Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Friday, August 14, 2020

LCG: Wally Smith's verbal contortions on our obligation to submit to "substantial people in the church"

 

From an LCG source:


An Overlooked Aspect of Faith. Wally Smith, Living Church of God. Sermonette transcript. Aug. 8, 2020


Thank you very much, Mr. Ruddlesden. Howdy everyone, I hope that you are doing well. It's a privilege to be able to be connected with technology and all the goodness that is provided in our age today. I want to ask a question here at the very beginning. What is faith? And people define it in many different ways. Actually, I did a search online to find a way some outside of the faith define faith and it wasn't actually all that encouraging. We've understood for some time. Actually, Mr. Herbert Armstrong said it very well, and we continue that idea is that faith is believing what God says in his word. That faith is actually reading the words and recognizing God does exactly what he says he will do. God does fulfill the promises we see there and that God does work in the world and in the church exactly as he describes in this book. Believing that to the core of your being is faith. So, with that that in mind I have an often overlooked aspect of faith that I want to discuss here at the beginning of the sermon. I'm sorry beginning of the message. Do we have faith in, do we have trust in, do we believe in Jesus Christ when he tells us in his word and records plainly how he governs in his church? Because if those things are recorded in the Bible and we read those things in the Bible, but we do not take Christ at his word if we do not believe those things, then we lack faith. Faith isn't open to us to define and determine however we want. It's defined by God in this way. Do we actually believe what Jesus Christ says when he describes how he governs his church? And so that we're going to take a look at today. 

We're going to take a look at just a few verses that discuss how Jesus Christ himself from God's mouth to our ears through these papers, how he himself says he governs in his church. So we can ask ourselves if we believe Jesus Christ and have that faith, or whether we don't. My title today is An Overlooked Aspect of Faith. Now the verses and passages about this topic are many in the Bible. In fact, it might take a little bit of faith for some of those in the audience today to wonder if Wally Smith can give us sermonette-sized message. So I'm sure they're all praying right now, I hope that you are too. We're just going to focus on a few and definitely not take a look at all of them. Let's start in Deuteronomy Chapter 17. You probably have your Bibles with you, 'cause you're in God's Church, Deuteronomy, Chapter 17. And Deuteronomy Chapter 17, we're going to see beginning in verse 8, that God understood that disputes come up that disagreements come up, not because, say, one person is evil and one person’s not but legitimate attempts to understand how to apply his word and what to do. And did he abandon us to chaos in that regard. Absolutely, he did not. In Deuteronomy Chapter 17 and verse 8. Starting there, we read, “if a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise an go up to the place which the eternal your God chooses, and you shall come to the priests, the Levites and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them. They shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment.” It’s plain, he didn't allow this to just swim amongst the people. It certainly wasn't a democracy of any sort. He said, "I have appointed people. I am going to take care of you. I'm your God who loves you and I am going to ensure you do have a body of people that you can go to and discuss these things and hear from them what his judgment is and he takes it seriously." Take a look at verse 10, “You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which the eternal chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you according to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you according to the judgement which they tell you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the Eternal your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So, you shall put away the evil. From Israel.” And it says, “that all the people shall hear and fear and no longer act presumptuously.” This was something that was meant to keep the people unified. It wasn't just about whatever particular circumstance came before the appointed judges sitting in the place of authority that God had placed, it was meant to have an effect on everyone so that everyone continues to work together in peace. 

Now, it might be easy to say, well, what does God actually want though? But he literally says. Do we actually have the faith to read what he says? In fact, if we were to ask ourselves how is it God would run his church? How is it God would want his church to be run in to be governed and for decisions to be made? If we haven't taught ourselves by now, that this is how we figure that out we go to this book and we ask him, he gives us the answers, though it does take faith to believe them. Now, thankfully at least in the Church of God, most of us wouldn't say this, but there are those out there in the world that might say, well, that's the Old Testament. You know? What about the New Testament? We see this repeated in the New Testament as well. Turn to Matthew, Chapter 16. Again, there should be no doubt God is speaking here of his design in these things. These are not words that are being made up by human beings. This is in the inspired word of God. Just like when you're trying to figure out how marriage is supposed to work, and I know a lot of us sometimes wonder how is this supposed to work? The answer to that is to look in his word and see how God describes this is how marriage works. “I designed it. Do you trust me or not?” When you're that wife - and now I've known a lot of wives that don't have perfect husbands like my wife does, and it's difficult sometimes. Sometimes your husband, maybe I have as well, makes a decision that you're pretty sure is kind of a boneheaded decision. You think about that and you think, “Honey, I don't know; there's something about that that just doesn't look right,” and you do your best to convince him and he's like, “I don't know, honey, I thought about it and you know I think we've got enough bananas to pull that off,” and I have no idea what that would be, but regardless, you know he's looking at and thinks we can do it. And I actually did have a faithful wife in the church days ago. I think she was just talking about her experience as a wife. And she said that she's found If she goes against God's small government, it still God's government in the family and tries to undercut her husband, try to make things work out her way, God doesn't bless that, even when she's right. But when she learns like Sarah did with Abraham in his moments of weakness, where he was worried about dying, though God had given him promises. If she yields and supports her husband then sometimes he makes it work out when it shouldn't. Sometimes he does help the husband see a year or two later. “Boy, honey, I'm really sorry that was dumb,” and sometimes he helps her see that she was wrong. But it works when we do it God's way in the Bible makes it plain what God's way is. So we see, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, we see that in Hebrews 13, Jesus Christ is consistent. The God of the Old Testament reigned through his people as he himself described in the Old Testament, and he reigns through his people today as he describes here, and it is the same.

We see in Matthew Chapter 16, where he's actually talking about the creation of the church and starting in verse 18. He says, “I also say to you that you are Peter, verse 18, and on this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Now we don't need be distracted by the difficult scripture aspect of this. We understand that he was the small rock, Peter was, and Jesus Christ was the big rock. The point is he's building his church and he's speaking to his leaders. And what does he say to them? He makes the same assurance that he made to the leaders of Israel. Read the next verse. Verse 19, “and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven.” Now let's understand. Does that mean that somehow people can decide? Well, here's what we bind on Earth: Sunday instead of Saturday. God is a Trinity. And no, that's not the same thing. Deuteronomy taught us. These were matters of trying to figure out how to apply the law, not how to discard the law, not how to jettison the law and replace it with nothing but human Pagan concepts. These were legitimate matters of how to apply the law, and let's be honest, if we have any kind of relationships with substantial people in the church and we talk about God’s things here and there, which hopefully we do, it's a wonderful thing to do on the Sabbath. We do not always agree, right? But someone has to make the call from time to time and Jesus Christ makes it plain who does. Now, it's important to understand there's other translations like the New American Standard Bible translation translates that as what you bind here on Earth shall have been bound in heaven. What you loose here on Earth shall have been loosed in heaven. It’s the same principle we see in the Old Testament, it’s the same principle we see in second Chronicles chapter 19, where God talks about being with the judges. In their judgment. It's Jesus Christ promising his church, “I really am the same yesterday, today and forever.” It's Jesus Christ, saying, “you can have faith in me and I do reign consistently among my people.” It's Jesus Christ saying that “just like there was a council of elders meeting in Acts chapter 15, in which I worked with my people through a contentious issue to come to my conclusion. I do not change and I work through a council of elders in the 21st century as well.” And I must say it's a privilege to be able to do that and to see Mario Hernandez’s smiling face, “Hello my friend,” you know, and everybody's his friend. And to see Mr. Ames sitting there like a rock so faithful and to reflect on these promises and to know that those promises are still true. You know, brethren, we are in a time in this world that is one of the most divisive and fracturing that I have ever seen. I'm 50 years old. I know some you think that's really young and some you think you must be almost dead. 50 years old in my whole life I have never seen times like this. The world is fracturing and people are being filled with division and hate. And Satan the devil smiles at the opportunity that he may have to inject some of that inside the body of Christ and the Church of God. Brethren let's not make him happy. Let's believe and have faith in Jesus Christ. Satan may want to do that, but we don't have to let him. And if we have faith. We won't.

25 comments:

  1. All this COG stuff keeps giving me flashbacks to the old TV show "Leave It To Beaver".

    We have WARD over at UCG.

    WALLY at LCG

    We have Don Billingsley -COG Faithful Flock ( Barbara Billingsley played June Cleaver).

    Pack as Eddie Haskell

    AND SPECIAL GUEST STAR ---- Bob Thiel as "THE BEAVER"!

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  2. “LCG: Wally Smith's verbal contortions on our obligation to submit to 'substantial people in the church'”


    Substantial people?

    You mean, like, really big fat people?

    It has always been advisable not to mess with people who have fists the size of basketballs.

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  3. I once asked and LCG minister about publicly correcting a lie that they had propagated prior to knowing all of the facts. He replied, “the ends justify the means “. Rod Meredith was a compulsive and well-documented liar and it seems LCG is continuing down that road.

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    1. One of my relatives spoke to an Ex LCG minister in high authority recently. He said quite a bit about LCG corruption. He said they're not willing to retract false teachings such as the falling away doctrine, (which they admit is wrong behind closed doors.) From my own experience, I noticed they keep perpetuating lies about the Antichrist as well. These are a few examples, this is just the tip of the iceberg I believe. But don't take my word for it. Research. Talk to people. Please. Also the e x Minister, I was talking about earlier, said Gerald Weston is opposed to going to jail over keeping the Sabbath. So if an issue came up regarding the Sabbath, let's say the government of the US enforced a new rule that mandated that anyone caught keeping the Sabbath must be jailed. So let's say that this became a reality, apparently Weston would go along to get along, meaning, he would compromise and listen to the higher authority in charge. Sadly it would seem lcg people in the story are very afraid of persecution. Also the ex minister spoke in front of the leaders in the church, and told them they need to preach more boldly unlike what they are currently doing and have been doing for quite some time. In due time if you'd be able to pull us more information regarding lcg that some would find very interesting, whether or not you believe it.

      NDA

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  4. Is Gerald Weston the angel of the LORD?

    Mal 2:7, “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law (Heb torah) from his mouth; for he is the angel/messenger (Heb malak) of YHVH of hosts."

    Being an angel or messenger of YHVH means one is being used to speak the words of YHVH.

    Wally's quote of Deu 17 does not apply. None of them are priests. None of them are speaking the words of YHVH.

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  5. Wally Smith is not substantial but substantial. A wanna-bee Adolf.

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  6. How many God's churches are there?
    Do they all get to make their own decisions for their franchise?
    If all these franchises cannot get along now and work independently of each other, how do they think they will get along in their kingdom? Do they expect God to partition up His realm to cater for all these warring chiefs?
    There is a proverb - physician heal thyself.
    Lets see all these franchises of the former WCG figure out how to get along and work together before they tell their people how to behave.

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  7. This sermonette is pathetic conjecture. What sparse scripture was used, was misused. Wallace tries to manipulate the congregation to believe LCG's council of Elders are a continuation of the Apostles of the Book of Acts. LCG's fruits prove otherwise. Why would Jesus be looking fondly at the LCG's Council of Elders - other than to offer them yet another chance to come to him and finally get to know him? LCG has rejected the terms of the New Covenant; they do not consider Jesus to be a sufficient Savior. The entire New Covenant is a foreign concept that they have no interest learning about. The entire body of LCG sermons and publications prove they have no interest in Savior Jesus, grace, justification - anything related to the New Covenant. If LCG doesn’t repent, Jesus will have to address them with the "I never knew you" statement.

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  8. This sermonette is mindless dribble. How can the members tolerate such watered-down milk – do they have no desire for meat? LCG will use Jesus to try to gain some credibility but they demonstrate that they don’t know much about him. LCG likes to use the verse in Hebrews about Jesus being the same always as the reason to ignore changes instituted under the New Covenant. However, it is just mindless repetition - if you mention anything about circumcision going from an everlasting covenant to optional, or anything about animal sacrifices being obsolete, they are unphased. They have been indoctrinated with that phrase (as true as it is) as a "proof" that all COG teachings are correct - it inoculates them from having to deal factually with any scriptures that prove the New Covenant is not like the Old Covenant.

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  9. I have an LCG relative who likes to brag about the LCG. When the bragging starts, or when he starts preaching to my kids, I mention that LCG does not know or feel comfortable with Jesus. On one occasion before the death of Rod Meredith, this relative countered my statement with a claim that Meredith had been preaching more about Christ lately. I believe that was actually true - but far too little and far too late. So when this relative made this claim about Meredith getting cozier with Christ, I turned to my kids and said that if you are interested in knowing Jesus and you find a minister who has been preaching for six decades, and at the end of his life he finally starts to add just a little bit about Jesus to his preaching - run the other way because he is not an authority or expert!

    Meredith could not lead anyone to Jesus because he was a novice. LCG still cannot lead anyone to Jesus because they are trying to save themselves. LCG won't teach the simple verses that proclaim salvation by grace alone. Run the other way!

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  10. Is this the kind of tripe that LCG members have to listen to now? I am so glad I left several years ago.

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  11. "And I actually did have a faithful wife in the church days ago."

    Did have? Please explain.

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  12. So Wally, you think that you are one of God's priests today huh?

    Let's see what Peter has to say about that:

    1Pe 2:9 - But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

    Now let's see what Jesus has to say:

    Mat 20:25 - But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

    Mat 20:26 - But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;


    Wally, your Roman Catholic style "government" is NOT biblical!

    km


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  13. I wrote the following a recently here:

    Loosing and Binding is a principle that can easily be politicized and weaponized by those inclined to autocracy if it is permitted an expansive scope. The principle has to do with the application of established law and practice and not the innovation of dogma - similar to the Jewish concept of halakah. In other words, my perspective on it is that it is judicial and not legislative.

    My notion is that the principle was given to Peter who also had the implementing "keys to the kingdom." But Matthew 18 indicates that Loosing and Binding was also extended to the other disciples. With the dispersion of the disciples to many lands to initiate the church, out of contact with Peter, this must have been a practical necessity.

    An observation: Matthew 18 not only limits the scope of the principle it also gives a clear process that is a democratic counterpoint to autocracy. Step 3 in the process involves taking the issue in contention to the ekklesia or the church. The church may then make a corporate decision on the matter (this process given to the disciples may be divergent from the process given to Peter in Matthew 16 on this point). This step involving the church as a whole is totally absent within the application of this principle among Armstrongists. Armstrongists use this as a basis for unilateral, autocratic decision making which is in contravention to the Bible.

    I doubt that when the Monday Pentecost error became recognized and controversial that HWA ever took the issue before the church as prescribed. Hence, he never really used the principle of Loosing and Binding as defined in scripture and the decision became political. I think he just did not understand the Hebrew and made an honest mistake. It happens. No need to invoke loosing and binding in some flowery and exceptional way. HWA did not speak Ex Cathedra, that is, with infallibility.

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  14. LCG often refers to this blog as Satanic or atheistic.
    However, there are several people who post here who know Holy Scripture better than Wallace Smith, Doug Winnail, and Gerald Weston.
    Of course, the LCG would counter with "even Satan can quote Scripture".
    The proof of the inspiration behind the use of Holy Scripture is that LCG always uses it to give half-truths, to mislead the people into submission, and to promote their own dominance.

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  15. Anon Aug 15 @4:09am,

    In the messianic age, you don't have to be circumcised in the flesh and heart IF you have no plans on entering the Sanctuary (Eze 44:9).

    Also, animal sacrifices will be restored (Eze 40:38-43; 43:18-27; 45:18-25; 46:4-6,11-13,24). Aside from the Jews, other nations will offer their sacrifices.

    Isa 56:7, "Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

    Jer 33:17-18, "For thus says YHVH: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’ ”

    Eze 45:22, "And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering.".

    Zech 14:20-21, "In that day “HOLINESS TO YHVH” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in YHVH’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to YHVH of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of YHVH of hosts."

    Please note that the valley of dry bones prophecy is in Ezekiel 37. The next 2 chapters are about gog's attack and destruction. From Ezekiel 40, the blueprint of the [Third/Ezekiel's] Temple is given. These chapters are still in the future. Another indication of the messianic fulfillment is the special role that the sons of Zadok will have which never happened in the past Temples (Eze 44:10-16). The other sons of Aaron will be relegated to gatekeeper duties.

    In case you missed my reply in the previous post .

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  16. I would suggest a difficulty with understanding the New Covenant is not distinguishing between its two administrations.

    I would suggest instead of referring to the books from Matthew to Revelation as the NT they could be referred to as the Church Covenant and the books from Genesis to Malachi (English Bibles) as the Kingdom Covenant (both Old and New) - with the Ezekielian Torah being relevant to the second covenant (Heb 8:7).

    Technically Eze 44:9-14 refers to the Levites and Eze 44:15-31 refers to the Zadok priests.

    Eze 44:27 And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.

    Purification offering (hatta’t) is a better translation than sin offering - as becoming ritually impure is not a sin; though failure to purify from ritual impurity is a sin.

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  17. Anon Aug 15 @3:44pm,

    Your 2nd paragraph mentions Church Covenant. As I've written on the link above, Heb 8:8-12 is a quote of Jer 31:31-34 except that it changed the wording/thought of Jer 31:32b from 'though I was a husband to them' to 'and I disregarded them' (Heb 8:9b). The book of Hebrews is talking about the new covenant of Jer 31. Probably you're aware where the author of Hebrews got that quote. The problem is Jer 31:35-37 supports the original Hebrew text.

    Regarding Eze 44:27, Leviticus 4 deals with chatat and further describes it as unintentional sin against any (Heb mikkol) of the commandments of YHVH (Lev 4:2). Let's compare Lev 4:27-28 with Num 15:27. Both are speaking of chatat and bringing a female goat. What's interesting is Num 15:30-31, there's NO sacrifice for intentional sin.

    You said, Technically Eze 44:9-14 refers to the Levites and Eze 44:15-31 refers to the Zadok priests.

    No, Eze 44:10-14 is about the Levitical priests who are the sons of Aaron but not the line of Zadok (Ezra 7:1-5). Not all Levites can be priests, only those sons of Aaron. Eze 44:15-16 is specific only to the sons of Zadok.

    Eze 44:13, And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.

    Ex 28:1, “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

    Click on the links above of Eze 44:13 and Ex 28:1. Both use kahan, to act as a priest.

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  18. This seems to be a very odd sermon and Wally Smith must be quite a mental contortionist. If we use the "substantial" people concept, then we should have never left WCG because no one was more substantial in the Church in the early '90's than the Tkach team.

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  19. Smith is trying to get the people to create a mental picture of Jesus smiling down on the LCG Council of Elders so that when the COE does things you don't like, such as boot a beloved minister, or lie to you, close a university you gave a huge amount of cash to support - you will have no criticism of the lack of wisdom of the COE and will let it all go as it must be God's will.

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  20. With this sermonette, Smith destroyed the rationale for the existence of the LCG.
    Smith said Sarah was correct for obeying Abraham when he sinned.
    RCM and his loyal minions should have obeyed the WCG - even when they thought the WCG was wrong.
    RCM had preached this same concept for years while in the WCG.

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  21. The Bereans didn't accept, without question, what was taught. Paul confronted Peter, not accepting what he did. Prove all things . . .

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  22. The Bereans didn't accept, without question, what was taught. Paul confronted Peter, not accepting what he did. Prove all things . . .

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  23. Lev 44:10-14 begins with an address to the Levites and there is no reason to qualify the addressees, except perhaps to non-Zadok Levites.

    It does not necessary follow that the addressees were priests. The conjunction beginning verse 13 could be understood as a disjunctive waw, with the statement following reaffirming the Levites status one rung below the priests in negative terms: And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place.

    Num 16:6 You have gone too far [rab lakem], O sons of Levi!
    Eze 44:6 You have gone too far [rab lakem] with all your abominations, O House of Israel!

    Numbers 16-18 provides the background.

    Nu 18:2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father...
    Nu 18:3 ... they shall keep [shamar] ... the charge [mismeret] of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
    Eze 44:14 But I will make them keepers [shamar] of the charge [mismeret] of the house...

    I suggest that as the Levites were to keep the charge of the tabernacle they will also keep the charge of the Messianic house.

    In Numbers 18:3a the Levites are given the charge of the tabernacle and in 18:3b the Levites are told in negative terms that they have not the duties of the priests. In a reverse in Ezekiel, in verse 13 they are informed in negative terms that will not have the duties of the priests and in verse 14 they are given the charge of the house.

    Eze 44:10 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity [nasa’ awon].

    Nu 18:21 ... the children of Levi ... their service ... of the tabernacle of the congregation.
    Nu 18:22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
    Nu 18:23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity [nasa’ awon]...

    In verse 22 the Israelites are not "henceforth" to come nigh the tabernacle but it also does not follow that prior to this that the Israelites participated in the service of the tabernacle with the Levites. This appears to be a Hebrew idiom.

    In 44:28 the priests, the sons of Zadok are informed that they will have no possession of their own, in the future land distribution, but the Levites will have one.

    Eze 45:4 The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the LORD: and it shall be a place for their houses...

    Eze 45:5 And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers [sarete] of the house, have for themselves, for a possession...
    Eze 48:13 And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth:

    Eze 44:10 And the Levites
    Eze 44:11 ... shall be ministers [saretim] in my sanctuary.... ministers [saretim] of the house

    If the possession of the Levites (48:13) who are the ministers of the house (45:5) are restricted to the non-Zadok priests where then is the land for the non-priest Levites?

    44:10 begins addressing the Levites. If the text is accepted as it stands, then there is no problem. The Levites refer to the second rung temple personnel, the ministers of the house.

    1Ki 2:27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
    1Ki 2:35b and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

    not to non-Zadok priests of the line of Aaron; contra Rashi and Kiel.

    As aside Yahweh’s portion is “qodes qadasim” (48:12) and the Levites’ possession is “qodes” (48;14) parallelling the two divisions of the sanctuary (Ex 26:33), but without the definite articles.

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  24. Anon Aug 22 @2:09AM,

    Eze 40:45-46, Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple. The chamber which faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near YHVH to minister to Him.”


    Priests in charge of the Temple
    Eze 44:13-14, And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.


    Priests in charge of the Altar
    Eze 44:15-16, “But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord God. “They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.

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