Clement of Rome to the Christians at Corinth

Let him who has love in Christ keep the commandments of Christ. Who can describe the [blessed] bond of the love of God? What man is able to tell the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love bears all things, is long-suffering in all things. There is nothing base, nothing arrogant in love. Love admits of no schisms: love gives rise to no seditions: love does all things in harmony. By love have all the elect of God been made perfect; without love nothing is well-pleasing to God. In love has the Lord taken us to Himself. On account of the love He bore us, Jesus Christ our Lord gave His blood for us by the will of God; His flesh for our flesh, and His soul for our souls.

You see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing is love, and that there is no declaring its perfection. Who is fit to be found in it, except such as God has vouchsafed to render so? Let us pray, therefore, and implore of His mercy, that we may live blameless in love, free from all human partialities for one above another. All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly, and shall be made manifest at the revelation of the kingdom of Christ. For it is written, Enter into your secret chambers for a little time, until my wrath and fury pass away; and I will remember a propitious day, and will raise you up out of your graves. Isaiah 26:20 Blessed are we, beloved, if we keep the commandments of God in the harmony of love; that so through love our sins may be forgiven us. For it is written, Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not impute to him, and in whose mouth there is no guile. This blessedness comes upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Church Fathers: Clement to the Corinthians

Ten Words or THE WORD

Unfortunately, there has been some confusion within the Church over a Christian's responsibility toward the Ten Commandments (and the other 603 commandments, more generally speaking) of Torah. In their article, What Are the Ten Commandments?, Chabad.org informs us that "The Ten Commandments are not the entirety of G‑d’s instructions for His people (there are 613 commandments). However, they contain within them the kernel from which the others emerge." Interestingly, in the book of Exodus, we read that "he wrote upon the tables the words of the commandments, the ten commandments." (Exodus 34:28) Likewise, in the book of Deuteronomy, we read: "And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." (Deuteronomy 4:13) In other words, the TEN served as the basis for the others AND as the foundation of God's covenant with Israel! Thus, according to Torah, the Ten plus all of the others, would be the standard of righteousness for the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 6:25)

Indeed, the importance of the ten is almost universally recognized and acknowledged by the overwhelming majority of both Jewish and Christian scholars. Scripture informs us that the Ten Commandments were carved into two stones tablets by God himself. (Exodus 31:18) Nevertheless, those same writings go on to declare that the TEN cannot be separated from the rest of Torah. (Deuteronomy 4:1-8, 6:1-3) It must be noted, however, that our English translations sometimes hide some of the important subtleties of the original Hebrew text. For example, the Hebrew word most often translated into English as commandment is "mitzvah." Even so, when Torah speaks of the TEN the Hebrew word used to describe them is "dabar," which can be translated into English as "word," "saying," or "statement." Hence, according to the Hebrew Bible, God gave the Israelites Ten words/sayings/statements!" As we will shortly demonstrate, this rather subtle distinction underscored the importance of the Ten for the Jews and elevated their symbolism relative to the Messiah.

Christians, of course, believe that Jesus of Nazareth was THE Messiah. According to the Gospel of Matthew, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that he came to this earth to FULFILL the Law and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible. (Matthew 5:17) Did he do that? How did he FULFILL the Law and the Prophets? In the following paragraphs, we will demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth did what he came to this earth to do - that he finished the task which God the Father had appointed him to perform!

In the book of Genesis, God prophesied that the Serpent would wound the heel of the woman's offspring, but that he would wound the head of the Serpent's offspring. (Genesis 3:15) God promised Abraham that the whole earth would be blessed through his offspring. (Genesis 22:18) Moses prophesied that God would "raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen." (Deuteronomy 18:15) Like Moses in what respect? God used Moses to give the Ten Words and other commandments of Torah to the people of Israel. Doesn't that indicate that this prophesied person would fulfill a similar function? To be precise, I believe that Moses meant that this person would have a great deal to say about God's Law (and Jesus of Nazareth most certainly did have quite a bit to say on that subject - e.g. the Sermon on the Mount)!

Now, we will see that Christ fulfilled the Law in a number of different ways: 1) He obeyed all of the precepts of Torah (including the Ten) perfectly - without failing in any aspect of obedience. In short, he NEVER sinned by breaking any one of the 613 commandments of Torah! 2) Scripture makes very clear that ALL of the Law, Prophets, and Writings pointed to Jesus Christ. In other words, ALL of the various commandments relative to morals, rituals, sacrifices, governance, and cleanliness were symbolic of Jesus and his work! (e.g. he was the Passover Lamb, Wave Sheaf, Atonement, firstfruits, etc.) Jesus personified the commandments! 3) He expanded the reach and meaning of God's Law by revealing that LOVE was the principle on which the whole legislative edifice of Torah was founded upon, and that true obedience was a matter of the heart - something that was to be internalized. 4) Christ redefined righteousness for humankind. He made it possible for all of us to stand before Almighty God whole and clean - SINLESS! In the paragraphs which follow, we will examine each of the ways in which Christ fulfilled the Law in more detail (especially relative to the Ten).

The New Covenant is based on the assertion that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life - that he obeyed the commandments of Torah without any missteps. Throughout Torah, a sacrifice without blemish was to be presented to God - this foreshadowed Christ's sacrifice of himself (compare to I Peter 1:19). In the epistle to the Hebrews, we read that Jesus Christ was subjected to all human temptations, but that he remained sinless. (Hebrews 4:15) In the book of Isaiah, we read that God would place all of our sins on the Messiah; "And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth." (Isaiah 53:9, ESV) Later, in the same passage, the Messiah is referred to as the "righteous one." (Isaiah 53:11, ESV) Indeed, throughout the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, it is made very clear that Christ would bear the sins of others, and that his own righteousness would be conferred upon them. In other words, a righteous innocent would take away the sins of the guilty! (See Leviticus 16, John 1:29, II Corinthians 5:21, and Hebrews 9:28)

The Gospels make very clear that the Law, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Bible pointed to Jesus of Nazareth. In the Gospel of John, we read that Philip told Nathaniel that "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45, NIV) In the Gospel of Luke, we are informed that Jesus himself revealed this truth to his disciples after his resurrection. We read: "He <Christ> said to them, 'How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 24:25-27, NIV) Later, he continued: "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." (Luke 24:44, NIV) In the book of Acts, we are informed that Philip converted an Ethiopian eunuch by explaining that a passage from the book of Isaiah referred to Jesus. (Acts 8:26-39) The same book informs us that the people of Rome "arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus." (Acts 28:23, NIV)

We sometimes forget that the only Scriptures available to the apostles and First Century Church were the Hebrew Scriptures - the New Testament was still being written! Hence, as we have already seen, the apostles and Church used what we refer to as the Old Testament to teach about Jesus. In his letter to the Christians at Colossae, Paul encouraged them "do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17, NIV) In this sense, Jesus personified the sacrificial system, making that which was unclean clean, healing and reconciliation, and fairness and justice. More particularly, he personified the Ten Words. Everything that Jesus did glorified God, was representative of him, and honored his name. (Matthew 9:8, 15:31, Mark 2:12, Luke 5:26, 7:16, 13:13, 17:15, 23:47, John 12:28, 14:28, 17:4, Hebrews 1:1-3) In terms of the Sabbath, Jesus said: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV) Christ personified honoring his Father and his mother. (Matthew 26:39, 42, 53, Luke 2:49, John 8:49, 10:17-18, 30, 32, 19:26-27) Jesus personified a spirit of love, mercy, and patience - the antithesis of anger, vengeance, and murder (Matthew 5:43-48, 26:47-53, John 13:34-35, 15:12-17, 17:6-26) He was always faithful to God and his followers. Jesus personified a spirit of giving - the antithesis of stealing. Isaiah proclaimed that "there was no deceit in his mouth." Moreover, he called out the lies of Satan and named him the father of those who do. Finally, through Satan's temptations and a lifetime of service to others, Christ demonstrated that he did NOT covet any of the things which pertain to this world.

Scripture also informs us that Christ fulfilled the Law by clarifying and expounding upon its meaning. In his famous "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus said that the commandment against murder was violated by anger towards others. (Matthew 5:21-22) Likewise, he insisted that a married person who lusted sexually after someone who was not his/her spouse had violated the commandment against infidelity. (Matthew 5:27-28) He went on to say that people should NOT be motivated by revenge or the principle of "eye for an eye." (Matthew 5:38-42) He went on to insist that righteous behavior wasn't for public consumption - that it was a private matter between each person and God. (Matthew 6:1-8) Jesus went on to tell his audience that they should "do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12, NIV) Indeed, throughout the Gospels, we can see that Christ taught people the real meaning of the Sabbath and how to observe it. (See Matthew 12:1-13, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:1-11, John 5:1-18, etc.) Later, in that same Gospel which presents his "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus distilled the entire law into two commandments. When he was asked about the greatest commandment in Torah, he replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV) Thus, we see that a major portion of Christ's ministry was concerned with clarifying and expanding the meaning of the Law!

Christ fulfilled the Law (including the Ten) by redefining righteousness. "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:21-26, ESV Paul also wrote to the Galatians that "we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16, ESV) We <Christians> stand before God whole and clean because of what Jesus Christ did for us - PERIOD!

The Ten Words/Statements/Commandments were based on the TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS of God's Law: To love God with your whole heart and soul and to love each other as you love yourself. As such, the Ten are good, but they have been fulfilled by Christ and made redundant by the Law of Love - the UNIVERSAL and ETERNAL Law of God! The Ten Words are GOOD, but THE WORD is BETTER! The Law of Love reflects God's character. In fact, Scripture informs us that God is LOVE! (I John 4:8) The Gospel of John informs us that Yeshua was THE WORD - that HE WAS/IS GOD! Like the Hebrew "word" before it, the Greek "logos" is translated into English as "word" or "saying." Hence, we would all do well to ask ourselves (and those who insist that Christians are obligated to obey the Ten: Do you serve the commandments or the One who FULFILLED them? In other words, ten words or THE WORD? 

Before the Emperor's Vision

In the previous post, we discussed the importance of the symbol of the cross in the writings of the New Testament. In this post, we will look at some of the historical evidence that the cross continued to be an important symbol in the Second Century. In doing so, we will destroy the notion that the cross didn't become a Christian Symbol until Constantine saw his famous vision in the year 312 CE before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. In other words, the cross was a well-established Christian symbol that the emperor appropriated for his own purposes!

From Ignatius of Antioch's letter to the Christians at Ephesus, we read: "Let my spirit be counted as nothing for the sake of the cross, which is a stumbling-block to those that do not believe, but to us salvation and life eternal. "Where is the wise man? where the disputer?" Where is the boasting of those who are styled prudent? For our God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water."   Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians

From Justin Martyr's First Apology, we read: "But in no instance, not even in any of those called sons of Jupiter, did they imitate the being crucified; for it was not understood by them, all the things said of it having been put symbolically. And this, as the prophet foretold, is the greatest symbol of His power and role; as is also proved by the things which fall under our observation. For consider all the things in the world, whether without this form they could be administered or have any community. For the sea is not traversed except that trophy which is called a sail abide safe in the ship; and the earth is not ploughed without it: diggers and mechanics do not their work, except with tools which have this shape. And the human form differs from that of the irrational animals in nothing else than in its being erect and having the hands extended, and having on the face extending from the forehead what is called the nose, through which there is respiration for the living creature; and this shows no other form than that of the cross. And so it was said by the prophet, The breath before our face is the Lord Christ. And the power of this form is shown by your own symbols on what are called vexilla [banners] and trophies, with which all your state possessions are made, using these as the insignia of your power and government, even though you do so unwittingly. And with this form you consecrate the images of your emperors when they die, and you name them gods by inscriptions. Since, therefore, we have urged you both by reason and by an evident form, and to the utmost of our ability, we know that now we are blameless even though you disbelieve; for our part is done and finished."  Justin Martyr's "First Apology"

From Tertullian's The Chaplet or De Carona, we read: "At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign."  Tertullian's "De Carona"

The Cross of Christ

 

In his article, Why the Cross Is Essential to Christianity, Dr Philip Ryken (The Gospel Coalition) wrote: "When archaeologists dig through the ruins of antiquity, they have one certain way to identify a place of Christian worship. They look for a cross. When they find it painted on a wall, carved into stone, or even worked into a floor plan, they know they’ve found a church. Since the beginning, Christians have identified themselves with the cross on which Jesus died. And whether it’s carved in wood or etched on our hearts, the cross is the chief symbol and defining reality of the Christian faith." Indeed, the word "cross" appears twenty-eight times in the King James Version of the New Testament!

Paul wrote this in his first letter to the Christians at Corinth: "For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." (I Corinthians 1:17-18, NLT) Likewise, to the Christians of Galatia, he wrote: "Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died." (Galatians 6:12-14, NLT) Finally, he wrote this to the saints at Ephesus: "For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death." (Ephesians 2:14-16, NLT)

Now, unfortunately, there are a few folks who like to point out that the cross existed before it became a Christian symbol. In the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY article, The Cross Is of Pagan Origin, we read: "In its edition of 1908, The Catholic Encyclopedia states in volume 4, page 517: 'The sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly antedates, in both the East and the West, the introduction of Christianity. It goes back to a very remote period of human civilization.' The book The Ancient Church by clergyman W. D. Killen concurs by saying, on page 316: 'From the most remote antiquity the cross was venerated in Egypt and Syria; it was held in equal honour by the Buddhists of the East; and, what is still more extraordinary, when the Spaniards first visited America, the well-known sign was found among the objects of worship in the idol temples of Anahuac. It is also remarkable that, about the commencement of our era, the pagans were wont to make the sign of a cross upon the forehead in the celebration of some of their sacred mysteries.'" Are the Jehovah's Witnesses right? Is the symbol tainted because of its former associations?

According to the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament), the city of Jerusalem was a pagan city before David conquered it. That didn't stop God from adopting it as the place where his Temple would be built and where his name would rest! Thus, the fact that the symbol of the cross was formerly employed by the Egyptians, Syrians, Buddhists, and Native American temples cannot be said to permanently taint/pollute the symbol. Indeed, before Christ's crucifixion, the Romans regarded the cross as a symbol of punishment and shame. The TRUTH is that Christ transformed the cross when he was crucified on one! Thereafter, the cross was a Christian symbol, and all of its former associations ceased to have any hold or power over it - or the people who used it!

When we (Christians) see the cross, we are drawn to the image of our Savior hanging on it for our sins. We are inexorably drawn to this image: "So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.'" (John 19:16-19, NLT) Christians maintain their faith "by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (Hebrews 12:2, NLT) For us, the cross is the symbol of our devotion to our Savior - it reminds us of his greatest act of love for all of us.

The Bible Does NOT Reveal Everything There Is to Know About God!

Unfortunately, for too many folks, the Bible has become an idol. It is regarded by them as the FINAL AUTHORITY in things Spiritual - the revelation of God and his will. Ironically, this attitude is contrary to what Scripture has to say about God and itself!

In this connection, please notice the following passages of Scripture:

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV (here and throughout this post)

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! I Kings 8:27

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?" Isaiah 66:1

Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. Jeremiah 23:24

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:24-25

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. I Corinthians 13:8-12

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:1-3

Hence, we must conclude that Scripture only provides us with a brief glimpse of the Divine majesty, mind, and character and its will! Indeed, as with Yeshua, there aren't enough books in the world to contain a complete account of God!

The Wise and the Foolish Builder

After finishing his famous Sermon on the Mount, Christ said: "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27, ESV) In the sermon which preceded these remarks, Jesus of Nazareth had reimagined Torah - the basis of the Old Covenant between God and Israel.

Indeed, Christ had declared: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18, ESV) Did you get that? Jesus said that he came to this earth to FULFILL/SATISFY/ACCOMPLISH/COMPLETE/REALIZE the Law and the Prophets. He went on to say that not even the stroke of a pen or a punctuation mark would pass from the Law until ALL of it had been accomplished! Did Christ complete that mission? Scripture predicted that he would (Isaiah 53), and the New Testament informs us that he did. (See John 19:30, II Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, I Peter 2:22) Later, in that same Gospel of Matthew, Christ also taught that TWO commandments fulfilled the entire Law of God - Wholehearted love for God, and love for each other. (Matthew 22:24-40) Then, after his resurrection and just before his ascension into heaven, we are informed by that Gospel that he commanded his disciples "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-10, ESV)

Jesus Christ is identified as the Rock over and over again in Scripture. (See Psalm 18:2, 62:2, 6-7, 118:22, I Corinthians 10:4, Matthew 16:18, Isaiah 26:4, 28:16, I Peter 2:6, Deuteronomy 32:4, II Samuel 22:47) He was that Rock referred to in the parable of the two builders. Moreover, he explicitly stated that the one "who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Is the house to be built on the commandments of Torah? OR Is the house to be built on Jesus Christ and what he taught? How say you? Remember, he was speaking to folks who were accustomed to observing the commandments of Torah, and he had explicitly taught his followers a new approach to righteousness - which would be found in and through him when he had completed his mission!

Paul told the Galatians that "We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:15-16, ESV) He went on to write that "all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.' But the law is not of faith, rather 'The one who does them shall live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'" (Galatians 3:10-13, ESV) Paul also told the Colossians that the commandments of Torah were shadows of what was to come, but the reality which they represented was to be found in Jesus Christ! (Colossians 2:17)

Hence, in the light of these passages of Scripture, each of us must ask ourselves an important question. Have you built your house on the foundation of Jesus Christ and his teachings? OR Have you built your house on the foundation of the commandments of Torah? In other words, have you built your house on THE ROCK? OR Have you built your house on the sand? Moreover, for those who have built their houses on the sand, what do you think will happen to their houses when the fast-approaching storm engulfs them? What about you? Will your house stand or fall?

A Distorted Perspective on What's Good or Bad

Too many people evaluate themselves and each other based on their performance of a list of dos and don'ts. For these folks, a moral code is the only way to properly assess behavior - to judge whether they are good or bad. In other words, they would be lost without some well-defined standard with which to compare themselves and others. These folks must rely on their five senses (sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing) to process the way they and others perform in public. Unfortunately, they often do not trust their own consciences, feelings, or the leadership of God's Holy Spirit in evaluating their behavior. Of course, on some level, most of us understand that such evaluations can be very superficial and subjective; but many of us are simply too dependent on these standards and our own physical senses to imagine a better system of judging between good and bad!

In the Hebrew Bible, the Children of Israel were given a well-defined system of dos and don'ts that we call Torah. Within that body of writings, there are literally hundreds of individual commands and instructions related to moral conduct, worship rituals, civil laws, health guidelines, etc. Indeed, there are specific commandments to regulate virtually every area of the life circumstances of those ancient peoples (clothing, food, agriculture, commerce, marriage, etc.). For many of the folks we are talking about, there is no higher law than those contained in the Ten Commandments. For them, they constitute a universal moral code which can be applied to all people in all times - NOT just the ancient people of Israel! The problems with this reasoning, however, became very apparent over time; and, by the time that Christ walked this earth, the complete collapse of that system was at hand.

In those days, the members of the Jewish sect of the Pharisees were considered by most to be the ultimate proponents of the Hebrew written code known as Torah. Indeed, they were fastidious about their observance of circumcision of males, dietary laws, Sabbaths, fasting and prayer, sacrifices and other Temple rituals and traditions. In short, these folks held up the Torah as the ultimate standard of moral behavior - of what constituted "righteousness" in God's sight. Jesus of Nazareth, however, insisted that they really were NOT in a position to judge what was good and what was bad! In fact, Christ clearly condemned the way that they used the written code of Torah!

Jesus told the crowds that followed him that "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." He went on to tell them that it wasn't enough to simply refrain from murdering another human being, but that they shouldn't even allow anger and bitterness to take root in their hearts toward each other! He said that it wasn't enough to refrain from having sexual intercourse with someone who wasn't your spouse. Jesus told them that they shouldn't even allow themselves to harbor lustful thoughts in their minds about someone who wasn't their spouse! Moreover, Christ taught them that they should even love their enemies and treat them with kindness and respect!

Indeed, Christ went on to attack the very concept of judging public behavior as good or righteous! He said: "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." He went on to say: "when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." In similar fashion, Jesus told them to disguise the fact that they were fasting - that the behavior should be directed at God, and NOT for public consumption! He also condemned their legalistic way of observing the Sabbath and suggested that it had been created to be enjoyed!

Jesus was so very clear about the legalism of the Pharisees that it is hard to understand how anyone could embrace their way of discerning what/who was good and what/who was bad! He said: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean." In the same vein, he went on to say: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." For Christ, scrupulously following a list of dos and don'ts simply wasn't enough. He insisted that the robotic performance of a program was NOT what God was looking for in his people!

On the contrary, Christ believed that TRUE goodness would result from judging all behaviors by the standard of LOVE: LOVE for God and each other! God wants folks who will not murder, because they recognize that that is inconsistent with love - NOT because there is a commandment written down forbidding it! Christ wants people to be faithful and honest with each other, because that reflects an attitude of love - of not wanting to hurt another's feelings or disrespect them in any way. In other words, Christ taught that real moral discernment MUST come from the heart of each and every one of us! Hence, reliance on a written code will only get you a distorted perception of what/who is good and what/who is bad! Christ and God look at what is in your heart. They don't rely on physical behaviors observed by physical senses! So, the question is: Are you relying on LOVE, and Christ's fulfillment of Torah? OR Are you relying on a list of do's and don'ts?

The Book of Genesis Pointed to Yeshua, the Christ

Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, 'Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.' So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them." Amplified Bible here and throughout this post

    Supporting Scriptures: John 1:14, Philippians 2:5-7, Hebrews 2:14-18

Genesis 2:1-3 "So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done."

    Supporting Scriptures: Matthew 11:28-30, 12:8, Hebrews 4:8-11

Genesis 3:15 God pronouncing judgment on the Serpent in the Garden said: "And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, and between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel."

    Supporting Scriptures: John 8:44, Colossians 2:15, I John 3:8, 10, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 12:11

Genesis 12:2 "And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others]"

Genesis 22:18 "Through your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..."

    Supporting Scriptures: Luke 2:10-11, John 3:16-17

Genesis 22:6-14 "Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on [the shoulders of] Isaac his son, and he took the fire (firepot) in his own hand and the [sacrificial] knife; and the two of them walked on together. And Isaac said to Abraham, 'My father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' Isaac said, 'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself a lamb for the burnt offering.' So the two walked on together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood, and bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' He answered, 'Here I am.' The Lord said, 'Do not reach out [with the knife in] your hand against the boy, and do nothing to [harm] him; for now I know that you fear God [with reverence and profound respect], since you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son [of promise].' Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering (ascending sacrifice) instead of his son. So Abraham named that place 'The Lord Will Provide.' And it is said to this day, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen and provided.'"

    Supporting Scriptures: John 1:29, I Corinthians 5:7, I Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 9:11-14, 10:4-14

Thus, we can see that Christ's life and work were promised at the very beginning of God's plans.

Moral Behavior in Christians Who Happen to Be Homosexuals

As with other Christians, homosexuals must understand that their righteousness is found in Jesus Christ, NOT in their own works. Nevertheless, as with ALL Christians, those who have accepted Christ's sacrifice, repented, and have been baptized will walk consistently within the new life which they have been given. What does that mean? It means that his/her life will reflect a desire to love God with his/her whole heart and soul and to love others as him/herself. This applies to all areas of his/her life, including those related to sexual or romantic practices. ALL Christians MUST seek to treat others in the same way that they would like themselves to be treated! 

In other words, a Christian homosexual will NOT just seek to satisfy his/her own needs but will diligently seek to minister to/address the needs of others. This, of course, will preclude selfish or self-satisfying behaviors. It will also require humility, respect, empathy, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, and love. In other words, a homosexual Chistian will NOT be impatient, boastful, arrogant, irritable, rude, hateful, bitter, or resentful. Likewise, a homosexual Christian will NOT take what does not belong to him/her. He/She will be faithful to, and honest with, their friends and partners. Moreover, as with their heterosexual counterparts, this will exclude their participation in behaviors like domestic abuse/violence, incestuous relationships, pedophilia, prostitution, promiscuity, adultery, drug/alcohol abuse, bestiality, or non-consensual intercourse of any kind. Indeed, his/her participation in ANY of these prohibited behaviors should be regarded as being inconsistent with his/her profession of faith in Christ and SIN!

What is the bottom line? A homosexual Christian's life MUST reflect the same moral behavior expected of their heterosexual brothers and sisters in Christ! If a homosexual Christian makes a commitment to another individual to act as a spouse, he/she should NOT be lusting after folks who are not his/her spouse. In other words, there AREN'T ANY special standards or exemptions for Christians who happen to be homosexuals! All true Christians will NOT want to engage in any behavior(s) which might hurt/harm others. Finally, homosexual Christians should NOT want to offend their heterosexual brothers and sisters in Christ or engage in public behaviors which might bring dishonor to the Church or Christian Community as a whole. This is NOT Rocket Science or Advanced Theology, just ONE STANDARD for everybody! May God bless all of our individual efforts to remain within "His" will. Amen!

YOU Pray for Me!

Unfortunately, too many Christians allow prejudice to dictate who they ask to pray for them. In other words, they actively exclude folks from their prayer requests, because they have decided that they're NOT Christians - that God would never hear that person's petition! Even worse, some folks have decided not to pray for certain folks in need, because they're NOT Christians! This post will talk about how these notions creep into our consciousness and prevent us from enjoying the full benefits of prayer and God's ability to help whatever situations we may face in this life.

As a former member of the Worldwide Church of God, I regarded the membership of that Church as constituting God's true Church - everyone else was a "so-called Christian." As such, we thought of those folks as being a part of this wicked world and unworthy of God's intervention. Now, members would make prayer requests, and they would often be announced from the pulpit, but the pool of people praying for someone or something tended to be very local and small. Years later, I realized just how judgmental and narrow-minded my approach to other people and prayer had been.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Christ had instructed his followers: "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5, ESV here and throughout) Notice that Christ is very explicit in his instructions about judging each other. Judgment is clearly above our paygrade!

Yeshua went on to say: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11) Christ said that God wants us to seek him, and that he wants his children to ask him for help.

Even so, Christ's own apostles sometimes exhibited that same judgmental attitude which often afflicts us. We see this in a brief episode recounted in the Gospel of Luke. We read there: "John answered, 'Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.' But Jesus said to him, 'Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.'" (Luke 9:49-50) Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that "'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.'" (II Timothy 2:19) In short, anyone who calls him/herself a Christian and eschews evil is part of "the pack." In other words, God doesn't need us to sort out those who belong to him from among the ranks of the Christian community!

Moreover, Yeshua said that our obligation to pray doesn't just extend to those within the Christian community anyway! He said: "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48) In other words, we CAN and SHOULD pray for folks outside of our faith circle!

Indeed, in Christ's model prayer, he told his disciples to pray for God's Kingdom to come, and that his will would be performed throughout the earth - just as it already is in heaven! (Matthew 6:10) Now, it should be obvious to everyone who is a Christian that this is a prayer for ALL of humankind - a prayer that everyone will experience God's goodness and mercy!

Finally, Yeshua assured his followers that prayer was a powerful tool in the hands of those who believed in it. In speaking about faith, Christ said: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11:24-25) Notice, once again, that Christ reminded his followers to always be forgiving to each other if they expected God to forgive them and grant their petitions. In similar fashion, James wrote to the twelve tribes scattered abroad that "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16)

So, what about you? What's stopping you from asking for others to pray for you? More importantly, what's stopping you from praying for others? What's preventing you from asking for God's intervention in the lives of unbelievers, or to relieve the suffering extant in this present world? What do you think?

UCOG On The New Sexual Revolution

A good friend sent me a link to an article which appeared in the July 2026 issue of United News and asked my opinion. The article, The New Sexual Revolution by Dr. Roy Fouch, offers a surprisingly kind and nuanced approach to dealing with people who experience pornography addiction, same-sex attraction, and gender dysphoria. This is a refreshing shift in one of the major splinters of the old Worldwide Church of God. After all, in times past, these folks were often ridiculed and condemned from the pulpits of that church. To be clear, this is a development to be noted and praised within ACOG culture. Nevertheless, the underlying foundation of the Church’s teaching remains the same – homosexuality and transgenderism are still looked upon as SIN! Indeed, we can still discern the outlines of Herbert Armstrong’s teachings about human sexuality based on a flawed understanding and interpretation of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures.

Dr. Fouch wrote: “The Bible categorizes sexual behavior outside of God’s design as sexual immorality. The world’s view of sex is contrary to what God defines as appropriate—and to violate what God has defined as appropriate sexual behavior is sin.  Scripture addresses the danger of promised freedom that actually leads to spiritual slavery: “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them’” (2 Peter 2:19, New International Version).” Fouch then went on to characterize Christ’s comments in Matthew 5:28 and 6:22-23 as condemning all sexual lust/attraction outside of the traditional marriage of one man and one woman as wrong or sinful. He continued: “Pornography is not harmless entertainment. It trains the mind to lust, objectify others and misuse the powerful gift of sexuality God created for marriage. A Christian must resist it, repent of it, and seek God’s help to overcome it.”

Actually, as with Mr. Armstrong before him, Dr. Fouch paints with too wide of a brush here in his interpretation of God’s will in this matter! First, in Matthew 5, Christ is clearly talking about adultery (sex outside of marriage). In other words, it was wrong for a married person to lust after someone who wasn’t his/her spouse. He was NOT talking about sexual attraction or lust outside of marriage! In fact, to make Christ’s statement into a blanket condemnation of all sexual attraction/lust is an example of a gross misinterpretation and application of Scripture! In the book of Genesis, we read that God surveyed everything that he had created (including the man and woman) and pronounced it very good (Genesis 1:31, ESV). Likewise, in the very next chapter we read that: “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25, ESV) Indeed, we are informed in the very next chapter that the pair were not even aware of their nakedness until after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:6-7) Hence, we are forced to conclude that the sense of shame and dirtiness attached to their bodies was a product of Satan’s deception and the fall. In other words, this was clearly NOT consistent with God’s original design and intent!

Now, we know that the foundation/basis of God’s Law is LOVE (Matthew 22:37-39, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, John 13:34-35, 15:12-13, 17, Romans 13:10, I Corinthians 1:1-3,13, 16:14, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, I John 4:7-21). Indeed, the commandments against murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and covetousness are all founded on this principle. Hence, in the case of human sexuality, anything which physically or emotionally hurts and/or degrades a fellow human could be said to be sinful. With this principle in mind, we can see that almost any human sexual behavior could become sinful – heterosexual or homosexual. Thus, each and every one of us must grapple with his/her own conscience and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in determining what is and isn’t sinful in this instance. We must think about what we are doing! Am I doing this or that to satisfy my own appetites or needs? Do I really care whether or not the other person is benefiting from this behavior or enjoying it? Will this behavior hurt or humiliate anyone? Is the behavior more important than my obligation to love and honor Almighty God? Moreover, how we answer these kinds of questions within the privacy of our own minds is what reveals whether or not God’s Law is written on our hearts! Likewise, this allows us to see that almost anything can become a sin, an idol, an addiction. In other words, our own personal attitude toward this or that behavior is the determinative factor in this regard – evaluating the morality of this or that behavior (sexual or otherwise).

Of course, it’s much easier to make blanket statements like “all lust is sinful” or “any homosexual behavior is sinful.” When we rely on such statements/commandments, we don’t have to think – we can just coast along on autopilot and ignore the implications of our own behaviors. It is much easier to teach that Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27 condemn ALL homosexual behavior as sinful rather than understanding that they were meant to condemn things like temple prostitution, exploitation of slaves, and pederasty (the behaviors which actually confronted the Israelites of old). It’s much simpler to say that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because everyone was a homosexual, than it is to talk about the lack of hospitality, the culture of violence which existed within those cities, and the obvious moral failure associated with wanting to gang rape and humiliate someone! In other words, the lack of nuance in addressing the morality of these behaviors is both lazy and intellectually dishonest. Moreover, the folks who advocate and espouse such a broad understanding of these statements/commandments remind us of the Pharisees of Christ’s day – exhibiting a clear preference for legalism and condemnation over justice and mercy!

Now, once again, we should all be willing to commend Dr. Fouch for his advocacy of kindness and respecting the humanity of folks dealing with homosexuality and transgenderism. However, we must also take him to task for his support of Armstrong’s understanding/interpretation of the morality associated with human sexuality. Likewise, while it was refreshing to have him admit that there may be a number of different environmental factors associated with these issues, the failure to account for the possible role of genetics in determining human sexuality was disappointing. In other words, the same old triumph of personal choice over any role played by nature or nurture was disconcerting to say the least. Once again, the personal experiences of these folks with gender dysphoria and homosexuality were once again ignored or made subservient to choice. These folks simply cannot bring themselves to admit that people do NOT make a conscious decision to be homosexual or transgender! In this connection, I’ve always wondered what these honorable heterosexuals would say when asked “When did you decide that breasts were more attractive than pecs (or vice versa)?

Finally, I was disappointed that gender dysphoria was again framed in terms of God creating male and female. Yes, he certainly did, but such statements do not allow for the reality that some of us are forced to deal with on a daily basis. The fact is that some folks are born with the characteristics of both sexes, some folks are born with hormone imbalances, some folks are reared by folks who are themselves ambiguous when it comes to gender, and some folks are exposed to chemicals which change the ways their brains and bodies function. What are these folks supposed to do? Forgive me for saying so, but it seems a little disingenuous and unhelpful to refer them to a Bible passage or an untrained minister for the resolution of their problems! Even so, Dr. Fouch concluded: “This [gender dysphoria] is certainly one of the major cultural issues of our time, but it is more than cultural—it has deep spiritual implications. Satan has always sought to distort what God has created, including marriage, family, sexuality and human identity. For that reason, rejecting one’s God-given sex and attempting to live as the opposite sex is contrary to God’s will.” Question: Didn’t God divide “his” attributes between both male and female when “he” created them? In the final analysis, who are we to decide which traits are masculine and which ones are feminine? Do males ever submit? Do females ever assert? What do you think?

 

Reeducation in the World Tomorrow?

Herbert Armstrong had a very low opinion of this world's education system, and the scholarly elite which it produced. In his book, Tomorrow - What It Will Be Like (Chapter 5: Education and Religion Tomorrow), he wrote: We covered a section on this world's paganized, agnostic, decadent education earlier in this book. The academic system was founded by the pagan philosopher Plato. It has always remained pagan. Injected into it, in more recent times, has been German rationalism, and the atheistic theory of evolution. He continued: Modern education has been based on a false, erroneous, untrue foundation. The supposedly educated of this world even the great minds-have absorbed false knowledge. They have been trained in a false approach to knowledge. Almost always, error is based on a false assumed premise or hypothesis, taken for granted, never questioned-and, of course, unproved. The "educated" minds have been filled with such false hypotheses. They have allowed a false sense of values to flood their minds. Armstrong reasoned that the whole concept of education had been perverted and twisted, and he concluded that a whole new system would have to be instituted when God's Kingdom was established on this earth!

Unfortunately, like many Fundamentalists and Literalists before him, Armstrong viewed the findings of science as an attack on God and religion. This caused him to reject any evidence which he felt contradicted the Bible or his belief system. In his mind, they simply had to be wrong! Armstrong reasoned that - if they were right, then he and God would be wrong - and that could NEVER be. If this reasoning is beginning to sound circular to you, then you may be on to something! For Herbert Armstrong and his followers, the Genesis account of creation explained the mechanics of how life in all of its varied forms came to exist on this planet. Instead of seeing those chapters as an emphatic statement about God's role as Creator, they see it as the ONLY valid scientific explanation of how the earth and universe began! In other words, they turn spiritual/supernatural revelation into a scientific text. In reality, the Theory of Evolution provides a well-documented explanation for the diversity of life that we see all around us. It is evidence-based, and it has absolutely NOTHING to say on the subject of God and/or "his" role in creation!

At any rate, all of his angst about the educated of this world served as the basis for Armstrong's speculation about education in "The World Tomorrow." Armstrong wrote: In God's millennial civilization, the basis of all knowledge dissemination will be revelation. Light will replace darkness-truth will replace error. Understanding will replace crass materialism. True knowledge will replace intellectual ignorance. (Tomorrow - What It Will Be Like) Likewise, Herbert reasoned that this world's educated elite would be the toughest nut to crack when Christ returns. He wrote: Yes, indeed, the educating and reeducating of the world will be one of the most important tasks the Kingdom of God will face, after Christ returns to rule. Today people follow the false and deceptive values. Their entire thinking will require a reorientation-a change of direction. Now, while Mr. Armstrong's reasoning appears reasonable and progressive at first glance, we can clearly discern that it is extra-biblical when we take a second look. Armstrong identified a problem (education and the educated of this world) and then reasoned that it will have to be resolved in "The World Tomorrow," without referencing any scriptures to back up his reasoning! Moreover, Armstrong then proceeded to offer what he felt would be a reasonable solution to the problem: Christ would use his (Armstrong's) folks to reeducate the world!

In support of this conclusion, Armstrong turned to one of his favorite passages about the future Kingdom. However, before we address his interpretation of the passage, I'd like to quote it for our readers without prejudice. In the fourth chapter of the prophet Micah, we read: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; 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... (Micah 4:1-3, ESV) Now, in response to this passage, Armstrong wrote: This knowledge-this teaching-and even knowledge of God's Law-shall go forth from the Church-and from Jerusalem, the new world capital. The problem, of course, is that this passage does NOT mention the Church anywhere - Armstrong injected this into the passage! Notice also that it is the nations themselves who will be seeking God's help - "that HE may teach us his ways." Notice too that there would not be any opportunities for them to learn about war anymore. In other words, Micah has absolutely NOTHING to say about ACOG folks reeducating the rest of the world!

Talk about a leap in logic. Herbert Armstrong went on to write: This Headquarters Church, at Christ's own world capital of Jerusalem, then, undoubtedly will be given the administration of the world's new system of education. Did you notice that word "undoubtedly"? In other words, this is the only reasonable conclusion for us to reach! Is that, however, true? Even so, the speculation didn't stop there. Armstrong went on to conclude: Also the indication is that the teaching of spiritual truth-of the true gospel, the spiritual conversion of the world-will be directed, worldwide, from this Headquarters Church, under Elijah and the overall direct supervision of Jesus Christ. Now, laying aside the fact that all of this is unsupported by scripture and is based entirely on Armstrong's reasoning out the "problem," how likely do you think that it would be for God to use a group of educators to retrain the world whose own teachings have been so thoroughly discredited by reputable sources? Indeed, Mr. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God doesn't even exist today - some forty years after the death of its founder!

At this point, I think that it would be appropriate to actually examine some of the appropriate prophetic scriptures dealing with the dissemination of spiritual knowledge in God's Kingdom. In the book of Jeremiah, we read: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, ESV) Notice that God intends to put his law within them and write it on their hearts. Moreover, we are informed that it will no longer be necessary to instruct people to "Know the Lord, for they shall ALL know me." Finally, this passage seems to imply that spiritual knowledge is inextricably linked to forgiveness of sins! In other words, no teachers appear to be necessary in this passage!

Finally, there is that other Armstrong favorite passage from the book of Isaiah. Anyone with any background whatsoever in one of the ACOGs will remember the often-quoted passage from the eleventh chapter of Isaiah. After talking about the shoot which emerges from the stump of Jesse (Jesus Christ) and the nature of his person and reign (Isaiah 11:1-5), we are treated to a vision of his Kingdom. We read: The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:6-10, ESV) Once again, we notice that the nations will seek him. Also, we are told that "They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be FULL of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Universal knowledge of God and "his" ways, but no mention of ACOG teachers reeducating people!

Bottom line - the world will be reeducated in a sense, but it won't be as Herbert Armstrong imagined it. Scripture indicates that it will be accomplished by a Divine miracle, and the willingness of the people of all nations to learn about God and his will for us. Moreover, as with our own experience, it appears that this will be accomplished by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting what he has done for us. In other words, no crash course in Torah will be necessary! What do you think?

Conversion to Judaism or Christianity?

Unfortunately, the Armstrong Churches of God have confused Christian conversion with conversion to Judaism. In his booklet Just What Do You Mean...Conversion?, Herbert Armstrong wrote: I repeat: 'A Christian (a truly converted person) is one who has received, and in whose mind dwells the Holy Spirit of God.' But how does one receive the Spirit of God? On the day the Church of God was started, the Apostle Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized ... in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Repent of what? Of sin. And what is sin? "Sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4). What law? The law that the carnal mind, hostile to God, is not subject to the Law of God (Rom. 8:7). Again, we read of "the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:32). In other words, for Armstrong and his followers, a truly converted Christian MUST obey the commandments of Torah!

This, of course, calls to mind what some of the Jewish Christians of the First Century were saying about conversion to Christianity. In the book of Acts, we read: And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:1-5, NKJV)

Now, even from the distance of almost two thousand years, that sure sounds to me like these Jewish Christians were advocating conversion to JUDAISM, NOT CHRISTIANITY! Remember, God commanded circumcision for all of the male descendants of Abraham as a sign that they would OBEY him (Genesis 17:9-14). In Torah, we also read: And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them." (Deuteronomy 5:1) Even so, the Israelites were told that any Gentile who wanted to obey God and observe his Passover MUST be circumcised! (Exodus 12:43-49) In other words, males had to be circumcised before they could participate in obeying the commandments of Torah - ONLY then could they become real Israelites!

Interestingly, even in 2026, Jews still regard this as the proper formula for conversion to Judaism! In the article How to Convert to Judaism, CHABAD.org informs its readers that conversion makes the person fully Jewish - a part of the tribe. They go on to list four components of this conversion: (1) Accepting the yoke of the commandments. When you convert, you must verbalize your commitment to live in accordance with all of the Torah’s commandments as they are explained in Torah law. It is not enough to commit to some or even most of the precepts; a convert must commit to every single one of them. Also, this needs to be done out of a sincere desire to serve G‑d as a Jew, not because of any other motive, such as the desire to marry a Jewish man or woman. (2) Immersion in the mikvah. A mikvah is a pool of natural water, usually rainwater. At your conversion, you will dunk into this spiritually cleansing bath. It is at this moment that you will accept the Torah upon yourself. (3) Circumcision. If you are a male, you will need to be circumcised. If you were circumcised as a baby, a symbolic drawing of blood is all that will be done at this point. (4) When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, a convert would bring a special sacrifice to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When the Temple is rebuilt—may it be speedily in our days—converts will again bring sacrifices.

Now, in terms of Christian conversion, Scripture informs us that belief or faith in Jesus Christ is the essential first step (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9, etc.). On that first Pentecost after Christ had ascended to heaven, Peter told the crowd to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Likewise, after  Philip preached to a certain Ethiopian about Jesus, we are informed that the eunuch declared "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:26-37) The account continued: So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Notice please, that there is NOTHING in any of these accounts about first converting to Judaism! Indeed, many years later the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christian converts of Galatia that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16) 

What about you? Are you a Christian or a Jew?

Hope in the New Covenant

In his first epistle to the Christians of Corinth, Paul wrote that "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (I Corinthians 13:13, NLT) This blog has discussed faith and love in some detail, but we haven't heretofore focused on hope very much. In this post, we will try to list some of the more pertinent passages of Scripture related to HOPE within the context of the New Covenant:

In the account of Peter's Pentecost sermon, we are informed that the apostle told those assembled that:

God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him:

‘I see that the Lord is always with me.

    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 No wonder my heart is glad,

    and my tongue shouts his praises!

    My body rests in hope.

 For you will not leave my soul among the dead

    or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.

 You have shown me the way of life,

    and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’

Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. (Acts 2:23-31, NLT throughout)

Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” (Acts 23:6)

“But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people. (Acts 24:14-16)

Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead? (Acts 26:6-8)

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:1-5)

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) (Romans 8:23-25)

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:2-4)

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. (Ephesians 1:18)

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (Ephesians 4:4)

For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. (Colossians 1:4-5)

But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence [hope] of our salvation. (I Thessalonians 5:8)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (II Thessalonians 2:16-17)

This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. (I Timothy 1:1)

We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2:12-14)

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence [hope] that we will inherit eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. (Hebrews 3:5-6)

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:18-20)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation [lively hope], and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. (I Peter 1:3-5)

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. (I Peter 1:21)

If you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. (I Peter 3:14-15)

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation [hope] will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. (I John 3:1-3)

The Number Three in Scripture

The number three appears prominently in the Judeo-Christian canon. Some of the more important of those instances follow:

Noah had three sons (Genesis 6:10)

The ark was three hundred cubits long (Genesis 6:15)

God commanded Abram to sacrifice a three-year-old cow, female goat, and ram (Genesis 15:9)

Three men appear to Abraham (Genesis 18:1-2)

Joseph interprets Pharoah's cupbearer's and butler's dreams that their fate would be determined in three days (Genesis 40)

The baby Moses was hidden for three months (Exodus 2:2)

Three days journey into the wilderness to worship God (Exodus 3:18, 5:3 and 8:27)

Three days of darkness over Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23)

Three times each year a festival before the Lord (Exodus 23:14-17)

Three branches and three bowls on the candlestick (Exodus 25:32-33)

After planting fruit trees in the new land, the fruit was not to be consumed for 3 years (Leviticus 19:23)

The entire tithe every three years for Levites, foreigners, widows, orphans (Deuteronomy 14:28)

Three pilgrimage festivals at the central sanctuary (Deuteronomy 16:16)

Job had three friends to "comfort" him (Job)

Three Jews (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) refused to worship a statue (Daniel 3)

Daniel prayed three times each day (Daniel 6:10-13)

Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17)

Three wise men from the East (Matthew 2)

Satan tempted Christ in three ways (Matthew 4:1-11 and others)

Jesus to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40)

Jesus, Moses, and Elijah appeared together (Matthew 17:4 and others)

Tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days (Matthew 26:61 and others)

Peter denied Christ three times (Luke 22:54-62)

Do you love me? Feed my sheep three times to Peter (John 21:15-17)

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)

Three thousand souls added to the Church on Pentecost (Acts 2:41)

Saul was blind for three days (Acts 9:9)

In Peters vision, the tarp of unclean animals lowered three times (Acts 11:10)

Paul reasoned with the people of Thessalonica three days in a row (Acts 17:1-2)

Faith, hope, and love (I Corinthians 13)

Three that bear witness on earth - Spirit, water, and blood (I John 5:8)

Three gates in each of the cardinal directions (Revelation 21:13)

The Number Forty in Scripture

The number forty appears over and over again in the Bible. What follows is a list of its more important appearances there:

It rained for forty days and forty nights when the flood covered the earth (Genesis 7)

Noah waited forty days after the mountain peaks became visible to release a raven (Genesis 8:6-7)

Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20)

It took forty days to embalm Jacob (Genesis 50:2-3)

The children of Israel ate manna for forty years (Exodus 16:35)

Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights (Exodus 24:18 and 34:28)

Forty silver bases to support the frames of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:19-21 and 36:24-26)

Spies looked over the Promised Land for forty days (Numbers 13:25)

The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Numbers 14:33-34 and others)

Caleb was forty years old when Moses sent him to look at the land (Joshua 14:7)

Forty years of rest during the times of the Judges (Judges 3:11, 5:31, 8:28, and I Samuel 4:18)

Forty years into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:1)

Goliath taunted the army of Israel for forty days (I Samuel 17:16)

David reigned as king of Israel for forty years (II Samuel 5:4)

Solomon reigned as king of Israel for forty years (I Kings 11:42)

Elijah traveled forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai (I Kings 19:8)

Ezekiel prophesied that Egypt would be desolate for forty years (Ezekiel 29:11-13)

Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days (Jonah 3:4)

Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:13, and Luke 4:2)

Jesus appeared to his disciples forty days after he was resurrected (Acts 1:3)

The Number Twelve in Scripture

Like the number seven, the number twelve appears numerous times in Scripture and appears to be important to God. What follows is a list of some of the more important instances from the Judeo-Christian canon:

Ishamel was to be the father of twelve princes (Genesis 17:20 and 25:16)

Jacob or Israel had twelve sons (Genesis 35:22 and 42:13 and 32)

The twelve sons of Jacob gave rise to the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:28 and others)

Twelve stones for the ephod of the High Priest (Exodus 28:21 and 39:14)

Twelve loaves of holy bread (Leviticus 24:5)

Twelve men, one from each tribe, appointed as a tribal leader/representative (Numbers 1:5-16)

Twelve silver platters, 12 silver basins, 12 golden spoons for the altar (Numbers 7:84)

Twelve bullocks, 12 rams, and 12 lambs for the burnt offering and 12 kid goats for the sin offering (Numbers 7:87) 

Twelve staffs/rods, one for each of the leaders of the tribes (Numbers 17:2-6)

Twelve stones for each one of the tribes of Israel (Joshua 4:2-20)

Solomon had twelve officers over Israel (I Kings 4:7)

Solomon's great brass sea stood upon a base of twelve oxen (I Kings 7:25, 44)

There were twelve lions, one on each side, of the six steps leading to Solomon's throne (I Kings 10:20)

The Prophet Ahijah tore his cloak into 12 pieces and gave 10 to Jeroboam (I Kings 11:30)

Jesus chose twelve apostles (Matthew 10:1-5, Mark 3:14, Luke 6:13, and others)

Twelve baskets full of leftovers (Matthew 14:18-21, John 6:13, and others)

Twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28)

Twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53)

Jesus was twelve years old when he taught the Jewish religious leaders at the Temple (Luke 2:42)

Twelve hours in the day (John 11:9)

James epistle to the twelve tribes scattered abroad (James 1)

Twelve thousand from each of the tribes of Israel (Revelation 7)

The woman with a crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12:1)

The twelve gates of the city (Revelation 21:12)

The twelve foundations of the wall (Revelation 21:14)

The city measured twelve thousand furlongs (Revelation 21:16)

The twelve gates were made out of twelve pearls (Revelation 21:21)

The Tree of Life will bear twelve kinds of fruit (Revelation 22:2)

Moreover, there are twelve months in a solar year!

The Number Seven in Scripture

To say that the number seven appears prominently and frequently in Scripture is a bit of an understatement. Notice some of those appearances in Scripture:

Seventh day God finished his creative work (Genesis 2:2)

God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:3)

Noah sent out birds every seven days to check for dry land (Genesis 8:10, 12)

Jacob served Laban in seven year increments (Genesis 29)

Egypt experienced seven years of plenty and seven years of famine (Genesis 41)

The Israelites were to eat unleavened bread for seven days (Exodus 12, 13)

The priests and the altar were to be consecrated for seven days (Exodus 29)

The priest was to sprinkle things with blood seven times (Leviticus 4)

Count seven Sabbaths to Pentecost (Leviticus 23)

Seven High Sabbaths each year (Leviticus 23)

Feast of Tabernacles for seven days (Leviticus 23)

The seventh year and seven years times seven for Jubilee (Leviticus 25)

God would punish seven times more for sins (Leviticus 26)

Seven things are an abomination to God (Proverbs 6:16)

Seven loaves of bread and seven baskets of leftovers (Matthew 15)

Forgive your brother seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22)

Seven deacons (Acts 6:3)

Seven messages to the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 1-3)

Seven seals (Revelation 5)

Seven angels with seven trumpets (Revelation 8)

Seven thunders (Revelation 10)

Seven angels with seven plagues (Revelation 15)

Seven heads and seven mountains (Revelation 13 and 17)

Moreover, there are seven days in a week.