Build On The True Foundation

Part 7

Fall of the OT covenant

Before I pick up with verse 22, I want to back up and show some Scriptural connections with some of the above verses.

In Lam 3:7 it said God hedged her about so she could not get out. Hosea 2:6-Therefore, behold I will HEDGE up thy way with THORNS, and make a WALL, that she shall not find her paths.

This is speaking of v5-her ‘mother who played the harlot’. Now we know this is the old whorish Jerusalem. So this is the one he said he hedged up so she could not get out. He cut off that old law which is the same as Jerusalem.

In verse 10 God said he was as a lion in secret places. Check this with Hosea 5:14-For I will be unto Ephraim [any doubt about who is being spoken of?]-As a LION and as a young lion to the house of Judah: [any doubt about who is being spoken of?]-I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. Who? Judah. This is God saying He tore that law system, including Jesus the first man Adam, and did away with it.

V15-I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

6:1-Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

V2-After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight

V3-Then shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD; His going forth is prepared, as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Now this is Judah saying that they will return to the Lord after he had torn them. They are speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, when in the third day after his death, he would raise up some of those OT saints and take them over into the New Jerusalem = the NT Gospel.

Also, it speaks of their coming into the NT Church on the day of Pentecost.

Remember in Lam.3:4 he said he broke their bones; compare to Isaiah 38:13-I reckoned till morning, that, as a LION, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.

Compare v6 with Psalm 88:1:6-v5[Jesus speaking] Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave.v6-Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Remember he said God had brought him into darkness and not into light? This is the interpretation of that verse.

Now Lam. 3:22-26-22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are saying here that God did not do away with them completely, because of His mercy in bringing them into the NT there on the Day of Pentecost.]

23. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

See, a new morning or day started at the resurrection of Jesus. The day of Grace started.

24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

These verses are showing that there is hope in seeking God and waiting to come into the new day of Grace.

V27-It is good for a man that he bear the YOKE in his youth.

Is. 52: 2. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

This speaks of Jesus’ resurrection. When He arose, this was freeing him from the dust body. It also pictures the resurrection of all God’s true people that we will be delivered from this body of corruption. Sit down, O Jerusalem = this is calling Jesus Jerusalem, for this is the name of the Lord. This is the beginning of the New Jerusalem. This is Grace coming in. Loose thyself from the ‘bands’ of thy neck. This band was that yoke of law; of human dust frame. Those under that yoke of law and consequently a body of dust, were the captive daughters of Zion. When we come into grace, then later put on the glorified body, this will complete our being freed of those bands of law and human flesh.

Acts 15:10-Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a YOKE upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

He is calling that LAW a YOKE TO HARD TO BEAR-A YOKE OF IRON-A HEAVY CHAIN.

Why is it good for him to bear the YOKE in his youth?

Youth is childhood.

Gal. 3:23-But BEFORE FAITH came, we were kept under the law [THE YOKE]-shut up [he had shut them up, remember?]-Unto the FAITH which should AFTERWARDS be revealed.

After what? They had been shut up as a child= under the yoke = law.

V24-Wherefore the LAW [yoke]-was our SCHOOLMASTER [who goes to school? Children]-to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by FAITH.

V25-But after that FAITH is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. [Law; yoke].

Now for some glory; revelation!

Paul’s writings are very much misunderstood by the church world.

1Cor. 13:9-For we KNOW in PART, and we prophesy in part.

V10-But when that which is PERFECT is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

The LAW was that which was in part. Their prophecies were only in part; for they did not have the full glory = the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

V11-WHEN I WAS A CHILD,

[I will finish this in a minute; but look at this]-Hosea 11:1-WHEN ISRAEL WAS A CHILD, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

When Paul was an Israelite = in the law= then he was a child = under the schoolmaster= the law = knew in part = could only prophecy in part-see?

Now, Paul is a Christian.

V12-When I was a child, I spake as a CHILD, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. BUT when I became a MAN, [a man-child; in Christ]-I put away childish things.

Now, people of God, He just revealed this to me.

Paul is NOT speaking here of himself [as he was not in Romans 7] he is speaking of the Spiritual condition of mankind in both places.

The church world has misunderstood this passage and run wild with it. Lots of people even say this shows that the wonderful, much needed gifts of the Spirit have been done away with because we have the completed Scriptures to read. In other words people, they would have us believe the only thing we can have from God today is a book to read.

Paul is saying after he came to Grace, = spiritual man-hood, he put away the childish things of the law. Of seeing in part. Of knowing in part. Of seeing darkly.

V12-For now we SEE through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

This makes it look as if he is saying that now, as a true Christian he is only seeing [understanding darkly] but no! It is the same speech as in Romans 7 where he is speaking of mankind under the law as though it were of himself personally.

Here, Paul is saying to those people who were still holding onto law [as most of those churches in that day were] he is saying this as if it were them [for this is their condition] Now we [them; not Paul] see = understand- through a glass darkly. Now why was this?

11Cor. 3:13-And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

V14-But their minds [understanding] were BLINDED; = [dark]-for until THIS DAY remaineth the same veil [blindness; darkly]-untaken away [see it was STILL IN THAT CHURCH] in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ. [When one becomes a MAN].

V15-But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.

[Now this does not imply that to read the words of the OT Books blinds one; it means that if as you read, you see it as law, that is the blindness. The very same words can speak grace to you if you have a spiritual mind. The carnal mind [the mind that sees law] cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness. The Law demands death and immediate punishment for every transgression, so forgiveness is totally foreign to a law minded person.]

V16-Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

V17-Now the Lord is that Spirit: [the Holy Ghost]-and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

V18-But we all, [who? Those who have turned to the Lord and had the veil taken away; became a man]-with OPEN face beholding [seeing] as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into this same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord

Changed from that glory of the ministration of death by Moses to the glory of the Spirit by which we see openly, face to face. Glory! Thank you my God for this great revelation!

This shows that those who turn to the Holy Ghost are NOW seeing the glory of the Lord plainly, face to face. This is NOT something still out in the future.

28. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

Is. 53: 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

This shows that all forsook Jesus at the cross and He stood there all alone. Remember how it says he openeth not his mouth? That is this silence. He did not try to defend himself and set himself free. He went to that cross willingly for us. It shows that he had borne the yoke of the law upon himself in his youth, or his stay on earth under that law covenant.

29. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

This shows that Jesus lived here is the dust frame of humanity. It also speaks of his going down into the grave where the body turns back to dust. This was the only hope for humanity to be redeemed back to God.

30. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

Is. 50: 5. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

6. I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

This shows that it is Jesus who gave his cheek to those who smote him.

Col. 2: 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

These verses in Col. prove that as Jesus died on that cross he also killed or did away with that law yoke. Yet it is very evident from all Paul’s writings that the church of his day had already healed that head of law which had been killed with that sword of the Lord and were again entangled with that yoke of bondage. So it is until this very day. I dare say there is not one church in America today which is living purely under grace. Their leaders declare you must be at a certain ‘church’ at a certain time. They declare you are under obligation = law–to be at your own home ‘church’ when they have their programs. You are not FREE to go where ever you feel led to go or desire to go. They take away the freedom Jesus gave you. They declare you MUST tithe, thus bringing you back under the OT law. They never study the NT Church in the Book of Acts and see that they were not under the law. They worshiped God every day. They gave 100% of their goods and themselves to the Lord. They were not under a law, or constrained to do this. They were to do it out of a willing heart. This is all God accepts under Grace. A law puts you back under that yoke of bondage, which Jesus freed you from. So by going back to law, you FALL away from Grace and Christ is of no effect unto you. And you sacrifice this glory of being under the power of Christ to have your little church programs. You are bound to their law, so they can have their churches full and get your money to spend on their buildings, which God despises. See the setting up of a man-made house for the Lord to dwell in is of the old covenant, which He did away with. All of these things put you back under that bondage of the yoke of law. Peter told us in Acts 15 that we are NOT to go back and keep the Law of Moses. Yet every church today thinks they must still go by that law. What a shame!

31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

Zech. 11: 4. Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

5. Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
6. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
7. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
8. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
9. Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
10. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant, which I had made with all the people.
11. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

This shows the shepherds [the possessors of God’s people; their pastors] slay them [they slay them by taking them back into bondage of law]-and hold themselves not guilty, for they are getting their riches and their little programs upheld. Jesus took his two staves and broke them. In doing so he cut off three shepherds. What were these shepherds? The cut off prophets priests and kings of the OT. These were the shepherds of the OT. See that they hated Jesus and he also hated them. They are the very ones who persecuted Jesus all his days and finally had him killed.

Verse 9 He said he would not feed them but would let them die. This is saying the same thing we have already shown that there was no food left in that Old Covenant.

He took his staff Beauty and cut it asunder thus breaking his covenant with all the people. Since we know the Word said Grace is an everlasting covenant, this has to be the covenant of law he cut off. The poor of the flock what waited upon him was the NT Christians. This was those who came out of that dead old law covenant and came into Grace.

By: Jo Smith

Part 6

Fall of the old covenant

This lesson will start with Lam. 3.

This is a long and deep chapter. It has a two-fold meaning. It is speaking in the first person as the OT and also as Jesus.

Now, Jesus came to this earth under the law of the OT. He was made a curse for us, to redeem us from the curse of the law- Gal 3:13

So, in this sense Jesus, in the flesh, same as Moses, represents the law.

Now, verse one: I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Old Testament speaking; Jesus speaking.

Read Isaiah 53 you will see that Jesus was smitten of God; afflicted for us. V4-Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Lam.3:2-He hath led me, and brought me into darkness but not into light. Here Jesus is saying he was led into the Dark Age of the Law; but not into the light of Grace. Also those under that covenant say this.

V3-shows God is against them. This is also showing that God forsook Jesus at Calvary. This chapter is very much prophecy about the crucifixion of Jesus.

V4-{this is great} My flash and my skin hath he made old. He hath broken my bones.

In Heb. we are told that the law waxed old and vanished away. Not a bone of Jesus was broken on the cross; so this is saying all his OT bones [those in that tree of law] were all broken. Remember in Isaiah it said they were broken, taken and snared. That is this prophecy fulfilled.

V5-He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. This is the water made bitter in Rev. The law was the gall; or the bitterness, which made them dead. The travail is their going through the wrath of God upon them. Also their travail to bring Jesus forth.

But the deeper meaning is this is Jesus speaking of his sufferings at the time of his death. This is the travail of Jesus there at Calvary.

Is. 53:11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

See this verse shows that this is the travail of Jesus’ soul. Many Scriptures reveal glorious things about Jesus, which goes unnoticed by most people. This is truly a shame that so few see the real beauty of the Word of God.V6-He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

This is the law saying God put them into darkness, which is the same as death. See, the ‘of old’ refers to those before the flood; they too, had turned away from God to law. And of course this is still speaking of Jesus at his death.

V7-He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out; he hath made my chain heavy.

This is showing Jesus as he was bound by this human flesh and the agony he had to go through when the sins of the whole world were placed upon him.

This also shows he completely did away with that old law; they could not find a way out of it. The law was a heavy chain upon their necks.

Remember the apostles said not to put that yoke back on the Christians, which their fathers could not endure for it was so heavy.

I just had a revelation I never saw before: this is linked with that ‘chain’ which bound Satan up for the thousand years. I am beginning to believe that Satan and the law are synonymous.

V8-Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

This shows that by the law, no prayers will be answered. He does not hear from that old covenant now. But it also pertains to the time when God forsook Jesus on that cross. You see, what most people do not seem to realize, and what the ‘ministers’ of the land have failed to see and show to the sheep, is that Jesus actually [through having taken our place, and the sins of the world being placed upon him], that he became ‘the worst sinner’ who ever lived. Now I know this statement may be met with much animosity and disbelief or indignation, but when you really see it, Jesus took upon himself, or on his record all the sins which were ever committed. Thus He truly paid the price for the sins of everyone who ever lived. If you go to hell, you must reject His atonement for your sins.For many years as I read Psalms, I would see that it spoke of Jesus. But then I would read where he spoke of his many and mighty sins and it would throw me off. I prayed for understanding of this. Then one day as I went through this same thing, God spoke to my understanding and showed me that it truly was Jesus (all of Psalms is Jesus’ words, as of course is the rest of the Word). God showed me that it means that Jesus actually became the worst sinner in the world; because he took upon himself all our sins and they are counted as being his. It is completely true- he took our sins upon himself as if He did them all. That is how profound his substitution for us is.

V9-He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

Now John the Baptist came to make straight paths for the Lord; in other words John bridged the gap between the OT and the NT. He set things straight. He taught Grace. He was the one who brought forth the head stone crying ‘Grace, Grace’ to it. Those left in the OT have crooked paths.

See, also that their way in enclosed with stone; this shows the stony heart which still has the OT law in it. They were a fountain shut up as in Song of Solomon.

No living water could come forth from this closed up fountain. It is enclosed with stone. This is that 10 commandment law, written and engraven on stone. So it shows that the way of law is the crooked path. Jesus came here under that crooked path. These stones of law hewed his ways.

10. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

Now God showed me that the seven headed beast in Daniel is Satan’s kingdom on earth headed up by seven main division of mankind from the beginning of man on earth until the close of the OT.

That first head of the lion with the eagle’s wings was Adam. He was the first head over mankind. The eagle’s wings shows they still had immortality at that time.

The next head was a bear. This was Noah. It says he raised himself up on one side. This is speaking of the other side of the flood. See he came up on the other side of the flood and then started life over on this side of the flood. The three ribs in his mouth were his three sons and their wives.

So this verse is showing that God destroyed both societies because they partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is that law. So this is the law saying God was unto her as this bear and this lion. See as he cast them out of that Garden, this destroyed that society of immortal beings. Then he again destroyed them at the flood. I know this is getting to be a long message, but just think of the hidden food, which is here!

So I am warning everyone who partakes again of law, you are headed for destruction. If God did this to those people because of this evil, do you think He will spare you who left Jesus’ Grace He bought for us with his death, and went back to law? Of how much sorer punishment do you think they are worthy who have trampled the blood of Jesus and did despite to the Spirit of Grace?

V11-shows he made them DESOLATE. We know Jesus told Jerusalem, ‘your house is left unto you desolate’. So this is about that. This speaks to the law, you are made desolate.

12. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

This speaks of that bow and arrow given to the rider on that horse under the first seal. This was that first Church as it went forth conquering that OT and bringing it into the New. He set his bow against them and destroyed them- that 7th head of law. But it also speaks of Jesus being smitten of God. [Is. 53]

13. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14. I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

If you wish to see some beauty in the Word, read Job 30. I dare say very few people have ever seen that the Book of Job is really prophecy about Jesus, therefore they miss the real and true meaning. Job 30 is speaking of the crucifixion of Jesus. I would love to take the whole chapter and lay it out here verse by verse, but that would be a whole message on its own. So I will just give you this much to prove here that this is Jesus being spoken of.

Job 30:9. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

10. They abhor me; they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

This was fulfilled to Jesus at Calvary.

15. He hath filled me with bitterness; he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
16. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.
17. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.

All these verses speak of Jesus and the law as they were put to death by God’s own decree. They both died there on that cross.

The next verses all are saying how God destroyed them as a people [the law].

V18-And I said, My strength and my hope are perished from the LORD;

V19-Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

V20-My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

V21-This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

Now, here she humbles herself and sees HOPE. Why? She sees the NT Grace and knows if she gets there, God will again give her the blessings she has been stripped of.

Jesus at the cross, looked ahead and for the glory set BEFORE him, endured the cross, despising the shame. He saw the glory of the resurrection when He would wake in the image and likeness of God; when he would again have the glory he had with the Father before the world was.

Psm. 17: 15. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

You will miss the glory if you think this is David saying this- it is Jesus. When He came out of that grave this was when he came forth in glory- in the likeness and glory of the eternal God.

This was their hope; this is our great hope; this is how we humble ourselves and endure whatever comes against us here for the hope He has given us of eternal life. It is worth it all, dear people.

I will pick up with v22 next time.

By: Jo Smith

Part 4

Fall of the Old Testament

Now, Lam. 2:11-this verse shows that the children of the OT faint in their streets. Streets and ‘city’ represent the way of the OT, not literal streets and cities. It means the old covenant; just as the tree of life being in the midst of the ‘street’ of New Jerusalem means the way of life in the NT. The fact of their ‘swooning’ means they were spiritually starving; for God had taken them to the ‘ground’. There was no spiritual ‘food’ left in the old covenant. So, if you stay there, you too will starve spiritually. This means you will lose your soul.

Lam. 2:11. Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, and my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

This one doing the crying here over the destruction of Jerusalem is Jesus. This is prophecy of when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey and wept over Jerusalem. There is where he pronounced the fall of this ‘city’ = old covenant. This shows his deep grief as he said my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth for the destruction of the daughter of MY PEOPLE = THE JEWS, or those of the LAW. This is same kind of grief Paul showed he felt as he realized that God had done away with this law group.

The children ask their ‘mothers’ = that old covenant which bore them, where is corn = spiritual food, and wine = the spirit or joy of the Lord. See, there was none left there; for Jesus had pronounced them as being left ‘desolate’. If one is made ‘desolate’ by God, they have nothing left. So, when you go back to this ‘law’ covenant, you go into the desolate city and reject the city of life.

These were the two ‘trees’ in the Garden of Eden = the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil = that law; for by the law is the KNOWLEDGE OF SIN. It was holy in the concept; but it taught them what sin was. God wanted them free from this.

The ‘tree’ of life, is the Words of Grace = Life in Christ Jesus; the true Words of God which he brought.

See, in the Book of Rev. and Proverbs the tree of Life is called a ‘female’. So this shows that when the Bride speaks the same words Jesus spoke, they are the tree of Life. He said Come to me and DRINK and me and out of YOUR mouth should flow rivers of life. We are speaking the same words of Life He spoke. Paul spoke the same words Jesus taught; Peter did; James did; John did; so their words are the tree of life. Life is in Christ Jesus; not in keeping laws.

This is why Jesus told them he was the Lord of the Sabbath; he was showing that the true REST was He. He did not have to DO a certain thing to keep any Sabbath; he was the Sabbath. So when I have his Spirit in me, I have the Sabbath living continually inside me. I do not have to keep any laws for this to be true; it is automatic when one has the Holy Ghost. That is why the law keepers deny this Baptism of the Holy Ghost. They do not have the true Sabbath.

Now verse 14-Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

Now, there is a lot of revelation to see in this verse. First, who is he talking to? Unless you know this, you will get no understanding of truth here. To find the answer, look at what is being said. He said this someone had been ‘banished from somewhere’. He said they were in captivity. He said they were under false burdens and causes for this banishment and that because of this, they could not turn away this captivity.

This goes back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. You will see that this goes all the way from that Garden experience to the present time. Adam = the human race. So, the human race was ‘banished’ or thrust out of that Garden state = immortal.

So, it is clear that this whole thing is about this event = of Adam being thrust out of Eden. That is what the whole thing with Israel represents. Hosea 5:9-Ephraim shall be DESOLATE in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. So, see here is another prophecy that Ephraim = the 10 tribe nation of Israel, shall be DESOLATE. But he said he had made known the things, which shall be through these tribes. See they represent all things to be. What happened to them were only types and shadows of everything, which has been or will be. Prophecy covers the past, present, and future. The same words apply to it all. So, when you can discern and understand the pattern of God, it fits it all. The same words are alive; they are true for everyone who ever lived. The people on earth 1,000 years ago could read the Book and find the revelation for their day; I can read the same words and find the revelation for my day; that is how powerful the Words of God are. They fit everyone who ever lived.

So, this is true of the Garden of Eden and right on down to the end of the World.

Now, back verse 14-in Lam. He said their prophets had seen vain and foolish things for them; so what the prophets said to them were false. Now, this is not speaking of the true prophets who spoke the word of God; it was their false prophets; the ones they told to prophesy lies and not truth.

So, what is he speaking of, that was the vain and foolish things? The reason for their banishment or being thrust out of that Garden [of being placed into a mortal body]. You will find that all down through time, people have said it was one thing or another, the ‘whys’ of their being thrust out of God’s Holy presence, but see that they have been wrong reasons, and this is why they have not been able to turn the captivity away.

What is the ‘captivity’? Of course it is our being imprisoned in these bodies of ‘clay’. Our bodies are called a ‘prison’ in the Word. Jesus is the only one who can set us free. His truth is all that can do this for us.

Now, we have heard that they actually ate some kind of natural ‘food’ such as an apple. See how ‘foolish’ this thought is? How could eating an apple give them the knowledge of good and evil? How could this cause God to place them into a mortal body? How could an apple tree be the tree of KNOWLEDGE?

Then there came along this foolish doctrine that they had sex and this was the cause of their fall. It becomes so ridiculous that they called the Serpent a natural snake and said that Eve had sex with this reptile. Now, I am here to tell you, this is the most ridiculous thing anyone could possibly believe. I just do not see how any sensible, intelligent human beings could ever have believed such evil.

They say this snake was the father of Cain.

But I want to show you how easy it is to disprove this lie with the Word of God. You will find that Cain and Abel were not conceived until AFTER Adam and Eve were already thrust OUT of that Garden. See, the sin of ‘eating’ of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil was done inside that Garden; that is the reason God thrust them out. They did not have sex or children inside that Garden. They were immortal beings.

You will find that sex was the first blessing God pronounced. Gen. 1:28-And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.

So, here is the first blessing- be fruitful and multiple. I myself only know of one way to do this. If you know of any other way, please tell me.

So, then we find that Adam and Eve did not have Cain until they were outside that Garden. Cain was conceived after they were in mortal bodies; outside that Garden. So, sex had not one thing to do with their sin.

This is another vain and foolish reason for their banishment. This will never turn away their captivity.

Until you find the true reason for the banishment, you cannot turn away that captivity. That is what he is saying here.

These things have to be proven by the written word. This is the most important thing to ever learn, that you must PROVE all things by the Written Word. In other words, if it is NOT Written, it is false. If you cannot read what you say and teach in the Book, it is lies.

Now, there is more than just the thing of Adam and the Garden here. There is also the thing of that old Covenant = the law, being thrust out of God’s plan for salvation and mankind. See that they follow the same pattern.

It is the Esau that God hated = the firstborn, which hated the birthright.

Those Jews of Jesus’ day said of Jesus, this is the heir, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours. They wanted to keep ruling forever by the LAW; but God said NO. They knew that Jesus was changing the times and seasons; they knew that he was taking away their place = the old covenant.

How did they know this? Many ways. One is when they brought the woman taken in adultery to him. They said, Master, Moses said for us to stone her; but what do YOU say? See they already knew by things he had said and done that he did not agree with the Law of Moses. Astonishing, isn’t it?

Now, Jesus was not going to break that law, for he had to fulfill it; but he also wanted to give this woman ‘grace’. So what did he do? He pricked each one of them in their hearts of their own, hidden sins, and told them which one of them did not have sin to cast the first stone at her. They could not do it.

So in his wisdom he showed them they had all sinned and come short of the glory of God and therefore were in no condition to stone her for her sins. So, he did not break that law, but he still gave this woman grace. They hated him for this. They set about to find a way to KILL him; even though their law said, Thou shall NOT kill.

Jesus told them one time, You claim to keep the law, yet you go about to kill me. They hated him for this. He showed them their hypocrisy. That is what truth does. That is why most people hate truth. Now, in order to ever get to truth and turn away the captivity, the true reason for their fall has to be found and straightened out.

It must be found and proven by the Written Word; it can not be guesswork or made up stuff. That is all that has been taught on this matter so far; just made up stuff. Lies.

Now, the Word shows that they ‘ate’ of a ‘tree’ which God had told Adam not to eat of. That is the sin. But what does it tell you? Nothing. Not by itself. One then must find out what this word ‘eat’ means here. It does not mean taking natural food into ones mouth, chewing it up and swallowing it. How do I know? Because Jesus himself said NOTHING WHICH ENTERS INTO THE MOUTH CAN DEFILE A MAN.

Now, this ‘eating’ which they did defiled them so much that God thrust them out of that Garden state of Immortality.

So, then we must find a Scriptural meaning of the Word ‘eat’. Jesus said to ‘eat’ his body. So then it has to mean to come to understand words. That is the eating he spoke of. We must read, and understand Jesus’ Words. So to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, one would have to take into their mind some ‘words’.

It is self-explanatory when it said this is a tree of KNOWLEDGE. The question is what kind of KNOWLEDGE. In this case the thing prevalent is the mixture of good and evil. This is what God hates. It must be ALL good. It cannot have the mixture with evil. Jesus said a little leaven leaveneth the whole.

So, one wrong word changes the whole thing. When they took on a carnal mind and mixed a few lies in with truth it changed the whole thing.

Adam became carnal minded. He became lifted up in pride. He wanted to be God. That is what he was tempted with. James said one sins when he is drawn away with his own lust, so Adam was drawn away with this lust to be lifted above God. The word is full of this. It is in Ezek. 28.

Paul said to be carnally minded is DEATH. God told Adam the day you eat of this tree, you will DIE. So he became carnally minded. Paul said the law gives the KNOWLEDGE of sin. So, the carnal mind is to believe that one becomes holy and righteous by keeping laws. God said it is a Spirit.

Jesus showed that He was life; that he was resurrection; that he was Rest; that he was redemption; that he was the Words of life. Jesus received the Holy Ghost at his water Baptism. This Holy Spirit is the way of righteousness. Jesus was Holy because he had this Holy Spirit of God in him. He did not become Holy by keeping laws. He only kept them because God had said they could not pass away until all be fulfilled. Jesus kept them so he could take them out of the way and offer everyone GRACE.

But if you rebel, as Adam did, and refuse to accept that the only way to righteousness is to have the Holy Ghost; that it can not come by keeping laws = your own works, then you will do as Adam and be thrust out of his holy presence eternally.

If you insist on staying in that old covenant of laws, you will be lost; for God has already rejected that covenant.

Then you are saying, as Adam did, that you can be God; you can be holy by your own works; you do not need to humble yourself and let Jesus fill you with his Spirit. This Holy Spirit is the only way to be holy and righteousness. You cannot become righteous by ‘keeping laws’.

This becomes self-worship. It is lifting yourself up in pride. This is all the sins of Adam, he was lifted up in pride, he wanted to be his own God, he said I will set my throne about the stars of God, I will be like the most high. Jesus said I do always the things that please my Father.

Adam said I can do all things by myself. Jesus said I can of my own self do NOTHING.

Satan tempted Jesus to worship him, offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship Satan. See here this love of the world connected with Satan worship? Love not the world and the things of the World; if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.

So, Adam was tempted to worship himself, and he tempted Eve into the same thing. He told her they would not die. See, God had told Adam this thing BEFORE He created Eve, So Eve had not actually heard what God said; she only got it from Adam. So, she did not truly know what God had said; she listened to the one God had told, which was Adam.

He lied to her and deceived her. But when she saw it was wrong, she repented. Adam never repented.

Job 31: 33. If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

See this thing of hiding his iniquity proves Adam never repented. Also the fact of it still being held against him even as far down as Paul writing Romans, it still shows he is guilty; not forgiven.

Three prophets said, Thy WORDS were found and I did EAT them proves that this eating is in reading and understanding the Word of God. It has not one thing to do with eating natural food for the stomach; nor any other natural thing. Jesus said we must EAT his flesh to have eternal life. Now this flesh could not mean his natural, human body. Both false doctrines, which dominate the entire church world, the trinity lie and the Jesus only lie, both build on the misunderstood meaning of this verse. His FLESH is His Word. So when it said the word became flesh, it means spiritual food = words. His words are spirit and they are life. His words are this flesh which we must eat. So it was words they ate in that Garden.

By: Jo Smith