Newsletter #227 - September 1997 - By Shepherds Chapel - http://www.shepherdschapel.com/

Whitewash is capable of making something appear to be that which it isn't. The result is deception. We will see in this lecture that the whitewash of deception began with the sons of Cain, and the whitewash remains with them to this very day.

Acts 23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."

Paul declared he had done his best to the council.

Acts 23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?"

Whited means whitewashed. Paul knew Scripture. He is making a point from Deuteronomy 25. The honest man was to be released, and the evil man was to be smitten according to the law. Remember, Ananias was appointed high priest by the Romans, not by God. Paul called Ananias a whitewashed fake.

Acts 23:4 And they that stood by said, "Revilest thou God's high priest?" 5 Then said Paul, "I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people."

Only God has the authority to appoint the high priest and ruler of the people. Be careful to follow the right leader; the one appointed by God. Man most often will disappoint you. God will never disappoint you.

Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question."

The Pharisees believed in life after death. The Sadducees did not.

Acts 23:7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

Paul drove a wedge between the 2 groups. He not only knew God's Word, he knew their religions, as well.

Acts 23:9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, "We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God."

Mark this well in your mind. There will be trials in the future. This information might be of use to you. Not many are foolish enough to fight against God.

Acts 23:10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

The chief captain of the Roman soldiers could see no fault in Paul and had him removed for his own protection. As a Roman citizen, Paul was entitled to this protection. Here is an important point. You must support the government that protects your right to worship as you wish. That is wisdom, friends. Unfortunately, many lack this wisdom today. How do we arm ourselves with the knowledge to see through the whitewash of an Ananias and those like him? Let's continue our study in Matthew 23.

Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

It is important for the whole body to be clean.

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Christ is telling them they are not what they appear to be. They have whitewashed the truth.

Matthew 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

They looked so holy. Beware of those that go out of the way to appear holy in the sight of men. Many of them are stage actors.

Matthew 23:30 And say, 'If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'

Oh yes, they would have. Listen to Christ's response to them.

Matthew 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

"Generations" should be translated "offspring". Which offspring is Christ talking to in this Scripture? The sons of Cain, of course.

Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

You have nothing to fear. Christ gave us power over all our enemies. Take names and kick dragon.

Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Do you know who killed Abel? There is no doubt Christ is speaking to the sons of Cain, the Kenites. The whitewash deception began with Cain and has been carried forward to this day by his offspring. Do you recognize whitewash, when you see it? We are going to turn to the Old Testament as we continue our study on whitewash. Teachers and preachers that should know better often whitewash the truth and help continue the deception. Let's pick it up with God addressing the false prophets.

Ezekiel 13:9 'And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, 'Peace;' and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:

The word untempered in this verse is translated from the Hebrew word "taphel" (taw-fale'). It means slime. In a spiritual sense, slime is what the false teachers put out. It is slime that hold the whitewash to the wall.

Ezekiel 13:11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

The hailstones referred to in this verse are those that fall at the last trump (Ezek. 38-39. Rev. 19). There is a storm coming. Make certain your house is built on the Rock.

Ezekiel 13:12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, 'Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?' 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

Our Father is not happy with those who whitewash His truth. They will pay dearly.

Ezekiel 13:14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Their lies will be brought down and the truth revealed. All will know that He is the Lord.

Ezekiel 13:15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, 'The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; 16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.

The prophets tell us over and over through God's Word that antichrist will set up his shop in Jerusalem and pretend to be Jesus Christ. There will be no peace, until the Prince of Peace returns.

Ezekiel 13:17 Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

The daughters are suppose to be the bride of Christ. Those that prophesy out of their own hearts are the ones that are daubing the whitewash.

Ezekiel 13:18 And say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

From the days of the tower of Babylon, man has attempted to create his own salvation. There is only one way to salvation. Sewing covers over the armholes to block God's outstretched saving arms is not the way to salvation. Sewing covers is part of the whitewash.

Ezekiel 13:19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? 20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.

God's Word does not teach us to fly. He is against those biblically illiterate preachers that do falsely teach His children they will fly.

Ezekiel 13:21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

The wicked one, Satan, will be right there with the whitewashers saying, "You don't have to worry. You will escape God's judgment because you are going to be gone". God hates those that each people to fly to save their souls instead of teaching them to get into God's Word.

Ezekiel 13:23 Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.' ' "

Don't allow any man to taint God's Word. Don't be deceived by the whitewash some false prophets and preachers would use to hide God's truth from you. Study to show yourself approved.

In His service,
Arnold Murray