From Malachi Through to Matthew
The Book of Malachi is a strategic link between the Old and New Testaments. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel had spoken about the coming Messiah but it was up to Malachi, the last of those prophets, to provide the link between the prophecies and their fulfilment.
About one thousand years after Israel’s Exodus from Egypt a small contingent of priests and Levites (Ezra 1:5) had returned from captivity in Babylon to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. However, after a number of years their enthusiasm waned, work on the walls stopped and they began to intermarry with neighbouring peoples. That was when Ezra was sent by the King Artaxerxes of Persia to restore religious and political authority in Jerusalem.
With the help of Nehemiah as governor, Ezra introduced religious reforms that turned the Levites and priests back to God with such enthusiasm that had not been seen since the days of Joshua. They were so enthusiastic that they entered into a covenant pledging to keep and teach the Law of Moses as it had been given to Israel at Mount Sinai.
However, not long after Ezra’s reforms the prophet Malachi painted a picture of a priesthood that is anything but enthusiastic. He portrayed the priests as not teaching, or even keeping the Law of Moses, let alone showing respect for God. He also indicated that they would be in a state of denial and would not acknowledge their own wretched condition.
Sure enough about four hundred years later Christ tells the religious authorities in Jerusalem that their religion was not the one that had been given to them through Moses, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:45-47).
He said that they were teaching their own doctrines and traditions, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:7-9).
Malachi had not only predicted what Christ would encounter but also foretold how He would deal with the situation. And the Book of Matthew recorded a blow by blow account of just what He did concerning the problems with the priesthood. It also gave an insight as to the future for both for the Jews and for the rest of mankind that includes us today.
Law of Moses Reinstated
Under the leadership of Ezra and the Governor Nehemiah, the walls of the Jerusalem were completed (Nehemiah chapters 1 & 2) and religious reforms instigated, “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him…” (Ezra 7:25-26).
Ezra was a priest directly descended from Aaron (Ezra 7:1-6). He was a diligent man who had set his mind to live by the law and teach it to others, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:10). He taught them directly from the Law of Moses, “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding…” (Nehemiah 8:1-2).
Hebrew word for law is Torah. It means ‘teachings’ and includes all of the first five Books of the Bible from Genesis to Deuteronomy that taught the way of life God wanted the people to live. Central to the way of life were the spiritual principles, or Commandments, known as the moral law. Those spiritual principles defined how they were to worship God and how to treat their fellow man. The Torah also included the civil law comprising statutes and judgments that defined how those principles were to be applied in practical terms. Then there were ceremonial laws pertaining specifically to the tabernacle and priesthood. The people were to live a God-centred way under the governance of the priesthood who officiated for God, taught His laws and administered judgment.
The overall purpose of their culture was to portray to the rest of world the spiritual outcomes that God has planned for all of mankind.
The same law had been taught to Abraham, “…Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:5). He in turn had passed the teachings down through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Then spectacularly it was delivered to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. These men were known as the ‘fathers’ of Israel.
It was the teachings that had been delivered by Moses that Ezra reinstated when the Temple had been rebuilt in Jerusalem. His reinstated an understanding of the teachings that had been lacking, “…caused the people to understand the law (Torah): and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:7-8).
That understanding went far beyond understanding a simple set of rules. It involved a spiritual understanding of what God had revealed about the coming Kingdom and that caused them to rejoice, “And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” (Nehemiah 8:12).
Ezra with the help of Nehemiah established a religious fervour and unity not seen since the days of Joshua. Because of this there was much rejoicing, “And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.” (Nehemiah 8:17).
In Joshua’s time when the Israelites first entered the Promised Land the whole generation had been given the same spiritual understanding, “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.” (Deuteronomy 29:2-4).
Joshua himself had been given the ‘spirit of wisdom’ (Deuteronomy 34:9) which is the ‘spirit of wisdom and understanding’ that Christ had. It is the same Spirit that Christ gives to those who believe and commit to Him in this age, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints…” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
That Spirit provides the understanding behind the teachings of Moses that enables God’s people to keep the spiritual intent of His Commandments rather than keeping the mere letter of the law. Anyone can keep the letter of the law but if the right motivation, thought and attitude is not behind the action then it is a sin as far as God is concerned, “Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.” (Deuteronomy 15:9-10).
Those who understood and whose motivation was to keep the spirit of the law in every aspect of their lives were blessed. This same spiritual understanding of the law that had been taught by Moses and received by Joshua’s generation had been lost to many over the centuries but was reinstated by Ezra four hundred years before Christ and its spiritual intent understood by those whom he taught.
As a result they kept the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day that year with great jubilation, “And they found written in the law (Torah) which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month… …Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.” (Nehemiah 8:14 and 18).
Although understanding had been lost to most Israelites over the centuries, the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews does bear testimony that there were a number who did have spiritual understanding. These are the ones who received God’s Spirit and died in faith expecting resurrection to eternal life.
Ezra’s reforms reinstated that spiritual understanding among the priests and people who enthusiastically entered a covenant with God to live by the teachings that had been given to Moses over one thousand years earlier, “…And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. Now those that sealed were… … And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;” (Nehemiah 9:38-10:1 and 28-29).
According to the Torah the tribe of Levi had been chosen to serve God and the descendents of Aaron from the tribe of Levi had been appointed to serve as priests by officiating at ceremonies and rituals (Exodus 28:1 and 43) and judging the people (Deuteronomy 17:8-9) as well as teaching and administering the law that had been entrusted to their care (Leviticus 10:11 and Deuteronomy 17:18 see also Deuteronomy 33:8 and 10).
They had a key role in teaching the spiritual aspects of God’s law and in portraying the spiritual outcome of what it foreshadowed.
So what happened between Ezra’s reforms and the time of Christ to cause the changes that Malachi prophesied?
A Time of Turmoil
During the four hundred years after Ezra’s reforms there were many political and military influences that helped corrupt the priesthood. Daniel prophesied about the political turmoil that was to take place during this period (Daniel 11:1-45). It was a very troubled time that saw many changes in the political, domestic, philosophical and religious lives of the Jews. They spent the first hundred years of that time under the Persian kings who allowed them to exist in peace, but when Persia fell to Alexandra the Great the pressure to adopt Greek culture began to have a profound affect in all aspects of Jewish life. The Greek culture influenced the Jews domestically, politically, philosophically and especially in the way they practiced their religion.
After Alexandra’s empire was divided among his generals there were a series of wars in Palestine between the Ptolemaic armies from Egypt and the Seleucid armies of Syria. The Jews were subject to the occupation of the Ptolemaic army, then the Seleucid army and later the Romans, each with their own influence.
The Hellenistic influence under Alexandra and his successors was more profound than most realise. The Greeks believed in freedom of thought and individual human reasoning that resulted in a confusing and contradictory array of opinions, beliefs, cults, doctrines and practices within their own culture. Over time that free thinking influence resulted in the many Jewish sects emerging such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, Essenes, Hasideans and Zealots etc, with their varying doctrinal differences. For example the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection but the Pharisees did (Matthew 23:22). And while the Scribes followed the written law the Pharisees favoured what they claimed to be the oral law.
The Greek influence, that encouraged individual interpretation of religion, affected every aspect of thought and life of the Jews both in Judah and the Diaspora. And although many historians deny that the religion of the Jews was greatly influenced, the Bible tells us otherwise.
For more details about this time of turmoil please refer to the author's note at the end of this article.
The Book of Malachi
We know that the Book of Malachi was written after the rebuilding of the temple but there is some disagreement as to when. Although the state of affairs in Jerusalem was similar to that which existed prior Ezra’s reforms it is obvious that these same problems were destined to recur during the centuries that followed. The view that the prophecy was written about one hundred years after Ezra’s reforms seems the most likely in view of what we shall see unfold as we work through the Book of Matthew.
Malachi foretold the religious deterioration that Christ would have to address when He started His Ministry. The issues Christ dealt with when confronting the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes plainly revealed the effects that Hellenism had on the priesthood were exactly as Malachi had prophesied.
Under Ezra’s reforms there was a single religious authority headed by the High Priest who administered the law through priests who were all descendents of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. The rest of the tribe of Levi also served in the temple in various religious ceremonies.
Ezra set up a body of Levitical priests known as the Sopherim, or Great Assembly who were responsible for the accurate transcription, interpretation and teaching of the Torah. This not only ensured accurate interpretation of the written law of Moses but ensured consistency in their teaching and judgment throughout the entire community.
However, four hundred years later the situation had changed. Under the Greek occupation there had arisen a number of independent sects all claiming to have religious authority. Dominant among these sects were the Pharisees who have been described as ‘a party of laymen and scribes’. Their teachings were based on the so-called ‘oral’ law rather than the written law (Torah) of Moses.
The Talmud is a complex collection of opinions and interpretations compiled by these free thinking and self-appointed teachers, or sages, who later became known as rabbis. These are the teachings that Christ described as the commandments and traditions of men. It is important to note that the Talmud still provides the basis of teaching for modern day Judaism.
Under the Roman occupation that still existed when Christ was born, a group called the Sanhedrin was founded that should not be confused with the Sopherim, or Great Assembly of priests, that Ezra had established.
Although modelled after the group of elders set up under Moses the Sanhedrin was not necessarily made up of legitimate priests in accordance with the Law of Moses. It was largely comprised of sages, or rabbis whose opinions in interpreting the Torah were considered ‘wise’ in Jewish culture and formed the basis of the Talmud.
The effect of the changes that had taken place during these times will become apparent as we work though the prophecy of Malachi and see how Christ dealt with them in the Book of Matthew.
The Prophecy of Malachi
The prophecy was written in the unique style of a perceived conversation between God and the priests.
God knew that through succeeding generations after Ezra’s reforms, knowledge and understanding would be lost and that the priests would refuse to acknowledge the sorry state they were in, “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” (Malachi 3:7).
They lacked appreciation of what God had done for them, “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?” (Malachi 1:2). His love was evident when comparing the abundance of their inheritance with that of Esau’s descendants who had received only a wilderness area.
During the reforms by Ezra the Jews had sworn to offer God the first fruits of the land, “…And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD: Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.” (Nehemiah 10:35-37).
But God said they failed in doing this and He knew they would deny it, “Wherein have we robbed thee?” (Malachi 3:8). To which God replied, “In tithes and offerings.” (Malachi 3:8).
The whole nation was under a curse as a result of breaking the covenant they had entered into during Ezra’s reforms, “Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.” (Malachi 3:9). Like earlier covenants with Israel it was conditional, based on blessings and cursing, “…every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;” (Nehemiah 10:28-29).
By allowing sick, lame and injured animals to be sacrificed they were openly disrespectful. Their actions not only transgressed the ceremonial laws but demonstrated a lack of understanding with regard to what the sacrifices represented. Yet they said, “Wherein have we despised thy name?” (Malachi 1:6), “Wherein have we polluted thee?” (Malachi 1:7).
They had become self-centred and could not see any profit for themselves in serving God, “Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” (Malachi 3:14-15). Of course this was something they denied, “In what way have we spoken against You?” (Malachi 3:13).
They had previously agreed not to allow intermarriage with other nations which opened the way for the worship of foreign gods, “And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:” (Nehemiah 10:30). Yet the priests were allowing this very thing to occur, “Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.” (Malachi 2:11).
They had wearied God with their words, “Wherein have we wearied him?” (Malachi 2:17). And questioned His judgment, “When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?” (Malachi 2:17).
The attitude of the priests was one of disrespect for their God, His plan for mankind and the Kingdom to come. They also lacked understanding of the spiritual values and outcomes that God wanted them as a nation to portray to the world.
The priests had responsibilities to proclaim God’s glory which, if they did not take seriously would result in curses, “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:1-4).
Their role was to teach the law and turn the people away from sin as the priests of Levi had done in Moses time, “My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:5-7).
The role of priests was to represent God and teach the law (Torah). But God knew that they would fail and their corrupt practices would cause many to stumble, “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.” (Malachi 2:8-9).
The reference to their being contemptible and base could well refer to the fact that the Levitical Priesthood would be subverted by base or non-Levitical laymen. The Pharisees who dominated the priesthood in Christ’s time were not Levities and according to some sources the position of High Priest had become obtainable through bribery. The rabbinic teachings they promoted were not inspired by God and lacked the essential spiritual content. Instead of teaching the Law of Moses these lay priests taught the commandments of men that later became known as the Talmud.
Rather than teaching about the Kingdom of God their pursuit of status and wealth took priority.
Dealing with Corruption
The Word of God (Logos) who had been dealing with Israelite throughout their existence said through Malachi that He would come in person to purge the corrupted priesthood.
But first He would send someone to prepare the way, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” (Malachi 3:1-7).
In addition to purging the priesthood He indicated that He would co-opt the services of the righteous from among the people to serve in their stead, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” (Malachi 3:16-18).
He said of these righteous ones that, ‘… they shall be mine’ which is what He had said when He first appointed the Levites to serve Him (Numbers 3:10-13, 44-5 and 8:14). He was now indicating that He was going to make these righteous ones His priests.
He gave the existing priests a stark reminder of what would happen if they did not repent of their unrighteous attitude, “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 4:1-3).
He gave them the opportunity to repent and return to the teachings originally given to Moses, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.” (Malachi 4:4).
He reiterated that He was sending someone to prepare the way so that the righteousness of the fathers could be taught to future generations by turning their minds back to those things the fathers had been taught, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6).
Primarily the role of the priesthood in Israel and subsequently Judah was to serve God by preaching the Kingdom of God as a witness to the world. It was part of God’s plan to reconcile mankind to Himself, so man could receive their inheritance of eternal life in the Kingdom.
The purpose of Malachi’s prophecy was to declare the failure of these men who in taking on the role of priests had not served God by preaching His Kingdom to the world. If there was no repentance He was going to purge them from that role and give it to the righteous from among the people who were willing to serve Him.
Witness to the Kingdom has to be accomplished before judgment could come upon the world, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14).
Fulfilling Prophecy
Over three hundred years after the prophecy of Malachi was recorded John the Baptist began the task of preparing the way for the Word of God to come and purge the priesthood.
John did not pull any punches when addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to check him out. He warned them to repent, or flee from what God has in store because they had not produced results expected of them. He said that they would be cut down and cast into the fire like fruit trees that failed to bear fruit, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10).
The one whose way John prepared was not only the creator; He was to be a light to mankind, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5).
He was the Word who became Jesus Christ, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).
John bore witness that Jesus Christ was the Word and the true light and that those who received and believed Him would be born of spirit to become literal children of God, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:6-13).
Once Christ had been publically acknowledged by John as the Messiah and had resisted Satan’s temptations He came to Capernaum in the area of Galilee, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (Matthew 4:14-16 see also Isaiah 9:1-2).
There He preached the Kingdom of God, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…” (Matthew 4:23).
Preaching the Gospel
The word gospel means good news. He began preaching the good news about the kingdom of God. It was the same gospel that He as the Word of God, had preached to Abraham, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8).
And that He had preached to Israel, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Hebrews 4:2). Hebrews 3:16 indicates that those to whom the gospel was preached were those who “came out of Egypt by Moses”.
The gospel of the Kingdom was not just a New Testament message, it was also proclaimed in ancient times especially to the ‘fathers’ of Israel. It was the body of teaching that prophetically proclaimed the good news about the Kingdom of God.
The Hebrew word translated as ‘law’ is ‘Torah’ which according Strong’s means; instruction, doctrine, or law. It originates from the word ‘yarah’ meaning to teach, inform, instruct, show, or direct. The Law (Torah) of Moses simply means teachings recorded by Moses in the first five Books of the Bible. It included the Commandments and ceremonies and rituals that were a shadow of future spiritual outcomes in the plan God had for mankind and His Kingdom, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” (Hebrews 10:1).
The Torah could also be described as the constitutional law of the nation of Israel and subsequently Judah.
In a broad sense both the gospel and the torah, being a body of teaching that proclaims the Kingdom of God, are essentially one and the same thing.
That meant the gospel of the Kingdom of God that Christ proclaimed had already been preached to the ‘fathers’ of Israel in the form of the Torah.
The spiritual intention was for the Torah to provide a light to show mankind the way, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Ps 119:105). And, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law (Torah) is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” (Proverbs 6:23). It was to light the way to the Kingdom. When Jesus Christ who is that ‘true light’ (John 1:9-10) came He also preached the Kingdom and His teachings light the way for us today.
Sermon on the Mount
Shortly after beginning His ministry Christ delivered His famous Sermon on the Mount. He began by defining the type of attitude (Matthew 5:1-12) required of those who will enter the Kingdom of God that He was preaching about.
It was the same believing mindset that had been imputed to the Abraham as righteousness, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23).
It was that humble attitude of righteousness that was characteristic of the ‘fathers’ of Israel (i.e. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses) to which the minds of future generations are going to be aligned as Malachi implied, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:6).
He then indicated that it was not just a matter of belief, He was also looking for commitment to obey and serve Him regardless of the reviling, persecution and all manner of evil that will be levelled at those who follow Him (Matthew 5:10-11). Their reward is eternal life in the Kingdom of God (verse12). That is the same reward that awaits their ‘fathers’ and all those listed in Hebrews 11 who have already died in faith having that same humble attitude of righteousness that Christ was describing, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40).
He likened those who received His teaching to the salt that flavours, or the light that shines, implying that He expected their response to glorify the Father in the eyes of the world. If their response did not glorify God they were not fulfilling their calling and would be cast out, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16).
This warning not only applied to those who heard Him but also to those who served in the role of priests in both Israel and Judah. If they did not fulfil the role then they would be ‘cast out’.
Restoring the Spirit of the Law
He then told them that He had not come to destroy the law, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17-18).
This is not some new law He is talking about, it is the Torah, the body of teachings given to Moses to light the way for mankind, leading them to eternal life. Those ceremonial laws and rituals that pointed to the Messiah were to be fulfilled by Christ’s death and His resurrection to the role as High Priest, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;” (Hebrews 3:1). But the moral law known as the Ten Commandments that was the basis of Israel’s covenant is the same law on which our personal covenant with Christ is based.
The law existed before Mount Sinai and was preached to the ‘fathers’ by the Word of God, “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:5). The Commandments are spiritual principles and always remain the same. But the statutes that determine how those principles are applied in given circumstances may change as they did in Deuteronomy to accommodate the move from a nomadic to sedentary lifestyle when they entered the Promised Land. Judgments on the other hand are made by an appointed authority when the circumstances are not so clear and may vary depending on those circumstances at the time. But again the spiritual principle does not change.
Many have believed that Christ was preaching some new spiritual element to the law for His ‘New Testament’ followers. But this is simply not the case. The word ‘fulfil’ is translated from the Greek word ‘pleroo’ which, according to Strong’s, not only means to complete, fill or perfect it also means to fully preach. In this instance Christ was emphasising the spiritual intent of the law which had always existed but which the priests had failed to teach.
The priests in Christ’s time had only taught the letter of the law that was based on their own physical perspective. Their teaching lacked the essential spiritual element necessary for the spiritual development that led to eternal life in God’s Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul said, “For we know that the law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14). And keeping the law was meant to involve the motivational and thinking processes that would lead to righteous decisions and actions, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Abraham had been taught the moral law with its Commandments and their spiritual intent. He understood this and his response was imputed to him as righteousness because he believed and obeyed from the heart, seeking fulfilment of the spiritual intent of the law. He was not just going through the motions of keeping the letter of the law, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23).
Those very same Commandments that Christ mentioned in His Sermon on the Mount were also given by Him (as the Word of God) with the same spiritual intent to Abraham and to Israel through Moses as they are given to us today, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8).
Because of Abraham the Israelites were sanctified, which meant that they were set apart for a holy purpose by God, “And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.” (Exodus 19:14).
He gave them the same opportunity of salvation and eternal life that is given to the families of those called to Christ today. They are sanctified in the same way, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.” (I Corinthians 7:14-17).
If a family member of a person who has been called by God also believes and is willing to commit, God may call them as well. But if they are not so inclined it is not held against them. They are not under bondage and will eventually be called at a more appropriate time for them which for most will be during the Great White Throne Judgment period (Revelation 20:11-15).
Members of Abraham’s extended family such as Isaac, Jacob and Joseph (Hebrews 11:8, 20-23) who were the ‘fathers’ of Israel and many others down through the history of Israel were also called. They understood the spiritual aspects of the law and died in faith, having attained the same righteousness that Abraham had and are now awaiting resurrection to eternal life, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
Although they were sanctified, those of Abraham’s extended family who were not inclined to believe and obey, were not called to salvation at that time. They will be resurrected back to physical life in the White Throne Judgment to receive their opportunity like everyone else who has not been called in this age (Revelation 20:11-15).
Christ did not come to destroy the law (Torah) but to restore the spiritual intent that had been ignored by the priesthood and had caused many to stumble, “But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:8). Their teachings that were based on their own interpretations of the law were not producing the type of righteousness God required.
For a long time the priests had only been teaching the letter of the law. Christ came to fulfil the law by restoring the spiritual intent behind the Commandments. These required the right motivation to engage the process behind the thoughts that led to the actions of a person, rather than merely obeying the letter of the law.
True Righteousness
Christ said that the law says we are not to kill but the spiritual intent is that we are not to even harbour the thoughts of anger or hatred against another person (Matthew 5:21-26) because they could ultimately lead to murder. He said that just lusting after a woman in one’s mind is tantamount to already committing the sin of adultery (Matthew 5:27-30). He went on to cover laws and statutes concerning divorce, swearing of oaths, retaliation, and love of enemies, demonstrating the spiritual intent that was lacking in the teaching of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:31-48).
He also addressed the hypocritical nature of the example set by the priests in the way they gave alms, prayed, fasted, and in their attitudes concerning wealth, judgment and things that are holy (Matthew 6:1 through to 7:6).
Through their teaching and example the Pharisees had established a form of righteousness based on the letter of the law with no regard to the purity of motivation and thought required to keep the spiritual intent of the law. And Christ said that sort of righteousness was not going to get anyone into the Kingdom of God, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20).
Righteousness generally means being upright and correctly aligned with God with regard to behaviour, ethics and morality. The righteousness God requires is right behaviour as defined by the principals of law that He has provided. It involves a spiritual maturity that comes from the heart and goes above the mere letter of the law.
As we have already read the law is spiritual, “For we know that the law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14) and that implies what motivates the thoughts that lead to righteous behaviour is also spiritual. It requires an obedience that comes from the core of a sincerely believing mind that is motivated out of a deep-seated love for God and a desire to be like Him.
Just keeping the letter of the law is not sufficient especially if the mind still harbours murderous or adulterous thoughts. Nor is it sufficient to keep the law just to avoid punishment, or to gain a reward. That type of motivation only produces a false sense of righteousness, or self righteousness.
Christ warned against listening to those whose teaching does not bear fruit, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20).
When John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness He warned the Pharisees and Sadducees of their fate for not bearing fruit, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10).
Know Them by Their Fruits
Having addressed the lack of spirituality in the priests’ teaching, Christ then warned the people about the attitude of the priests themselves.
Malachi had indicated that their lack of spiritual understanding would result in the priests becoming disgruntled especially when the proud and wicked seem to be prospering and going unpunished, “Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” (Malachi 3:14-15).
Instead of seeking to glorify their God regardless of what happened to the wicked, they sought to profit by glorifying themselves, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” (Matthew 6:1-2).
Christ said that they relished to be seen by men when giving alms and praying in public, “…for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.” (Matthew 6:5). And in fasting, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.” (Matthew 6:16).
Instead of relying on God to provide for them they sought to profit by taking advantage of their status and power, “…But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
They judged the actions of others but not those of themselves, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5).
John had said that Christ was coming to purge the priesthood, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:11-12).
Which is exactly what Malachi had predicted several hundred years earlier, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3).
Christ Spoke with Authority
Because they had only previously heard the Scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees preach, the people were astonished to hear what Christ taught, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29).
He encouraged the leper He had healed to show himself to the priests as a testimony of His authority, “And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” (Matthew 8:4).
His authority was recognised and respected by a Roman Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) and by many who brought the sick and possessed for Him to heal (Matthew 8:14-17). Even the demons acknowledged His authority, “And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:28-29).
His disciples marvelled that He had authority over the wind (Matthew 8:23-27). But the scribes only thought evil of Him for these works “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:3-4).
He had done these things to prove that He had the authority from God to forgive sins (Matthew 9:4-6). And instead of acknowledging the authority that He clearly demonstrated to them the Pharisees only criticised Christ for associating with sinners. That was when He pointed out to them that the spiritual element of mercy was more important than their physical rituals, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13).
Christ knew that the corrupt and unrepentant nature of these priests would eventually lead them to sanction His death. He intimated that it was pointless trying to repair such a corrupt priesthood that was no longer fit for purpose. Instead He was going to purge out the old and give their role to those who were righteous, “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:16-17).
He further demonstrated His authority by raising the dead (Matthew 9:22-26). Even the blind could see who He was (Matthew 9:27). But the Pharisees refused to acknowledge His authority and blasphemously accused Him of being the prince of devils, “But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.” (Matthew 9:34).
These very men who held the positions of priests in the Temple of God not only failed to preach the Kingdom but refused to acknowledge the authority of Christ that came from God.
Because the priests had failed in the role the people were spiritually lost and in need of true leadership. Christ intended to provide that leadership through those He was training as Apostles to serve in their stead, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38).
Preaching the Kingdom
He called His disciples together and sent them on a mission to preach to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). They were lost because the priests had failed to preach the spiritual aspects of God’s Kingdom and salvation.
He warned His disciples that the priests would oppose and persecute them, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.” (Matthew 10:16-18).
Just as Christ had been accused, so too would they be, “…If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:25).
He reminded them that He had not come to bring peace but to purge with a sword, “…Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34).
Christ referred them back to what John the Baptist had said and to confirm that he was the one of whom Malachi had spoken (Malachi 3:1) who had been sent to prepare the way for Christ (Matthew 11:7-11).
Taking the Kingdom by Force
Then Christ said something that has confused many, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:12-15).
Many interpret this as being the righteous who take the Kingdom by force, but this is not the case at all. The righteous are called by God to receive the Kingdom in a humble attitude - they do not take it by force.
When Christ said, “from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence”, He was not referring to when John began preaching until then but from the time Malachi had first mentioned his role in Malachi 3:1 hundreds of years previously.
Although the Greek word ‘hemera’ translated as ‘days’ of John the Baptist has a literal meaning it also figuratively means - a time, years or an age. All the prophets and the law had prophesied of the coming Messiah right up until the last prophet Malachi. He said that Elijah would prepare the way for Christ to come and to purge the priesthood, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:1).
Although the Pharisees were not Levites they had forced themselves into the priest’s role and were to be held accountable for not fulfilling the duties of the role.
So the ‘days’ or age of John the Baptist who was that ‘Elijah’ could mean that whole period of time from the first mention of his role by the prophet Malachi until several hundred years later when John had fulfilled his part of the prophecy.
That time included the occupation of Judah by the Greeks who removed the authority of the Levitical priesthood that had so carefully been re-established by Ezra’s reforms and allowed those who were not of the tribe of Levi to take over the priestly roles in the temple. These non-Levitical priests were largely from Pharisees and had ‘forced’ their way into the priesthood. The position of Chief Priest had become very political and appointments were made subject to bribes. By Christ’s time the Pharisees were the predominant sect and had in effect, wrenched the Kingdom away from those whom God had ordained to preach it.
It was the God-appointed role of the priests to preach the Kingdom. But instead of fulfilling that role they deliberately suppressed the gospel of the Kingdom, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13).
It was from these non-Levitical Priests that Christ was going to remove the Kingdom and give it to the righteous, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43).
The passage in Matthew 11:12-15 concerning those who had taken the Kingdom by force must be considered in the overall context of what Malachi had prophesied (Malachi 3:16-18).
This was a major milestone in the plan of God. Christ was beginning to fulfil what the law and the prophets had predicted. He was warning those who had spiritual discernment to take heed, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15).
He likened these priests who were suppressing the Kingdom to children in the marketplace who are offended when He did not dance to their tune (Matthew 11:16-19).
The violent side of their nature was clearly exposed when they plotted His death for revealing their corruption.
What Christ said in Matthew 11:12-15 about the Pharisees taking the Kingdom by force should not be confused with what Luke was talking about when Christ said, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Luke 16:16). This was a totally different occasion when Christ was referring to the righteous who flocked to the Kingdom in response to His teaching,
In Matthew 11:12 - ‘the violent take it (the Kingdom) by force’. The Greek word ‘biastes’ translated as ‘violent’ means ‘a forcer’ and is qualified by the word ‘harpazo’ translated ‘force’ means to ‘pluck, pull, or take (by force)’ implies an aggressive and unprovoked action to take something by force. Whereas in Luke 16:16 - ‘every man presseth into it’ the Greek word ‘biazo’ translated as ‘presseth’ means to crowd oneself into (reflexively), or to be seized (passively) implying an enthusiastic reaction that is a result to what is being preached.
Pharisees begin to Challenge Christ
Now we begin to see the religious authorities challenging Christ. The Pharisees confronted Him about His disciples plucking corn on the Sabbath, claiming their actions were unlawful, “But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:2).
He countered by pointing out that technically the priests themselves break the law when serving in the temple (Matthew 12:3-8).
Again He mentions the importance of mercy rather than ritual and that says that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:7-8).
The implication here is that He as the Son of God who created the law and now dwells among men has the authority to define what is lawful, or not, whereas the Pharisees had no authority with regard to making, or changing laws.
Continuing on in Matthew, the Pharisees then tried to entrap Christ with a man in need of healing. And when Christ did heal the man on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10-13) the Pharisees plotted to destroy Him, “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.” (Matthew 12:14).
The Pharisees Held to Account
Under the occupation of the Greeks the authority of the Levitical priesthood had been removed and the influence of a free thinking Greek culture had allowed the Jews to interpret and teach their own version of scripture. That gave rise to lay teachers or rabbis, who formed numerous Jewish sects including the Pharisees; Sadducees, Scribes, Essenes and Hasideans each with their own set of doctrines.
Because the Pharisees had assumed the roles of temple priests God held them accountable for the responsibilities that went with the role.
Christ indicated that the people should follow the instructions of those who had assumed religious authority as long as it complied with the teachings of Moses. But they were not to follow instructions that were contrary to what Moses had taught, “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” (Matthew 23:1-3).
Through the interpretations of numerous rabbis the Pharisees had developed some 613 commands that were seen as additions to the writing of Moses which they interpret as the ‘oral law’ that they claim was spoken by God to Moses.
However, the Bible does not support the concept of an additional ‘oral law’. Instead it clearly indicates that Moses writings were a complete package, “And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:24-26).
The Bible says that the Book of the Law given to Moses was not to be added to, or taken away from, “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2).
Christ pointed out that by adding their own rabbinic customs and traditions to the exiting teaching of Moses the Pharisees had imposed huge and unnecessary burdens on the people.
He compared the heavy burden imposed by the Pharisees through their multiple traditions and laws to the true way which was far less burdensome, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Christ knew that plucking corn from the field to eat on the Sabbath was not contrary to the intent of the Sabbath that He as the Word of God had established. He was the Lord of the Sabbath, “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28).
Christ was saying that the principal of mercy outweighs that of ritual which was something the Pharisees with their myriad of additional rabbinic laws could never achieve, “But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:7-8).
The Pharisees asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath and Christ by healing a man on the Sabbath confirmed His own authority and their lack of understanding in regard to the intent of the law (Matthew 12:10-13). So the Pharisees held council against Him, “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.” (Matthew 12:14).
Many at that time were expecting a Messiah who would come to rule the world, but Christ restrained those whom He healed from making Him known. Although He was the servant mentioned in Isaiah 42:1-7 who is eventually to bring judgment on the world He had things to accomplish before that was possible, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” (Matthew 12:17-21).
Opening the eyes of the spiritually blind and bringing a light to the Gentiles were among the things to be accomplished as indicated in Isaiah 42:6-7.
Christ Issues a Warning
When He cast out a demon the Pharisees accused Him of doing so by Satan, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” (Matthew 12:24).
Christ told them that He cast out demons by the Holy Spirit as a witness of the Kingdom. He warned them that if they would not accept Him, then they would be scattered abroad, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you… …He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” (Matthew 12:28 & 30).
He also warned them that they were in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit through their accusations (Matthew 12:31-32) for which they will have to give account, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37).
He said that they will be judged by their fruits, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:33-34).
When they requested a sign from Him He gave them the sign of Jonah, “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:38-40).
Having indicated in Matthew 12:30 that those against Him would be ‘scattered abroad’ He then identified His disciples as those willing to do God’s will, which reminds us once again of His mission to purge those in authority (Malachi 3:2-3) and spare the righteous who are willing to serve God (Malachi 3:16-18).
Parables of the Kingdom
He then embarked on a series of parables explaining the mysteries of the Kingdom for those who had the ears to hear i.e. spiritual discernment (Matthew 13:9-11). He indicated that the Kingdom would be taken from those whose minds are closed and given to those willing to hear (Matthew 13:12-16).
He mentioned the things that the prophets had known and spoken of that but not fulfilled in their time, “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Matthew 13:17).
But many did not have ears to hear and did not believe, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58).
His next encounter with the Pharisees and Scribes was concerning the washing of hands. They accused His disciples of not following the traditions of the elders (Matthew 15:2).
These were the traditions and customs were not part of the teachings of Moses. They were the interpretations by non-Levitical rabbis of what they thought God meant which they taught as doctrine.
Christ cut to the crux of the matter by giving an example of where one of their traditions countermanded the commandment of God, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition… …Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” (Matthew 15:3 and 6).
He called them hypocrites because they made a big show of their religion but their worship was in vain, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:7-9).
When His disciples seemed concerned that He had offended the Pharisees Christ said, “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:13-14). He had to explain to them that eating with unwashed hands was not the issue because was merely physical. From a spiritual aspect it is the thoughts that defile the man. It is more import that the mind is cleansed. If the teachers did not understand the spiritual aspects of the law accomplished this then it was a definitely case of the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:16-20).
The Pharisees had not been appointed by God. They were not Levites and they were not teaching the important spiritual aspect of the law. Because of this they were to be relieved of their duties, or as John the Baptist so aptly put it, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10).
Parable of the Tares
Christ had just related the parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) which He then explained to them in detail, “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:37-43).
This parable states that the tares are the agents of Satan who come with teachings that defile, or ‘offend’. Although the Pharisaic priesthood was to be purged Christ was indicating that their erroneous teachings would continue in the world until the end-time when He would put an end to them. At that time the righteous who are willing to serve Him as mentioned by Malachi 3:16-18 will be rewarded.
It is important for us to understand that although the Pharisaic priesthood came to an end in 70AD when the Romans sacked the Temple, those same erroneous rabbinic teachings that Christ condemned continue to be taught today. Modern Judaism is not a great deal different to what the Pharisees taught. It is based on the rabbinic teachings of the ‘oral law’ added to which are the interpretations and commentaries of the Talmud which are in the same vein as the traditions of men rather than the teachings of Moses. Those who want to incorporate Jewish traditions and teachings into their Christian way of life need to tread very warily.
When the Pharisees along with the Sadducees asked Christ for a sign from Heaven (Matthew 16:1). He called them hypocrites and described them as a wicked and adulterous generation, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.” (Matthew 16:4)
He warned His disciples to be wary of the erroneous doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees... …How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6, 11-12).
He knew that their wickedness would result in them demanding His death, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matthew 16:21).
Keys to the Kingdom
He then told Peter that He would build His Church and evil would not prevail against it, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18).
He did not mean that Satan would be prevented from attacking the Church, rather that He would not overcome it.
It was to this group of righteous people, who were willing to serve Christ, that the keys to the Kingdom would be given “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19).
Christ later told the Pharisees that He is taking the Kingdom from them to give to those who bring forth fruits, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43). Which is exactly what Malachi had prophesied (Malachi 3:16-18).
He was not giving Church leaders carte blanche authority, or freedom, to decide what new doctrines they can impose on His people as many have interpreted the King James Version of Matthew 16:19. What He said is more accurate translation as follows, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 New American Standard Bible, and as supported by a number of other English translations).
Christ was saying that He would give the keys of the Kingdom to those who are willing to serve God and do His will on earth as it is already done in Heaven. Just as in a previous time He had instructed the Levitical Priests not add to or take away from the teachings of Moses (Deuteronomy 4:1-2), Christ was similarly instructing the leaders of His Church that they are not to add to, or take away from His teachings because they have been bound in Heaven.
That is precisely what He told His followers to pray for when He said, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10).
He was not giving Church leaders the authority to make, or change the laws that His Father had set in place.
By this time the Pharisees had already determined to destroy Christ (Matthew 12:14). He knew they were plotting against Him, so it was time go up to Jerusalem and confront them head on. The Pharisees wanted evidence so they could legally condemn Him through the consensus of the Sanhedrin and by authority of the Roman Governor.
The Sanhedrin was not the same as the Great Assembly of priests that Ezra had set up some four hundred years earlier which was comprised of Levitical priests who were responsible for the preservation and accurate transcription of scriptures that were the teachings of Moses.
The Greeks disallowed the Great Assembly during their occupation and during the Roman occupation the Sanhedrin was set up as a political and judicial council of elders comprised of 71 members. It is believed to have included both Pharisees and Sadducees who were under Roman authority and did not have the power to carry out the death penalty. It was later abolished in 70 AD after the temple was destroyed.
Christ Turns the Tables
Up to this point the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes had been seeking Christ out, but now He was going up to Jerusalem to confront them, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matthew 16:21).
As we have extensively covered the sequence of events of Christ’s last days in our article ‘From Jericho to Pentecost’ which we recommend for reading, we will cover only those events that we feel are relevant to the purposes of this article- mainly His encounters with the religious authorities.
According to Matthew it was a very great multitude that accompanied Christ on His approach to Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8). With their joyous shouting and praise they were acknowledging that Christ came ‘in the name of the Lord’ having the full authority of God as the Messiah and king bringing salvation with Him (Zechariah 9:9). It was a momentous occasion that stirred the whole city with the thunder of their shouting as they entered Jerusalem! So great was the cry from the multitude that the whole city wanted to know who was approaching, “And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10-11). The multitude replied that He was the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15 (see also Acts 3:22-23).
Matthew describes the clearing of the temple, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:12-13)
This was not the first time Christ had turned the tables on them. There had been a clearing of the temple described by John that occurred some three years previously at the beginning of Christ's public ministry (John 2:12-22). It was on this earlier occasion that He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (verse 19). These words would later be used by false witnesses as evidence against Him at His trial (Mark 14:57-59) and with which they mocked Him at His crucifixion (Mark 15:29).
Significance of the Fig Tree
The next morning on the way to the Temple Christ made an observation about a fig tree that He cursed the previous day for not bearing fruit, “And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!” (Matthew 21:19-20)
Mark gives a more detailed account, “And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.” (Mark 11:12-21).
It is understood that the fig tree he cursed was near the village of Bethphage which was an important centre where the Sanhedrin would meet to make certain decisions that were required to be made 'outside the camp'. With this in mind we can see more clearly that the tree symbolized the priesthood and its centre of power when we consider the powerful message that Christ delivered to the Sanhedrin through parables he taught in the temple later that same morning.
The great show of leaves gave the impression of a healthy tree that should be bearing fruit. But that expectation of fruit was not met on closer inspection. Just like the priesthood with its fine show of ritual and ceremony with which they maintained their prominence and power in Jewish society, it unfortunately did not bear the spiritual fruit that God expected of it.
Only three and a half years earlier John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees a 'generation of vipers' likening them to a tree that did not bear fruit which will be cut down and burnt, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10).
By cursing the fig tree Christ was indicating the time to lay the axe to the root of the tree had arrived. When He said that 'no man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever' (Mark 11:14), He meant that the end of the priesthood was near.
Again we are reminded of Christ’s purpose to purge the priesthood “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Malachi 4:1).
Teaching in the Temple
At this stage Christ began teaching in the Temple and again the Pharisees questioned His authority to do so, “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” (Matthew 21:23).
He answered by asking them, “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?” (Matthew 21:25). This put them in a bit of a dilemma and their answer revealed their duplicitous nature. To the Pharisees popularity and status was more important than truth, “…And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:25-27).
Christ then began to turn the tables on them verbally providing a parable that compared those who put themselves forward to do the master’s work but fail to do so, with those who are reluctant at first but in the end do the work, “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first…” (Matthew 21:28-31).
Christ made it obvious that He was talking about the Pharisees when He said, “…Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” (Matthew 21:31-32).
They put on a great religious show loving the accolades and acknowledgement just like the fig tree with its great show of foliage, but underneath all that foliage there was no fruit worthy of God’s Kingdom. Whereas the common folk like tax collectors and prostitutes who were not overly religious at that time were prepared to believe Christ. When shown the truth their response of faith, repentance and obedience was counted as righteous to them as it was with Abraham. They are among those who will serve God and inherit the Kingdom.
Again this emphasised what Malachi had been talking about when he said, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” (Malachi 3:16-18).
Parables
Christ then pushed the message home with a stronger parable that cut right to the heart of the matter, “There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.” (Matthew 21:33-39).
He then asked the crucial question, “When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.” (Matthew 21:40-41).
The religious authorities in both Israel and Judea had not only killed all the prophets God sent them over the centuries but were now on the verge of killing His Son whom the prophets had said they would reject, “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42).
That is when Christ said that the Kingdom would be taken from them and given to the righteous who were willing to serve Him just as Malachi (Malachi 3:16-18) had indicated, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43).
And He said that they who had not served Him would be destroyed, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:44).
This prophecy was fulfilled. The priesthood came to an end in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Temple and sacked Jerusalem with great loss of life.
There was no mistake about who Christ was referring to in this parable and the Pharisees knew it! “And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.” (Matthew 21:45).
Knowing this they still sought to kill Him, “But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.” (Matthew 21:46).
Parable of the Wedding
Christ then spoke another parable revealing the ambivalent attitude of the religious authorities toward the Kingdom and confirmed that the role of the priesthood would be given to those whom God called to righteousness, “And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” (Matthew 22:1-10).
He also revealed that those whom God calls to take over their role will also be accountable for their attitude and actions. This serves as a warning for the religious leaders today who are not fulfilling the role of preaching the Kingdom, “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11-14).
Questions
Still not deterred the Pharisees called upon the Herodians who asked whether it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not (Matthew 22:16-22). Christ perceived their wickedness and called them hypocrites. They marveled at His answer (Matthew 22:18).
Then the Sadducees put a question to Christ about the resurrection. Christ astonished the crowd with His answer pointing out that the Sadducees who did not believe in a resurrection, neither knew the scriptures, nor the power of God (Matthew 22:23-33).
One of the Scribes asked a question about the law and could find no fault in Christ’s answer (Matthew: 22:34-40).
At that point Christ brought the session to an end by asking them a question that they could not answer, “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:41-46).
They did not answer because they would have to admit that the Messiah, who was to be a descendent of David, was also the one whom David called Lord. And that Christ who came with the unprecedented miraculous power whose miracles to heal and raise the dead they had witnessed, was who He claimed to be - i.e. the Word of God whom a voice from Heaven had confirmed as the Son of God at His baptism, “…lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17).
They were confounded.
Only days before as He entered Jerusalem the crowds who had seen the miracles He performed had cried out instead, “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9). Christ said that if they had not cried out the stones would have, “And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:39-40).
They knew who He was but were reluctant to admit it. This put an end to their questions.
Moses Seat
Although the Pharisees were not God-ordained priests they had assumed the role of priests in the Temple. In effect they were sitting in the seat of Moses and God held them accountable for the responsibilities that went with the role.
Part of that role was to preserve and teach the Law of Moses, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1-2). The Greek word ‘logion’ translated ‘Oracles’ simply means utterances, or the word of God. The teachings, or Law of Moses (Torah) were part of the word of God that has been diligently preserved for us today.
Christ indicated that His disciples should follow the instructions of the Pharisees as long as they complied with the word of God. But they were not to follow any instructions that were contrary to the teachings of Moses, “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” (Matthew 23:1-3).
The priests in Christ’s time tended to ignore the Torah and focus on their own rabbinic interpretation of what they claimed to be the ‘oral law’ even though Christ had already condemned the rabbinic teachings as traditions and commandments of men.
He pointed out that the Pharisees loved the power that went with the position of priest and demanded that others to do things that they were not prepared to do themselves. They liked wearing flash garments, demanding the best seats and just loved to be called Rabbi, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.” (Matthew 23:4-7).
Christ told His own followers not to assume religious titles like Rabbi, Father and Master as the Pharisees had done, “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” (Matthew 23:8-10).
His followers were brethren under one master not like their fellow Jews who had many masters, or rabbis, each with their own teachings that were contrary to God’s way, “For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:8-9).
Christ once again expressed His heartfelt grief that the consequences of their teachings had the opposite affect to what God required of them, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13).
He rebuked the heavy burdens they put on widows and their pretentious public prayers. Actions for which they will one day be held accountable, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” (Matthew 23:14).
He indicated that they and their followers were in danger of the Lake of Fire, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell (Gehenna) than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15).
Christ continued to reveal their hypocrisy to the crowd covering the same issues He had addressed three and a half years previously in the Sermon on the Mount. They had not repented, or made any attempt to change their ways.
He used the Greek word ‘moros’ to describe them which means foolish, “Ye fools…” (Matthew 23:19. He said they were mentally blind and hypocrites who professed certain beliefs, opinions and laws that they imposed on others but did not abide by themselves. It is the word from which the modern term moron is derived.
Example of Rabbinic Teaching
He criticised their guidance especially in matters regarding oaths and covenants and their neglect of judgment, mercy and faith that is the spiritual intent of the law. Their outward show of religiosity did not produce the spiritual results that God required of His priesthood.
One particular example Christ had to address was the rabbinic interpretation of the Torah concerning the swearing oaths. The Pharisees had a complicated system of swearing whereby, the holier the object they swore by, or held while swearing the oath made it more binding. But it was administered in such a way that made it easier for an unscrupulous person to lie before a judge, or to renege on their promises, “Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.” (Matthew 23:16-22).
Christ had previously addressed this problem in His Sermon on the Mount, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37).
He had already told His followers that their righteousness needed to be greater than that of the Pharisees meaning that because they were righteous their word should always be truthful and binding. Their promises should be kept without fail and we should be able to consider their ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ to be as good as an oath, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20).
He said that while the Pharisees paid meticulous attention to administering the physical aspects of the law they neglected the more important spiritual matters, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23).
Despite the fact that Christ condemned them for teaching things contrary to God’s law, the teachings and traditions of the Rabbis have to this day survived. They were added to and recorded over the centuries to be compiled into what is known today as the Talmud. The Talmud forms the basis of modern day Judaism. Little has changed.
An Outward Show of Religion
They made a great outward display of their religiosity but were full of greed and lacking in self-control. They needed to be purged, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:25-26).
Again He likened them to tombs that look beautiful on the outside but were full of decaying corpses, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23:27-28).
In other words they were like the fig tree that Christ had cursed only the day before that was full of leafy foliage but bore no fruit.
In a false show of righteousness they had honoured the prophets whom their fathers had killed saying they would not have done the same, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.” (Matthew 23:29-30).
Because they were the offspring of Satan the serpent, they were about to do exactly the same to Christ as their fathers had done to His prophets. These are actions for which they will have to give account in the Day of Judgment, “Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:31-33).
What is more He said, they will do the same to those He sends after Him from among His righteous followers to whom the role of preaching the Kingdom was to be given, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” (Matthew 23:34-36).
The priesthood in Christ’s time had failed to repent. They were spiritually desolate and cut off from God, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matthew 23:37-38).
They are to remain cut off from God until they accept Christ as their saviour. At this point He was said that He rested his case against them and had nothing more to say until they did make an effort to repent, “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:39).
This is similar to what had previously been said of Israel, “…and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10).
Preparing the Righteous
As part of His plan to save mankind God promised to make those in Israel who obeyed Him into a Holy Kingdom of priests, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:5-6).
This was a promise that the righteous of Israel would become a spiritual priesthood in His future Kingdom.
But in the meantime a physical priesthood had been ordained to preach the promise of the future spiritual Kingdom. He warned those priests that they would be cut off from Him if they profaned His Holy things, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 22:1-3).
And this is exactly what those who had taken over the priesthood by force between the time of Ezra’s reforms and the coming of Christ had cause Judah to do, “Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.” (Malachi 2:11).
So the role of preaching the Kingdom was going to be taken from them and given to those to whom it had been promised in the first place - the righteous who were willing to obey, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21:43).
According to the testimony of Christ it is those who have been washed clean by His blood that are to receive the promise, “…Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6 RSV).
Knowing that the unrepentant Pharisees would be determined to carry out their plot to kill Him, Christ turned His attention back to His disciples who by this time realized that He was going to die.
What He said as He walked through the temple with His disciples was that that the temple would be destroyed. And in 70AD its destruction brought an end to the priesthood that He had condemned, “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:1-2).
When His disciples asked privately for a sign of His coming and the end of the world He warned them of what was to come and of the deception that will arise concerning these things, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:4-8).
He said that they would be persecuted, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:9-13).
He then spoke specifically of the end time and His return to resurrect the saints. As we have already written about these prophetic events in other articles such ‘Last Trump’ and ‘A Serious Warning’ we do not need to cover these end-time prophesies again in this article.
He assured His followers that the Kingdom would be preached to all nations before the end comes, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14).
And He warned them as well as those who will come after them, not to neglect the role that has been given to them and not to be overcome by the cares of this world, “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:48-51).
Nor were they to neglect their own spiritual development, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 25:1-13).
They were to be endowed with the Holy Spirit plus spiritual gifts to perform their role and God expected them to use those attributes in preaching the gospel. The parable of the talents warns that there are serious consequences for those who commit to the role of His priesthood and fail to produce the fruits He requires of them (Matthew 25:14-30).
In addition to the persecution He had already warned them to expect they would also be subject to the judgment that will come upon all (Matthew 25:31-46).
These are very serious warnings for all who commit to Christ’s royal priesthood and take on the role of preaching His Kingdom.
The Lord’s Supper
It was still two days before the Passover and the religious authorities began to consolidate their plan to kill Christ, “Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.” (Matthew 26:3-4).
Then at supper with His disciples the night before the Passover, Christ introduced a ceremony that we call the ‘Lord’s Supper’ which was in effect an initiation into the spiritual priesthood that is to serve Him.
They were to serve Him in their present lives as well as in the Kingdom, “…Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6 RSV).
His blood was shed for the remission of their sins and by drinking the wine that represented His blood, and eating the bread that represented His body, they were committing themselves to His spiritual priesthood, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28).
A Royal Priesthood
They were not only saved and freed from sin by Christ’s blood, they became part of a fellowship with Christ, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” (I Corinthians 10:16). They and all who partake of that ceremony are initiated into the community of a royal priesthood of which Christ is the High Priest, “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;” (Hebrews 8:1).
Both men and women who participate the Lord’s Supper are included in that royal priesthood and are now the people of God, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter 2:9-10).
A people called and chosen to serve God, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).
Impact on Us Today
We who have been called by God and given His Spirit are part of that royal priesthood which is a holy nation who are God’s people today. That holy nation is a spiritual nation set aside to serve Christ.
We are part of a spiritual Israel as were those called out of ancient Israel and Judah. We have all been initiated into that spiritual priesthood by the shedding of Christ’s blood, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:15).
By taking the bread we become part the body of Christ, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” (I Corinthians 12:27). We become members of a spiritual body of priests whose leader is Christ, “…The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (I Corinthians 10:16-17).
The people called to salvation by God both in ‘Old Testament’ and ‘New Testament’ times are represented by the two wave loaves that were offered up to God on the Day of Pentecost They represented the first fruits of God’s harvest, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18).
In ancient Israel Pentecost was called the Feast of Weeks, a harvest festival when two loaves of bread being the first fruits of the harvest were offered to God, “Thou shalt keep the feast of… … And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field:” (Exodus 23:15-16 see also Leviticus 23:15-21). They were a physical representation of the first fruits of spiritual harvest that the Day of Pentecost portrayed.
The process of salvation through the blood of Christ had been established from the beginning and had been prophesied by those in ancient times who had received the Holy Spirit that was a guarantee of their salvation in advance of Christ’s sacrifice, “…Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (I Peter 1:9-11).
We shall all serve Christ as priests during the Millennium, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6).
And we will be with Him for evermore, “And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:3-4).
It is to these people who have repented and received His Spirit that Malachi said would be given the Kingdom and who Christ confirmed would receive it (Matthew 21:43). They are a nation of spiritual people who emerged from the remnant of Israel that Malachi said would be willing to serve Christ.
Power to Serve
The role of preaching the Kingdom was taken away from the priests of Christ’s time and given to the righteous, a spiritual people who are willing to serve Him by producing the spiritual fruits He required. They who have the faith to believe can produce that fruit through the power of God’s Spirit that is given to them, “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."” (Acts 2:38-39 NKJV).
And significantly on that first Day of Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection there was a public display of the spiritual power being given to these people to help prepare them to fulfill the role as Christ’s priests in the future. These people who have God’s Holy Spirit are the first fruits of the harvest of humanity.
The Body of Christ is not a corporate church organization established by men - it is a spiritual body of people from all walks of life, who have committed to Christ and have received the Holy Spirit. Through participation in the ‘Lord’s Supper’ they have been ordained by Him into a spiritual priesthood to serve Him.
Attempt to Destroy Him
Shortly after Christ had established this incredibly important ceremony that is not to be taken lightly, He was put on trial by the religious authorities, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” (Matthew 26:59-68).
They were determined to destroy Him, “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” (Matthew 27:1-2).
Having already stated His case against the priesthood He remained silent during their false accusations, “And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.” (Matthew 27:11-16).
Pilate knew full well what motivated Christ’s accusers, “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.” (Matthew 27:18).
And they were determined to have Him killed, “Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.” (Matthew 27:22-25).
Christ Commissions His Priests
After the crucifixion when Christ was resurrected He came and spoke to His disciples over a period of forty days “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
The last words that Matthew recorded from Christ were to formerly commission those to whom the Kingdom had been given in their new role, “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
This was a commission given to His royal priesthood who had emerged from the remnants of physical Israel as a Spiritual Israel. And it was to this holy spiritual nation of Israel, who are God’s people, that the Gentiles who include all other peoples, have also been added over the centuries to this day.
God has not chose the intellectuals, the strong or wise of the world to fulfil this role, but the weak and foolish, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” (I Corinthians 1:26-27).
The good news is that this is an essential part of His plan to reconcile all peoples of the earth to Him in the fullness of time as He indicated to Abraham, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3).
During the forty days Christ spent with His disciples after His resurrection He mentioned a baptism of the Holy Spirit that was soon to take place. Naturally they asked if that was when they would be given the Kingdom, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:5-6).
Christ reassured them to be patient by telling them that the Father had everything in hand and they would be empowered by the Spirit to preach the Kingdom on His behalf to the world, “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8).
Summary
Malachi foretold what Christ would do and Matthew in his incredible account recorded how He came and fulfilled all that Malachi had prophesied. He came to purge the unfruitful priesthood by taking the Kingdom from them and giving it to those who were willing to produce the fruits He required of them. Thus fulfilling what He had originally promised to Israel from the outset, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:5-6).
If we repent and commit to Christ then He will initiate us into that spiritual priesthood to serve Him. Those who do so are accepted by Him as the true people of God, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter 2:1-10).
Because of their unbelief the Jews, like the Israelites before them had cut themselves off from God. The religious authorities who had taken over the priesthood during the Greek occupation by force were teaching traditions and commandments that Christ condemned.
Christ took the role of preaching and teaching the Kingdom from them and gave it to those Jews who were willing to believe and serve Him. It is to those people the Gentiles who also believed were added and are now considered by Christ as God’s people today.
It is only through the redemption of Christ’s blood that they or anyone else can be reconciled to God, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” (I Peter 1:18-20).
The unbelieving Jews to this day they are still following the traditions and commandments of men that Christ condemned.
When Peter said their ‘vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers’, He was not talking about the teaching of Moses. Moses did teach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, but the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes taught the traditions they had received from their more immediate ‘fathers’ meaning the Rabbis who had developed their traditions over the three to four centuries immediately prior to Christ.
Those traditions and commandments that they taught negated the gospel message, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13).
Many do not realise that those very rabbinic teachings that Christ condemned were extended in later years to become the Talmud which is the basis of modern-day Judaism.
It is tragic that many who are part of spiritual Israel that is the Body of Christ are trying to incorporate some of these erroneous teaching and traditions from modern Judaism into their lives.
It is equally tragic that many devoted and faithful spiritual Israelites who have already been initiated into the royal priesthood of Christ and are citizens of spiritual Israel are so desperate to prove that they are the ‘lost ten tribes’ of Israel that God long ago rejected.
Their insistence that they have some sort of inherited entitlement to land and physical blessings in the future must grieve God who has already given them a spiritual inheritance that far surpasses anything physical!
Both Israel and Judah were cut off from God because of their unbelief and have no entitlement to any inheritance until they accept Christ as their saviour, repent and commit to Him on an individual basis.
When they do accept Christ what they will inherit will be spiritual. They will also become part of a spiritual temple, a spiritual nation and a spiritual city called the New Jerusalem that will descend from Heaven to a new earth. The old heaven and the old earth will no longer exist and those physical rewards and so called ‘entitlements’ that many still desire will be of little value because they will no longer exist, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:1-3).
Malachi prophesied that Christ would come and purge the priesthood by taking the Kingdom from them because they were not teaching these spiritual outcomes that their physical nation and culture foreshadowed. He said that Christ would give the Kingdom to those who were willing to serve Him and fulfil the role as He required.
The Book of Matthew was a critical link between Old and New Testaments because it records how Christ fulfilled the prophesies by purging the defunct priesthood that was not doing the job and establishing the long promised royal priesthood that would serve Him not only in this age but in the Kingdom to come as well.
END
Authors note:
The authors of this paper highly recommend an excellent series of articles written by Ernest L Martin entitled “Is Judaism the Religion of Moses” published in the Good News Magazine and available by copying the following link into your browser.
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getmagazine&InfoID=1395229352&GetMag= GN&byYear=&page=15&return=magazines
The series ranges from Part 1 in the Good News Magazine, Vol IX, Number 12 of December 1960, through to Part 14 – Good News Magazine, Vol XI, Number 3 of March 1962.
These articles describe in detail the religious anarchy that existed during the chaotic times from Malachi’s prophecy until Christ’s ministry that resulted in Him having to purge the priesthood.
During the occupation of the Greeks and later the Romans, the role of High Priest had held by either Sadducees or Pharisees and according to some sources had becoming a political position that was obtained at times through bribery and treachery.
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