Ezekiel versus the Church by Tzvi Jacobson
There was a proverb that was popular among some of the Jewish people that parallels the Christian doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus. In other words, Christianity states that Jesus died to pay a penalty for the sins of the world. For further clarification and to make it more personal; I sin and Jesus pays the penalty for me. That would be convenient and nice if true, but it just isn’t.
Now the proverb that found its way among the Jewish people is found in the prophecy of Ezekiel Chapter 18 verses 1-4.
“The word of the LORD came to me; What do you mean by quoting this proverb upon the soil of Israel, “Parents eat sour grapes, and their children’s teeth are blunted”? As I live – declares the Lord God- this proverb shall no longer be current among you in Israel. Consider, all lives are mine; the life of the parent and the life of the child are both Mine. The person who sins, only he shall die.”
In this Chapter, (and I suggest you read it through) God is saying that when a parent sins he will die in that sin. If his child learns from this and lives a righteous life, the child will not suffer death. Yet if the sinning parent or child repents of his sins and does what God commands he shall live. Just as if a righteous person who turns from living a godly life and does those things God says ought not to be done, that person will not live. All his previous righteousness will not be remembered when his final days are lived out in an ungodly manner.
Now what has this to do with Christianity? Everything!
- The central doctrine of Christianity is that Jesus one of the many sons of Israel died in the stead of all the fathers of Israel that went before him. Ezekiel 18 isn’t just referring to the relationship between my father and myself. It is vehemently opposed to one paying the penalty for another. In God’s mind that is not justice, nor righteous.
- Paying God a penalty for my sin??? God says that this is disgusting.
God states in Isaiah 43:22-25
“But you have not worshipped me, O Jacob, That you should be weary of me, O Israel. You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, Nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with meal offerings, not wearied you with frankincense. You have not brought me fragrant reed with money, nor sated me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead you have burdened me with your sins, You have wearied me with your iniquities. It is I, who-for my own sake –Wipe your transgressions away, and remember your sins no more.”
Read this again, and again, for it is the word and mind of God himself. Do you find anything even resembling the sacrifices and offerings as payment? The sacrifices were offered 1. to thank God, 2. to provide food for the Priesthood. 3. for us to have a communal feast in God’s presence. 4. to acknowledge sin and guilt before God. God doesn’t require payment.
Certainly on the basis of Ezekiel chapter 18 and repeated in chapter 33 we can conclude that nobody can die for your sins.
- Can anything be more noxious as to insinuate that God himself died because of my sins? Yet this is also included in the doctrine of Atonement believed by almost all Christianity. Though the New Testament is quite clear that Jesus didn’t consider himself God. John 20:17
“Go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to MY GOD, AND YOUR GOD”
Just who was Jesus speaking of when he referred to his GOD? In John Chapter 17 verse 3 Jesus calls the Father; “The Only True God”.
Thus Christianity that considers Jesus divine has created a new god, not even the God Jesus himself worshipped, and the one True God that all Israel acknowledges. Ezekiel once again; THIS PROVERB SHALL NO LONGER BE CURRENT AMONG YOU IN ISRAEL. Let all who have become enamored with this Christian doctrine hear what God says.
Tsvi Jacobson
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Thanks Tzvi, this is good to read. The Christian speculation that ‘a holy God demands consequences for sin, so in order to forgive He would have to bear death’ isn’t something these prophets ever thought about in their thankfulness for forgiveness.
Thanks, Tzvi! How do Christians miss the message of Ezekiel 18 and 33? I always wondered how they fit in with their beliefs.
Tzvi, you don’t think Jezus claimed divinity? Jezus led a large portion of the world to commit the cardinal sin of Idolatry & to worship somebody other than HaShem: “I and the Father are One”?. “before abe was born, i am.”(Sorry Jezus, NO, HaShem and Only HaShem had nothing before or after or in partnership with. HaShem is the first, the last and there is nothing besides HaShem). “Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 1:1, 14, John 20:28-29, Heb 1:8. Mark 2:5-7—And Jezus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Sorry Jezus, ONLY HaShem can forgive anybody’s sins). John 14:6—Jezeus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Sorry Jezus,No, we do NOT need a mediator to go to HaShem). Jezus goes on to say that he will admit certain people to heaven and cast others into hell. Sorry Jezus,This is something only HaShem can do. Since HaShem will raise the dead at the resurrection, why would a supposed prophet tell his followers that he will resurrect the dead? John 5:25-29—,John 11:25. Jezus claimed, not only that he would be glorified with the Father, but that he had glory with the Father before the world was created! John 17:5—“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Mark 2:28, Jezus calls himself the “Lord of the Sabbath.” In Matthew 22:41-45, he says that he is the Lord of the prophet David. In John 8:39-58, Jezus says that he has seen the prophet Abraham. In Matthew 12:6, Jezus claims to be greater than God’s Temple. According to Jezus, all people must honor him just as we honor the Father: John 5:21-23—“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given ALL judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” How can anyone see this as anything other than a claim to deity? As we have seen, Jezus claimed to be the First and the Last, the forgiver of sins, the Light, the Truth, the Final Judge, and the Resurrection. Jezus proclaimed that he had glory with the Father before the world was created, that he is the Lord of the Sabbath and of King David, that he had seen Avraham, and that he is greater than Gd’s Temple. Jezus has a unique relationship with the Father, he can answer prayers, he is with his followers no matter where they are, he has total authority on earth and in heaven, he is with his followers forever, and he owns everything. Jezus even demanded that he be honored just as the Father is honored. Clearly, these are not the claims of a mere human being. They are not even the claims of a mighty prophet. These are claims only HaShem can truly make.
“Mark 2:5-7—And Jezus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Sorry Jezus, ONLY HaShem can forgive anybody’s sins).”
why this //man// this does SPEAK he blasphemies who is ABLE to forgive SINS if not one [that is] god?
jesus replies, “…. why THESE things REASON you in the hearts of you?”
so the Pharisees , according to mark+matthew, thought that jesus was DOING what ONLY god is ABLE to do and NO one can DO WHAT only god is able to DO and if one claims to do what ONLY god is able to do then that is EVIL/blasphemy.
matthew:
“…some of the scribes said to themselves this [man] BLASPHEMES!”
jesus’ REPLY, ” …WHY think you EVIL in the hearts of you ?”
shouldn’t this reply DROP a heavy bomb on what you are claiming?
on other occasions he says, “how can SATAN cast out satan”. this would have been the PERFECT time to say, ” how can god blaspheme AGAINST god”?
Short Definition: evil, bad, wicked
Definition: evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful.
so jesus thought that the Pharisee thoughts were evil (i.e, who is ABLE TO forgive sins except god?)
the Pharisees were THINKING that what jesus IS DOING was EVIL/ blasphemy.
the poor crowds went away home thinking that what the pharisees assumed was EVIL was in fact an authourity given to MEN FROM god .
definition for the word “man”
anthróposmm
Short Definition: a man, one of the human race
Definition: a man, one of the human race.
blasphemy : Theology . the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
pharisee jews were told to reject flesh gods, idols and spirit gods, all these false gods were FOREIGN gods God NEVER knew.
how were thier THOUGHTS evil when an eating , breathing , drinking human CLAIMS to do what ONLY God can? they had the RIGHT thoughts. OR jesus was telling them that he isn’t blaspheming because he ISNT claiming to be what christians assume he was?
jesus CALLED thier THOUGHTS EVIL.
if jesus thought to himself that he is a god then he CONFIRMED Pharisee THOUGHTS , he did DO evil.
if he assumed to himself equality with yhwh then jesus CANNOT CALL thier thoughts EVIL.
if this ACCOUNT is true and if jesus claimed to be a god then
1. he is a DECEIVER who plays with words like trinitarians
2. he did not agree with what the Pharisee’s THOUGHT.
so which one is it?
and we don’t even know if this account is true.
as for forgiveness ,i don’t think that the christian god knows what forgiveness is. even if humans suffered for a million years , the christian god cannot give his forgiveness because his suffering and violent torcher of his flesh appeases him. human suffering is worthless. god must experience his own divine wrath before he saves from his own wrath. forgiveness does not exist in the christian concept of god.
In Christian religion it is taught that “Jesus” died for the sin of the world. You must know that in this religion everybody was born as a sinner because Adam and Eve had eaten a prohibited apple. In addition they know sin as acts as well. Now, I asked myself which sin (sins) “Jesus” died for. E. g. let’s take the Shabbat. Chistians sin when they keep the Shabbat and when they don’t keep the Sunday – Jews vice versa. Which sin has “Jesus” died for, did he die for the Christian or the Jewish sin?
Nobody can die to atone for someone else’s sin, no, not even parents for their children or the other way round. But Christians may not know this fact as this eternal regulation was given in the so-called expired Old Testament.
Along with this we find a logical, Roman Catholoic heresy about a Greek mythological Hell. It is really very convenient not to go to Hell because a Roman Catholic Demi-God got killed on a crucifix. Is this graven image idolatry or is it not?