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"Which Covenant
Are We In?--A Simple Explanation"
For most Christians,
this question never arises. But for members of the Christian faith who have
come out of Christian churches heavily biased by old covenant beliefs, or as in
the case of a whole denomination coming into the new covenant such as the
Worldwide Church of God--a clear and concise definition of what the new
covenant is and how one knows he or she is under the terms of and living in the
new covenant becomes very important to their belief system. This article may help those people to
understand the answer to this question in the simplest of terms. Most of us are turned off by reams of study
papers and longwinded explanations. This
is not written for people who get into that kind of research. This is written for people who just want a
simple answer to this question.
The new covenant is
defined by Paul in Hebrews 8:7-13, "For if there had been nothing wrong
with the first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:
'The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with
the house of
By simplest definition of what we see Paul saying in
Hebrews 8:7-13, the core of the message is that those living in this new
covenant would fit into this condition:
"I will put My law in their mind and write them on their
hearts..." [vs 10] If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we have this
ability--the law of God has been put in our minds and written on our
hearts. That by Paul's definition,
places us right in the new covenant, even though as originally quoted from
Jeremiah 31:31-34, the new covenant does not come upon the House of Judah or
the House of Israel until after Jesus Christ's 2nd coming. But for the Church, the body of Christ, we're
in the new covenant right now if God's Holy Spirit dwells in us.
THE NEXT QUESTION: WHICH
LAWS OF GOD IS HEBREWS 8:7-13 TALKING ABOUT?
Next question raised
by this Scripture in Hebrews 8:7-13 is: Which laws of God are being talked
about here? The old covenant law of God
was ratified by God under Moses, but this is talking about a new covenant,
ratified in the blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So naturally, it would have to be the laws
spoken of by Jesus Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament. Don't forget,
Jesus is God in the flesh, the one who was YHVH of the Old Testament, the one
who gave the Law to Moses on Sinai (read John 1:1-11)--The Torah. What do we find Jesus saying or quoting about what the
law of God is in the New Testament? Mark
12:28-32. "Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him,
'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is
this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as
yourself.' There is no commandment greater
than these.'" Jesus was quoting
Leviticus 19:18. And these two laws are
a summation of the Ten Commandments. The
first one mentioned by Jesus, that we are to love God with all our hearts, is a
summation of the first four of the Ten Commandments. The second law mentioned, loving our neighbors
as ourselves, is a summation of the last six of the Ten Commandments, which
tell us how we are to love our neighbors (i.e. not murdering them, not
committing adultery against your neighbor's wife, not stealing from your
neighbor, not lying to him or her, and not coveting their belongings.) So Jesus indicates the Ten Commandments are
the law of God. Did Jesus say anything,
give any commandments, or re-affirm the law of God, the Ten Commandments, or
which ones were to be followed? Yes he
did. Let's look at Matthew 5:17-30,
38-48. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be
called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom
of heaven."
Murder
"You have heard
that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders
will be subject to judgment.' But I tell
you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother,
'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin.
But anyone who says, 'You fool!'
will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember
that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of
the altar. First go and be reconciled to
your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Settle matters quickly with your
adversary who is taking you to court. Do
it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the
judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown in
prison. I tell you the truth, you will
not get out until you have paid the last penny."
Adultery
"You have heard
that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one
part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut
it off and throw it away. It is better
for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into
hell."
An Eye for an Eye
"You have heard
that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil
person. If someone strikes you on the
right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your
cloak as well. If someone forces you to go
one mile, go with him two miles. Give to
the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow
from you."
Love for Enemies
"You have heard
that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in
heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward
will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? And if you greet
only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.'" Here you find
some of the basic Ten Commandment law of God being magnified to a higher plane
by Jesus.
Basically, if you search from one end of
the New Testament to the other, you will find all the Ten Commandments
mentioned and re-commanded by Jesus or the apostles except for the Fourth
Commandment, the Sabbath Command (Exodus 20:8-11). The Sabbath is mentioned in the New
Testament, but not in reference to any command that we should keep it. (The apostles used the Sabbath as an
opportunity to evangelize amongst the Jews, and kept it as a custom, they’re
being Messianic Jewish Christians in the Jerusalem Church of God--the very
first Christian congregation, and Headquarters church for many years.) If you look at Leviticus 23, the chapter
which commands God's Holy Days, the Sabbath Command is the very first Holy Day
mentioned, so the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 are integrally linked to the
Sabbath Command. But the New Testament
is strangely silent about any re-iteration of the Sabbath/Holy Day commands as
far as re-commanding their observance. Have they been abolished? The Sabbatarian churches take Matthew 5:17-19
literally and think not. The rest of
Christianity isn't sure or thinks they have been abolished. The Apostle Paul in Romans 14:5-6, written to
the early Church of God meeting in Rome, emphatically states to both Messianic
Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, that to observe them or not to is a
matter of individual Christian conscience.
Why would he say that if the literal observance were still
necessary? But for those who believe they
are still necessary to fulfill Jesus' Matthew 5:17-19 command, Paul states we
are not to beat up on these individuals--they are bought with Jesus' blood as
well as we are. It's a matter of
Christian conscience, as he points out later in that chapter, in verses
22-23. But if the Holy Days and Sabbath
were really so important a part of the Ten Commandments, what is said about
them in the New Testament to help explain this strange silence, especially
about Sabbath observance? Have they been
abolished, or has something more profound happened to these commandments? I hope to thoroughly answer that question for
those seeking a clear and simple answer.
What follows is a listing of where most of the Ten Commandments are
re-iterated in the New Testament, and brought to a higher plane spiritual
level.
The Ten Commandments That Are Re-Affirmed and Re-Commanded
in the New Testament:
As we saw, Jesus himself mentioned the first commandment
in Mark 12:28-32.
2nd Commandment: Thou shalt not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain:
Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of
edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
Colossians 3:8, "But now ye also
put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blashemy, filthy communication our of your
mouth."
3rd Commandment forbidding idolatry:
1 Corinthians 10:14, "Wherefore, my
dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."
Galatians 5:19-20, "Now the works
of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like: of the which I tell
you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Colossians 3:5, "Mortify therefore
your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
5th Commandment: Honor thy father and they
mother:
Matthew
19:18, "He saith unto him, Which?
Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery,
Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother..."
Luke 18:20, "Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear
false witness, Honor thy father and they mother..."
Ephesians 6:1-3, "Children, obey
your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment
with promise;) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the
earth."
6th Commandment: Thou shalt not murder:
Matthew 19:18, "He saith unto him,
Which? Jesus said,
Thou shalt do no
murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and they mother:
and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as theyself."
7th Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mark 10:19, "Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear
false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother..."
8th Commandment: Thou shalt not steal:
Mark 10:19, Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal...
Luke 18:20, "Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal...
Romans 2:21, "Thou therefore which
teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?
Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?"
Ephesians 4:28, "Let him that stole
steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing
which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
9th Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false
witness:
Ephesians 4:25 , "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth
with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to
another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds."
10th Commandment: Thou shalt not covet:
Ephesians 5:3, "But fornication, and
all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not
be once named among you, as becometh saints."
Colosians 3:5. "Mortify therefore
your members which are upon the eath; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Paul actually makes the connection between
the 2nd and 10th Commandments, linking them together, saying if
you're breaking one, you're automatically breaking the other. Also realize now
that it is no longer we in our own puny efforts or works that accomplish the
keeping of this Ten Commandment law which we see re-iterated in the New
Testament (with the one exception of the Sabbath Command). It is the Lord dwelling in us through the
Holy Spirit (John 14) who writes these laws in our minds and hearts
(Hebrews 8:10; 10:16).
I
don't see the Ten Commandment Law of God being done away with in the New
Testament or new covenant at all, not after reading these plain
statements. The only commandment which
never seems to be re-commanded in the entire New Testament is the 4th
Commandment, the Sabbath Command. Also
notice that we don’t see any of the ritualistic laws re-iterated in this law
of Christ which we find in the New Testament writings. Missing are the dietary food laws of
Leviticus 11. And although those food
laws may not just be ceremonial but for health as well, it isn’t necessary for
a new covenant Christian to observe them.
The command of not eating the fat, found in Leviticus, has long been
proven to be a to be a health law, and has been quoted by none other than the
famous heart doctor, Dr. Paul Dudley White on numerous ocassions. So don’t discount the Torah’s health dietary
laws as merely being ceremonial laws.
Heart doctors often recommend abstinence from foods listed as “unclean” in
Leviticus 11 for their heart patients, whether they realize these foods are
listed in the Torah or not. The
quarantine laws found in the Torah predate modern medicine’s knowledge by
thousands of years, yet they’re active and real. It’s not necessary that you as a new covenant
Christian keep them, but they’re active health laws nonetheless. But now back to the Sabbath Command, the 4th
Commandment.
What do you think happened to the Sabbath Command? Let's find out. So what happened to the 4th
Commandment? Was it discarded like some
old dishrag, or did something far more interesting happen to this commandment
of God. And remember, God calls the
Sabbath a Holy Day in Leviticus 23, and he calls these Holy Days, His Days. They're not Jewish, they're his. So let's find out.
The Sabbath,
Mark 2:23-27; 3:1-5.
"One Sabbath Jesus was going through the
grain-fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, 'Look, why are
they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?'
He answered, 'Have you never read of what David did when he and his
companions were hungry and in need? In
the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the
consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his
companions.' Then he said to them, 'The
Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the
Sabbath.'" (Mark 2:23-27.)
Another time
he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to
accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the
Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the
shriveled hand, 'Stand up in front of everyone.' Then he asked them, 'Which is lawful on the
Sabbath, to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, and
deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your
hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand
was completely restored. Then the
Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill
Jesus" (Mark 3:1-5).
In Exodus 20:8-11 God instituted the Sabbath into the old covenant he was establishing with the Israelites through Moses. As earlier chapters in Exodus show, the Sabbath was in existence long before the old covenant and was being re-introduced to the Israelites well before they came to Mount Sinai (Exodus 16). This is a sticking point between old covenant or Torah observant Christians and new covenant Christians, the former saying that if the Sabbath was in existence before the establishment of the old covenant, it couldn't be abolished when the old covenant ceased to be. The Torah observant branches of the body of Christ fail to take into account that the new covenant replaces and negates the whole Torah law, from Genesis through Deuteronomy from a legal standpoint. But wait and see what happened with the Sabbath (and consequently the Holy Day requirements). They weren't done away with as so many sincere but misinformed Christians supposed. Something far more interesting happened to the Sabbath/Holy Day commands. But first let's understand the intent of the Sabbath command. To do this, let's read it. Exodus 20:8-11. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day."
God
instituted the Sabbath. The heart of the Sabbath was to rest and
seek God. The doctor's of the law,
the Pharisees went banana's detailing just what work was. 24 chapters were written in the Jewish Talmud
defining what was work. They went to
such an extreme in interpreting the Sabbath command that they made the Sabbath
itself a "works" trip. The Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23 and
the Sabbath were shadows for the works of the Holy Spirit in us. The physical Sabbath pictured the spiritual
rest we now have in Christ--through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit--and it
pictures the coming future rest all of mankind will have in God's kingdom when
Jesus returns.
Let's
look at what Paul says about this Sabbath rest we have in Christ. Hebrews 4:1-11. "Therefore, since the
promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you
be found to have fallen short of it. For
we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did, but the message
they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it
with faith. Now we who have believed
enter that rest, just as God has said, 'So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' And
yet his work has been finished since creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh
day in these words: 'And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.' And again in the passage above he says, 'They
shall never enter my rest.' It still
remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel
preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day,
calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said
before: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, God would
not have spoken later about another day.
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests
from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter
that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of
disobedience." True Christians
often cease from their own “works”, pursuits that others in the world work for,
and pursue Godly pursuits. This verse
has special meaning to the Christian, where all things become new, a new walk
and way of life that brings peace of mind, joy, inner peace, love.
The
kingdom of God is here within us right now.
Jesus in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit quiets our souls. The kingdom in its fullness will arrive when
Jesus returns. Zephaniah 3:16-17.
"On that day they will say to Jerusalem, 'Do not fear, O Zion; do not let
your hands hang limp. The Lord your God
is with you, he is mighty to save. He
will take great delight in you, he will
quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." What quiets us but the love of God in us by
His Spirit. Isn't this true? The Pharisees were misrepresenting God and
what he required of them through the commandments.
Isaiah
11:10. "In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the
peoples; the nations will rally to him, and
his place of rest will be glorious."
Some
Christians chose to look at it this way.
The Sabbath command under the new covenant has been TRANSFORMED. By the rest we have in Jesus Christ dwelling
in us through the Holy Spirit we are in the Sabbath rest Paul spoke of in
Hebrews chapter four 365 days of the year.
The literal physical observance of the Sabbath was only a picture, a shadow,
of the spiritual "Sabbath rest" we have in Christ.
The
rejection of the Holy Spirit amounts to breaking the new covenant Sabbath
command, because we cease to rest in Christ without God's Holy Spirit in
us. In Old Testament Israel Sabbath
breaking was punishable by physical death.
Paul warns us that rejection of the Holy Spirit results in spiritual
death. You can see here that the old
covenant Sabbath command is a shadow of the new, a type, a picture of the
reality we have dwelling within us. The
shadow was physical and temporary, the spiritual is eternal and will not fade
away. Colossians 2:16-17.
"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with
regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These
are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however is found in
Christ." How much clearer can
you get?
Because
of unbelief the Israelites that were with Moses never got into their rest in
the Promised Land of Israel. But even
the Israelites (everyone 20 years old and under with Joshua and Caleb) that did
make it into the Promised Land did not experience a perfect rest. The Sabbath rest talked about in Hebrews 4
that we experience in Jesus Christ is something they never experienced. As we just read in Colossians 2:16-17, the
literal Sabbath (and also the Holy Day commands) were given as shadows of the
great things we would experience in Jesus Christ through the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit. In Deuteronomy we find a
description of not dwelling in God's Sabbath rest talked of by Paul in Hebrews
4. In Deuteronomy 28:65 God is
describing the frame of mind the Israelites would have as he scattered them all
over the world for disobeying him. It
perfectly expresses the frame of mind of people without Jesus Christ dwelling
in them. They are without rest and peace
of mind. Deuteronomy 28:65. "Among
those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your
foot. There the Lord will give you an
anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled
with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, 'If only it were
evening!' and in the evening, 'If only it were morning!'--because of the terror
that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see." With the world around us the way it is,
without Jesus in us, haven't many of us experienced this attitude of mind. Hasn't this be been our mindset? But this doesn't have to be, with Jesus in us
there is “that peace that passeth all understanding,” even in the midst of
heavy trial.
In
Deuteronomy 23 we also see that the Law of God allowed you to pluck the
standing grain by hand to satisfy your immediate hunger. The disciples weren't wrong in what they did,
but the Pharisaic law was running against a higher law of mercy God had
given. There was no mercy in their extra
Sabbath restrictions. Look at the next
few verses.
Mark
3:1-5. "Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a
shriveled hand was there. Some of them
were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on
the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with
the shriveled hand, 'Stand up in front of everyone.' Then Jesus asked them, 'Which is lawful on
the Sabbath, to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent.
He looked
around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said
to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He
stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot
with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus."
The
heart of Jesus is to heal and meet our needs.
This rest that comes from
Jesus brings spiritual rest and healing.
Jesus Christ was and is the spiritual fulfillment of the Sabbath in
us--for we rest in Christ. He says,
'Cast all your cares on me and I will give you rest.' In verse 5 we see that Jesus was first angry
and then grieved by the hardness of their hearts. Man's traditions are blind to the wounds of
others. The needs of man go beyond the
importance of the ordinances man tacks onto the law. The ordinances that the Pharisees laid on
people added burdens on them, whereas the ordinances of God tended to unburden
people. Jeremiah 17:5-8 shows we enter Christ's rest through faith. Let's read it and see what it says. "This is what the Lord says: 'Cursed is
the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose
heart turns away from the Lord. He will
be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it
comes. He will dwell in the parched
places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the
Lord, whose confidence is in him. He
will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the
stream. It does not fear when heat
comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and
never fails to bear fruit."
The Holy Day Shadow's,
What Do They Represent?
Under the new
covenant Romans 14:22-23 and the entire 14th chapter of Romans
legislates that it is our right as Christians to be able to believe as our
Christian consciences lead us in the secondary areas of the knowledge of salvation. This legislation found in Romans 14 actually
allows for the beliefs of the Torah observant Sabbatarian branches of the body
of Christ. There has been a totally
unnecessary doctrinal battle going on between Torah observant Sabbatarians and
new covenant Christians for 1700 years now.
And this battle is totally unnecessary and unScriptural. Apologists for centuries have been waging a
sort of war against the Torah observant side of the body of Christ when we find
Paul here in Romans 14 commanding that we lay down our arms in this fruitless
and unnecessary battle. Let’s read about
what Paul had to say, which is a re-iteration of the legislation of the
The
Passover (read Exodus 12) was a
shadow of Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, who paid for the sins of the whole
world, past, present and future. He is
the real Passover lamb of Atonement, reconciling man to God. Jesus death and shed blood paid the penalty
for the sins of the whole world. Just as
the ancient Israelites were protected from the death angel by covering their
door-posts with the blood of their Passover lambs on that fateful night back in
Egypt, so we who are in Christ are covered by Jesus Christ's blood, and in
similar fashion we are protected from the second death. For we have passed from death into life with
Christ. The early Christians observed
this New Testament Passover service on the 14th Nisan as it was
first kept by Jesus as described in Matthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke
22:14-38; and John 13 through 18:1 [Evidence of this is recorded in the
"Post & Antinicine Fathers"
which has preserved letters of Polycarp and Policrates, successors of
the Apostle John in Asia Minor, one of them having actually been trained by
John himself.]. This Passover was kept
24 hours before the Jews observed their Passover Sedar meal instituted by Moses
on the evening of the 14th/15th Nisan and used the
symbols of the broken bread and wine instead of the lamb, as we do today in communion
services. Most Christian denominations
now observe this as communion or the breaking of bread, observed either on a
monthly or weekly basis. The Messianic
Jews and the Global Church of God and the United Church of God still observe
this service on the 14th Nisan, which is all right. The Bible doesn't prevent us from observing
these glorious shadows, but we should understand that they have their ultimate
fulfillment in us through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. So if we are in Christ, our sins are covered
by his blood and we are saved from eternal death.
Through
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the Passover is lived in us 365 days of the
year. Let's look at the next set of Holy
Days, which came right on the heals of Passover. (By the way, this New Testament Passover or
the breaking of bread, along with the ordinance for Baptism are the only two
rituals commanded by Jesus for new covenant Christians.) The Days of Unleavened Bread (read Leviticus
23:4-8). The early Christians lived the
meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread as well as observing them. In the New Testament, most of the references
to leaven show it as symbolizing sin. I
think there is only one reference to leaven mentioned in the New Testament
which gives it a good connotation, in one of Jesus' parables. It's an apt symbol for sin. A little leaven leavens the whole lump as
Paul said, referring to how one habitual sinner allowed to remain in the group
would spread his sinning attitude to the whole group--just like a very small
amount of leaven will spread throughout a whole batch of bread dough. Satan is called the prince of the power of
the air. He broadcasts his sinful
attitudes around the world, in much the same way we put radio signals through
the air, virtually filling the atmosphere with them. Leaven spores are to be found everywhere in
the air around us. If you leave bread
dough out for a period of time in the open air, it will become leavened all on
it's own from the leaven spores in the air.
The Egyptians found this out and leavened their bread this way. The Days of Unleavened Bread were days where
the ancient Israelites were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes and
not consume any leavened product for a seven day period coming right after
Passover. This was a shadow of how Jesus
living in our lives through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (read all of John
14) continually puts sin out of our lives, convicting us of sin, revealing it,
and helping us put it out. Jesus is our
Unleavened Bread of Life. That is the
other key symbol that is fulfilled by the indwelling of Jesus in us through the
Holy Spirit and by the reading of the Word of God. Read John 6 where he said, "I am the
Bread of Life. He who feeds on me will
never die." Unleavened Bread symbolizes
our Christian walk, where we are constantly putting the leaven of sin out of
our lives through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit and feeding on Jesus
our unleavened Bread of Life. How is
Jesus our unleavened bread? In John 6
Jesus says that he is the Bread of Life, and that we must all partake of him,
eat his flesh. If Jesus is the Bread of
Life, it is unleavened bread, for leavened bread represents sin and our sinful
life. There was no sin in Jesus, so he
must be the Unleavened Bread of Life we are supposed to eat and partake
of. What else is Jesus called in
Scripture? In John 1, Jesus is called
the Word of God, or in the Greek, the Logos,
which means the Word. The Bible is the
Word of God in print. So when we study
God's Word, we are also eating the Unleavened Bread of Life, Jesus in print,
the Logos in print. Our Bible studies can and should be a
partaking of the Unleavened Bread of Life in print, the Word of God. If you look carefully, these wonderful
symbols fill the Bible.
As those know who
have observed the Days of Unleavened Bread, all leaven is put out before the
actual Days of Unleavened Bread are celebrated.
This is symbolic of how we, once baptized in the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus (i.e. his Passover sacrifice applied to our lives at
baptism), must put the leaven out of our lives, that is, repent of our habitual
sins, before we can feed upon the Unleavened Bread of Life, who is Jesus
Christ. Didn't we in Worldwide learn to
put the leaven out before the Days of Unleavened Bread? Then as we grow in the grace and knowledge of
the Lord—feeding on the Word of God we continue to be de-leavened of sin in a
lifelong process of Christian growth. It
all fits! As I said before, the
Messianic Jews and the Global and
The Day of Pentecost:
In ancient
Pentecost
was also the smaller of the two harvest feasts, which revolved around the two
harvest seasons of
The Feast of Trumpets: In Leviticus
23:23-25 it says, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the
children of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the
month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy
convocation. You shall do no customary
work on it and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the
Lord.'" If Pentecost is the earlier
spring harvest and represents the harvest of souls up to Jesus Christ's second
coming, and as we'll see, the Feast of Tabernacles represents the fall harvest
and perhaps the larger harvest of souls,
the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement must represent--prophetically
speaking--two events to come just in front of this great fall harvest called
the Feast of Tabernacles. What two major
events just precede this great fall harvest? The answer is found in Revelation 11:15-18;
Revelation 19:11-21--the second coming of Jesus Christ, and Revelation
20:1-3--the putting away of Satan and his demon cohorts, and more importantly,
the application of Jesus' sacrifice on the whole surviving world. The first event before the Feast of
Tabernacles harvest season can begin--the Millennial rule of Jesus and the
kingdom of God on earth, is the second coming of Jesus Christ. The second event is depicted right after the
second coming in Revelation 19 and is found in Revelation 20:1-3, the putting
away of Satan and by inference (see Zechariah 12-13) all of the demons. The Israelites were commanded to blow the
rams' horn at certain special times in the camp of Israel. One type of trumpet blowing was to warn of
impending attack and war. The trumpet
used was always the rams' horn. And this
is the very trumpet specified to be blown during this Holy Day found in
Leviticus 23. How fitting that this
feast represents the event of the blowing of the Seventh Trumpet in Revelation
11:15-18, and the resulting battle which comes on it's heals in Revelation 19
which depicts the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. That's the prophetic meaning of the Feast of
Trumpets that the Messianic Jews understand, and some Jews understand, as well
as some Christian groups. (send for Chuck Missler's "Feasts of
Israel" cassette series. This
series is available online by clicking on http://www.khouse.org
, scroll down to the box that says "Visit Our STORE" (near the bottom
left of the page) and click on it. On
the left side of the page that comes up under the title "BROWSE",
click on "briefing packs". On
the page that comes up are listed the various tape series "briefing
packs". The first one, titled
"Basic Bible Studies" has a briefing pack named "Feasts of
Israel". Calvary Chapel and Chuck
Missler are one of the major new Christian revivals that firmly believe the
Holy Days of Leviticus 23 have prophetic meaning or significance. Some within the Worldwide Church of God do as
well.)
But is there a new covenant meaning to
this Holy Day, a shadow of the good things that have been done in us by the
Holy Spirit? Yes there is. Symbolically true Christians have already
experienced the second coming of Jesus Christ in their lives! How?
They have received Jesus into their lives. For them and all true Christians, Jesus has
already had his 2nd coming in their lives through the coming of the
Holy Spirit into them. This is a mystery
that most of the world and even some Christians don't understand. John 14:15-18, 21,23 states, "If you
love me, keep my commandments. And I
will pray the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may abide
with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with
you and will be in you. I will not leave
you orphans; I will come to you...He
who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him...Jesus answered and
said to him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love
him, and We will come to him and make
Our home with him." The Feast
of Trumpets is the Holy Day which symbolizes the coming of the Messiah to save
the world from genocide and bring the Kingdom of God to physically and
spiritually rule over the entire world in love (Zechariah 14:9). Jesus Christ has done that in the lives of
true Christians everywhere, and they now live under the government of that
glorious kingdom and have actually crossed over into that Kingdom through the
indwelling of the Spirit of God who rules in the minds of true Christians
(whether they be members of one Christian fellowship or another). The world will experience the joy of living
under the government of God in the future after Jesus Christ's 2nd
coming--we can now in type through the power of God's Holy Spirit dwelling in
us, giving us peace from within. Jesus
Christ has taken over the rule of his true followers--Christians--and rules in
their lives, thus he has had his second coming in their lives. This is the symbolic meaning of the Feast of
Trumpets for those of us living in this present
dimension of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Again, the Feast of Trumpets is a shadow of what Jesus has done in
us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and also a prophetic shadow of
how he will return to save mankind from himself and genocide during a massive world
war the likes of which the world has never experienced, and no never will
again.
The Day of Atonement:
True Christians have had, in part the Day of
Atonement fulfilled in their lives also.
On the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel two very significant things
happened to two goats. In Leviticus 16
the ceremony is detailed for us. The
sins of all of Israel were paid for by the sacrifice of one goat, but the sins
were actually placed on the head of the other goat. Almost as if one goat paid the price for the
sins, but the other goat had the responsibility for all the sins placed on his
head. And the interesting thing is that
this second goat who had the sins of all Israel placed on his head did not die,
but was banished into the wilderness. We
know that Jesus died to pay the high price for the sins of the whole world
(John 3:16). But who has been
responsible for the sins of the world, ultimately? Read Genesis 3 and Revelation 12:9. Isn't it Satan? And we see that Satan is ultimately banished
from our presence and the presence of the world (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10.) Leviticus 16:1-34 details this ceremony that
the High Priest performed once a year on the Day of Atonement. Jesus was sacrificed to pay the penalty of
the sins of the world. Satan has yet to
be put away and banished, but it will be done (Revelation 20:1-3; Zechariah
12-13). But even now, for true
Christians, Satan no longer has a claim on their lives. For the world, this event will not occur
until a little after the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. The actual event is depicted in Revelation
20:1-3, just after Revelation 19:11-21 depicts Jesus' 2nd
coming. So in reality, a spiritual
reality, if Jesus Christ has already had his 2nd coming for those
who are baptized and have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, Satan's influence
and hold over them is gone, he has been banished out of their lives. Then spiritually,
they are already in the Kingdom of God.
This may be a hard concept to grasp, but this is a spiritual reality
nonetheless. Again, the physical
observance of the Day of Atonement is a beautiful shadow for one more thing
Jesus has done and does inside us through the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit. Also the blood of the other
goat, the one which was sacrificed by the High Priest, symbolized Jesus
Christ's atoning blood that covers all our sins, and the sins of the
world. The banished goat symbolizes
Satan, who will be banished along with all his demon cohorts. The sacrificial goat had his blood sprinkled
on the altar, again symbolizing what Jesus did for us. Read Leviticus 16:1-34 for yourself. Let the symbolism sink in. (Some say that this interpretation of the two
goats can't be accurate because Satan is unholy, spiritually
"unclean" and goats are ceremonially "clean" under the law
of Moses. But that doesn't quite hold
water, because if you look up Ezekiel 28:12-15 and Isaiah 14:12-17, especially
in Ezekiel 28:15, God said of Lucifer was "You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you." Lucifer started out "clean" in
God's eyes. The two goats are a symbolic
picture, where one turned evil and the other one represented Jesus Christ. One was sacrificed and one was banished.)
Note about the
meaning of Trumpets: Many Jews and
Christians say there is no significant meaning attached to the Feast of
Trumpets in Leviticus 23:23-25. The Jews
actually call the day Rosh Hashanah meaning first day, because they made this
day the first day of their civil calendar, not knowing what other significance
the day had. But the actual meaning can
be deduced by the meaning Scripture, Old Testament and New, attaches to the Day
of Atonement found in Leviticus 16 and the actual event of the banishing of the
azazel goat in Revelation 20:1-3. The
Day of Atonement, which by definition of Leviticus 16 symbolizes the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ and the banishing of Satan, the azazel goat. Revelation 20:1-3 shows the literal banishing
or locking away of Satan, which symbolically occurred by this banishing of the
azazel goat on the Day of Atonement. If
the Revelation 20:1-3 banishing of Satan, the azazel goat, is symbolized by the
Day of Atonement, and the previous major prophetic event depicted in Revelation
19 is the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, and the Feast of Trumpets is
the Holy Day just preceding the Day of Atonement, then the Feast of Trumpets
can be deduced as representing the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Jews, not accepting New Testament
Scripture, understandably, can't accept this explanation, but Christians should
clearly see this day as representing the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ,
by mere simple deductive logic--nothing hard about it. Some chose not to. That's O.K. too. This is a secondary matter in the knowledge
of Salvation, compared to the gospel of Christ.
But they're overlooking a beautiful facet of God's Plan as outlined
through His ancient Holy Days, given to Israel to keep in the old covenant.
The Feast of Tabernacles--the Great Fall Harvest
Festival: In
Leviticus 23:34-44 the command is given for the observing of this great fall
festival, taking place just after the fall harvest in Palestine. Like I pointed out earlier, it pictures
prophetically, the great harvest of souls that will take place during the
Millennial rule of Jesus and the saints in the kingdom age. This takes place after Jesus has returned to
earth and put down all opposition and put Satan away, locked up for 1,000
years. Revelation 20:4-6, Isaiah
11:4-16; Isaiah 2:1-4; Ezekiel 34:11-31; 36:1-38; Jeremiah 30-31 all picture
this glorious kingdom age Jesus will usher in.
In the New Testament, Jesus said each of the twelve apostles would be a
king over one of the tribes of Israel.
In the Old Testament prophecies, king David is promised to be the king
over Israel, all 12 tribes (Ezekiel 34:22-23),
while we see Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords, King of the world
(Zechariah 14:9). (Some discount this,
saying the big harvest in Palestine is the spring harvest, but Israel is a land
of fruit trees and her major staple in her historic times was fruit and olive
oil--all grown from trees. Some like to
tear the prophetic meaning of these days down for whatever reason they may
have, maybe a motive of no longer wishing to observe them. Calvary Chapel does not observe them, but
recognizes their deep significance. We
have that total freedom in Christ to both believe or not believe a certain way
in these secondary areas, and to observe or to not observe, again in these
secondary areas. That is our freedom in
Christ, and don't let anyone tell you differently. Now if you want to believe that Jesus was
just a nice man and not God in the flesh, the second member of the God-head or
Trinity, then I take exception to your belief and this belief may disqualify
you from being a Christian--it's just that serious.)
For true Christians, with Jesus now
dwelling in their lives through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14),
and Satan no longer having a claim on their lives, they are now spiritually in
this glorious kingdom. So says Paul in
Colossians 1:13-14. "He has
delivered us from the power of darkness [cf. Revelation 20:1-3] and translated us into the kingdom of the
Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins." [cf. Revelation 20:4,6.]
For the world, this event will not occur
until a little after the 2nd coming of Jesus. The true kingdom attitude will spread over
the surviving world after Satan and his demons are locked away, no longer able
to broadcast and influence mankind and society, and when Jesus and the saints
start to call and evangelize all who remain alive at this time. It is these who will repopulate the world,
and a massive harvest of souls will take place throughout this 1000 year period
of time. We haven't been told exactly
how, but we do see that the Holy Spirit is promised to come upon surviving
Israel in Ezekiel 36:25-26, as well as in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Now Paul quoted Jeremiah 31:31-32 in Hebrews,
showing that we Christians now live under this new covenant agreement with
God. The old is passed away for us. But for Israel and Judah and the world that
survive into the kingdom age, this covenant won't apply to them until then. The new covenant and it's blessings do not
apply to the unconverted, those who do not have the indwelling Holy
Spirit. They're still under the old
covenant, with all it's penalties and curses for disobedience. And we see those curses being exacted in
society all around us. Read Leviticus 26
and Deuteronomy 28 some time. So we see
the Feast of Tabernacles truly pictures this time of plenty and peace which
will cover the entire world after Jesus returns. The ancient Israelites were commanded to save
a whole 10 percent of their incomes to bring to this fall harvest festival. It was quite a feast, picturing this time of
plenty that will come to pass after Jesus returns, restoring the Kingdom and
government of God to the earth. I have
observed this Festival in the past, spending 10 percent of my income in those 8
days. You truly feel like a king, and
put on a few pounds as well. It pictures
the time when Jesus Christ the King and true Christians now made immortal and
ruling as kings and priests, will lift the burdens of Satan's corrupt and evil
world from off the shoulders of mankind.
It will be a time of glorious abundance and joy. The central highlight of that Kingdom on
earth will be the mercy and love coming down from it to the subjects of that
Kingdom. Jesus Christ, was the Good
Samaritan, and true Christians are a reflection of Jesus Christ, and must be
good Samaritans also--thus reflecting the glorious light of the Kingdom of God
onto those in this evil age and society of man which will pass away.
Zechariah 14:16-19 shows that this
festival will become a commanded observance during the kingdom age. By extension, then, all of Leviticus 23 will
also be in force. That is what
Zechariah 14:16-19 indicates. We'll
learn more about this after Jesus returns.
There are also Scriptures, prophecies, in the Old Testament showing the
Levitical priesthood will be set up in the kingdom age, administering and
serving around the temple. Beyond that,
we don't know much, except we'll be kings and priests in that temple, the
headquarters of Jesus Christ, who will be King over the whole world (Zechariah
14:9; Revelation 5:9-10).
The actual Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23 are a shadow
of good things to come, as well as the good things Jesus has done for us and
currently does for us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We live their meaning every day of our lives
through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us if we are Christ's. The strict observance of God's Holy Days
(which were commanded to ancient Israel in Leviticus 23 according to the old
covenant letter of the Law) is no longer a requirement for new covenant
Christians, but they are being observed voluntarily
in a new covenant manner by some Christians and by most Messianic
Jewish-Christians who understand the deep significance of what they stand
for. The actual meaning of the Holy Days
is being fulfilled in true Christians by the Holy Spirit who dwells inside them
every day of the year. So you see
the Holy Days and Sabbath day have been transformed inside
of us by the Holy Spirit, not eliminated! A literal interpretation of Matthew 5:17-19
indicates that all of the 10 Commandment Law of God--Sabbath day and Holy Days
included--must be observed by Christians.
Most Torah observant Messianic and Sabbatarian Christian churches, The
Worldwide Church of God under Mr. Armstrong, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Global
and United Churches of God etc., are under this particular understanding. Proper understanding of what the Holy Spirit
does within us, and what Paul said in Hebrews 4 about these days being shadows
of the reality in us which is Christ, shows that we are already observing them,
internally! You can still voluntarily
physically observe them if you so desire, for the beauty of what they stand
for. Many within those churches I just
mentioned, as well as the Messianic Jewish-Christian churches do, both new
covenant and Torah observant extractions. It is entirely up to you. But understand, their rich meaning, the
reality of Christ in us, is already being lived out in us by the Holy Spirit
who dwells in us. The days themselves
are just a shadow of what the Holy Spirit is doing within us, as Paul stated in
Hebrews 4, as well as being a shadow of prophetic events to come.
The Question of Matthew 5:17-19, another way of looking at
it:
Recently I've wondered about Matthew
5:17-19 which states that the Law of God is not done away, and wondered how
this squares with others who possess the Holy Spirit and are Christians by
definition of not only having the Holy Spirit but show the evidence of being
actively led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-17). If taken literally, Matthew 5:17-19 says that
Christians need to be observing all the 10 Commandments, including the Sabbath
Command, the 4th commandment, along with the Holy Days, which
Leviticus 23 show are part of the Sabbath command. Does Matthew 5:17-19 really imply that those
who don't observe the Sabbath and Holy Days are not Christians? But we've just seen that Hebrews 4 gives us
another way to interpret Matthew 5:17-19.
The Sabbath and Holy Days, according to Matthew 5:17-19 are not done
away. But Paul shows us in Hebrews 4
that these days have been transformed and that the reality of
them is lived in us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When I was considering all this, I remembered
a wonderful person who was our family's cleaning lady when I was growing
up. She died recently, and at her
funeral I heard one of the most beautiful eulogies a person could have spoken
about her. If the minister wasn't just
laying it on deep, and I knew Beatrice Berry,
so he wasn't, according to his eulogy and what he said about her, she
clearly exhibited the fruits of the Holy Spirit. So was she fulfilling Matthew 5:17-19 in her
life? She never observed a single Old
Testament Holy Day in her life. She
didn't even know about them, as far as I knew.
Her day of worship and Christian fellowship was Sunday and not the Old
Testament Sabbath which is on Saturday.
Let's plug what we know about the Sabbath and Holy Days into Beatrice's
life and see if she wasn't fulfilling them even without knowing of their
importance and deep symbolic
meaning. She was a woman who was
at peace spiritually, in spite of having three hellion children to deal with as
she tried, and succeeded to clean our house.
She was in the Sabbath-rest Paul spoke of in Hebrews 4, without a
doubt--so she was living in the reality of the Sabbath 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, 365 days a year.
Also with the Holy Spirit dwelling in
her, she was covered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and thus was living the
New Testament Passover and the deep symbolic meaning of the Old Testament
Passover, 365 days a year. The Holy
Spirit in her helped her live a life of overcoming sin, so she lived the Days
of Unleavened Bread 365 days a year also.
When the Holy Spirit entered her, she
was now fulfilling the Day of Pentecost, the day on which the Holy Spirit first
anointed Jesus Christ's disciples and entered 3,000 souls, thus starting the
New Testament Christian Church. Also
when the Holy Spirit entered her, Jesus Christ had his 2nd coming in
her, so she was observing the reality of the Feast of Trumpets. Also when the Holy Spirit entered her, she
was no longer under the influence of Satan and his world. Satan no longer had a claim on her life. So now she was also living the meaning of the
Day of Atonement in her life. With the
Holy Spirit in her, she had now entered into the
So what is the real
New Testament meaning that God is trying to convey to us through these Holy Day
shadows? Each and every one of them is
like a particular facet or side of a precious diamond, and that diamond is
Jesus Christ in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit--Jesus Christ
covering our sins (Passover), Jesus Christ continually taking us out of sin (Days
of Unleavened Bread), Jesus Christ writing the precious Law of God (read
Matthew 5:17-48) in our hearts and minds (Pentecost), Jesus Christ having his
second coming in us (Trumpets), Jesus Christ taking us out of Satan's influence
and into his glorious influence (Atonement), and the effect of all of this
takes us in advance, spiritually into his glorious kingdom of light, the
kingdom of God (the Feast of Tabernacles).
[Colossians 1:12-13]
Does
God require that we keep the physical shadows, as beautiful as they are, if we
chose not to, or if they are not a part of our particular custom of
worship? No, not at all. The new covenant has no such requirement.
Christian Retreats
and Holy Days, What Can They Do For Us?
(A short paper on
the effects of spiritual warfare--battle fatigue, and some good suggestions for
countering it.)
First of all let's
realize that according to the Bible, we are all in a dangerous spiritual
warfare that can tax our abilities more than we realize. Paul states in Ephesians 6:10-13,
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil's schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of
God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand." Many times we can draw very accurate pictures
of spiritual warfare by looking at its physical counterpart, especially in the
psychological areas of warfare, what it does to our psyche and ability to
fight. All through these verses (through
verse 19), Paul shows us the weapons of our warfare come from putting on Christ
through prayer and Bible study. But
constant spiritual or physical warfare without sufficient re-supply, rest and
recuperation has a powerful negative effect on the soldier, be he in an army of
this world or a Christian soldier of Jesus Christ. I came across a very good description of what
effect continued warfare has on the average soldier in the U.S. Army fighting
its way up
The infantry reaches a stage of
exhaustion that is incomprehensible to folks back home. The men in the First Division, for instance, were
in the lines twenty-eight days--walking and fighting all that time, day and
night.
After a few days of such activity,
soldiers pass the point of known human weariness. From then on they go into a sort of second-wind
daze. They keep going largely because
the other fellow does and because they can't really do anything else.
Have you ever in your life worked so
hard and so long that you didn't remember how many days it was since you ate
last or didn't recognize your friends when you saw them? I never have either, but in the First
Division, during that long, hard fight around Troina, a company runner one day
came slogging up to a certain captain and said excitedly, "I've got to
find Captain Blank right away. Important
message."
The captain said, "But I am Captain
Blank. Don't you recognize me?"
And the runner said, "I've got to
find Captain Blank right away." And
he went dashing off. They had to run to
catch him.
Men in battle reach that stage and still
go on and on. As for the rest of the Army--supply
troops, truck drivers, hospital men, engineers--they too become exhausted, but
not so inhumanly. With them and with us
correspondents it's the ceaselessness, the endlessness of everything that
finally worms its way through us and gradually starts to devour us.
It's the perpetual, choking dust, the
muscle-racking hard ground, the snatched food sitting ill on the stomach, the
heat and the flies and the dirty feet and the constant roar of engines and the
perpetual moving and the never settling down and the go, go, go, go, night and
day, and on through the night again.
Eventually it all works into an emotional tapestry of one dull, dead
pattern--yesterday is tomorrow and Troina is Randazzo and when will we ever
stop and, God, I'm so tired.