Beth-El Baptist Church

08/05/2007

Greg Tomlinson


Does God's illustration of the two sticks actually indicate the validity of new gospels beyond the Old and New Testaments?


The Mormon church uses Ezekiel 37:15-17 as a prophetic passage describing the legitimacy of the Book of Mormon. One of the sticks (Judah) is viewed as being the Bible as we have it, the second stick (Joseph) is viewed as the Book of Mormon. As in Ezekiel's prophecy, the two sticks are joined together to become one, the Bible and the Book of Mormon are believed to be foretold as being one joined book.


  1. What is the state of Israel and Judah at the time of Ezekiel's writing?

Ezekiel 1:1-2; 33:21


Ezekiel was writing after the northern ten tribes of Israel were scattered abroad after the Assyrian captivity (721 B.C.). This particular passage was written twelve years after the captivity of Ezekiel and Jehoiachin (597 B.C. + 12 = 585 B.C.). This means it was more than 130 years after Israel as a nation ceased to exist and Judah as a nation was being sent to Babylon.


  1. How is the word translated 'stick' understood to be?

Genesis 1:11-12 Exodus 31:5

1 Kings 18:23 Isaiah 7:2

Esther 5:14 Deuteronomy 19:5


The Hebrew word (ets) is translated as tree (162), wood (107), timber (23), stick (14), gallows (8), staff (4), stock (5), branches (1), helve (1), planks (1), stalks (1). The use of the Hebrew word is NEVER in the context of a scroll or other written concept of a testament, covenant, agreement, or scriptural writing. It is also never used in the context of holding a writing. The sword 'stick' means something that is made of wood.


  1. What is the explanation of the passage?

Ezekiel 37:1-14; 18-28 Ephesians 2:11-17

Hebrews 11:13-16


The context of the passage is very clear about what it is talking about. Currently the nation of Israel, the northern tribes, no longer exists and it cannot be found. They nation of Judah, the southern tribes, have been driven into exile to Babylon. It is God who will bring out the people of Israel and the people of Judah and gather them together so that they can become one people. The is done through their Messiah King, who is Jesus. It is Jesus who has broken down the separation between Jew and Gentile so that they can become one people and enter into the heavenly kingdom, the heavenly land and dwell together with the king for all eternity.


  1. What can be said about other scriptures and other revelations apart from the Bible?

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 Revelation 22:18-19

Galatians 1:6-12 1 Corinthians 15:1-4


Deuteronomy warns against proclaiming words as coming from Yahweh Elohiym when he did not send the person with those words. No man is to add nor subtract words from what Yahweh Elohiym has actually stated. We are to take seriously the words of God and not alter them in any fashion.


Revelation warns against adding to or subtracting from the spoken words that are found in the book or scrolls. This would indicate that once the word of God is spoken and written down, then the written word carries the same authority as the original spoken word.


Galatians warns against following after any other “gospel” message than the one that Paul brought. This is a message about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. This is a message of salvation by grace and not by works.


Each of these messages is a perversion of God's true word and will result in the condemnation of the person(s) bringing the word as well as the followers of such words. The word of God, is not to be played with according to the whims of men, but is to be respected, honored, heard, and obeyed.


  1. How can we determine whether or not a new message is of God or of man?

    1 John 4:1 Acts 17:11

Deuteronomy 18:18-22


The determining factor of a legitimate word of God is whether or not it is consistent with the already revealed word of God. If it disagrees with what God has already stated, then it is clearly a corrupted and ungodly message. If God states in his word that salvation is by faith, through grace because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ and a new message claims that we must work to be accepted by God or our work participates with the grace of God, then they are in deed bringing a different gospel and we are not to follow them.


Summary:


The scriptures are clear. If God did not bring a message, then it is evil and wicked for someone to claim that the message is of God. In particular, the message of Ezekiel 37 is the miraculous joining of all people of Israel (by faith and promise and not by the flesh (Romans 9:8-9)) in order to make for himself one people. One other consideration, though it is not the message of Ezekiel nor of God through Ezekiel. If the idea was to represent yet another message or book, the new message or book would have to be the New Testament. In the days of Ezekiel, the only scrolls or books that existed was what we call the Old Testament. The New Testament did not exist. It is in the New Testament that the gentiles are opened up into fellowship with God.