, so that others might see.
Most important, however, is that we must be like the Bereans–we must not accept everything we hear, but we are to search the Scriptures for ourselves, to see if these things are true.
How did this practice of celebrating the counterfeit Passover begin?
Around 325 AD there were edicts pronounced by Rome, that forbade Believers from keeping the Biblical Passover, under the guise that Passover was too ‘Jewish.’ A man-made counterfeit was then initiated, which had the ‘appearance’ of being genuine, and of following the New Testament Pattern.
In the early years, it was as it is today. Most Believers learn spiritual things from their leaders, and do not study the Scriptures for themselves, to see if these things were true. In the early years, however, the Believers were not able to search the Scriptures for themselves. Only kings and the most wealthy of men, along with their spiritual leaders, could afford the cost of the Scriptures, for they were hand-written, and required many months of labour to complete. It was not until the invention of the printing-press, that the common folk began to read the Scriptures.
Meanwhile, Martin Luther (a priest of Rome) broke from some of the traditions and teachings of Rome, and began a ‘Reformation’ of moving back to a more Scriptural basis for the Faith.
Though he brought many changes, Luther nevertheless carried with him much of the tradition and error that has continued to this day, and which is practiced within the various branches of the ‘evangelical’ Faith. Like the Mother, so are the Daughters–and so much of the error today is based on the rejection of keeping the Biblical Feasts, including the true Passover, because they appear “Jewish.’
Much of the false teachings remain among the evangelical communities today simply because the ‘Doctrine of Balaam’ is promoted within all the various branches of the Faith. This teaching rejects the ‘earlier’ Word of Yahuweh, and practices only the ‘later’ Word of Yahuweh.
The ‘Error of Balaam’ is able to continue within the evangelical communities, because the ‘Doctrine of Balaam’ gives rise to certain popular false teachings, the chief of which is the notion of an ‘Age of Law’ and an ‘Age of Grace.’ This notion of two ‘ages’ is part of an imagined ‘Dispensational’ view of Scripture, which in turn, gives rise to further error, through the notion that ‘Law and Grace’ and ‘Faith and Works’ are ‘opposites’ of one another, rather than ‘complementary’ to one another, as revealed in the Scriptures.
The many ‘fables’ and ‘Doctrines of Men’ maintain their foothold today, because most today do not search the Scriptures, to find what the Scriptures actually say about these ideas. Most spiritual leaders today are those who, in their teens and twenties, were indoctrinated in Theological Cemeteries (full of dead-men’s bones), and were taught man’s various views of Scripture in Bible Schools–rather than wrought in the furnace of experience in the School of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
Messiah’s Flesh and His Blood are both Passover sacrifices, and are the true sacrifices we are commanded to eat.
Any substitute for the True, including the practice of a counterfeit of the True, is idolatry.
The man-made Passover is today’s popular practice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper (‘communion’). This man-man Passover is done in a way, and at a time, that is not according to Scripture–and is thus a counterfeit of the True.
When we eat and drink the sacrifices of a ‘counterfeit’ Passover, we are not eating the true sacrifices of the Passover Lamb, but are instead eating things sacrificed to idols.