The masks of comedy & tragedy: origin of drama

Modern acting and entertainment has its roots in the ancient culture of greece.

"The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c. 550 and c. 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was institutionalized as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honored the god Dionysus. Tragedy (late 6th century BC), comedy (486 BC), and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there. Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies and allies in order to promote a common cultural identity. Western theatre originated in Athens and its drama has had a significant and sustained impact on Western culture as a whole."

"The word 'tragedy' means 'goat song' and comes to us from from Indo-European 'Tragos', 'Goat' and 'wed-2', 'To speak'. According to The encyclopedia of Indo-European Culturea goat entrails were used as a part of a Greek funeral ceremony as sops for the Greek canine of the underworld Cerberus. So the goat seems to be associated with the dead. It has also been said that the goat is quite friendly to the shepherd and so his death seems tragic. Goats are also associated with the god Dionysus.
Drama came to us from religious worship. Specifically it came from the worship of Dionysus, not Athene, not Zeus, and not Poseidon. The transition from religious worship occurred some time in the sixth century BCE. The conviction of the religion of Dionysus, that the worshipper can not only worship, but can become, can be, his god, is essentially dramatic."- http://www.fjkluth.com/gdrama.html

The entire modern acting world is essentially based on the worship of the greek god Dionysus.

"Wearing a mask pays homage to Dionysus, the god of carnavals and masquerades, by allowing you to free yourself from secret desires and buried regrets. Dionysos is the god who regularly conceals both his identity and his power, as we all must do, in the course of polite everyday interaction with others...Ancient masks were made from clay, wood or linen with the attached wig covering the entire head and they had wide open mouths for easier speaking. The traditional "Comedy Tragedy" masks are used now as a universal symbol for drama, and also represent the two sides of Dionysus, as well as the two effects of wine: joyous, Bacchic revelry, and a dark, sorrowful harvest " - http://www.carnaval.com/mask/birthofmasks.htm

It's interesting to note that in the bible, wine is a symbol of doctrine. What doctrine did Dionysus represent? What practices did the cult of Dionysus have?

"The Dionysian Mysteries were a ritual of ancient Greece and Rome which used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques (like dance and music) to remove inhibitions and social constraints, liberating the individual to return to a natural state. It also provided some liberation for those marginalized by Greek society: women, slaves and foreigners. In their final phase the Mysteries shifted their emphasis from a chthonic, underworld orientation to a transcendental, mystical one, with Dionysus changing his nature accordingly (similar to the change in the cult of Shiva). By its nature as a mystery religion reserved for the initiated, many aspects of the Dionysian cult remain unknown and were lost with the decline of Greco-Roman polytheism; our knowledge is derived from descriptions, imagery and cross-cultural studies." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysian_Mysteries

"We may recall that Dionysus is mainly a god of women his cult was mainly a women's preserve though he is male and phallic there is no misogyny in this structure of consciousness because it is not derived from its own femininity Dionysus in one of his appelations is "man and woman" in one person and Dionysus was bisexual in the first place, not nearly in the effeminate later portrayals...Dionysus is one where female is not added to or integrated by male but neither, the image shows in androgynous consciousness where male and female are primordially united." - Myth & Analysis by James Hillman pg. 258

James Hillman, was an archetypal psychologist, meaning that he included greek mythology into theories of psychology.

"Archetypal psychology is a polytheistic psychology, in that it attempts to recognize the myriad fantasies and myths that shape and are shaped by our psychological lives. The ego is but one psychological fantasy within an assemblage of fantasies. To illustrate the multiple personifications of psyche Hillman made reference to gods, goddesses, demingods and other imaginal figures which he referred to as sounding boards "for echoing life today or as bass chords giving resonance to the little melodies of daily life" [2] although he insisted that these figures should not be used as a 'master matrix' against which we should measure today and thereby decry modern loss of richness. [3] Archetypal psychology is part of the Jungian psychology tradition and related to Jung's original Analytical psychology but is also a radical departure from itin some respects."

Dionysus was often visited by Cupid or Eros, (from which we get words such as erotic) becoming infatuated with a multitude of lovers. What is not often know of Cupid is that his arrows did not discriminate. Not only did they make heterosexual couples fall in love but homosexuals as well.

"Eros appears in ancient Greek sources under several different guises. In the earliest sources (the cosmogonies, the earliest philosophers, and the mysteries), he is one of the primordial gods involved in the coming into being of the cosmos. But in later sources, Eros is represented as the son of Aphrodite whose mischievous interventions in the affairs of gods and mortals cause bonds of love to form, often illicitly. Ultimately, in the later satirical poets, he is represented as a blindfolded child, the precursor to the chubby Renaissance cupid - whereas in early Greek poetry and art, Eros was depicted as an adult male who embodies sexual power. [3][4]"- http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros

Dionysus became drunk on love that was awakened by the ethereal Eros. This is not agape love as the bible describes but the  unwise sexual urges of the carnal mind.  Dionysus represented both the male and female sexualities in one person and so the dual masks not only represent drama; tragedy & comedy but sexual exploitation and perversion. The mythologies of ancient Greece are rampant into today's society in everything from Hollywood, to psychology and even religion and politics. Is it any wonder that there is such a large alternative lifestyle under current within professional and amateur theater? Jesus calls the popular, easy path to destruction the Broadway.

During his ministry, Christ pointed out the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders by calling them hypokrites or actors. The level of fame of Greek stage actors in that time was based on how well they channeled or were possessed by the gods they portrayed, much in the same way that modern movie stars like Denzel Washington, Oprah, Robin Williams, Keanu Reeves and Heath Ledger plus countless others invite spirits to control them during their performances.

"Few people realize the dark spiritual side of acting going all the way back to the Greek theater. The best actors in Greek theater were believed to be literally possessed by the entities they sought to portray on stage. Many occultists, like Aleister Crowley,taught that acting and assuming the role of a particular demon was the fastest way to come into contact with a demonic entity. " http://goodfight.org/a_v_ledger_heath.html

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the gods of the Greeks which they sacrificed to and therefore the acting inspiration of many is not merely an ideology but something far more sinister.

"What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." 1Cor. 10:19-20

The devils in the bible are fallen angels that are bent on bring ruin upon mankind. The doctrine which is being presented is not that of Christ but of an Anti-Christ, one that seeks to replace Jesus and his dual natures with a counterfeit. The gnostic philosopher Nietzsche believed that Dionysus was against Jesus,  and ultimately he wanted to replace the Lord with Dionysus. This is no surprise since Dionysus was almost a carbon copy of Jesus. Dionysus was identified with the lamb, and called "King of Kings," "Only Begotten Son," "Savior," "Redeemer," "Sin bearer," "Anointed One," the "Alpha and Omega."

Jesus will one day return and separate those whom He loves who have learned the song of the lamb, from those whom have learned the "goat song".

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." Matt. 25:31-33

Notice that the image of Dionysus is between two eyes.

Parallels in Revelation 12

Daniel 8 and the identity of the daily

“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. – Habakkuk 2:2

The first thing we must grasp is that the bible interprets itself. The early reformers understood the identity of the little horn not because they had an expansive library of hebrew and greek literature and lexicons but because they asked for the Spirit of God and saw the only thing needed to know the Word was the Word. I think we can use the same techniques today. Saying these things, I must present the idea that in most points, modern bible translations inadequately represent Daniel 8:11-14.

The King James Bible, as is the hebrew & greek versions, is written in language using parallelism. The main thought (a) is presented, followed by a similar restating (b). This bible key is destroyed in almost all modern translations due to the necessity to make alterations to obtain a copyright. In other words, the KJV (and earlier bibles) are Public domain and in order for another Bible to be copyrighted it must use different language. It's interesting to note that the Desmond Ford apostasy was based on his apparently logical understanding of an incorrectly rendered version of Hebrews 9:12 in the NIV. The NIV reads “Most Holy Place”, while the KJV reads “Holy Place”.

I believe KJV's poetry captures the original intent of God, but with one exception. Through the word choice and parallelism in the KJV, I think we can arrive to a satisfactory answer to seemingly troubled passages. To start with, Daniel 8 is divided into 2 sections, the vision and the interpretation. The vision encompasses three aspects: 1. the ram (Medo-Persia), 2. the he goat (Greece) and 3. the little horn (Pagan & Papal rome).

According to the rules of parallelism, we should see characteristics shared between each section and repeated in themselves, and we certainly see this in 8:11 & 12.

11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.

The one exception in the KJV is:

"Then I saw in relation to the 'daily' (Daniel 8:12) that the word 'sacrifice' was supplied by man's wisdom, and does not belong to the text, and that the Lord gave the correct view of it to those who gave the judgment hour cry. When union existed, before 1844, nearly all were united on the correct view of the 'daily,' but in the confusion since 1844, other views have been embraced, and darkness and confusion have followed" (Early Writings, 74-75).

Mrs. White gives us a hint that the italicized word sacrifice in Daniel 8:12 is indeed added without cause, we must dismiss it. It then becomes clear that the daily is Paganism and not the ministry of Christ. Daily is equated with continual or continuance. Uriah Smith adds:

"Literally the text (v. 14) may be rendered, How long shall be the vision concerning the continuance and the transgression of desolation?" –the word "desolation" being related to both "continuance" and "transgression", as though it were expressed in full thus: "The continuance of desolation and the transgression of desolation." - Daniel and the Revelation p. 165

Thus “daily” here means continual rebellion. It should be known that the daily is definitely not the old testament sacrificial system. If it were, "against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression" would mean that the sacrificial system came to an end because of transgression or ignoring the commandments of God. Who really put an end to the daily sacrifices? Christ. He who knew no sin. We would be calling Christ a transgressor.

Also it seems to me that a belief in the “daily sacrifice” as Christ's heavenly ministry, is quite similar to the Evangelical reasoning that the man of Daniel 9:27 is the Antichrist. How you may ask? If Daniel 9:27 does not describe the Antichrist but rather Christ (as it plainly does), then we must find passages elsewhere that do describe Antichrist, namely 8:11 & 12. The same is true of Christ and Adventist theology. If Daniel 8: 11 & 12 do not describe Christ specifically, then He must be sought in other places. Chapter 9, describing Christ's earthly ministry is parallel to the rest of Daniel & Revelation in describing Satan's earthly reign (see explanation of 8:9-12). If the “daily sacrifice” is Christ's heavenly ministry, then we would see it largely expounded upon in the remaining parallel chapters of Daniel as all other points from previous chapters are, but it is not. We see however that Christ's heavenly ministry is not disrupted, as evidence of the mention of sanctuary ornaments and other language throughout the book of Revelation. Only an earthly understanding is prohibited until it is fully and completely grasped after 1844, just as the bible predicts.

Vision: 1, 2	Explanation
1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.	Date: 538 BC - Daniel has another vision which follows the vision of chapter 7 that occurred in 606 BC. The purpose of these visions is to show who will oppress God's people.
2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.	In vision, Daniel is at Shushan, which was once ruled by Babylon, is at this time part of the Medo-Persian empire.

15, 16 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

After Daniel has the vision, the angel Gabriel by command of God, gives the interpretation. We will view the vision and the interpretation side by side for better understanding.

17-19 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. 18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. 19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

Gabriel explains that this vision is about all that will happen before and until “the time of the end”. Daniel attempts to worship Gabriel but is corrected and stands up. Gabriel further clarifies that the vision is about the “great indignation against Israel” (see 2 Kings 3:27) Again, after the events in this vision take place, “the time of the end”, time of judgement will take place.

Vision: 3-7	Interpretation: 20, 21	Further Explanation
3, 4 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.	20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.	The ram with two horns, represent dual kingdoms, one greater than the other in the end. The Medes and the Persians conquered Babylon (westward) in 539 BC and at first had equal co-rulership as allies, but the Persians became greater. It also conquered Lydia (Greece-northward) and Egypt (southward). Eastward is not mentioned because geographically it is the Mediterranean sea.
5, 6 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.	21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.	The nation of Greece was known as “the goat people”. Alexander's son was named Alexander Aegus which means “son of the goat.” Notable = worthy of mention.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.		Verse 7 is an enlargement of verses 5 & 6. In 331BC Greece swiftly conquered Persia. The notable horn = Alexander the Great who went on to conquer the world. “Cast him down to the ground” = Persia was defeated politically, and “stamped upon him” signifies that they were destroyed and plundered. Choler = great anger or fury (v. 6)

Vision: 8-14	Interpretation: 22-25	Further Explanation
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.	22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.	Alexander managed to conquer the entire known world. Being an alcoholic, one night he drank so much that he was poisoned, probably contracting malaria, and died or was “broken”. Before he died he ask that the kingdom would go to the strongest, and thus they were chosen “not in his power”. His four strongest generals: Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Ptolemy, who divided the land.
9, 10 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.	Verses 9 thru 12 describe Rome in 2 phases: Pagan Rome and Papal Rome. Verses 23 thru 25 enlarge on Papal Rome's reign (see Daniel 7:7-8)
	Pagan Rome came to power in 168 BC when it conquered Macedonia. Rome was “exceeding great” because of it's vast territory, much greater than the previous kingdoms. It's clear that it comes from Macedonia (one of “the four winds”) because “northward” is not mentioned as in verse four. It conquered the south (Egypt) the east (Babylon) and the pleasant land (Israel 63 BC). Verse 10 is eluding to the time of Jesus, with the second expanding upon the first half. “cast down some of the host” is Christ and his death while “the stars” are Satan and his angels because the Crucifixion quarantined them for a second time, “and stamped upon them”- dooming them to destruction. (see Job 38:7; 1:7 Rev. 12:4, 7-9, Matt. 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4,9)
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.	23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.	“ dark sentences” = satanic, occult practices. In 133 BC Attalus III, the last Babylon priest, transfered the title of “Pontifex Maximus” to the Roman emperors who in turn, delivered it to the Bishop of Rome, see Rev. 2:13.	11,12 & 23-25 are parallel, both describing Papal Rome's political reign (508-1798 Dan. 12:11) and religious reign (508-1844 Dan. 12:12) “daily sacrifices” = Pagan Rome: “transgression” in verse 12 links with transgressors in 23 and “their”verifies that it is within the Roman empire “his sanctuary”,“ the truth”, = Papal Rome's rise, by one act, gained religious authority over both Pagan Rome's sanctuary, the Vatican (meaning divining serpent) and Christianity. Notice they are not “stamped” - (v. 7) as they are not done away with but assimilated. Early Christians knew that Pagan Rome needed to be subdued for Papal Rome to rise, see Thess. 2:7:
	24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.	“but not by his own power”= Satan gives Papal Rome it's power over the “mighty”, the divisions of Rome and God's “holy people” see Rev. 13:2
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised,  and prospered.
	25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.	The “an host” here are the 7 kingdoms of Dan. 7:8 over which Papal Rome gains religious control of because he “magnifies himself” as prince of “the host”, but remember, Christ, the Prince of princes shall destroy him. Dan. 2:44

Vision: 13-14	Explanation
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake,	Daniel's attention is drawn to the altar in the Heavenly Sanctuary. These verses correlate with the fifth seal in Rev. 6:9-11, also see Gen 4:10.
How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?	The saints ask how long it will be from the end of Pagan Rome's reign (the daily sacrifice) until the end of Papal Rome's collective reign (the transgression) over “the sanctuary” (religious) and “the host” (political). Both “the daily” and “the transgression” are desolations.
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.	After 2,300 years, Rome will lose it's religio/political power and Jesus will move from his ministry in the Holy Place in the Heavenly Sanctuary, to the Most Holy Place. In 1798, Napoleon's general Berthier captured Rome and dethroned the Pope, dealing a deadly wound. see Rev. 13:1-3. In 1843, the second great awakening culminated in the proclamation of the return of Christ because the sanctuary was mistaken for the earth. Those who held on to their faith, despite the Great Disappointment, became pillars in the remnant church (see Rev. 3:12). The biblical doctrines lost during the dark ages were restored, including the Law & the Sabbath, paralleling with Christ in the Most Holy Place at the Mercy seat, known as the Ark of the Covenant in the earthly sanctuary.

Vision: 26-27	Explanation
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.	The vision will and has come to pass. Daniel is told the vision will not be understood until the appropriate time, it's fulfillment being “the little book” of Rev. 10
27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.	Daniel became sick, probably because he could not understand the vision but eventually recovered and went back to his royal duties.

Christianity vs. The New Age

The Law of God

Does God’s law last forever?

“The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name.” -Psalm 111:7-9

- God’s law is part of His character, and because He is eternal, his law is eternal.

Does keeping the law make us righteous?

“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” -Romans 3:20

- God’s law leads us to see our guilt and drives us to need Jesus.

What is the purpose of the law?

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;… Moreover by them your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.” - Psalm 19:7,8,11 “I would have not known sin except through the law”- Romans 7:7

- God’s law shows us that we have sinned, and when we keep His commandments, he blesses us.

How are we made righteous?

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not!” -Romans 6:14,15

- The law has never saved anyone, it only shows us that we have sinned. Salvation comes only through grace, the power of Christ, yet we should not disregard the law because it is part of God’s plan.

What are we doing when we do not keep the law?

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4

- Sin is the act of disobeying God’s law.

Why does God seem so distant at times?

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God; And your sins have hidden His face from you” Isa.59:1,2

- We separate ourselves from God when the choices we make are contrary to His will.

What will lead us to keep the law?

“If you love me, keep my commandments” - John 14:15 - Love will always lead to obedience.

How do we show God that we are sincere about our trust in Him?

“He who says. ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.” 1 John 2:4,5

What are God’s last day people like?

“Here is the patience of the saints, here are those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12

Who does Satan, the dragon, concentrate his forces against the most?

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went to make war on the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” Rev. 12:17

- Throughout history God’s faithful people have always followed the law, coming up against the most persecution.

Did Jesus abolish the law? Shouldn’t we only worry about loving God and our neighbors?

“I (Jesus) did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill” Matt. 5:17

‘Jesus said to him “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ On these two commands hang all the Law and the Prophets.”’ Matt 22:37-40

- In Matt. 22, Jesus is quoting two texts from the Old Testament (Duet. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18). The 10 commandments can be summed up by these verses because the first four deal with loving God and the last six deal with loving your neighbor.

Were the people in the Old Testament saved by keeping the Law?

“On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.”… “And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Exodus 12:3 “And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord and it was accounted to him for righteousness” Gen. 15:6

- Before the ten commandments were given to the people, God delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians and from the death of their first born son’s through the blood of a lamb which represented Christ. Abraham’s faith in God’s coming Savior imparted righteousness to him. Just as we look back on the cross for righteousness, those before the cross looked ahead for the same purpose.

Does the New Covenant abolish the Law?

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman And between your seed and her Seed: and He shall bruise your head And you shall bruise His heel.” Gen. 3:15

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people” Exodus 19:5

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my Law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33,

- The plan of Salvation by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was always God’s plan, even in the Garden of Eden. Because of four hundred years of living as slaves in Egypt, many had forgotten the Law, and God had to refresh their minds at Mt. Sinai. The Old Covenant could have potentially lead to the same Jesus that we know but because the people failed to live out His instructions, the Lord made a better promise that wasn’t based on how well the people followed the Law. The Law was never at fault, just the people’s loyalty to the Lord. It may help to think of the New Covenant as the Renewed Covenant. We are still to keep God’s Law, but its basis will be on love and the righteousness of Christ, instead of human efforts.

Mark 7: 17-19

17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") NIV

This passage has to be read in it's full context. The issue here is if or not Jesus and his disciple were braking any laws because they didn't wash their hands. Washing hands is a good practice today but the pharisees missed the entire point; it symbolizes Christ as the one who washes away sin. (Remember that every time you wash up for dinner) If I was with Jesus, I would have said something like "You're plotting to kill me yet you're worried about me and my friends washing ours hands? You gotta be kidding me. Who has the greater sin?" Take these things into consideration when reading verse 19. This really has nothing to do with food, but hand washing. If I forget to wash my hands and then eat a sandwich, my stomach should take care of the dirt. I remember my grandmother telling me about the time she made mud pies and then told the neighbor girl they were chocolate. She ate them. We've all had the situation in verse 19 happen to us. It doesn't mean we are unclean because we didn't wash up before hand.

The act of washing our hands does not make us clean, but rather how we use our hands. I have a sister who travels. She told me about the caste system in India. People who are seen as untouchables are looked down upon. Higher classes avoid them and try to remain clean by doing so. Should we not help and stay away from them? No, because we can show them how Jesus has purified us. We don't need to wash our hands for the spiritual application because Jesus has done so for us. We should still wash our hands to prevent disease and illness. We start to run into problems with the NIV and most modern translations. Lets compare—

NIV

17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")

KJV

17And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.18And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

"and then out of his body" is the equivalent of "purging all meats". Finally, the last part "In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean."" isn't even found in the original greek, so it was clearly added later.

parallel translations — http://bible.cc/mark/7-19.htm

greek — http://biblelexicon.org/mark/7-19.htm

—What others say—

"...Also, the phrase in Mark 7:19, “Jesus declared all foods ‘clean’” is a mistranslation from the Greek (likely a deliberate act of antinomist scribes)."

– from http://jewsandjoes.com/blog/pastor-joel-osteen-teaches-christians-ephraimites-about-pork/

"In the New Testament, Jesus never once even hinted that all meatswere made clean. For example, in Mark 7 the entire context of thechapter is a vital concept involving our MIND and not physicalfood. The first rule of Bible Study is to study scriptures intheir context, and not to pull them out of context to try toestablish a doctrine or point of truth."

- from http://www.keithhunt.com/Food20.html (Answers magazine, a non-adventist, creationist publication.)

—More Resources—

Joel Osteen video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5kek3D-4I

http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/PetersVision.pdf

http://www.tnnonline.net/theonews/messianic-issues/basic-apologetics/Basic_Messianic_Apologetics.pdf

http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/porkfacts.html

http://www.amazingfacts.org/Radio/JoeCrewsRadioSermons/tabid/90/ctl/PlayMedia/mid/423/MDID/1875/PID/848/SID/4/SQT/1000/7/Questions-and-Answers---Part-3/Default.aspx

http://www.amazingfacts.org/Radio/BibleAnswersLiveQuestionArchive/tabid/212/ctl/PlayMedia/mid/731/MDID/2339/PID/1178/SID/13/SQT/1000/7/Is-it-unhealthy-to-eat-pork/Default.aspx

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081126124328AARb2YB

Seven is no secret Part 2

Some Answers (see part 1 first)

Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is one of the ten commandments, not a tradition of man. Remember what Paul said.

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

—Romans 7:7

If we say, "the sabbath only existed after mt. Sinai", we deceive ourselves because clearly the 10 commandments were in effect before that. Adam and Eve knew it was a sin to disobey God, Cain knew it was a sin to kill, Joseph knew that adultery was a sin plus many other instances.

A common misconception is that the Sabbath was only for the Jews. All faithful Christians today are Jews spiritually speaking.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

—Romans 9:6–8

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

—John 1:11-12

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

—Romans 2:28,29

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

—Galatians 3:26-29

If we say the Sabbath is done away with and only nine remain, remember…

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

—James 2:10

God's character is located in the 10 commandments and if they were changed it would mean that God has changed. If we say "Christ changed the Sabbath" remember these…

" Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

—Hebrews 13:8

"For I, the LORD, do not change;"

—Malachi 3:6

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

—James 1:17

“God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

Has He said, and will He not do it?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"

—Numbers 23:19

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding."

—Isaiah 40:28