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FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
BELIEFS 11, 12, 13 AND 14
BELIEF 11 – PASSOVER AND JESUS CHRIST’S SACRIFICE
PASSOVER
God’s Church observes the New Testament Passover on the night of the beginning of the 14th of Abib or Nisan, the first month in the Hebrew Calendar in commemoration of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Savior (Luke 22:13-15). It is the first of God’s seven annual holy days mentioned in Leviticus 23.
Observance of the Passover was revealed to the ancient Israelites at time of their deliverance from Egypt and the instructions for observing it are recorded in Exodus 12-13. Each household was required to sacrifice an unblemished lamb on the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar and to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They were also required to place the blood of the Lamb on their doorways so that they would be spared (“Passed over”) when God slew the firstborn of Egypt. The Israelite firstborn were thus redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Passover observed by ancient Israelites prefigured the much greater sacrifice of Jesus Christ as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." Peter the apostle tells us in 1 Peter 1:18-19 that we are “redeemed... with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot"
God begins and ends days from sunset to sunset. In the beginning of the 14th of Abib after sunset, first Jesus and the disciples had a regular Passover meal with lamb according to the Old Testament instructions so that Jesus could keep the Law blameless. Then Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, explaining that He was setting Christians an example to humbly serve fellow human beings. Then He gave them a piece of unleavened bread, explaining it symbolized His broken body for the sins of mankind, making eternal life possible for us. It also symbolizes Jesus Christ living His life in us through the holy spirit, just as bread nourishes our bodies. Then they took a sip of wine from the cup with Jesus saying of the wine, "This is My blood of the new covenant" (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24). He explained its symbolism as shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
Jesus commanded His disciples that from then on, they were to observe the Passover in remembrance of Him with a foot washing ceremony and with the new symbols of unleavened bread and wine as representative of His body and His blood given in sacrifice.
After singing a hymn, Jesus and the disciples then went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Around midnight He was arrested by the temple officers sent by the high priests. Then through the night He was tried by the High Priest, then by Pilate, then by Herod and finally He was crucified around 9.00 AM and died on the cross around 3.00 PM before sunset, which was still on the 14th of Abib just before the day ended and the 15th began.
Thus, Jesus and the disciples ate the Passover on the beginning of the 14th of Abib after sunset and Jesus died on the cross still on the 14th of Abib towards the end of the day but before sunset. We know this because it was the preparation day for the annual Sabbath called the first day of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread that followed on the 15th (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14; John 19:31; John 19:42).
God’s Church follows the example of Jesus Christ and observes the Passover on the beginning of the 14thof Abib whereas the Jews observe it on the beginning of the 15th of Abib.
The New Testament is more than the mere death of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. It is also about His suffering (Luke 22:15). Sins of various kinds produce physical, mental, emotional and spiritual pain and suffering. During the Passover, after His arrest till His death Jesus suffered in all these ways. He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, the disciples forsook Him, He was scourged, shamed by the Roman soldiers and the common people who slapped Him, spat on Him and shouted all kinds of insults at Him, then He suffered the physical agony of crucifixion and finally had His blood shed when a Roman soldier used a spear to pierce His heart and kill Him. Thus, He suffered physical, mental, emotional and spiritual pain and anguish so that we can be forgiven the consequences of our sins and be healed physically of our sicknesses and diseases, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Observing the Passover is so important in God's sight that if a person was unable to keep the Passover on the 14th of the first month due to unavoidable circumstances, then he was allowed to observe it on the 14th of the second month.
For more information on the Passover, please read my free eBook “God’s Plan of Salvation for Mankind.”
THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ as the Word was the Creator (John 1:1-3, 14) of humanity, angels and the universe. As a result, His life was of more value than all of humanity and His creation put together. He emptied Himself of His divinity, came to earth as a human being and was also God because He was the only begotten Son of God the Father and lived a sinless life in the flesh though He was tempted in all points (Hebrews 4:15). He did not deserve the death penalty according to God’s Law because He lived a sinless life. But He died so that His sacrifice could pay the death penalty for the sins of all mankind. This was God’s plan from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8, “...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”) to demonstrate His love for the world (“John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”)
Life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are central to Christianity. Acts 4:12 states, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Only through Christ’s sacrifice can our sins be forgiven upon repentance and the acceptance of Christ's sacrifice so that we can receive the gift of eternal life. Romans 5:8-10 (NIV) tells us, “8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”
The important question is: Why did Jesus Christ have to suffer so much and die an excruciatingly painful death? If only His sacrifice was required to forgive our sins and qualify us for eternal life, then God could have insured that He died by being quickly beheaded, without much suffering? But God allowed His Son to suffer horribly during approximately the last 21 hours of His life.
During the Passover, He dealt with the carnality of the disciples. He had to deal with Peter first refusing to let Him wash his feet and then asking that his hands and his head should also be washed. He had to deal with the betrayal of Judas. The disciples’ minds were also on which one of them should be the greatest in God’s kingdom. He also knew that the disciples were going to abandon Him and flee during the time of His greatest trial on earth.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in agony knowing that His worst suffering lay just ahead. Then He was betrayed by Judas. Then He was arrested and brought before the High priests for trial where He, while completely innocent, was condemned in a mock trial.
After Jesus was convicted, the multitudes around Him let loose. The people and officers standing by slapped Him in the face as hard as they could and spat on Him. Others stared and jeered at Him with mocking faces, laughed Him to scorn, hurled insults and blasphemies at Him. They pushed and shoved Him around violently as they had opportunity to belittle Him. He endured all this shame and reproach in His weakened condition with no sleep for about 21-22 hours by this time. Then Jesus was marched off to the Sanhedrin which confirmed the death sentence on Him.
Then Jesus was taken before Pilate for trial. Since Herod was in town, Jesus was marched off to him to be examined. It would have been a harrowing experience to be marched in the streets of Jerusalem to first go before Annas, then Caiaphas the High Priest, then before Pontius Pilate and then to Herod.
After Herod could find nothing worthy of death in Jesus, he with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.” Jesus endured all the undeserved contempt, abuse and shame heaped on Him.
Pilate then ordered Jesus to be scourged. Due to the scourging Jesus’ flesh had been shred to ribbons. Then the soldiers pressed down a crown of thorns on his head with the thorns entering the scalp, causing shooting pain. Then they beat Him on the head with a stick, further pressing the thorns into the scalp. The pain would have been unbearable. He would have felt numb with all the pain, while the insults like mockingly bowing before Him and shouting “Hail, king of the Jews!”, and blasphemies were being continuously shouted at Him. Then Jesus was crucified to suffer the most excruciating death invented, though He actually died when a soldier stabbed Him with a spear.
So, why did Jesus have to die such an excruciatingly painful death, all pre-planned by God?
Isaiah the prophet provides us the answers. He writes in Isaiah 53:3-8: “3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” That is the reason Jesus died in great grief and sorrow. He bore grief and carried sorrows on our behalf, which we would have had to suffer because of God’s judgment for our sins.
Isaiah continues: “Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him…”
Jesus suffered because of our sins. Our sins have alienated us from God. But He took the chastisement or beating on our behalf to reconcile us to God and be at peace with Him throughout eternity.
Isaiah continues further: “And by His stripes we are healed.”
This means that the brutal beatings and scourging Jesus suffered makes supernatural healing of our bodies from sickness and disease possible. Human body is not designed to become sick. Sickness, disease and death is the penalty for violation of God’s physical laws. Jesus Christ paid that penalty on our behalf by being subjected to the brutal beatings and scourging. Since the penalty for broken physical laws has been paid for all of us, God can then supernaturally heal us.
Isaiah the prophet thus provides the answer to the question why Jesus Christ had to die a horribly cruel death, but all pre-planned by God. He had to be the perfect sacrifice for us, to pay every aspect of the penalty for all our sins.
Jesus died to pay the death penalty on our behalf which sin has brought on us so that our sins can be forgiven, making eternal life possible as God’s sons.
Many of us have committed unspeakable crimes for which we deserve the worst form of shame, ignominy and reproach. But after we repent and have washed our sins in the blood of Jesus Christ, we should put away the guilt and no longer feel shame, mental and emotional suffering in this life now and in God’s kingdom. Jesus Christ tells us that He has borne all the shame and reproach also on their behalf.
Thus, there was no alternative to the Word emptying Himself of His divinity and all privileges and coming to earth in the flesh as Jesus Christ to die a horribly painful death, suffer shame and reproach to demonstrate that God does not compromise with sin, and the penalty for sin is death. But God loves His creation so much that He was willing to let His Son sacrifice His life to pay every aspect of that penalty including all physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering. His death and suffering were thus a complete sacrifice on our behalf in every way.
BELIEF 12 – THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE GRAVE
God’s Church believes that God the Father raised Jesus Christ to life from the dead after His body lay full three days and three nights (72 hours) in the grave. He then ascended into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our faithful High Priest and Advocate.
Mainstream Christianity’s has its tradition of Good Friday death of Jesus Christ and Sunday morning or Easter resurrection. Muslims claim that as proof that the Bible is not the word of God. They say that the Bible is inconsistent because when questioned by the scribes and Pharisees to prove that He was the Messiah, Jesus said in Matthew 12:40, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" .
Three days and three nights mean a period of 72 hours. But between a 3.00 PM Friday afternoon death and 6.00 AM Sunday morning resurrection, only 39 hours can fit in. We cannot fit "three days and three nights" between a Friday-afternoon death and a Sunday-morning resurrection that mainstream Christianity believes in. Some try to argue that Christ’s statement about "three days and three nights" does not have to cover 3 full days and 3 full nights as part of a day can be counted as a day. Thus, they say that Jesus died in the afternoon making the remainder of Friday as one day, then Saturday as the second day and Sunday morning as the third day. But in this time frame only 2 nights, Friday and Saturday night, can be fitted in.
The problem lies with mainstream Christianity and Muslims not understanding that an annual holy day is mentioned in the Biblical record, also known as a high day. Let’s carefully study the details provided in the gospels.
Each of the Gospel writers provides an account of the events of Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection, but each presents different aspects that need to be correctly synchronized and harmonized to produce a clear sequence and understanding of what happened. We will see that, when each account is considered, the chronological details mesh perfectly proving that Jesus Christ was in the tomb exactly three days and three nights.
For instance, John 19:31 preserves a crucial point that provides insight into the other accounts. The preparation day on which Jesus was crucified is described as the day before the Sabbath. But John clarifies it by stating that this approaching Sabbath "was a high day." This does not refer to the weekly Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) but to the first day of Unleavened Bread, which is one of God's annual high days, or Annual Sabbath days (Exodus 12:16-17; Leviticus 23:6-7), which could—and usually did—fall on other days of the week.
Luke 23:46-53 describe Jesus' moment of death, as well as His hasty burial because of the oncoming Sabbath. Verse 54 then states, "That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near." This Sabbath that drew near was the High Sabbath, the First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which that year in 31 A.D. fell on Thursday. So, the women rested on this Sabbath according to the commandment.
Then verse 56 of Luke 23 tells us that the women, after seeing Christ's body having been laid in the tomb, "56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” This work of purchasing and preparing the spices and fragrant oils could not be done on the Sabbath day. So, this work was done on Friday after the High day Sabbath on Thursday. Then verse 56 says they rested again on the Sabbath day. So clearly two Sabbaths are mentioned here.
When we consider the details in all four Gospel accounts, the picture of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection that emerges is this. Jesus was crucified and entombed late on Wednesday afternoon, just before a Sabbath began at sunset. However, that was a high-day or annual Sabbath (the first day of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread), falling on Thursday that week, rather than the weekly Sabbath from Friday sunset through Saturday sunset. The women saw Jesus’ body laid in the tomb late Wednesday afternoon, then rested on the high day Sabbath on Thursday. Then they prepared spices and fragrant oils on Friday for the proper burial of Jesus’ body and then rested again on the weekly Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Jesus remained entombed from Wednesday just before sunset until Saturday end just before sunset, when He rose from the dead. Thus, when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb on Sunday morning before sunrise, "while it was still dark," she found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Before Sunday sunrise He had already risen. John 20:1 states: “1 Now on the first day of the week [meaning Sunday] Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark [meaning before sunrise Sunday], and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” This clearly shows that Jesus had already risen before sunrise on Sunday.
Jesus rose late Saturday afternoon around sunset—not Sunday at sunrise—which was precisely three days and three nights, 72 hours, after He was placed in the tomb just before sunset on Wednesday. Jesus was not resurrected on Sunday at sunrise as the false Roman Catholic Church claims, and mainstream Christianity blindly believes, but on late Saturday afternoon.
BELIEF 13 – THE THREE RESURRECTIONS AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT
We believe that the Bible reveals three resurrections for man. The FIRST RESURRECTION is to eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ of all those who were called by God in the first 6,000 years of man’s history, developed God’s holy righteous character and qualified to receive eternal life as immortal sons and daughters of God. They reign with Christ during the 1,000 years of God’s Kingdom on earth.
After the 1,000 years, all humans who have ever lived but were not called by God, meaning that they did not receive their one and only chance for salvation, will be resurrected to physical life to live 100 years. They will receive their chance for salvation at that time, which is called the White Throne Judgment. This is the SECOND RESURRECTION. All those who accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for the remission of their sins, develop God’s holy righteous character, will qualify to receive eternal life and will be changed into immortal beings as God’s sons and daughters.
All those who were called during the first 6,000 years of human history, or during the 1,000 years of God’s Kingdom but failed to develop God’s holy righteous character, willfully rejected God’s offer of salvation, meaning they did not qualify to receive eternal life, will be resurrected to a physical life. This is the THIRD RESURRECTION. They will join those who failed to qualify to receive eternal life in the White Throne Judgment and will then be burnt up alive in the Lake of Fire and their lives permanently extinguished. This is the second and permanent death.
SCRIPTURES
Religions have various misconceptions about death, life after death and about an immortal soul. The Bible tells us that death is like sleep (Daniel 12:2; John 11:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14). There is no conscious awareness of anything in death (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalm 6:5) In the Bible resurrection means being raised from the dead to life again.
God says He has the power to kill and to make alive (Deuteronomy 32:39; I Samuel 2:6). He can raise a human to physical life as demonstrated in John 11:43-44 when Lazarus was raised to physical life and Matthew 27:52-53 when many were raised to physical life, or spirit life as Jesus was resurrected (Matthew 28:6-7).
Man does not have an immortal soul. Ezekiel 18:4, 20 tell us “The soul that sins, it shall die.” There is no conscious immortal soul in a human body which leaves at death to either go to heaven and live in bliss or be tortured forever in hell. These concepts of an immortal soul or going to heaven or hell originated in false pagan religions and mainstream Christianity has misread or misapplied scriptures in the Bible to claim support for them.
All humans who have died will be raised to life again. John 5:28-29 tell us that “all who are in the graves” will be resurrected. Those who have done good will be resurrected to life, meaning eternal life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation, meaning eternal death. Daniel 12:2-3 state the same thing. Paul tells us that there is an order to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23-24, “Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” which is the first resurrection).
John the apostle mentioned all the three resurrections in Revelation 20. Let’s consider each of these resurrections.
Revelation 20:4-6 mentions the First resurrection to eternal life by name: “And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years...This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 describe how the righteous dead are resurrected to eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ to earth. It is called the “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35) because it is to eternal life to rule with Jesus Christ during His 1,000-year (millennial) reign.
Salvation or eternal life is a gift of God. But during the millennium, each person is rewarded according to his works (Matthew 16:27), meaning that the person is given responsibilities of ruling in God’s kingdom according to how much the person grew in character and God’s way of life during his physical life as illustrated in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Revelation 20:5, 11-13 mention the Second resurrection, “5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished... 11 And I saw a great white throne [that’s why it is also called the Great White Throne Judgment], and him that sat on it...12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The second resurrection takes place at the end of the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints and is known as the Great White Throne Judgment. The books from which the resurrected are judged are the books of the Bible to which their understanding is opened to give them their first chance for salvation to qualify to have their names written in the Book of Life, which is the book of the saved. These people are not already judged to be condemned to death, but will be evaluated according to their works, that is, how they live their lives from then on from what they learn from the Bible.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 shows this is a resurrection to physical life. Matthew 11:20-24; 12:41-42 provide examples of people in Jesus’s days, from Sodom and Gomorrah, from Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba who will all be in the resurrection indicating that all human beings who have ever lived and did not receive their chance for salvation will be resurrected.
Isaiah 65:20 indicates that a period of 100 years has been allotted for the White Throne Judgment: “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.”
2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Timothy 2:4 tell us that God is not willing that any should perish, desires all to come to the knowledge of the truth, repent and be saved. However, even with their understanding opened to the truth and given sufficient opportunity to repent and live by God’s laws, some will still refuse to do so and willfully reject God’s offer of salvation.
All those who were called during the first 6,000 years of human history, or during the 1,000 years of God’s Kingdom but failed to develop God’s holy righteous character, willfully rejected God’s offer of salvation, meaning they did not qualify to receive eternal life, will be resurrected to a physical life. This is the THIRD RESURRECTION. They will join those who failed to qualify to receive eternal life in the White Throne Judgment and will then be incinerated alive in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) and their lives permanently extinguished. This is the second and permanent death (Revelation 21:8). They will be as if they never existed. They are not tormented forever in the Lake of Fire which is the common teaching about hell fire. It is called the second death because they die and are not tortured forever.
Without fail all sin produces pain and suffering. If those who refused to repent continued living forever, they would continue to be a source of pain and suffering for all those they come in contact with. That’s why the just punishment for the incorrigible who refuse to repent and change is permanent death.
Hebrews 9:27 tells us “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment...” That requires every human being who has died to be resurrected so that they can be judged after receiving knowledge of the truth.
BELIEF 14 – MILITARY SERVICE AND WAR
Church of God believes that its members are forbidden by God’s commandments to voluntarily engage in military service because we are forbidden to take human life directly or indirectly. It is forbidden by the sixth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”
Jesus taught His disciples, “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either” (Luke 6:27–29). Jesus stated one of the great commandments when He said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). And the apostle Paul said, "Love does no harm to a neighbor" (Romans 13:10).
James the brother of Jesus addressed the motivation for fighting and war in James 4:1-3, “4 From where do wars and fighting come among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. 3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.”
In His trial before Pilate, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight..." (John 18:36).
God’s Church is a spiritual nation as mentioned in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people...” God the Father “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love...”(Colossians 1:13). Our citizenship is now in heaven (Philippians 3:20) We now represent the Kingdom of God as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20) though living in earthly kingdoms. Therefore, we do not participate in earthly warfare.
If Christians in God’s Church were to take up arms and fight in war in the armies of their respective countries, they would be fighting and killing each other. And God’s true Church has members in most countries. This is contrary to Christ’s teaching that His disciples are to be characterized by their love for one another (John 13:34-35). As Christians, we are to love even our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Matthew 5:43-44). We are also instructed not to avenge ourselves because vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19).
In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, Christians are instructed “3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life [which includes participating in nations’ wars], that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” As Christians, our warfare is spiritual, not with flesh and blood (2 Corinthians 10:3) but with wicked spirits [ Satan and the demons] in high places (Ephesians 6:12). This means that we obey God’s laws under all circumstances. When man’s laws conflict with God’s laws, we “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29.)
A person in the military is not free to decide what he can or cannot do. He may be asked to take human life or violate God’s other laws. That’s why members are advised not to come under military authority and are advised to be conscientious objectors concerning military service and war. History of God’s Church in the USA shows that from the American Revolution, in the two World Wars and later conflicts, members of the Church of God have consistently been conscientious objectors against joining the military.
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