Oola Ooliba and the Elders; Sexual Rituals in the Temple; Split Soul; Pornographic Art; Ezekiel 23

Enemy infiltration is a perspective that we have not taken the time to think through. Satanas is not building his own temples for his followers just down the street from our churches and synagogues. Although there are a few people attempting to get attention by their public display of satanic worship. But really Satanas is in the church, just as Satanas was in Israel. Why bother making your own temple when there is a temple dedicated to Yahweh Elohim that you can take over. While we might think that we are the targets of satanism in the church it is really our children who are targets by this infiltration of evil. It is an ultimate mockery to infiltrate and overtake the temple that David worked so hard to pave the way for. The idea was to have a permanent place to worship Yahweh, but it seems that because humans are easily fooled the temple was allowed to have every religion represented and practiced in it. When we look at the prophecy that Ezekiel gave to the elders of Israel we have to pay close attention to the literal things that Yahweh said. Yahweh is not talking to them figuratively, he is literally explaining the sins of their prostitution. Not only did they adopt the gods from other nations, they brought those practices into the temple. Hezekiah and Josiah tried to clean up Israel and the temple but many citizens did not support them. Now in captivity, the elders want to find out about their situation. Ezekiel speaks to them from Yahweh and clearly shows how they broke their own nation.

The Elders of Israel came to Ezekiel in the seventh year of captivity in the fifth month and the tenth day, asking to hear from Yahweh. Now that they were in captivity and the temple had been destroyed they thought this would be a good time to inquire as to their situation.

Ezekiel 20:1 G2532 And G1096 it came to pass G1722 in G3588 the G2094 [²year G3588   G1442 ¹seventh], G1722 in G3588 the G3991 fifth G3376 month, G1181 tenth G3588 of the G3376 month, G2064 there came G435 men G1537 from G3588 the G4245 elders G3588 of the G3624 house G* of Israel G1905 to ask of G3588 the G2962 lord . G2532 And G2523 they sat G4253 before G4383 my face. G1473  

  2 G2532 And G1096 [³came G3056 ¹ the word G2962 ² of the lord] G4314 to G1473 me, G3004 saying,

Ezekiel gives these elders a three chapter answer from Yahweh, probably over the course of a few days. We see something similar in 2 Ezra. Yahweh tells them the story of two sisters. 

Ezekiel LXX2012⁽ⁱ⁾23: ¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother: ³ and they went a-whoring in Egypt in their youth: there their breasts fell, there they lost their virginity. 

The word whoring, ἐκπορνεύω means prostituted, ἐκ means “from out of” and πορνεύω means “sexual sin" or “prostitute”. In Israel’s infancy there were two nations who both prostituted themselves in Egypt. Isaiah speaks of a later time when Judah was making alliances with Egypt, Isaiah 30. But Yahweh is referring to their time in Egypt when they went in as free people. 

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/06/flying-asps-winged-women-greek-and.html

Their breasts fell as if they became old and they διεπαρθενεύθησαν transformed or disguised themselves. The English translations say “lost her virginity” but the text actually says transformed. Meaning she changed herself with her prostitution to look like the Egyptians. Satanas was able to influence the nation of Israel when she was in Egypt to behave like the Egyptians. Satanas didn’t have to distort the Egyptians, they were not a nation whose Elohim is Yahweh. Egypt simply acted like any primal nation without any knowledge of Yahweh. 

We should keep in mind that before going into Egypt as free people, Reuben had slept with his stepmom Bilhah. Juda slept with prostitutes and accidentally his own daughter in law, impregnating her. Jacob’s sons sold Joseph as a slave. Later when they went to look for Joseph they looked for him at the wall where the prostitutes hung out because they thought he was effeminate, or in other words a male prostitute. Once in Egypt the sons of Jacob were free people but they worshipped Egypts idols and their ways. This is why in their later years they became slave labor. As they were coming out of Egypt the men were enticed to sleep with the Moabite women who batted their eyelashes at them on the road. Once they came out of Egypt into their own land the men of Benjamin wanted to gang rape a Levite. They eventually settled for the Levites wife. They raped her all night long and threw her on the front porch of a kind man who the Levite was staying with, where she died. The sons of Jacob were not always the nicest people and they seemed to have a lot of bad habits. 

Ezekiel 23:⁴ And their names were Oola the elder, and Ooliba her sister: and they were mine, and bore sons and daughters: and [as for] their names, Samaria was Oola, and Jerusalem was Ooliba. 

The two daughters are Oola and Ooliba. They had many children. Oola is Samaria or the northern kingdom and Ooliba is Jerusalem the southern kingdom. At the time that the temple was built they were both one kingdom. The kingdom had split in two about 400 years earlier. Oola in Hebrew means “her own tent” and was a name referring to the ten tribes. In Hebrew Ooliba means “tent of the high place” and referred to Judah.

If you wanted to destroy Jacob’s children where would you do it from? Inside the kingdom or outside the kingdom? Satanas chose inside the kingdom and once the kingdom split it was easier to distort both the north and the south. 

Ezekiel 23:⁵ And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbors, ⁶ clothed with purple, princes and captains; [they were] young men and choice, all horseman riding on horses. 

To dote here is the word epitithēmi meaning “on lay down” or “upon lay down”. Oola on laid down upon her lovers the Assyrians coming near to her who are clothed in dark purple, leading magistrates, young men, chosen ones. All the mounted horsemen upon horses. Oola slept with all the important people. She transformed in Egypt and now she is sleeping with the people in Assyria. 

As Peter tells us, Yahweh knows how to deliver the righteous out of trials. There were many nations that did not follow Yahweh, such as Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma, and Zeboim. The cities of the plains were not heirs of Jacob, and their sins crossed a line. As we can plainly see there are certain rules that Satanas has to abide by, and in some way, these cities broke some universal rules that we don’t quite understand. The majority of people were corrupted. When the angels came to Lot’s house Lot was allowed to go out to his other daughters homes to tell them to leave the city. Lot had five daughters. One of Lot’s daughters had been killed for helping a man the city officials were attempting to kill. The other two daughters and their families wanted to stay in Sodom. Lot left with his wife and two younger daughters. Lot lost his two older daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. No wonder “Mrs. Lot” looked back, her children were killed. How corrupted can a nation become before it crosses a line? We obviously don’t want to find that out, but we want to understand that the majority sway a nation. Therefore righteousness, godliness, and holiness, should be our majority, not sin. 

Ezekiel 23:⁷ And she bestowed her fornication upon them; all were choice sons of the Assyrians: and on whoever she doted herself, with them she defiled herself in all [their] devices. 

She prostituted herself to the chosen sons of the Assyrians as well as laid down with them, and, in all reminders and memories, she’s corrupted. Her fornication was always on her mind. The word devices means “thoughts”. This was all she thought about. 

Ezekiel 23:⁸ And she forsook not her fornication with the Egyptians: for in her youth they committed fornication with her, and they deflowered her, and poured out their fornication upon her. 

She prostituted herself with Egypt and absolutely did not leave it behind or forsake it as they slept with her in her youth and transformed and poured their harlotry on her. We are not talking about mixed marriages, meaning Jacob’s sons marrying Egyptian women, we are talking about idolatry and sexual sins. Somehow people thought open sexual perversions, in temples, before the gods, was a way to get the gods to listen to them. The Egyptian priests had quite a racket going on in Egypt. They also made people pay for indulgences to let their loved ones out of hades. We can see how this influence eventually entered the temple. 

Ezekiel 23:⁹ Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the children of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.

Yahweh gave her to the ones he prostituted herself with. If we think back to the times of Elijah and Elisha, the northern kingdom was warned about what she was doing but the people did not repent. This is literal and figurative prostitution. She mixed herself with the other nations in sexual rituals and when in captivity in Assyria she mixed again. This is why the southern kingdom called the Samarians “dogs”. Because of the mixed heirs they bore from their ritualistic sexual practices. They didn’t have abortion clinics on every corner but they did abort babies. Once born they sacrificed their babies in other ways. Oola destroyed her own offspring. Oola did the same ritualistic practices of the other nations. The southern kingdom was not any better.

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2019/03/manasseh-cesarean-sections-abortion.html

Ezekiel 23:¹⁰ They uncovered her shame: they took her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword: and she became a byword among women: and they wrought vengeance in her for the sake of the daughters. 

She uncovered apokaluptō her own disgrace. They received her sons and daughters with daggers to kill them. Oola became a cry for women and manufactured vengeance and punishment in her. 

Ezekiel 23:¹¹ And her sister Ooliba saw [it], and she indulged in her fondness more corruptly than she, and in her fornication more than the fornication of her sister. 

Ooliba destroyed herself laying upon, above Oola, and prostituted herself more than Oola. The word fondness translated here is the word epithesis, meaning “laying on” as in laying on of hands. This was not a passive posture but an aggressive posture. She actively pursued these practices. She saw what her sister did and pursued her lovers as if she could do it better. Ooliba had a temple dedicated to Yahweh in her midst. 

Where was the temple located? In the south with Ooliba. What was gong on in the temple? Over 400 years of corruption, including male and female prostitution, worshipping stars, constellations, angels, cherubim, and sacrifices to Moloch, etc. This is why earlier Ezekiel saw the corruption in the temple and the angels that came to mark the people who mourned for the temple, and the Holy Spirit was taken up by the cherubim and ophanim. Yahweh will be pointing this out soon. 

Just to note here, the practice of temple prostitution continued into the first century. Remember the women taken in adultery from John 8. Jesus was teaching in the temple courts. Jesus was not allowed in the inner courts as he was not a priest. While he was teaching the Pharisees threw a woman at his feet. Where was she? In the temple compound. She wasn’t in town somewhere, and they did not drag her for miles to the outer temple courts. She was a prostitute in the temple. Jesus literally said that whoever had not sinned with her, cast the first stone. The translators left the word “her” out in modern translations but we find it in older translations. How did Jesus know they had all sinned with her? This is why she didn’t have any accusers because according to the law both the men and women adulterers were to both be stoned. 

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/12/i-am-yahwehs-name-revealed-abraham.html

Ezekiel 23:¹² She doted upon the sons of the Assyrian, princes and captains, her neighbors, clothed with fine linen, horsemen riding on horses; [they were] all choice young men. ¹³ And I saw that they were defiled, [that] the two [had] one way. 

The two sisters had one way or they both did the same things. For a nation stemming from Jacob, one of the most devoted men to Yahweh Elohim, they were as far from Yahweh as they could possibly be. They were entrusted to teach nations about Yahweh and instead they indulged themselves. Both sisters did the same things. 

Ezekiel 23:¹⁴ And she increased her fornication, and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil, ¹⁵ having variegated girdles on their loins, having also richly dyed [attire] upon their heads; all had a princely appearance, the likeness of the children of the Chaldeans, of their native land. 

Ooliba increased her porneia. She increased by pornography. The word that is used for man here is anēr meaning “human”, as compared to “manfaced” which denotes men apart from other sons of God. They painted images of the Chaldeans on walls of homes with pencils. So we see their art now became pornographic. They were drawing images of the Babylonian Chaldeans. 

It is quite embarrassing for most citizens of North America to walk into tourist shops in other countries. Usually there is a display of idols for sale that the people once worshipped in that region. Some have very large members. When we see these idols we cannot understand what people were thinking when they made them so many years ago. Well, they were fantasizing over the way they imagined a god of fertility would look like. They seemed to be big sellers as people changed the faces of the mini fertility gods to suit their tastes. It is obvious that among the idols in the temple there were idols with large members for people to worship and perform sexual rites.  

It is important to remember Babylon’s history. Babylon was not a dominant nation during Israel’s history. Babylon was only a prosperous and dominant nation at the time of Nimrod. But during the times of Israel, Babylon went in and out of captivity itself. Usually it was the Assyrians that ruled Babylon, but Babylon was allowed to rise up to overtake Judah as it was a close nation.  

Ezekiel 23:¹⁶ And she doted upon them as soon as she saw them, and sent forth messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans. ¹⁷ And the sons of Babylon came to her, into the bed of rest, and they defiled her in her fornication, and she was defiled by them, and her soul was alienated from them. ¹⁸ And she exposed her fornication, and exposed her shame: and my soul was alienated from her, even as my soul was alienated from her sister. 

She prostituted herself with the Chaldeans with her eyes. That means she used the images of them to arouse herself. She sent for the Chaldeans and they came into her marriage bed. She defiled herself and separated her soul from Yahweh. It is interesting that Yahweh says the defilement caused her soul to revolt. This is a soul tie, the sin caused her soul to attach itself to the Chaldeans and depart from herself. This can split someone’s personality. Not everyone in the southern kingdom was following after the Chaldeans so there was also a split among the people. Her soul was separated, which tells us that as a nation their souls should have been united. Then Yahweh’s soul connection was separated from Ooliba as it was from Oola. To be clear, this defilement separates one’s own soul from itself, splitting it. It also separates that one’s soul from other people, and it separates that one’s soul from Yahweh. 

Ezekiel 23:¹⁹ And you did multiply your fornication, so as to call to remembrance the days of your youth, wherein you did commit whoredom in Egypt, ²⁰ and you did dote upon the Chaldeans, whose flesh is as the flesh of the asses, and their members [as] the members of horses.

Oola laid down upon the Chaldeans whose bodies were like donkeys. This tells us that their body was strong. They weren’t soft fat people, they were strong and hard. And their genitals were like horse genitals, meaning their genitals were very large. This is what they drew pictures of. Men in garments with large genitals to which they fantasized over and prostituted themselves with when they called on them. Maybe the Israelite men were not as graciously endowed. They did this in Egypt as well, but there is something else here. 

In this entire section we are not talking about women who prostituted with men, but men who prostituted with men. Ezekiel is prophesying to the elders, who were all men. The word αιδοία is actually translated vulva, which is a “female opening” in Greek. The Hebrew changes this word to translate as seminal fluid, probably to suggest something slightly different. Their flesh were like donkeys, their genitals and openings were like horses. The men salivated over the artistic works of images of the Chaldeans, and they slept with the Chaldeans who were hung like horses. 

Once again we have to point out we are speaking of adulterous sexual ritual practices in the temple, not monogamous relationships. He is not condemning monogamous marriages of people from other nations. He is speaking nationally that the temple is defiled by these booths of the prostitutes. What we don’t really understand, because the Bible is written more historically, is the practices that were going on in the temple. These practices were not made known to the common laity. Yahweh is not speaking of eunuchs either. He is speaking of sexual ritual worship in His house.  

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/04/eunuchs-divorce-from-womb-laws-for.html

 

There is a reason that Yahweh is being so descriptive here. He is making a point that doing this separates one’s soul from the rest of the body and from Him. So while Yahweh is saying that they figuratively prostituted themselves with Assyria and Babylon, they also literally prostituted themselves with Assyria and Babylon. They lusted after them and separated themselves from Yahweh. 

The tent of a human is their body, the tent of the Lord is the tabernacle. Yahweh’s breath left the human tent Oola. Yahweh’s breath left the temple, Ooliba. Both the soul’s of Oola and Ooliba were separated causing Yahweh’s breath to leave both individual tents and the temple. Oola and Ooliba were drawn by the lust of the flesh away from Yahweh until they stiffened their necks against Yahweh, enjoying their lusts and performing sexual rituals. They were not victims, they simply chose to lose the breath of Yahweh Elohim.

Today it seems that we have a culture bent on the sexual indoctrination of children. Why? There are probably more than two reasons here but one is to prepare willing participants for the future. The other is to justify adult perversity that already exists. Now the perverted adults can be the leaders in this movement. Yahweh doesn’t want his children indoctrinated but we have allowed Satanas into our churches. We have allowed Satanas into our schools. Infiltration. 

Jesus is very clear in Matthew 18, he states that if someone causes one child to turn away from Jesus, that evil person is destined for eternal death. Jesus will go after that one child, but the perpetrator will end up in the fires of Gehenna. 

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2021/05/entrapping-children-eternal-fires-of.html

We may not have understood that there were booths for prostitution in the temple, male prostitution, as well as female prostitution. Why? Where did they learn this? Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.

2 Kings 23:7 G2532 And G2507 he demolished G3588 the G3624 house G3588 of the G2504.2 male prostitutes G3588 of the ones G1722 in G3588 the G3624 house G2962 of the lord G1722 in G3739 which G3588 the G1135 women G5306.1 wove G1563 apparel there G4749   G3588 for the G251.1 sacred grove.

2 Kings 23:7 (ISV)  He also demolished the temples of the cultic male prostitutes that had been operating in the LORD's Temple, where the women had been doing weaving for the Asherah.

Josiah tried to eliminate all of the evil that had found its way into the temple but eventually the evil all came back. Keep a linear timeline in perspective here. After Solomon died the kingdom split and several types of idolatry, adultery, and evil sacrifice, started in the temple and lasted for about 400 years; until Ezekiel sees the defilement and the destruction of the temple. This is the end of this era, as now the southern kingdom will go into captivity and all of Israel will eventually be under Assyrian rule, then Greek rule, then Roman rule. Yahweh is speaking to the elders in this very graphic way to shake them from their stupor. The majority sways a nation. The righteous were marked and spared by angels. Although Yahweh overlooked this, he is bringing it up to point out that he overlooked it in the past but they should not have been doing this in the temple of Yahweh Elohim.

It is also interesting to note that Yahweh keeps bringing up Egypt and Israels sins with Egypt. When Jacob and his sons went into Egypt Joseph was the second in command, a ruler of the land. Joseph had married the high priest’s daughter and had sons. Jacob’s sons mingled and merged with the Egyptians. Yahweh is not upset by mixed marriages. Yahweh doesn’t care if someone marries outside of their tribe or nation. Ruth was a moabite lady in Jesus’ own lineage. What Yahweh is upset with is the distorted spiritual and sexual practices of the other nations. Why would anyone have built booths for male and female prostitutes in the temple? What kind of sexual rituals did they add to temple service? Later when their seventy year captivity was over, Ezra separated the people who were from Babylon who married into Israel’s families. Why? Because he was rededicating the temple. He didn’t want ritual sexual practices to creep into the temple again from the culture of Babylon. 

 Ezekiel 23:²¹ And you did look upon the iniquity of your youth, [the things] which you wrought in Egypt in your lodgings, where were the breasts of your youth. ²² Therefore, Ooliba, thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] stir up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them upon you round about, ²³ the children of Babylon, and all the Chaldeans, Phacuc, and Sue, and Hychue, and all the sons of the Assyrians with them; choice young men, governors and captains, all princes and renowned, riding on horses. ²⁴ And they all shall come upon you from the north, chariots and wheels, with a multitude of nations, shields and targets; and [the enemy] shall set a watch against you round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall take vengeance on you with their judgments. ²⁵ And I will bring upon you my jealousy, and they shall deal with you in great wrath: they shall take away your nose and your ears; and shall cast down your remnant with the sword: they shall take your sons and your daughters; and your remnant fire shall devour. 

²⁶ And they shall strip you of your raiment, and take [away] your ornaments. 

They will have their noses and ears cut off so that everyone knows they are Ooliba’s children. They will have their sons and daughters murdered. They will have their clothes taken and their valuables taken. The word here sometimes translated items is skeous meaning “vessel, implement, or equipment”. These are not decorative things like jewelry, but utility items, like chamber pots, cooking pots, and water jugs. This means they would have to go out in the community for their daily needs without their noses and ears, and everyone would see them. It would be constant humiliation. 

Ezekiel 23:²⁷ So I will turn back your ungodliness from you, and your fornication from the land of Egypt: and you shall not lift up your eyes upon them, and shall no more remember Egypt. ²⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord God; Behold, I [will] deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, from whom your soul is alienated. ²⁹ And they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take all [the fruits] of your labors and your toils, and you shall be naked and bare: and the shame of your fornication shall be exposed: and your ungodliness and your fornication ³⁰ brought this upon you, in that you went a-whoring after the nations, and did defile yourself with their devices. ³¹ You did walk in the way of your sister; and I will put her cup into your hands. ³² Thus says the Lord; Drink your sister's cup, deep and large, and full, to cause complete drunkenness. ³³ And you shall be thoroughly weakened; and the cup of destruction, the cup of your sister Samaria, ³⁴ drink you it, and I will take away her feasts and her new moons: for I have spoken [it], says the Lord. ³⁵ Therefore thus says the Lord; Because you has forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore receive you [the reward] of your ungodliness and your fornication. 

This doesn’t seem very encouraging to the elders who are enquiring of Yahweh. All they know is they will be made very low for their fornication. They forgot about Yahweh. 

The new moon celebrations were in regards to fertility. Women ovulated during the full moon. By the time of the new moon women knew if they were expecting or not. If they were menstruating they were not pregnant. This also applied to their animals, their sheep, goats, and cows. The festival was to celebrate life, not the moon. It was not to celebrate anything other than pregnancy. We can see how distorted these festivals became, and how offensive they became to Yahweh when they turned them into orgies in the temple. 

One of the regular festivals of Sodom and the five cities of the plains took place four times per year. The people got together, took some type of herb, and then went off into the fields with each others spouses. In other words they were wife swapping while on drugs. This practice was perfectly normal for these people who were not sons of Yahweh, but Yahweh’s children were not to commit adultery. Yet if they committed adultery in the temple, they thought it was acceptable. Once one generation decides to do this every succeeding generation did this, and no one knew where the rituals came from. 

Ezekiel 23:³⁶ And the Lord said to me, Son of man, will you not judge Oola and Ooliba? and declare to them their iniquities? ³⁷ For they have committed adultery, and blood was in their hands, they committed adultery with their devices, and they passed through the fire to them their children which they bore to me.

They committed adultery in their devices or thoughts. To commit adultery against Yahweh means they sought after someone else. Who? Satanas, the god of this world, aka the prince of this world. They passed their children through the fire. What kind of ridiculous practice is this? Not one that Yahweh instituted. By this time of the 70 year captivity, Satanas had so intertwined demonic practices with Yahweh’s worship services, the people probably didn’t know which rituals were wrong. Even today in Jewish hospitals, they pass the new born baby over a candle flame. Seriously. 

Lev 18:21  And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

The Israelites were told from the start of the their nation not to pass their children through the fires to Moloch, yet as we see in linear time, they kept right on doing it. 

2Ki 16:3  But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

2Ki 17:17  And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Now at the end of their era, they are still passing their children through the fire. The infiltration was so engrained that the people simply just followed the traditions and practices that their fathers established, even though these were not Yahweh’s practices. This next verse is a harsh slap from Yahweh.  

Eze 20:31  For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.

This is when the elders came to enquire of Yahweh Elohim. Where was all this happening, offering gifts, passing their children through the fire, and idolatry? In the temple. They were doing this for over 400 years. Now they wanted to hear the future from Yahweh, but they also wanted to behave like they were worshipping Satanas. They were supposed to teach the other nations about Yahweh Elohim but instead Satanas taught them some different ways. Where does Satanas rule from? Not his own temple, but from the very heart of Yahweh’s temple.

Ezekiel 23:³⁸ So long too as they did these things to me, they defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my sabbaths. ³⁹ And when they sacrificed their children to their idols, they also went into my sanctuary to profane it: and whereas they did thus in the midst of my house; 

They corrupted Yahweh’s sanctuary. Who wanted to honor Yahweh with a temple? David. Who built the temple? Solomon. Who resided in the temple? The Spirit of the Living God, the Holy Spirit. And now this generation, four hundred years later, demands to hear from Yahweh as if he is a Genie in a bottle. Their souls are so far removed from Yahweh they do not even treat the Creator of the heavens and earth with respect. 

Ezekiel 23:⁴⁰ and whereas they did thus to the men that came from afar, to whom they sent messengers, and as soon as they came, immediately you did wash yourself, and did paint your eyes and adorn yourself with ornaments, ⁴¹ and sat on a prepared bed, and before it [there was] a table set out, and [as for] mine incense and mine oil, they rejoiced in them, ⁴² and they raised a sound of music, and [that] with men coming from the wilderness out of a multitude of men, and they put bracelets on their hands, and a crown of glory on their heads; ⁴³ Therefore I said, Do they not commit adultery with these? and has she also gone a-whoring [after] the manner of a harlot? 

The Israelite men in Jerusalem got all dolled up for the foreigners. The foreigners went in to both the northern and southern kingdom as if going into a prostitute. Just imagine how easy it was for Satanas to mislead Israel, all he had to do was tempt them with some pornography on buildings and they couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then all Satanas had to do was make sure they enjoyed themselves with their lovers and the temple was lost for thousands of years. Isn’t it a shame that we have to battle the same antiquated tricks and schemes of Satanas because we never learned from this prophecy?

Ezekiel 23:⁴⁴ And they went in to her, as [men] go in to a harlot; so they went in to Oola and to Ooliba to work iniquity. ⁴⁵ And they are just men, and shall take vengeance on them with the judgment of an adulteress and the judgment of blood: for they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. 

The foreigners they slept with will bring judgment on Israel, both the north and the south. 

Ezekiel 23:⁴⁶ Thus says the Lord God, Bring up a multitude upon them, and send trouble and plunder into the midst of them. ⁴⁷ And stone them with the stones of a multitude, and pierce them with their swords: they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and shall burn up their houses. ⁴⁸ And I will remove ungodliness out of the land, and all the women shall be instructed, and shall not do according to their ungodliness. ⁴⁹ And your ungodliness shall be recompensed upon you, and you⌃ shall bear the guilt of your devices: and you⌃ shall know that I am the Lord.

The women will be instructed. Apparently the women were taught incorrectly. The men will be repaid with their guilty thoughts. Imagine the dark cloud over these elders for the rest of their lives. This captivity will last for seventy years and it will clean the land. It is not what the elders wanted to hear. 

We have a few churches out there that are allowing productions to prepare children for lives of ritual sexual abuse. This is not the focus of our existence but Satanas would like us to be so focused and self centered so that just like Oola and Ooliba we cannot think of anything else. Satanas would like our nation’s  societal art and creativity to reflect sexual gratification as if this is all we ever live for. We give people drugs for sexual stimulation that causes their minds to obsess on the “high” that they will get. Once children are taught to allow adults to use them for sexual gratification, those children will recruit other children. Their souls will separate from themselves, as a splitting of their own personality, their souls will separate from their families, and their souls will separate from Yahweh. What can Satanas do with a generation of young people who’s souls are split? The public schools are an easy target because of “diversity”. However we do not have to allow our children to be their pawns. We do not have to allow our churches and schools to become their training grounds. We Christians should be the majority and we should be the ones to defeat Satanas in our nations. If we learn anything from Yahweh’s story of the two sisters, we should learn that the temple was not the high holy place that people want us to think it was, because the people turned away from Yahweh and severed their soul from Him. We however can do the opposite, we are not of this world. 

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2015/04/sodom-part-2-inbred-witchcraft-blinded.html

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2018/11/joel-3-end-of-nephilim-one-blood.html

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-called-dark-thoughts-sexual.html

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2022/04/lewdness-righteous-are-free-breaking-up.html

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/sex-cults-sacred-groves-ephods-teraphim.html

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2021/08/unjust-judgments-not-destroying-just.html

Passover; Male Prostitution in the Temple; History

It is easy to romanticize history, probably because the history that we teach our children in school is not really our true history. The history we teach in schools is devoid of the violence and abominations of the people of that era. Everything in the past was not a “happier time”; the opposite is probably true. After World War 2, during the time of the cold war, the United States of America went through a media campaign to differentiate the USA from communist countries. Christian values were publicized and popularized to show Americans how wonderful they were compared to atheists in communist countries. What happened as a result is that we Christianized and romanticized history. We imagine a history that may not be accurate. I bring this up because I recently heard someone explain that they celebrate Passover, and since it was to be a commemoration, I thought we should gain some insight on this feast. Was Passover regularly observed? What should Passover look like today? What we have done is Christianized and romanticized feasts, and in doing so we lose perspective of the past and invent something that never existed. The Bible gives us some historical information that we don’t talk about. Today, we have invented spring feasts and turned them into some sort of festive observance filled with made up traditions. Unfortunately there is more to the story.

God’s instruction to Moses started when the sons of Jacob were still in Egypt. They were to do some very specific things to protect their families and themselves. The rules changed later after they were out of Egypt. Let’s examine this.

   

Ex 12:5-14 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover.12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. KJV

Part one of God’s instructions was for the children of Israel who were in Egypt. The act of putting the blood of a lamb on their doorposts was so that the destroyer would not destroy them. As we studied a while back, that destroyer is the one known as Apollyon or Abaddon. Then there is part two.

Ex 12:15-20 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. KJV

Not only were they to eat the lamb standing, as if they were going somewhere, they had to prepare the unleavened bread for the next week. This was not to be a one night, standalone event, they were to continue for one week, eating bread with no yeast. This is when God changed the first month of the year from fall to spring; so technically God was now starting the “new year” with a lamb feast and unleavened bread for one week.  But there is more. Foreigners were not to partake, and slaves had to be circumcised first.

Ex 12:43-49 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. KJV

Clearly there was provision for those who were not of Jacob’s lineage, but primarily this was for the children of Israel to remember the day and time they left Egypt. Further rules were given once there was a tabernacle. The very first Passover did not include sacrifice offerings.  

Lev 23:17-21 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord.18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the Lord.19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. KJV

This was a holy time of assembly and introspection as they were making offerings to the Lord. They were to also bring their first fruits as a meat offering to the priests. Unlike the fall feasts, this was not a time of dancing and singing, but a time of reverence. Further provisions had to be made as time went on.

Num 9:4-14 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.6 And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:7 And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel?8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.9 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord.11 The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the Lord; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land. KJV

If one was defiled, they could not keep the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, but instead on the fourteenth day of the second month. God gave them another month to be cleansed and then they would observe Passover and the feast of unleavened bread in the second month. It seems God was flexible on the date of observance if people were defiled or traveling. But God was not flexible concerning individuals who didn’t want to bring the offering or keep the Passover. That person was to be cut off or removed from the people. Now God changes things and says there is one ordinance for both strangers and native Israelis.  

At the time of Cain and Abel, Abel’s offering was a blood sacrifice and acceptable by God. Cain’s offering was not a blood sacrifice and Cain’s was not accepted, blood had to be offered to cleanse from sin. That was the first thing to do. Cain brought the first fruits before being cleansed by the blood and purging the leaven. In other words, Cain did not believe the blood offering to be valuable, and instead brought a first fruits offering. How many times have we heard something silly regarding Cain’s offering?  God told Cain not to be sad because if he did what was right his offering would be accepted. Remember, the first thing God did for Adam and Eve was to kill innocent animals to provide covering for their nakedness. That was the first blood sacrifice. Therefore God was instructing the children of Israel like he instructed Adam and his sons. Sin needed a payment, innocent blood had to be used to make that payment. That is why there was no leniency for an Israelite who didn’t want to observe the Passover. That non observer had to bear his own sin.

Israel did not always keep the Passover. In fact it seems that the Passover was not observed more often than it was observed. After Samuel, there seems to be a long period of time of non-observance until Hezekiah keeps the Passover. For perspective, Samuel died before David became king. Hezekiah was now going to re-institute Passover, but they kept it in the second month as the priests were not sanctified.

2 Chron 30:1-5 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel.2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.4 And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. KJV

When we think about Passover today we assume that the Passover was kept every year, exactly as God commanded, but we can see, as Chronicles tells us, that they had not kept it for a long time. God did not strike them down for not keeping it either. This was their only absolution for sin, and yet they didn’t feel the need to keep the Passover. When the tribes came at the request of Hezekiah it was quite a big deal. Not all of them came. They were supposed to be keeping this ordinance forever but they didn’t.

2 Chron 30:16-21 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.17 For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the Lord.18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: ..”The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the Lord.” KJV

Because so many people were unclean, the Levites had to sacrifice the animals for the Passover, and even still there were too many who were unclean. The Lord was merciful and pardoned everyone. They did not keep the first fruits, so we can recognize that that was not always part of the Passover and unleavened bread week. It would be nice if from this time on everyone kept the Passover, but they did not. Israel fell into many sins again. Actually from the time Israel split, during Rehoboam’s and Jeroboam’s time, Israel fell into idolatry. When Josiah came into power, he started to clean up the southern kingdom. This was no small task. We rarely talk about the depths of the sins that entered into Israel. Let’s explore.

1 Kings 14:21-24 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. KJV

The word sodomites does not mean “people from Sodom”, but implies “male prostitutes in temples”. Today, we don’t understand this particularly well as we don’t see prostitutes in temples in most countries today. It was already a common practice by the time of the exodus, and God commanded the children of Israel not to turn their sons and daughters into prostitutes. This is a shame as the Israelites strayed so far that their own children became prostitutes in temples to strange gods.

Deut 23:17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. KJV

What did Rehoboam do? They maintained male shrine prostitutes, but not only in one place, but throughout the land. This temple prostitution took place in surrounding nations, as well as among the descendants of the Nephilim. We don’t understand how Israel got entangled with this, but suffice to say not all the people were caught up in temple prostitution. The Israelites were supposed to keep the Passover in remembrance of their deliverance, yet there were many who didn’t care to remember the bondage in Egypt or the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and therefore didn’t keep the Passover.

1 Kings 14:24 They even maintained male shrine prostitutes throughout the land, and imitated every detestable practice that the nations practiced whom the Lord had expelled in front of the Israelis. ISV

When Josiah was about 20 years old he started cleaning up temple prostitution. Now we might think that this prostitution took place in out of the way places, but it didn’t. By Josiah’s time Solomon’s Temple was turned into a place of prostitution with booths for the male prostitutes. It is hard to imagine; our Christianized and romanticized vision of Solomon’s Temple does not include idolatry and prostitution within its walls.

2 Kings 23:7 He tore out the rooms of the male sacred prostitutes that had been set up in The Temple of God; women also used these rooms for weavings for Asherah. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

2 Kings 23:7 He also demolished the temples of the cultic male prostitutes that had been operating in the Lord’s Temple, where the women had been doing weaving for the Asherah. ISV

One would think that the Temple would have been sacred or off limits to prostitution for strange gods. It seems God had every right to send both the northern and southern kingdoms into captivity. Obviously, people were not keeping the law and the kings didn’t care. Now I’m sure there were some people who were doing what they could to continue in the ways of God, but without being able to sacrifice in the temple for Passover, all they could do was observe on their own, without being cleansed. They could not be freed from their sins. We get the idea that God wasn’t as concerned about the people having a week’s vacation, or the practice of eating lamb and flat bread, as he was concerned about the people looking to Him. God was very willing to pardon the people in Hezekiah’s time for not being cleansed and God didn’t make a big deal over the fact that they were celebrating on the second month.

Josiah changed things. Josiah became king at eight years old. In his eighth year, when he was sixteen, he started to seek the Lord. In his twelfth year, when he was twenty, he started cleaning the idolatry out of Judah. In his eighteenth year, when he was twenty six, he held a Passover. 

2 Kings 23:21-27 And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.22 Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;23 But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the Lord in Jerusalem.24 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.26 Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.27 And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. KJV

It is funny how prideful the southern kingdom was in the time of the first century. Their history was horrific, and not unlike the northern kingdom. All of Israel, northern and southern, had idolatry and temple prostitution, and neither observed the spring feasts. Today, we imagine that our own history was happy and filled with goodness but the truth is quite grim. Then we imagine that other nations were simply evil and horrifying, while we, with puffed up pride, believe in our own righteousness. Josiah cleaned up Jerusalem and Judah for six years then held Passover in the first month, which must mean they had time to cleanse themselves. Although God waited until Josiah died before he cast off Jerusalem, he cast off both kingdoms. Both kingdoms rejected God’s provision of innocent blood to cleanse sin.

2 Chron 35:1-8 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord,3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the Lord your God, and his people Israel,4 And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.5 And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.6 So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.7 And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.8 And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen KJV

This was a seriously intense time of sacrificing. In total, there were nearly 42,000 animals sacrificed, which means there was a lot of blood flowing in Jerusalem.  Since the Temple of Solomon was being used for prostitution to foreign gods, the ark seems to have been moved out of the temple. The ark was probably in someone’s house among the Levites, and perhaps it was being moved around as it is recorded that it should not be a burden upon their shoulders. That is how the Levites were to transport the ark, by long rods which were carried on their shoulders. They had to move it back to the Temple. In our Christianized version of history, we seem to believe that the ark was always in the temple and that the temple was always holy. Ezra provides us with some more detail.

1 Esd 1:1-8 And Josias held the feast of the passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord, and offered the passover the fourteenth day of the first month;2 Having set the priests according to their daily courses, being arrayed in long garments, in the temple of the Lord.3 And he spake unto the Levites, the holy ministers of Israel, that they should hallow themselves unto the Lord, to set the holy ark of the Lord in the house that king Solomon the son of David had built:4 And said, Ye shall no more bear the ark upon your shoulders: now therefore serve the Lord your God, and minister unto his people Israel, and prepare you after your families and kindreds,5 According as David the king of Israel prescribed, and according to the magnificence of Solomon his son: and standing in the temple according to the several dignity of the families of you the Levites, who minister in the presence of your brethren the children of Israel,6 Offer the passover in order, and make ready the sacrifices for your brethren, and keep the passover according to the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto Moses.7 And unto the people that was found there Josias gave thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand calves: these things were given of the king's allowance, according as he promised, to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites.8 And Helkias, Zacharias, and Syelus, the governors of the temple, gave to the priests for the passover two thousand and six hundred sheep, and three hundred calves. KJV

Not only were there 33,000 animals used for sacrifice, but there were also 2,600 sheep and 300 calves for the priests. And then another 5,000 sheep and 700 calves. That is 41,600 animals sacrificed for Passover. Not only did they keep the Passover, but they also kept the feast of unleavened bread. They did not seem to observe first fruits.

1 Esd 1:9-23 And Jeconias, and Samaias, and Nathanael his brother, and Assabias, and Ochiel, and Joram, captains over thousands, gave to the Levites for the passover five thousand sheep, and seven hundred calves.10 And when these things were done, the priests and Levites, having the unleavened bread, stood in very comely order according to the kindreds,11 And according to the several dignities of the fathers, before the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses: and thus did they in the morning.12 And they roasted the passover with fire, as appertaineth: as for the sacrifices, they sod them in brass pots and pans with a good savour,13 And set them before all the people: and afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron.14 For the priests offered the fat until night: and the Levites prepared for themselves, and the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron.15 The holy singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their order, according to the appointment of David, to wit, Asaph, Zacharias, and Jeduthun, who was of the king's retinue.16 Moreover the porters were at every gate; it was not lawful for any to go from his ordinary service: for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.17 Thus were the things that belonged to the sacrifices of the Lord accomplished in that day, that they might hold the passover,18 And offer sacrifices upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josias.19 So the children of Israel which were present held the passover at that time, and the feast of sweet bread seven days.20 And such a passover was not kept in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel.21 Yea, all the kings of Israel held not such a passover as Josias, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Jews, held with all Israel that were found dwelling at Jerusalem.22 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias was this passover kept.23 And the works or Josias were upright before his Lord with an heart full of godliness. KJV

Josiah’s reign started at or about 640 BC. The prophet Ezekiel began prophesying at or about 593 BC. If we notice Ezekiel chapter 8, God shows Ezekiel what kind of evil things they were doing in the temple. Then in chapter 9 angels mark the people who lament over the evil being done in Jerusalem. In Chapter 10 of Ezekiel, God’s glory leaves the temple. Now let’s think this through. Rehoboam started his reign in 930 BC and that is when idolatry and temple prostitution started in the land. Then 290 years later Josiah cleaned up all the idolatry. Yet, at the time of Ezekiel God’s glory had not left the temple. That tells us God’s glory was still in the temple for 337 years while all sorts of evil things were going on. That is quite a tolerance for sin, isn’t it? God so loved his people, he kept his glory among them for over 300 years while the majority practiced idolatry and male temple prostitution right under God’s nose. Yikes, that is a very different picture of the sinfulness of people and the tolerance of God than we have today. Today we believe God to have been a heavy handed angry taskmaster, who punishes people for mild infractions, such as not washing their hands. The Pharisees led us to believe that God did not like Jesus and his disciples for such a terrible trespass of failure to hand wash, which was against the law. Yet look what was going on right in the temple for over 300 years.

There are lots of people who like to romanticize the past, as if everything was simply wonderful and blessed back then, but somehow it is not like that now. Instead not much has changed. In India, temple prostitution is still practiced. Idolatry was the main issue God was trying to get across to the Israelites regarding the laws. He didn’t want the sons of Jacob to become like the surrounding nations. While we don’t have prostitution in our churches, we still have many who refuse to accept the atonement for sin. Today, it is by Jesus’ blood that we have atonement. We do not have to carry the burden of sin upon us because Jesus took our sin upon himself. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Passover lamb. John the Baptist declared Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. Not just the sins of the Israelites, but the whole world. John was an Essene, one of the people who lived in the desert and hid many scrolls in caves in clay jars.  These were found in our time and are known as the Dead Sea scrolls. John was Jesus’ cousin, and he had a very deep knowledge of the scriptures. The Essenes believed in Jesus after he came as well; they understood Jesus’ blood taking away the sins of the world.

John 1:29-34 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. KJV

John mentions the Spirit descending upon at Jesus’ baptism. He says that God, who sent him to baptize with water, told him to look for the one whom the Spirit remained upon, as he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Ghost. John kept announcing Jesus as the Lamb of God.

John 1:35-36 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! KJV

As we have discussed, today the Jew has no atonement for sin. There is no temple. They could have atonement if they were to accept Jesus as Lord. While Jesus was on earth he kept the Passover. He told them that he wanted to eat the Passover with them before he suffered. He also said he would not drink wine again until he drinks it in the kingdom of God.

Luke 22:13-20 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. KJV

Jesus goes on to say a few more things here. The leaders now have to be the greatest servants. The upside down leadership we see today in governments, corporations, and religious organizations is not what Jesus wanted from his disciples. Just as he served them, they, and we, are to serve others. Jesus says to them that they would sit at His table in the kingdom.

Luke 22:25-30 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. KJV

The gospels of Matthew and Mark reiterate this and they all say something interesting. Jesus said that His blood is the new testament, it is the new covenant for the remission of sins. 

Matt 26:26-30 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.27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.KJV

Mark 14:22-26 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. KJV

Testament NT:1242 diatheke (dee-ath-ay'-kay); from NT:1303; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will): KJV - covenant, testament.(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.)

We can observe Passover if we wish, but it is simply a shadow of something greater, the blood of Jesus is the new covenant. It is a new contract that we have to cleanse us of our sins. We no longer have to carry the burden of our sin. And we do not have to be cast off from the community for not being cleansed. We don’t have to prepare to observe Passover on the first or second month, because Jesus fulfilled it for us.

Let’s look at the whole picture of Israel. They were given a covering in Egypt, the blood of an innocent lamb would keep the destroyer away from their homes. Then they were given guidelines for unleavened bread. This observance kept them clean from sin. At the beginning of the year they were to cleanse themselves by keeping the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. The offering of first fruits was added but not kept by Hezekiah or Josiah. The majority of the people did not adhere to God’s direction. Instead they accumulated their sins upon themselves over the course of many years. After 337 years, or thereabouts, God’s glory leaves the temple.  Even though Hezekiah and Josiah observed Passover and unleavened bread, both kingdoms regressed back into idolatry, and eventually they all went into captivity as God said they would.

When Paul gives us direction, he tells us to purge out the old leaven. Leaven is like sin, it multiplies in our lives when left alone. We are to keep our part of the feast, since Jesus is the Passover lamb, we are the unleavened bread. Let’s look at the Amplified and the Message.

1 Cor 5:7-8 Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough, still uncontaminated [as you are], for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of purity (nobility, honor) and sincerity and [unadulterated] truth. [Ex 12:19; 13:7; Deut 16:3.] AMP

1 Cor 5:7-8 So get rid of this "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. 8 So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread — simple, genuine, unpretentious. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Today, there is no temple for cleansing, so Passover cannot be properly observed. There is no true observance of the Passover because sacrifice has to first be made for cleansing; then the Passover, unleavened bread, and first fruits can be observed. We can be glad the destroyer passed over the Israelites, and that afterwards the Israelites left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. We can have a party to commemorate that. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, they entered the Promised Land, we can have a party commemorating that. But the sons of Jacob repeatedly forgot about commemorating Passover and unleavened bread, and used the temple for a house of prostitution. So what if we instead commemorate the new testament Jesus told us about; the new contract/covenant, the resurrection. As John said God told him, the one who the Spirit stays on will be the one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. This is a new time, a new age. A new covenant was made and the old way of Passover is not possible because there is no temple in Jerusalem. Yet we, you and I, are the temple, 1Corinthians 3:16-17. Jesus’ resurrection made it possible for us to become the temple of the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul also tells us not to be pressured by others in whether we observe holy days.  

Col 2:16-17 So don't put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. 17 All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

History is not as grand, or happy, or easy as we have been led to believe. There is ugliness and wretchedness in humanity. Idolatry and foolishness pervaded the history of the sons of Jacob. Should we pretend that Israel’s history was filled with righteousness and holiness, and therefore we should observe holy days that God instituted under the old covenant? Or should we accept the new covenant, Jesus’ blood cleansing us of our sin. Should we have some sort of disdain for our present time and our present days of evil, and denounce anything that God did which was new in the first century? I would say that times are better today, as there is no male prostitution in the temple in Israel. That is a positive move forward. Thankfully, most countries have moved beyond some of those past abuses, as well as other human rights violations.

If we wish to celebrate the feast as Paul suggests, we should celebrate our part as the unleavened bread, since Jesus is the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the whole world. We all are included in the remission of sins if we wish to accept it. Now having said all of this, there will be a time in the future, when Jesus is ruling during the millennial kingdom, that the Passover and unleavened bread will be observed again. In Ezekiel chapter 40 Ezekiel starts to tell us about the new city of Jerusalem during the time Jesus will reign on earth.

Ezek 45:21-22 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. KJV

This is when a new temple will be in place, and satan will be bound for 1000 years, which is after the church comes back with Jesus to rescue Israel. Since we are not living in the millennial kingdom yet, our only hope for cleansing is in Jesus’ blood.