The Fall.

“The Anointed Cherub”: The Fall of Lucifer

DUSTIN BENGE

The fall of Satan and his angels is shrouded behind a veil and cloaked in mystery.[1] Throughout the history of the church, Christian orthodoxy has regarded the devil and his minions as angels who were created by God but fell into sin and misery. William Gouge (1575–1653) wrote, “The devils by creation were good angels, as powerful, wise, quick, speedy, invisible, and immortal as any other angels.”[2] The Puritans believed that demons shared the same nature as angels, but through rebellion against God became subject to divine judgment. When these angels fell, said Gouge, “They lost not their natural substance, and essential properties thereof, no more than what man lost when he fell…Only the quality of his nature and properties is altered from good to evil.”[3] Accordingly, The Westminster Larger Catechism aptly states, “God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory” (Q. 19).

Lucifer: The Anointed Cherub

Writing extensively on the fallen angels, Jonathan Edwards (1703–1558) believed Lucifer was created to be immensely superior to all the other angels and maintained a type of leadership, dominion, and strength over the other angels. Lucifer, prior to his fall, Edwards writes, “was the chief of all the angels, of the greatest natural capacity, strength and wisdom, and highest in honor and dignity, the brightest of all those stars.”[4] Edwards points to Isaiah 14:12, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of dawn!” as an indication that Lucifer outshined all the other stars angels that were created. The name bestowed on this bright and excellent creature at the creation was, “Lucifer.” Edwards believed, the title of “the anointed cherub” (Ezek 28:14), pointed to the fact that he was created as the highest of all the angels. Lucifer was also known in Ezekiel 28:14 as residing “on the holy mountain of God,” who dwelt “in the midst of the stones of fire.” In Ezekiel 28:16 there seems to be a reference to the “covering cherub” who resides within the temple’s Holy of Holies and use their wings to over the throne of God. In this context, Edwards believed, this cherub to be the being who was in the closest proximity to the throne of God. Edwards comments that this was a great honor and caused him to be exalted above all other angels. Yet, Edwards quickly points out, as the second person of the Godhead, Christ is exalted supremely higher than Lucifer. In other words, while Lucifer was only near the throne, Christ, being supremely higher and more excellent in his being, was allowed to sit down forever with God on the throne. This conclusion results in Edwards astonishing statement:

Lucifer, in having the excellency of all those glorious things that were about him all summed up in him, he was a type of Christ, in whom all the glory and excellency of all elect creatures is more properly summed [up] as the head and fountain of all, as the brightness of all that reflects the light of the sun is summed up in the sun.[5]

This archangel was assigned to “cover” or “protect” “the beloved race, elect man, that was God’s jewel, his treasure, his first fruits, his precious thing laid up in God’s ark or chest or cabinet hid in the secret of God’s presence.”[6] In other words, Lucifer, according to Edwards, was employed at the creation of man to be the protector of redeemed humanity, but “fell from his innocency and dignity, and Jesus in his stead becomes the cherub that covereth, the greater protector.”[7]

The Fall of Lucifer and the Angels

It was the very excellency and greatness of Lucifer, according to Edwards, that became the occasion of his fall from heaven. Edwards believed the temptation of the angels that caused their ultimate fall was that when God was about to create man, or had already created him, God declared to the angels that one of the same human nature should be his Son, “his best beloved.”[8] Thus, Christ assumes the role as “their head and king,” and in being their head and king, redeemed humanity will be “given to him and should worship him and be his servants, attendants, and ministers.”[9] God, who declared before the foundation of the world his great love for the race of mankind through Christ, Edwards says, “Gave the angels the charge of them as ministering spirits to men.”[10] In essence, this event caused the fall of the anointed cherub, Lucifer, and a great number of the other holy angels. Edwards explains that Lucifer could not bear the thought that he was employed to serve and protect those who were hierarchically below him within creation. Edwards explains,

Lucifer, being the archangel, one of the highest of the angels, could not bear it, thought it below him and a great debasing of him; so he conceived rebellion against the Almighty and drew away a vast company of the heavenly hosts with him.”[11]

Because Jesus Christ was fashioned in the likeness of men in his incarnation, Lucifer and a vast host of the other angels could not bear that such a being in human form, whom they considered below themselves, should rule over them in glory.

The account of Lucifer’s rebellion and the angelic objection in serving an incarnate Christ is not exclusive to Jonathan Edwards. In fact, the Italian Reformer Girolamo Zanchi (1516–1590), a professor of Old Testament and theology at Strasbourg and Heidelberg, included several reflections about this in his own writings. Thomas Goodwin (1600–1680), who served as a member of the Westminster Assembly, also explores the same idea.

God’s Grand Design

Jonathan Edwards paints a dramatic image of cataclysmic conflict in heaven at the moment Lucifer turned against God and called for the rest of the angels to join him in his rebellion: “When Lucifer rebelled and sat up himself as a head in opposition to God . . . Christ the Son of God manifested himself as an opposite head, and appeared graciously to dissuade and retrain by his grace the elect angels from hearkening to Lucifer’s temptation.”[12]

Lest anyone consider the plan of God thwarted because of the fall of Lucifer, Edwards reports,

God in his providence was pleased thus to show the emptiness and vanity of the creature by suffering the insufficiency of the highest and most glorious of all creatures, the head and crown of the whole creation, to appear by his sudden fall from his glorious height into the lowest depth of hatefulness, deformity and misery.[13]

God’s grand design was to demonstrate the “creature’s emptiness in itself,” and then to “fill it with himself in an eternal, unalterable fullness and glory.”[14] We can rest assured that the final punishment of the devils is certain. God will pour out his righteous wrath upon them for their proud rebellion in the courts of heaven. According to Edwards, God condemns the demonic horde “to that same disposition which they exercised when they fell, and by that means makes them forever a procuring their own misery; and this is a misery they are plunged into as a punishment of their first rebellion.”[15] Edwards believed that Satan’s end against the glory of God will ultimately contribute more greatly to the glory of God and will be the “occasion of abundance of misery to the devil; he revenges upon himself: it will occasion the brining on the consummation of his punishment at the day of judgment; he does as it were pull it down on his own head.”[16] All Christians of all ages can rejoice in this glorious truth:

This day of God’s overthrowing the visible kingdom of Satan is also called that great day of God almighty. ‘Tis spoken of as a very great day indeed, a wonderful time and doubtless a time greatly calling for preparation. Happy will those be that shall be found prepared for that great day of the overthrow of Antichrist and other enemies of Christ and setting up the kingdom of Christ through the world.[17]

The Fall

No longer free to stir up rebellion in heaven, Satan’s enmity against God found a new field in plotting the ruin of the human race.
In the happiness and peace of the holy pair in Eden he beheld a vision of the bliss that to him was forever lost.
Moved by envy, he determined to incite them to disobedience, and bring upon them the guilt and penalty of sin.
He would change their love to distrust and their songs of praise to reproaches against their Maker.
Thus he would not only plunge these innocent beings into the same misery which he was himself enduring, but would cast dishonor upon God, and cause grief in heaven.
Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them. Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan’s fall and his plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow.
It was by disobedience to the just commands of God that Satan and his host had fallen. How important, then, that Adam and Eve should honor that law by which alone it was possible for order and equity to be maintained.
The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, the expression of divine love and wisdom.
The harmony of creation depends upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator.
God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature.
Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law.
To man, the crowning work of creation, God has given power to understand His requirements, to comprehend the justice and beneficence of His law, and its sacred claims upon him; and of man unswerving obedience is required.
Like the angels, the dwellers in Eden had been placed upon probation; their happy estate could be retained only on condition of fidelity to the Creator’s law.
They could obey and live, or disobey and perish. God had made them the recipients of rich blessings; but should they disregard His will, He who spared not the angels that sinned, could not spare them; transgression would forfeit His gifts and bring upon them misery and ruin.
The angels warned them to be on their guard against the devices of Satan, for his efforts to ensnare them would be unwearied.
While they were obedient to God the evil one could not harm them; for, if need be, every angel in heaven would be sent to their help.
If they steadfastly repelled his first insinuations, they would be as secure as the heavenly messengers.
But should they once yield to temptation, their nature would become so depraved that in themselves they would have no power and no disposition to resist Satan.
The tree of knowledge had been made a test of their obedience and their love to God. The Lord had seen fit to lay upon them but one prohibition as to the use of all that was in the garden; but if they should disregard His will in this particular, they would incur the guilt of transgression.
Satan was not to follow them with continual temptations; he could have access to them only at the forbidden tree.
Should they attempt to investigate its nature, they would be exposed to his wiles. They were admonished to give careful heed to the warning which God had sent them and to be content with the instruction which He had seen fit to impart.
In order to accomplish his work unperceived, Satan chose to employ as his medium the serpent a disguise well adapted for his purpose of deception.
The serpent was then one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the earth. It had wings, and while flying through the air presented an appearance of dazzling brightness, having the color and brilliancy of burnished gold.
Resting in the rich-laden branches of the forbidden tree and regaling itself with the delicious fruit, it was an object to arrest the attention and delight the eye of the beholder. Thus in the garden of peace lurked the destroyer, watching for his prey.
The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone.
But absorbed in her pleasing task, she unconsciously wandered from his side. On perceiving that she was alone, she felt an apprehension of danger, but dismissed her fears, deciding that she had sufficient wisdom and strength to discern evil and to withstand it.
Unmindful of the angels’ caution, she soon found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree.
The fruit was very beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from them.
Now was the tempter’s opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
Eve was surprised and startled as she thus seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts. But the serpent continued, in a musical voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his words were not displeasing.
Instead of fleeing from the spot she lingered wonderingly to hear a serpent speak. Had she been addressed by a being like the angels, her fears would have been excited; but she had no thought that the fascinating serpent could become the medium of the fallen foe.
To the tempter’s ensnaring question she replied: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
By partaking of this tree, he declared, they would attain to a more exalted sphere of existence and enter a broader field of knowledge.
He himself had eaten of the forbidden fruit, and as a result had acquired the power of speech.
And he insinuated that the Lord jealously desired to withhold it from them, lest they should be exalted to equality with Himself.
It was because of its wonderful properties, imparting wisdom and power, that He had prohibited them from tasting or even touching it.
The tempter intimated that the divine warning was not to be actually fulfilled; it was designed merely to intimidate them.
How could it be possible for them to die? Had they not eaten of the tree of life? God had been seeking to prevent them from reaching a nobler development and finding greater happiness.
Such has been Satan’s work from the days of Adam to the present, and he has pursued it with great success. He tempts men to distrust God’s love and to doubt His wisdom.
He is constantly seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power.
In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to salvation.
Satan tempts men to disobedience by leading them to believe they are entering a wonderful field of knowledge. But this is all a deception.
Elated with their ideas of progression, they are, by trampling on God’s requirements, setting their feet in the path that leads to degradation and death.
Satan represented to the holy pair that they would be gainers by breaking the law of God. Do we not today hear similar reasoning?
Many talk of the narrowness of those who obey God’s commandments, while they themselves claim to have broader ideas and to enjoy greater liberty.
What is this but an echo of the voice from Eden, “In the day ye eat thereof” transgress the divine requirement “ye shall be as gods”?
Satan claimed to have received great good by eating of the forbidden fruit, but he did not let it appear that by transgression he had become an outcast from heaven.
Though he had found sin to result in infinite loss, he concealed his own misery in order to draw others into the same position.
So now the transgressor seeks to disguise his true character; he may claim to be holy; but his exalted profession only makes him the more dangerous as a deceiver.
He is on the side of Satan, trampling upon the law of God, and leading others to do the same, to their eternal ruin.
Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin.
She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall. In the judgment men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth.
Notwithstanding the sophistry of Satan to the contrary, it is always disastrous to disobey God.
We must set our hearts to know what is truth. All the lessons which God has caused to be placed on record in His word are for our warning and instruction.
They are given to save us from deception. Their neglect will result in ruin to ourselves. Whatever contradicts God’s word, we may be sure proceeds from Satan.
The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve.
Then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die.
She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it.
Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. When she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.”
It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence.
Without a fear she plucked and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband.
In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred.
An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed.
To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die.
In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that they should not surely die.
She reasoned that this must be true, for she felt no evidence of God’s displeasure, but on the contrary realized a delicious, exhilarating influence, thrilling every faculty with new life, such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers.
Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love.
There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side.
But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus?
Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the glory of the Creator.
He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they remain faithful to God.
Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in his eyes outvalued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator all were overborne by love to Eve.
She was a part of himself, and he could not endure the thought of separation. He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place.
He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true?
Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before.
No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.
After his transgression Adam at first imagined himself entering upon a higher state of existence.
But soon the thought of his sin filled him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair.
The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul.
The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels.
They now began to see the true character of their sin. Adam reproached his companion for her folly in leaving his side and permitting herself to be deceived by the serpent; but they both flattered themselves that He who had given them so many evidences of His love, would pardon this one transgression, or that they would not be subjected to so dire a punishment as they had feared.
Satan exulted in his success. He had tempted the woman to distrust God’s love, to doubt His wisdom, and to transgress His law, and through her he had caused the overthrow of Adam.
But the great Lawgiver was about to make known to Adam and Eve the consequences of their transgression.
The divine presence was manifested in the garden. In their innocence and holiness they had joyfully welcomed the approach of their Creator; but now they fled in terror, and sought to hide in the deepest recesses of the garden.
But “the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”
Adam could neither deny nor excuse his sin; but instead of manifesting penitence, he endeavored to cast the blame upon his wife, and thus upon God Himself: “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
He who, from love to Eve, had deliberately chosen to forfeit the approval of God, his home in Paradise, and an eternal life of joy, could now, after his fall, endeavor to make his companion, and even the Creator Himself, responsible for the transgression. So terrible is the power of sin.
When the woman was asked, “What is this that thou hast done?” she answered, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
“Why didst Thou create the serpent? Why didst Thou suffer him to enter Eden?” these were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin. Thus, like Adam, she charged God with the responsibility of their fall.
The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies; it was indulged by our first parents as soon as they yielded to the influence of Satan, and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam.
Instead of humbly confessing their sins, they try to shield themselves by casting the blame upon others, upon circumstances, or upon God making even His blessings an occasion of murmuring against Him.
The Lord then passed sentence upon the serpent: “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”
Since it had been employed as Satan’s medium, the serpent was to share the visitation of divine judgment.
From the most beautiful and admired of the creatures of the field, it was to become the most groveling and detested of them all, feared and hated by both man and beast.
The words next addressed to the serpent applied directly to Satan himself, pointing forward to his ultimate defeat and destruction:
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Eve was told of the sorrow and pain that must henceforth be her portion. And the Lord said, “Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
In the creation God had made her the equal of Adam. Had they remained obedient to God in harmony with His great law of love they would ever have been in harmony with each other; but sin had brought discord, and now their union could be maintained and harmony preserved only by submission on the part of the one or the other.
Eve had been the first in transgression; and she had fallen into temptation by separating from her companion, contrary to the divine direction.
It was by her solicitation that Adam sinned, and she was now placed in subjection to her husband.
Had the principles joined in the law of God been cherished by the fallen race, this sentence, though growing out of the results of sin, would have proved a blessing to them; but man’s abuse of the supremacy thus given him has too often rendered the lot of woman very bitter and made her life a burden.
Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband’s side in her Eden home; but, like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it.
A similar result will be reached by all who are unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in accordance with God’s plan.
In their efforts to reach positions for which He has not fitted them, many are leaving vacant the place where they might be a blessing.
In their desire for a higher sphere, many have sacrificed true womanly dignity and nobility of character, and have left undone the very work that Heaven appointed them.
To Adam the Lord declared: “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:
cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil. He had freely given them the good, and had withheld the evil.
But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it they would have the knowledge of evil all the days of their life.
From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan’s temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment, grief, and pain, and finally to death.
Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the character and results of rebellion against God.
When God made man He made him rule over the earth and all living creatures. So long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him.
But when he rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule.
Thus the Lord, in His great mercy, would show men the sacredness of His law, and lead them, by their own experience, to see the danger of setting it aside, even in the slightest degree.
And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love.
It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of self-control. It was a part of God’s great plan of man’s recovery from the ruin and degradation of sin.
The warning given to our first parents “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17) did not imply that they were to die on the very day when they partook of the forbidden fruit.
But on that day the irrevocable sentence would be pronounced. Immortality was promised them on condition of obedience; by transgression they would forfeit eternal life. That very day they would be doomed to death.
In order to possess an endless existence, man must continue to partake of the tree of life.
Deprived of this, his vitality would gradually diminish until life should become extinct.
It was Satan’s plan that Adam and Eve should by disobedience incur God’s displeasure; and then, if they failed to obtain forgiveness, he hoped that they would eat of the tree of life, and thus perpetuate an existence of sin and misery.
But after man’s fall, holy angels were immediately commissioned to guard the tree of life.
Around these angels flashed beams of light having the appearance of a glittering sword.
None of the family of Adam were permitted to pass the barrier to partake of the life-giving fruit; hence there is not an immortal sinner.
The tide of woe that flowed from the transgression of our first parents is regarded by many as too awful a consequence for so small a sin, and they impeach the wisdom and justice of God in His dealings with man.
But if they would look more deeply into this question, they might discern their error. God created man after His own likeness, free from sin.
The earth was to be peopled with beings only a little lower than the angels; but their obedience must be tested; for God would not permit the world to be filled with those who would disregard His law.
Yet, in His great mercy, He appointed Adam no severe test. And the very lightness of the prohibition made the sin exceedingly great.
If Adam could not bear the smallest of tests, he could not have endured a greater trial had he been entrusted with higher responsibilities.
Had some great test been appointed Adam, then those whose hearts incline to evil would have excused themselves by saying, “This is a trivial matter, and God is not so particular about little things.”
And there would be continual transgression in things looked upon as small, and which pass unrebuked among men. But the Lord has made it evident that sin in any degree is offensive to Him.
To Eve it seemed a small thing to disobey God by tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree, and to tempt her husband also to transgress; but their sin opened the floodgates of woe upon the world.
Who can know, in the moment of temptation, the terrible consequences that will result from one wrong step?
Many who teach that the law of God is not binding upon man, urge that it is impossible for him to obey its precepts.
But if this were true, why did Adam suffer the penalty of transgression? The sin of our first parents brought guilt and sorrow upon the world, and had it not been for the goodness and mercy of God, would have plunged the race into hopeless despair.
Let none deceive themselves. “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. The law of God can no more be transgressed with impunity now than when sentence was pronounced upon the father of mankind.
After their sin Adam and Eve were no longer to dwell in Eden. They earnestly entreated that they might remain in the home of their innocence and joy.
They confessed that they had forfeited all right to that happy abode, but pledged themselves for the future to yield strict obedience to God.
But they were told that their nature had become depraved by sin; they had lessened their strength to resist evil and had opened the way for Satan to gain more ready access to them.
In their innocence they had yielded to temptation; and now, in a state of conscious guilt, they would have less power to maintain their integrity.
In humility and unutterable sadness they bade farewell to their beautiful home and went forth to dwell upon the earth, where rested the curse of sin.
The atmosphere, once so mild and uniform in temperature, was now subject to marked changes, and the Lord mercifully provided them with a garment of skins as a protection from the extremes of heat and cold.
As they witnessed in drooping flower and falling leaf the first signs of decay, Adam and his companion mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead.
The death of the frail, delicate flowers was indeed a cause of sorrow; but when the goodly trees cast off their leaves, the scene brought vividly to mind the stern fact that death is the portion of every living thing.
The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its pleasant paths.
The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching angels.
At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God.
Here they renewed their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished them from Eden.
When the tide of iniquity overspread the world, and the wickedness of men determined their destruction by a flood of waters, the hand that had planted Eden withdrew it from the earth.
But in the final restitution, when there shall be “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), it is to be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.
Then they that have kept God’s commandments shall breathe in immortal vigor beneath the tree of life; and through unending ages the inhabitants of sinless worlds shall behold, in that garden of delight, a sample of the perfect work of God’s creation, untouched by the curse of sin a sample of what the whole earth would have become, had man but fulfilled the Creator’s glorious plan.

The Creation.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”

“For He spake, and it was;” “He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9. He “laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.” Psalm 104:5.

As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful. Its surface was diversified with mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed with noble rivers and lovely lakes; but the hills and mountains were not abrupt and rugged, abounding in terrific steeps and frightful chasms, as they now do; the sharp, ragged edges of earth’s rocky framework were buried beneath the fruitful soil, which everywhere produced a luxuriant growth of verdure.

There were no loathsome swamps or barren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn.

The heights were crowned with trees more majestic than any that now exist. The air, untainted by foul miasma, was clear and healthful.

The entire landscape outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace. The angelic host viewed the scene with delight, and rejoiced at the wonderful works of God.

After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action.

To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over …all the earth…. So God created man in His own image; …male and female created He them.”

Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that there is no occasion for erroneous conclusions.

God created man in His own image. Here is no mystery. There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow degrees of development from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life.

Such teaching lowers the great work of the Creator to the level of man’s narrow, earthly conceptions.

Men are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his origin.

He who set the starry worlds on high and tinted with delicate skill the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens with the wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious work, to place one in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth, did not fail to create a being worthy of the hand that gave him life.

The genealogy of our race, as given by inspiration, traces back its origin, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was “the son of God.”

He was placed, as God’s representative, over the lower orders of being. They cannot understand or acknowledge the sovereignty of God, yet they were made capable of loving and serving man.

The psalmist says, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: … the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, … and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” Psalm 8:6-8.

Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character. Christ alone is “the express image” (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God.

His nature was in harmony with the will of God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine things.

His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to His will.

As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of lofty stature and perfect symmetry.

His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health and glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam’s height was much greater than that of men who now inhabit the earth.

Eve was somewhat less in stature; yet her form was noble, and full of beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, such as the angels wear.

So long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light continued to enshroud them.

After the creation of Adam every living creature was brought before him to receive its name; he saw that to each had been given a companion, but among them “there was not found an help meet for him.”

Among all the creatures that God had made on the earth, there was not one equal to man. And God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social being. Without companionship the beautiful scenes and delightful employments of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness.

Even communion with angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship. There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.

God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided “an help meet for him” a helper corresponding to him one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy.

Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him.

A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation.

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it.” Ephesians 5:29.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one.”

God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe.

“Marriage is honorable” (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise.

When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.

“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.”

Everything that God had made was the perfection of beauty, and nothing seemed wanting that could contribute to the happiness of the holy pair; yet the Creator gave them still another token of His love, by preparing a garden especially for their home.

In this garden were trees of every variety, many of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit.

There were lovely vines, growing upright, yet presenting a most graceful appearance, with their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit of the richest and most varied hues.

It was the work of Adam and Eve to train the branches of the vine to form bowers, thus making for themselves a dwelling from living trees covered with foliage and fruit.

There were fragrant flowers of every hue in rich profusion. In the midst of the garden stood the tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit appeared like apples of gold and silver, and had the power to perpetuate life.

The creation was now complete. “The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.”

“And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Eden bloomed on earth.

Adam and Eve had free access to the tree of life. No taint of sin or shadow of death marred the fair creation. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.

The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea.

In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”

God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.

After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God’s great work of creation; and that as he should behold the evidences of God’s wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker.

In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day.

The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family.

Its observance was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator and their rightful Sovereign; that they were the work of His hands and the subjects of His authority.

Thus the institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was nothing in it shadowy or of restricted application to any people.

God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of God and meditate upon His power and goodness.

He needed a Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the beneficent hand of the Creator.

God designs that the Sabbath shall direct the minds of men to the contemplation of His created works.

Nature speaks to their senses, declaring that there is a living God, the Creator, the Supreme Ruler of all.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” Psalm 19:1, 2.

The beauty that clothes the earth is a token of God’s love. We may behold it in the 

Life Happens.

Life Happens.

MIND CHANGER.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/43482011

Control your tongue.

The topic of the tongue is a serious one that needs to be addressed especially among the Body of Messiah. We will be discussing idle words, gossiping, profanity, taming the tongue, and the war of words amongst believers because of disagreements.
Mathew 12:36-37
“And I say to you that for every idle WORD men speak, they shall give an account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your WORDS you shall be declared righteous, and by your WORDS you shall be declared unrighteous.”
YESHUA said that we will be held accountable for every idle word that we speak. Idle defined by vocabulary.com can mean having no value or purpose: idle rumors are rumors that people make up when bored, but have no grounding in fact. This is a serious question to ask yourself, how many times have you spoken words that have no value or purpose at all? Does celebrity gossip or sports have any value at all? This just a small example of what the word means. We have to keep this in mind about being held accountable for every idle word we speak because Enoch confirms that every sin is being recorded in heaven in the presence of YAHWEH.
Enoch 98:7
“And do not think in your spirit nor say in your heart that you do not know, and that you do not see that every sin is recorded in the heavens EVERY DAY till the day of your judgment.”
Beware of dirty jokes and some form of jokes Proverbs 26:19 “So is a man who deceived his neighbor, and says, “I was only joking!” Meaning that someone will say or do something to harm someone else and then play it off by saying it was just a joke. Sometimes people will do this and then gauge the reaction of the person and if it is not well received they will say “I was just joking!” Our thoughts and our words should be on advancing the Kingdom ELOHIM and keeping His commandments.
Sirach 9:15-16
“Let your WORDS be with the wise, and ALL your talk in the Law of the Most High.”
Joshua 1:8
“Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous and act wisely.”
Exodus 13:9
“And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of YAHWEH is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand YAHWEH has brought you out of Egypt.”
We have all heard the saying that sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you, right? We all know that this is a lie because words cut deep and once you say it you can never take it back. Solomon disagrees that words don’t hurt:
Proverbs 15:4
“The tongue of the wise makes knowledge good, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness. The eyes of YAHWEH are in every place, watching the evil and good. A healing tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness (or cruel tongue) in it crushes the spirit.”
Mathew 15:18
“But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and these defile a man.”
Luke 6:45
 “The good man brings forth what is good out of the good treasure of his heart, and the wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of the wicked treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.”
When someone starts calling names or spewing off from the mouth all they are doing is speaking what was hidden in their heart. Reprove your brother in kindness, but don’t let it fester into a hatred and speak words that cannot ever been taken back.
Proverbs 18:21-23
“Death and life are in the power of the TONGUE, and those loving it eat its fruit.”
We have to remember that ELOHIM spoke the world into existence, so words are powerful. YAHWEH even told Moses to speak to the rock in Numbers 20:8
“Take the rod and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron. And you shall SPEAK to the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water. And you shall bring water for them out of the rock and give drink to the congregation and their livestock.”
So words do not just fall to the ground they manifest either for the good or evil. So with that said let us choose our words wisely.

Be careful about the meat you are consuming

If you have ever watched a documentary about how modern day slaughter houses handle their cows and chickens you would be convinced to stop eating that mass produced meat. I want to shed light on some things you may be unfamiliar with and see how serious this topic is.
In an article from freeladythinker.com writes about Nestle, the world’s largest dairy company. “At the farm, COK captured some of the most inhumane treatment they say they have ever witnessed, including gruesome violence against mother cows and their calves. The video revealed “downed cows” – cows who cannot walk or stand on their own-hoised up by their hips using metal clamps and dragged by tractors. In one instance, a manager shot a “downed” cow in the head, and she suffered in agony for almost a minute before she was shot again and died. The MEAT from the “downed” cows like here was usually doled out to the employees in garbage bags.” “In another shocking incident, a manager stabbed a cow with no anesthesia in a misguided attempt to treat a stomach malady. Workers kicked, stomped on and hit cows, or sprayed them in the face with scalding water just to make them move faster.”
Also the Food Inc documentary will show you how chickens are raised in chicken houses, stacked up on top of each other, feces everywhere, and they rarely see daylight. I point this out to ask, do you think YAHWEH wants His children to eat meat that has been produced this way? Is this meat sitting on the store shelves you purchase from? We see that meat from the cow that suffered was eaten according to the article.
YAHWEH also says do not eat meat of an animal that died within itself such as natural causes, sickness, a disease or died of old age etc. We are also commanded to not eat anything that has been torn by beasts such as the animal being attacked or torn to pieces by a wolf or lion for example. The Hebrew word Te-re-pah Strong’s #2966 means prey, flocks devoured by animals. So let’s go over some scriptures concerning all of these issues:
Ezekiel 4:14
“Then I said, “Ah, Adonai YAHWEH! See, I have never defiled myself from my youth till now. I have never eaten what DIED of itself OR was torn by beasts, nor has unclean meat ever come into my mouth.”
Genesis 31:39
“That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you, I myself bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.”
 
Exodus 22:31
“And you are holy men to Me, and you do not eat any meat which is torn to pieces in the field, you throw it to the dogs.”
Leviticus 7:24
“And the fat of a dead body, and the fat of what is torn, is used for any purpose, but you do not eat it at all.”
Leviticus 17:15
“And any being who eats a carcass or what was torn by a beast, be he a native or stranger, he shall wash his garments and bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean. And if he does not wash or bathe his body, then he shall bear his wickedness.”
Leviticus 22:8
“He does not eat that which dies OR is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it. I am YAHWEH.”
Deuteronomy 14:21
“Do not eat whatever DIES of itself. Give it to the stranger who is within your gates, to eat it, or sell it to a foreigner. For you are holy people to YAHWEH your ELOHIM…”
There are two types of strangers/foreigners in scripture, there is the Ger which is the righteous gentile proselyte/convert who is grafted into the Nation of Yisra’el and keeps the commandments as the native-born and there is the Nekar the stranger who is just passing through and has not joined himself with Yisra’el, so the Nekar is the one who can this meat. Not the gentile who is walking with YAHWEH and His Son YESHUA because just as the native-born.
What else to look for?
Also a good kosher place will feed the animals grass and will be grass finished. This means that the cow or lamb ate 100% grass or hay throughout its entire life. Many companies today will feed their cows 70% grass and about 30% grain which throws off the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, CLA, and other healthy fats, which in turn changes the health benefits of meat.
Leviticus 11:3
“Whatever has a split hoof completely divided, chewing the cud, among the beasts, that you do eat.”
Cud defined by blurtit.com says:
Cud is a portion of food that returns from an animal’s stomach to the mouth to be chewed for the second time. Cud is produced during a digestive process called rumination. Cattle, deer, sheep, goats and antelope are some examples of animals that chew their cud. When cud-chewing animals eat their food, some of the food is stored in a special pouch within its stomach. It later regurgitates this stored food, or cud, and begins to chew it again.
So chewing cud is grass/hay which is the natural process of a cow that YAHWEH has given them for a reason. This special process of chewing the cud aka grass or hay makes for healthier, natural meat the way ELOHIM intended. The Food Inc documentary admits twice that cows were made to eat grass and when the cows are fed a grain diet it produces E-coli in their first stomach of the cow.
 Also, good kosher meat will have no hormones or antibiotics which none of us should be eating anyway because it is not natural. The hormones and antibiotics go into your bloodstream and can interfere with your endocrine system.
I pray this was helpful and helped shed some light on this topic about meat and blood. We have to remember that YAHWEH wants us to live, eat, and dress a certain way to be holy unto Him. This message isn’t to judge anyone but to clarify what the scriptures say and wants going on with the meat industry. As always to take everything to our Father YAHWEH and His Son YESHUA in prayer.
May our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!

Do not eat the life of flesh.

We as followers of YESHUA have to remember that our ELOHIM of Yisra’el has called us out of the world to be separate and holy to Him. Everything from wearing the tsitsit/fringes, to the dietary laws, to the Sabbath are automatic indicators to the world that you are different, and show that you belong to YAHWEH. Obedience is better than sacrifice; therefore, we must do all we can obey our Father in the shamayim (heavens).
Leviticus 19:2
“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’el, and say to them, ‘Be kodesh (holy), for I YAHWEH your ELOHIM am kodesh.”
We will discuss not eating blood, or meat that has been strangled or died within itself, kosher meat, and not eating meat sacrificed to idols.
Consequences of eating blood/strangled meat
Genesis 9:4-5
“But do not eat flesh with its life, its blood.”
Genesis 17:10-14
“And any man of the house of Yisra’el, or of the strangers who sojourn among you, who eats ANY blood, I shall turn My face against that being who eats blood, and shall cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your lives, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the life.’ “Therefore I said to the children of Yisra’el, ‘No being among you eats blood; nor does any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.’ And any man from the children of Yisra’el, or from the strangers who sojourn among you, who hunts and catches any beast or bird, which is eaten, shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust, for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood is for its life. And I said to the children of Yisra’el, ‘Do not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it is cut off.’
Leviticus 19:26
“Do not eat with the blood. Do not practice divination or magic.”
 
 
 
 
Deuteronomy 12:16
“Only the blood you do not eat, pour it on the earth like water.” Verse 23-25 “Only, be firm not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, do not eat the life with the meat. Do not eat it, you pour it on the earth like water. Do not eat it, that it might be well with you and your children after you, even you do what is right in the eyes of YAHWEH.”
Jubilees 6:7-14
“But flesh, with its life, with the blood, you shall not eat; for the life of all flesh is in the blood, lest your blood of your lives be required. At the hand of every man, at the hand of every beast, I shall require the blood of man. Verse 12 “And this Witness is written concerning you that you should observe it continually so that you should not eat on any day, any blood of beasts or birds or cattle during ALL the days of the earth, and the man who eats the blood of beast or of cattle or of birds during all the days of the earth, he and his seed shall be rooted out of the land. And you shall command the children of Yisra’el to eat NO blood, so that their names and their seed may be before YAHWEH our ELOHIM continually. And for this Law there is NO LIMIT OF DAYS, for it is forever. They shall observe it throughout their generations, so that they may continue atonement on your behalf with blood before the altar…”
Jubilees 7:28-32
“For whoever sheds man’s blood, and whoever eats the blood of any flesh, will be destroyed from the earth. And there shall not be left ANY MAN that eats blood, or that sheds the blood of man on the earth, nor shall there be left to him any seed or descendants living under heaven. For into Sheol they shall go, and into the place of condemnation shall they descend, and into the darkness of the deep shall they all be removed by a violent death.”
1 Samuel 14:32-34
“And the people pounced on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ATE WITH THE BLOOD.” And they told Sha’ul saying, “Look, the people are SINNING against YAHWEH by eating with the blood!” And he said, “You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today.” And Sha’ul said, “Disperse among the people, and say to them, ‘Each one bring his ox near to me, and each one his sheep, and you shall slaughter them here, and eat. And do not sin against YAHWEH by eating with the blood.” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.”
So think about this the next time before you eat any rare or medium-well steaks as it would contain the life blood of the animal. Also, have you noticed at times when you are deep frying chicken that blood will run out of the meat and you continue to let it fry in the grease? This would mean that you are doing nothing more than eating fried blood.
 The companies that sell meat say that the red liquid is not blood but rather a liquid called myoglobin. This is how it’s defined:  The more myoglobin content meat contains the darker red it will appear in color. Myoglobin content is higher in beef and lower in poultry with lamb and pork having intermediate amounts. The age of an animal will also impact the myoglobin content of the muscles with older animals having more myoglobin and darker meat. Muscles that are used for movement also have more myoglobin content than muscles used for support. Along with water from muscle, myoglobin is what is found in meat packages that leaks out of the muscles during storage and most people think is blood. ALMOST all of blood is removed from muscle at the time of slaughter.

Notice how their process says that ALMOST ALL OF THE BLOOD IS REMOVED FROM THE MUSCLE? Every scripture that was covered above YAHWEH says do not eat ANY blood at all! So “almost” does not meet His standards which means the meat can still contain blood. So what if you are eating myoglobin and a mixture of blood? I cannot speak for anyone else, but to me that is too big of risk to sin before our ELOHIM!
  I remember my grandma used to buy meat and then soak it in water and add salt to the water to draw out the blood; however, being that we are not slaughtering our own animals I would try to get it from a kosher place, in case the meat was sacrificed to idols which I will cover later in this article.
For example a kosher place will do the following to ensure that there is no blood in the meat: All kosher meat and poultry must undergo a special process to remove it. The meat or poultry is soaked in clean water for thirty minutes, then removed to drip dry. After a few minutes of dripping, the meat is salted and left to hang for sixty minutes to further draw out any remaining blood. After sixty minutes of salting, the meat is washed three times in cold, clean water to remove any remaining salt. The result: clean, fresh, and kosher meat. After the final washing, the meat is dried, further butchered into retail cuts.
I can guarantee that these mass slaughter houses are not doing this extra step because it is not cost effective or them. All they tell you is that they slaughter the animal with an unknown method and tell you the animal’s diet of grass-fed or grain fed and that is about it. And as you already know the extra steps to ensure the blood is removed increases the cost of kosher meat.
Strangled meat fits into the same category as not eating blood because this means that ALL the blood has NOT been properly drained out of the animal for the reasons I outlined above; therefore, you would indirectly be eating blood even if you didn’t mean to. Strangled meat is meat that is not slaughtered according to how ELOHIM prescribes it which is called “exsanguination” or bleeding out; therefore, there would be no blood left in the muscles of the meat. Which is why all the scriptures listed above say “pour out the blood on the earth like water.”
Acts 15:28
“For it seemed good to the RUACH HA’KODESH, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessities: that you abstain for what is OFFERED TO IDOLS, AND BLOOD, AND WHAT IS STRANGLED, and whoring. If you keep yourselves from these, you shall do well. Be strong!”
What to look for when buying meat?
So if you are going to buy meat try to get it as close to Biblically kosher as you can. I personally abstain from eating meat accept for ONE time out of the year and that is on Passover when we commanded to eat Lamb roasted in fire. I get it from a Kosher place called KOL foods because they are the closest to biblically Kosher that I have seen. I’m not saying they are perfect, but they meet the criteria for the best I can get while be scattered to the four corners. And again, it’s once a year for me, and in no way am I pushing off my diet on anyone, I’m just making it clear how serious I take this.
These questions that you are going to have to ask yourself and the person you are purchasing meat from. As we can see YAHWEH is very serious about the meat that we consume, so this topic of meat is not something to brush off.
Sacrificed to idols
We should NEVER eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols under any circumstances! For example if you see the word “halal” or their logo stamped on the meat that means that they pray and bless that meat in the name of “Allah” and means that meat has been sacrificed/slaughtered to Allah and not YAHWEH!
1 Samuel 9:13
“As you come into the city, you are going to find him (Samuel) before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people DO NOT EAT, until he comes for he BLESSES THE SLAUGHTERING, afterward they who are invited to eat.”
The same way we see the righteous Samuel blessing the slaughtering in the Name of YAHWEH before eating is what the Muslims do when they slaughter their meat which is why Halal is written on the package. Believers in YESHUA should avoid this meat altogether.
 
 
Revelation 2:14
“But I hold a little against you, because you have there those who adhere to the teaching of Bil’am, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block before the children of Yisra’el, to eat OFFERINGS TO IDOLS, AND TO COMMIT WHORING.”
Revelation 2:20
“But I hold against you that you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and lead My servants astray to commit whoring and to eat OFFERINGS TO IDOLS.”
2 Maccabees 6:7 (Parenthesis are mine)
“And every month in the day of the kings birth (Antiochus Epiphanies) they (Jews) were taken under bitter constraint (to force or produce in an unnatural or strained manner) to EAT OF THE OFFERINGS; and when the fast of Dionusos was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in the procession of Dionusos carrying ivy.”
Acts 15:28
“For it seemed good to the RUACH HA’KODESH, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessities: that you abstain for what is OFFERED TO IDOLS, AND BLOOD, AND WHAT IS STRANGLED, and whoring. If you keep yourselves from these, you shall do well. Be strong!”
YESHUA Himself says that it is a sin to eat offerings of idols and the Book of Maccabees shows how some Jews were forced to eat it, which is a great indicator that the Greeks knew it was a sin for the people of YAHWEH to eat this kind of meat. The same way they tried to force the Jews to eat pigs flesh because they knew it was a violation of the Torah.
 Another reason why I would not recommend buying random meat from anywhere such as stores like Food Lion, Walmart, or any random market is because most farms are unbelievers and they don’t have the same laws in mind when slaughtering animals.
 And eating meat at any restaurant without knowing where it comes from or what deity it may have been sacrificed to is a serious question to consider. An article that should raise some eyebrows is on: mia.zo.nz on their website states on their frequently asked questions “How much New Zealand meat is Halal and why?
Answer: While there are no official statistics on halal production in New Zealand, nearly ALL of New Zealand’s red meat export slaughter premises are certified to undertake slaughter in compliance with HALAL REQUIREMENTS. This gives the New Zealand red meat industry the flexibility to export different cut from a single carcass to the best-returning markets. The industry currently serves some 120 markets worldwide.”
The same website has another frequently asked question Who decides if New Zealand meat is labeled “Halal?”
Answer: In countries where halal certification and labelling is not a compulsory requirement, the decision is often the RETAILERS, as New Zealand meat is often not exported in “retail-ready form. The final packaging is generally done by the RETALIER in the market.”
As we see it is up to the retailer to decide whether they want to label Halal slaughtered meat “Halal” or not. And also nearly all of the meat coming from New Zealand is Halal certified and they serve a large market serving 120 markets around the world, so you can be eating Halal meat without even knowing it. Which is why I highly recommend you be careful what you eat because YESHUA does not approve of this.
Dailymail.co.uk has an article by Sean Poulter for the Daily Mail written in 2010 titled “More than 70% of New Zealand lamb imports to Britain are halal but you wouldn’t know it from the label.”
Poulter writes “All of the slaughter men in these establishments must be Muslim and say a prayer when making the cut across the animal’s throat which kills it. The New Zealand meat industry has taken the step to ensure its lamb can be sold in Muslim markets round the world. It emerged last week that British restaurant chains and venues such as Wembly and Ascot are serving up different types of halal meat WITHOUT TELLING THE CUSTOMERS.”
The Food Inc, documentary says that there are only 3 to 4 top producers of the meat industry that control most of the mass-produced feed-lot meat out there, and we see that New Zealand is shipping to 120 markets, this is alarming.
This is serious my fellow brothers and sisters and we know that Satan is crafty at what he does, so if he can indirectly get you to get meat sacrificed to idols then he will do it. I know many will point to Paul saying if you are unaware of the meat being sacrificed to an idol then consume it because an idol is nothing in this world, and I do agree with Paul’s mentioning of if you know the meat has been sacrificed to an idol not eat the meat at all. I would say that YESHUA did not add any criteria to His words, He simply said do not eat offerings to idols, so in my opinion this isn’t a topic to take lightly running around eating all kind of meat and saying “Well I didn’t know!” And furthermore, Mathew 18:16 says out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established and we have YESHUA, The Holy Spirit, and Apostles speaking against it.
 

Creation Obeys Yahweh but, not so with those created in His image !

1 Kings: 17:2-4
“And the word of YHWH came to him, saying, “Go away form here and turn eastward, and hide by the wadi Kerith, which flows into the Jordan. And it shall be that you drink from the stream, and I shall COMMAND THE RAVENS TO FEED YOU THERE.”
Leviticus 26:21-22
“And if you walk contrary to Me, and refuse to obey Me, I shall bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins, and SEND WILD BEASTS AMONG YOU, which shall bereave you of your children…”
2 Kings 17:25-26
“And it came to be, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not revere YHWH, and YHWH SENT LIONS among them, which kept slaying among them. And they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the Right-Ruling of the ELOHIM of the land. And HE HAS SENT LIONS AMONG THEM, and see, they are SLAYING among them because they do not know the Right-Ruling of the ELOHIM of the land.”
Isaiah 7:18-19
“And it shall be in that day that YAHWEH whistle for the fly that is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they shall come, and all of them shall rest in the steep ravines and I the clefts of the rocks, and on all weeds and in all pastures.”
When YAHWEH sent the plagues amongst Pharaoh and the Egyptians in Exodus 8 and 9, He commanded frogs, gnats, flies, and locusts that did a lot of damage in the land.
The point is that all creation for the earth, sun, moon, stars, seas, rivers, and animals do not transgress the commands of YAHWEH, so why does any believer in YESHUA?
The evidence is overwhelming
If you have not been keeping the commandments up until this point, I pray that you start to do them and realize the importance of this. How can everything have a law, but you can be lawless? As we see our ELOHIM is an ELOHIM order and not chaos.
Wisdom 6:17-18
“For the very true beginning of her (Wisdom)  is the desire of discipline; and the concern of discipline is love; and love is the KEEPING OF HER LAWS; and guarding her Laws is the assurance of INCORRUPTION.”
Merriam-Webster defines incorruption as the quality or state of being free from physical decay. So keeping the commandments and clinging to YESHUA is how you achieve eternal life.
Baruk 4:1-2
“This the Book of the Commands of ELOHIM, and the LAW that endures FOREVER; all those who guard it shall attain LIFE, but those who leave is shall die. Turn, O Jacob, and take hold of it; walk in the presence of its light, that you may be illuminated.”
How does scripture define light?
 Proverbs 6:23 “For the command is a lamp and the Torah is a Light.”
So Baruk is saying that those who keep the commandments that were never done away with will lead to eternal life, but those who reject the Torah shall die. And we see that the Torah is a Light according to Proverbs 6:23, so walk in the presence of the Torah and be illuminated by it.
Psalms 119:105
“Your word is a LAMP for my feet, and a LIGHT to my path.”
YESHUA summarized Himself as being The Torah when He said in John 14:6 “I am the WAY, and the TRUTH, and the LIFE.”
I AM THE WAY—-Psalms 119: 1 “Blessed are the perfect in the Way, who walk in the Torah of YHWH.”
I AM THE TRUTH—-Psalms 119:142 “Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your Torah is truth.”
I AM THE LIFE—-Proverbs 13:14 “The Torah of the wise is a fountain of Life.”
Sadly, many are wanting to walk with YESHUA and celebrate the wicked, lawless, traditions of men at the same time like the follow scripture.
2 Kings 17:41
“So these nations were revering YAHWEH, AND served their carved images, both their children and their children’s children. As their ancestors did, they are doing to this day.”
Believers are doing this today by saying they are serving YAHWEH and yet serving Baal on Sunday, Xmas, Easter, and then pass this lawlessness down to their children and the cycle continues. Someone in the family has to break this generational curse and stand up follow YAHWEH as He commanded and repent, and tear down the high places and idols that your ancestors have put up. This must stop immediately and you must choose who you are going to serve, either YAHWEH and His Laws, or Satan and his lawlessness.
1 Kings 18:21
“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long would you keep hopping between two opinions? If YAHWEH is ELOHIM, follow Him; and if Ba’al, follow him…”
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve YAHWEH, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your ancestors served that were beyond the River, or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we serve YAHWEH.”
The choice is yours my fellow brothers and sisters, so choose wisely and follow YAHWEH and be obedient to His commands and cling to His Son YESHUA. As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you all in YESHUA’s Name!
 

Do we obey YAHWEH

All of YAHWEH’s creation has laws and we see how they do their assigned tasks according to YAHWEH’s commandments. All the matters in the heavens, the orbit of the sun and moon, plus the sea and rivers all operate under laws that our Father is given them. Yet, the religions of this world have rebelled against His commandments and even speak harsh words against Him! By saying things like the commandments are bondage, legalism, and a curse is to speak against YAHWEH and His ways!

So did YAHWEH go to great lengths to give His entire creation laws and then say to the modern day Christian you are going to be the only lawless creation of Mine? Absolutely not! We will be exploring through the scriptures to see how perfectly YAHWEH has ordained creation with Laws and that nothing can go their own way; however, with free will you can choose to disobey like the fallen angels did, and in so doing so choose death. But first let us examine the mindset of churches toward the Creator of heaven and earth.

 Most believers today will tell you that the commandments are bondage, legalistic, and burdensome. What does scripture say?

1 John 5:3

“For this is the love for YAHWEH, that we guard His Commands, and His Commands are not burdensome.” So the love of YAHWEH is to keep His commands and they are not burdensome. What does YAHWEH think of those who say His commands are burdensome?

Leviticus 26:14-16

“But if you do not obey Me, and do not do all these Commands, and if you reject My Laws, or IF YOUR BEING LOATHES (Dislike greatly and often with disgust, Merriam-Webster) My Right-Rulings, so that you do not do all My Commands, but break My Covenant, I also do this to you: And I shall appoint sudden alarm over you, wasting disease and inflammation, destroying the eyes, and consuming the life. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat.”

James 1:25

“But he that looked into the perfect Torah, THAT OF FREEDOM, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work this one shall be blessed in his doing.’

So we see that James the brother of YESHUA disagrees that the Torah is legalistic and bondage, he says the exact opposite and that the Torah is freedom. Why does he say this? Because those who disobey the commandments think they are free, but they are a slave to sin. It’s a strong delusion because they have refused to receive the love of the truth.

2 Peter 2:18-19

“For speaking arrogant nonsense, they entice (invite or lure)-through lusts of the flesh through indecencies-the ones who have indeed escaped from those living in delusion, promising them freedom, though themselves being SLAVES OF CORRUPTION-for one is a slave to whatever overcomes him.”

Romans 6:16

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves servants for obedience, you are servants of the one whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?”

Peter and Paul are saying how can the lawless person who says the commandments are bondage and legalistic promise freedom to someone else, when they themselves are slaves to sin! They still battle with lust of the flesh and try to lure you to do so as well with lawlessness, which is something we are supposed to being to everyday. How does scripture define sin?

1 John 3:4

“Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness (Transgression of the Torah), and sin is lawlessness.”

The problem is a lack of reverence for YAHWEH these days because there is no more fire and brimstone preaching, but mostly prosperity gospel, and with that came generations of people who don’t fear YAHWEH nor eternal punishment. A scripture from the 12 Patriarchs should help to put things in perspective.

Testament of Levi 3:5-8

“In it are the Ruling Messengers, who minister and make offerings to YAHWEH for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous; offering to YAHWEH a sweet-smelling aroma, a reasonable and a bloodless offering. And in the heaven below these are the messengers who bear answers to the messengers of the presence of YAHWEH. And in the heaven next to this are thrones and dominions, in which always they offer praise to ELOHIM. Therefore when YAHWEH LOOKS at us, all of us are shaken yes, the heavens, and the earth, and the abysses tremble at the presence of His majesty. But the sons of men, not perceiving these things, sin and provoke the anger of the Most High.”

If the Christians who say the law is done away with could only see that the angels, the heavens and earth tremble when YAHWEH only looks at them would completely change their view. But as the scripture reads, men don’t see this happening up close and personal and they continue to sin to provoke YAHWEH to anger. If they understood how holy and righteous He is then they would not be willfully sinning as they do.

Jeremiah 8:7

“Even a stork in the heavens knows her APPOINTED TIMES. And a turtledove, and a swallow, and a thrush guard the time of their coming. But My people do not know the Right-Ruling of YAHWEH.”

Very powerful words spoken by our Father YAHWEH! He is saying that the animals that He has created knows what to do and when to do it, yet those created in His image do not know how to follow His commandments. These are the same animals that YAHWEH has given us dominion over, yet they know what they are supposed to do and believers of YESHUA are lost.

Sirach 10:19

“Those who fear YAHWEH are a continual seed, and those who love Him an esteemed plant. Those who DISREGARD THE LAW ARE A SHAMEFUL SEED; those who transgress the Commands are a DECEPTIVE seed.”

Firstly notice how Sirach says that those who “LOVE” YAHWEH are an esteemed plant? And how do we love Him according to scripture?

John 14:21

“He who possesses My Commands and guards them, it is he who LOVES ME. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Those who say the law are done away with are described as the “shameful and deceptive seed.” Deceptive is defined as having power to mislead, or impress with FALSE OPINIONS. So you have to ask yourself, who in scripture is described as deceptive? Isn’t it Satan the father of lies?

Revelation 12:9

“And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD…”

Genesis 3:1 (Parenthesis are mine)

“And the serpent was more CRAFTY (devious/deceptive/underhanded) than any beast of the field which YAHWEH ELOHIM had made…”

Does any follower of YESHUA want to be in the same category as Satan? Lies, false opinions, deceptive, underhanded, devious and lawless? Doesn’t this mean that being lawless is obeying the voice of the enemy? The book of Jashar correlates with Sirach about transgressing the command of YAHWEH and being deceptive by listening to the voice of Satan. Satan is the one saying “The law is done away with.”

Jashar 1:9-10

“And the serpent, which ELOHIM had created with them in the earth, came to them to cause them to TRANSGRESS THE COMMAND OF ELOHIM which He had commanded them. And the serpent enticed and persuaded the woman to eat from the tree of knowledge, and the woman LISTENED TO THE VOICE OF THE SERPENT, and she TRANSGRESSED THE WORD OF YAHWEH, and took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she ate, and she took from it and gave also to her husband and he ate.”

YAHWEH wants us to obey His laws and commandments just as He ordained for His creation and we will look at scriptures to show this and prove that there is no way that YAHWEH would allow a Christian to be the only lawless creation of His.

Scriptures proving that creation obeys YAHWEH!

Job 38:33

“Do you know the LAWS of the heavens? Or do you apply their rule over the earth?”

Jeremiah 33:19-26 (Parenthesis are mine)

“And the word of YAHWEH came to Jeremiah, saying, “Thus said YAHWEH, “If you could break My COVENANT (Hebrew word “beriyth” meaning divine ordinance, law, or decree with signs or pledges) with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there be not day and night in their season, then My covenant could also be broken with David, My servant-so that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne-and with the Levites, the priests, My attendants. ‘As the host of the heavens is not counted, nor the sand of the sea measured, so I increase the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who attend upon Me. Verse 25 Thus said YAHWEH, ‘If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the LAWS of the heavens and the earth, then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant…”

YAHWEH has given laws to the sun and moon to come out at their appointed times which He ordained, so we will always have the sun in the day and the moon at night.

Psalms 148:1-6

“HalleluYAH! Hallelu-YAHWEH from the heavens, praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His messengers (angels); Praise Him, sun and moon; praise him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the Name of YAHWEH, for He COMMANDED and they were created. And He established them forever and ever, HE GAVE A LAW AND THEY PASS NOT BEYOND.”

Job 28:26-27

“When He made a LAW for the rain, and a way for the lightning of thunder then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it and also searched it out.”

Job 38:4-11

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who appointed its measurements, if you know? Or who stretched the line upon it? Upon what were its foundations sunk? Or who laid its corner-stone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy? Or enclosed the sea with doors, when it burst forth and came from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; and assigned for it MY LAW, and put bars and doors; and said, ‘This far you have come, but no farther, and here your proud waves stop?”

Enoch 5:1-4

“Observe how the trees cover themselves with green leaves and bear fruit. Therefore give heed and know with regard to all His works, and recognize how He that lives forever has made them so. And all His works go on from year to year forever, and ALL THE TASKS WHICH THEY ACCOMPLISH FOR HIM, and their TASKS do not change, but according to how ELOHIM has ORDAINED, so it is done. And see, how the sea and the rivers in the same way accomplish and do not change their tasks FROM HIS COMMANDMENTS. But you, you have not been steadfast, nor done the Commandments of YAHWEH, but you have turned away and spoken proud and harsh words with your impure mouths against His greatness Oh, you hard-hearted! You shall find no peace.”

As we see Enoch mentions how creation does not change their tasks according to His commandments, yet mankind has turned and spoken proud words against His greatness, and I would consider one saying “Your laws are done away it and they are bondage” to be proud harsh words spoken against YAHWEH!

Enoch 60:11-13

“And the other messenger who went with me and showed me that what was hidden told me what is first and last in the heaven in the height, and beneath the earth in the depth, and at the ends of the heaven, and on the foundation of the heaven. And the chambers of the winds, and how the winds are divided, and how they are WEIGHED, and how the gates of the winds are reckoned, each according to the power of the wind, and the power of the lights of the moon, and according to the power that is fitting: and the divisions of the stars according to their names, and how all the divisions are divided. And the thunders according to the places where they fall, all of the divisions that are made among the lightnings that it may light up, and their host that they may AT ONCE OBEY.”

Enoch 33:1-4

“And from there I went to the ends of the earth and saw there great beasts, and each differed from the other; and I saw birds also differing in appearance and beauty and voice, the one differing from the other. And to the east of those beasts I saw the ends of the earth upon which the heaven rests, and the gates of the heaven open. And I saw how the stars of heaven come forth, and I counted the gates out of which they proceed, and wrote down all their outlets, of each individual star by itself, according to their number and their names, their courses and their positions, and their times and their months, as Uri’el the holy messenger who was with me showed me. He showed all things to me and wrote them down for me. He also wrote their names for me, and their LAWS and their companies.”

Enoch 72:1-2

“The book of the courses of the luminaries of the heaven, the relations of each, according to their classes, their dominion and their seasons, according to their names and places of origin and according to their months, which Uri’el, the holy messenger who was with me, who is their guide, showed me. And he showed me all their CALCULATIONS exactly as they are, and how it is with regard to all the years of the world and to eternity, until the NEW CREATION (New Jerusalem) is accomplished which endures until eternity. And this is the first calculation of the luminaries: the luminary the Sun has its rising in the eastern gates of the heaven, and its setting in the western gates of the heaven. And I saw six gates in which the sun rises, and six gates in which the sun sets and the moon rises and sets in these gates, and the leaders of the stars and those whom they LEAD: six in the east and six in the west, and all following each other in accurately corresponding order: also many windows to the right and left of these gates.”

Again, as we can see that all of YAHWEH’s creation has laws and certain commandments they follow. The sun goes through rises and sets in six gates as does the moon and everything is perfectly calculated. The point is to show that YAHWEH has a specific plan and law for everything that He has created; even down to the courses of the luminaries. So since we are created in His own personal image, then wouldn’t He have specific laws for us since there is a specific purpose for His entire creation?

Sirach 43:9-14

“The loveliness of the heavens, the esteem of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of YAHWEH. At the COMMAND of the Holy One they STAND IN THEIR ORDER, and never weary in their watches.”

Baruk 3:33-34

“He who sends forth light, and it goes, calls it again, and it OBEYS HIM with reverence. The stars shone in their watches and rejoiced; when He calls them, they say, “Here we are.”

Ezekiel 43:11-12

“And since they shall be ashamed of all that they did, make known to them the design of the House and its structure, and its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its LAWS, AND ALL ITS FORMS AND ALL ITS TOROT (Guidelines and Instructions). And write it down before their eyes, so that they observe its entire design and all ITS LAWS, and shall do them. This is the TORAH OF THE HOUSE: Upon the mountaintop, all the boundary of it, all around, is most kodesh (holy). See, this is the TORAH OF THE HOUSE.”So we see that YAHWEH’s creation and the heavens all have laws and so does His House that He showed Ezekiel!

Ezekiel 44:5

“And YAHWEH said to me, “Son of man, lay your heart and see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the LAWS OF THE HOUSE of YAHWEH and all it’s Torot (Plural form of Torah).”

Ezekiel 43:18

“And He said to me, “Son of man, thus said the Adon (Master) YAHWEH, ‘These are the LAWS FOR THE ALTAR on the day when it is made, for offering burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it.” So now we even see the altar of YAHWEH has a law!

Jeremiah 5:24

“And they do not say in their heart, “Let us now revere YHWH our Elohim, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He guards for us the LAW: The Shavuot of harvest.” And this Holy Day we are to celebrate to Him every year is found in Leviticus 23 so we see the importance of this day, because YAHWEH Himself guards it as a Law!