Is this a prophecy about Jews and Muslims ultimately worshipping together?

Q:

Dear Mr. Miller,

Would you explain whether these verses is a prophecy about Jews and Muslims ultimately worshipping together?

Isa. 19:23-25 23 "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25 The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."

A:

THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE TEMPLE built in Egypt during the "Silent" years. Since Isa 19 prophecies the building of the alternative Temple which was done at the command of one of the Pyolemies the prophecy you cite was most likely fulfilled at that time long before there was an Islam.

Read my whole chapter called there A Temple Built in Egypt to get the context, then tell me what you think.

Fred P Miller

Weekly Communion

The Weekly Observance of the Lord’s Supper

I recently heard someone say "there is no commandment in the New Testament. to observe the Lord’s Supper every week" Of course this statement is both True and False. It is true because there is no such commandment. But it is false in that it implies that a weekly observance of communion is not God’s directive will for The Lord’s church. We do not learn God’s will for the church only by commandments. Jesus said He had all religious authority. He transferred that authority only to his Apostles, no one else. He not only told them that what ever they bound or loosed on earth was bound and loosed in Heaven; But he also told them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endowed with Authority from on High! Thus what ever the apostles set as precedents. in all the churches we are to follow. We learn God’s directive will, (that is, those things He expects us to obey or be penalized if we do not) not only by Commandments but also by examples laid down for us by what the Apostles bound and loosed, and by principles in the word of God. We obey the commandments, we follow the examples, and we apply the principles. But it is the example of a weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper that we are addressing here. It is understood that the Apostles set the precedent of meeting on the first day of the week. We follow that example and there is no commandment saying the church must have its assembly on the first day of the week. We simply see the example of the Apostles setting the precedent of the Lord’s church meeting on the first day of every week. There are four New Testament passages that plainly show that it was also the practice of the New Testament church to partake of the Breaking of Bread (a euphemism of the Lord’s Supper) every first day week assembly. Thus we are to follow their example if we want to do God’s will.

Scripture Examples to follow.

1. Acts 2:42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

If all four of these religious items were followed steadfastly. What would that mean? If a person came to church once a year,. Would he be steadfast ? How about every three months? No? How about once a month? We would probably say, "he comes once in a while, but he is not steadfast." Thus to be steadfast the observance of each requires them to be a part of every weekly assembly. Breaking of bread is a euphemism for the Lord’s Supper. It can also mean taking a meal. But would eating a meal fit this context? For instance: Fellowship, Apostle’s doctrine, prayers, and eating breakfast steadfastly. It does not fit the context. We take the Lord’s Supper in the weekly observance of being steadfast in the prayers and Preaching Apostle’s doctrine and sharing. All or none are enjoined by precedent.

2. Acts 20:5These going before waited for us at Troas. 6And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and came to them at Troas in five days; where we stayed seven days. 7And on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart in the morning; and continued his speech until midnight.

The disciples came on the first day of the week. Why? Because they were taught by the Apostles that that was the day to assemble. Most commentators note that 5 days crossing the Aegean Sea must have been caused by bad weather and made Paul late arriving on Monday instead of Sunday or earlier as he must have planned. It is obvious from the ensuing context that did not want to delay because he wanted to be in Jerusalem on a set time. However he felt it was needful for this church which he had started on his way out to Corinth for him to meet with them and it is clear that they came together for the primary purpose of observing the Lord’s Supper. This is another precedent setting verse. We are to follow precedents.

3. 1 Corinthians 11::20 When you come together therefore into one place, it is not the eating of the Lord's supper (the way you are doing it). ......... ........33Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait one for another. 34And if any man is hungry, let him eat at home; so that you do not come together to condemnation. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

This passage shows that the Corinthian church were eating the Lord’s supper when they assembled. They assembled on the first day of the week according to 1 Cor. 16:1. But they were taking Communion improperly. They were making a meal out of it instead of a memorial eating to observe Jesus death. and according to 1Cor 10:16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? Gaining spiritual access to that death and blood. He told them to do it right and explained how. Thus they also were taking Communion on the first day of the week, Every first day of the week. Because that is the Apostolic precedent. They continued doing so after being corrected.

4. Hebrews 10"25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. 26For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28He who despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29Of how much sorer punishment, do you suppose, he shall be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God and has counted the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing and has done despite to the Spirit of grace?

How can one lose his relationship to the sacrifice of the Cross? Well this verse says it is possible for the sin of "forsaking the assembling? How is that possible? What connection does weekly church attendance have to do with the sacrifice of the cross or "blood of the covenant?"

Jesus called the cup or fruit of the vine in the observance that he instituted at the last Passover, "the blood of the covenant." It is recorded four times in the New Testament. Testament and Covenant are the same word in the Greek New Testament.

1. Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

2. Mark14:24 And he said to them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

3. Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

4 1 Corinthians 11:25 He also took the cup after the same manner, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:

It is plain in the Hebrews passage that the sin that would cause one to lose his sacrifice is turning ones back on the Lord’s supper, The Blood of the Covenant, in its weekly observance. The Lord’s Supper then was in the assembly that Hebrews warns us not to forsake. It is forsaking the Blood of the Testament; or the passage makes no sense. Thus this is the fourth passage that gives an Apostolic precedent for a weekly observance of the Lord’s supper.

Indeed, we should take this article of Faith as seriously as the apostle makes it in the Hebrews passage.

Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs

Q:

Dear Fred

Your information on Revelation and on alcohol have been most helpful to me in my christian walk.

Do you have any information or lessons on the use of musical instruments in worship. I'm not sure what you believe on this topic. I think it is ok to use instruments because the NT tells up to use Psalms in worship and some of the Psalms extol the use of various types of instruments.

However, in the church of Christ I attend in Corby, England, they say it is sinful.

Anything you have on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

(Name Removed)

A:

Dear ------,

RE: your question about the non use of instrumental music in British Old path churches of Christ. I have mixed feelings about the answer. Read on:

I don't think you have to have a musical instrument to go to heaven. So if I were in a fellowship where they did not use it I would be low key about it and enjoy the good parts of the fellowship.

But to say that it is a sin to use an instrument at any time in British churches is an Americanism. Most of the British churches in the Old Path and in the old Association that the Old Path was once a part of never used instrumental music in the "one or two cup" Lord's supper service but many of them, even of the Old Path would use instrumental music in singing in what was called the evening Gospel service. To say that instrumental music accomapanying a song in worship to God is always sinful is an Americanism and is not a part of British churches of Christ tradition nor of the Bible. That hard shell idea was introduced after the 50's and some of the Old Pathers adopted the hard line,. In fact some are more caustic than the "Antis" from the USA. I met one from around the Corby area years ago. He did not have the Love of Jesus in his heart.

However there are sensible brothers in the Old Path who see fellowship with those who differ on instrumental music as a dear thing while they themselves are very "conservative" and would never use a musical instrument in a Lord's supper service in their own assembly . I admit though, that even though I advocate the use of instruments of music in worship as scriptural I prefer they not be used while the communion service is under way. Quiet meditation is what I prefer.

You may or may not know the name of Alvin Jennings who published the Star Magazine and who is a devout acapello worshipper from Texas. I debated Alvin years ago in the early 60's and presented material that I did not think he could answer. In my eyes I bested him! Pride! Later I regretted the debate and decided not to debate the issue again but to have as much fellowship with brethren as possible. Of course that is not possible with someone who is so bigoted that he sees anyone -- no matter how faithful in all other ways -- as hell bound if he sings while a piano or guitar is playing. Oh by the way as far as preference goes I hate organs. Especially the way the Brits play them in church. Awful! It sounds like they are designed to destroy worship.

Anyway I did cooperative work with Alvin Jeniings later and it resulted in the conversion of Alan Marshall whom you know. I used Alvin's special talents and he willingly helped me. I think that makes more sense than debating.

However for study sake What you can do is to look up in the LXX (Septuagint) Bible the word Psallo and its derivitives and see the context that it is in. That is the best way to define a word. You will find that the arguement from "Etimology" is false. That is the noninstrument position is that the word underwent a change in meaning over time. Initially it meant pluck the strings of an instrument, then later changed to be instrument with singing and by N.T, times it meant sing only. There was no such development of the meaning of the word clearly seen in the LXX. When in 285 BC and when Timothy would have read that version, right? the only version he could have read because he was a Greek and not a Hebrew speaker the meaning of the word in the LXX would be what it meant to Timothy. Right? So If Paul wrote to Timothy and said to "Sing and Psallo" and Timothy did not know what that word meant, then he would look in the LXX (The Bible to Timothy) if he did not know the word and see how the the word was used in his time. You will find that in the LXX it is a generic word not specific. Some times it means play an instrument only, and in some other contexts sometimes it means sing with an instrument and some contexts it means sing only with the voice with no instrument. Thus all at the same time in 285 BC and when Timothy would have read it about 50 to 60 AD the word would have meant MUSIC of any generic kind. It could be: Foot stomping, hand clapping, stringed instruments, clanging a cymbal or banging a tamborine, or singing, or singing and playing etc., etc, YES any kind of music. Look it up and see that the word is generic in the LXX. Thus the statement that says by N.T, times the word meant "vocal music only" is false. So the passage in Eph 5:19 is not a redundancy as the Non Instrument brethren suppose i.e. "Sincerely Sing and sing" but it is "sing and make music sincerely" the phrase "en ta cardia" or "in the heart" has got to mean do it sincerely with all your heartfelt feelings. Right? The suggestion that the heart is the instrument is a bit dumb, don't you think?

Any way I still think it better for you -- in a fellowship where they do not use instruments and have a keen love of the Bible -- to enjoy the fellowship and be low key about what has not been able to be settled by good men who have preceded us. I like music, but music is funny. Different styles are offensive to some and not to others. It is like one man's cup of tea is another's cup of bitter herbs. Enjoy the blessings that are around you, and with study, settle the things that trouble you about this issue in your own mind. But don't rock the boat in the fellowship that you are in. Rather: thank the Lord that your brothers in the assembly where you worship will let you drink out of the same cup with them.

But study the LXX use of Psallo and you will see something clear.

all the best

Fred P Miller