A: We believe that the Bible is very clear and explicit in condemning Christian participation in war. You may want to reread our Editorial, titled, “War or Peace — Which?” (Update #81, February 21, 2003), and our Q&A, titled, “Christian Participation in War” (Update #67, November 15, 2002). How do we explain Israel’s fighting in the Old Testament? Did God, who does not change, condemn war in the New Testament, but approved of it in the Old?

You may want to listen to our three-part sermon series on Military Service and War for a thorough explanation. It is posted on the Audio page of our Website. In short, ancient Israel sinned when they went to war. For Biblical proof, we are quoting pertinent excerpts from Herbert W. Armstrong’s booklet, “Military Service and War,” Copyright 1967, beginning with page 23. The headline of that section reads, “WHY Israel Did Fight.” The booklet continues:

“Few, indeed, have ever understood WHY Israel went to war. They should never have done so — as we shall clearly demonstrate. So now understand WHY Israel did go to war! Understand how they SINNED in so doing! God did not intend that these people should ever need to go to war…”

Continuing on pages 24-26:

“Right here, before they reached Mt. Sinai — before they heard God’s own great voice thundering His Ten Commandments — God demonstrated the pattern He would follow in preserving His people from having to undergo military service, or fighting in war, or taking human life!… ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Eternal, which HE WILL SHOW YOU today… The Eternal shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace’ [Exodus 14:13-14]. The Israelites were not to fight — but STAND STILL! They were to see God save them from Pharaoh’s ARMY. God was going to SHOW THEM that He would fight their wars for them! They were to remain at PEACE!”

Mr. Armstrong goes on to explain that Israel’s faith in God’s help was only of a short duration. They soon began to doubt, when they came to Marah and only found bitter water (Exodus 15:24). They also complained in the wilderness because of lack of food (Exodus 16:2-3). Also, when in Rephidim, they lost faith, tempting God (Exodus 17:1-2). Continuing with Mr. Armstrong’s booklet, on pages 29-32:

“Now we come to the CRUCIAL INCIDENT that explains WHY Israel went to war. Regularly they had been grumbling, complaining, accusing, disobeying, LOSING FAITH — in face of constant MIRACLES from God. Now, again, as God performed another miracle, causing water to gush forth out of a rock, the people DOUBTED that God was with them. ‘… they tempted the ETERNAL, saying, “Is the ETERNAL among us, or not?”‘ (Exodus 17:7).

“Now consider what had happened. Repeatedly, God had given these people awe-inspiring and miraculous demonstrations of His intention to fight the battles for them… After all of this OVERWHELMING PROOF, these people DOUBTED God’s faithfulness — DOUBTED His power — even DOUBTED His very existence. They disobeyed. They went the way of SIN! In effect, they had their own ‘God is dead’ movement!… At this juncture, Amalek, a Gentile king, came against the Israelites in great strength with an invading army. This time God ALLOWED the Israelites to write the lesson of experience. He ALLOWED them to SIN. God does not forcibly prevent humans from sinning.

“Moses, at the end of his patience trying to induce these stubborn, rebellious people to believe in and TRUST God, said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men, and go out, FIGHT with Amalek’ (Exodus 17:9). Lacking the faith to trust God for their protection, Moses feared they would be slaughtered. Although Moses weakened and gave the order of WAR, it was THE PEOPLE themselves who actually MADE THE DECISION for war, by their utter lack of reliance on God. It was altogether unnecessary for these Israelites to arm themselves and wage WAR. It was WRONG! It was SIN. But God let the decision be theirs. This incident was the turning point… They had experienced a taste of war. They could have — should have — turned from it, afterward, and relied on God instead of their own power. But they didn’t… By their continuous disbelief, lack of reliance on GOD, and reliance only on PHYSICAL WARFARE, they made the DECISION to be, like all the nations of the earth, a WARRING NATION!”

On page 33, Mr. Armstrong begins to address the question why God ordered the Israelites at times to wage war:

“These descendants of Abraham had made their decision to be a fighting, war-waging nation. That decision was theirs to make. And since they had made it…, God gave orders for them to do what fighting — and killing — was necessary to accomplish God’s PURPOSE of putting them in the land of Promise! But that did not make war RIGHT. Whether to DO right or wrong — that is MAN’S decision! These Israelites did not need to fight! So it was BECAUSE of Israel’s faithlessness and disobedience that God ALLOWED them to SIN by taking up arms. And therefore God used them as His instruments in driving out the nations illegally in their land. Even at that later date the Israelites could have REPENTED, changed their decision, and trusted God to fight their battles for them… Having committed the sin of DOUBT, these Israelites proceeded to commit the SIN OF FIGHTING — of WAR!”

Continuing on page 36:

“But one may ask the question: If war is wrong — if it is SIN — if it is contrary to God’s WAY for man, then WHY did God, on occasion, actually order the Israelites to go to war and kill? Consider these TWO FACTS:

“1) Israel had sinned in a) not TRUSTING God to do the fighting for them; and b) in disobeying God’s Commandment against war. They had CHOSEN to be a war-waging nation. The decision was WRONG. Yet God compels man to decide WHETHER to sin. If he does, he brings on himself the penalty. THE FACT, therefore, must be realized that Israel REFUSED TO RELY ON GOD TO DO THE FIGHTING; and CHOSE to be a warring nation.

“2) God’s PURPOSE must stand, regardless of what men did. It was God’s PURPOSE to install Israel in, and to drive certain people out of God’s holy land, which He had PROMISED to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Israel… Since Israel was not going to rely on GOD to drive out these nations, but elected to be a WAR-making nation, God used them to accomplish His PURPOSE… He ordered them to do what was required to make HIS PURPOSE stand!”

In conclusion, let us quote Mr. Armstrong’s alarming and challenging words from page 38 of his booklet. There are some in the Church of God organizations today who justify going to and participating in war, or who claim that ancient Israel did NOT sin when they fought in war. They are wrong, as they do not understand the character of God, nor the intent and purpose of God’s Law, the Ten Commandments:

“The divine GIVER of human life has the right to take the lives He gave. They belong to HIM. But for any human, or nation, of his or its own volition, on his or its own initiative, to take human life is SIN. The life he takes is not his — but GOD’S! He not only commits murder — he also STEALS or takes what is GOD’S. Even his own life belongs to God. The suicide takes a human life that belongs to God!

“When God has made it one of the ten basic SINS for man to take human life — and made it unnecessary for man to go to war by promising to take care of the wars Himself supernaturally, then the nation which CHOOSES to be a WAR-waging nation has committed SIN. And every individual who enters its military organization is committing SIN.

“Israel had made that decision. Other nations, too — all had made it. Since the nations of this world do fight, God allows them to commit this SIN. Yet, to carry out HIS PURPOSE, God Himself determines the outcome of wars. And since Israel already had rejected HIM as its war-making Force, He even ordered them to fulfill HIS PURPOSE, which must be accomplished! But that did not whitewash Israel from having deliberately rebelled and chosen to fight in war in violation of GOD’S WAY.”

Ancient Israel sinned when they went to war. God, the Author of peace, does not want human beings to fight in war. When Christ returns, He will restore peace to this earth — a time will begin when “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4). Man will live a way of peace — as originally intended by God. We are Christ’s ambassadors of that future way. We are not to follow the sinful pattern of ancient Israelites who rebelled against God’s promises and clear commands. Man has chosen to disobey God and to sin, by going to war. God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, condemns — and has always condemned — human warfare. We are to pray for and to do good to our enemies, rather than fighting against them and avenging ourselves. We are to leave “vengeance” to God (Romans 12:19-20). The Biblical teaching on this subject is clear and consistent.

A: The command in Exodus 12:18 is an essential part of the annual seven day celebration of the Days of Unleavened Bread. As we fully explain in our new booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” these annual Feast days are still to be kept today.

Numerous Scriptures tell us to remove, during these seven days, leavened bread from our houses, and not to eat leavened bread. At the same time, we are told to eat unleavened bread during these days. Biblical passages containing this command can be found in Exodus 12:15-20; 13:7; 23:15; 34:18; Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17; and Deuteronomy 16:3, 8. We also read that the Days of Unleavened Bread will be kept in the Millennium (Ezekiel 45:21). Further, Paul upholds the ongoing validity of God’s command to keep these days, explaining at the same time the accompanying symbolism, in 1 Corinthians 5:8, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Bible commentaries tell us that the Hebrew and Greek words for “unleavened bread,” that is, “matstah” and “azumos,” describe “anything unleavened.” At the same time, the Hebrew word “chamets,” translated, “leavened bread,” is defined by commentaries as “anything leavened.” Although this might be technically correct, we must not overlook that the Israelites, when obeying God’s command, ate unleavened CAKES (Exodus 12:39, Compare, too, Deuteronomy 16:3, which is to be translated as “unleavened cakes.”).

The Worldwide Church of God has taken a differentiated view point over the years as to whether it is a sin to not eat unleavened bread on each of the seven Days of Unleavened Bread.

In a Question and Answer section of the Good News in March of 1981, it is stated, “Instead of eating leavened bread, we have the positive command to eat unleavened bread (Ex. 13:56). We may also eat unleavened pies and cereals together with all the meats, drinks, fruits and vegetables we normally consume.”

In a Ministudy, published in the Good News in March of 1983, we read, “The Israelites were not merely to expunge all leavening and leavened foods from their property. That would have only symbolized putting away sin. They were commanded to eat unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This act of eating unleavened bread symbolizes the opposite of sin — obedience to God.”

In an article, titled, “How Leaven Pictures Sin,” published in the Good News of March 1984, a slightly modified position was taken: “Instead of eating these leavened foods, replace them with unleavened products (Ex 12:15, 19-20, Lev. 23:6). These include matzos, hardtrack and a number of flatbreads… Whenever you eat bread during these days, it should be unleavened.”

In the Ambassador Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 26, copyright 1986, the above-stated position was even further modified, as follows:

“However, it is not required of every person to eat unleavened bread every day of this festival. Some people rarely eat any type of bread. There may be reasons why someone may not want or be able to eat bread every day of the Feast. Some few might even find it necessary to fast for a day or two during the Feast. But whatever bread and other flour products are eaten during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they must be unleavened.”

After careful consideration, study and prayer, it is the position of the Church of the Eternal God, based on the clear Scriptural commands, that we are to eat unleavened bread every day of the Feast, barring emergencies or other extraordinary circumstances. It is not a sufficient excuse, however, not to eat unleavened bread because one just does not want to do so. However, if an emergency situation comes up during the Feast, prompting an individual to fast on one of the seven days, it would not be sinful to do so. Another exception would apply for people who have been advised by their physicians, because of an unusual medical condition, not to eat any kind of bread. Likewise, in areas where people have no or only very difficult access to unleavened bread, they should try to the best of their abilities to obtain unleavened bread for the Festival. God looks at the heart. Someone who has tried hard, but still could not obtain unleavened bread, will not be condemned by God for this lack of availability, as may be the case in some parts of the world.

As a general rule, however, we are to replace leavened bread with unleavened bread, since we are to replace sin with righteousness. Even those who normally don’t eat bread should still eat a little bit of unleavened bread every day during the Days of Unleavened Bread (in addition to their normal food which must not contain leavened products of any kind), to remind them of the symbolism conveyed during this Feast.

A: There is no biblical evidence that God created animals at the beginning with vicious natures. We do find, however, that the nature of animals changed, when they gave in to Satan’s influence.

We read, for example, in Genesis 3:1 that “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” While Satan is described as a serpent and as a dragon (Revelation 20:2), it appears that Eve was confronted by and spoke to a real serpent in the Genesis account. Satan gave the serpent a voice — as later, God gave a donkey a man’s voice to speak to the false prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:28; 2 Peter 2:16).

We read that the serpent — that is, the animal — was more cunning or more subtle than every other beast of the field. Later, God punished the serpent, stating that it was more cursed than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field (Genesis 3:14). God pronounces punishment on a literal serpent, as well as, of course, on Satan the devil who used the serpent.

Did God create the serpent with a cunning and subtle nature? The Hebrew word for “was,” in Genesis 3:1, is “haya,” which can also mean, “became.” It appears that the serpent — under Satan’s influence and control — had become more subtle and cunning than the other animals. At that point, its nature had changed.

Under the influence of Satan, in due course, the nature of other animals changed, too. In fact, the nature of animals became so evil that God decided to kill them in a flood. We read in Genesis 6:7 that God was sorry that He had made man and beast. Genesis 6:11 tells us that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. Genesis 6:12 adds that all flesh had corrupted their way. This includes the animal world. Genesis 6:13 states that the end of all flesh had come, and that the earth — due to Satan’s influence and control — had become filled with violence through them. Genesis 7:21 states specifically that the term “all flesh” includes at least all of the land animals and birds, as well as man: “And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.”

God destroyed man and beast, just saving a few. Perhaps, God restored the nature of the surviving animals temporarily to its original peaceful ways, while they were in the ark — after God had miraculously directed them to enter the ark.

We see then, that God destroyed the animals in the flood, since they had corrupted their ways. This corruption might have included bestiality. Later, when men and animals engaged in this horrible perversion, they both had to be killed (Leviticus 20:15-16). Also, God demands that an animal be killed that kills a man (Genesis 9:5). In ancient Israel, when an ox killed a person, it had to be stoned, and its flesh was not to be eaten (Exodus 21:28-32). The reason is that the nature of those animals had changed for the worse — it has been proven that animals can become accustomed to, and begin to like, such terrible conduct.

In the Millennium, God will change the wild and cruel nature of animals, as Isaiah 11:6-9, and Isaiah 65:25 tell us. This does not mean, however, that all animals will be “domesticated,” and there will be no more “wild” animals. But those “wild” animals will not live anywhere near humans. We read, though, that “wild” beasts of the field will live where the city of Babylon or Nineveh once stood — while no human will live there (Jeremiah 50:39-40; Jeremiah 51:37; Revelation 18:2; Zephaniah 2:13-15). We also read that “wild” animals will live in the devastated and forsaken region of former Edom (Isaiah 34:5, 11-17; Malachi 1:3).

For more in-depth information on the world of animals, please read our free booklet, “Evolution — A Fairy Tale for Adults?” You might also want to listen to our sermon on “Animals — Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

If they do, does that mean if we are unclean because of a bodily discharge as described in verses 16-24 that we should not come before God in prayer or for worship during the time which we are unclean? Should we abstain from sexual relations with our marriage partners in order to be clean thus allowing us to keep the Sabbath holy?

A: Most of the laws in Leviticus 15 were clearly only of a ritual nature and are no longer binding for us today. We explain the concept of ritual laws in our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…” As we point out on page 53 of the booklet, one way to determine whether laws are temporary or permanent, is to look at the “penalty”:

“For instance, the violation of a statute or a particular circumstance could make a person ‘unclean’ for a certain period of time. Following ritual washings, that person could become clean again. Clearly, these kinds of laws are strictly ritualistic in nature, as no violation of a binding law was automatically cured simply by lapse of time and ritual washings.”

Most of the laws in Leviticus 15 provide that the person was only unclean until evening. When the sun set, the person became clean again — after he or she had gone through washing and bathing (note, for example, verses 5- 8, 10-11, 16-19, 21-23, and 27).

In this context, Hebrews 9:9-10 tells us: “It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices were offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience — concerned only with foods and drinks [or food and drink offerings], various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.”

As mentioned, violations of permanent laws were not automatically cured by lapse of time (“when evening comes”) and washings. (This is not to say, however, that we should not, for hygienic purposes, cleanse our bodies, or even things with which our sick bodies came in contact. Further, some of the laws listed in Leviticus 15 have a permanent application. Note, for instance, verse 25: “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.”)

There is never a time when we should not approach God in prayer, or when we should not fellowship with brethren — assuming that we are living close enough to other brethren, and that we do not suffer of a contagious sickness. Further, there is not a Biblically prescribed time for us to abstain from sexual intercourse with our mate, unless during the actual time of a woman’s menstruation (compare Leviticus 18:19; 20:18; Ezekiel 18:6; compare, too, Leviticus 15:25), or when both agree, so that they have time for individual prayer or fasting (compare 1 Corinthians 7:3-5: “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due to her, and likewise also the wife to her husband… Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because your lack of self-control.”). Otherwise, the Bible does not command us today to abstain from sexual relationships with our mates before or on the Sabbath.

A: According to the Hebrew calendar, a month starts with a new moon. While there are express and clear commandments in the Bible to celebrate today God’s weekly Sabbath and His annual Holy Days, there is no command in the Bible, enjoining us to celebrate today the beginning of the new months — or new moons. The early New Testament Church continued to keep and celebrate the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, but we do not have any Biblical record indicating that they celebrated new moons. (In Colossians 2:16, Paul does not speak about “new moons” in general, but about “a new moon” — referring specifically to the Feast of Trumpets, the only annual Feast day which falls on a new moon.)

In ancient times, some assembled on the occasion of each new moon, with the blowing of trumpets, to signify the beginning of a month (Numbers 10:10). Calendars were not available to everyone in ancient Israel the way we have them today. Rather, the priesthood was entrusted with the responsibility to determine and make known to the people when a new month would start.

Some form of ceremony took place on the day of a new moon, to let the people know that a new month had begun. Some used the occasion to have a feast on that day (1 Samuel 20:5, 18, 24) — although, as mentioned, the Bible nowhere commands that new moons have to be celebrated in that way. We read that offerings were to be given on new moons (2 Chronicles 31:3; Ezra 3:5; Nehemiah 10:33), but such offerings (sacrifices) are, of course, no longer required today, either. Even in ancient Israel, we do not find that God commanded the celebration of new moons per se — that is, unconnected to the giving of sacrifices. On the other hand, we do find that the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days were in force before the sacrificial system was introduced, and that they are to be kept today, even though sacrifices are no longer necessary (Our booklet, God’s Commanded Holy Days, on the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days proves this fact from the Bible.).

It was, however, necessary in ancient times to somehow mark the beginning of the month, as it was not always easy for everyone to independently observe the new moon, due, perhaps, to clouds or heavy rain. By actually conducting a certain ceremony at the appearance of a new moon, the general population was sufficiently informed and enabled to prepare for any approaching seasons or annual Holy Days, which are counted and determined by the appearance of the new moon. For instance, as mentioned, the Feast of Trumpets is celebrated on a new moon (compare Psalm 81:3) — the first day of the month. Ten days later, the Day of Atonement is kept, and the Feast of Tabernacles begins fifteen days after the Feast of Trumpets.

It appears that in the process of time, the ancient celebrations of new moons had reached proportions that were not accepted by God. He tells us in Isaiah 1:14, “Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.” Apparently, new moons were even celebrated in the same way as Sabbaths are to be kept — with prohibitions to engage in merchandising (compare Amos 8:5). However, such a prohibition for new moons cannot be found in Scripture.

Today, it is not necessary to mark the beginning of each new month with feast celebrations, the blowing of trumpets, or an assembly. Calendars are available which list, well in advance, the dates of the appearance of each new moon throughout the year.

It is true that the Bible indicates that at the beginning of the Millennium, new moons will be kept in conjunction with the bringing of sacrifices (Ezekiel 45:17, 46:1, 3, 6; Isaiah 66:20-23). Why God will reintroduce a system of sacrifices in the Millennium, connected with new moon celebrations, the Bible does not explicitly say. Our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…” suggests a distinct possibility.

It is clear from Scripture, however, that God does not command His people today to celebrate new moons.