September 2014 – Pool of Siloam

Two Goats Together

Leviticus 16 deals with two young goats whose significance has intrigued, baffled, confused, or assured many Bible students, as the case may be. This chapter goes into some detail about two young goats which God commanded the children of Israel to bring to Aaron on the Day of Atonement (the 10th day of the 7th month, Tishri, in the Hebrew or Sacred calendar). The Jews call this holy day Yom Kippur — a day of reconciliation. On this day one goat was chosen by lot to be for the LORD, and the other for the “scapegoat” (Hebrew, Azazel).

Why are two goats needed in the atonement for our sin, and our reconciliation with God?

“I Never Knew You!”

by Pedro Melendez

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day [the day of Christ’s bodily return to earth], “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'”And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV).

Those are chilling words which Jesus Christ will say to certain people at His return! If you truly believe in Jesus as your Lord, you will want to make sure you won’t hear Him, at that time, telling you, “I never knew you; depart from Me…”

God’s Feasts and the Jews – Part 3

by Pedro Melendez

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we discussed the history and traditions of the Jews regarding God’s weekly Sabbath and the first four of God’s feasts. [See: God’s Feasts and the Jews — Part 1 and God’s Feasts and the Jews — Part 2.] We pointed out how the Jews have unwittingly fulfilled or missed out on certain steps in God’s plan of saving all of mankind. In this third and last part of the series, we will discuss how the Jews have observed the last three of God’s feasts: the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day.

God’s Feasts and the Jews – Part 2

by Pedro Melendez

In Part 1 of this series [see: God’s Feasts and the Jews – Part 1], we discussed briefly the command of God to observe His weekly Sabbath and His feasts (Leviticus 23) and how His people — the nation Israel — kept these feasts at the start. Then we saw how the kingdom of Israel split during the reign of King Rehoboam, and how the southern Kingdom of Judah continued to observe these feasts, while the northern Kingdom of Israel (under its first king Jeroboam) forsook these feasts and established festivals which he “devised in his own heart.”