THE CAUSAL TRANSLATION OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT IN ISAIAH 53:5, 7, 8, AND 12

 THE CAUSAL TRANSLATION OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT IN ISAIAH 53:5, 7, 8, AND 12

I. INTRODUCTION

The interpretation of Isaiah 53, the quintessential prophecy of the Suffering Servant, hinges critically on the translation of specific prepositions in the original Hebrew text and its subsequent Greek and Aramaic equivalents. Historically, English translations have heavily favoured the preposition "for" (e.g., "wounded for our transgressions"), embedding a theology of substitution where the Servant dies as a passive beneficiary or penal substitute. However, a rigorous linguistic and contextual analysis of Isaiah 53:5, 7, 8, and 12 reveals that the original texts communicate causality—meaning the Servant was wounded, oppressed, and killed "because of," "by," or "through" the sins of humanity. This dissertation motivates and proves that translating these passages with a causal orientation correctly identifies sinful mankind as the perpetrators of Christ's suffering, fundamentally altering the theological response required from the believer.

II. ISAIAH 53:5 - THE LINGUISTIC FOUNDATION OF CAUSALITY

The translation of Isaiah 53:5 is the bedrock of the causal argument. The traditional translation, "wounded for our transgressions," relies on an interpretive bias rather than strict adherence to the underlying grammatical mechanics.

• The Hebrew Min: The Hebrew text uses the preposition min (מן). According to Gesenius’s Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, min denotes "the reason, on account of which (whence) any thing is done," meaning "because of". Scholar Skip Moen notes that min typically indicates spatial separation or cause (orienting the verse toward the past), rather than purpose (which would orient it toward a future substitutionary payment).
• The Greek Dia: When Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew text into the Greek Septuagint (LXX) 200 years before Christ, they used the preposition dia (διά) followed by the accusative case. In Greek grammar, dia followed by an accusative noun translates strictly to "because of" or "on account of," pointing to the channel or immediate instrumentality of the act.
• The Aramaic Metul: The Aramaic rendering uses Metul (מטל), which explicitly means "because of" or "due to".
• Accurate English Translations: Modern scholarly translations acknowledge this causality. The New English Translation (NET) renders it: "He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins," noting that the preposition min has a causal sense. The Jewish Study Bible similarly translates it as "wounded because of our sins, Crushed because of our iniquities".
• Additional and expanded corroborating and supportive evidence:

1. Advanced Lexical and Grammatical Corroboration

• To definitively prove that the original languages demand a causal translation, here are the findings of specific lexical authorities and grammatical rules:
• Gesenius's Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon: This premier lexical authority confirms that the Hebrew preposition min (H4480) used in Isaiah 53:5 denotes "the reason, on account of which (whence) any thing is done." Gesenius explicitly lists Isaiah 53:5 as an example of this, translating it directly as "because of our sins".
• Greek Grammar Rules for Dia: When Jewish scholars translated Isaiah 53:5 into the Greek Septuagint, they used the preposition dia (G1223) followed by nouns in the accusative case. According to standard Greek grammar (such as The Elements of New Testament Greek by J.W. Wenham), dia followed by the accusative case strictly means "because of" and cannot mean "for" or indicate substitution. It denotes the "channel of an act" or "immediate instrumentality".
• Aramaic Confirmation: The Aramaic Peshitta uses the word Metul (S11636) in these passages, which explicitly and exclusively means "because," "because of," or "due to".

2. Scholarly and Jewish Translation Consensus

• The argument that Isaiah 53 should be translated causally is strongly corroborated by Jewish scholars and modern English translations that prioritize linguistic accuracy over Christian theological tradition:
• A Classic Mistranslation: The Jewish educational source Aish.com explicitly notes that Isaiah 53:5 is a "classic example of mistranslation." They argue that translating it as "wounded for our transgressions" incorrectly conveys vicarious suffering, whereas the proper translation ("wounded because of our transgressions") correctly shows that the Servant "suffered as a result of the sinfulness of others".
• Modern Translation Support: Major scholarly translations agree with the causal rendering. The New English Translation (NET) translates verse 5 as "He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins," adding a translator's note that the Hebrew min has a causal sense here. The Jewish Study Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible, and the Apostolic Bible Polyglot (ABP) also universally adopt "because of" or "on account of" for these verses.

3. Exposing the Danger of Isaiah 53:10 and Contextual Inconsistencies

• To further dismantle the penal substitution argument, note the translation inconsistencies and the "uncertain" Hebrew surrounding God's supposed role in the Servant's death:
• The Inconsistency of "For" vs. "By": Scholar Santo Calarco points out a massive inconsistency in Bibles like the NASB, which translates min as "for" in Isaiah 53:5 but translates the exact same word as "by" in Isaiah 53:8 ("By oppression and judgment He was taken away"). If we apply "by" consistently to verse 5, it reads, "He was wounded BY our transgressions," which completely destroys the concept of substitution and proves human agency.
• The "Uncertain" Hebrew of Isaiah 53:10: CLARIFYING GOD'S PERMISSIVE WILL OVER ACTIVE PUNISHMENT

·         The doctrine that God killed Jesus relies heavily on Isaiah 53:10 ("Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him").

·         To fully understand the causal suffering of the Servant established in Isaiah 53:5, 7, 8, and 12, it is necessary to address the traditional mistranslation of Isaiah 53:10. Traditional English translations, such as the KJV, render this verse as "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him," which is often used to falsely blame God for actively crushing Jesus and to support the doctrine of penal substitution.

·         However, translators of modern Bibles, such as the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the NET Bible, include footnotes admitting that the underlying Hebrew of this verse is "uncertain". Because the text is difficult to translate, the meaning must be governed by the immediate context of the chapter, which repeatedly identifies sinful men—not God—as the perpetrators who despised, rejected, and oppressed the Servant.

·         Relying on lexical authorities like Gesenius’s Lexicon and Strong's Concordance (which notes the Hebrew root khaw-law can mean "to be grieved" or "be made weak"), the text should be translated passively: "Yet it was the Lord’s will (it pleased the Lord) to be bruised; to be made weak".

·         Furthermore, the Greek Septuagint—translated 200 years before Christ by Jewish scholars—did not understand the Hebrew to mean God crushed Him. Instead, they translated verse 10 to mean the Lord desired to "purify him of the plague" or "cleanse him of the beating". 

·         Theologically, this means that God willingly allowed sinful mankind to crush and murder Jesus, but God Himself did not inflict the bruises. God permitted this gross miscarriage of human justice to openly expose on Jesus' body what our sins spiritually do to the Father, using it as an ultimate attempt to bring humanity to sorrowful confession and genuine repentance. Therefore, Isaiah 53:10 does not teach that God actively punished Jesus, but rather that God submitted Himself to be bruised by humanity's transgressions.

 

4. New Testament Corroboration in the Epistles and Cup Sayings

• The early Apostles understood the cross causally, and this is reflected in the prepositions they used when quoting or referring to Isaiah 53:
• Romans 4:25: Paul directly quotes the reality of Isaiah 53 using the Greek dia and Aramaic Metul, writing that Jesus was "delivered up because of our offenses".
• 1 Peter 3:18: Peter uses the Greek preposition peri (G4012). Renowned Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest confirms that in this verse, peri is correctly translated as "because of" ("Christ also hath once suffered because of sins").
• The Words of the Last Supper: In the institution of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24), Jesus states His blood is shed "because of" or "through" (peri) many, for the deliverance/remission of sins, establishing a causal link to His spilled blood.

5. Historical Reality and the Testimony of Jesus

• The textual argument is perfectly aligned with the historical narrative and Jesus's own prophecies regarding His death:
• Jesus Prophesied Human Murder: Jesus repeatedly and explicitly identified who would cause His suffering. He stated the Son of Man would "suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed" (Matthew 16:21), and that He would be "delivered to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify" (Matthew 20:19). He never prophesied that God would smite Him for our sins.
• The Preaching of Acts: At Pentecost, Peter did not preach that Jesus died as a substitute. Instead, he laid the cause of death directly on humanity, declaring, "you have taken and by lawless hands, crucifying Him, you put Him to death" (Acts 2:23).

 

6. The Testimony Of The Apostle Paul: The Damascus Road Experience

• The conversion of the Apostle Paul serves as a profound historical and theological anchor proving that Jesus suffered and died because of the sins of humanity, rather than as a guilt-absolving substitute "for" us.
• The Direct Confrontation of Guilt
• Before his conversion, Paul (then Saul) zealously persecuted the early church, actively participating in the martyrdom of believers like Stephen. When Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus, the glorified Christ did not tell Paul that He had died *for* him. Instead, Jesus directly indicted Paul with a causal reality, asking, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" and stating, "I am Jesus whom you persecute".
• This divine confrontation established a direct, undeniable link: Paul's actions caused suffering to Jesus. Jesus revealed the spiritual reality that what Paul was doing to the least of the believers, he was doing directly to the body of Christ. Through his violent rejection and sins, Paul was actively persecuting and killing the Messiah.
• The Impossibility of the Substitutionary "For"
• Because of this profound encounter, Paul knew firsthand that he was guilty of murdering Jesus. Having been directly accused by Christ of being His persecutor, Paul could never have written or meant that Jesus shed His blood and died "for" him as a passive substitute. To claim that Jesus died "for" him would absolve Paul of the very guilt that Jesus had just convicted him of. Instead, Paul recognized that Jesus died BECAUSE OF, BY, and THROUGH him and his sins of rejection.
• Radical Repentance and the Destruction of Human Pride.
• When Paul was shown that the God he believed he was zealously serving was the exact same Messiah he was murdering, the realization entirely destroyed his self-righteousness.  All of his immense theological learning and human pride instantly became like dung. This realization did not lead to a casual thankfulness that his debts were paid; rather, it resulted in radical repentance and total transformation, perfectly fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 where one looks upon the One they have pierced and mourns bitterly.
• Apostolic Theology Rooted in Causality.
• Paul's personal experience of culpability perfectly explains his later theological writings. Because he knew his own offenses caused the death of the Messiah, he accurately carried this causal theology into his epistles. This is why, in Romans 4:25, Paul deliberately used the Greek preposition *dia* (meaning "because of" or "on account of") to declare that Jesus "was delivered up because of our offenses". Paul understood that he, like all men, was a sinner whose transgressions were the direct cause of Christ's crucifixion.
• Correcting the False Perception (Isaiah 53:4): The context of Isaiah 53 requires the causal translation because verse 4 explicitly states that the people had a false perception: "we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God". The poem immediately corrects this human misunderstanding in verse 5 by clarifying that it was not God who smote Him, but rather He was crushed "because of our rebellious deeds".

 

III. ISAIAH 53:7 - SUFFERING ON ACCOUNT OF EVIL

The context of the Servant's suffering in verse 7 further establishes a narrative of human injustice rather than divine retributive punishment. While many translations render this verse simply as "He was oppressed and afflicted," a closer look at the Greek Septuagint through the Apostolic Bible Polyglot (ABP) reveals the causal link: "And he, because of being afflicted by evil, opened not his mouth". The suffering is directly linked to the evil inflicted upon Him by others, maintaining the causal theme established in verse 5.

 

IV. ISAIAH 53:8 - EXPOSING TRANSLATION INCONSISTENCIES

Verse 8 exposes the theological bias inherent in traditional English translations and confirms the causal reality of the Servant's death. The text reads, "because of the transgression of my people was he stricken".

• The Repeated Use of Min: The exact same Hebrew and Greek constructions (min and dia) used in verse 5 appear again in verse 8. The NET Bible translates this accurately: "because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded". The ABP translates it: "Because of the lawless deeds of my people he was led unto death".
• Translational Inconsistency: Theologian Santo Calarco highlights a glaring inconsistency in translations like the NASB. The NASB translates min as "for" in verse 5 ("wounded for our transgressions") but translates the exact same word as "by" in verse 8 ("By oppression and judgment He was taken away"). If we apply "by" to verse 5 consistently, it reads, "He was wounded BY our transgressions," which completely removes the substitutionary meaning and proves that the Servant dies due to direct, sinful, murderous actions by humanity.

 

V. ISAIAH 53:12 - THE CULMINATION OF HUMAN CULPABILITY

The final verse of the passage serves as the theological summary of the Servant's ordeal. The traditional reading, "He poured out his soul unto death... and made intercession for the transgressors," often overshadows the causal mechanics of His execution. The Apostolic Bible Polyglot translates the Greek text of verse 12 as: "and he himself bore the sins of many, and because of their lawless deeds he was delivered up".

This causal translation of Isaiah 53:12 was directly quoted and validated by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. In Romans 4:25, Paul uses the Greek dia to state that Jesus "was delivered up because of our offenses". Paul’s reliance on the causal Greek phrasing confirms that the early apostolic understanding of Isaiah 53 was rooted in human culpability ("because of"), not penal substitution ("for").

 

VI. THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION

The distinction between translating Isaiah 53 as "for" versus "because of" is not a mere semantic academic debate; it is the difference between two entirely divergent theological realities.

1. The Miscarriage of Human Justice: Reading Isaiah 53 with causal prepositions ("because of," "by," "out of") proves that the Servant was not crushed by God to satisfy divine wrath. Instead, the chapter describes a gross miscarriage of human justice. The people mistakenly thought God was punishing Him (Is 53:4), but the truth surfaces in verses 5 and 8: He was crushed by the violent, rebellious deeds of mankind.
2. The Mandate for Remorse: If Jesus died "for" us, the sinner is absolved of responsibility for His death, leading to a mere passive acceptance of a gift. However, translating the text correctly as "because of" our sins holds up a mirror to humanity. It forces the individual to recognize that their sins caused the wounds, blood, and murder of the Son of God.
3. The Path to True Deliverance: Acknowledging that we caused the death of the Messiah fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10, where the people "look on Me whom they pierced" and mourn bitterly. Then the fountain of His blood opens against sin and unrighteousness.  This realization demands deep remorse, confession, and a cessation of sin, which is the prerequisite for God to cleanse, purge, and deliver the individual from their lawless deeds.

In conclusion, the original Hebrew (min), Greek (dia), and Aramaic (Metul) texts of Isaiah 53:5, 7, 8, and 12 unequivocally state that the Suffering Servant was crucified because of our sins. The persistent English translation of "for" obscures the direct culpability of mankind in the murder of their Creator and masks the urgent biblical requirement for profound repentance and holiness.

THE FATAL ERROR OF TRANSLATING “KAPHAR” AS ATONEMENT AND NOT AS PURGING OR CLEANSING.

 

THE FATAL ERROR OF TRANSLATING “KAPHAR” AS ATONEMENT AND NOT AS PURGING OR CLEANSING.

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER:

Before going into the detail, like the Jews who knew a lot about the physical Messiah, but failed to recognize Him standing in front of them, here is the crux or core issue which reveals the truth to the tree of life, i.e. Jesus and that you are not chasing knowledge of good and evil e.g. about kaphar whilst continuing sinning. God said we shall surely die if we do that. We must not seek more knowledge, but the tree of life, Jesus.

The more we love someone, the deeper the grief and hurt caused by a lack of love from or by unfaithfulness by the person we love. Some people even kill the person who was unfaithful due to this deep hurt. An evil parent is not deeply hurt by an evil child and even tolerate their child’s evil, because the child takes after the parent and the parent is OK with evil in himself. A good parent is deeply hurt by an evil child and strongly stands and acts against an evil child. A righteous loving parent is devastated by an evil child and will desperately try to correct the child.

Much more so is our holy Father in heaven, with His perfect love, holiness and righteousness, deeply grieved, pained and crushed by every sin of every sinner. He says He made us, He acquired us for His own, He kept us like the pupil of His eye, He bore us on His wings as an eagle, He is the Rock who bore us, He travailed in our birth, is married to us with a perfect love, He is jealous for our love, etc. but our sins and unfaithfulness are like repeated crushing adultery to Him. He asks: What wrong have I done to you or have you found in Me that you left me for dead idols and false gods? Nevertheless, God says no man will take his repeatedly adulterous and unfaithful wife back, but He will take us back, if we would only confess, repent and return to Him. His whole aim then is to send Someone who will destroy the head of Satan to purge, cleanse and deliver us from sin to return to Him. He is even willing to suffer and die to achieve this. This is what the word KAPHAR was meant to teach us.

However, if we still despise Him after all His efforts and love, He will give us everlasting punishment. 

SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT:

The Hebrew word "Kaphar" (Strong’s H3722) is one of the most critical words in the Old Testament, fundamentally shaping one's understanding of the holistic message of the entire Bible, the Gospel, sin, God's response to sin, and the purpose of Jesus Christ's blood and crucifixion. This document demonstrates that "Kaphar," when referring to blood sacrifices, has been widely and incorrectly translated as "atonement" in most English Bibles, instead of its correct meaning of "cleansing," "purging," or "remedy for the defilement from sin".

The necessity of cleansing and purging from sin through the blood of Jesus stems from God's absolute warning of the death penalty for sin. This death penalty exists because the sinner rejects, rebels against, and effectively kills their God in their heart and life, conflicting with God’s command for holiness and the promise that Someone would come to destroy the head of Satan to deliver mankind.

God accomplishes "kaphar" / purging through the blood of Jesus when individuals deeply realize they have pierced, crushed, and broken His heart and spilled His blood through their sins. When a person remorsefully and deeply confesses this, repents from all sins, makes restitution, and asks for forgiveness, deliverance, and cleansing from their sins, God grants this, filling them with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Himself. This transformation destroys Satan's hold (Satan's head in us is destroyed), enabling the believer to love God wholeheartedly, live holy and righteous lives, sin no more, rule over sin, and receive eternal life. The translation of "Kaphar" as atonement is a spiritually fatal error that allows for continued sin under the guise of "atonement" without transformation, directly contradicting God's demand for holiness and His pronouncement of the death penalty for sin.

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I. INTRODUCTION

THE IMPORTANCE OF KAPHAR

The significance of Hebrew word "Kaphar" is paramount because how it is understood determines one's entire view of foundational theological concepts. It impacts beliefs about the fall of humanity, the effect of sin on God, God's reaction to sin, the mission of Jesus Christ (the Anointed Deliverer), and the process of achieving freedom from sin and ultimate salvation. Understanding the true meaning of "Kaphar" is vital for one's eternal destiny, as believing the truth is what sets us free. A misunderstanding of "Kaphar" can lead to a fatal deception, where individuals may believe they are saved because Jesus’ blood atones for their past, present and future sins, ultimately leading to eternal death.

DICTIONARY MEANINGS OF KAPHAR

Dictionaries provide various meanings for H3722 "Kaphar,"  כָּפַר  including: cover, expiate or condone, placate or cancel, reconcile, propitiate, appease, make (an) atonement, pacify, pardon, disannul, forgive, being merciful, purging, cleansing, remedies the defilement, putting off. The King James Version (KJV) translates H3722 as "atonement" 71 times, but also as "purge" 7 times, "reconciliation" 4 times, "reconcile" 3 times, "forgive" 3 times, and other terms. While "atonement," "propitiation," or "expiation" are common translations, implying appeasement or reconciliation, "Kaphar" is also translated as "purging," "cleansing," or "remedy for the defilement". Gesenius’ Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon primarily mentions "atonement" without "purging" or "cleansing".

BACKGROUND NEEDED FOR UNDERSTANDING KAPHAR

From the beginning, God established a clear command: "if we sin, we will surely die". This divine law emphasizes the necessity of holiness, stating that "without holiness we will not see God" and "no unclean person will enter the New Jerusalem". Recognizing humanity's failure, God, in His grace, promised a Deliverer. This Deliverer, Jesus, was foretold to "crush the head of Satan" and "destroy the works of the devil," thereby delivering, cleansing, and freeing people from sin so that sin may stop and they would not die. This overarching message underscores the profound need for cleansing and purging from sin. The blood of animals purged and cleansed things, but could not cleanse men of their sins; this foreshadowed the blood of Jesus who would cleanse men of their sins —if men correctly understood the truth about His blood.

 II. THE NATURE OF SIN AND SACRIFICE

THE FIRST SACRIFICE – THE LAMB OF GOD SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD

The concept of Jesus as the Lamb of God "slain from the foundation of the world" highlights the immediate and profound impact of sin on God's heart. Humanity's sinfulness grieved and crushed the heart of their loving, holy Father, spiritually "slaying" the Lamb of God (Jesus, who is in the bosom of the Father) in their hearts. This spiritual "slaying" by every sin was later openly demonstrated by His physical crucifixion. God permitted this physical act to vividly demonstrate the utter evil of sin and its murderous pain to Him.

THE FIRST SACRIFICE WHICH GOD ILLUSTRATED

After Adam and Eve sinned, God illustrated the painful effect on Him and consequences of sin by peeling the skins off innocent lambs and making coverings for them. This act was profoundly bloody, traumatic, and heart-rending, signifying and displaying God's own "torn apart and bleeding heart" due to sin. The physical pain from the hardening skins and constant reminder of the "stinking and hurting" skins were meant to prick their consciences, prompting a realization of the grief, wounds, and pain their sins caused their Father. This act implicitly began a process of understanding that sin caused deep crushing pain, spilled God's blood and life, and required a deep, painful remedy and ultimately cleansing and purging of the sinner’s heart from all sin through and because of the blood that flows due to sin.

WHY CAIN, ABEL AND ALL MEN STARTED SACRIFICING

All peoples and nations have a deep feeling and consciousness of guilt after sin. This deep feeling of guilt further drives all men, as seen in Cain and Abel, to start sacrificing in various ways, using the sacrifice and skins to cover their shame and burning the animals to appease God and sooth their consciences. This cannot and does not work, and sin continues along with the guilt feelings. Mankind, after being sent out of God's presence, sought ways to quiet their guilty consciences, fill the emptiness left by sin, and to make up for their rebellion, leading to practices of sacrificing animals and other offerings.

GOD’S PURPOSE BY WORKING IN MEN TO SACRIFICE

God's true purpose in instituting sacrifices was not for literal payment or appeasement for Himself. Instead, His desire was for a changed heart, obedience, righteous conduct, thanksgiving, a clean heart, righteousness, justice, and mercy. The sacrifices man brought were meant to illustrate that sin caused and resulted in the death of an innocent animal, God’s lambs, which indicates what is done to God, God's pain over sin and ultimately to the Lamb of God. The true intention was to lead individuals to deep repentance, confession, and ultimately to purging and cleansing from sin so that sin would stop.

WHY AND HOW ABEL SACRIFICED ACCEPTABLE TO GOD

Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God because he offered a more excellent sacrifice due to his faith in God and because of a clean heart that led to righteousness. Abel must have believed God that he was condemned to death because of his sin, and that God expected them to rule over sin. He likely grieved deeply from repeatedly slaughtering innocent lambs for covering. Abel must have sought the promised Deliverer who would destroy Satan's head and deliver him from slavery to sin. Abel understood that animal sacrifice was insufficient merely as payment or appeasement. What is the use of taking a lamb, which in any case belongs to God and kill it for one’ sins? He recognized that sin must stop, and that animal blood could not cleanse the heart from all sin.

No deliverance from sin and righteousness is possible through the law or the blood of animals, but only through the blood of Jesus. Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.  However, at some point, Abel must have realized that the Deliverer God sent daily to crush Satan's head was being "slaughtered" by Abel himself with every sin, just as he slaughtered the lambs. He grasped that the sacrificial lambs were all along an illustration pointing to the crushing grief and murderous pain his sin caused God and the Lamb of God, Jesus. This profound realization shattered his heart, leading to deep repentance, confession, and apology, which God accepted and caused God to forgive and deliver Abel from those sins. Abel’s heart was finally cleansed and purged from all sin through the blood of Jesus —a work Jesus does only through His blood if we see and confess He bleeds when we sin. This understanding and God’s work and grace brought him forgiveness, cleansing, and deliverance through the blood of the Lamb of God, making him righteous and pleasing to God.

WHY AND HOW CAIN SACRIFICED BUT WHICH GOD REJECTED

Cain's sacrifice was rejected because he lacked the true spirit of repentance and faith, offering it as a mere ritual or payment without a desire for sin to cease or a broken heart over what his transgressions did to God. God hates sacrifices brought while sin continues. Cain sought atonement to cover sin rather than genuine purging and cleansing that would lead to sin stopping, resulting in his continued sin, anger, and hatred until he murdered his brother.

HOW THE JEWS SACRIFICED WHICH GOD REJECTED

Many Israelites offered sacrifices without genuine reverence for God, and without deep repentance or a desire for sin to stop, frequently seeing the animal sacrifices as adequate atonement, allowing them to continue in sin, believing the blood would cover them or appease God. God expressed His displeasure and hatred for such offerings that were devoid of a truly transformed heart, obedience, justice, and mercy, calling this persistence in sin with sacrifices an abomination. Is 1:10-20.

 THE SACRIFICES WHICH GOD WANTS / ACCEPTS

God desires a changed heart, obedience, righteous conduct, thanksgiving, a clean heart, righteousness and justice, mercy, repentance, and to love Him with all the heart. He seeks active goodness: to "Cease to do evil, do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow". This transformed heart is the direct result of purging and cleansing from sin, not merely covering it.

THE SACRIFICES WHICH GOD HATES

God explicitly hates sacrifices offered alongside continuing sin. He detests burnt offerings and blood sacrifices when iniquity is present, calling them "futile sacrifices" and an "abomination". Sacrifices offered as a mere payment or appeasement while individuals continue to sin are abhorrent to Him, as He has no need for such offerings.

ABRAHAM’S SACRIFICE – WHY, GOD’S PURPOSE, THE EFFECT ON ABRAHAM, THE RESULT

Abraham demonstrated belief in God's clear warning that he would surely die if he sinned, and he believed in God's promise of a Deliverer who would destroy the head of Satan. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son, Isaac, for whom he had waited 80 years, this command must have tested him to the core of his being.

For three days, Abraham walked with Isaac to Moria, and every step closer must have pierced and broken his heart, but He trusted God, even that God will then raise Isaac from death. Isaac, by then a young man, likely willingly climbed onto the altar, allowing his father to bind him and extend his neck for the sacrifice. At that critical moment, God intervened, sparing Isaac and providing *His* Lamb instead—a provision that foreshadowed Jesus.

Abraham called the place Jehovahjireh, signifying that "on the mountain of God, He (God’s Lamb, Jesus) shall be seen". Jesus later affirmed that Abraham saw Him and rejoiced. Abraham experienced the profound pain of sacrificing his beloved, but was finally spared to actually do it. However God gave His own Lamb, Jesus to be slaughtered by Abraham and mankind. Through this, Abraham experienced and understood the crushing, killing pain God experienced from and how it slaughtered the heart and Lamb of God.

This profound realization caused deep mourning in Abraham and so it fulfilled Zechariah 12:10-13:9 in him. The Holy Spirit caused Abraham to look up to Him whom he had pierced (through sin) and to mourn bitterly for Him as for an only child or a firstborn, as the deep mourning Abraham felt for Isaac. A parent who lost an only child or firstborn, never forgets that. So, and worse, the Holy Spirit pleads with us to feel about Jesus when we look op to Him whom we have pierced.

On that mountain of ultimate obedience, and upon seeing his sins piercing and slaying God’s Son, the fountain of Jesus’ blood opens against sin. This results in deep confession and repentance and then in forgiveness, deliverance, and perfect cleansing and purging from all unrighteousness, including idols, false prophesies, unclean spirits, carnal loves, lies, hypocrisy, and impurities. See Zech 13. This revelation totally destroys the devil and sin in a person’s heart, delivering and cleansing him to never return to sin, and making him righteous.

The Eternal Result:

Abraham's faith, proven through this experience, led to God’s promise, sealed with an oath. God blessed Abraham with perfect forgiveness, deliverance, cleansing, salvation, and eternal life, including true righteousness and holiness. This promise signifies God's intention to purify and sanctify His people, enabling them to serve Him in holiness and righteousness all their days. Abraham's experience illustrates that true faith leads to genuine transformation and a cessation of sin, aligning with "Kaphar" as cleansing, purging, and removing sin by the blood of the Sacrifice, Jesus. This fulfils  Heb_10:14  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.

 III. REASONS WHY KAPHAR WAS WRONGLY TRANSLATED AS ATONEMENT

The fundamental reason for the mistranslation of "Kaphar" as "atonement" stems from a profound apathy towards and disregard for the deep grief and murderous pain sins cause our loving holy God and Father. Ps. 69 states it clearly and it is still true to this day. Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Psa 69:9  For the zeal of Your house has eaten Me up; and the reproaches of those who reproached You have fallen on Me. Psa 69:20  Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; and I looked for some to mourn with me, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 

This apathy ignores the piercing, crushing, and murderous effect of sin, evidenced by Jesus’ wounds that broke God’s heart and spilled His blood/life, justifying the death penalty. This apathy and disregard allowed sin to continue and removed the love, fear, and respect for God, resulting in slavery to sin and deception by Satan. Satan's original lie, "you shall surely not die if you sin," is promoted by interpreting "kaphar" as atonement, covering, or overlooking, which provides a reason for God to tolerate sin. This error is rooted in the subjective choices of misled translators, influenced by their theology rather than scriptural context. Satan actively inspired this mistranslation to propagate the lie that "atonement" covers or pays for sins and to obscure and remove sympathy for Jesus’s wounds, thereby neglecting the critical need for proper repentance and actual cleansing and holiness.

 

IV. THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS

THE SACRIFICE OF LAMBS FORESHADOWING JESUS

The Old Testament animal sacrifices were designed to cleanse and purge impurity from articles and sins of the people. These sacrifices were imperfect; they could not truly remove sins or make people perfect, requiring repetition, but they served as a foreshadowing of the Lamb of God. The moment the person realized their act foreshadowed what was done to God's Lamb and His blood spilled due to sin, leading to deep confession and repentance, the ultimate cleansing and purging achieved through the blood of Jesus Christ would occur. Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by this knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. If we have this knowledge that He shall bear our sins, which will cause Him suffering, we shall repent and be made righteous. This is evidenced by what happened in Acts 2-4 and 9 to the Jews and to Paul on the road to Damascus.

V. THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS: PURPOSE, NATURE, AND EFFECT

The mission of Jesus Christ, the Anointed Deliverer, was to come to earth to deliver His people from their sins, to "destroy the works of the devil," and to set humanity "free indeed" from sin. To achieve this, Jesus allowed all sins against God to fall on Him. He bore the sins of the whole world in His body on the cross, and His suffering was because of OUR transgressions and iniquities. God allowed this sacrifice to physically illustrate the immense, murderous pain and grief that sin causes Him and Jesus. Our sins pierced and crushed Him!

Zech 12:10-13:9 prophesied this. The Holy Spirit makes us look up to Him whom we have pierced and the realization that our sins pierced and crushed Him is meant to lead to deep remorse, confession, and repentance. When individuals deeply realize and remorsefully confess this, thoroughly repent, and make restitution, God forgives, delivers, and cleanses  and purges perfectly from all sin through His blood. This happened in Acts 2-4 and in Paul.

The purpose of His sacrifice is not for covering sins so that they may continue, but to condemn sin in the flesh Rom 8:3, and to eradicate them completely by showing it kills Him, thereby causing sin to become absolutely condemned,  evil and to stop. This eradication enables believers to die with Jesus to sin and live for righteousness. Continuing in sin after the cross of Jesus, deserves the death penalty as God illustrated with Ananias and Saphirah after only planning to lie.  

This God-transformed state grants victory over Satan, enabling believers to live holy lives and preventing spiritual death. The fruit of this sacrifice is total transformation, forgiveness, deliverance, and sanctification, leading to genuine righteousness and eternal life.

 

VI. PROOFS FOR TRANSLATING KAPHAR AS PURGING AND CLEANSING

1. THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF SACRIFICES WAS FOR PURGING AND CLEANSING FROM SIN AND NOT FOR ATONEMENT.

The primary purpose of sacrifices, as exemplified by "Kaphar," was purging and cleansing. Leviticus 16:30 explicitly defines "Kaphar" in this context: "For on that day shall the priest make a purging (kaphar / atonement) for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD". This verse unequivocally links "Kaphar" to the act of being made clean from all sins. The concept of "Azazel" (the goat of removal) further supports the removal of sin rather than merely covering it.

2. THE HOLISTIC MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE DICTATES THAT KAPHAR SHOULD BE TRANSLATED AS CLEANSING AND PURGING FROM SIN AND NOT ATONEMENT.

The consistent message throughout the Old and New Testaments is the cleansing and purging of and deliverance from sin through the blood of Jesus. God’s unchanging demand is for holiness ("Be holy as He is holy"), with a clear consequence for sin ("if we sin, we will surely die"). Jesus' very name means "He will deliver His people from their sins". In Revelation, believers are described as being "cleansed and purged and freed from sin by the blood of the Lamb" and making their "clothes white in the blood of the Lamb". This holistic view necessitates actual cleansing through the blood so that sin may cease.

3. THE CONTEXT IN MULTIPLE SCRIPTURES DICTATES THAT KAPHAR SHOULD BE TRANSLATED AS PURGING, CLEANSING OR REMEDY FOR THE DEFILEMENT FROM SIN.

Numerous Old Testament scriptures, when read in context, clearly indicate that "Kaphar" means purging, cleansing, or remedying defilement.

• Psalm 65:3: "thou shalt purge (Kaphar) them away" in reference to iniquities and transgressions.
• Psalm 79:9: asks God to "deliver us, and purge away (Kaphar) our sins".
• Proverbs 16:6: states, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged (Kaphar)".
• Isaiah 6:7: describes how "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged (Kaphar)".
• Daniel 9:24: speaks of "Kaphar for iniquity" alongside "to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to bring in everlasting righteousness," implying a thorough purging.

4. MULTIPLE SCRIPTURES INDICATE THE WILL OF GOD IS PURGING FROM SIN UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICES FOR ATONEMENT, COVERING OR APPEASEMENT AND SIN REMAINS.

God consistently expresses His demand for internal transformation and abhorrence for mere ritual sacrifice, especially when sin continues.

• "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22).
• "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13, 12:7).
• Psalm 51:16 states, "For You do not desire sacrifice... You do not delight in burnt offering," but rather asks to be "washed thoroughly from my iniquity," "cleanse me from my sin," and "create in me a clean heart".
• Isaiah 1:16 commands, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings... cease to do evil".

5. NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS’ INTERPRETATION OF THE PURPOSE AND EFFECT OF THE BLOOD OF LAMBS AND OF JESUS WAS CLEANSING AND PURGING FROM SIN.

New Testament writers consistently interpret the blood of Jesus as performing a cleansing, washing, purging, and delivering function from sin.

• Matthew 26:28: Jesus' blood is "shed because of many for the forgiveness and deliverance (Greek: Aphesis) of sins". Aphesis means "forgiveness and deliverance" i.e.  "cleansing".
• John 1:29: Jesus is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," directly linking Him to the removal and cleansing of sin.
• 1 John 1:7: Declares that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin".
• Revelation 1:5: Jesus "loved us, and washed / cleansed / delivered / loosed us from our sins in his own blood".
• Rev_7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

6. THE BOOK OF HEBREWS’ REPEATED INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMBS AND OF JESUS WAS CLEANSING AND PURGING FROM SIN.

The book of Hebrews repeatedly confirms that the blood of both Old Testament animal sacrifices and Jesus' blood is for cleansing and purging from sin.

o    Hebrews states that animal blood was meant for cleansing and purging the impurity of articles and people's sins, but could not do so perfectly.

o    In contrast, the blood of Jesus "would CLEANSE us perfectly and completely and so make us holy and righteous, i.e. sanctifies and justifies us".

o    Hebrews 1:3: States that Jesus "by himself purged our sins".

o    Hebrews 9:13-14: "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ... cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?".

o    Hebrews 9:22: "almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness or deliverance / remission (Greek: aphesis = forgiveness or deliverance from sin = cleansing)".

o    Hebrews 10:1-2: Explains that the continual sacrifices of the law could never "make those who approach perfect" because if they could, "the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins".

o    Hebrews 10:4: Affirms "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (purge).

o    Hebrews 10:10, 14: "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified".

o    Hebrews 10:22: Encourages drawing near with a true heart "having our hearts sprinkled (to cleanse) from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water".

o    Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (To be sanctified is to be purged from sin with His blood)

o    Heb 13:20  … through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (The covenant of God is that the blood of Jesus would purge us from sin and perfect our works)

These passages clearly demonstrate that the purpose of blood in the Old Testament sacrifices, and ultimately Jesus' sacrifice, was cleansing, purifying, purging, removing, and remedying the defilement of sin and NOT atonement and covering sin.

 

7. TRANSLATIONS THAT SHOW TRANSLATORS SUBJECTIVELY CHOSE HOW TO TRANSLATE KAPHAR AND SOME DID CHOOSE PURGING BUT MOST CHOSE ATONEMENT.

Different translations of "Kaphar" demonstrate subjective choices by translators, often influenced by their own insight, belief, or theology.

• In Psalm 79:9, translations are inconsistent: some use "purge" (KJV, Jubilee Bible 2000), others use "forgive" (NIV, NASB), and others use "atone" (ESV, CSB).
• Similar inconsistencies are noted for Psalm 65:3, Isaiah 6:7, Isaiah 27:9, and Ezekiel 43:20, 26, and Daniel 9:24.
• The KJV itself translates H3722 as "atonement" 71 times but "purge" 7 times.
• This variation demonstrates that translators "themselves decided on the translation," often prioritizing tradition over clear scriptural context and New Testament interpretations that point to cleansing and purging.
• The Hebrew Gospels has Matt 26:28 as follows:

The Greek is aphesis, which means forgiveness and deliverance, which covers cleansing. English has remission which the Amplified translates as forgiveness and deliverance. Translating kaphar as purging or cleansing in Matt 26:28 will be perfectly in line with the rest of the Scriptures that the blood of Jesus was spilled BECAUSE OF (Gr. Peri) many for the cleansing of sin e.g. 1Joh 1:7. All this confirm that kaphar can be and should be translated as cleansing or purging and TRANSLATORS subjectively chose to use atonement.  

 

VI. THE FATAL SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ERROR

THE FATAL SIGNIFICANCE AND EFFECTS OF TRANSLATING KAPHAR WRONGFULLY AS ATONEMENT

Translating "Kaphar" as "atonement" has profound, damaging, and fatal effects.

• Contradicts God's Commands: It directly opposes God's demands for holiness and the death penalty for sin, by implying sins are merely covered or overlooked, allowing them to remain.
• Promotes Satan's Lie: It supports Satan's lie that one "will surely not die" despite sinning, by teaching that Jesus' blood atones for sins, appeases God's wrath, and pays debts, even if sin continues.
• Fosters False Assurance: It leads billions to a false and fatal assurance of salvation, believing they are saved through "imputed righteousness" without needing actual transformation or cessation of sin.
• Impedes True Deliverance: If one believes atonement means covering sin, they will never truly seek or find cleansing, practical righteousness, or holiness, which are essential to see God.
• God's Word is Marred: As Jesus' body was physically was "marred" and "wounded" on the cross by and due to the sin of the whole world, so the Word of God being "is marred almost beyond recognition" by wrong translations like "atonement". This analogy underscores the severity and impact of the translation error on the core biblical message.

THE FATAL SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ERROR

The mistranslation of "Kaphar" as "atonement" carries dire and fatal spiritual and eternal consequences.

• It causes people to disregard God's word that demands holiness and warns of death for sin.
• It leads billions to believe they are saved while actively sinning, effectively sending them to hell under a false sense of peace and assurance.
• It allows and condones the continued grieving, piercing, and "crucifixion" of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through ongoing sin, without true remorse or sympathy for His pain.
• It promotes a "narcissistic, selfish or egocentric" view of Jesus' blood, focusing solely on personal benefit while ignoring humanity's culpability in His suffering and the need for sin to cease.
• Ultimately, those who believe in "atonement" as a covering for sin, rather than a catalyst for purging and cleansing, will not live a holy life and thus "will never see God".
• 
  

VII. CONCLUSION

The overwhelming evidence from the holistic message of the Bible, the contextual usage of "Kaphar," and the interpretations of New Testament writers, especially in the Book of Hebrews, undeniably demonstrates that "Kaphar" means purging and cleansing from sin, not atonement. The purpose of blood, as stated in Leviticus 17:11, is given on the altar for the purging/cleansing/kaphar of the soul.

The blood of Jesus Christ was shed to CLEANSE, PURIFY, PURGE, REMOVE, AND REMEDY THE DEFILEMENT OF SIN, enabling believers to stop sinning, live holy and righteous lives, and ultimately inherit eternal life. True faith in the true message of Jesus' blood leads to repentance, cleansing, deliverance, and a life of holiness, without which no one will see God. This is the “paradoxical power” of God in our hearts – if we realize and remorsefully confess to our Father in heaven for causing Him extreme pain and death due to our sins, the effects in our hearts and in God’s heart are most powerful.

1Co 1:17-18  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

1Co 1:23-24  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 

That is why Paul did not want to know anything else. 1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  This is by far the most important issue on earth.

SELA!

VIII. IN RETROSPECT: 

God has revealed the true message of His cross to me since November 1997 and the truth about kaphar since 2012 and has proven and confirmed this message in my own heart and life and in the hearts and lives of those who believed it.

Written by Faan Oosthuizen

September 2025

sdoosthuizen@xsinet.co.za

http://messiahcrucified2012.blogspot.com/

Vital Truths and Eternally Fatal Deceptions.

 

Vital Truths and Eternally Fatal Deceptions:

1.       Vital Truth: Fear, respect, love, and obey God with all one's heart as our Almighty, all-knowing, omnipresent, righteous, and holy Creator and Father. Any honest and thinking person can clearly see and know God created the amazing and beautiful life, world and universe. Dead matter could not create life or itself. To fear God is the beginning / prerequisite of wisdom. Fatal Deception: Not fearing, respecting, loving, and obeying God with all our hearts as our Creator God. An unthinking fool states there is no God and does not fear Him.

2.       Vital Truth: God states we shall surely die if we sin. If we sin, God says we are dead, Jesus says He will deny knowing us, we are slaves of sin, we have no light or truth, and John says we do not know God, have not seen Him and are of the devil. Without holiness, we shall not see God. Revelation 3:1-2 states: "I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. For I have not found your works perfect before God." Also, see Matthew 7:21-23. If we truly believe these truths, we shall fear Him, start to be wise, and we shall seriously seek Jesus to deliver us from all our sins. Fatal Deception: Not believing God's words when He said we shall surely die if we sin but believing Satan's lie that we shall surely not die if we sin. If we do not believe this, we shall not fear God, and without the fear of God, we cannot have wisdom and have not even started to think. Then we shall also not believe Him when He commands obedience and holiness. If you believe you are saved and going to heaven without holiness or that you will not die despite still sinning for whatever reason e.g. because of atonement or substitution, you have been fatally deceived by Satan himself.

3.       Vital Truth: Our loving and holy Father in heaven and His Son in His bosom experience deep grief, murderous and crushing pain when humanity sins. Our sins against God grieved God and fell on, pierced, and slayed the Lamb of God who came to deliver us from sin. (Gen 6:5-6; Ps 69:9, 20; 78:40-41; 95:10; Isa 7:13; 43:24; 53:5; 63:10; Ezek 6:9, Amo 2:13; Zec 12:10; Mal 2:17; Heb 3:10; 1Pe 2:24; Rev. 13:8). Therefore, the death penalty for sin is justified. God allowed this to break our hard and sinful hearts to repent deeply and return to Him – as in Acts 2-4 and in Paul in Acts 9. Fatal Deception: To ignore and deny our Father’s and Jesus’ deep grief, crushing and murderous pain due to sin by listening to a liar, thief, and murderer (Satan) rather than to our Father.

4.       Vital truth: God promised deliverance from sin from the beginning to Adam and Eve, and is reaffirmed throughout Scripture, notably in Genesis 3:15 and Luke 1:67-80 - with an oath. Believers are to seek God for this true deliverance, so that sin may cease and holiness may be lived. This promise of deliverance from sin is fulfilled by Jesus Christ, the Anointed Deliverer, who destroys the works of Satan (1Joh 3:8) and sets us free indeed from all sin (Joh 8:36), makes us holy, and so avoid spiritual death. Fatal deception: Gaining knowledge of good and evil, e.g. Bible studies, training, prayers, etc. whilst continuing in sin and not above all seeking and believing Jesus can deliver me from sin and make me holy, are fatal deceptions that lead to spiritual death. Believing we cannot be made holy, is believing our weaknesses are stronger than Jesus and stronger than His blood, which is the ultimate of unbelief. 1 Timothy 6:3-5 says those who oppose holiness are proud, knowing nothing, perverse disputers, corrupt, and destitute of the truth, and one should depart from them!

5.       Vital Truth: God hates the belief that a sacrifice pays our debt and appeases Him. He wants repentance, righteousness, justice, mercy, holiness, a broken and contrite heart. Therefore, our holy Father and God incarnate came to earth as Jesus to deliver His people from their sins. Jesus proved His divinity by His birth, life, words, and works, but He was despised, rejected, and murdered by sinful mankind (you and I). To confirm His divinity and prove we killed our God, He arose from death and now sits with God to judge all who did that to Him. We therefore need to thoroughly repent from ALL sin. Fatal Deception: Believing "penal substitutionary atonement" (PSA), i.e., that God punished Jesus as an atonement in our place – so that we may not be punished and die for our continued sinning and to falsely believe a sacrifice pays our debt and guilt and appeases God. If we believe this, Satan has succeeded in the ultimate deception of our "Christianity". Satan managed to deceive and convince "Christians," through PSA, to absolve themselves of Jesus' death, whilst Jesus repeatedly said mankind and sinners will martyr and kill Him and to falsely blame and blaspheme God for His death. This lie removes the fear of God, allows for sin to continue, makes us believe Satan's lie that we shall surely not die if we sin, makes us not believe Jesus can cleanse and deliver us from all sin but that He atones for and covers sin, makes us believe holiness is not possible or essential - despite God's commands. We continue to reject and kill Jesus through our sins, blame God, absolve ourselves – and are thankful and happy He died for us and paid our debts on “Good Friday.” This is the greatest evil and worst lie and deceit of all – and practically all "Christians" believe this. This deception is supported by wrong translations, for example:

The Hebrew "Kâphar" (Strong's H3722) should have been translated as "purging or cleansing". The blood of animals and of Jesus, which were spilled because of sin, were intended to purge and cleanse us from sin Lev 16:30. The OT and NT, especially Hebrews and Revelation confirm it repeatedly e.g. Psalm 51:16; Isaiah 1:16; Dan 9:24; 1Joh 1:7, Rev 1:5, 7:14   Hebr. 1:3; 9:13-14, 22; 9:22, 10:1-2, 4, 10, 14, 22.

Fatal lie: Hebrew "Kâphar" translated as "atone" instead of "purging or cleansing," implying it appeases God, covers, and pays for sin.

Hebrew "min" (Strong's H4480 (e)), and Greek "Dia (G1223), peri (G4012), and huper (G5228)" and Aramaic "MetuL (S11636) and KhLaaPH (S7196)" should have been translated as "because of, by, or through" to say, for example: Isaiah 53:5: "But He was wounded because of our transgressions; He was bruised because of our iniquities". Matthew 26:28: "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed because of many for the forgiveness and deliverance (aphesis) of sins". Romans 4:25: "who was delivered because of our offenses". Our sins of commission and omission caused and resulted in Jesus' rejection, wounds, and murder.

Fatal lie:  Hebrew "min" and Greek "Dia, peri, and huper" and Aramaic "MetuL and KhLaaPH" are wrongly translated as "for" us and our sins (e.g. in Isa 53:5, Mat 26:28, Rom 4:25), instead of "because of, by, or through," to support the PSA deception and absolve man of their guilt in murdering Jesus.

Isaiah 53:10 correctly translated says: "Yet it was the Lord's will (it pleased the Lord) to be bruised; to be made weak." This means Jesus allowed us to do this to Him. Fatal lie:  Isaiah 53:10 is wrongly translated to shift the blame to God for bruising Jesus and to absolve man to think he will not die if he sins because Jesus was bruised and punished by God. It is blasphemy to blame God for Jesus’ wounds and not yourself.

Matthew 27:46 correctly translated should say: " Eli, Eli, lmana shabachthani. My God, My God, for this I was spared". The Scriptures repeatedly say God will never desert His saints and Jesus repeatedly said the same and that God is in Him - always. Joh 14:10; 8:16, 29; 14:10; 16:32  Deu 4:7; 31:6 1Sa 12:22 Psa 22:21; 22:24 -25; 23:4; 27:9, 10; 31:22; 34:7, 18, 22; 37:25, 28; 46:1, 5; 7, 11; 145:18, 20; Is 50:5-9; 63:9; Jer 23:23; Mat_1:23; Joh_14:18-23; Joh 14:23; etc. 

Fatal lie: Matthew 27:46 was wrongly translated to say Jesus said God deserted Him, falsely postulating it was because Jesus bore our sins, became a sinner, was punished in our place, and paid our debts, again absolving the sinner and making him think he shall surely not die if he sins because Jesus was deserted in our place.

Greek "sozo" (G4982) should have been translated uniformly as in the ABP as "deliver," meaning Jesus delivers us from our sins through faith in Him. "Deliverer" and "deliverance" are also the proper translations of G4990 so¯te¯r so-tare' deliverer, G4991 so¯te¯ria - deliverance. Fatal lie: Greek "sozo" was changed to say we are "saved" by faith, i.e., we are going to heaven if we believe in Jesus – even if we still sin. This is the very same lie of Satan to Eve – "you will not die if you still sin because you are 'saved' by your faith". "Deliverer" and "deliverance" were also changed to "Savior" and "salvation" to convey the same deception.

"Justification and sanctification by faith" happen when we believe all the above truths; then we will fear God, repent, confess our sins, and call on God's promise through Jesus to destroy Satan and deliver us from sin. Then He will do it, He will change us, and He will MAKE us righteous, just, and holy, as with Abel, Enoch, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Job, the apostles, Paul, etc.. Fatal lie: Satan's fatal lie also says, by faith in the PSA of Jesus, God "sees and declares" us as righteous and holy – even if we still sin.

"Holiness" means without sin. Fatal lie: "Holiness" is instead interpreted as "set apart". If it is meant “set apart” from sin, it would be true, but this is not what is meant by people who believe this deception.

Other Fatal lies: "Eternal security of salvation" and "eternal election," “once a child, always a child” despite still sinning, are the same Satanic lies.

All deceptions, lies, and wrong translations are aimed at making men believe Satan's lie that they shall surely not die if they sin. Every teaching that tolerates or excuses sin, that denies the death penalty for continuing sins and that denies total deliverance and holiness through Jesus, is Satanic.

What shall we do?

Read Is. 53, 1 Peter 2:24-25, Zechariah 12:10, & 13:1-2, Acts 2-4 and Paul in Acts 9, Rom 4:25. Listen to the Holy Spirit, Look up to Jesus whom you have pierced, Confess with remorse that Jesus bore your sins in His body on the cross and that your sins have  pained, martyred, pierced and murdered Him, Repent thoroughly, get baptized into His death to sin, and make restitution. Then He will forgive, wash, cleanse, and deliver you from all sin through His blood that you confess you have spilled. He will fill you with His Holy Spirit, make you righteous and holy, and give you victory over Satan so that sins may stop, you may be made holy, that you may pierce Jesus no more, and that you may not die in your sins but live victorious over Satan and sin.

Then obey Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20: All authority is His. Make others Jesus’ disciples, teach them to obey all that He commanded us, and He will be with you. Start with your neighbours. They also grieve and pierce Jesus with their sin and have been wounded by Satan.

Meet in your houses according to Acts 2-6 and 1 Cor 12-14 with your neighbours who also repented. Then go further. If we don’t, we are accomplices to Jesus’ and our neighbours’ wounds and death (Ezekiel 3, 33).

6.       Vital Truth: God established house churches and destroyed temple-, learned-, trained- preacher- or clergy-centred churches as in Acts and for the first 200-300 years. Jesus alone is Head of one church. No denominations and no one must rule or take titles. God hides His wisdom from the learned but reveals it to the lowly. We do not run after the famous, learned, qualified, appointed, paid, etc. Everyone cleansed from sins by Jesus’ blood becomes a priest for God and a member of the body of Jesus with God-given gifts to edify all. The weakest members are more necessary, and God gives greater honour to the members who lack it (1 Cor 12), e.g. by revealing His wisdom to the lowly. All in agapé love may prophesy/preach, 2-3 at a gathering (1 Cor 14). These are God’s commands, and true spiritual prophets obey this. Then people will repent, confess sins and acknowledge God (1 Cor 14:24-25). The fulness of God will fulfil all on all (Eph 1:23) and He will make His manifold wisdom known to principalities and powers through the church (Eph 3:9-11). This will bring the perfect unity, as per Jesus' death-prayer in John 17, which would convince the world that God has indeed sent Jesus. 

Gatherings: Call your gatherings "……….(town name or neighbourhood) House Church" on social media to inform Christian neighbours where you meet. Later, meet with other similar house churches as it expands. This is the Biblical way to change people and societies until He returns.

Fatal Deception: Satan led deceived men away from house churches to establish temple-, building-, denominational-, learned-, priest- and preacher-centred gatherings. This resulted in the many divisions and many pastor-led churches in every town. God rejected such gatherings after Jesus' crucifixion. They were later established to maintain deceptions, suppress the truth, cause denominational divisions, and oppose Jesus' prayer for unity. The learned theologians took titles e.g. “Pastor”, “Reverend”, “Bishop”, “Father”, “dominee”, etc. became leaders and rulers, garnered followers, preached alone and only their lies without God’s wisdom, and their permission must be sought to speak, contrary to Jesus' teaching. These egocentric learned denominational church leaders/chief priests were and are the biggest opposers and persecutors of the truth of God and are the dividers of Jesus' body! God ignores gatherings that ignore 1 Corinthians 14. It is no use to drive past your neighbours and attend unbiblical building- and preacher-centred churches which God ignores. Denominational churches are ALL unBiblical. Remaining with them makes you an enabler and an accomplice.

 SELA and Amen.

Faan Oosthuizen sdoosthuizen@xsinet.co.za

http://messiahcrucified2012.blogspot.com/