Blood Atonement; Teachers and Itching Ears; The Work of a True Evangelist

The need for blood atonement began when innocent blood had to be substituted as an offering for sin. From Adam and Eve, when clothing from animals were made, to the day of Passover when Jesus was our Passover lamb, physical blood had to be shed to cleanse us from sin. Today, Jesus’ blood is the once, for all, perfect atonement for our sins, and is appropriated for us, cleansing us from our sin when we confess Him as Lord. This is such an easy process for us, but sometimes people don’t believe easy can be right. The end result of not confessing Jesus as Lord is that we die in our sins, ending up in Hades. This is the dilemma many people are in. It doesn’t have to be that way, but for some reason we get distracted from the importance of life and death, and follow “new” teachings. There is a crafty enemy who perpetrates this deceit.

Paul’s life and ministry was winding down. He probably felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to set the affairs of the church in order. If you or I were speaking our last words to the person taking over our ministry we would include everything that we felt was important. We probably would not want our words missed. Paul’s words to Timothy hold true to our day, and hauntingly we see the need for acting on them. Paul warns of teachers who teach what excites the hearer. Instead, Paul says preach the word, and do the work of an evangelist. We have to keep perspective and discern the message. Let’s look at Paul’s exhortation to Timothy and some definitions of these words.

2 Tim 4:1-8  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.3 For the time will come when they will not endure[430] sound [5198]doctrine[1319]; but after their own lusts[1939] shall they heap[2002] to themselves teachers[1320], having itching[2833] ears[189];4 And they shall turn away[654] their ears from the truth[225], and shall be turned[1624] unto fables[3454].5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.KJV

NT:430 ‎anechomai (an-ekh'-om-ahee); middle voice from NT:303 and NT:2192; to hold oneself up against, i.e. (figuratively) put up with:KJV - bear with, endure, forbear, suffer.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:5198 ‎hugiaino (hoog-ee-ah'-ee-no); from NT:5199; to have sound health, i.e. be well (in body); figuratively, to be uncorrupt (true in doctrine): KJV - be in health, (be safe and) sound, (be) whole (-some).

NT:1319 ‎didaskalia (did-as-kal-ee'-ah); from NT:1320; instruction (the function or the information):KJV - doctrine, learning, teaching.

NT:1939 ‎epithumia (ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah); from NT:1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden):KJV - concupiscence, desire, lust (after).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:2002 ‎episoreuo (ep-ee-so-ryoo'-o); from NT:1909 and NT:4987; to accumulate further, i.e. (figuratively) seek additionally:KJV - heap.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:1320 ‎didaskalos (did-as'-kal-os); from NT:1321; an instructor (genitive case or specially):KJV - doctor, master, teacher. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:2833 ‎knetho (knay'-tho); from a primary knao (to scrape); to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to tickle:KJV - itching.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:189 ‎akoe (ak-o-ay'); from NT:191; hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard):KJV - audience, ear, fame, which ye heard, hearing, preached, report, rumor.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:225 ‎aletheia (al-ay'-thi-a); from NT:227; truth:KJV - true, truly, truth, verity.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:654 ‎apostrepho (ap-os-tref'-o); from NT:575 and NT:4762; to turn away or back (literally or figuratively):KJV - bring again, pervert, turn away (from).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:3454 ‎muthos (moo'-thos); perhaps from the same as NT:3453 (through the idea of tuition); a tale, i.e. fiction ("myth"):KJV - fable.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:3452 ‎mueo (moo-eh'-o); from the base of NT:3466; to initiate, i.e. (by implication) to teach:KJV - instruct.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:1624 ‎ektrepo (ek-trep'-o); from NT:1537 and the base of NT:5157; to deflect, i.e. turn away (literally or figuratively):KJV - avoid, turn (aside, out of the way).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

The first thing Paul tells Timothy, is that Jesus Christ will judge the living and the dead in two places, at his appearing, and in his kingdom. It will be a judgment, if one is left on earth, when he calls from the clouds. We have to remember how horrible it will be during the tribulation, many people will die, including two thirds of the Jews. Shouldn’t we be concerned for our friends who will be left on earth during those years? Every day we are one day closer to the coming of Jesus for His body.

Paul says preach the word. I want to land here for a moment because many times the popular preachers don’t preach the logos, the written word. Instead they preach rhema, uttered words or narratives. There is nothing wrong with using examples to help someone understand the logos, but Paul said preach the logos, not preach what you perceive to be prophetic, or revelatory. The written word of God came as holy men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. I know, there will be people out there who will put themselves in the “holy men” category, but if one thinks his or her self to be of that category, they probably have a narcissistic personality disorder as they think too highly of themselves. Most narcissists lack humility.

The next section says that a time will come when people won’t hold themselves up against healthy instruction and learning. Instead, because of their own inordinate desires, they will accumulate or gather around themselves teachers who scratch or tickle their hearing. Look at this two ways, the teachers tickle people’s fancy because of people’s lusts, and the teachers themselves tickle their own fancy because of their own lusts. This is a two way street. If the latest “new” doctrine is announced on television, the television station makes money, the program itself makes money and the teacher with the new doctrine makes money. It seems like a win, win, win situation for all of them. Unfortunately, it may be a false teaching from a false teacher. People are going to turn away from the truth and turn to fiction.

This is important to us because if you study or read someone’s instruction on the logos, you have to know what they believe. If there are aspects of the Bible they don’t believe, their teachings will be skewed. When a teacher receives fame and money for tickling people’s ears, that teacher has to come up with another way to tickle everyone’s ears, just to keep the income steady. They become narcissistic in that they start to believe their own press. Pretty soon they have to tickle ears with their prophetic insight. This has to keep building on itself, and the narcissists play it well. We have regular cycles of this in the Christian social media circles. Yet how many honest pastors, preaching the logos, go unnoticed by Christian broadcasting networks? Unfortunately, many in the body of Christ believe the media blitz of the current ear ticklers, and are led astray from healthy instruction.

An example of a dangerous trend in the body of Christ is that many people believe that Jewish people don’t need to believe on Jesus for salvation, as if they have some other way of atonement. Let’s expose that lie. The only way Jewish people can atone for their sins is with a blood sacrifice. However, the blood sacrifice has rules as to how and where this is to be done. The place a blood sacrifice is to be made is the Temple, and it is to be done by the Priests. Today, there is no temple, so blood sacrifices cannot be made. This, as we have studied, is because the Jew’s missed the time of Jesus’ visitation. Jesus said the city would be destroyed. And while we have the city rebuilt today, the temple is still not rebuilt. No sacrifices can be made for sin, therefore there is no atonement for sin, and when one dies without atoning for their sins, they go to Hades.

Jesus came to make atonement for everyone, once and for all. Here are the definitions of atonement from the New and Old Testement.                 

NT:2643 ‎katallage (kat-al-lag-ay'); from NT:2644; exchange (figuratively, adjustment), i.e. restoration to (the divine) favor:KJV - atonement, reconciliation (-ing).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)   

OT:3722 ‎kaphar (kaw-far'); a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel:KJV - appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

When Adam and Eve sinned, God announced his son’s coming to rectify their situation, and he made the first blood sacrifice on their behalf. Not only did God tell them that his son would come, but he also used the constellations to tell the Messiah’s story. Genesis 3:15 is a grand picture in the heavens. That was the first logos, the story written in the heavens. Throughout the Bible, the logos, the prophetic descriptions of the Messiah match the heavenly story. Here in Genesis 3:15 we have the picture of Ophiuchus holding back a serpent who is trying to grab the crown, while Ophiuchus’ left foot is on the back of a scorpion and his right heel is being stung by the scorpion. This is the star picture that the ancients had before the written logos. 

   

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. [Gal 4:4.] AMP

What we can take away from this is the bruise the Messiah would receive would be almost nothing compared to the beating the enemy will get. God also covered Adam and Eve, but in order to do that he had to shed innocent blood.

   

Gen 3:21 For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins and clothed them. AMP

That is the pattern and picture we have throughout the Old Testament. Innocent blood had to be shed to cover human sin. As we studied a while back regarding Adam and Eve, their sin was not just an “oops”, it was to the end that if they had then eaten of the tree of life, they would have disappeared from God forever. And not just them, but their progeny as well; the entire human race would have been lost to satan. Therefore, until the Messiah would come, animals would be the substitution for innocent blood that would atone for sins.  When Noah came out of the ark, he made a burnt offering to God.

Gen 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord ; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.KJV

Then God said some interesting things. Let’s read the Message and the ISV.

   

Gen 9:2-7 All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. 4 Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it — don't eat that. 5 "But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans. 6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans let his blood be shed, Because God made humans in his image reflecting God's very nature. 7 You're here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!" (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

   

Gen 9:3-7 “Every living, moving creature will be food for you. Just as I gave you green plants before, so now you have everything. 4 However, you are not to eat meat with its life—that is, its blood—in it! 5 Also, I will certainly demand an accounting regarding bloodshed, from every animal and from every human being. I’ll demand an accounting from every human being for the life of another human being.6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by a human his own blood is to be shed; because God made human beings in his own image.7 Now as for you, be productive and multiply; spread out over the land and multiply throughout it.”ISV

God gave all animals for food, except those that did not have their blood drained from them. The blood had to be drained from the animals first, and then they could eat them. Then God says that whoever sheds human blood, will have to shed his own blood. Why? This is because human life and human blood is sacred, made in Elohim’s image. If we remember our teaching of Aleph Tav, that word shows up here. Moses writing in the paleo Hebrew, added the first and the last, the A and Z, the Alpha and Omega to this statement. It reads “the image of Elohim made he Aleph Tav man”. It’s a good thing Jesus came looking like a man, otherwise less people might have believed on Him. Humans are made in the image of Elohim; remember Elohim is plural in the Hebrew, meaning three or more. Jesus the Messiah, the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, was also made in the image of Elohim so that he could communicate with us. Because he was executed by humans, and because the leaders did not recognize Him as Messiah, the city and temple were destroyed, leaving only one way to atone for sins. Jesus’ blood, the Aleph Tav, is the only way.

Here is a little back story to Noah. God tells Noah to reproduce, or multiply. However, Noah never had any more children. One theory is that when Noah was drunk, Ham castrated him. Noah cursed the fourth born of Ham because he could no longer bear a fourth child. Noah prophesied the Canaanites would serve everyone else. The Canaanites did become servants to Shem as Noah said. Shem lived in Canaan running a school for learning about God. Abraham lived there in the land of Canaan as well. Abraham later married a Canaanite and told his six sons by Keturah to move south because Canaan would be destroyed. The Canaanites were eventually driven out of the land.

After Moses brought the sons of Jacob out of Egypt, they were given very specific rules as to blood sacrifice.

   

Ex 29:32-37 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.33 And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement [3722] was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.34 And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement [3722]: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement [3722] for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement [3722]for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.KJV

Once the temple was rebuilt, the same rules applied to Nehemiah’s temple.

   

Neh 10:32-33  Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement [3722] for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.KJV

Those rules for atonement continued until another way was made, the blood of Jesus was shed instead of bulls and goats. Once the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, no one could make atonement the old way. The only way is the way made possible through Jesus.

       

Rom 5:8-21 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled [2644] to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled [2644], we shall be saved by his life.11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [2543].12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.KJV

There is nothing we have to do first, no animal sacrifice or ritual, Christ died for us while we were still sinners. There isn’t a formula, or magic words, or a rain dance that precedes us being able to be atoned for and have remission of sins. It’s a gift of grace. We don’t deserve it, we didn’t earn it, and we can’t work for it. Once we believe he died and rose, we are saved from the wrath to come. We will not have to go through the tribulation because we have been atoned for. We are saved by Jesus’ life. As Paul writes, the law entered that offence might abound, but where sin abounds, there is more grace. We are given grace and made righteous, and given eternal life through Jesus Christ who is our Lord. Our Jewish friends need to understand this. They can’t fix the state they are in, but they don’t have to, as Jesus took care of it for all of us. It’s a free gift, which is hard for many to accept. The cost of his blood, a horrible death, was done for us. We can’t even shed our own blood for atonement for anyone else. Human sacrifice is feeble and incomplete because death reigns in our veins. Only the Alpha and Omega, the Aleph Tav, had the ability to shed His perfect, sinless blood on our behalf.

Now, before we think of this as all cotton candy and popcorn, there is a stern warning in Hebrews. It is not a light matter to make a mockery of Jesus’ blood or insult the Holy Spirit.

   

Heb 10:26-31  For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. 27 [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]. [Isa 26:11.] 28 Any person who has violated and [thus] rejected and set at naught the Law of Moses is put to death without pity or mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. [Deut 17:2-6.] 29 How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)? [Ex 24:8.] 30 For we know Him Who said, Vengeance is Mine [retribution and the meting out of full justice rest with Me]; I will repay [I will exact the compensation], says the Lord. And again, The Lord will judge and determine and solve and settle the cause and the cases of His people. [Deut 32:35,36.] 31 It is a fearful (formidable and terrible) thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God! AMP

And here is the conclusion of the matter, do our teachers who are trying to generate money, trample over Jesus and consider the blood of Jesus common and unholy, or do they insult and outrage the Holy Spirit?

The King James Version uses the word despite, regarding the Holy Spirit. (Heb 10:29 and hath done despite [1796] unto the Spirit of grace? KJV)

       

NT:1796 ‎enubrizo (en-oo-brid'-zo); from NT:1722 and NT:5195; to insult:
KJV - do despite unto. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

NT:5195 ‎hubrizo (hoo-brid'-zo); from NT:5196; to exercise violence, i.e. abuse: KJV - use despitefully, reproach, entreat shamefully (spitefully).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Do our preachers preach the logos? Do our teachers, who like to tickle ears, disregard the Holy Spirit? Do they deny, insult, and criticize the Holy Spirit or the age of the Holy Spirit. Can we trust that our tickling teachers are honest, or are they lying for profit? There are huge groups of people from various denominations who reject the blood of Jesus and reject the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come once he left. That’s a little hard to miss in the Bible, but the logos doesn’t seem to matter because there is money in tickling ears rather than saving people from the wrath to come. Paul tells us we are reconciled to God; God is not counting up our sins.

   

2 Cor 5:17-19 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled [2644]us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation [2643];19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation [2643].KJV

God committed the word of reconciliation, atonement, to us. We can see the work of a true evangelist is to have a ministry of reconciliation, giving eternal hope to those who would otherwise be lost. This is why we are to preach the word, the logos. This is also why we should not be counted among those who tickle ears for profit. Our Jewish friends need to hear these words.

This is the inherent problem for Jews today, they are painfully aware of sin and have no way to reconcile or atone for sin. The only way, the one way available today, is to believe on Jesus as the Messiah. This time period of the age of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Grace, is here. It doesn’t matter if I like it, it doesn’t matter if I don’t agree with it. It doesn’t matter if I believe it or not, it is here irrespective of my personal conviction. If I drive through an intersection and get pulled over by a police officer, I can tell him I believe the light was green, I can tell him my religious belief system doesn’t allow for red traffic lights, but none of that matters because I’ll still get a ticket. It is not about our opinions, oh narcissistic generation; it is about what is written in the logos, all of it, not only the parts we narcissistically agree with. This burden of sin for the Jew is tremendous, we Gentiles don’t understand. There are laws and rules that are to be followed, and they cannot be practiced because there is no temple. There hasn’t been a temple for 1,981 years. It would seem awfully mean of God to not make a provision until the temple is rebuilt. The problem is, God did make provision for atonement for every Jew and Gentile, but it is not fashionable to speak of blood atonement. The Jews were able to make atonement in the temple/tabernacle for 1,463 years, but it’s been 1,981 years of Jewish men and women dying in their sins, unless they accept the atonement Jesus made available for them. The sheer numbers of men and women, who have died un-atoned for, stresses the urgency and value of preaching the logos, and doing the work of an evangelist.   

Paul told us that the Lord would give a crown of righteousness to those who love His appearing. For those who receive atonement for sins, the appearing of Jesus is an exciting time. To those who refuse His gift of atonement, Jesus’ appearing will be a signal of seven years of hard times including martyrdom by the beast. Even though it is easy for us to accept remission of sins, it was not easy for Jesus. But it is a gift given in the age and time of the Holy Spirit. Let’s not insult the Spirit of Grace, and instead accept the holy consecrated covenant of Jesus’ blood.