Les Saintes Fêtes

L’ Arche de Yhwh (Ardey) utilise le calendrier Biblique (lunaire) pour ses saintes fêtes. Ce calendrier est également le calendrier Juif. Exode 12:1; Genèse 1:14

Elle observe sept (7) fêtes saintes d'ordre Biblique et deux (2) fêtes Juives d'ordre traditionnel. Lévitique 23, Nombres 28, Nombres 29. 

Les (7) fêtes saintes. 

 

 

 

1-  La fête de sabbat (Shabbat) – fête hebdomadaire.
2-  La fête de nouvelle lune (Rosh chodesh)  – fête mensuelle.
3-  La fête de pâque Judéo-chrétienne (Pesach) et des Pains sans levain - fêtes  annuelles et majeures.
4-  La fête de pentecôte Judéo-chrétienne (Shavuot) – fête annuelle & majeure.
5-  La fête de nouvel an ou trompettes (Roch hachannah - Yom teruah) – fête annuelle.
6-  Le jour d'expiation (Yom Kippur), fête annuelle.
7-  La fête des Huttes (Sukkoth) – fête annuelle & majeure.

 

 

Les (2) fêtes Juives traditionnelles

8-  Le fête de Pourim - Fête annuelle.

 

Elle commémore le salut du peuple Juif face au complot d'extermination orchestré par Haman.

 

9-  La fête de  Hanouccah – fête annuelle .

La fête des lumières.  Elle commémore la victoire sur les ténebres. La redédication du Temple de Jérusalem.

 

   SUITE D'ENSEIGNEMENTS SUR LES SAINTES FETES

      

Bientôt

 

 

LES ARTICLES

 

ARTICLE 1: "Les Sacrifices au feu"

Par Elder Solomon

Pour le Ministère de L'Arche de Yahweh
© Sept 2011

Shalom to all the brethren

Welcome to my Epistle on Burnt Sacrifices

Religion is about Revelation and Response.God revealing Himself to mankind, and man responding to Him in a particular way or manner, in order to maintain the continuity of that revelations coming to him.  In this relationship man finds peace, protection, love, joy, which is all a shadow of the things to come upon him in the hereafter. It is the worship given to God.

Christianity(from the Ancient Greekword Χριστός, Khristos, "Christ", literally "anointed one") is a monotheisticreligion based on the life and teachings of Jesusas presented in canonical gospelsand other New Testamentwritings.[2]Adherents of the Christian faith are known as Christians. Christianity began as a Jewish sectin the mid-1st century. Originating in the eastern Mediterraneancoast of the Middle East (modern Israeland Palestine), it quickly spread to Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minorand Egypt, it grew in size and influence over a few decades, and by the 4th century had become the dominant religion within the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, most of the remainder of Europe was Christianized, with Christians also being a sometimes large religious minority in the Middle East, North Africa, Ethiopiaand parts of India. Following the Age of Discovery, through missionary workand colonization, Christianity spread to the Americas, Australasia, sub Saharan Africaand the rest of the world. In order to follow Jesus' command to serve others, Christians established hospitals, churches, schools, charities, orphanages, homeless shelters, and universities in the areas in which they spread Christianity.

Coming back to the topic, it all began with God creating man in His own image and likeness, put him in a well-designed Garden, and gave him the power of Volition (the power of choice, between good and evil).  Man and his descendants entered into an agreement with God as to how the earthly government should function or be run. A type of the Heavenly vision. God gave them Laws, Statutes, Judgments, Ordinances.

Man did not use it well, he made a big mistake by disobeying God, bringing upon him and his descendants forever the curse or punishment of Death.There were efforts being made by certain person in Biblical history to bring man back to sense, but their efforts were not enough. Man on his own could not find the way back to Paradise. A merciful father, Yahweh, looked upon them, and promised to send someone special to guide them back all the way into Paradise.But that the standard or the rules of the game would still remain the very same LAWS & STATUTES.

1 John 3:8 - Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. Being the Light He had to put away darkness to shine. What was and is still that darkness?  Everything that did not walk in line with His father’s plan of salvation was considered evil. Everything that walked in the same way as His original plan was ans is still righteousness. Matt 5:13.

The Laws were originally handed down to the people of Israel. Through them the whole world would eventually come to know God and return to Him. After all, someone had to receive them on the behalf of all. Original plan was to save all mankind, not only Israel. But Israel was the chosen tribe or community that God choose to pass through, to work with mankind. They were not chosen because they were righteous. Israel was selected also as a result of the fact that God had selected Abram, whom happened to be the father of that community. Gen 18:16-19. From time immemorial God has never condoned sinful behaviour, be it from a Pagan, a Saint, nor an Angel. No!Gen 18:20. But because, God wanted it to be the way it was. He could have easily selected any of the pagan tribes to bear His Name. But He chooses Israel. He entered into an agreement with them.

Think of God’s Word as a contract or an agreement between God and His people. The Old Covenant was essentially a marriage contract. The terms of the contract never change. But the terms cease to be in effect between those two partiesif eitherparty defaults—fails to keep his end of the bargain. The contract would have been broken. The terms of the contract would not change. But, within those terms are built-in “annulment” provisions.

Notice Hebrews 8:8: “For finding fault with them [ancient Israel and Judah], He says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” To understand, consider the following: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

God knew well in advance of man’s creation that we would be capable of sinning. Adam was a free moral agent. He was given the choice of either obeying or rejecting God’s laws. He could have chosen not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and rather to eat of the Tree of Life. But Adam made the wrong choice. It was not at that point that God decided, “Oops! I didn’t think of that. I’ve got to come up with something to pay for it! I guess I am going to have to send My Son as the sacrifice for sin.” God knew that, even if Adam had made the right choice, someonewould have eventually made the wrong choice.

What does this tell us then? It means that even before the foundations of the world was laid; God had made a provision to salvage man, in the event of a fall.Rev 13:8.

When Israel, the “ the chosen of God” sinned, by going against the terms of the contract or agreement, thereby blocking mankind way back to paradise, God had a rescue plan already in place to send His begotten Son to set a standard for all mankind. The problem was not with the terms of the Contract, but with the people.

The terms of the Law could not be fulfilled by man. He couldn’t uphold his own side of the contract. Therefore, Christ came to fulfill the Law and make it honourable. Matt 5:16 -19. He came to set an example that all may know that the Laws of God are not bad and something no human can keep. He did it and taught all to do the same. 1 John 5:3. Christ said we should copy His example, in Matt. 11:28-29. God does things which are impossible to man. (Luke 1:37, 18:27). Christ had to keep the Laws, so as to save mankind (Lk.19:10).

The Old Covenant agreement between Christ and ancient Israel was actuallya marriage agreement, or covenant. In Jeremiah 3:14, God said to Israel, “I am married unto you.” Though He did later divorce her (3:8) for unfaithfulness, the marriage remained binding until Christ’s death. Christ’s marriage to, and divorce from, ancient Israel followed Old Testament law—see Ezekiel 16:38 and Deuteronomy 24:1.

Just as the Old Covenant was an agreement between God and physical Israel, the New Covenant is also marriage agreement between God and spiritualIsrael—true Christians today. We must also  bear in mind that the civil laws given to ancient Israel are also binding on Christians today!  The Laws or the terms of the Contract in the Old Covenant and the New Covenant are the same. The difference is in the applicability.

There would be always a Priest representing the people before Yahweh forever, making offerings or intercession. (Jer.33:17-18).All sin must be purged by blood being shed.(Heb. 9:22, 26). The animal sacrifices were a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice by Christ on the cross. Col. 1:16-22. Christ shed His blood on the tree at Calvary to make the greatest sacrifice ever; that sacrifice stands forever before the throne of God. No other sacrifice will ever be greater than this. Heb. 10:26, tells us that, all we need to do now is to Listen to the word, confess our sins, repent of evil by changing our way of life, accept Jesus Christ into our life, and enjoy the benefits of the shedding of His blood at Calvary. We should no longer return to sin, or in other words, be controlled by sin or stay under the Law. But we should live in righteousness (in accordance with the Law); because if we sin again, there will be no other sacrifice greater than that of Christ to cleanse us again- (since that was the highest price to be paid). Heb.10:28, Col. 2:10.

Christ is the Great High priest under the order of Melchizedek. Now He performs intercession on the behalf of His followers, throughout all ages of history before His father throne. (Rev. Matt. 13:9; Rev. 12:17, 13:8, 14:3, 12; Isa. 8:20). That is why He warned that His followers should live well above the righteousness of the Pharisees, and follow His example. (Matt. 11:28-29). On that Great Day of Judgment, he will say to some, “I know thee not” (Matt. 15:8-9), even if they did cast out devils and spoke in tongues.

(1) Animal sacrifices pointed to Christ’s sacrifice. They served to teach ancient Israel, in a graphic way, the penalty for sin—death. Once Christ came, offering Himself as the sacrifice for all of mankind’s sins, there was no longer a need for the physical reminder. The need for animal sacrifices was eliminated, Heb. 9:12-14). If only other Cameroonians new that the millions of money leaving Cameroon  for Nigeria each month could be used positively in changing the lives of poor families, back at home. We do not need this today.  

(2) The physical duties of a physical high priest were replaced with the spiritual role of a spiritual High Priest—Christ (Heb. 9:11; Col. 1:19-22, 2:9).

(3) Adhering to the strict letter of the Law was replaced with obeying both the spirit andletter of the Law.  The law and the testimony, This is the culmination of a great mystery, which many in Sabbath Churches today are missing, it is our duty to bring Cameroonians out of that bondage by opening their eyes to these teachings.We will examine what this means for Christians today.

In other literature, we show that tithing, keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days, and obeying the Ten Commandments did not originate as part of the agreement (covenant means “agreement”) that God made with Israel. The Old Testament reveals that God’s servants understood and obeyed His laws long before they were given to Israel at Mount Sinai.

Some misunderstand this

Those who believe that Christ kept the Law for us (in our stead), and that all the requirements under the Old Covenant were “nailed to the cross,” commonly cite Galatians 3:10-13. There, Paul wrote, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that does them shall live in them. I will give you some examples here. Go to the book of Acts. 9:1- Saul of Tarsus was an exemplary Pharisee who did practice the works of the law to the letter, and was considering going for the position of the High Priest. He was a just man because he kept the law; but he lacked Faith in Christ. His problem was lack of faith in Jesus Christ and the power of His blood. Because, God knows His children, and knew the role he would play in the Divine plan of salvation, Jesus, the Head of all principalities and powers, confronted Saul on the Damascus road and taught him the mystery of Faith and the cleansing power of His blood.  From thence, equipped with the law & faith Saul became Paul, and never looked behind (Acts. 1:1, 9:22; Philip. 4:9). 

 Turn over to Chapter 10, the same book of Acts, read about Cornelius, Verse 2, “A devout man, one that feared god with his entire house, which gave alms to the people, and prayed to God always”. This is a perfect example of a gentile, who came to know of the laws of God, and truly started practicing by keeping them. He had no clue as to what he was doing, but simply that he was doing what was right for him to do. God revealed Himself unto Cornelius, just as He had earlier done to Abraham, hundreds of years ago, and told him to send for one Simon Peter. You know the rest of the story. Peter came down to Caesarea from Joppa, and taught Cornelius about Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, repentance, the cleansing power of His blood, faith in Him, and salvation. In every nation, anyone who fears God and does righteous deeds is accepted before God. (Acts 10:34-44).

Christ has redeemedus from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.”

Many who read this scripture conclude that the Law itself is the curse and that Christ’s sacrifice rendered it “null and void.” But what did Paul really mean by “the curse of the law”? The answer is found in Hosea 13:14. There, Christ—the God of the Old Testament—said, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be your plagues; O grave, I will be your destruction: repentance shall be hid from Mine eyes.”

What is the curse that Christ redeems us from? The death penalty!

But how did we incur this penalty? Notice: “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4)—“The soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4, 20)—“The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Also notice Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” These scriptures show that Christ did not come to earth as a physical human being, live a sinless life, and suffer a horrible, excruciating, humiliating death so that we would not have to keep God’s laws. Grace does not mean Faith without the Law. It means both (Isa. 8:20).

What was Christ’s purpose? He set the example for all true Christians to follow:“For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (I Pet. 2:21). Also notice Hebrews 2:10: “For it became Him [Christ], for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Christ died so that all mankind would have the opportunity for salvation.

Christ did not do away with the book(s) of the Law. Those who misinterpret Paul’s words in Galatians 3decide for themselves, “I can’t possibly continue in all things, so to avoid being cursed, I must not be bound to anything.” Many take an “all or nothing” or “pick and choose” approach to Christianity, arbitrarily deciding for themselves which of God’s laws apply to them.

Understanding the New Covenant

Hebrews 8:10shows that, through the New Covenant, God would put His laws “into our mind, and write them in our hearts.” By receiving His Holy Spirit, Christians are able to keep His Law“in Spirit and in truth.” The New Covenant has to do with people obeying God.

For example, notice Genesis 17:10. There, Christ commanded the patriarch Abraham, “Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” As an outward physical sign between God and the physical nation of Israel, God required physical circumcision for those who obeyed Him in Old Testament times. The mandate under the Old Covenant was explicit: “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations…And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Gen. 17:12, 14).

However, under the New Covenant, God is selecting and calling out from the world a spiritual nation of Israel—His Church. Upon baptism and conversion, these few are led by the power of His Holy Spirit. Acts 2:21, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and given a name, Yahshuah. Paul explains: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit” (Rom. 2:28-29). Circumcision must be in the flesh and spirit to make one complete.

Through receiving God’s Spirit, one becomes “circumcised in the heart.”Physical circumcision is no longer the sign for one who follows and obeys God—spiritual circumcision is! The custom of circumcision was merely a forerunner—a physical parallel—of what God really wanted and intended for all mankind—circumcision of the heart (Jer. 4:4; Deut. 10:16; 30:6).

Upon conversion, a person becomes spiritually “circumcised.” Paul further explains to the Colossians: “And you are complete in Him [Christ], which is the head of all principality and power: in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ” (2:10-11). For this reason, the apostles taught that physical circumcision was an Old Covenant requirement that did not need to be kept by New Testament Christians (see Acts 15:24, 28). The need for circumcision was not eliminated, but rather changed—from physical to spiritual. Converts were not forced to be physically circumcised; but if they wanted to do it, they were encouraged..

Notice Galatians 5:2-3: “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you [become] circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that [becomes] circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.” In other words, if a man believes that his salvation hinges on being circumcised (a physical matter), then, as Paul pointed out in Galatians 3:10, it would become a curse to him: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” What is the point here?

Relying on physical rituals renders the sacrifice of Christ “of no effect” (5:4).

Christianity is a way of life based on things that a person can control, in his own life. Now notice: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law [the death penalty], being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree” (Gal. 3:13). Being hung on a tree was part of the process by which Christ fulfilled His role as our prophesied Savior: “Who His own self [Christ] bare our sins in His own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (I Pet. 2:24).

And remember that Christ said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). But being cursed on a tree, which Paul paraphrased from Deuteronomy 21:23, would only apply in a civil setting. God does not empower His Church today to carry out such governmental functions.

God has given us His laws for our own good. However, keeping the physical civil laws and other statutes, required under the Old Covenant, does not save anyone—just as keeping them did not guarantee salvation to the ancient Israelites. They were not even offered salvation at that time. But those laws are still binding—to the degree of their relevance in each Christian’s life.

Again, this is not something that is left up to each person to arbitrarily decide for himself. “Counting the cost” (a vital part of the conversion process) involves, among other things, examining the various aspects of your life, family, career, interests, etc.; and asking the question, “What do I have to change/alter/eliminate to bring my ways into harmony with God’s ways?” See Isaiah 55:8-9. For instance, some of the laws address issues of agriculture, business, civil engineering, etc. Obviously, such mandates are only applicable to those who work in those occupations. They would not have a bearing on the actions of those not employed in such fields. But they would impact the “end-users.”

What many today do not consider is that many such codes and regulations enforced by man’s laws are based on these principles (whether lawmakers, engineers, etc., realize it or not). For example, certain building codes that God gave Israel required the construction of a low wall around accessible roofs (Deut. 22:8). To show proper consideration for his fellowman (Matt. 7:12; Mark 12:31), an engineer would have to incorporate such a feature into building designs.

Another New Testament application of a law established under the Old Covenant is seen in modern bankruptcy law. God’s guidelines for this are found in Deuteronomy 15:1-2: “At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lends ought unto his neighbor, shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release.”

To further understand the relevance today of the civil laws given to ancient Israel, notice what Paul wrote in I Corinthians 5:1: “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife” (vs. 1). Where is this first mentioned? Notice Leviticus 20:11: “And the man that lies with his father’s wife [in other words, his stepmother] has uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

Again, God’s Church—spiritual Israel—is not empowered with the civil authority to exact the death penalty for sin.How then are we to address such problems? Consider: “I [Paul] wrote unto you in an epistle not to [keep] company with fornicators…if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator…with such an one no not to eat” (I Cor. 5:9, 11).

Obviously, that law is still binding today. But those who break it are not put to death. Rather, we are commanded to “put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (vs. 13).

Why? “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (vs. 5). The law itself was not changed—only the application of it!

The Conclusion of the Whole Matter

In Ecclesiastes 12:13, King Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole man.” The Bible shows that in the Old Testament, God chose the physical nation of Israel to be His people, to set the example for other nations to see and follow. But, as we have seen, they failed to be that exemplary nation. Today, God is calling people from many different physical nationalities to become “spiritual Israelites” (again read Romans 2:28-29).

Now notice His promise to ancient Israel: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and i will be your God” (Ezek. 36:26-28).

This will happen in the near future, beginning at Christ’s Return!

Notice Jeremiah 31:31-33: “Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they broke, although I was an husband unto them, says the Lord.

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, says the Lord, I will put My law in their inner parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

How do we know that this has not happened yet?

Verse 34provides the answer: “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

We can see that this is not happening now, in today’s world, just as we can see that the fulfillment of Isaiah 2:4will take place during the millennium:

“And He [Christ] shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

Speaking of that future time, Christ says, “As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the Lord; My Spirit that is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed, says the Lord, from henceforth and forever” (59:21).

Compare the above with Gen. 18:19, when Abraham started his journey with Yahweh. God’s original plan to save mankind from time immemorial has always been, and will remain the same.

This is the hopeGod has given us throughthe New Covenant!  And it is a mystery,which has been hidden from many great teachers and rulers, “from ages and from generations,”(Col. 1:26).

By Elder Solomon

Al Rashidiya,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Arkoy©Sept 2011

Shalom Aleichem!