SELECTED STUDIES FROM THE BIBLE
By Apostle Bill Sharon, JustBillSharon@Hotmail.com
Chapter 1. Jesus Emanuel, The Word, The Christ...........page 1.
God, and Physical Israel’s Perspective.
Historical Facts Concerning God’s Name.
The Name and the Indisputable Authority.
God is Spirit.
Chapter 2. Father........................................page 4.
Son.
The Holy Spirit.
Chapter 1. Beginnings.....................................page 9.
Furbishing the Earth.
The Garden.
The Man.
The Woman.
Chapter 2. Time Begins....................................page11.
Sin of Adam.
The Curse.
The Sacrifice.
Expulsion.
Murder He Said.
The Curse.
Cain’s Descendents.
Chapter 1. Sin’s Generations..............................page 13.
Chapter 2. The Incarnation................................page 25.
Chapter 3. The Crucifixion................................page 26.
Chapter 4. The Resurrection...............................page 28.
Chapter 1. Why the Old Covenant Failed....................page 34.
Chapter 2. The Old Covenant not the Ten Commandments......page 35.
Chapter 3. What was the Old Covenant?.....................page 36.
Chapter 4. The New Concept Based on Conversion............page 37
Chapter 5. No Change in New Covenant After Calvary........page 38.
Chapter 6. Ishmael and Isaac Represent Two Covenants......page 41.
Chapter 7. True Circumcision Not Physical.................page 42.
Study # 5. The Weekly Sabbath.
Chapter 1. A Great and Important Question.................page 43.
Chapter 2. A Great Falling Away...........................page 45.
Chapter 3. A Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy................page 48.
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Chapter 1. The Intellectual Animal........................page 50.
Chapter 2. The New Birth..................................page 52.
Chapter 3. Body and Spirit................................page 58.
Chapter 4. First Adam; Last Adam..........................page 69.
Chapter 1. Valentines Day.................................page 74.
Chapter 2. Easter.........................................page 78.
Chapter 3. The Occult.....................................page 81.
Chapter 4. Halloween......................................page 83.
Chapter 5. Xmas...........................................page 86.
Chapter 1..................................................page 93.
Chapter 2..................................................page 99.
Study # 1. Who is God? Chapter 1.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
Jesus Emanuel, The Word, The Christ: Almighty God Physically Present.---“What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you can tell” Proverbs 30: 4. (Jesus). “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord.” (Jesus). Deuteronomy 6: 4; Isaiah 44: 6. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were and are created by Him, and without Him was nothing created, that was created. In Him was Life; and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehends it not. That was the True Light, which Lights every man that comes into the world. The Word was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world did not recognized Him.” “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” “And of His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1: 1-5, 9-11, 16-18). “Who is the likeness of the invisible God, the Begetter of every creature?” (Colossians 1: 15). (Jesus). “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2: 9). (Jesus). “And has given Him a name above every name.” (Philippians 2: 9). (Jesus). Jesus, if it may be said, is home base for the Holy Spirit, for it was breathed into the man, Adam, and into the disciples then, and now. (Genesis 2: 7; John 20: 22, 23).
God, and Physical Israel’s Perspective.---The principle reason the Israelites rejected Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, to the extent of taking Him to the cross, was that He, being a in the flesh, presented Himself as God. Now, the Israelites knew that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the only true God, and that there was no other beside Him. Actually, the Jews rejected Him because they were, and still are, so steeped in the traditions of men, that they would not, can not, see that Jesus Emanuel, the Word, the Christ, is truly the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God, and Spiritual Israel’s Perspective.---The principle reason Christianity rejects Jesus Emanuel, the Word, the Christ as the One and only God, to the extent of making Him a Trinity of Gods, is that He, being in the flesh, presents Himself as holding all of the titles of God. Jesus Emanuel holds some three hundred titles, which are mentioned in the Scriptures, of which Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Breath) are but three. You and I hold many titles of which father, son, spirit (breath), are three of many titles held by many of humanity. Now, the Church of the First Born, His Church, in the first and second centuries, the Apostolic Church knew that Jesus Emanuel, The Word, The Christ was the only true God, and that there was no other beside Him. Actually, Christianity rejected Him because they became, and still are, so steeped in the pagan traditions of the
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Roman Catholic Church, the traditions of ungodly men, that they would not, cannot see that Jesus Emanuel, the Word, the Christ is truly the One and only God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Apostles, early Church fathers, and many of us today.
Those who believe were given understanding, as those, who today believe, and are able to recognize Him. The statements of the Apostles, and the Lord Himself, remain in the Scriptures as a witness, a testimony that His Church of today, which is part of the Commonwealth of professed Spiritual Israel, might recognize the name of the One True God, Jesus Emanuel:
Thomas. “My Lord and my God.”….John 20: 28.
Peter. “Our God and Savior.”……2nd Peter 1: 1.
John. “This is the true God.”……1st John 5: 20.
Paul. “Who is over all, God.”…..Romans 9: 5.
Jesus. “I and the Father are One.”…John 10: 30.
God, in the incomprehensible depth of His judgment, concluded physical Israel in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. The Lord’s death removed the wall of separation that impeded all of us, from obtaining the supreme privilege of being counted as part of His people. (Hebrews 10: 19, 20,) When the Anointed One, Jesus gave up His breath, the Holy place in heaven was opened, so that now, “whosoever believes on (obeys) Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting Life.” (John 3: 16).
Historical Facts Concerning God’s Name.---The New Testament Church, His Church, was born almost two thousand years ago. The foundation of its beginnings is based on the same sublime, and eternal truth, “God is One, and His name is One,” because Jesus Emanuel, the Word, the Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!! Now we find in reading the Apostolic letters, numerous warnings that the Holy Spirit issues, through these vessels (the Apostles), announcing clearly the apostasy that would enter into His Church. We also find them declaring a warning concerning the demonic doctrines, heresies, and twisted teachings that would be, and have been introduced among the people of God, by ravaging wolves, false preachers, merchants, and mockers, who would, did, and are today, walking according to their wicked doctrines, and desires.
The first, second, and third centuries of the New Testament Church, His Church passed by quickly. The heresies of the apostasy had taken root while the Apostles were yet alive, and gradually gained more, and more strength. Pagan Rome, the prophetic “Mystery Babylon,” that was the world power structure of that time, was the perpetrator of these heresies, and in the sixth century, bore a daughter, the Roman Catholic Church, Papal Rome, the Holy Roman Empire, the “Babylonian Whore.”
During the fourth century, when the followers of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, experienced the last, and one of the most terrible persecutions of Pagan Rome, and the course of history changed radically. Constantine assumed power as Emperor of the Roman Empire, and ordered that all persecution of Christians should cease. Satan realized that he could not destroy God’s people by persecution, so, by using Constantine, he befriended the Christians in order to deceive them.
The great majority of Christians then (and many still believe it to be so), consider the Imperial order to be the greatest thing received from God Himself, (and many today desire to have religious dogma enforced by civil authority, as a God sent blessing). But, reality begs to differ from that perception. History is extensive, undeniable, and
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unchangeable. We will concretely, and specifically cite the events that directly relate to the subject headlining this present study, and that is the Deity of Jesus Emanuel, the Word, The Christ, our Lord, our Savior, and Almighty God.
Just as Philip’s lack of understanding caused him to inquire, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will satisfy us.” (John 14: 8). And, many have throughout time, been confused, by the same spirit of error, deviated from the “One True God” teachings of the Scriptures. They have continued asking: “How is it that Jesus, being a man, presents Himself as God?” Many, of the New Testament Church, began deviating from the fundamental truth of the existence of only One True God. By the year A.D. 325; A.S. (After Sin) 4294, there were many who had already accepted the doctrinal theory of the existence of the Godhead as One God, integrated by three distinct Persons. This theory was given the name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity. This gave body to an erroneous doctrine, so strong, that it today controls the minds of millions of Christians.
Constantine had gained, by A.D. 325; A.S. 4294, the appreciation, and trust of the “Christian” world, which was no longer the persecuted Church, seeking refuge in the catacombs, but the newly born Church, an Imperial Church, living in the royal palaces. The Emperor, wanting to better cement his relationship with Christianity, now a popular religion, proposed to personally intervene, and help resolve some doctrinal issues, that he had observed, were dividing his political kingdom. Therefore, he convoked the historically known Nicean Council, where more than 300 bishops, from different parts of the vast Empire attended. The Emperor himself presided at that council meeting, thereby giving the official approval of the State to this important assembly, and backing the decisions with the power of the State. The setting of this political, religious system, in the name of God, is the birth of the Babylonian Whore: The Roman Catholic Church, Papal Rome, Holy Roman Empire, and lastly, Apostate Christianity. (Genesis 11; Daniel 7; Revelation 13, 17).
The debate began, with the Deity of the Christ being the principle doctrine considered. By the time that council had ended, through a majority vote, and the subsequent approval of the Emperor, the false doctrine theory, of the Trinity, had been established.
It remains today as one of the official Creeds of the Universal Church. To this present day, there are millions of professing Christians, of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people throughout the world, that accept, and some resignedly, the Nicean Council’s conclusions. They continue to support, and defend a false doctrinal theory that neither the many centuries of age, nor the immense multitude of believers, can make come true. And, it is an undeniable fact, that the many scholars, and authors, of thousands of books written concerning the so-called “trinity,” cannot clearly explain, and never will, a One True God, Jesus Emanuel, who is supposedly composed of three distinct persons. The “trinity” is an unexplainable, incomprehensible mystery, a lie, and Jesus Emanuel said to His disciples, “It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it is not given.” (Matthew 13: 11).
The Name and the Indisputable Authority.---The Bible, the Supreme Doctrinal Authority for God’s people, declares the mystery of the Godhead. It is revealed to those who, without preconceived concepts, open their hearts, and minds, and rest their faith and hope, totally and sincerely on the Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Word, the Christ, and His Word, the Scriptures.
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God is a Spirit.---In the following, we shall point out the Scriptures, praying the Lord, that it will be a blessing to all who read, and understand.
“God is a Spirit.” (John 4: 24). In His Spirit He is the supreme, and infinite Wisdom that has created, and controls, the incredible, indescribable vastness of space with its innumerable galaxies. God, in His Spirit, is infinite, invisible, intangible, and eternal. He
has no beginning, and no end. It is this omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent Spirit that the Bible refers to as: Our Father, Eternal Father, Father of lights, Father of Spirits, and the Holy Father. God is a Spirit and God is Holy.
Chapter 2.
The Father is the Holy Spirit.---In the Godhead there are not three persons, for the simple reason that the Holy Spirit is not a person. Neither are there two Spirits, much less two Gods. “There is one Body, one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all (as the Father, through all (as the Son), and in you all (as the Holy Spirit).” (Ephesians 4: 4-6). Jesus Emanuel is God bodily present, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in one body.
The Father.---In the Godhead, the titles, Holy Spirit, Father, and Son are not to be divided, much less to justify the existence of two, or three persons, but to identify His different aspects, manifestations, and functions, in relation to His creation. More particularly, in His relationship with His creation, who are endowed with the divine ability to reason.
As the Father, He presents Himself overall as the Infinite, and Invisible God.
As the Holy Spirit, He is the regenerative Power, operating, and residing in “whosoever will.” This is also the title He uses to describe the Supreme Gift of Inspiration, and Power, which He has promised, and given to His redeemed: The Gift of the Holy Spirit, His own Spirit, His own nature, Himself.
The Son.---As the Son, “the Lord God of (Physical and Spiritual) Israel has visited, and redeemed His people.” (Luke 1: 68). He was born of humanity, becoming flesh, the Son, to make a way of salvation for all flesh, all humanity. The Son is the image of the invisible God. The Son is the invisible God’s Body. He is the only Person of the Godhead. He is the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of His person. (Hebrews 1: 3). Because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2: 9). That is why it is written that, “No man has seen God at any time: The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1: 18). “And no man knows who the Son is, but the Father, and who the Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal Him.” (Luke 10: 22). There are innumerable occasions in the Scriptures in which the Father and Son are mentioned, but they never speak of Them, only of Him for the simple, and powerful reason that there is only one God. Father, in His Infinite, invisible being, and Son, in His visible body. Two persons??? No!!! Much less two or three Gods.
It is certain that “without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. . .” (1st Timothy 3: 16). Those who do not have this revelation can not reconcile this Scripture with John 3: 16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” But the Scripture is firm, and the marvelous answer is the
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explanation which the Word itself describes here: “Who came to the world, was made flesh, and dwelled among us?” God!! (John 1: 14). Because: “Look! a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1: 23). Now I ask: “Was the entire universe emptied of the Infinite, Invisible Spirit of God when He chose to abide in a human body? Absolutely not!! “Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.” (2nd Chronicles 6: 18). God Himself states: “The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” (Isaiah 66: 1).
Paul speaks of God, “that though He was rich, yet, for our sake, He became poor.” (2nd Corinthians 8: 9). And “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Philipians 2: 6-7).
Who?? The image, the likeness of the Invisible God!! Not another person, but the Father came in the flesh as the Son. Not the second person (because there is none), but the only person of the Godhead. The same One who talked with Adam (Genesis 2: 16); the serpent; and Satan (Genesis 3). The same One who talked with Cain and Able, and accepted Able’s sacrifice. (Genesis 4: 6-15). The same One who walked with Enoch. (Genesis 5: 22). The same One who walked, and talked with Noah. (Genesis 6: 13-21). The same One who walked and talked with Abraham. (Genesis 18: 1-13). The same One who wrestled with Jacob. (Genesis 32: 24-29). The same One whom Isaiah saw on the Throne of Glory. Isaiah 6: 1-4). The same One Nebuchadnezzar saw accompanying the three Hebrew children. (Daniel 3: 24, 25). The same One Daniel saw being worshiped by ten thousand times ten thousands. (Daniel 7: 9, 10). The same One who loves us so much that He was willing to die in our stead.
This same marvelous God, to whom all the ancient ones knelt before, and worshipped (all these men knew that only one God was to be worshipped), is the same One who manifested His Glory before Peter, James, and John during the time the Bible calls: “the days of His flesh.” (Hebrews 5: 7; Matthew 17: 1-9). It is the same sublime, and glorious God, who “partook of flesh and blood as did the children, that through death He might destroy him that had power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2: 14). John Saw, in his vision, the Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ full of glory declaring: “I am first and last, I am He that lives, and was dead; see, I am alive forevermore, Amen: And have the keys of the grave, and death.” (Revelation 1: 17, 18).
What is the hidden name of the Divine entity, whom, in ancient days, manifested Himself as the Lord, Almighty God? The Lord Himself declares it to Joseph, revealing to him “the Name that is above every name.” (Jesus). (Matthew 1: 18-21; Philipians 2: 9, 10; Isaiah 45: 22, 23).
“For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 12). The name of God is Jesus, because, if Jesus was not the same Jehovah of the Old Testament, He could not save. (Isaiah 43: 10, 11). Jesus is the name of the Holy Spirit (the same Almighty God in His regenerative action).
The Father is Eternal, but the Bible never mentions the term “Eternal Son,” because the Eternal Spirit, the Father, never began, and will never end. However, His body of Glory, in which dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2: 9), that is, the Sonship, did have its beginning, (John 1: 1, 14; Galatians 4: 4), and the Sonship will
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have its end “when He shall have all rule, all authority, and power:” “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, that God may be all in all.” (1st Corinthians 15: 24-28). The Eternal Spirit is the Father; the flesh is the Son: For precisely this reason, our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ said: “For the Father is greater than I.” (John 14: 28), because the Spirit is greater than the flesh. Jesus also said: “Do you not believe that I am
in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words I speak unto you I speak not of Myself (the flesh): The Father (the Spirit) that dwells in Me, He does the works.” (John 14: 10). Not another God, nor a second God, but the same, unique God!! (Please, read Hebrews 2: 9-18).
While the Son was in the world, the Father was living in the veil of flesh, that He might shed His blood for our redemption; He was the perfect man, the only man without sin. (Hebrews 4: 15). He was offered by the Eternal Spirit to be the Sacrificial Lamb, and High Priest, and He is the Eternal Spirit that accepted that Sacrifice. (Hebrews 7: 24-28). God was in the Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. (2nd Corinthians 5: 19).
The religious leaders of physical Israel rejected the Lord, Jesus Emanuel, and even demanded His crucifixion, because He, being a man, made Himself God. (John 10: 33). They could see no further than His humanity. The religious leader of Spiritual Israel, Christianity, reject the One God, our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, in Whom dwells the Holy Spirit, and that He is the Godhead Bodily. Christianity, instead of believing and teaching the Word of God, believe and teach the pagan doctrines of Papal Rome, of which the Trinity is one of many, and leave the Doctrines of God untaught. Only those of physical and spiritual Israel, who were and are His Church, are able to understand the Spirit within the flesh. Jesus Himself revealed this in His response to Philip. (John 8: 19-27; 14: 6-11).
Spiritual blindness is responsible for confirming, as the official doctrine, the false teaching, on the Godhead, the ‘Trinity.’ (2nd Corinthians 2: 10, 12). After more than nineteen centuries, and unto the end of time, there are millions of professing followers of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, who have been taught in this error of the Nicean Council. But God is powerful to reveal, to all who seek Him with all their hearts, the mystery of godliness (1st Timothy 3: 16); to guide them by the Holy Spirit, and His Word, the Scriptures, to the revelation that God is not two, or three, persons, but One God, and that His marvelous name is Jesus Emanuel.
The Apostles were completely aware of the truth of the Oneness of God. When the Lord commanded them to teach, and baptize the nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28: 19), they obeyed faithfully what the Master had commanded, and Baptized thousands, and thousands in the name Jesus, the Christ. (Acts 2: 38; 8: 16; 10: 48; 19: 5; 22: 16).
Now, His Church is waiting for the return of our Lord, according to His promises. (Titus 2: 13). When we meet our Lord in the air, we will see just One, our Jesus Emanuel!! When we see Him, we will also see our Father!! We will see our God!! We will see none else, because there is no other!! “For we shall see Him as He is. . .” Not Them!!
“Beloved, now we are the sons and daughters, of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” (1st John 3: 2).
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In conclusion of this brief study regarding the name of God, let us emphasize, what two previously quoted verses clearly state. Let’s look first at Philippians 2: 9, 10. Many titles, some 300, plus or minus, of which Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three, are attributed to God, but only One name, Jesus, which is above every name. If there were one, or two other persons in the Godhead (as the pagan Trinitarian doctrine teaches), they would have to “bow the knee” before Jesus Emanuel, and such an action would be totally absurd, considering that the three are supposedly coequal. Also, according to Matthew 28: 18, Jesus Emanuel has all power, leaving two-thirds of the ‘trinity’ godhead powerless. One purpose of the Word of God is for us to know, and understand that Jesus Emanuel, is the name of God. There is no higher Name.
Secondly, multitudes are willing to call upon the name Jesus Emanuel for all things, except in water baptism that is for the remission of sin. There, they substitute the name Jesus Emanuel, with three, of some 300 titles, plus or minus, of which Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are but three, and should we not use the other two hundred and ninety seven titles also?? The Scriptures, in Acts 4: 12, emphatically states that “there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved,” and that name is, Jesus Emanuel. God, in His absolute will, has willed that Salvation, that forgiveness, and the remission of sins, the gift of healing, and the power and authority over demons, reside in the name, Jesus Emanuel.
All of this truth is yours, for the simple, and powerful reason, that, Jesus Emanuel is the name of God!! (Mark 16: 17, 18; Luke 24: 47). “And, whatsoever you do in word, or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, Jesus Emanuel. . .” (Colossians 3: 17). Jesus Emanuel is the “Father in creation,” the “Son in redemption,” and the “Holy Spirit in regeneration.”
The Holy Spirit is the Father.---The Scriptures tell us, with an abundance of evidence, that the Holy Spirit is God. Gabriel, in announcing the coming of Jesus Emanuel, told Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the Power of the Highest will overshadow you.” (Luke 1: 35).
The Hebrew and Greek words for Spirit, or spirit, is closely related to their words meaning “wind, breathe, air blast, to blow”: Also “breath, smell, breeze, and God.” The obvious truth---God is Spirit, immaterial, impersonal, powerful, dynamic; a force, an essence that, though invisible, manifests Himself in physical, intellectual, and creative strengths.
In concordance reference, both the Old and New Testaments, it is found that Holy, as it pertains to God, is “to be clean,” “sacred,” “innocent,” “modest,” “perfect,” “awful,” “pure,” “blameless,” “religious.”
In eternity the Holy Spirit is referenced. Genesis 1: 2 says: “. . .the Spirit of God moved upon the surface of the waters.” This is reinforced by the Prophet Jeremiah: “Ah, Lord God! Look, You have made the heavens, and the earth by Your great Power, and outstretched Arm.” (Jeremiah 32: 17).
The Holy Spirit is the impetus that stirs men and women to new heights, endowing them with strengthened faculties, an animating essence, God Himself, inspiring them to perform much better than they could do on their own. (Ephesians 3: 16).
In the Book of Exodus the Lord called, and filled Bezaleel with the Spirit of God: “. . .and He filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all
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manner of workmanship. (Exodus 35: 30, 31). Also, “The Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him (Moses, when he was getting overworked), and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders.” (Numbers 11: 25).
The Holy Spirit, in the life of Samson, is told to us in Judges: “The Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire. . . He found a fresh jawbone of an ass, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.” (Judges 15: 14, 15).
The Psalmist gives a clear description of the Holy Spirit as His Omnipresence in the Universe: “Where can I go from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in the grave, look, You are there. . . If I say, Surely the darkness fall upon me, even the night about me; . . . the darkness and light are both alike to You.” (Psalm 139: 7, 8, 11, 12).
Jesus Emanuel, the Christ uses Old Testament terminology to describe the Holy Spirit in action in the New Testament. He says: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from, and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 8).
The Apostles, John and Paul, refer to a supply of the Spirit, a substance, and essence, or force that can be measured out like a priceless, precious commodity: “But you shall receive Power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1: 8). “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. . .” (Acts 2: 4). “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit. . .” (Acts 2: 17). “Having received from the Father (Jesus, the Christ) poured out this which you now see and hear.” (Acts 2: 33). Notice: A person cannot fill another: “of My Spirit” indicates an essence, a substance.
The Holy Spirit is like the irresistible wind of a hurricane, the dynamic, powerful tidal force of rushing water: A limitless flowing endowment of Power. The Holy Spirit fills the Universe as light, from a light bulb, fills an entire room.
God’s people are inspired, impelled, empowered, and strengthened to unusual achievements by the dynamics of the Spirit. (1st Samuel 10: 6). Ugly attitudes, and thoughts are eroded, undermined and gently washed away by it: “A man’s wisdom (a gift of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 12: 81), makes his face to shine, and the sternness of his face to change.” (Ecclesiastes 8: 1).
God is the most miraculous and priceless substance in the Universe, and gives of Himself, as a free gift, to those He calls.” (Acts 2: 38). The disciples of Jesus were told that the Power of the Holy Spirit already worked within them, would open their minds to priceless truth, and new understanding.” (John 16: 13). And then He said that the Spirit would finally come to dwell in them and would do a vital, transforming work within.
It happened at Pentecost in A.D. 31; A.S. 4000. On that unique day, God came in a dramatic way. A mighty wind filled the room and divided tongues of fire rested upon their heads: “And they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2: 4).
The true nature, role, and function of the Holy Spirit have been shrouded in deception for centuries. That old Serpent, the Devil causes the untruth by his craftiness, and subtleties. He knows that the truth strikes at the root reason for human existence. The Holy Spirit is God, the Agent that indwells the minds of those He calls, with His nature.
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Peter, linked with Paul, describe a Christian as a person possessing the Spirit in the mind: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, that according to His bountiful mercy, has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, from the dead.” (1st Peter 1: 3). “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of the Christ, he is none of His.” (Romans 8: 9).
A Christian is also defined as “begotten again” and perhaps you can now begin to grasp the incredible potential for the saved of humanity. The Holy Spirit is the most priceless gift that can ever be received. He doesn’t force or drive, but leads into a walk of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, and faith. (Galatians 5: 22). The Spirit brings healing and peace, the peace that passes understanding.
Dear reader, is the Holy Spirit, Almighty God indwelling you, leading you in the paths of understanding, and righteousness? Hear, and obey Him today!!
Study # 2. Eternity: Beginnings. Chapter 1.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
Creation: Heaven and Earth.---Twenty billion years ago, plus or minus a billion, or two, when God began to create, He spoke, setting in motion the laws of physics, and creating matter. The laws of physics, working with the matter God created, took fifteen billion, two hundred million years, plus or minus, for this earth to reach a development stage that would sustain carbon based life forms. A mere twinkle in the eye of Eternal God. The earth was formless, and void of any life forms. The Holy Spirit filled the heavens, and surrounded the planet as it developed. His laws of physics, and the creation of matter, are still working today, and forever. (Genesis 1: 1, 2).
Furbishing the Earth: Light.---Some four billion eight hundred million years ago, God said, “Let there be light.” His Glory shined upon this speck of wet clay, as He began the furbishing of our eternal home. God saw that the light was good, and He made a difference between the light and the darkness. The light He called Day; the darkness He called Night. He gave Planet Earth a little twist of the wrist, and the evening was; and the morning was. First day.
Expansion/Firmament.---Then God said, “Let there be an expansion in the middle of the waters; let the waters be divided.” The expansion, or firmament, divided the waters below, from the waters above: They stood fast. He called the expanse of firmament heaven. And the evening was; and the morning was. Second day.
Sea, Land, and Vegetation.---Then God said, “Let the waters below be gathered into one place: Let dry land appear:” It was so. God called the dry land earth; the gathered waters He called seas. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth sproutage, the herb yielding seed; the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the Earth:” It was so. The Earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after its kind, and trees yielding fruit, whose seed is in itself, after its kind: God saw it was good. And the evening was; and the morning was. Third day.
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Heavenly Bodies.---Then God said, “Let there be lights in the space of the heavens to divide between the day, and the night; let them be for signs, for seasons, for days, and for years. Let them be for luminaries; light bearers in the space of the heavens, to give light upon the Earth.” It was so. God made two great luminaries; the sun to rule the day, and the moon to rule the night: He made the stars also. God set them in the space of heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule the day, and the night, and divide the light from the darkness: It was good. And the evening was; and the morning was. Fourth day.
Animal Life of Sea and Air.---Then God said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that are breathing creatures, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open space of heaven.” God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after their kind: It was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth.” And the evening was; and the morning was. Fifth day.
Animal Life, and Humanity (Intellectual Animals).---Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after their kind, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind:” It was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the earth after their kind. It was good.
Then God Said, Let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness: Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” God created mankind in His image, in the image of God created He them; male and female He created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the Earth, and subdue it: Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and over every thing that moves upon the earth.” Then God said, “Look, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. And to every beast of the earth, to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is breath. I have given every herb for food:” It was so. God saw everything that He had made, and, look, it was very good. And the evening was; and the morning was. Sixth day.
Rest.---Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work that He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had made. God blessed, and set apart the seventh day: Because in it He had rested from all His work that He, in creating, had made. And the evening was; and the morning was. Seventh day.
The Summary.---These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and heavens. In eternity, when God began to create, He sat in motion the laws of physics. He created matter. He began to create the heavens and the earth some twenty billion years ago, plus or minus, as we know time. The laws of physics took fifteen billion, two hundred million years to reach a developed stage that would support life as we have it. The earth was formless, and void of life of any kind. The Holy Spirit filled the heavens, and surrounded the planet as it developed. And every plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field, before it grew: The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
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But there went up a vapor from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. (Genesis 1: 3-31; 2: 1-6).
The Garden.---The Lord God planted a Garden eastward in Eden. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of Life was also in the midst of the Garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river flowed out of the Garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads. (Genesis 2: 8-14).
The (specific item) Man, Adam.---And the Lord God sculptured a man, Adam, of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, His Spirit; and Adam was an immortal being. And the Lord God put the man in the Garden, eastward in Eden to cultivate it, to keep it.
And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, “Of every tree of the Garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: For in the day that you eat of it, dying, you shall surely die.”
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.
And out of the ground of the Garden, the Lord God sculptured every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: And whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam called names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for
Adam there was not found a fit helper for him. (Genesis 2: 7, 15-20).
The (specific item) Woman, Eve.---The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and as he slept, He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead; and the rib, that the Lord God had taken from Adam, He sculptured a woman, and brought her to Adam. And Adam said, “At last, this one is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” Therefore, shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife: They shall be one flesh. And they both were naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2: 21-25).
Chapter 2.
Time Begins; 1 Abib/Nosan, A.S. 0; March/April, B.C. 3969: Adam Sins.---Now the Serpent, the Dragon, Satan, was more subtle than any beast of the field that the Lord had made. And he said to the Woman, “Hey, has God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” And the Woman said to the Serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the Garden: But of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the Garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest dying, you shall die’” And the Serpent said to the Woman, “You shall not surely die: God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.” When the Woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit of it, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her: He did eat. And their eyes were both opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, making aprons to cloth themselves. (Genesis 3: 1-7).
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The Call.---Adam, and the Woman, heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden, in the cool of the day: Adam, and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God, among the trees of the Garden. And the Lord God called to Adam, saying to him, “Where are you?” And Adam said, “I heard your voice in the Garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree that I told you that you should not eat?” Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Then the Lord said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” (Genesis 3: 8-13).
The Curse.---The Lord God said to the Serpent, Satan, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life: To the Dragon, Satan He said, “I will put enmity between you, paganism, and the woman, My Church, and between your descendants and her descendants; He, the Christ, shall bruise your head, and you, the Dragon, Satan, shall bruise His heel.”
Unto the woman He said, “I will multiply your sorrow, and your pain in pregnancy; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
Unto Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it:’ Cursed is the ground for your sake: In sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life: Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herbs of the field: In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken: For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Adam called his wife’s name Eve, Life (Life giver; looking forward to the coming Life giver, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, Almighty God, physically present.) for she is the mother of all Living. (Genesis 3: 14-20).
01-14, A.S. 0; March/April, B.C. 3969: The Sin Offering.---Sacrifice was made by Adam, for he and his wife, and was excepted by Melchizedek, Priest of the Most High God. For Adam and Eve did the Lord God make coverings of the skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3: 21).
The Expulsion.---The Lord God said, “Look, the man is become as one of us, knowing good and evil: Now, lest he reaches out his hand, and takes also of the tree of Life, and lives forever:” Therefore, the Lord God sent him, and his wife, out of the Garden, eastward in Eden, to till, to cultivate the ground from which they were taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed, at the east of the Garden, at the gate, cherubim, and a flaming sword that turned every which way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life. (Genesis 3: 22-24).
Cain and Able, and the Sacrifices.---Adam knew his wife, Eve; she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” And she again bore his brother, Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, a shepherd, but Cain was a cultivator, a tiller of the soil. In the processes of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruits of the ground. Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof; and the Lord, Melchizedek, Priest of the Most High God, had respect to Abel, and his offering.
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To Cain, and his offering, He had no respect. And Cain was very angry, and his face changed. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your countenance fallen, why is your facial expression changed? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin lies at the door. And to you shall be his desire, and you rule over him. Genesis 4: 1-7).
The Murder.---Cain talked with Abel his brother: It came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and murdered him. The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother?” And he said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries from the ground.” (Genesis 4: 8,9).
The Curse.---And He said, “And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand: When you till the soil, cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield to you her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond, shall you be in the earth.” And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Look, You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth; from your face I shall be hid; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond, a wonderer in the earth; and it shall come to pass that every one that finds me shall kill mw.” The Lord said to him, “Therefore, who ever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a mark upon Cain, lest any, finding him, should kill him. (Genesis 4: 10-15).
Cain’s Descendants.---Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelled in the land of Nod, the land of wandering, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch: Cain built a city, and named the city after his son, Enoch: To Enoch was born Irad: To Irad was born Mehujael: To Mahujael was born Methusael: To Methusael was born Lemch. And Lemech took to him two wives: The name of one was Adah, the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jadal: He was the father of such as dwell in tents, and raise cattle, livestock. And his brother’s name was Jubal: He was the father of all such as handle the lyre and pipe. Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubalcain, an instructor of every forger and craftsman in brass and iron. The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. Lemech said unto his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lenech, listen to my speech: I have killed a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. (Genesis 4: 16-24).
Seth Born, A.S. 130; B.C. 3839.---Adam knew his wife again; she bore a son, and called his name Seth: For God has appointed another descendant instead of Abel, whom Cain murdered. And Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: Then men began to call themselves by the name of the Lord. (Genesis 4: 25, 26).
Study # 3 Sin’s Generations. Chapter 1.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
Adam’s Generations.---In the day that God sculptured the man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female sculptured He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day they were sculptured.
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01 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 0; Spring, B.C. 3969.---Adam, and the woman sin, and dying, they shall die.
14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 0; Spring, B.C. 3969.---Sacrifice was made, by Adam, for him and his wife, And it was excepted by Melchizedek, Priest of the Most High God. For Adam and Eve, the Lord God did make coats of the skins, and clothed them.
A.S. 130; B.C. 3839.---Seth born: Adam lived a hundred thirty years after, and a son was born in his own likeness, after his own image; he called his name Seth.
A.S. 235; B.C. 3734.---Enos born: Seth lived a hundred five years, and Enos was born.
A.S. 325; B.C. 3644.---Kenan born: Enos lived ninety years, and Kenan was born.
A.S. 395; B.C. 3574.---Mahalaleel born: Kenan lived seventy years, and Mahalaleel (Praiser of God) was born.
A.S. 460; B.C. 3509.---Jared born: Mahalaleel lived sixty five years, and Jared (jerded-Descending) was born.
A.S. 525; B.C. 3444.---Enoch born: Jared lived a hundred sixty two years, and Enoch was born.
A.S. 590; B.C. 3379.---Methuselah born: Enoch lived sixty five years, and Methuselah was born: All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty five years: Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
A.S. 777; B.C. 3192.---Lemech born: Methuselah lived a hundred eighty seven years, and Lemech was born.
A.S. 930; B.C. 3039.---Adam dies at the age of nine hundred thirty years.
A.S. 957; B.C. 3012.---Noah born: Lemech lived one hundred eighty years, and Noah was born.
A.S. 1042; B.C. 2027.---Seth dies at the age of nine hundred twelve years.
A.S. 1140; B.C. 2829.---Enos dies at the age of nine hundred five years.
A.S. 1237; B.C. 2732.---Kenan dies at the age of nine hundred twelve years.
A.S. 1290; B.C. 2679.---Mahalaleel dies at the age of eight hundred ninety five years.
A.S. 1422; B.C. 2547.---Jared dies at the age of nine hundred sixty two years.
A.S. 1457; B.C. 2512.---Japheth, Ham, and Shem born: Noah lived five hundred years, and triplet sons were born to him. (Genesis 5: 32).
Wickedness of Mankind.---And God saw that the wickedness of mankind was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6: 1-8).
Noah builds an Ark: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” (Genesis 6: 9-22).
A.S. 1554; B.C. 2415.---Lemech dies at the age of seven hundred seventy seven years.
(Genesis 5: 1-32).
A.S. 1559; B.C. 2410.---Methuselah dies at the age of nine hundred sixty nine years.
Kiv/Iyar-10-A.S. 1582; April/May, B.C. 2387.---Noah, and his family enter the Ark. Noah is 600 years of age. (Genesis 7: 1-16).
Kiv/Iyar-17-A.S. 1582; April/May, B.C. 2387.---God closes the door of the Ark: The Flood. (Genesis 7: 17-24).
Ethanim/Tishri-01-A.S. 1582; September/October, B.C. 2387.---The waters recede.
Shebat-10-A.S. 1582; January/February, B.C. 2386.---Dry land appears.
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Shebat-24-A.S. 1582; January/February, B.C. 2386.---The raven, and dove sent out; the raven does not return; the dove does.
Abib/Nisan-01-A.S. 1583; March/April, B.C. 2386.---Dry land appears.
Kiv/Iyar-27-A.S. 1583; April/May, B.C. 2386.---The Ark emptied; Noah Sacrifices. (Genesis 8: 1-22).
Noah and His Sons to Replenish the Earth.---(Genesis 9: 1-7).
God’s Covenant with Noah.---(Genesis 9: 8-19).
Noah’s Drunkedness; Canaan’s Curse.---(Genesis 9: 20-29).
Noah’s Descendants.---Sons of Japheth; Gomer; Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. Sons of Javan; Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. (Genesis 10: 2-5).
Sons of Ham; Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. Sons of Cush; Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sheba, Dedan, and Nimrod. Sons of Mizraim; Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, and Casluhim. Sons of Casluhim; Philistine, and Calphtorim. Sons of Canaan; Sidon, Heth, Jebusite, Amorite, Girgasite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, and Hamathite. (Genesis 10: 10: 6-20).
Sons of Shem; Eber, Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. Sons of Aram; Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Son of Arphaxad; Salah. Son of Salah; Eber. Sons of Eber; Peleg, and Joktan. Sons of Joktan; Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. (Genesis 10: 21-32).
Tower of Babel.---(Genesis 11: 1-6).
Orgin of Languages.---Genesis 11: 7-9).
Abram’s Time Line:
A.S. 1558; B.C. 2411.---Arphaxad born, son of Shem, age 102, died at age 602 years.
A.S. 1594; B.C. 2375.---Salah born, son of Arphaxad, age 35, died at age 438 years.
A.S. 1624; B.C. 2345.---Eber born, son of Salah, age 30, died at age 460 years.
A.S. 1658; B.C. 2311.---Peleg born, son of Eber, age 34, died at age 464 years.
Confusion at the tower of Babal.
A.S. 1688; B.C. 2281.---Reu born, son of Peleg, age 30, died at age 243 years.
A.S. 1720; B.C. 2249.---Serug born, son of Reu, age 32, died at age 239 years.
A.S. 1750; B.C. 2219.---Nahor born, son of Serug, age 30, died at age 230 years.
A.S. 1779; B.C. 2190.---Terah born, son of Nahor, age 29, died at age 148 years.
A.S. 1849; B.C. 2120.---Abram born, son of Terah, age 70, died at age 205 years.
A.S. 1859; B.C. 2110.---Sarai born, daughter of Terah, age 80, died at age 205 years.
A.S. 1897; B.C. 2072.---Peleg dies at the age of two hundred thirty nine years.
A.S. 1898; B.C. 2071.---Nahor dies at the age of one hundred forty eight years.
A.S. 1907; B.C. 2062.---Noah dies at the age of nine hundred fifty years. (Genesis 11: 10-32).
A.S. 1924; B.C. 2045.---Abram’s call at the age of seventy five years. The beginning of the four hundred thirty years of living in Egypt.
A.S. 1926; B.C. 2043.---Abram driven to Egypt because of a famine.
A.S. 1927; B.C. 2042.---Reu dies at the age of two hundred thirty nine years.
A.S. 1928; B.C. 2041.---Abram returns to Canaan. (Genesis 12; 13: 1-4); Abram and Lot separate. (Genesis 13: 5-13); Promise renewed. (Genesis 13: 14-18); Battle of the kings. (Genesis 14: 1-16); Melchizedek (Jesus Emanuel, priest of the outer court, the
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earth, of the Temple of the Heavenly Jerusalem, for 4000 years, ministered to His people
living wherever on the earth) blessed Abram. (Genesis 14: 17-20); Abram’s unselfishness. (Genesis 14: 21-24); The Lord’s promise to Abram. (Genesis 15: 1-6); Prophecy of Israel’s bondage. (Genesis 15: 7-17); The Lord’s covenant with Abram. (Genesis 15: 18-21).
A.S. 1934; B.C. 2035,---Sarai and Hagar. (Genesis 16: 1-14).
A.S. 1935; B.C. 2034.---Ishmeal born, son of Abram. (Genesis 16: 15, 16).
A.S. 1948; B.C. 2021.---Circumcision the sign of the Covenant: Abram’s name changed to Abraham: Sarai’s name changed to Sarah. (Genesis 17: 1-17); The promise of Isaac. Genesis 17: 18, 19); All males circumcision. Specific promise of Isaac: Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorah: Sodom and Gomorah destroyed by fire.
A.S. 1949; B.C. 2020.---Isaac born, son of Abraham. Abraham one hundred years of age; Sarah ninety years of age.
A.S. 1950; B.C. 2019.---Serug dies at the age of two hundred thirty years.
A.S. 1954; B.C. 2015.---Circumcision the sign of the covenant, the promise. The beginning of the four hundred years of living in Egypt.
A.S. 1964; B.C. 2005.---Isaac sacrificed: Isaac fifteen years of age: Abraham one hundred fifteen years of age.
A.S. 1984; B.C. 1985.---Terah dies at the age of two hundred five years.
A.S. 1986; B.C. 1983.---Sarah dies at the age of one hundred twenty seven years.
A.S. 1989; B.C. 1980.---Isaac marries Rebekah: Isaac forty years of age.
A.S. 1996; B.C. 1973.---Arphaxad dies at the age of four hundred thirty eight years.
A.S. 2007; B.C. 1962.---Esau and Jacob born, sons of Isaac in his sixtieth year.
A.S. 2027; B.C. 1942.---Salah dies at the age of four hundred thirty three years of age.
A.S. 2034; B.C. 1935.---Abraham dies at the age of one hundred eighty five years: Isaac eighty five years of age: Jacob and Esau twenty five years of age.
A.S. 2047; B.C. 1922.---Esau forty years of age: Esau’s wives.
A.S. 2057; B.C. 1912.---Shem dies at the age of six hundred years.
A.S. 2072; B.C. 1897.---Ishmeal dies at the age of one hundred thirty seven years.
A.S. 2084; B.C. 1885.---Jacob flees to Haran at seventy seven years of age: Isaac one hundred thirty seven years of age.
A.S. 2088; B.C. 1881.---Eber dies at the age of four hundred sixty four years.
A.S. 2091; B.C. 1878.---Jacob marries Leah and Rachel at eighty four years of age: The sons of Jacob; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad. Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin: Isaac is one hundred forty four years of age.
A.S. 2098; B.C. 1871.---Joseph born; son of Jacob in his ninety first year of age; Isaac in his one hundred fifty first of age.
A.S. 2101; B.C. 1868.---Jacob returns to Canaan with his family at ninety seven years of age: Isaac at one hundred fifty seven years of age: Joseph at six years of age.
A.S. 2115; B.C. 1854.---Joseph sold into slavery at seventeen years of age: Jacob one hundred eight years of age: Isaac at one hundred sixty eight years of age.
A.S. 2129; B.C. 1840.---Isaac dies at the age of one hundred eighty years: Jacob is one hundred twenty years of age: Joseph is twenty nine years of age.
A.S. 2128; B.C. 1841.---Joseph is Prime Minister of Egypt at thirty years of age” Jacob is one hundred twenty one years of age.
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A.S. 2136; B.C. 1833.---The world famine: Joseph at thirty eight years of age: Jacob at one hundred twenty five years of age.
A.S. 2137; B.C. 1832.---Jacob and family move to Egypt at one hundred thirty years of age: Joseph at thirty nine years of age.
A.S. 2154; B.C. 1815.---Jacob dies at the age of one hundred forty seven years of age: Joseph at fifty years of age.
A.S. 2208; B.C. 1761.---Joseph dies at the age of one hundred ten years of age.
A.S. 2274; B.C. 1695.---Moses born; son of Amram, and his wife Jochebed; Levites.
A.S. 2314; B.C. 1655.---Moses flees for his life, and goes to Median, in Arabia. Age, 40 years.
A.S. 2354; B.C. 1614.---Moses returns to Egypt: Age, 80 years.
A.S. 2354; B.C. 1614.---The plagues: 1. Water turned to blood, 2. Frogs, 3. Lice, 4. Flies, 5. on Cattle, 6. Boils, 7 Hail, 8. Locusts, 9. Darkness, 10. Death of Firstborn.
14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 2355; March/April, B.C. 1614; The Passover; The Exodus:---On 14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 2355; March/April, B.C, 1614, the Children of Israel ate the Passover lamb. 15 Abib/Nisan they started their journey to the Land of Canaan, the promised land. The end of the four hundred thirty, and four hundred years, living in Egypt. The beginning of the 40 year Wilderness trek.
A.S. 2395; B.C. 1575.---Moses dies at the age of one hundred twelve years: Joshua, and the Elders judge Israel. Deuteronomy 34: 7-8.
A.S. 2495; B.C. 1474.---Cushan-Rishathaim servitude. Judges 3: 8.
A.S. 2502; B.C. 1467.---Othniel judge. Judges 3: 9, 11.
A.S. 2542; B.C. 1428.---Moabite servitude. Judges 3: 14.
A.S. 2637; B.C. 1332.---Ehud/Shamgar judges. Judges 3: 15, 30.
A.S. 2656; B.C. 1313.---Deborah judge. Judges 4: 4, 5; 5: 31.
A.S. 2677; B.C. 1292.---King Jabin servitude. Judges 4: 2, 3.
A.S. 2695; B.C. 1274.---Midianite servitude. Judges 6: 1.
A.S. 2701; B.C. 1268.---Gideon judge. Judges 8: 28.
A.S. 2740; B.C. 1229.---Abimelech judge. Judges 9: 22.
A.S. 2742; B.C. 1227,---Tola judge. Judges 10: 1, 2.Jair judge. Judges 10: 3.
A.S. 2764; B.C. 1205.---Jair judge. Judges 10: 3.
A.S. 2785; B.C. 1184.---Ammonite/Philistine servitude. Judges 10: 7, 8.
A.S. 2802; B.C. 1167.---Jepthah judge. Judges 12: 7.
A.S. 2807; B.C. 1162.---Ibzan judge. Judges 12: 8, 9.
A.S. 2813; B.C. 1156.---Elon judge. Judges 12: 11.
A.S. 2822; B.C. 1147.---Abdon judge. Judges 12: 13, 14.
A.S. 2829; B.C. 1140.---Philistine servitude. Judges 13: 1.
A.S. 2868; B.C. 1101.---Eli judge. 1st Samuel 4: 18.
A.S. 2907; B.C. 1062.---Ark of the Covenant in Kiriath-jeatim. 1st Samuel 6: 1; 7: 2.
A.S. 2926; B.C. 1047.---Saul king. 1st Samuel 13: 1.
A.S. 2997; B.C. 1038.---David king. 2nd Samuel 5: 4, 5.
A.S. 2968; B.C. 1001.---Solomon King. 1st Kings 1: 32-53.
A.S. 3001; B.C. 968.---Temple foundation. 1st Kings 6: 1.
17.
A.S. 3038; B.C. 928.---Rehoboam king, mostly bad. However, in A.S. 3043; B.C. 926, the united kingdom split, with ten and one half of the twelve Tribes of Israel rejecting Solomon’s son, Rehoboam as their king.
The Tribe of Judah, and on half of Benjamin, loyal to Rehoboam, reformed the Kingdom of Judah, with the other entity continuing to be called the Kingdom of Israel, or Israel. The Kingdom of Judah is often referred to as the Southern Kingdom, while the Kingdom of Israel, following the split, is referred to as the Northern Kingdom.
Kings of Judah: Kings of Israel:
A.S. 3058; B.C. 911.---Abijiam/Abijah; mostly bad. Jeroboam; bad.
A.S. 3161; B.C. 908.---Asa; good. Nadab; bad.
A.S. 3102; B.C. 867.---Jehoshaphat; good. Baasha; bad.
A.S. 3118; B.C. 851.---Jehoram/Joram; bad. Elah; bad.
A.S. 3126; B.C. 843.---Ahaziah/Jehoahaz; bad. Zimri; bad.
A.S. 3127; B.C. 842.---Athaliah; devilish. Tibni; bad.
A.S. 3133; B.C. 836.---Jehoash/Joash; mostly good. Omri; extra bad.
A.S. 3170; B.C. 799.---Amaziah; mostly good. Ahab; the worst.
A.S. 3283; B.C. 786.---Uzziah/Azariah; mostly good. Ahaziah; bad.
A.S. 3211; B.C. 758.---Jotham; good. Joram; mostly bad.
A.S. 3227; B.C. 742.---Ahaz; wicked. Jehu; better then the rest.
A.S. 3243; B.C. 726.---Hezekiah; the best. Jehoahaz; bad.
A.S. 3272; B.C. 697.---Manasseh; the worst. Joash; bad.
A.S. 3327; B.C. 642.---Amon; the worst. Jeroboam II; bad.
A.S. 3329; B.C. 640.---Josiah; the best. Zechariah; bad.
A.S. 3360; B.C. 609.---Jehoahaz; bad. Shallum; bad.
A.S. 3361; B.C. 608.---Jehoiakim/Eliakim: wicked. Menahem; bad.
The over throw of Jerusalem was accomplished in A.S. 3363; B.C. 606 (Jeremiah 25: 8-11; Daniel 1: 1, 2). Jeremiah places this captivity in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, Daniel in the third. This seeming discrepancy is explained by the fact that Nebuchadnezzar set out on his expedition near the close of the third year of Jehoiakim, from which Daniel reckons. But the king did not accomplish the subjection of Jerusalem until about the ninth month of the following year, from which year Jeremiah reckons. Jehoiakim, though bound for the purpose of being taken to Babylon, humbled himself and was permitted to remain as ruler in Jerusalem, tributary to the king of Babylon.
A.S. 3372; B.C. 597.---Jehoiachin king, bad. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon sent for him, and brought him to Babylon, where he lived and died. Jerusalem first rebels during the time of Jehoiachin, bad, son of Jehoiakim, when all the sacred vessels were either taken, or destroyed, and the best of the inhabitants were led, into Babylonian captivity.
A.S. 3372-3482; B.C. 597-587.---Zedekiah King; bad. His reign saw the second rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, A.S. 3381-3383; B.C. 588-586. Jerusalem was captured after a lengthy siege, the city suffering all the horrors of extreme famine. Zedekiah was captured, his sons killed before him, and he was blinded and taken into exile. The city, and temple were at this time utterly destroyed, and the entire population of the country, with the exception of a few husbandman, were carried captive to Babylon, and Judah reduced to a province, in A.S. 3383; B.C. 586.
18.
A.S. 3361-3430; B.C. 608-539.---The Babylonian Empire: Judah a province.
A.S. 3430-3638; B.C. 539-331.---The Persian Empire: Judah a province.
A.S. 3512; B.C. 457.---The decree to build and restore Jerusalem.
A.S. 3565; B.C. 404.---Jerusalem rebuilt and restored.
A.S. 3638-3668; B.C. 331-301.---The Alexanderian Empire: Judah a province.
A.S. 3664-3771; B.C. 305-198.---The Ptolemaics: Judah a province.
A.S. 3771-3828; B.C. 198-141.---The Seleucids: Judah a province.
A.S. 3823-1 Abib/Nisan, 6005; B.C. 146-27 March, A.D. 2036.---The Pagan/Papal Roman Empires beginning and ending.
A.S. 3828-3932; B.C. 141-37.---The Hasmonean kingdom in Israel established by the Maccabees: After A.S. 3906; B.C. 63, under Roman supremacy.
A.S. 3912; B.C. 58.---Birth of Octavian (Caesar Augustus).
A.S. 3943; B.C. 27.---Octavian becomes first Roman Emperor, and takes the name Caesar Augustus.
A.S. 3932-4039; B.C. 37-A.D. 70.---Herodian Dynasty ruling Judea under Roman supremacy.
10 Tishri, A.S. 3966; 22 September, B.C. 03.---Jesus Emanuel born.
A.S. 3932-3975; B.C. 37-A.D. 6, and A.S. 4010-4013; A.D. 41-44), Jerusalem interchanging with direct Roman rule (A.S. 3975-4010; A.D. 6-14, and A.S. 4013-4035; A.D. 44-66).
(14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 28 March, A.D. 31.---Jesus Emanuel Crucified.
(17 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 31 March, A.D. 31.---Jesus Emanuel’s Resurrection.
This ended in the first Jewish Revolt of A.S. 4035-4042; A.D. 66-73, and saw the Temple
destroyed 10 Tishri, A.S. 4039; September/October, A.D. 70.
A.S. 3963; B.C. 6.---The Census of Quirinius, and the establishment of Roman Iudara Province.
10 Tishri, A.S. 3965; 22 September, B.C. 4.---Jesus Emanuel born. Son of God, Almighty God Incarnate, son of Eve, son of Mary, son of man. Publius Sulpicius Quirinius governor of Syria.
8 Tebeth, A.S. 3965; 25 December, B.C. 4.---Herod the Great dies,
A.S. 3983; A.D. 14.---Caesar Augustus (Octavian) dies at the age of 76 years. Tiberius succeeds Augustus as Roman emperor.
1 Elul, A.S. 3996; 20 August, A.D. 27.---Jesus Emanuel baptized forty days before His thirtieth birthday, and is tempted. 10 Tishri, A.S. 3996; 28 September, A.D. 31, He began His ministry, preaching that the “Kingdom of God was at hand.”
14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 28 March, A.D. 31.---Jesus Emanuel was crucified at 9 A.M., died at 3 P.M., buried at 6 P.M., sundown, the middle of the week, Wednesday. His resurrection was at 6 P.M., sundown, the end of the week, the Seventh Day Sabbath, Saturday, 17 Abib/Nisan: 31 March. Three nights, and three days as prophesied.
It is noted that this fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel concerning the Messiah’s being cutoff in the middle of His seven year ministry to the Jews, 10 Tishri, A.S. 3996; 28 Setember, A.D. 31-10 Tishri, A.S. 4003; 8 October, A.D. 34, and crucified in the middle of the physical week.
26 Iyar, A.S. 4000; 10 May, A.D. 31.---Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, ascends into heaven, taking with Him the first fruits of the harvest of the earth; the two loaf offering.
19.
‘But unto every one of us is given a special gift according to the measure of the gift of the Christ. Wherefore He says, ‘When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.’” (Ephesians 4: 7, 8; Psalm 68: 18).
We find them, in the Revelation, in heaven as the twenty four Elders.
10 Tishri, A.S. 4003; 8 October, A.D. 34.---Stephen, a follower of Jesus Emanuel, is stoned to death for blasphemy, becoming the first Christian martyr. The sin of the Jews are filled, to overflowing: Gospel to the Gentiles.
A.S. 4014; A.D. 45.---Paul begins to preach about Jesus.
A.S. 4029; A.D. 60.---The term “Christian” is in common use.
A.S. 4033; A.D. 64.---For the great fire that destroys much of Rome; the Emperor, Nero, blames the Christians, and persecution ensues. Paul, and perhaps Peter, are martyred in Rome.
A.S. 4037; A.D. 68.---Mark’s Gospel, the nascent Church’s first life of Jesus, is written; the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, using Mark as source material, follow.
A.S. 4039; A.D. 70.---Jerusalem Destroyed.
A.S. 4039-4364; A.D. 70-395.---The Roman Empire first called Judea a Province; after A.S. 4104; A.D. 135 it was called Palaestina. In A.S. 4364; A.D. 395 the Roman Empire is split into a Western and Eastern parts.
A.S. 4063; A.D. 95.---The early Church held that the Apostle John was banished to the Isle of Patmos by the Emperor Domitian, A.S. 4050-4065; A.D. 81-96, and some writers place the exile in the fourteenth year of his reign, A.S. 4064; A.D. 95. During his exile John received his visions concerning the Revelation of Jesus, the Christ.
A.S. 4069; A.D. 100.---The Gospel according to John is written; “Babylon” represents Apostate Christianity.
A.S. 4146; A.D. 177.---Persecution of Christians in Rome renewed by Emperor Marcus Aurelius; A “Martyr cult” develops within Christianity.
A.S. 4219; A.D. 250.---Emperor Decius increases Christian persecution.
A.S. 4272; A.D. 303.---Emperor Diocletian responds to Christianity’s growing popularity with more persecution, a final attempt to stem the tide and return to emperor worship.
A.S. 4281; A.D. 312.---Emperor Constantine, entering battle, sees a luminous cross, and subsequently converts to Christianity.
A.S. 4282; A.D. 313.---Emperor Constantine makes Christianity legal throughout the empire.
A.S. 4290; A.D. 321.---Emperor Constantine’s first Sunday laws.
A.S. 4293; A.D. 324.---Emperor Constantine relocated from Rome, to the city of Byzantium, later renaming it Constantinople, seat of the New Roman Empire.
A.S. 4294; A.D. 325.---At Emperor Constantine’s Council of Nicea, God’s relationship to Jesus is redefined (The Trinity doctrine); Christianity begins to sweep the empire.
A.S. 4349; A.D. 380.---Emperor Theodosius outlaws paganism, and makes heresy liable to punishment.
A.S. 4362; A.D. 393.---The Church sanctions the New Testament’s 27 books, including the four Gospels; Christianity’s addendum to the Bible is complete.
20.
A.S. 4364-4607; A.D. 395-638.---Eastern Rome, the Byzantine Empire, dominates Palestine.
A.S. 4579; A.D. 610.---Mohamed starts a new religion, Islam, in Arabia.
A.S. 4599; A.D. 630.---Mecca falls to Mohamed’s army.
A.S. 4601; A.D. 632.---Mohamed dies, but the word of the Koran, maintaining “There is no God but Allah, and Mohamed is His messenger,” spreads.
A.S. 4607-5068; A.D. 638-1099.---Arab Caliphates, and subject rulers dominated Palestine. Jerusalem is overtaken by Islamic forces; and at century’s end, Islam has spread across all of North Africa and Egypt.
A.S. 4769; A.D. 800.---Showing political might, Pope Leo III crowns Frankish King Charlemagne “Emperor” of the “Holy Roman Empire,” a symbolic point in the split with the Eastern Church.
1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 5000; March/April, A.D. 1031.---Beginning of the Heavenly Day of Atonement.
A.S, 5023; A.D. 1054.---A formal schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Church over papal authority culminates in centuries of drift.
A.S. 5042; A.D. 1073.---The reformer, Hildebrand, is elected pope. As Gregory VII, he seeks to rejuvenate the morals and faith of the Roman Church.
A.S. 5044; A.D. 1074.---Gregory VII stresses Church’s autonomy, says the pope will appoint clergy free of influence from kings and nobles.
A.S. 55065; A.D. 1096.---The Crusades begin with Pope Urban’s attempt to secure
parts of the Holy Land held by Islam.
A.S. 5068-5156; A.D. 1099-1187.---Crusader states, most notably, the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
A.S. 5156-5229; A.D. 1187-1260.---Palestine dominated by the Ayyubids of Egypt and Damascus.
A.S. 5194; A.D. 1225.---Thomas Aquinas is born. As a Dominican friar teaching in Paris, he will bring Christian doctrine into harmony with Aristotelian philosophy, reconciling faith and reason.
A.S. 5201; A.D. 1232.---The first inquisition is brought by Gregory IX, whose papal inquisitors held secret trials and tortures: Burning at the stake is the capital punishment.
A.S. 5229-5485; A.S. 1260-1516.---Palestine dominated by the Mamluks of Egypt.
A.S. 5260; A.D. 1291.---Muslims seize Acre, the last Christian stronghold in Palestine.
A.S. 5278; A.D. 1309.---The French Pope Clement V moves the papacy from Rome to Avignon, France.
A.S. 5346; A.D. 1377.---The papacy returns to Rome.
A.S. 5347; A.D. 1378.---A rift among Roman cardinals results in the election of rival popes; for eight years, three popes rule.
A.S. 5407-5417; A.D. 1438-1445.---The council of Florence represents one of many short-lived attempts at reunion-“Ecumenism”-between Roman and Eastern Churches.
A.S. 5422; A.D. 1453.---The Turks capture Constantinople; Byzantine Empire falls.
A.S. 5452; A.D. 1483.---During Spain’s Torquemada inquisition, two thousand heretics are executed.
21.
A.S, 5485-5886; A.D. 1516-1917.---Ottoman Turks, having previously conquered the Byzantine Empire in A.S. 5422; A.D. 1453, dominate Palestine.
A.S. 5486; A.D. 1517.---The Awakening; Marin Luther, stressing Biblical over papal authority, spurs the Reformation, which divides Western Christianity into Roman Catholic and Protestantism.
A.S. 5502-5503; A.D. 1533-1534.---King Henry VIII denies the pope’s authority over England so he can marry Anne Boleyn; The following year, he has Parliament declare him the head of the new, independent Church of England. Thus, Anglicanism was born.
A.S. 5513; A.D. 1534.---Ignatus Loyola founds the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, a zealous order within Catholicism that spreads the religion throughout the known world.
A.S. 5514-5532; A.D. 1545-1563.---The Council of Trent, a Roman Catholic attempt at reform, becomes the Counter Reformation, as it issues decrees in opposition to Protestantism.
A.S. 5569; A.D. 1600.---Followers of the philosophy of French Protestant thinker, John Calvin, split from the English Puritans, to form the Congregationalists.
A.S. 5582; A.D. 1613.---Galileo, in a letter, tries to show that the Capernican, can exist alongside Church doctrine regarding the biblical view of the world. In A.S. 5585; A.D, 1616 he is summoned to Rome, but is cleared of heresy. In A.S. 5601; A.D. 1632 however, he publishes his scientific masterpiece, showing how Copernican systems are superior to Ptolemaic. (The short of it: Galileo’s evidence shows the earth revolves around the sun, rather than being the fixed center of the universe, as Scripture had it) He is again called to Rome, and in A.S. 5602; A.D. 1633, the inquisition finds him guilty of disobeying Church orders, and forces him to publicly recant. Galileo, a Catholic, does so, but is nonetheless sentenced to life imprisonment.
A.S. 5589; A.D. 1620.---The Pilgrims land at Plymouth, Mass., in the New World; their ranks include many Protestant Separatists, who had hoped to adopt reforms to purify the Church of England. Having decided their efforts were futile from within, they formed
their own congregation, and entered self-exile to pursue religion freely.
A.S. 5617; A.D. 1648.---The Thirty Year War between Catholics and Protestants, ends.
A.S. 5698; A.D. 1729.---John Wesley, an English clergyman, influenced by the Pietists-who considered an intimate relationship with God more important than a particular form of worship-begins a reform movement within the Church of England; subsequently, the movement leads to Methodism.
A.S. 5719; A.D. 1750.---The Great Awakening; the beginnings, in understanding the Prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
A.S. 5725; A.D. 1756.---The prophetic Lisbon Earthquake.
A.S. 5750; A.D. 1781.---The prophetic Dark Day; Blood Moon.
A.S. 5760; A.D. 1791.---The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified; it forbids Congress to provide for an established religion. The idea of keeping Church and State separate is made law. The ironic result: A secular state becomes, over time, a virtual incubator for many forms of religious faiths, of which Christianity are of the many.
A.S. 5802; A.D. 1833.---The prophetic Stars fell.
22.
10 Tishri, A.S. 5813; 22 October, A.D. 1844.---The Heavenly Sanctuary made clean, cleansed of the sins of the righteous. They are removed from the heavenly, and placed upon the head of Satan, to be destroyed, once for all eternity, at his destruction in the eternal fire that cleanses the earth of all sin, and sinners, 1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 7005; March/April. 3036.
A.S. 5828; A.D. 1859.---Charles Darwin publishes “The origin of Species,” which conflicts greatly with the biblical version of creation.
A.S. 5838-5839; A.D. 1869-1870.---Pope Pius assembles Vatican Council 1, which issues, among other doctrines, the declaration of papal infallibility-the pope is never in error when he speaks as head of the Church on matters of faith and morals.
A.S. 5870; A.D. 1901.---Charles Fox Parham revives the Pentecostal movement at his Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas. By the end of the century, according to some estimates, one in four Christians will be Pentecostal.
A.S. 5887-5917; A.D. 1918-1948.---A British mandate of Palestine under, first, League of Nations, then successor, United Nations; the Emirate of Trans-Jordan was separated from the rest of Palestine in A.S. 5891; A.D. 1922, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan became independent upon expiration of the League of Nations Mandate in A.S. 5915; A.D. 1946.
A.S. 5908-5914; A.S. 1939-1945.---World War II.
A.S. Kiv/Iyar, 5917-1 Abib/Nisan, 6005; April/May, A.D. 1948-27 March, 2036.---An independent State of Israel.
A.S. 5931-5934; A.D. 1962-1965.---Pope John XXIII and his successor, Paul VI, over see Vatican Council II, which seeks to bring the Roman Church into harmony with modernity and to promote ecumenism.
A.S. 5932; A.D. 1963.---The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in A.S. 5926; A.D. 1957, to expand the nonviolent struggle against racism and discrimination, gives his “I have a Dream” speech to more than 200,000, at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C. The scene was as much a revival meeting, as it was a political protest.
A.S. 5947; A.D. 1978.---In this, the year of three popes, the Polish Cardinal, Karol Wojtyla, became John Paul II, the first non-Italian leader of the Roman Church in 455 years.
A.S. 5948; A.D. 1979.---Pope John Paul II declares that the Church may have erred in its handling of Galileo more than three centuries previous.
A.S. 5949-5968; A.D. 1980-1999.---The rise of Christian fundamentalism in the United States is fueled by television and the internet.
A.S. 5961; A.D. 1992.---Pope John Paul II goes further, in confirming the Churches mistake in the handling of Galileo.
A.S. 5967; A.D. 1998.---By this time, John Paul II has traveled nearly 700,000 miles, more than the 263 previous popes combined, more than a round trip to the moon.
A.S. 5968; A.D. 1999.---John Paul II again asks Catholics to prepare for the Holy Year, Jubilee A.S. 5969; A.D. 2000, by atoning for past transgressions, including anti-Jewish bias and persecution; the Jubilee in Rome commenced on Christmas Eve, and extended to the feast of the Epiphany, A.S. 5970; 6 January, A.D. 2001.
23.
A.S. 5969; A.D. 2000.---Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with more than two billion congregates belonging to more than 20,000 sects and denominations.
1 Nisan, A.S. 5993; March/April, A.D. 2024.---Apostate Christianity/Spiritual Babylon is fallen. A seventh day Sabbath (Saturday) Reformation is preached, and the clarion call is made, “Come out of her My people.” (Revelation 18: 2-4).
1 Nisan, A.S. 6000; 22 March, A.D. 2031.---The end of humanities probation: The end of Planet Earth’s probation: Saints Sealed to eternal Life: Sinners sealed to eternal Damnation, Annihilation. The end of the seventh Church: The end of the sixth Seal: The end of the sixth Trumpet.
1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6000-1 Abib/Nisan, 6005; 22 March, A.D. 2031-27 March, A.D. 2036.---Time of Trouble begins, such as has never been, since there was a nation. Daniel 12: 1; Revelation 11: 18).
4 Adar, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6005; 13 April, A.D. 2035-27 March, 2036.---1st plague of 7. There will be a noisesome, and grievous sore, upon mankind that have the Mark of the beast, the Catholic Church, and upon them that worship his Image, Apostate Christianity. (Revelation 16: 2).
28 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6005; 6 May, A.D. 2035-27 March, 2036.---2nd plague of 7. The sea becomes as the blood of the dead, and every soul/creature in the sea dies. (Revelation 16: 3).
22 Sivan, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan 6005; 29 June, A.D. 2035-27 March, A.D. 2036---3rd plague of 7. The rivers, streams, and fountains of water become as blood of the dead, and every living soul/creature in the waters dies. (Revelation 16: 4).
15 Ab, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6005; 22nd August, A.D. 2035-27the March, A.D. 2036.---4th plague of 7. Power is given to the sun to scorch mankind with fire. Mankind is burned with great heat, and curses the God of heaven, which has power over these plagues, but repent not, to give Him glory. (Revelation 16: 8, 9).
21 Ethanim/Tishri, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6005; 16 October, A.D. 2035-27 March, A.D. 2036.---5th plague of 7. The throne, and kingdom of the Beast (Paganism, Catholicism, and Apostate Christianity) is full of spiritual darkness, and they gnaw their tongues for pain, and curse the God of heaven because of their pains, and their sores, and repent not of their evil. (Revelation 16: 10, 11).
15 Chislev, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 605; 8 December, A,D, 2035-27 March, A.D. 2036.---6th plague of 7. The nations, kindred, tongues, and peoples of the great river of the Euphrates, are destroyed as they destroy the Great Bablynian whore, the United States of America, that the way of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the Kings of the East, might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the Dragon, Paganism; out of the mouth of the Beast, Catholicism; and out of the mouth of the False Prophet, Apostate Christianity. For they are the spirits of devils, working signs, miracles, which go out unto the kings of the earth, and the whole world, to gather them to the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16: 12-14).
6 Shebat, A.S. 6004-1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6005; 31 January, 2036-27 March, A.D. 2036.---7th plague of 7. There is a great voice from the throne of God saying, “It is done.”
1. There are voices, thunders, and lightning:
24.
2. There is a great earthquake, like mankind has never seen in the earth since he
was upon the earth; so great, and mighty an earthquake.
3. Great Babylon is divided into three parts; the cities of the nations fall:
4. Great Babylon, (Paganism, Catholicism, and Apostate Christianity), comes in
remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
5. Every island disappears, and the mountains are not found, for they have fallen
down.
6. A great hail, out of heaven, weighting about 100 lbs each, falls upon wicked
mankind; and they blaspheme God because the plague is exceedingly great. (Revelation 16: 17-21).
27-29 Adar, A.S. 6004; 23-25 March, A.D. 2036.---The seventh Seal: There is silence in the 3rd heaven, where God’s throne is, for the entire host of heaven is coming to planet earth, to harvest it. They take three days to arrive, one day to harvest, 30 Adar, A.S. 6004; 26 March, A.D. 2036,---The Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty; The Battle of Armageddon. (Zechariah 14: 1-3). The Warrior King, The Harvester King, harvesting the wicked in death; the righteous in Eternal Life; taking the Saints to their heavenly home, the Mountain of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, for a thousand years, that will seem but a heavenly day. (Revelation 14: 14; 19: 11); and three days to return to the heavenly Jerusalem.
1-3 Abib/Nisan, 6005; 27-29 March, A.D. 2036. All the righteous, the resurrected and the living, are taken up to be forever with the Lord God, Jesus Emanuel. The wicked, ungodly, and disobedient, are left dead upon the face of the earth. There is a feast of the fowl of the air, (Revelation 19: 17, 18), and the Devil has no one to tempt for a thousand years. (Revelation 20: 1-3).
1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 7000; March/April, A.D. 3031.---The Holy City, New Jerusalem,
the Garden that was Eastward in Eden, has returned to Planet Earth. (Zechariah 14: 4-8; Revelation 21: 9-21). The wicked are resurrected, and thereby, Satan is freed from his solitary prison for a short time, five years, and shall go out to deceive the nations. (Revelation 20: 7, 8). The wicked surround the Holy City, New Jerusalem, to take it by force, and -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 7005; March/April, A.D. 3036.---Fire comes down from heave and destroys Satan, evil angles, sinners, sin, death, and the grave and purifies Planet Earth. (Revelation 20: 9, 10, 14). And God says, “I make all things new.” Time Ends
Chapter 2.
The Incarnation.---Almost two thousand years ago, in the land of Palestine there occurred a great and important event – The incarnation of the Lord God, Jesus Emanuel, the Anointed One. The Holy Spirit, the Father, came as His Son, to live on the earth as a human being, to teach mankind the True Way of salvation, and then to give His life to pay the penalty for sin.
The birth of Jesus Emanuel, the Anointed One, was assuredly a very important event, and we enjoy reading the description of it in the Gospels. We read how Joseph and Mary were at Bethlehem, and Mary was about to give birth, but there was no room for them in the Inn. They spent the night in what we might call a cow shed, and Mary gave birth to Jesus; His cradle was a manger. Shepherds, spending the night in the open fields, with
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their flocks, saw angels appear in the sky. They heard the message; “To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Jesus Emanuel, the Anointed One, the Lord.” (Luke 2: 11). As the shepherds rejoiced at this wonderful event, so we should rejoice and be glad, that Jesus Emanuel, the Anointed One, was born; that through Him we have salvation, and eternal Life. (Matthew1: 18-25; Luke 1:26-38; 2: 1-20).
When did this wonderful event take place? Evidence has recently been discovered that indicates that the birth of Jesus Emanuel occurred at the time of the Day of Atonement, 10 Tishri, A.S. 3966; 28 September, B.C. 3.
Chapter 3.
The Crucifixion.---It was springtime, Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; March, A.D. 31. The holy city of Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims who had come for the annual Passover celebration.
Jesus had spent many months traveling through the towns and villages of Palestine. He preached about the kingdom of God and healed the sick wherever He went. Jesus was now thirty-three and a half years old, and the time had come for Him to claim His title as Messiah – the Savior, that God had promised to the Jewish people.
Jesus knew His mission was almost finished. As they traveled to Jerusalem, Jesus warned His disciples that He would be put to death, and after three days He would rise again.
8 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000, 22 March, A.D. 31. Jesus Enters Jerusalem Riding on a Colt of an Ass.---5th day of the week, Thursday, 6th day before crucifixion. Jesus looks around in the Temple. Matthew 21: 1-11; Mark 11: 1-11, Luke 18: 28-44; John 12: 12-19. We would see Jesus. John 12: 20-50. He returns to Bethany. Mark 11: 11.
9 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 23 March, A.D. 31. 6th day of the week, Friday. 5th day before the crucifixion. Jesus preaches and teaches in the Temple.
The Fig Tree Cursed; Mark 11: 12-14.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple.---Mark 11: 15-18: Luke 21: 29-33.
Jesus Establishes His Authority.---Matthew 21: 23-27;
Parables.---Matthew 21: 28-32; 33-46; 22: 1-14;
God and Caesar.--- Matthew 22: 15-22; Mark 12: 13-17;
The Resurrection?---Matthew 22: 23-33; Mark 12: 18-27;
The Great Commandment.---Matthew 22: 34-40; Marl 12: 28-34;
David’s Son.---Matthew 22: 41-46; Mark 12: 35-37;
Jesus leaves and goes to Bethany. Matthew 21: 12-17; Mark 11: 19; Luke: 5-48;
10 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000, 24 March, A.D. 31.--- 7th day Sabbath/Saturday, 4th day before crucifixion. Jesus preaches and teaches in the temple.
The Fig Tree Lesson.---Matthew 21: 20-22; Mark 11: 20-26;
The Scribes Denounced.---Matthew 23; 1-39; Mark 12: 38-40;
The Destruction of the Temple: Signs Before the End.---Matthew 24: 1-28; Mark 13: 1-23;
The Coming of The Son of Man.---Matthew 24: 29-35; Mark 13: 24-37;
No Man Knows the Day.---Matthew 24: 36-44;
The Unfaithful Servant.---Matthew 24:45-51;
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The Ten Virgins.---Matthew 25: 1-13;
The Talents.---Matthew 25:14-46;
The Widows Offering.---Mark 12: 41-44; Luke 21: 1-4.
Jesus leaves the Temple talking to His Disciples: The Mount of Olives discourse.
11 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 25 March A.D. 31---1st day of the week, Sunday, 3rd day before crucifixion. Jesus preaches and teaches in the Temple.
The Coming of the Son of man.---Matthew 16: 27; 24: 30; Mark 13: 24-37; Luke 21: 5-28.
12 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 26 March, A.D. 31.--- 2nd day of the week, 2nd day before crucifixion. Jesus preaches and teaches in the Temple.
The Plot to Murder Jesus.---Matthew 26: 3-5; Mark 14: 1, 2;
Jesus Anointed at Bethany.---Matthew 26: 6-13; Mark 14: 3-9;
The Mount Olivet Discourse.---Matthew 24: 1-25:46;
The Conspiracy of Judas.---Matthew 26: 14-16; Mark 14: 10, 11; Luke 22: 1-6.
God’s Day Begins at Sundown and Ends at Sundown, For the Evening and the Morning are the First through the Seventh Day, of Furbishing the Earth, and for Eternity. Genesis 1: 3-2: 1-6.
13 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000. 27 March A.D. 31.---The Preparation Day.---3rd day of the week, last day before Passover; before the crucifixion.
The sacrifice of the Passover lamb.---Matthew 26: 17-18; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22: 7-13. And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus sent two of is disciples to prepare for the Passover Feast. Matthew 26: 17-19; Mark 14: 12-16;
14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 28 March, A.D. 31.---The Passover Day.---4th day of the week, at the evening, 6:00 p.m.--- At the evening, Jesus comes with the twelve.---Matthew 26: 20-30. Mark 14: 17-25. Jesus washes the disciples feet.---John 13: 3-11. Passover Feast.---Matthew 26: 17-30; Luke 22: 14-23.
When the hour came, Jesus and His disciples reclined at the table…Judas leaves the
twelve disciples to go to the chief priest, to betray Jesus in the garden…Jesus took bread, gave thinks and broke it, giving it to them, saying, ‘This is My body given for you; this do in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’
Mt. Of Olives.---Peter’s denial foretold. Matthew 26: 31-56; Mark 14: 26-31; Luke 22: 31-38.
11:30 p.m.---Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prays, His face toward the earth; ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal Life to all those You have given Him. For them I sanctify Myself, that they also may be truly sanctified.’ Mark 14: 32-42; Matthew 26; 36-56
1:00 a.m.---Jesus waits for His betrayal, and His arrest. Mark 14: 43-52; Matthew 26: 47-56.
1:00-1:30 a.m.---Confrontation in the Garden and Jesus arrested.
1:30-3:00 a.m.---Trial # 1: Annas, former Jewish High Priest for 16 years – Jesus receives initial physical abuse. Trial # 2: Current Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas, and the
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Sanhedrin Court –Jesus bloodied by abuse. Mark 14: 18-25; Luke 22: 3-6, 14, 19, 20; John 18: 19-24.
3:00-5:00 a.m.---Imprisoned at Caiaphas’ palace.
5:00-6:00 a.m.---Trial #3: All the Jewish elders, including the High Priest, scribes, and Sanhedrin, decide to ask the Roman Government to murder Jesus. Mark 14: 43-65.
6:00-7:00 a.m.---Trial # 4: Jesus before Pilate: Very early in the morning the chief Priest…reached a decision. They bound Jesus, and led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate. At the close of the hearing before Pilate, he declared, ‘I find no guilt in this man.’ Mark 15: 1-5.
7:00-7:30 a.m.---Trial # 5: Hearing before Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who had jurisdiction over Galilee. Jesus refused to answer any questions so Herod quickly returned Him to Pilate.
7:30-8:30 a.m.---Trial # 6: Pilate repeatedly tried to release Jesus but the Jewish leaders continued to object. Pilate physically tortured and beat Jesus beyond recognition seeking to satisfy the Jewish leaders. However, the Jews demanded that Jesus be crucified. Pilate resisted but eventually gave the order to execute Him. Mark 15: 1-19.
8:30-9:00 a.m.---Pilate’s Roman soldiers take Jesus into the court (“Praetorium”) and enjoy mockery, and continued torture, including driving thorns into His skull.
9:00-12:00 noon.---Jesus forced to carry His own cross, then crucifixion.
12:00 noon-3:00 p.m.---Momentous 3 hours on the Cross. Mark 15: 20-41; Matthew 27: 32-56.
3:00 p.m.---At His death: The veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom; there was an earthquake; rocks were broken apart; and graves broke open, Matthew 27: 51-52.
14 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; Wendsday, 28 March, A.D. 31, 6:00 p.m.---Burial at sunset, on the 4th day of the week, as it began to be the 5th day of the week, 15 Abib/Nisian, A.S. 4000; Thursday, 29 March, A.D. 31. Mark 15: 42-47; Matthew 27: 57-61; Guards were posted, Matthew 27: 62-66.
15 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; Thursday, 29 March, A.D. 31.---The 5th day of that week, was an annual Sabbath, a High Holy day. Jesus is in the tomb from sunset, 6:00 p.m., the 4th day of the week, Wednesday, till it began to be the 6th day of the week, Friday. (Night one/Day one). (24 hours). Our Lord, disciples and the women rested on this annual Sabbath.
16 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; Friday, 30 March, A.D. 31.---The 6th day of the week. Jesus in the tomb from sunset, 6:00 p.m. the 5th day of the week, Thursday, till it began to be the 6th day, of the week, Friday. (Night two/Day two). (48 hours).
On the sixth day of the week, 16 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; 30 March, A.D. 31, the two Marys and Salome bought spices, Mark 16: 1.
17 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 4000; Saturday, 31 March, A.D. 31.---Jesus in the tomb from sunset, 6:00 p.m. the 6th day of the week, Friday, the beginning of the 7th day of the week, The Seventh Day Sabbath, till sunset, 6:00 p.m., Sabbath/Saturday, as it began to be the 1st day of the week, Sunday. (Night three/Day three). (72 Hours). Our Lord, Disciples and the women rested on this weekly Sabbath.
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Chapter 4.
The Resurrection.---We prey that this presentation clears up for you for the first time what had been a hopeless difficulty --- the question of the “three days and three nights.” But above all, to show the complete fallacy of the great argument so generally brought up in favor of First Day worship---“The Christ rose upon the First Day.” This new information, being clearly demonstrated, takes away the only existing pretext for the universal honor that is paid to a day that is not the Lord’s. By a four gospel narrative study, the views presented are confirmed true, and infallible, though it does at first appear that the inspired testimonies of the four Evangelist, are in hopeless contradiction one with the other; until at length it pleased God to lead the writer to a solution that put the whole in harmony. They are the following:---
1. If the Christ rose at the end of three days and three nights (which He did in
accomplishment of His own prophetic words), He must have risen on the Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday, at, or before sunset, or on Monday, at, or before sunset if we accept the Catholic Church doctrine of the crucifixion on Friday. Yet Mark seems to tell us plainly that He rose on the First Day of the week (Mark 16: 9). “Now when Jesus was risen early the First Day of the week.”
2. This passage of Mark tells us also that His first appearance was to Mary
Magdalene, at the time, i.e. early the First Day of the week. This would preclude the possibility of His having appeared to her the evening before.
3. If Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had not seen the stone rolled away from
the sepulcher the evening before, but had also met Jesus and spoken with Him, as Matthew recounts (Matthew 28: 2, 9, 10), how are we to believe that they came the next morning to anoint His body, and that they should have said one to another, “who shall roll away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?” And yet Mark seems to tell us so clearly (Mark 16: 1, 3).
4. If Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene came with the other women, how does he
say (verse 9) that He appeared first to her, as though she was alone, without mentioning the others; and how is it that John tells us that Mary Magdalene came alone, and then called two of the Apostles, and returned, and met Jesus, while both Mark and Luke seem to say that she came with the other women to embalm His body? And
5. If Mary Magdalene had seen the Christ alive the evening before, how could she
possibly said the next morning, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him” (John 20: 2, 15). And even if we admit, as some suppose, that this visit of hers recounted by John, was made previous to the visit in Mark, and in Like, how are we to explain the fact of her coming to embalm the body, as is inferred from the account of Mark and Luke, after having seen the Lord alive and recognized Him??
The account of Mark would seem to destroy the supposition that the account of Matthew describes an evening visit, yet otherwise it is impossible to harmonize the two accounts; the Greek text also, states clearly that it was an evening visit, and the French translator of the Bible, Martin, so understood it, for he rendered it by “au soir du Sabbat.”
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To the above we reply with one single statement that sets all in harmony. “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, mother of James and Joses, did not come at all in the morning to embalm the body.”
The cause of the whole confusion arises from a faulty division of the chapters in Mark. The first verse of chapter 16 should be the last verse of chapter 15, as it relates, not to the morning of the First day of the week, but to a period previous to the evening visit that is recounted by Matthew. As corrected below, if we may:
“And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.” (Mark 15: 47, 48).
“And very early in the morning the First day of the week, they came to the
sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, ‘Who shall roll away the stone from the entrance of the sepulcher?’” (Mark 16: 1, 2.).
Now let us observe the following facts: Matthew tells us (Matthew 27: 55, 56) that
“many women were there watching afar off, who followed Jesus from Galilee-----among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children (Salome);” the two former, who seemed to have been moved with still greater devotion than the other women, for we find them sitting against the sepulcher, v. 61, at the time of burial. The moment the three days and three nights were finished, “in the end of the Sabbath” (Matthew 28: 1), we find the two Marys coming “to see the sepulcher,” there having been, evidently, a general appointment made by all these women (as we shall see), to meet at sunrise next morning, first day, in order to embalm the body. Three full days, and three full nights have passed, or the women could not expect the soldiers, guarding the sepulcher, to allow them to remove the stone from the entrance. An angel descends, rolls away the stone, and shows them, the two Mays, that Jesus is no longer there. He tells them to go and tell the disciples that Jesus is risen, and that they are to meet Him in Galilee. And they hastened away to inform them of what they had seen, frightened, yet rejoicing (v. 8). On the way they meet Jesus (v. 9), and He tells them to tell His brethren to meet Him in Galilee. They embrace His feet, as they are wont to do; yet we shall find that Mary Magdalene did not believe that it was He. These are the details of the evening visit as related by Matthew.
Now, if we turn to Mark, we find that he relates the same facts with regard to these women of Galilee, and then adds another circumstance not mentioned by Matthew. He informs us that there were women looking at the crucifixion from afar off, (Mark 15: 40), who had followed Jesus from Galilee. We are told by Luke, (Luke 8: 2, 3), who these women were. Mark tells us that among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, (chapter15: 40, and he says there were with them also many other women, v. 41). Next he tells, (Mark 15: 47), that these two Marys saw where Jesus was laid, which corresponds with Matthew 27: 61; and then adds, in the following verse, that when the weekly Sabbath was over, they , along with Salome had brought spices for the embalming of His body. A moment’s reflection, and we can see that the Sabbath here
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mentioned is not the same Sabbath of which Matthew speaks, (chapter 28:1). Our Savior was buried at sunset on Wednesday evening, just before the commencement of the Passover Sabbath, Thursday, an Annual Sabbath. The visit related by Mark was at the end of the Lord’s Sabbath, Saturday, when the three days and three nights were ended. As they, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, came at the end of that Sabbath, just as the First Day was beginning, that is at sunset, they could not then have had time to buy the spices, unless they did so on the Sabbath, in violation of the Commandment, which Luke tells us they strictly observed, (Luke 23: 56). Nor could they have prepared the spices, as Luke informs us in that verse, on the evening of the crucifixion, as they entered immediately upon the Passover Sabbath. It is evident then that Mark 15:47, corresponds with Luke 23: 55, and Matthew 27:61; and that Mark 16:1 corresponds in time with the first half of Luke 23: 56. On the evening of the crucifixion, at the time of the sepulcher, all the women looked where the body was laid; Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting over in front of the sepulcher (Matthew 27: 61). On the Passover Sabbath no work was done; but when it was over, on Friday, the two Marys, and Salome bought sweet spices, (Mark 16: 1), and then all the women prepared them, (Luke 23: 56). (Note: The embalming done by Nicodemus, (John 19: 39),
was only a preliminary work, to preserve the body until the three days and three nights were over). Then the women, having made all ready, rested on the Lord’s Sabbath, according to the commandment, (Luke 23: 56). Thus we see that the first verse of Mark 16, so far from detailing any circumstances of the morning of the First Day, refers to a period anterior to the Sabbath evening visit described by Matthew; and therefore should properly be placed at the end of Mark 15, as shown on the previous page.
In the second verse of Mark 16, we read, “And very early in the morning the First Day of the week, they came to the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.” Of whom is Mark speaking? Evidently of the women whom he mentions in chapter 15:40, 41, for Luke also gives us the same fact without any break in the narrative. Luke 23: 55, 56, and 24: 1, where also the division of the chapters is most inopportune, as demonstrated on page 40. This group of women may or may not include the two Marys, who, Mark tells us, had been among them, according as other circumstances in the narrative may show. But as Matthew tells us that the evening before they had found the stone rolled away by the angel, and the sepulcher empty, it is quite clear that they were not along with these women, who, by the question they asked (v. 3) showed that they had heard nothing of what had taken place on the preceding evening. Thus the last verse of Mark 15 refers to Wednesday evening, the evening of the sepulcher; the first verse of Mark 16 and Luke 23: 56, relate what was done on Friday, and the latter part of the same verse of Luke tells how they spent the Lord’s Sabbath. The second verse of Mark 16 commences with the events of the morning of the First Day. And by attending to these facts we have complete harmony between the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The visit related by John is manifestly not the same as that recounted by Mark and Luke. It was made by Mary Magdalene alone, and before the other women, who came at the rising of the sun (Mark 16: 2-4), while we find here that Mary Magdalene came “while it was yet dark,” (John 20: 1). Probably she had not slept all night. She had an appointment to meet the other women at the sepulcher at sunrise. But she had seen it opened by an angel that evening before, and had beheld that Jesus was not there. Still she
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did not believe He was alive. She believed His body had been taken away, and set out before the time of her appointment to try and find where the body had been carried, in order to tell the other women of it. First, she came to the sepulcher to see if it was still open. Finding it so she goes to call Peter and John to aid her in her search. She had already informed them of what she had seen the evening before, but they had utterly refused to believe her. On hearing from her that a second visit had confirmed what she had said, they still refused credence, (Luke 24: 11), but this time Peter and John rise and dun to the sepulcher (Luke 24: 12, John 20: 3), in order to convince themselves, and here we find that John at length believed. They then return home, leaving Mary who was still incredulous, for seeing the two angels within the sepulcher whom the other women found there afterward at sunrise, (Mark 16: 5; Luke 24: 4), and then seeing Jesus Himself behind her, she does not at first recognize Him, but, taking Him for the gardener, she asks if He had taken the body away (John 20: 15. Next Jesus reveals Himself to her, then she hastens back to the disciples and tells them she has seen the Lord (Mark 16: 10; John 20: 18), but they still refuse to believe her, (Mark 16: 14).
While Mary is still with the disciples, at sunrise the other women come to the sepulcher. Mary the mother of James was not with them, fore she had seen Jesus alive that evening before and believed; thus they had not either of the two who knew the body was not there. They look around for some one to help them in rolling away the stone from the door, (Mark 16: 3). But on arriving there they find it had already been opened. Some of them enter the sepulcher (Mark 16: 5) and see one of the angels whom Mary Magdalene had seen a short time before. He tells them that Jesus is risen, and to go and tell His disciples that He will meet them in Galilee. But these women are so terrified by the angel that they run out (verse 8) and flee from the sepulcher, trembling and so amazed that they do not say a word to anyone, not even to their companions.
Meantime the rest of the women enter, and while they are still perplexed at not finding the body (Luke 24: 4), they see both of the angels, who inform them that Jesus is risen, and reminds them that He had foretold that He would do so. Then they, more courageous than their companions, and probably believing, go and inform the disciples (verses 9, 23, 24) who still remain hardened in their unbelief. Lastly, Luke mentions (verse 10) who were the women who informed the disciples of all these things, alluding to three separate announcements: First, that of the two Marys in the evening, then, that of Mary Magdalene in the morning, and thirdly, that of the other women at a later time.
Thus the narratives of the four Evangelists become quite harmonious and consistent. only two difficulties present themselves, which a few words suffice to explain:
First, it may be asked, how can it be that Mary Magdalene came to look for the body of Jesus in the morning (John 20:), if she had met Him and worshipped Him the evening before, Matthew 28: 9? We reply, “It is quite evident that she did not yet believe He was risen. The two Marys, returning together, met Jesus. Mary the mother of James recognized Him, and fell down and embraced His feet. Mary Magdalene followed her example, but still she was not convinced. There was some alteration in the Lord’s appearance after His resurrection that prevented His most constant followers from recognizing Him (see Mark 16: 12; Luke 24:16; John 20: 15; 21: 4, 12, until He revealed Himself as He chose. Probably He wished Mary Magdallene to become the bearer of a second announcement to Peter and John, in the morning, which she would not have done
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had she not been convinced He was risen. And we find a circumstance precisely similar on the occasion of His appearance to His disciples in Galilee (Matthew 28: 17), ‘when they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubted.’”
Secondly, our argument that Jesus rose at the end of the seventh day Sabbath would seem to have been overthrown by the statement of Mark 16: 9. “Now when Jesus was risen in the First Day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.” But here the translators, by putting in a comma after the word “week,” which is not found in the original text, having completely altered the sense of the passage. In conformity with the facts related by the Evangelists; it reads: “And having risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene early on the First Day of the week.” After having related, from the second verse of this chapter forward, the circumstances of the morning visit, Mark details from v. 9 to v. 14, the several appearances of the Christ on that da7y; and so he states (v. 9) that He appears first to Mary Magdalene, after that, to two of them as they went into the country (v. 12), and lastly, to the eleven as they reclined at supper (v. 14). And so it is evident that this first appearance here related by Mark does not mean His first appearance after His resurrection, but the first of His appearances on that day.
From this comparative, therefore, of the narratives of the four Evangelists, we may sum up the events that accompanied the crucifixion, and resurrection, thusly:
Month of Abib/Nisan, A.S. (After Sin) 4000; March A.D. 31.
13th day of Abib/Nisan, 3rd day of the week; 27th day of March, 3rd day of the week, Tuesday. After sunset, evening of the 14th, Jesus celebrates the Passover meal with His disciples, and is betrayed.
14th day of Abib/Nisan, 4th day of the week; 28th day of March, 4th day of the week, Wednesday. The preparation day for the Passover Sabbath. After the Passover meal; Gethsemane; Jesus prays, and awaits His arrest; trials before the High Priests; Scribes and Pharisees; Pilate; Herod; and Pilate. Jesus crucified at 9 A.M. Darkness from noon until 3 P.M., when Jesus died.
He was buried at the moment when, the evening having ended at sunset, and the new day begun, our Lord was laid in the tomb.
15th day of Abib/Nisan, 5th day of the week; 29 day of March. 5th day of the week, Thursday. The Passover Sabbath, an annual Sabbath. No work to be done.
16th day of Abib/Nisan, 6th day of the week; 30th day of March; 6th day of the week. Friday. The two Marys, and Salome, buy spices and ointments, and all the women prepare them.
17th day of Abib/Nisan, the Lord’s Sabbath; 7th day of the week; 31st day of March, the 7th day of the week. The Sabbath. No work done. The two Marys come to see the sepulcher at the moment when, the evening having ended at sunset, and the new day begun, there was a great earthquake. An angel descends, rolls away the stone, and tells them to go tell the disciples that Jesus is risen. As they go they meet Jesus. Mary the mother of James believes, but Mary Magdalene doubts. They inform the disciples, who refuse to believe.
18th day of Abib/Nisan, 1st day of the week; 1st day of April, the 1st day of the week. Before sunrise Mary Magdalene comes to the sepulcher. Seeing it open, she calls Peter and John. They come to the sepulcher, and return wondering; John believes. Mary still doubts, but Jesus appears and reveals Himself to her. She believes and returns to tell the
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disciples, who still remain incredulous. At sunrise the Galilean women arrive at the sepulcher and find it open. Some of them enter, see an angel, and flee terrified. The rest enter, see two angels who tell them that the Christ is risen. They hasten to tell the disciples, who still remain incredulous. Later on, two of them set out on a journey to Emmaus, Jesus meets and accompanies them, expounds the Scriptures to them, and reveals Himself as they partake of a meal. They return to Jerusalem and relate what had occurred. Jesus appears to the disciples at supper, and reproaches them for their unbelief.
God hates false worship: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not be partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.” “Through Your precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way.” (Revelation 18: 4; Psalm 119: 104).
Study # 4. The Two Covenants. Chapter 1.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
The Two Covenants, and Why the Old Covenant Failed.---A few years ago a friend of mine stepped 0ff the platform at the close of an evangelistic message, and hurried toward the front door to greet the people. Suddenly, his way was blocked by three young men, one of whom addressed him in quite a loud voice. He said, “Brother Joe, we were disappointed with the way you put us back under the Old Covenant tonight by preaching the seventh day Sabbath. Don’t you realize that we are living under the New Covenant now, and should be keeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath?”
The young man was voicing the conviction of many thousands of Christians today who sincerely believe that the Ten Commandments constituted the Old Covenant, which disappeared at the death and resurrection of our Lord, and therefore has no present application to grace saved Christians.
Is it a True Premise?---If so, we certainly need to be clearly appraised of the doctrine in order to avoid the pitfall of deadly legalism. On the other hand, if the Ten Commandments are still binding, it would be the most tragic mistake to discount even one of those great moral precepts.
No one can deny that there are Old Testament statements that refer to the Ten Commandments as a covenant; however, it will be our purpose here to show that the Ten Commandment Law was Not the Old Covenant that was abolished.
But before we delve into this fascinating subject, we need to define what a covenant really is. There are many types and forms, but basically a covenant is an agreement between two parties based upon mutual promises. All through the centuries God has dealt with His people on the basis of covenants. He is a reasonable God, and He invites, “Come now, and let us reason together.” (Isaiah 1: 18).
Sometimes God established pacts with individuals like Abraham, Moses, and David, and sometimes with the nations of physical and spiritual Israel. The most important covenant of all was set up long before God began to create, before this world came into existence. It was a covenant between God, and had to do with the eventuality of sin.
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Jesus Emanuel offered Himself there in the vast eternity of the past as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13: 8). He agreed to become the atoning sacrifice to redeem mankind, should Adam chose to sin. The terms of that eternal covenant have never been changed or superseded. Although many other covenants have been established through the years, the simple provision of salvation through faith has remained in effect through all ages, for all mankind.
The covenant, that has caused the most misunderstanding, though, is designated as, “the Old Covenant” by the writer of the Hebrews. He also describes the institution of a New Covenant that has some very important advantages over the Old. Here is how he describes the two: “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much He also is the Mediator of a better covenant, that was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He said, ‘Behold, the days come,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not,’ says the Lord. ‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the Lord; ‘I will put My Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people. . .For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.’ In that He says, ‘A new covenant’ He has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.’ (Hebrews 8: 6-13).
This description leaves no room for doubt concerning the fate of the Old Covenant. It was set aside in favor of a new one that has better promises. Naturally, we are interested to know all about that New Covenant that places God’s Law in the heart and mind. But we also need to understand the nature of the covenant that disappeared. Millions have been taught that it was the Ten Commandment Law. They boast of being delivered from the Law, and claim to walk in a glorious freedom from the Old Testament Covenant works.
Chapter 2.
The Old Covent Not the Ten Commandments.---Is this a Biblical position? It is just as important to understand what the Old Covenant was not, as to know what it was. Right now let us look at three absolute proofs that the covenant that disappeared was not the Ten Commandments. Then we will determine by comparing scripture just what the Old Covenant really was.
First of all, we notice that the Old Covenant had some poor promises in it. The New Covenant, we are told, “was established upon better promises.” Tell me, has anyone ever been able to point out any poor promises in the Ten Commandments? Never. On the contrary, Paul declares that they were very good. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: This is right. Honor your father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6: 1-3).
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This declaration alone is sufficient to show that the writer of Hebrews was not charging the moral Law with any weakness. The Old Covenant, whatever else it might be, could never be the Ten Commandments.
The second thing wrong with the Old Covenant was that it was faulty. The Bible says, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place should have been sought for the second.” (Hebrews 8: 7). Let me ask you a question? Has any angel or man been able to find a fault or flaw in the handwriting of God? The psalmist declared, “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the body.” (Psalm 19: 7). Paul wrote, “Wherefore the Law is holy, and the Commandment holy, just, and good.” (Romans 7: 12).
Does that sound like something weak and imperfect? No law could be perfect and faulty at the same time. It becomes more and more apparent that the Old Covenant could not have been the Ten Commandments.
Finally, though, we read the most dramatic thing about the Old Covenant – it was to be abolished!! “In that He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8: 13). Now we ask a serious question that should settle every doubt on this matter. Did the great moral Law of Ten Commandments vanish away?? Anyone who has read the New Testament must answer, Absolutely not. Paul affirms the exact opposite about the Law. He asked, “Do we then make void the Law through faith? God forbid: Yea, we establish the Law.” (Romans 3: 31).
Does the Bible contradict itself? Can something vanish and be established at the same time? Did the same writer say opposite things about the same law? Just to be certain that Paul was not saying that the Old Covenant was the Law, let us insert the words “Old Covenant” instead of the word “law” into Romans 3: 31. “Do we then void the Old Covenant through faith.” That doesn’t sound right at all, does it?? We know that the Old Covenant had vanished away, and could never be spoken of in this way. Very clearly, then, we can see that the covenant that came to an end could not have been the Ten Commandments.
Chapter 3.
What Was the Old Covenant?---Having found what the Old Covenant was not, we are now ready to identify it specifically from the Word of God. To do so we must go back in the Bible to the book of Exodus. Many people have failed to see that there was more than one covenant involved at Mt Sinai. God called Moses up into the mountain before He gave the Law, and proposed a covenant between Him and His people: “And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, ‘This shall you say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; . . .indeed, if you will obey My voice, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: All the earth is Mine: You shall be unto Me. . . .a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19: 3-6. Notice how God asked Moses to present His offer to the people. Here are all the elements of a true covenant. Conditions and promises are laid down for both sides. If the children of Israel accepted God’s proposal, a covenant will be established. How did they respond to the divine offer” “And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid
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before their faces all these words that the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.” (Exodus 19: 7, 8).
Just as soon as that answer went back to God, the basis for the Old Covenant was set up. But before it could go into formal operation there had to be a sealing or ratifying of the pact. This ritualistic service involved the sprinkling of the blood of an ox on the people, and is described in Exodus 24: 4-8; “And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men which. . .sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Moses took all of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: They said, ‘All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.’”
Again we are reminded that this covenant was not the Law itself, but was made “concerning all these words.” The Ten Commandments were the basis for the agreement. The people promised to keep that law, and God promised to bless them in return. The crucial weakness in the whole arrangement revolved around the way Israel promised. There was no suggestion that they could not fully conform to every requirement of God. Neither was there any application for divine assistance. “We will do it,” they insisted. Here is a perfect example of leaning on the flesh, and trusting human strength. The words are filled with self-confidence. “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.”
Were they able to keep that promise? In spite of their repeated assurances, they miserably broke their word before Moses could even get off the mountain with the tables of stone. Do we begin to see where the poor promises lay in the Old Covenant? Now the book of Hebrews begins to unfold. Here God is reported as “finding fault with them.” (Hebrews 8: 8). He said, “Because they did not continue in My covenant. . .I did not regard them.” The blame is placed squarely upon the human side of the mutual pact. Thus we can see exactly why Paul wrote as he did about this Old Covenant. It did gender to bondage, it proved faulty, had poor promises, and vanished away – all because the people failed to obey their part of the agreement. Putting all these things together we can see why a New Covenant was desperately needed, that would have better promises.
How were the New Covenant promises better? Because God made them, and they guaranteed successful obedience, through His strength alone. “I will put My Law into their mind. . .I will be to them a God. . .I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins, and their iniquities, will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8: 10-12).
How was the New Covenant ratified? In the same manner that the Old Covenant was confirmed – by the shedding of blood. But instead of an ox having to shed its blood, the sinless Son of God provided the blood of sprinkling: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, made you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus the Anointed One.” (Hebrews 13: 20, 21).
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What a contrast to the weak promises of the flesh made by physical Israel at Sinai. Instead of the people’s “we will do,” God’s New Covenant promise is to make you perfect in every good work. . .working in you.” No longer is it human effort alone. It is not even you working, but Him “working in you.” And how is this power made available? “Through the blood of the everlasting covenant.” Because of what Jesus Emanuel, the Christ did on the cross.
Chapter 4.
The New Concept Based on Conversion.---This brings us to the very heart of the New Covenant operation. Obedience is made possible by the writing of God’s Law on the hearts of Spiritual Israel. Through spiritual regeneration the minds and hearts are transformed. Jesus Emanuel actually enters into the life of the believer and imparts His own strength for obedience. By partaking of the divine nature, the weakest human being begins to live the very life of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, manifesting His victory, and crucifying the flesh.
Paul describes that transformation in these words: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His Son in the likeness of sin in the flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8: 3, 4).
The word for righteousness is “dikaima,” meaning “just requirement” of the Law. In other words, because of Jesus’ sinless life in the flesh, the requirement of the Law can be fulfilled in us. He overcame sin in the same body we have, so that He could impart that victory to us. He will actually live out His own holy life of separation from sin in our earthly bodies, if we will permit Him to do so. This is the New Covenant promise for every believing, trusting child of God, Spiritual Israel. And it is absolutely the only way that anyone can meet the requirements of the Law: “The Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1: 27). “The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2: 20).
It is most important for us to understand that the New Covenant Law written on the heart and mind is exactly the same Law that was given on the tables of stone at Sinai. Those great, spiritual principles reflect the very character of God, and form the basis for His government. The difference is not in the Law, but in the ministration of the Law. Written only upon the tables of stone, they can only condemn and minister death, because “the carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God.” (Romans 8: 7). Received into the heart and mind that has been spiritualized by the converting grace of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, the same Law becoming a delight. The beloved John declares, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments: His Commandments are not grievous.” (1st John 5: 3). Not only is the Law not grievous for the Spirit filled child of God, but obedience becomes a joyful experience. The psalmist wrote, “I delight to do your will, O my God; Yea, your Law is written within my heart.” (Psalm 40: 8).
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Chapter 5.
No Change in the New Covenant After Calvary.---Since the New Covenant was ratified by the blood of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, it obviously could not have gone into
effect until after Jesus’ death. This crucial fact must not be overlooked. Eternal life or death could hinge upon the proper understanding of this key point. Paul wrote, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: Otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.” (Hebrews 9: 16, 17). The word “testament” is the same as the word “covenant.” Only after a man’s last will and testament has been ratified by his death can the provisions thereof be executed. In the same way Jesus Emanuel, the Christ’s covenant, or testament would begin to operate just as soon as He had confirmed the covenant by His death on Calvary.
Another text leaves no question on the issue: “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; though it is but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man annuls, or adds to it.” (Galatians 3: 15). Paul is saying here that after a man’s death, his will, or covenant cannot be changed. Not one new addition can be made after the death of the testator.
The covenant stands forever exactly as it stood when the testator died. After the death of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, no change whatsoever could be made in His provisions to save
Spiritual Israel. The conditions were all sealed and ratified by the shedding of blood. Every requirement had been laid down clearly by the perfect pattern of His sinless life, and provision had been made for the writing of His magnified Law, by the Holy Spirit, upon the heart, and in the mind of each believer, Spiritual Israel.
Under the terms of the New Covenant not one soul would be left to struggle helplessly against the powerful urges of a fallen nature. “Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.” (Romans 5: 20). Eternal promises rooted in the changeless nature of God, provides power to overcome every inherited and cultivated weakness. No wonder .the Bible emphasizes the “better promises” of the glorious new agreement!! Now it is easy to understand some of the things Jesus did just before He died. For example, why did He institute the Lord’s Supper before His body had been broken? On Tuesday night, Wednesday evening, (Bible days are from sundown to sundown) before His agonizing death on Wednesday, Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room. Holding the cup in His hands, He said, “This is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sin.” (Matthew 26: 28).
Isn’t it curious that Jesus Emanuel would say those words before His blood had been shed? He was commanding a memorial for an event that had not even happened yet! Why? Because it had to be introduced before His death in order to come under the New Covenant. Nothing could be added, or taken away after His death.
Now, let me come back to the story I was telling at the beginning. My friend Joe had just finished preaching on the subject of the Sabbath in one of his evangelistic crusades. As he stepped off the platform to greet the people as they left, three young men blocked his way in the isle. One of them addressed him in a rather loud voice – loud enough to cause about fifty people near the front of the auditorium to stop and listen. “Brother Joe,” he said, “we were disappointed tonight with the way you put us back under the Old
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Covenant. Don’t you realize that we are living under the New Covenant now, and should keep Sunday instead of the Sabbath?”
Although most of the congregation was leaving the building, the group near the front gathered closer to hear all that the young man was saying. It was obvious that Joe would have to take the time to answer this trio’s challenging question. As I suspected, they turned out to be seminarians in training at a local Bible College. Eagerly they held their Bibles in their hands, and waited triumphantly for Joe to answer.
Usually, Joe does not like to debate controversial matters in a public forum, for fear of stirring combative natures, but there seemed no way to avoid dealing with these ministerial students. Anyway, they had Joe’s path completely blocked, and the circle of listeners looked at him expectantly for some explanation.
“Well, it seems as though you have studied the subject of the covenants quite deeply,” Joe suggested.
“Oh, yes,” they confirmed, “we know all about the covenants.”
“Good,” Joe replied. “You undoubtedly know when the Old Covenant was instituted.”
One of them spoke up quickly, “It was started at Mt. Sinai.”
“And how was it ratified?” Joe asked. Without a moment’s hesitation one of them answered, “By the sprinkling of the blood of an ox.”
“Very good,” Joe commented, “and how was the New Covenant ratified?” All three chorused the answer, “By the blood of Jesus on the cross.”
Joe commended the young men for their knowledge of the Scriptures, and asked them to read him two verses out of their own Bibles – Hebrews 9: 16, 17, and Galatians 3: 15. They responded eagerly to the invitation, and read the verses, commenting on each one after reading. “We agree that the New Covenant did not go into effect until the Christ died, and nothing can be added or taken away after He ratified it on the cross,” the spokesman for the group asserted. All three nodded their heads emphatically over this point.
Joe said, “Now you must answer two more questions for me. Here’s the first one, and you must think carefully to give me the correct answer: When did Sunday keeping begin?”
There was a moment of shocked silence, and then another, and another. The boys looked at each other, and then down at their feet, and then back at Joe. Joe gently prodded them for the answer, “Surely you can tell me the answer to this question. You have known all the others, and have answered correctly. When and why do you think people began keeping Sunday?”
Finally, one of them said, “We keep Sunday in honor of the resurrection of Jesus.” Joe said, “Then I must ask my last question. How could Sunday keeping be part of the New Covenant? You just stated that nothing could be added after Jesus died, it could never be a part of the New Covenant, could it?”
The three young men shuffled their feet, looked helplessly around, and one of them said, “We’ll study into that and talk to you later.” Then they fled from that auditorium as fast as they could go. I can assure you also that they never returned to talk further about the covenants.
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The fact is that Sunday keeping, even if it had been started on the day after the resurrection, would have been three days to late to get into the New Covenant. Both Bible, and history, prove that Sunday was never observed, by the Apostolic Church. It was added much later as the result of the gradual apostasy that developed in the early centuries of the church, and culminated in the pagan accommodations of Constantine in the Nicaean Council of A.S. (After Sin) 4294; A.D. 325.
Millions of modern church members regard Sunday as a sacred day that memorializes the resurrection of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. It is certainly true, from a Biblical study, that He rose on the seventh day Sabbath, at sunset, as it was becoming the First day of the week. We find that where the First day of the week is mentioned, we also find that He is not there, He is already gone. No where in the Bible are we ever commanded to keep the first day of the week holy. Events such as the crucifixion and resurrection should mean much to every Christian, but no, not one, intimation is given in the Scriptures for observing any days of His passion. The only day ever commanded for weekly worship is the seventh day of the week – the same Rest Jesus kept during creation week (Genesis 2: 1-3) and the same one He will keep with His people throughout all eternity (Isaiah 66: 22, 23).
The very strongest reason for rejecting Sunday worship is that it was not included in the New Covenant requirements that were ratified by the death of Jesus Emanuel. If the Christ had desired His Saturday/Sabbath resurrection to be memorialized by Sunday keeping, He could have introduced it on the same Tuesday night, Wednesday evening, of the Last Supper. Then it would have become part of the New Covenant, along with the Communion service. Jesus did not hesitate to command the observance of His death, even though it had not yet taken place. Just as easily He could have commanded the observance of His resurrection, which was still future, in order that it might become a New Covenant requirement. BUT HE DID NOT!! And no one else did either, until Paul’s prophecy began to be fulfilled about an apostasy following his departure (Acts 20: 29, 30). He also spoke of a falling away that would lead to the enthronement of the Antichrist, and that culminated in the enthronement of the Bishop of Rome as King of the Holy Roman Catholic Church in A.S. 4507; A.D. 538. (2nd Thessalonians 2: 3, 4). But true it is that no hint of any change of the Law given in the Scriptures. The unchangeable moral Law was preserved in both the Old and New Covenants as the perfect revelation of God’s will.
Chapter 6.
Ishmael and Isaac Represent Two Covenants.---With this background we are now prepared to examine Galatians 4. Many have been confused over the allegory Paul uses to illustrate the Old and New Covenants. Her is the way he wrote about it: “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by an handmaid, the other by a free woman. But he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: These are the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.” (Verses 22-25).
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Paul portrays Isaac and Ishmael, the two sons of Abraham, as representing the old and New Covenants. He plainly shows that Hagar’s son, Ishmael, symbolizes the Old Covenant, and Sarah’s son, Isaac, as a type of the New Covenant. “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. . .So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free.” (Verses 28-31).
This is interesting, for how does those two sons of these two women represent the two covenants? Actually, they are a perfect illustration according to everything we have learned so far. God had promised Abraham a son by his wife Sarah, but because she was almost ninety years old, neither of them believed such a thing could happen. Sarah knew that her womb was dead, and she suggested that her husband take Hagar, her handmaid, and have a child by her. It seemed the only way to rescue God from an impossible promise. In time Abraham yielded to the face saving device and had a child by Hagar.
Here is an exact illustration of the Old Covenant principle of “we will do.” Abraham tried to work it out in the flesh, according to human effort and planning. The whole arrangement failed just as surely as the Old Covenant promises failed, because there was no dependence on divine power. God did not ever recognize Ishmael as the promised seed. When Isaac was born it was a miracle. God actually created a new life out of a biologically barren womb. The physical impossibilities yielded to the supernatural, creative power of God. Isaac perfectly represents the principle of the New Covenant relationship based upon regeneration, a new birth experience, which begets the life of the Son of God in all who believe. The natural, physical womb of Sarah, was totally incapable of producing any fruit. In the same way, the natural, carnal body and mind of a sinner cannot bring forth the fruit of obedience. When God used His power to create a new life within Sarah the impossible happened, and she bore a son. When God uses His power to create new life in a person, the impossible happens again – a human being becomes spiritual and obedient.
Isaac was not “born after the flesh,” but “after the Spirit.” (Galatians 4: 29). Because mankind is carnal and “weak in the flesh.” He has no power to attain to the righteousness of the Law. He also must be born of the Spirit. Every attempt to obey on the Old Covenant basis of human effort will produce only children of bondage. The law must be written into the heart and mind by the Holy Spirit and filled by the “Anointed One in you.”
This allegory of Hagar and Sarah clears up another very important point of truth. Those who are under the Old Covenant are the Commandment breakers, and those under the New Covenant are the Commandment keepers. It was only when Abraham disobeyed God by taking Hagar that he fulfilled the principle of the Old Covenant. When he trusted God to give him a son through Sarah, he was being obedient to God’s will, and properly represented the New Covenant , Spiritual Israel. Yet, how often do modern interpreters get these facts confused! Like the three young preachers, they accuse Law keepers of being under the Old Covenant. The truth is exactly the opposite. The Law is not really kept until it is written on the heart and in the mind of transformed believers. Then it becomes the Mark of identification – the love symbol – for those who are born of the Spirit. Jesus says; “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments.” (1st John 5: 3).
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Chapter 7.
True Circumcision Not Physical.---Have you ever wondered why God gave circumcision to Abraham as a sign of the Old Covenant? Doesn’t that seem to be a rather crude way to represent such an important agreement? Think about it for a moment, and it might begin to make a lot of sense. God gave Abraham the sign of circumcision to remind him of how he failed by trusting the flesh. All through the Scriptures, physical circumcision is related to dependence on the flesh. Paul wrote, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in the Christ, Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3: 3). Paul was comparing true circumcision with “that which is called circumcision.” The cutting off of the flesh was not true circumcision at all: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: He is a Jew, that is one inwardly; Circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2: 28, 29). Notice how Paul turns from the flesh to the Spirit. He says real circumcision happens to the heart, and it exalts what God does, and not man. It is the cutting off the fleshly nature through conversion. The new birth is the true circumcision experience.
The clearest explanation is found in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians: “In whom you are circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands, putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by circumcision of the Christ.” (Colossians 2: 11).
Here the spiritual work of the Christ on the heart is called circumcision. It is done without hands, indicating that no human effort could perform this act. It is not cutting off the physical flesh, but cutting off the fleshly nature of sin through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is available to all on exactly the same basis: “And if you are the Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s descendants, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3: 29). All who receive the Christ become heirs of all the promises made to Abraham. Those experiencing true circumcision constitute Spiritual Israel.
No longer can anyone boast of belonging to the right physical family. There are no more Jew or Gentile, male or female. Acceptance is based upon personal faith in Jesus Emanuel, the Christ as Savior. Neither can any man claim special favor for cutting off the physical foreskin of flesh. Those things were done by people who based everything on “we will do.” They sought justification and salvation through works of the flesh. God’s new plan, through Jesus Emanuel, the Christ is not in works of the flesh, but of grace through faith and obedience.
Does this mean that works are no longer important? Since the Law cannot justify, should it be abolished by the believer? The doctrine of the covenants establishes beyond any doubt that the Law that the Law is just as important under the New as it was under the Old. Instead of being graven on stone it is written in the heart and mind. Instead of being fulfilled by us, it is fulfilled by Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, Almighty God bodily present, through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Instead of keeping the Law in order to be saved, we keep the Law because we are saved. The same works of obedience are there, but they are there for a different reason, and from different motives.
Sometimes, without realizing it, we can begin to trust our traditional round of religious exercises far more than we ought. No merit system must clog the free channels of faith,
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love, and grace. Obedience in its proper position is important and necessary, but it must always be in that position – following grace, and accompanied by love. Amen?
Study # 5. The Weekly Sabbath. Chapter 1.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
A Great and Important Question.---Why do most professed Christian churches teach the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, as the day of rest and worship of God, when the Bible teaches the observance of the seventh day Sabbath, commonly called Saturday?
In this time, so near the return of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, (1 Abib/Nisan, A,S, 6000; 27 March A. D. 2036), Christians aught to be conforming to the Word of God, instead of listening to what pleases the ears. We must obey God to the best of our ability, for there is no Salvation in Faith without Works (Obedience to God’s Word), and no Salvation in Works without Faith. (James 2: 14-26). The question concerning the proper day of worship is one that we must study on, and one to which we must find the truth, and the truth comes from only the Word of God!! Yet, it is evident that at some point and place in time there was a change made regarding the Biblical doctrine of the day of Rest. In the Bible the only day ever mentioned as a weekly day of worship and rest is the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, now commonly known as Saturday. Yet, most churches observe, and teach Sunday, the first day of the week; calling it the Lord’s Day, and/or the Christian Sabbath. WHY?????
The Sabbath of the Bible.---Now, let us see what the Scriptures teach us concerning the Sabbath. At the very beginning of the Biblical account of the creation and furbishing of the earth, we find also the origin of the seven day week. God furbished this world in six literal days, crowning it with Rest, the Seventh Day Sabbath. (Genesis 1: 31; 2: 1-3).
Thus, we find the eternal Creator setting aside a special day, Rest, Sanctified and Blessed!! The word Sanctified means to set aside for Holy use, or to make Holy.
Physical Israel Kept Rest.---The fact that the Sabbath was kept by the people of God in early times is shown in the gathering of the manna as God gave it to Israel. (Exodus 16: 21-23, 26).
About two months later God gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sanai. The following is the wording of the fourth commandment:
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: In it you shall do no work, you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your cattle, or the stranger that is within your gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven, earth, sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day: Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20: 8-11).
God does not change, ever. (Malachi 3: 6).
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Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, Kept Sabbath.---During His life and ministry, from eternity to eternity, Jesus Emanuel observed, and observes the seventh day Sabbath. In the furbishing the earth, Genesis 1: 31; 2: 1-3; With Physical Israel, Exodus 16: 21-23, 26; 20: 8-11; In His own life and earthly ministry, Luke 4: 16.
Jesus Emanuel, Almighty God taught the true way for His people to keep Sabbath. He showed that it was right to do good on the Sabbath day, by relieving suffering, and preparing, and eating food. In Matthew 12: 1-7, we find the Pharisees of the Jews condemning the disciples of Jesus for picking and eating grain. Jesus said they were not guilty of breaking the Sabbath. He then proceeded to heal a man’s hand on the Sabbath. And He said.”. . . it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days (Matthew 12: 12. In Mark we find these words of Jesus Emanuel: “. . . The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath: Therefore, the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. (Mark 2: 27, 28).
Thus, Jesus Emanuel taught the right way to keep Sabbath, and declared that it was the day of which He was, and is Lord, thus calling the seventh day Sabbath, Saturday, the Lord’s Day.” Why, then, do so many denominations, Churches, and church members today call Sunday the Lord’s Day?? Jesus Emanuel is not in it!! We shall investigate this further on in our study.
The Apostles Kept, and Taught, Seventh Day Sabbath.---As Paul went about his missionary journeys, he taught especially on the Sabbath day. On his first journey he “. . . came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.” (Acts 13: 14).
Here was a meeting of the Jewish people who, in this city of Asia Minor, were still meeting on the original seventh day Sabbath that had been kept by the people of God for centuries, from the furbishing of the earth. The Jews in the gathering did not approve of Paul’s message, but there were non Jews, Gentiles, present who asked for more of the message. Paul did not arrange to preach to them the next Sunday, but rather the next Sabbath. (Acts 13: 44).
It is evident that Paul and the other Apostles did not preach a change of the Sabbath when they carried the Gospel to the then known world.
In Acts 18 we read of Paul and his work in the Greek city of Corinth. He stayed with a man and his wife named Aquila and Priscilla, and worked at tent making.
“An he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” (Acts 18: 4).
It would appear that Paul worked during the six days of the week, including the First
day, or Sunday, but that he preached on the Sabbath to both Jews and Greeks. Although a strong church was soon raised up in Corinth, Paul, nor any of the Apostles, changed the Sabbath.
Chapter 2.
“The Great Falling Away.”---The great question still remains, “Why do most Christians keep Sunday instead of Sabbath?” We will find that the only way to get an answer to this is to study history, and compare it with the Bible, God’s Word. In 2nd Thessalonians, chapter 2, we have a prophecy of what was to take place in the early church after the ministry of the Apostles. Some thought that the second coming of Jesus
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Emanuel, the Christ was to come at that time. To them Paul wrote:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: That day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. (2nd Thessalonians 2: 3).
That this “falling away” was from the “True Teachings” is shown by verse 10 in which he declares that those who are deceived will perish. “. . . because they do not receive the love of the Truth that they might be saved.” (2nd Thessalonians 2: 10).
He called upon the people of God , His Church to “Stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:15).
But let’s see what actually happened!!
The Church and The Pagan Roman Empire.---The Apostles lived during the time of the power of the Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul constantly warned against pagan religion of his day:
“Who changed the Truth of God into a Lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed forever, Amen.” (Romans 1: 25).
By definition, paganism is the worship of the material things such as the sun, moon, animals, trees, and forces of nature. Now, what does history say happened as the early church developed? We quote from, Medieval and Modern History by Myers, page 42, under the heading “The Paganizing of Christianity:”
“The subjects of the Roman Empire in adopting the new religion in exchange for their own, had mingled with it many of their heathen notions and rites. . . The result was that the mediaeval church became very deferent from that of the primitive age of Christianity.
. . Many of our religious ideas, festivals, and ceremonies. . . may be traced back to an origin in the practices and beliefs of our heathen ancestors.”
In the book, The Two Babylons by Hyslop, pages 93, 105.
“This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism half way was very early developed, and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year A.S. 4199; A.D. 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of the Christ in this respect. . . To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan festivals amalgamated. . .
Sun – Day in the Church.---It was about A.S. 4023; A.D. 54 that the Apostle Paul foretold there would come a falling away from the Truth. In A.S. 4029; A.D. 60 he wrote to the Christians at Rome about the evil ways of one of the special days of the pagans was called the “venerable day of the sun” which was the First day of the week.
In the book, History of the Sabbath by Andrews, we read on page 263:
“In the time of Justin Martyr, Sunday was a weekly festival widely celebrated by the heathen in honor of their god, the sun. And in presenting to the heathen emperor of Rome an “apology” for his brethren, Justin takes care to tell him thrice that the Christians held their assemblies on this day of general observance.”
This was written in A.S. 4109; A.D. 140, about 90 years after the Apostle Paul had foretold the falling away from the truth.
In the, History of the Sabbath, page 276, we find this quotation from Bowers’ History of the Popes:
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“Victor, Bishop of Rome, in the year A.S. 4165; A.D. 196, took upon him to impose the Roman custom upon the church; that is to compel them to observe the Passover upon Sunday.”
Thus, at this very early time the Bishop of Rome, later called the Pope, was already attempting to assert his authority and to require the observance of the First day of the week.”
The First Sunday Law.---We see that the falling away from God’s truth began as early as A.S. 4109; A.D. 140. This continued and increased greatly when the Roman emperor, Constantine proclaimed his acceptance of Christianity as a Roman religion. In order to unite the people, and strengthen his rule over them, this emperor attempted to unite them in religion. Pagan Rome was to become Christian, and Pagan days were given Christian significance. In History of the Christian Church by Schaff, Vol. III, page 379 we read:
“Constantine is the founder, in part at least, of the civil observance of Sunday, by which alone the religious observance of it in the church could be made universal and could be properly secured.”
The following is the wording of the first Sunday law made by Emperor Constantine in A.S. 4290; A.D. 321:
“On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.” (Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. III, page 380).
Thus, in decreeing the observance of the heathen Day of the Sun, the emperor not only changed the day but also, in part, the manner of observance. In God’s Word concerning the seventh day Sabbath, all are to rest. It was especially mentioned to farmers:
“On the seventh day you shall rest: In earing time and in harvest you shall rest.” (Exodus 34: 21).
Sunday Established by Church and State.---After Constantine, the Roman power continued to make decrees establishing and enforcing observance of Sunday in place of the Sabbath. We read in the Schaff – Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. XI, page 147:
“Sixty-six years later, A.S. 4356; A.D. 387 in another Roman decree, Sunday is
called ‘The Lord’s Day.’ This constitutes legal recognition of the Christian name for the day. . . In A.S. 4361; A.D. 392 another Roman decree forbade on that day all exhibitions that might turn away attendance from the mysteries of the Christian religion. The Sunday
legislation of the Roman empire never went backward. . . In the time of Justinian, A.S. 4664; A.D. 695, the laws of the empire on the subject were gathered into the codes, which contained the laws of the Roman empire, and from the year A.S. 4769; A.D. 800, when Charlemagne was crowned, this code was of force and effect all over the ‘Holy Roman Empire’. . . During the Middle Ages of popes and councils concerning the observance of Sunday, which, though ecclesiastical, were of civil force because they were enforced by civil power.”
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The crowning of Charlemagne as emperor by the Pope in A.S. 4769; A.D. 800, was the great act of uniting the power of the false church, the Apostate church with civil power. This created a great governing power in Europe with two heads --- Pope and emperor. The Pope made the church laws and the emperor enforced them. Concerning the establishment of Sunday we again reading the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge:
“Not until the time of the Carolingians [the line of kings that began with Charlemagne] did the idea of substitution of Sunday for the Old Testament Sabbath prevail in Christian Europe. Charlemagne’s numerous strict Sunday regulations were explicitly based upon the Old Testament command to keep the Sabbath day holy.”
Here we see the attempt made to apply to Sunday, the Law of God concerning the seventh day Sabbath. But the First day of the week is not the seventh day, which is Saturday. But by the foregoing quotations from history we see how the power of the Roman Empire, and the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope brought about the change during, what we call, the Middle Ages.
The Roman emperor Constantine made the first civil law for the observance of Sunday and this laid the foundation for laws making it a part of the worship of the Roman Catholic Church, which was then developing. Speaking of the Catholic Church, we read in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. XXII, page 655:
“The church itself by provincial constitutions and other means declared the sanctity of the day and was strong enough to visit with its own censures those who failed to observe Sunday.”
Freely Admitted by Catholics.---Roman Catholics have always been very free to admit that the change from Sabbath to Sunday was their work. In this they are perfectly consistent, for they believe that their church has the authority from God, to establish such observances. They have many other special “holy days” that they consider in the same category as Sunday. Here are some quotations showing the Catholic position:
From The Doctrinal Catechism:
“Question: Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to constitute festivals of precept?
“Answer: Had she not such power she could not have done that in which all modern religionist agree with her: …she could not have substituted Sunday, the First day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the Seventh day of the week. … a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”
From Cardinal Gibbons to Mr. J. E. Snyder:
“Dear Sir: Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as not one in those days would have dared to act in anything spiritual and without her consent, and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power in religious matters.
(signed) Yours truly
Wm. Redway
Sec. to the Card.
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From Historia Ecclesiastia by M. Ludovicum. Cent. 4, Chapter 10, pages 739 and 240, Ed. Basilea, 1624:
“Sylvester, bishop of Rome, A.D. 314 to 337, officially changed the title of the First day of the week, calling it the Lord’s Day.”
Chapter 3.
A Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy.---The change of the Sabbath to Sunday by authority of the Roman Catholic Church, of which the Bishop of Rome, or Pope, is the head, is a direct fulfillment of great prophecies of the Bible.
The development of the Papacy is described in symbolic language in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. Speaking of this power that was to rise out of the Pagan Roman Empire, Daniel wrote:
“---and he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the Saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws.” (Daniel 7: 25).
Notice: This ecclesiastical office, would think to make such changes, for they would not be, cannot be, and are not recognized by the people of God, His Church.
All through the centuries there have been many Christians, who have been true to, and held to the truths of the Bible. The Ten Commandments have been held to be the great basic Law of God. They are still the basic Law of God centered Christianity. Jesus kept His Father’s Commandments, and He calls on every one of us to follow Him, in keeping those same Ten Commandments.
In these last days, most Christians profess to keep all the Ten Commandments, except the fourth that calls for the observance of the Seventh Day Sabbath. This then, becomes a great Test of True Obedience to God, and the keeping of His Commandments. It is no wonder that God’s people, His Church, in this the end of the ages, are pointed out thusly:
“Here is the patience of the Saints: Here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14: 12).
In Revelation 12: 17 Satan is the great dragon who is angry at the true Church, His Church, symbolized as a woman, and it is said that he goes out: “to make war with the remnant that keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus, the Christ.”
Only One Day Blessed.---What God has blessed no man can reverse as we see in Numbers 23: 20:
“Look, I have received (a command from God) to bless: He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.”
Man, or angels may appoint other days of rest, but only the Seventh day has been blessed of God. Here is a fact no man, councils of man, nor angels can change it, and God will not, for He said it, and it stands forever. In the beginning the Seventh day was made Rest, a Sabbath, a memorial of God’s creative powers in furbishing the Earth.
Men may preach with great eloquence, and/or vehemence; they may write reams of man created arguments in favor of another Sabbath. But they are millennia to late. The Seventh Day Sabbath is an established fact in Eternity, in Heaven, and in the Earth.
The seventh day Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the Sabbath at Sinai. It stands fast forever as we read in Psalm 111: 7, 8.
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“The works of His hands are verity, truths, and justice; all His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever; done in truth and righteousness.”
Inasmuch as Jesus Emanuel made the Sabbath, He knows which day of the week is the true Rest, and how it is to be kept. Some people tell us that time was lost track of during Old Testament times. They declare we cannot possibly know which day of the week is the true seventh day, blessed and hallowed in Eden.
But time is not lost! The weakly cycle has been preserved unbroken. Even if it had been lost, Jesus identified the true seventh day Sabbath by observing it during His entire earthly ministry as we shall read in Luke 4: 16:
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: As His custom was, He went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”
It was the day of His resurrection; it was the day before the First day of the week when it was discovered that He was not in the tomb: Matthew 28: 1, 2, 5, 6; Mark 16: 1, 2, 4-6; Luke 24: 1-6; John 20: 1, 9.
Even a child knows that the day before Sunday, the First day of the week, is Saturday, the Seventh day of the week. This is the Christian Sabbath, the Sabbath of God’s people, His Church.
In His earthly ministry, it was the Savior’s “custom” to observe the Sabbath of the fourth Commandment. He was in the place of worship on His Holy Day. To His followers of all time, the Christ says:
“If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant be: If any man serve Me, him will My Father Honor.” John 12: 26).
Jesus Emanuel knew that the fall of Jerusalem would be more than thirty five years after His resurrection. He told His disciples to pray that their flight from enemy forces might not be on the “Sabbath day.” (Matthew 24: 20). Had the Master intended the day after His resurrection to become a new Sabbath, replacing His memorial of His powers in furbishing the Earth, certainly He would never have given such instruction to His followers.
Even during those silent hours of death in Joseph’s new tomb, the Christ rested from dusk, 14 Abib/Nisan, Passover, A.S. 4000; 28 March, Wednesday, A.D. 31, through dusk, 15 Abib/Nisan, an annual Sabbath, A.S. 4000; 29 March, Thursday, A.D. 31, through dusk, 16 Abib/Nisan, Sixth day, A.S. 4000; 30 March, Friday, A.D. 31, till dusk, 17 Abib/Nisan, the weekly Sabbath, A.S. 4000; 31 March, seventh day Sabbath, A.D. 31.
In heaven, and in earth, in life, and in death, Jesus left us an example that we can safely follow. If we say we abide in Him we ought also “to walk, even as He walked.”
The vast majority, of the Christian world today, do not obey God, do not walk as Jesus Emanuel walked, in total obedience to the Father’s Commandments. With most professing Christians of our time, a First day, Pagan holiday has replaced God’s seventh day Sabbath, a true Holy day. A First day sabbath does not find its origin in Holy Scriptures, nor from the mouth of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, and Savior; Almighty God bodily present. No command from God, through the inspired writers, to change the Seventh day Sabbath is found in the Bible.
The Holy Spirit calls men and women back to the observance of the Seventh day Sabbath; Jesus Emanuel made and keeps the Sabbath as His Holy day of Rest. If we plan to keep the Sabbath with Him in the Garden restored, the New Jerusalem, come down
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from above, we should now, begin to obey God here and now, while we are alive, and waiting His Glorious appearing.
How is it with you, Dear Friend? Are you following Jesus Emanuel, the Lord of the Sabbath, in remembering His holy Sabbath day, as He instructed us? If so, you have a rich blessing in store, in this life, and in the life to come.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
The Intellectual Animal.---I have been very hesitant about presenting this topic because of the streams of social thinking and political correctness. I believe an understanding of the animalistic behavior of man without God will help us to see the total depravity and self-centeredness that exists in the world today. Recently, when interviewed by a radio station, a policeman was asked what he thought about the nature of man and why there was so much crime in his city. He responded by saying that he believed that mankind was basically good and society around him contributed to his criminal behavior. How wrong he was!! Yet, this is the prevailing thought of sociologist and physiologist today. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit against God’s counsel, sin entered into the world. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon mankind.” (Romans 5: 12). Through Adam, we were born into sin, death, judgment, and condemnation. And death not only came into the world and races, but it reigned as king. “By one man’s offense death reigned by one. . . Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon mankind to condemnation.” (Romans 5: 17, 18).
When mankind was created, on the sixth day of the furbishing of the Earth, they were truly human, for they were made “in the image of God.” (Genesis 1: 26), though spoken into existence as were the animals. When God had finished His furbishing of the Earth, and gave Rest, He said “there was not a man to till the soil.” (Genesis 2: 5).
When Adam was created, the man was sculptured from the dust of the Earth, and was not spoken into existence, and God breathed into him the “Breath of Life.” (Genesis 2:7), (see also Luke 20: 22, 23). It was the special circumstance of his creation that set him apart from mankind, and the other animals, and he too was made, “In the likeness of God.” (Genesis 1:26). At this point Adam was placed in the Garden of God, the Garden eastward in Eden, to care for it, to tend the garden. But what does this mean? This is the topic that will be discussed throughout this study. The Scriptures show that the special creation of the man Adam constitutes a special kind of relationship. God breathing into him the Breath of Life, was different from the natural breathing of mankind, and the animals who were also breathing, living souls. The Breath of Life God breathed into Adam made this man distinctly different in his image of God, than those created on the Sixth day. The Breath of Life was more than air filling the lungs of Adam (which came naturally); it was the very Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. It meant that the man was filled with the very Essences of God, and had the mind of God, with His moral attributes. When Adam sinned, the Essences of God, the Holy Spirit was removed and the special
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relationship between God and mankind was severed. Humanity was reckoned, by God, as dead. In fact, by definition, Adam ceased to be a complete man, and became an intellectual animal with the rest of mankind!! Adam’s children were therefore born in his own image, and not in the image of God, with one exception, our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and had a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth.” (Genesis 5: 3). This relationship with God is what distinguishes man as man. Jesus Emanuel was born in the image of God. “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of the Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” ( 2nd Corinthians 4: 4).
It is a sobering thought therefore, that those who are still “in Adam” are not looked upon in the Bible as true men and aggregates of them are not looked upon as “people.” This is stated simply and clearly in 1st Peter 2: 10, “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” True “people” are those who bear the image of God, and this image must be re-created as expressly stated in Colossians 3: 10, “And have out on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.” Only by being born again can the individual achieve the statue of true man and womanhood, being conformed to the image of His Son. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8: 29). O. Hallesby, page 44, put it very aptly this way: “If I had to tell you in one short sentence why I became a Christian, I think that in order to be as simple and clear as possible, I should say that I did it to become a man.”
The indwelling of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ in the believer, through the Holy Spirit, restored a measure of the perfect character of the Second Adam, displacing the fallen nature of the First Adam. Thus, all in Adam are reckoned dead, as all in the Christ are being made alive. And, although the individual in the Christ is the hope of glory, the Christ in the individual is the guarantee of becoming a real person, a complete human being, because the image of God is once more restored in him, or her. The individual is no longer an intellectual animal, but a complete man or woman, with the mind of God, and a glorified body to come.
Chapter 2
The New Birth.---The most decisive and important message of the entire gospel is to properly understand the new birth. There are so many variations and/or interpretations of what constitutes the new birth, and the Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ says, “You must be born again.” Therefore, it is vitally important that we properly, and rightly understand the new birth. There is probably no other thing Satan would rather do than deceive us on this point; he would let us think we have been born again when in fact we have not been born again. Nothing is more important than to understand the summons of our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, “. . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 3).
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Background.---In order to understand the new birth, it is important to discern the background and content of the message that Jesus is presenting to Nicodemus, and who was Nicodemus?
In John, Chapter three, we see the phrase “born again” used for the first time in connection with a famous night visit of Nicodemus to Jesus. “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: No man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily,’ I say unto you, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot se the kingdom of God.’” (John 3: 1-3). Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the council of seventy men who ran the religious affairs of the nation and who had religious authority over any Jew anywhere in the world. That council was almost entirely made up of Pharisees. To get a clear picture of who Nicodemus was, we must understand who the Pharisees were.
If ever there was a group, that could be called religious fanatics, it was the Pharisees. They were a select group . . . never more than six thousand of them . . . who had each one taken a solemn vow before witnesses that he would devote every moment of his entire life to obeying the entire law of God, as a way of pleasing God. The Pharisees took this very seriously. Because God’s laws were given in rather general terms, it was felt necessary ti define the terms of the laws, and spell out how they applied to life’s situations. There was a group of people called the Scribes, who were members of the Pharisees, who spent their lives studying God’s laws, and applying them to every conceivable situation of life so that the Pharisees could carry them and thus have perfect obedience to God.
The Scribes took their work very seriously. In fact, to demonstrate how seriously they took it, they had compiled a very thick book, that the Jews still have today, called the Mishnah, made up on sections devoted to applying God’s law to life. Besides that they have another book, the Talmud, which is made up of commentaries on the Mishnah. We can certainly see how serious the Pharisees were about keeping the law. Now, here was Nicodemus who was doing his very best to obey all of God’s laws plus all the rules and regulations made by the Scribes. Nicodemus was a good man, doing his best. In fact, it would be nice to have him for a neighbor because you could trust him not to steal or do you any harm. He was a law keeper in need of a Savior. Nicodemus had an empty and unsatisfied heart that led him to seek out Jesus by night, at the risk of the displeasure of his peers, to talk with Him about the kingdom of God. Nicodemus knew what the Old Testament Scriptures implied about the kingdom of God. Judaism taught that this was to be a future kingdom, and that all Jews who faithfully kept the law would be admitted to it freely. Jesus knew his deep hunger and emptiness in searching for true righteousness that comes only from God. Knowing this, Jesus immediately puts him on the right track. Jesus cuts right across Nicodemus’ self righteousness with a sharp and penetrating sentence that must have gone like a sword thrust right into his heart. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 3). What awful statement this was to someone who was respected as the epitome of righteousness. Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was saying when He said, “Except a man be born again.” With an obviously puzzled look on his face he
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said to Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born again?” (John 3: 4). How obscured it must have seemed to him. What he is really asking is for Jesus to explain what He means. This was a frequent reaction of many, to the messages of Jesus. Jesus was forever using symbols when He talked with individuals and they would take him literally. What did Jesus mean when He said to be “born again?”
The Meaning of Born Again.---A new birth is absolutely essential to enter the kingdom of God. A very interesting word is used by Jesus that is translated “again.” It is the Greek word, “anothen” which has three meanings: 1. It means again, to do it a second time; 2. It also means to begin radically, completely, a new beginning; 3. It also means from above. The Christian understanding of this word includes all three of these meanings. It is speaking of something radical, a new beginning. By telling Nicodemus that he must be born again, Jesus implies that his righteousness is not good enough for the Kingdom of God. He is laying the foundation for the most unpalatable doctrine of scripture that teaches that we all belong to a lost race, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3: 23). That is the problem. Jesus wanted Nicodemus to depend upon the power of God through His Spirit, and not upon his own sfforts. The only way to overcome sin is to be empowered by God. The new birth is God’s empowerment. Jesus continues with him by telling him what is necessary to be born again. “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.’” (John 3: 5). Jesus is here answering Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus’ reply was, “By water and by the Spirit.” What did Jesus mean by this statement?
Born of Water.---Scholars ascribe different meaning to the portion of scripture “born of water.” This critical phrase has given interpreters genuine difficulty. I say critical because when Jesus spoke, using the words “Verily, verily,” it was imperative that we stand up and take notice. Jesus was emphatic when He declared that no one will see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. It sounds to me like there are no exceptions. Obviously, how to be born again is just as important, because He again says, “Verily, verily” and continues by saying “born of water, and of the Spirit.” This is why the understanding is so critical. Lets look at some common interpretations as we remember that of all of God’s creatures, humanity, and only humanity, has the opportunity to attain salvation, and that from sin to the close of probation:
(1). One of the most common views of “water” is referred to as Baptizm. The question arises, ‘Which Baptism, John the Baptist baptism of repentance, or what is commonly called, Christian baptism that is accompanied by spiritual regeneration? There is a biblical and historical problem with this argument. Biblically, Jesus assured the repentant thief on the cross that he would be in paradise. Since the thief believed only as he hung on the cross, he had no opportunity for water baptism. Another gospel mentions that both thieves reviled Jesus, which means he must have reconsidered his attitude as he hung there. Historically, there are persecutions before they could have been an opportunity to receive instruction for baptism and be water baptized. The question is: If Jesus considered being born of water and the Spirit important enough to base being in the Kingdom of God, then water baptism could not have been a requirement if the thief on the cross and others could not possibly be baptized. Do not misunderstand what I am
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saying. Water Baptism is very important, but lets not try to bend scriptures to say something that just is not there. Paul’s own recorded perspective in 1st Corinthians 1: 14-17 also suggest that a difference was drawn between the ritual and the reality of spiritual new birth by the Apostles. There are cases in the Bible where people received the Spirit of God even before they were water baptized. See Acts 10: 4, 47, 48.
(2). Another teaching to a lesser extent is that the water is the symbol of the Word of God. The Word of God is viewed as the vehicle, or the instrument, whereby the Holy Spirit quickens us unto newness of life. The problem with this teaching is that they get the “cart before the horse.” Paul says in 1st Corinthians 2: 14, “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: For they are foolishness unto him: Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Understanding the Word of God only comes by the Spirit of God.
(3). Another option suggests that “water and Spirit” form a unified concept to express the eschatological renewal promised in the Old Testament. There was a very famous passage in Ezekiel that every teacher in Israel knew, because it was the promise of the new covenant. In Ezekiel 36: 25-27. God said, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleans you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them.” God made this promise to Israel about a new covenant. Would Nicodemus have understood it? If “water” was in reference to this, Nicodemus would have understood. Obviously, Nicodemus did not understand because of what Jesus said in John 3: 10, “Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Are you a master of Israel, and know not these things?’” The verses in Ezekiel certainly are applicable at least in reference to the “born of the Spirit” because this is exactly what the Spirit of God does. In fact, we cannot clean up the filthiness in our lives and repent, except by the Spirit of God. See Romans 2: 4. Another problem with this option is that it combines two things together, “water and Spirit” which Jesus specifically separates in the following verse.
“That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.” (John 3: 6).
(4). The last and second most common teaching on the “water” is that the water refers to the natural birth. To best understand Jesus’ own teachings, we should listen to His own explanations. In the very next sentence after, “Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” Jesus said, “that which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.” When we let these two verses stand together, as they should, the most literal, and natural meaning is to see that Jesus is talking about being born of the flesh (Natural birth) and being born of the Spirit (new birth). (The angels that sinned do not have this option.) If the “water” had meant anything else other than the natural birth, Jesus would have expounded on it as He did concerning the Spirit. Jesus specifically separates water from Spirit so that Nicodemus, as well as others, would not try to make them one act of God.
Being “born of water” was, more than likely, a euphemism for natural birth, which begins with the breaking of the mother’s water. Some say, that the Jews didn’t call the physical birth “being born of water” and that it is only a colloquial expression used by
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Americans. However, according to Genesis, and in the first Jewish mind, water was also the first primordial substance of the physical universe that God made --- The abyss (not to be confused with our present oceans) --- in the beginning. Some argue that if “born of water” referred to natural birth, it was a redundant statement since Nicodemus, and everyone else knows you have to, to be real person. Again, that is exactly why Jesus did not expound on it when He goes to great lengths explaining about “born of the Spirit.”
In the study of all the creatures that are created in the image of God, cherubim, etc., be they fallen, with humanity, or not, only humanity can be born of the flesh, and born of the Spirit, and I personally believe that explanation number four is the only credible response. We must refrain from adding to, or removing from, the Word of God. Jesus answered Nicodemus’ question by saying that being born again involves both water and Spirit. We are all born as children of the flesh, and only mankind can receive Salvation; the fallen angels cannot; thus we need to be born as children of God, by His Spirit.
Born of the Spirit.---To be “born of the Spirit” is to experience the greatest miracle God can bestow upon any man or woman. Look again at the words of the Christ; “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh”. . .completely void of the Spirit of God. Man, without the Spirit of God is nothing more than an intellectual animal. Beginning with Adam’s fall, humanity is in the image of fallen Adam, carnal by nature. But “that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit;” actually, it is the new Life, given by the heavenly Father Himself, when man is born of the Spirit. There is one occasion in the Scriptures, where Jesus of Nazareth gave a specific definition of the essence of God’s being, when He said in John 4: 24, “God is the Spirit: They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit, and in truth.” Almighty God, with Jesus the Christ, Almighty God bodily present, the Creator of all that is created, is the Spirit. He exists beyond, and is greater than the universe and time, which He made. For anyone of humanity to have immortality, eternal Life, they must be born of God, that is---born of His Spirit. Only those born of the Spirit have His Spirit living, dwelling, within them. Only these are called the “sons of God.” Anyone not born of the Spirit, are not called the children of God. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood (water), not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1: 11-13).
To be born of the Spirit has nothing to do with the flesh, nor the physical, but is something that God does, when man lets go, and lets God do in his life. It is God who does the Spiritual birthing; issuing and imparting His very Spirit into the intellectual animal, making him a complete, in the image of God.
It is our place to call upon His name, when we recognize that we are in a depraved, hopeless state, unable to save ourselves. God has promised that all who do will be saved. At the moment that we are born of God, His Spirit actually takes up residence within us.
There is a clear and radical difference between the natural man, and the man of the New Birth. Jesus says, “That which is flesh, is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.” (John 3: 6).
Q.---What do you get from your fleshly birth?
A. You get a body in the image of fallen man. You are an intellectual animal, with God indwelling you.
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Q.---What do you get from your New Birth, Spiritual Birth?
A. You get the powerful, living Spirit of God within you, Who restores you to the image of God.
Jesus indicated to Nicodemus in a remarkable way that the New Birth will result in a totally new lifestyle, and that he would never be the same again. He illustrates this with another symbol: the wind. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell where it comes, and where it goes: So is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 8). The Spirit of God is like the wind that is under the sovereign direction of God and not subject to man. This is the way the life of those who are born again will be. There is a different drumbeat in their life, a different Lord directing their affairs, and that will make them behave differently. No one knows where they come from, or where they will be sent. You will not be able to predict the purposes of God in their life; God will direct that life. So it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.
How Can One be Born Again?---There is no magic formula on the part of man to be born again. All of the work is done by the Holy Spirit. However, there are some prerequisites on the part of humanity. God is loving and caring, wanting you to be born again, but He respects your freedom of choice. He will never force Himself into your life, yet He is like the “hound of heaven” waiting for you to ask Him into your life. Most of the world today feels they have no need for God in their lives because their humanistic views of being able to “pull themselves up by their own boot straps.” Mankind must realize who they are, and where their destiny will be without the Christ in their lives.
1. Man’s Condition.---Man kind must come to the realization that his condition is
utterly self-centered and depraved. Judges 21: 25 says, “In those days. . . every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Paul says, “There is none righteous, no, not one: . For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3: 10, 23). However, most people in the world do not care about righteousness; they only care about how their lives are effected. Amorality, mortal relativity or situation ethics have become the replacement for God’s Law. The only way man’s condition will call for change in their lives is by cause and effect.
2. The Effect of Man’s Sin.---For every action, there is a reaction. For every cause,
there is an effect. For sin there is always an ultimate effect on the life of the sinner. “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6: 23). The price for sin is death. From Adam on, all have died, and will continue to die because of the fallen nature of mankind. See Romans 8: 19-23. Understanding that you are a “dead man walking” springs forth the desire to live. Only God has provided the way for you to have eternal Life.
3. God’s Gift.---Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal Life through Jesus the Christ, our Lord.” (Romans 6: 23). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life.” (John 3: 16). The price has been paid for your life. This gift of life that God gave to the world has come to you. It is for you to believe this truth by faith, and call out, asking God to give His Spirit to you. “Except a man be born again, he cannot se the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 3). God’s gift of His Son provided the way to be born again. It is only through Jesus that you can be born of the Spirit. “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him
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not, neither knows Him: But you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14: 16, 17).
4. God’s Gift Brings Repentance.---When we are born again, we receive the Spirit
of God to enable us to se, and understand the Laws and principles of the Kingdom. Only the Spirit of God in a born again believer can lead to true repentance. “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2: 4). Paul describes the difference between worldly repentance and Godly repentance. “For Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, not to be repeated of: But the sorrow of the world works death.” (2nd Corinthians 7: 10). Godly repentance comes to us by the conviction of the heart within us by the Spirit of God that dwells therein. Worldly repentance comes when we get “caught” sinning and we have to suffer the consequences of our actions. John’s baptism was an outside baptism of repentance, but did little, or nothing to change the heart. The heart of man is only changed, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
5. Man Becomes a New Creature.---The empowerment of Gods Spirit within man
takes him from an intellectual animal to becoming a New man in the image of God. “Therefore, if any man be in the Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away: Behold, all things are become new.” (2nd Corinthians 5: 17). The Truth of God, implanted in our hearts, prepares our minds for obedience and action. Peter writes, “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. . .Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever.” (1st Peter 1: 22, 23). We are now new born babes, but will become complete in the Christ. “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. If so, you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1st Peter 2: 2, 3).
I cannot think of a more fitting way to end an article than by praising the Father that gives us a new life through the Jesus the Christ. He has taken us from being an intellectual animal with no hope of eternal Life, to a new man in the image of God. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1st Peter 2: 9, 10).
If you are born again, to obedience, you are now part of the people of God, which Jesus promised would be in God’s Kingdom. Amen.
Chapter 3.
Body and Spirit.---To truly understand “Man, the intellectual Animal,” one must understand the nature of mankind where the Bible begins; the Book of Genesis. Genesis, the Book of Beginnings, is the fountainhead of all divine revelation to follow. It tells in unmistakable terms of the creation of the universe some twenty Billion years ago, which included Planet Earth. The furbishing Planet Earth, in seven literal days of twenty four hours, some four point eight billion years ago. The creation of mankind on the sixth day, with some of the lesser animals. God created Rest, setting aside a day for holy use, and blessing it; and the evening was, and the morning was, seventh day. It also found that
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there was not a man to till the soil, and that it did not rain. (Genesis 1: 1-2: 6).
It tells in unmistakable terms the creation of, by sculpturing from the dust of the earth, a very special man, and breathing into him the Breath of Life, the Holy Spirit. It tells he was placed in the Garden of God to care for it. It tells of his intellect, nature, fall to sin, and destiny, and that he named all the animals in the Garden. He was given a helper, and they lost the throne of earth. Their sentence was that dying they shall die.(Genesis 2: 7-3: 24).
In fact, the definition of the nature of mankind, and the man, in Genesis 1: 26, 27; 2: 7, should forever dispel the teachings that humanity has an immortal soul that cannot be destroyed, but must live on either in fellowship with, or eternal separation from, God. The fact that so many in our day are prone to accept a teaching just because it’s “orthodox,” or comes from a “reliable” source is very troubling for those who rely only on the Bible to interpret itself. There are self-proclaimed “defenders of the faith” who determine who the true Christians are by whether they fit into the theological box that they have created. Any person or group that does not fit the mold is considered a fanatic, a splinter group, or cult. This is especially so when dealing with the nature of man. In this article, I will attempt to explain and answer some of the dichotomous questions concerning the nature of man. What is a soul? Does man have a soul that departs when he dies? Do souls go to heaven, or burn eternally in hell? Where are the dead? As our final authority in faith and practice, the Bible alone must provide us with the definitive answers to such important questions.
Background.---Paul and Peter both knew that apostasy would creep into His Church very shortly after the death of themselves, and the other apostles. The fact that so many in our day accept a teaching because it goes along with traditions is very troubling in the light of apostle Paul’s words: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. Therefore, watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” (Acts 20: 29-31). The apostle Peter warns of the same: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2nd Peter 2: 1, 2). Even a rudimentary study of church history will show that this is exactly what took place. Christianity absorbed more and more from it’s surrounding cultures and religions until the pure stream of truth was thoroughly polluted.
The pollution came from many sources, but Greek philosophy was in many ways the most damaging. The reformation helped undo some of this damage, but did not address many other issues. What we are left with today is a legacy of the theology that was developed to answer questions raised by platonic and new platonic philosophy, rather than explicate scripture. Greek philosophy taught that the soul or psyche of man represented an enter man, a higher reality, or the true self. They came to view the soul as something that could be separated from the body at death, and survived to go on to a higher plane of reality. This is the thinking of the new age groups as well as the secular humanist. They believe that the inner man, not God, has the higher reality and when
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ultimately developed will become the panacea of life.
In contrast are those who hold to the teachings that man does not have an immortal soul, that he is by nature a mortal being who must rely on God alone for any future hope of eternal Life.
Christianity sprang directly from Judaism and brought with it the teaching of the resurrection of the dead as the only hope for life after death. Are we to suppose that by the first century A.D. that Judaism and early Christianity had come to embrace Greek philosophy as the truth? Sadly, Judaism had indeed begun to incorporate the teachings of Greek philosophy into its traditions in order to answer questions raised by the Platonists concerning the immorality of the soul. Jesus and the apostles did not accept the teachings of Pagan Greek philosophy and did not teach the concept that man has an immortal soul. Establishing this first, then it must also be true that:
1. When a man dies, he is really dead. No part of the man survives. Neither his
soul, nor his spirit departs to a Spirit world.
2. The only hope for the dead lies in a resurrection. Ultimately the believer’s hope
for the future life lies in the hands of his Creator.
3. The dead remain in their graves in an unconscious state, compared to sleep, until
the resurrection day. They experience neither bliss nor pain.
4. The final state of the wicked is not eternal torment where an immortal soul burns
for eternity, but a second death from which there is no hope for future life or resurrection.
False Theories Concerning the Nature of Man, and False Identity of “Spirit” and
“Soul”.---Paganism and Christianity teach that man has two natures, one that is immortal and one that is mortal. Theologians use the terms “spirit” and “soul” interchangeably for the immortality of man. The body is described as the mortal nature of man. The body houses the spirit or soul. It will return to dust when the immortal part of the man departs. According to the Bible, man has no immortal nature. By incorrectly identifying the words “spirit” and “soul,” theologians have falsely asserted that the spirit and soul are immortal and cannot be destroyed. By this very teaching, they imply that when the body dies, the spirit and soul must go some place, either to a place to burn forever, or to a place of endless happiness.
The Dichotomy Theory.---Those who adhere to this theory believe that man’s nature consists of twp parts, the body and the spirit. They maintain that the soul and the spirit refer to one immaterial, immortal substance viewed from two standpoints. This teaching asserts at least to some, that the body is evil and the spirit is good. This concept is domain in most of the eastern religions that teach reincarnation. The spirit, to them also called the soul, never dies but continues to be recycled into perfection. This dichotomous teaching views man as being a spirit in a physical body.
The Trichotomy Theory.---Those who advocate this theory declare that man’s nature consists of three parts, namely, body (soma), soul (psuche), and spirit (pneuma). This is a common belief among Christians that believe in the Trinity. For example, some suppose that since in their perception of Scripture, God is a trinity, then they assume man must also be a trinity with three parts. Since Paul talks about a man being wholly “spirit, soul, and body” in 1st Thessalonians 5: 23, then this, the reason, must be the triune image of God within man. This is what is called circular reasoning based on a false assumption.
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The concept of man as a dichotomy or trichotomy has become more or less the accepted view of a mainline Christian denominations. Even those who strongly advocate this view of the nature of man admit that the concept is virtually nonexistent in the Old Testament. There was either a living soul who had breath, or a dead soul without breath. To the Hebrew way of thinking, there could not be a person without a body. This is why the Biblical concept of an after life required a resurrection. This concept was in stark contrast to the pagan religions that believed in the immortality of the soul requiring no resurrection. Both theories are based upon false assumptions that man has an immaterial nature that continues to live after death.
The Nature of Man.---Within the first two chapters of the Bible we see two passages of Scripture that describe the creation of, First, humanity, and, Second, the man.
First: “Let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness: And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ And there was not a man to till the ground.” (Genesis 1: 26-28; 2: 5).
Second: “And the Lord God sculpted a man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, the Holy Spirit; and the man became a spiritually, intellectual being. [And Jesus, when He had spoken, He breathed on them, and said unto them, ‘Receive you the Holy Ghost. (John 20: 22).] And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: For in the day that you eat thereof, dying you shall die.’ And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, sculpted He a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Genesis 2: 7, 15-17, 22).
Genesis 1: 26-28; 2: 5 tells us clearly, in whose image/likeness God created mankind, humanity, on the sixth day. They were created in the physical image/likeness of the Word/Jesus Emanuel, with free moral agency, and without the infilling of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. They are mortals. They were spoken into existence by the Word of God, Jesus Emanuel, as were all the other creatures. And they never set foot in the Garden Eastward in Eden, but lived in the Land of Nod, the land of wondering. (Genesis 4: 16).
Genesis 2: 7, 15-17, 22 tells us clearly, in whose image/likeness God, sculpted a man, the intellectual creature. He was sculpted in the physical image/likeness of the Word/Jesus Emanuel, with free moral agency, and was filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. The man was put in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it; and to meet the adversary, Lucifer. He was never told to have dominion over anything. He was told not to eat of a specific tree, the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or dying he would die. His wife was sculpted, incorporated with one of his ribs, and they were mortals. And they never left the Garden till they ate of the tree, and were expelled. Unfortunately, many go astray by seizing upon the first verses to attempt incorporating the implications that they preconceive to exist in other Scriptures and begin to reason on what may be
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inferred by the words, “image of God.” Some suppose that since, in their perception of Scripture, God is a trinity, they then assume man must also be a trinity with three parts. Others reason that since God is immortal, then the “image of God” (man) must also be immortal. The problem with these is that they are inferences that are not clearly stated in the text itself. The sheer amount of disagreement over Genesis 1: 27 among scholars is evidence of inferences. The Dakes Annotated Reference Bible says: “In the image of God-Eloim (plural, Gods), the whole structure of the sentence shows that there is unity joined with plurality.” The Ryrie Study Bible Comments: “Image. . . likeness. Interchangeable terms indicating that man was created in natural and moral likeness to God. When he sinned, he lost his moral likeness which was sinlessness, but the natural likeness of intellect, emotions, and will he still retains.” The Creation Scientist Henry Morris comments: “in our image…man was also to possess a third created entity, the image of God, an eternal spirit capable of communion and fellowship with his Creator.” For any student of God’s Word to understand the nature of man from the scant three words “image of God,” he would have to make many assumptions.
However, when we come to Genesis 2: 7, we have a precise definition, given by God as to the man: “And the Lord God formed a man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Life; and the man became a living soul.” The man was sculpted in the physical image/likeness of the Word/Jesus Emanuel, and was filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.
There is nothing obscure about this passage. The man became a living creature when God did two things: Formed a body from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, the Holy Spirit. [The natural breath comes naturally as when an off spring of any creature is born.] Body + Holy Spirit = a spiritually, intellectual soul/creature. The man was put in the Garden, Eastward in Eden, to cultivate it; and to meet the adversary, Lucifer.
This is the first verse in Scripture where the word “soul” occurs and it is in regard to mankind. Notice very carefully that the verse does not say that the man has a soul/creature. The body alone is not the soul/creature, nor is the breath the soul/creature, although there would be no soul without it as well. The unique combination of the body, with the natural breath, produces an intellectual soul/creature. The unique combination of the soul/creature, with the Breath of God, the Holy Spirit, produces a spiritually intellectual soul/creature.
As simple, as clear and direct as the passage might seem, commentators either ignore the text by referring back to Genesis 1: 27 or misquoting it completely. A conservative fundamentalist commentator, Peter S. Ruckman, when defining “Soul” says, “We have made considerable comment on this passage under Genesis 1: 27.” He then misquotes the Scripture by saying, “Adam has a living Soul (Genesis 2: 7) which becomes “lost” and becomes glued to a body of sin.” How can the soul/creature become “glued to a body of sin” when the body, plus the natural breath, is the soul/creature? Peter Ruckman’s insertion of his interpretation could be, and are, conveniently used to explain away every other passage that will not agree with him! It is obvious that neither “image of God” nor the definition of the soul/creature in Genesis 1: 7 support his theories. If the body has the natural breath, then the person is a living soul/creature: If the body does not have the natural breath, then that soul/creature is a dead body. There is not one passage
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of Scripture that speaks of the “soul/creature” as being a conscious entity that departs at death---not one.
The Meaning of the Word Soul.---The word translated “Soul” in the Bible means life. There is a secondary meaning that will be helpful as we study the nature of mankind. The meaning is inclusive of all creatures that possess that life. Mankind, as well as all breathing creatures, is a soul. The word “soul” is translated from the Hebrew word “nephesh” and from the Greek word “psuche,” both having the same meaning. Nephesh occurs 752 times in the Old Testament and is translated in 44 different ways, all of which creature, person, man, life, and lives are its primary meanings.
The Hebrew word for “soul” in Genesis 2: 7 is “Nephesh” and occurs four times prior to Genesis 2: 7 in the Hebrew text. Three of the four times, the word is translated creature, and once life. All of which refer to the “souls” of birds, fish, creeping things and all animals. The translation of “Nephesh” in the King James Version, has been carefully guarded to avoid relating to animals as “souls.” The question may be asked, ‘Why did the translators us “soul” when applied to humans, and “Creature” or “life” when applied to animals?? The answer should be obvious. The translators of King James Bible all believed in the inherent immorality of mankind; that mankind had a soul, whereas animals did not. Even though the word ‘Nephesh” (soul) is used many times to apply to animals as well as mankind, it is not translated as such to impress upon English readers that mankind has a soul, not animals. Despite the King James translators reluctance, the Hebrew text makes no such distinction. In each case, the soul is simply a living, sentient creature, the unique combination of the breath and the body.
Nephesh in the Old Testament.---The Hebrew word “Nephesh” is used for animals in the following texts: Genesis 1: 20, 21, 24, 30; 2: 19; 9: 9: 4, 10, 12; Leviticus 11: 10, 46; 24: 18; Deuteronomy 12: 23; Proverbs 12: 10; Job 12: 10; 41: 21; Isaiah 19: 10; Jeremiah 2: 24; Ezekiel 47: 9. The King James translators have rendered the single Hebrew word “Nephesh” nine different ways into English; beast, breath, creature, fish, her, life, soul and thing. It is important to grasp, that each of these verses uses the exact same Hebrew word, which is elsewhere rendered “soul” when applied to mankind. In other words, our English text makes a distinction that the Hebrew text does not. From the above verses, we can determine the following facts about the Hebrew “Nephesh”, soul.
1. Fish, cattle, fowls, and creeping things are souls,
2. Souls swim in the water, and fly in the air,
3. Souls can be killed,
4. A soul refers not only to the creature itself, but to the principle of life it possess,
and,
5. This soul can also refer to the lifeblood flowing within the living creature.
Does it seem likely that a word that is so frequently applied to animal life could ever also refer to some immortal immaterial part of mankind?
In the following passages, “Nephesh” is used for mankind and animals together: Genesis 9:15, 16; Leviticus 17: 11, 14; numbers 31: 28. Here we see clearly that according to the Hebrew text, animals are souls or “Nephesh,” as well as men. No one needs to interpret anything.
In the following passages, “Nephesh” is used for mankind as an individual person in the sense of man as a living sentient being: Genesis 2: 7; 12: 5; 14: 21; 36: 6; 46: 18, 22,
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25, 26, 27; Exodus 1: 5; 12: 4; 16: 16; Leviticus 22: 11; 27: 2; Deuteronomy 24:7; Numbers 31: 35; 2nd Kings 12: 4; 1st Chronicles 5: 21; Psalm 25: 20; Proverbs 10: 3; 11: 25, 30; 14: 25; 19: 15; 22: 23; 25: 25; 27: 7; Jeremiah 38: 16; 43: 6; 52: 29, 30; Ezekiel 13: 18, 20; 16: 5; 18: 4; 27: 13. Are any of these verses talking about an invisible immortal entity within mankind that departs at death? According the above passages, man is a soul and does not have an immaterial, immortal soul. Many evangelists talk about “soul winning,” in the sense of saving that immortal part within mankind from going to hell. The term “soul winning” is taken from Proverbs 11: 30, “He that wins souls is wise.” Given the context of how “Nephesh” is used elsewhere in Proverbs, this does not fit the idea of saving some invisible entity from burning in hell, but rather winning over the person to the Lord by doing good to them.
The following verses use “Nephesh”in regard to man as actually dead. Leviticus 19: 28; 21: 1, 11; 22: 4; Numbers 5:2; 5: 6, 11; 9: 6, 7, 10; 19: 11, 13; Haggai 2: 13. The first thing we notice about the above passages, is that in none of them have the translators rendered “Nephesh as “soul.” Why have they done this? The answer should be obvious: The King James translators all believed in the immorality of the soul. Clearly these verses are completely inconsistent with the view. A soul cannot be immortal in any sense if it’s said to be dead. Immorality means, at the very least, not subject to corruption, and in the fullest sense, deathlessness. In these passages, “Nephesh” isn’t merely speaking of the person who had died, but refers directly to the corpse of the dead person. What we have literally is a dead soul. Body + Breath = Living Soul, so obviously, Body – Breath = Dead Soul.
It is quite obvious that the soul is mortal and is subject to death and destruction. This fact is far removed from the teachings of most Christian Theologians who teach an immortal never dying soul. However, in almost any debate over this issue, Genesis 35: 18, “as her soul was departing” will almost always be quoted to prove, against overwhelming evidence to the contrary that the concept of an undying soul was not foreign to the Old Testament writers. A good example of this can be seen in Peter Ruckman’s Bible Believers Commentary on Genesis: “The reader will notice that Rachel’s soul departed from her body in verse 18, then she dies, verse 19, and then she is buried. If “hell” is the grave, Rachel got out of her body before she went to “hell.” (Page 655). Matthew Henry writes; “Her dying is here called the departing of her soul. Note, The death of the body is but departure of the soul to the world of spirits.” There are over 700 verses, half of which teach that the soul is mortal, subject to death, or actually dead. The simplest and obvious way to look at Rachel is to say that she was dying, the life function of her body was failing. Obviously, she was dead before they buried her in her grave. Why do some go to such lengths to defend and support a false belief, when the Bible is consistent and clear on the matter?
Psuche in the New Testament.---The Greek word “Psuche” occurs 105 times in the New Testament and is translated “soul” 58 times, “life” or “lives” 40 times, “mind” 3 times, and “you,” “us,” “heart,” and “heartily” each one time. “Psuche” in Greek means the same as “Nephesh” in Hebrew, life. This fact can be proved by comparing the following scriptures:
Matthew 20: 28.---“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
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Isaiah 53: 10.---“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief: When you shall make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”
Acts 2: 27.---“Because you will not leave my soul in hell, neither will you suffer your Holy One to see corruption.”
Psalm 16: 10.---“For you will not leave my soul in hell; neither will you suffer your Holy One to see corruption.”
Romans 11: 3.---“Lord, they have killed your prophets and thrown down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.”
1st Kings 19: 10.---“And he said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: For the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and murdered your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’”
The Greek word “Psuche” is completely interchangeable with the Hebrew word “Nephesh” and does not in anyway infer the meaning of an immaterial; immortal soul that never dies. “Nephesh” and “Psuche” denote animal life in contradistinction to that Life given in the New Birth. The word is used for the animal itself, whether man, beast, or creature, that lives by breathing, and includes the whole, man, beast, or creature. When qualified by the adjective living, that person is “a living soul.” The Hebrew words “neshamah” and “ruwach” and the Greek word “pneuma,” meaning that vital air or breath which gives life, are never used interchangeably with the words “Nephesh” and “Psuche.” They are as distinct as the cause is from the effect. It the inhaling of this vital breath that causes the lifeless body to become a living soul, and it comes naturally in creation and birth..
Concluding Remarks on the “Soul.”---There is a very good reason why an immortal soul is never mentioned in the book of Genesis, or the whole Bible for that matter---There is none, not one. If the soul is not immortal in a Biblical sense, but alive and conscious in some sense, then what is it, and what scriptural basis do you have for your answer? There is absolutely no provision made for an immortal soul. The absolute silence on the subject should be more than conclusive.
To summarize, according to Genesis 1: 26, 27; 2: 7, man---the soul, the sentient being, is the combination of the natural breath, and the body. Neither the breath, nor the body, is the man, for there can be no man without either. When a man dies, the breath leaves the body, returning to God who gave it; the body goes to dust, and where is the man? There is no man. If the man should be filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, when he dies, the Spirit leaves the body and returns to God.
We can illustrate this with a light bulb. The bulb itself represents the body, and electricity the breath. Then we combine the two, we get a new thing; light, which represents the living soul. The light is not the bulb, but if the bulb is destroyed, there is no light. Neither is the electricity the light, although there is no light without the power that runs through the bulb. If the power company cuts off the power to which they have the rights, or the bulb is broken and discarded, where is the light go?
This leads us into the second part, which is a discussion on the spirit within man and its relationship with the body, and the soul.
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The Spirit Within Man.---Those who hold that the “soul” is an invisible, immortal entity within man, usually, also talk about man having a “spirit” in the same terms. There seems to be much confusion on the difference between the soul and the spirit. For example: Does a man’s soul go to heaven? Does his spirit go to heaven? Do they both go to heaven? Many, all are hard pressed to provide any Bible based definitions as to what exactly the soul and spirit are, let alone discuss their differences. Many believers in our day seem very confused.
Part of the confusion on this subject comes from the word “spirit” itself. The word comes to us laden with centuries of superstitious thought. As we study this subject, we must separate ourselves from preconceived ideas and false teachings, and concern ourselves only with what the Bible has to say regarding the spirit. Any departure into the superstitions of pagan religions, ancient or modern, is sure to lead us down the path of error. Let me illustrate the confusion on this subject by quoting from the Defenders Study Bible, page 1335.
“The spirit and the soul often seem to be the same in many contexts, but that they are not the same is evident by the fact that the Word of God can divide them asunder (Hebrews 4: 12). They are both invisible, representing the reality of which the body is only the outward expression. The fact that it is so difficult to distinguish between them has lead many to assume they are synonymous; but this verse, and others, (especially Hebrews 4: 12), make it certain they are not identical. Perhaps the nonphysical part of man could be called the soul/spirit complex. Although probably to simplistic, it is convenient to think of the soul, body, and spirit representing the mental, physical, and spiritual components of man, respectively. Another way to look at the human triunity as one’s essential nature, his bodily person, and his spiritually influencing personality.”
While the above seems to be s simple, rational way to explain difficult Biblical concepts, it is almost admitted by the author that his conclusions amount to little more than speculations, and in view of the Word of God, they are, and false ones at that. This represents a typical attempt by most theologians to try to harmonize the entire Word of God with preconceived pagan notions of what the soul and spirit are.
Contrary to the above, the Bible shows us that there is a vast difference between the soul and the spirit. In the first part of our study, “soul” is a term used for the whole man or being, or that creature’s life, and comes from the Hebrew word “Nephesh” and the Greek word “Psuche.” In the Old Testament, “Nepheshis” rendered creature, body, mind, etc. It gives no indication of an invisible part of man, or creature, that survives the body at death.
In contrast to the word “soul,” the word rendered “spirit” is ruwach” in the Hebrew, and “pneuma” in the Greek. The primary meaning of both these words is wind or air. The English word “Pneumatic” which comes directly from the Greek word “pneuma” that carries this definition. For example, a “pneumatic” drill is an air powered drill, and a “pneumatic” tire is an air filled tire. Both the “ruwach” in the Hebrew, and “pneuma” in the Greek, in a broader sense means anything that was/is invisible yet exerts power or influence. As we study the “spirit” it is important to remember this definition and that this definition is clearly understood in the context of the Bible.
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Both the Hebrew and Greek words for spirit are used in many ways, but they always, without one exception, represent something that is invisible yet exerts power of influence. Once the definition is clearly understood, many Bible passages regarding the spirit will fall into place, and much confusion concerning the differences between the spirit and the soul will be made clear.
Spirit – Flesh: Distinct and Separate.---It is commonly taught that mankind has a dual nature; that is, he is a spirit being inside a fleshly body. This dichotomy theory is a serious error that has resulted in uncontrolled, untold confusion. When we properly understand that “spirit” is used in a number of ways, then we will also see that while mankind has a “spirit” in one sense, in no way is he a spirit being in any sense. Please notice how clearly both Jesus Emanuel, and the Apostle Paul confirm this distinction. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3: 6). Contrary to this clear statement, the popular teaching continues to be that man is both spirit and flesh. Jesus could not have been more clearly stated, flesh is flesh, Spirit is spirit. In fact, the spirit He is talking about is not man’s spirit, but God’s Holy Spirit. The two natures are always separate and distinct. Notice how the Apostle Paul elaborates on this. “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam was made a Living soul; the last man Adam was made a quickening spirit. . .Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: The second man is the Lord from heaven. As in the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as the heavenly, such are they that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.’” (1st Corinthians 15: 45-49). Again the teaching is clear. Paul draws a very sharp line between the fleshly nature and the spirit nature. We are now only natural, and earthy. We are yet to be spiritual. Right now we bear the image of the earthy. Not until the future shall we bear the image of the heavenly. The fleshly and spirit matures are always separate and distinct. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, not a spirit with a fleshly body.
I think it is important to stop a moment and explain about what Jesus Emanuel was talking to Nicodemus about in John, the third chapter. “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.’” (John 3: 5). Jesus was not talking about man’s spirit being inside of a fleshly body, but was talking about the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit within man’s fleshly body. Without God’s Spirit within us, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. There is a chapter discussing the new birth included in this study. Page 52.
Once this distinction is firmly grasped, much of the confusion regarding a man’s spirit will disappear. If we realize that “spirit,” (breath) when applied to man, never means “a being of spirit nature inside a house of flesh,” we will be much more prepared to properly interpret the true meaning of passages in which “spirit” is used. We now will look at hoe the word “spirit” used in both Old and New Testaments.
Spirit in the Old Testament.---The Hebrew word “ruwach” is used in our Bible in the following ways: The invisible life force of mankind, all flesh, which God gives, and which returns to God at death. Notice how clear this definition becomes in the following verses. “If He set His heart upon man, if He gathers unto Himself His Spirit, and Breath:
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All flesh shall perish together, and mankind shall return again unto dust.” (Job 34: 15, 16). This is exactly the sense of what we read in Genesis. In furbishing the earth all creatures were spoken into life from the dust of the ground. All breathed automatically just as they breath at birth today. This includes the sixth day creation of mankind, who never set foot in the Garden, Eastward in Eden. The man God sculpted of the dust of the ground, breathed automatically. God breathed into his nostrils the His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, giving him wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and the man never left the Garden, Eastward in Eden, until they were expelled. If God, God forbid, take away His life force, His “ruwach” then man, all flesh becomes dust again. This is actually what was entailed in the warning that God gave to Adam: “For dust you are and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3: 19). See also these additional passages of Scripture: Genesis 6: 17; Job 9: 18; 27: 3; Eccl. 3: 19; 12: 7; Psalm 146: 4; Numbers 16: 22. All these verses refer to the invisible life force that gives life to man, to all creatures. In all these verses we maintain our definition of the life force being something invisible, yet powerful. None of these verses use spirit as an immortal being that resides in a body of flesh.
A second usage of the Hebrew word “ruwach” refers to all flesh’s mental and emotional faculties. These spiritual faculties are invisible, yet powerful. Note how this definition is brought out in the following verse: “A fool utters all his mind “ruwach”, but a wise man keeps it in till afterwards.” (Proverbs 29: 11). See also these additional passages of Scripture: Genesis 26: 35; Joshua 2: 11; Judges 8: 3; Psalm 51: 17; Proverbs 11: 13; Eccl. 1: 14. From these verses the mind and reasoning faculries of man, all creatures are properly called “Spirit” or “ruwach.” The difinition of something invisible, yet powerful is corrected, and will not allow for an immortal entity which can be separated from flesh. When flesh dies, the thoughts perish.
Another usage for spirit in the Old Testament is for the divine power in the giving of spiritual gifts. “The Spirit “ruwach” of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Isaiah 61: 1). See also these additional passages of scripture: Exodus 28: 3; Proverbs 1: 23. This type of spirit is often referred to as being poured out, or falling upon. Again, it is invisible yet powerful. “Then He answered and spoke unto me saying, ‘This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabal, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit “ruwach,” says the Lord of hosts.’” (Zechariah 4: 6). See also these additional passages of scripture: Exodus 15: 8; 2nd Samuel 22: 16; Isaiah 4: 4; 40: 13; Ezekiel 3: 12.
Finally, the word spirit is used for invisible spirit beings: “Who makes His angels spirits “ruwach”; His ministers a flaming fire.” (Psalm 104: 4).
The common thread that runs through each verse is that “ruwach” is always used to represent something invisible, yet exerts power or influence. The confusion comes when we fail to discern between man’s ability to posses God’s Spirit as spiritual empowerment, and the false teaching that man is a spirit being, clothed in flesh.
Spirit in the New Testament.---Turning to the New Testament we see that the Greek word is used in the exact same way.
The New Testament Greek word “pneuma” is the direct equivalent of the Hebrew word “ruwach.” By comparing Isaiah 61: 1 with the New Testament where Jesus quotes
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it in the Greek, we see that “ruwach” is rendered “pneuma.” “The Spirit “pneuma” of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” (Luke 4: 18).
The Greek word “pneuma” (spirit) is used to describe God Himself. “God is a Spirit “pneuma” and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4: 24). In the Greek text of the New Testament, there is no indefinite article (a or an) and the passage would be more correctly translated as: “God is Spirit;” that is, God is invisible, yet powerful. See also these additional passages of scripture: Ephesians 1: 13; 4: 30; 1st Thessalonians 4: 8.
Another usage of the word “pneuma” (spirit) is to describe the new nature in the believer because of the new birth. “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit “pneuma”, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is of the Spirit “pneuma” is spirit.” (John 3: 3-6). This birth of the new nature is invisible, and yet we see the effects it brings in the life of the believer. Note the words of Jesus Himself in this same conversation: “The wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell from where it comes, and to where it goes, so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 8). Romans 8: 9 tells about the same nature: “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit “pneuma”, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of the Christ, he is none of His.”
A third usage of the word “pneuma” is for character or spiritual discernment. “For God has not given us the spirit “pneuma” for fear; but of power, of love, and a sound mind.” (2nd Timothy 1: 7). See also these additional passages of scripture: 1st Corinthians 4: 21; Ephesians 1: 17; Romans 8: 15. In these verses, fear, meekness, wisdom, and bondage are invisible, and only manifested in one’s actions.
The fourth usage of the word “pneuma” is for angels, both good and evil. “But to which of the angels said He at anytime, sit on My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool? Are they not ministering spirits “pneuma”, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1: 13, 14).
The word “soul,” once properly understood never gives the indication that it survives the body at death. It is not an invisible, immortal entity. When the body dies, the soul dies also. Now the spirit, both in the Old and New Testaments, when used in regard to all air breathing creatures, is always in reference to either the life force given by God, and frequently rendered “breath,” such as in Genesis 6: 17, or used of man’s mind, will, emotions, heart, courage, etc. This is in contrast with the way spirit is used for God and angels. God is said to be the Spirit because God is an invisible being of a spirit nature. Angels are also said to be ministering spirits because they are also invisible beings of a spirit nature. Man, and his fellow creatures, are never spoken of in these terms. The earthly nature and spirit nature are always shown to be distinct and separate. As Jesus himself stated: “Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and feet, that it is I myself: Handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have.” (Luke 24: 39).
Man is not a spirit being by nature, because he must, by definition, be invisible to be such. In the life of a believer, God sends His Spirit as a gift. It is this gift of the Spirit of
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God that brings about the new nature, and the new creature within man. It does not entail a change of nature from fleshly to spirit nature until it is consummated in the resurrection. There is a time when the nature of man will be changed, and that time is at the second coming of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. As Jesus Emanuel, at His resurrection, retained His flesh and bones, so shall we, and this mortal shall put on immortality at His coming. 1st Corinthians 15: 52-54, 57 so aptly puts it: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: For the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For the corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. . . But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ.”
Chapter 4.
First Adam; Last Adam.---God’s entire plan of salvation can best be understood by tracing mankind’s history in relationship to the first, to humanity, then His relationship with Adam in the Garden, Eastward in Eden, before he fell to temptation, after his fall, and finally to Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, who withstood the onslaught of Satan, and was victorious, sinless. We cannot become what God wants us to be in the Christ, until we know what we are in the man Adam. Everyone, mankind, from Adam’s sin, to the last person born upon Planet Earth, is born to die, and this included Jesus Emanuel, the Christ.
Mankind Before Sin.---To get a clear picture of mankind before sin, we must go back to their creation on the sixth day of God’s furbishing the earth. After He had created, spoken into existence, the highest order of animal life, God chose to make the highest order of life on earth, mankind, in His physical likeness. “And God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our likeness, after our likeness: Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea; over the fowl of the air; over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” (Genesis 1: 24-28). Mankind, spoken into existence, became living souls, and dwelled in Nod, the land of wandering, outside the Garden, Eastward in Eden, and never setting foot therein.
When God had finished furbishing the earth, and gave Rest, He said, “There is not a man to cultivate the soil.” (Genesis 2: 5).
Adam before He Sinned.---To get a clear picture of who Adam was before he sinned, we must go back to the time God created him. “And the Lord God sculpted the man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life; and the man became a Living soul; and the Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed; and the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” (Genesis 2: 7, 8, 15).
There are two important features of mankind that distinguishes them from the rest of the creatures created.
1. The Image of God.---God created mankind, and the man Adam, in His own
physical likeness. Mankind was the zenith of all creatures; far superior in intellect and presence than any of the other creatures upon the earth.
2. Mankind was to have Dominance.---Mankind was to have control and authority
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over all the earth and its creatures, that included the man, Adam, in his naming the animals that were in the Garden, Eastward in Eden. They, Adam and Eve, never left the Garden, Eastward in Eden until they were expelled because of disobedience.
There is one important feature of the man, Adam, that distinguishes him from mankind, and all the other creatures.
God Breathed into Adam The Holy Spirit.---God personally took the dust of the
earth and sculpted the man, Adam. There is no evidence that God did this with any of His other creatures, including mankind of the sixth day. Breathing comes naturally at the birthing of all of God’s creatures.
The Bible tell us that God breathed into the man, Adam, the Breath of Life, His Spirit,
the Holy Spirit. Again, there is no evidence that God did this with any of His other creatures, including mankind, created on the sixth day. The man, Adam was special and distinct from all other creations, and mankind, on this point, for the man, Adam was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the invisible Spirit of God that exerted power and influence on the mind of the man, revealing His Knowledge, His Laws, His Love. Adam’s heart and mind were in total harmony with the mind of God. No other creature had the Holy Spirit within it, only the man, Adam, who represented Planet Earth. And the man, Adam, was prepared, by God, to meet Lucifer, the Seraphim, the Dragon, and the devil. The devil could only meet him, in the Garden, Eastward in Eden, and at the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Adam After He Sinned.---At the beginning of Adam’s life he underwent a period of testing as to whether or not he would obey God. Since God created Adam with free moral agency, his obedience to God could be confirmed only in a situation where he had the choice either to obey or disobey Him. “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘Of every tree of the Garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: In the day you eat thereof, dying you shall die.’” (Genesis 2: 16, 17). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the test of obedience to God. If he failed the test, he would die. To add to the test, the devil called to the woman, challenging the veracity of God. “And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘You shall not surely die: For God does know, that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and you shall be as god, knowing good and evil.’” (Genesis 3: 4, 5). Eve, by her own volition, disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise; she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.” (Genesis 3: 6). “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” (James 1: 14, 15). This one mistake, this one wrong choice, this one little sin set in action, not only the death of Adam and Eve, but the death of all the creation of the earth. “For the earnest expectations of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willing, but by reason of him (Adam) who has subjected the same in hope. . . For we know that the whole creation groans, and travails in pain together until now.” (Romans 8: 20, 22). All of God’s creation is decaying (Dying) from the time of the sin of Adam.
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The third chapter of Genesis shows Adam after sinning. There were immediate changes in Adam’s life after eating the forbidden fruit. The first change was the immediate withdrawal of the Holy Spirit, and Adam no longer had the mind of God. The second change was that God reckoned Adam dead at that moment, for dying he would die. Adam experienced the judgment. “The wages of sin is death.” He ultimately died at 930 years of age, and his body returned to dust.
Man’s Inherited Sin Nature.---Adam failed the test, and in so doing, involved all of humanity in his defeat, dragging the human race, all the creatures, all creations, and Earth down with him. As a result, in Adam we all stand condemned, spiritually bankrupt, enslaved to sin, and expelled from God’s Kingdom. Because of Adam’s fall, each of us was born into a doomed humanity. All who are born are not born in the image of God, but in the image of fallen Adam. “And Adam lived a hundred thirty years, and fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth.” (Genesis 5: 3).
Adam sinned and death entered----separation from God, the source of Life. Through him we are born into sin, death, judgment, and condemnation. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men.” (Romans 5: 12). And death not only came into the world and the race, but it has supremacy. “By one man’s offense death reigned by one. . . Therefore, as by the offense of one came upon all men to condemnation.” (Romans 5: 17, 18). As David wrote, “In sin did my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51: 12). In Adam, we are declared to be “dead in trespasses and sin,” because, “in Adam all die.” (Ephesians 2: 1; 1st Corinthians 15: 12). The result of our position in fallen Adam, our source, is that we are dead unto God, and alive unto sin.
Through Adam, sin resulted in a sinful soul, being, creature, life, etc, and therefore the propensity of that life is sinful. We are “by nature the children of wrath.” (Ephesians 2: 3). In this condition we are natural, fleshly, carnal, separated from God, and reckoned dead. “The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them.” (1st Corinthians 2: 14).
This fallen nature never changes for the better, but is under constant degradation. In Noah’s time 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.” (Genesis 6: 5). Because of basic human nature, it repented and grieved His heart and thus intended to destroy mankind, with all the furbishing of the whole earth. But finding grace in the eyes of the Lord, Noah made the Ark, and avoided the judgment by entering the Ark.
When God said, “You must be born again,” (John 3: 3), the judgment was already set, and man’s fallen nature could not inherit the Kingdom of God, for it could never please Him. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh. (John 3: 6). The Adamic nature is self centered, therefore, totally against God and irreparable. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. . . Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither, indeed, can be. So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” “I am carnal, sold under sin.” (Romans 8: 5, 7; 7: 14).
The natural product of a sinful nature is sin. The practical result of our congenital condition is stated in scripture: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3: 23). We grow up as sinners by nature, practice, and choice; hence we are desperately in need of a Savior.
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Jesus Emanuel.---Jesus Emanuel, the Christ is ascribed some two hundred plus names and titles, of which Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three. One of those names is the “last Adam.” The more we know and understand the two Adams, the more significant the actions of their lives become. They both came from God and had a very close relationship with Him. Jesus, as well as the first Adam, before he sinned, was a perfect man, one with God, innocent, sinless, holy, and with the Holy Spirit within him. Many people mistakenly refer to Jesus Emanuel, the Christ as the second Adam, a term not found in the Bible. However, Scripture refers to the Christ as the “second man.” “The first man is of the earth, earthly: The second man is the Lord from heaven.” (1st Corinthians 15: 47). There have been many “intellectual animals” since Adam, but Jesus Emanuel, the Christ is the only man to ever be completely without sin. “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities: But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4: 15).
God did not, could not forgive the debt of Adam’s sin that dealt the death blow to the human race. He does not forgive sin any more than He forgives Satan. Someone had to pay the wages for Adam’s sin, and the sins of the whole world. On the cross, in the person of the “last man” Jesus, the Anointed One, God, once and forever dealt with the wages of sin, thereby canceling our sin debt. “For He was made sin, who knew no sin, to be sin for us.” “God, sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (2nd Corinthians 5” 21; Romans 8: 3). Far from being forgiven, sin was judged and condemned by His death. Our sinful life and nature, including all that we inherited from Adam, were not forgiven, but were taken into judgment-death of Jesus on the cross. “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him.” (Romans 6: 6). “Only by Jesus’ shed blood on Calvary were our sins forgiven. . . past, present, and future.” “Who His own self bore our sins in His own body upon the tree.” “Having made peace through the Blood of His Cross.” “Unto Him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in His own Blood.” (1st Peter 2: 24; Colossians 1: 20; Revelation 1: 5).
It is very enlightening to realize that everything Adam lost in a moment of time was regained by Jesus Emanuel, the Christ during His amazing life’s work, death, and resurrection. Adam lost the indwelling Spirit of God, and lost his life. These two great losses were recovered by the redemptive work of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ.
On the cross the Lord Jesus was identified with our sins, and our sinful nature, our “old man” being thus condemned and crucified with Him. At the same time, in His substitutionary work of redemption, He paid the penalty of our sins. His death, on our behalf, completely freed us, as individual believers, from Adam, and all Adamic penalties and consequences. This enables God to justly include us in the Christ’s death unto sin. “We have been planted together in the likeness of His death. . . For in that He died, He died unto sin once.” (Romans 6: 5, 10).
The Rest of the Story.---This is where most people stop with their understanding of restoring the intellectual animal back to being a complete man in the full image of God. I cannot over emphasize the necessity of the Christ’s shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Unfortunately, by itself, all we would be are forgiven sinners. There would be no power to overcome sin. Another equally important action must happen in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. It was necessary that Jesus be resurrected. That power is the
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invisible influence that is exerted on the hearts of forgiven sinners by the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither know Him: But you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14: 16, 17). The Holy Spirit dwelling in man begins the process of restoring him into the full image of God. This is what is called being “born again.” (John 3: 3). “Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” (John 3: 6). Unless you have the Holy Spirit in you, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God!!
Adam lost the Spirit of God in his life when he sinned. God, through Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, has a plan to restore the Holy Spirit into fallen man’s life. His plan was to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.” (Acts 2: 17). “I (John the Baptist) indeed have baptized you with water: But He (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1: 18). Only through Jesus Emanuel can you be “born again” by the Spirit of God. Jesus gave a demonstration of this in the Gospel of John. “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, ‘Receive you the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20: 22). Does this remind you of another time when God breathed on man? “And the Lord God sculpted the man of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, and the man became a Living creature.” (Genesis 2: 7). This is no happenstance. Jesus breathed on His disciples to give them the Holy Spirit as a precursor of what would happen at Pentecost after His ascension. Jesus, breathing upon His disciples, represented the same breathing He did on Adam. In Genesis, as today, the taking of a breath at creation, and birth, comes spontaneously, and God breathed into Adam the Holy Spirit that made him distinctly different from all other creatures. The Holy Spirit indwelling Adam made him a complete man, and in the full image of God. Likewise, the breath of the Spirit into the disciples, was the New Birth experience into the full image of God. Suddenly, they were born again, after the fashion that Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3. Like those disciples, when we are born again, we receive a measure of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God to enable us to see and understand the Laws and Principles of God’s Kingdom and to empower us to keep them.
At Pentecost, after Jesus’ resurrection, God, through Jesus Emanuel, had given everything necessary for fallen man, the intellectual animal, to be born again into the full image of God. By accepting the shed blood of Jesus Emanuel for the remission of sin, and receiving the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ resurrection, we are born again into the Kingdom of God.
God says: “If you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed: You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free” (John 8: 31, 32).
May the Great God and Savior, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, be with you all.
Study # 7. The Occult. Chapter 1.
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
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“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (John 3:8).
St. Valentine’s Day.---Every year, in mid-February, millions of people express romantic feelings toward each other by exchanging heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, flowers, and “valentines.” Children express hidden infatuations by sending cards as “secret admirers.” Retailers stock shelves with merchandise covered in stylized hearts and Cupids preparing for the popular observance of St. Valentine’s Day, February 14.
Where and how did this curious custom originate?? Valentine’s Day acquired its name from a Catholic saint, although exactly who he was is a matter of debate. The two most famous Valentines were a Roman priest, and a Bishop, both of whom suffered martyrdom in the last half of the third century.
Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays records the story this way: “Everyone knows that St. Valentine’s Day is the day of the year when friends and lovers express affection for one another, through cards, candy, and flowers, whatever means the imagination can find. But no one is quite certain who this St. Valentine – or, more appropriately, who these Valentines were. The early lists of church martyrs reveal at least three Valentines, and one source boosted this number to an unwieldy eight, each of whom had his day on February 14.
“The various Valentines eventually evolved into one. Lover’s quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of engaged couples and anyone wishing to marry.” (Robert J. Myers and the editors of Hallmark Cards, 1972, pp. 48-49).
During the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day grew increasingly popular in Europe. February 14 was significant, not only for its religious meaning, but because it is widely believed that birds begin to mate on this date. Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400) mentions the mating of birds on Valentine’s Day in his poem “Parliament of Foules.”
“English literature, following Chaucer, contains frequent references to February 14 as sacred to lovers. Shakespeare, Drayton, and Gay are among those who mention it in connection, and the diarist Samuel Pepy several times discusses the day and its related customs. The Paston Letters, covering the period from 1422 to 1509, contain a letter by Dame Elizabeth Brews to John Paston, with whom she hoped to arrange a match for her daughter, which runs this way: “And cousin mine, upon Monday is St. Valentine’s day and every bird chooseth himself a mate . . .” (Jane M. Hatch, The American Book of Days, 1978, p. 178).
For centuries St. Valentine’s Day flourished as 24 hours of romantic superstition. A common belief was that a girl would marry the first bachelor she saw or conjure her first future mate’s image by visiting a graveyard on St. Valentine’s Eve.
The custom of sending valentine cards grew popular in the seventeen hundreds. In the early eighteen hundreds commercial valentines appeared. And soon there was no end to how entrepreneurs could make money from the holiday. Valentine’s Day became so
popular in the United States that an eighteen sixty three periodical claimed it was second in celebration only to Christmas.
Valentine’s Day is as popular as ever with children and couples. It is one of the biggest moneymaking days for florists, candy makers, and gift shops.
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Pre-Christian Origins.---But do the roots of Valentine’s Day run deeper and further back into history?
The origins of Valentine’s Day predate Christianity. “The most plausible theory for St Valentine’s Day traces its customs back to the Pagan Roman Lupercalia, a feast celebrated in February in honor of the pastoral god Lupercus, a Roman version of the Greek god Pan. The festival was an important one for the Romans, [and] naturally had some aspects of a rebirth rite to it.” (Myers, pp. 50-51).
The original festival, celebrated on February 15, was founded in the ancient legend of the infants Romulus and Remus. The two brothers, were said to have been abandoned, but discovered and nursed by a wolf, or lupus in Latin. The two boys are credited as the founders of Rome.
Lupercalia was celebrated in honor of pastoral deities, and ceremonies included the sacrifice of goats and a dog. Young men, dressed in sacrificial animal skins, would run from a cave, said to be where Romulus and Remus were cared for by the wolf, brandishing strips of goat skins. Any woman struck by these thongs were assured fertility. “These thongs were called Februa, the festival Februatio, and the day, Dies Februetus, hence arose the name of the month February, the last of the old Roman year.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. XV, ninth edition, 1907, “Lupercalia”).
Over the years many customs were added to the celebration. One was for the names of girls to be placed in a box to be drawn by boys. Each resulting match was then considered a pair for the coming year.
Lupercalia and Christianity.---As Christianity spread throughout the pagan Roman Empire, it was common for pagan converts to retain their earlier religious customs and practices. Edward Gibbons, in his classic work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, states: “After the conversion of the Imperial city, the Christians still continued, in the month of February, the annual celebration of the Lupercalia; to which they ascribed a secret and mysterious influence of the genial powers of the animal and vegetable world.” (Vol, II, the Modern Library, p. 327).
Pope Gelasius is said to have eradicated Lupercalia from Christian observance in the last decade of the fifth century. But, in reality, the mingling of pagan and Christianity had become inseparable in much of the Western world. Saturnalia and Mithraism were incorporated into the church through claiming a December birth date for Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. Various spring fertility rites merged from the basis of Easter celebrations; first day worship rather than God’s seventh day Sabbath. Lupercalia evolved into the observance of St. Valentine’s Day.
Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays, comments: “Everywhere that Christians came into power they immediately adapted the holidays and customs of the people to their own creed. Now it was a simple matter to call the day that this drawing took place St. Valentine’s Day. . . To Christianize the heathen practices of picking lots for sweethearts, all that was needed was to replace the names of the girls with names of saints and to have the girls with names of saints and to have the young people emulate the particular virtues of whatever saint they drew. Incidentally, this custom is not dead today and is still observed in some religious orders.
“It was always more fun, of course, to pick a girl’s name rather than a saint’s name. Consequently, by at least the fourteenth century the custom had reverted to its original form: (pp.50, 51). 76.
Roman gods and Christian Saints.---Why would people observe a day that honors pagan gods by associating it with Christian saints?
The ancient pagan Romans worshiped gods and goddesses involved with every aspect of life:
Jupiter, the chief of the gods, was the deity of rain and storms, while his wife,
Juno, was the goddess of womanhood.
Minerva, the goddess of handicrafts and wisdom;
Venus, the goddess of sexual love and birth;
Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, sacred fires, and the state, and;
Ceres, the goddess of agriculture.
The Greeks considered Mercury to be the messenger of the gods, but the Romans worshipped him as the god of trade, and businessmen celebrated his feast day to increase profits. Others included Mars, god of war; Caster and Pollux, gods of sea and travelers; Cronos, the guardian of time; and Cupid, the god of love, whose magic arrow encouraged humans and immortals to fall in love. The list goes on and on.
Pagan Romans would generally call on “the gods,” but each deity had its own cult, and worshipers would pray and conduct religious ceremonies to a specific god or goddess to ask for help. Christianity, with its emphasis on one God, was viewed by many Romans as a strange superstition or even a kind of atheism that denied the existence of the gods. Members of the early Christian Church, His Church, considered themselves “saints,” meaning holy or separated to God. Paul greets the church at Philippi as “all the saints in the Christ, Jesus. (Philippians 1: 1). However, it wasn’t long before “saints” in the Roman tradition, began to take on the erroneous meaning of a special class of martyrs or performers of heroic virtue.
In the second and third centuries it became common for some to honor the death of a martyr by celebrating the anniversary of his or her demise. The local cult would offer prayers to the dead for intercession with God. A “saint” could eventually receive universal recognition by declaration of a bishop of Rome. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains: “As was taught by St. Augustine . . . Catholics, while giving to God alone adoration strictly so-called, honor the saints because of the Divine supernatural gifts which have earned them eternal life, and through which they reign with God in the heavenly fatherland as His chosen friends and faithful servants.”
“In other words, Catholics honor God in His saints as the loving distributor of supernatural gifts. The worship of latris . . . or strict adoration is given to God alone; the worship, or dulis . . . or honor and humble reverence, is paid the saints; the worship of hyperdulia . . . on account of her greater excellence, [is directed] to the Blessed Virgin Mary.” (Vol. II, “Saints,” 1907. Online Edition, 1999, Kevin Knight).
The evolution from the early Church’s recognition of all members being saints to the veneration and worship of the dead is rooted in the early mixture of paganism, with Christianity. The populace throughout the Pagan Roman Empire was accustomed, not only to the worship of the Greek and Roman pantheon, but also, to the cultic worship of the local deities. It was an easy step for the misguided congregations, rooted in paganism, to replace the customs of local cults with worship of dead martyrs.
The Dangers in a Harmless Holiday.---What harm can there be in the celebration of lovers in the name of St. Valentine? Besides, what does it matter that some of the today’s
customs hark back to pagan rites? 77.
For one thing, nowhere does the Scriptures approve of praying to dead, or living. Saints. In fact, Jesus Emanuel declared that no one except Himself has ascended into heaven. (John 3: 13). Genuine saints wait in their graves for the resurrection to occur at Jesus Emanuel’s return. Venerating dead saints? Propagates an ancient heathen custom that has not basis in reality. It is an incitation to the Occult.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the resurrection: “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus Emanuel died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus Emanuel. For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in the Christ will rise first” (1st Thessalonians 4: 13-16).
One of the rules Jesus Emanuel, the Christ fulfills as our resurrected High Priest is Intercessor, one who pleads on behalf of another. The Scriptures declare: “Therefore He [Jesus Emanuel] is also able to save to the utter most those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7: 25).
The Scriptures encourages Christians to pray for each other, but heavenly intercession is reserved for Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. At Jesus Emanuel’s death the veil in the temple, a heavy curtain that separated the “holy of holies,” representing God’s throne, from the rest of the temple, supernaturally torn by God, from top to the bottom. This action of God demonstrated that a new access to God was made available by God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. A Christian’s relationship to God is with a personal, and intimate Father. The supposed need for another heavenly intercessor cast aspersions on this role of the Christ, our Great High Priest.
Does it Matter?---God warned ancient Israel, the people He chose to represent true religion, not to mix pagan customs with worshipping Him as the true God. “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations that you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods … Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” (Deuteronomy 12: 29-32).
Paul compares mixing paganism with Christianity to worshipping demons: “What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But rather I say, that the things that the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God: and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: You cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we want to provoke the Lord to Jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1st Corinthians 10: 19-22).
Holidays such as St. Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Xmas, etc, metamorphose into icons of Western culture, parodying the Christian religion. Most people don’t care that its origin lies in the Pagan Roman Lupercalia and are rooted in tenets that have nothing to do with Scriptures. It’s this apathy about how to worship God, and the
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corresponding moral decay, that is the result of mixing Christianity with paganism.
Jesus Emanuel said His followers would “worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth.” (John 4: 23). Observance of this holiday is one of many traditions that must be questioned if Christianity, if Christians are to return to their rightful foundation laid by Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. Lupercalia is an invitation to the Occult
It is a wicked thing to have the worship of an old heathen god in the Christian? heart, and in the Church, the Body of the Anointed One, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. “Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5: 20, 21).
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1st John 1: 9).
“Then Jesus said to those Jews (physical and spiritual) that believed on Him, “If you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed: You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.’” (John 8: 31, 32).
Chapter 2.
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (John 3: 8).
Easter, Lent and Good Friday: Pagan or Christian?---Do you know? Jesus was not crucified on, and did not die on Good? Friday, the Sixth day of the week. Do you know? Jesus was not resurrected on Easter Sunday, the First day of the week. This is an invitation to the Occult. (See page 28).
“Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after the Christ.” Colossians 2:8. We must turn from the doctrines of men and obey the doctrines, and commandments of God. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, but were eyewitnesses if His majesty.” (2nd Peter 1: 16, 20, 21). This is the attitude that every Christian must take: We must take the whole Bible as our rule of faith Peter holds the Bible up as our guide as we study into the things of God.
Most preachers of this day and time are preaching to please the ears of their congregations, and in so doing, are a curse to the people instead of a blessing. The business of every child of God is to “search the Scriptures,” “here a little and there a little,” and to live godly, witnessing to all, the Truth of God’s Word, and not the false Doctrines of man, of the world. We must speak the Truth of God’s Word and that means we speak no untruth, for a partial truth is a lie. “Your glory is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (1st Corinthians 5:6).
Some people do not like the Truth of God’s Word because God’s Word does not tolerate man’s self will and sinful traditions. “For do I seek to please men? For if I please
men, I should not be the servant of the Christ.” (Galatians 1: 10). “So then every one of us shall account of himself to God,” (Romans 14: 12). “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4: 6). Study reveals that Easter is not Scriptural, and that it
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is a perpetuation of the worship of a heathen, pagan goddess, whose names are variations of the ancient word for spring: “eastre.” “The Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility was known variously as Ostara, Eostra, Eostre, Eastur, Eastra Eastur, Austron, and Ausos.” Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were: Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus; Ashtoreth, from ancient Israel; Astart’e, from ancient Greece; Demeter, from Mycenae; Hathor, from Ancient Egypt; Ishtar, from Assyria; Kali, from India, and Ostara, a Norse Goddess of fertility.
Christianity should, Must deal only with the Truth of Scripture: Sunday worship, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, St. Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Lent, Holy Water, Bunny Rabbits, Eggs as holy objects, are of heathen/Pagan origin and have no Scriptural foundation. It is therefore wrong, a sin, for any professed child of God to commemorate, or take part in these ungodly services and activities. Even though great numbers persist in following the way of the heathen and pagan, (Jeremiah 10: 2, 3); remember that God says in His Word, “You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16: 15). This is God’s, Word, look it up?
The Resurrection was not on Sunday.---Let us begin our study by looking at Good Friday? Any thoughtful student of the Word can immediately see that our Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ did not die on a Friday. According to His own prophecy, Jesus Emanuel said that He would be in the grave three days and three nights. “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12: 40). Remember that God’s day begins at sundown, in the evening, 6 o’clock P.M.. instead of midnight. Notice the Scripture: “In the end of the Sabbath, at dusk (becoming the first day of the week) came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.” (Matthew 28: 1).
I especially like Berries Greek Inner Liner on Matthew 28: 1 which reads, “In the end of the Sabbath as it was getting dusk,” we find the women coming to see the tomb.
Alfred Edersheim in his book The Temple, reprint 1975, pg. 204, concerning the end of the day says, “They were computed from sunset to sunset, or rather to the appearance of the first three stars with which a new day commenced.”
At this time the following occurred: “And behold, there was a great earthquake: The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women, ‘Do not fear: I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.’” (Matthew 28: 1, 2, 5, 6). (It must be inserted here that Jesus did not need the tomb to be opened for His resurrection).
Not having the spices with them, and because of the Guard, they returned to their places of lodging. Mary Magdalene rose early the first day of the week, before it was light and went to the tomb.
The tomb was already empty when the women from Galilee came at sunrise, with the spices, on the first day of the week. If we carefully consider each of the four gospel records, one fact stands out beyond any question. When the two Marys came to the tomb at the end of the weekly Sabbath, the beginning of the First day of the week, Jesus was not there.
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The Bible tells us plainly that Jesus was murdered on the stake on Passover, the 14th of Abib/Nisan, A.S. (After Sin) 4000; 28th of March, A.D. 31; and that He died at 3:00 P.M. on the 4th day of the week, Wednesday. His body was placed in the tomb on that day at sundown, 6: P.M. as it was beginning to be the High Holy Sabbath, an annual Sabbath. No work to be done on the Sabbath.
His body remained in the tomb:
Day One. From 6: P.M. (dusk) Wednesday, the Fourth day of the week, through 6: P.M. (dusk) Thursday (an annual High Holy Sabbath, the fifth day of the week. No work was to be done on the Sabbath.
Day Two. From 6: P.M. (dusk) Thursday, the Fifth day of the week, through 6: P.M. (dusk) Friday, the Sixth day of the week.
Day Three. From 6: P. M. (dusk) Friday, the Sixth day of the week, through 6: P.M. (dusk) Saturday, the Seventh day weekly Sabbath. No work to be done on the Sabbath. This fulfilled the sign of Jonah, and the Lord’s prophecy of Matthew 12: 40.
Good Friday is a Lie.---The teaching that Jesus Emanuel was crucified on “Good Friday” contradicts the clear teachings of the Bible and Civil history: God does not lie. He said that He would be in the grave three days and three nights. You cannot figure three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning: You cannot figure more than two nights. So there are only two nights allowed by the Good Friday myth. Our God is a God of exactness, if that were not true, we would have the universe in a state of confusion. A study of the Bible reveals that God fulfills His Word in the most careful, minute, and painstaking manner: Accurately.
In John 11: 9, “Jesus Emanuel answered, “Are there not twelve hours in a day?’” Here our Lord teaches that twelve hour make a day. Therefore, in His reckoning, a day and a night are exactly 24 hours.
The Origin of Easter.---Where does Easter come from? It certainly doesn’t come from the Bible. The Bible knows nothing of Easter. The word ‘Easter’ found only once in the Bible (Act 12: 4), and was translated from the Greek word, “Pascha,” meaning “Passover.”
Here is the simple truth about this heathen, pagan holiday: The name, Easter, was originally applied to a spring festival in honor of the heathen, pagan Eostre, or Ostara, the Teutonic goddess of light and spring. And in the 8th century the name was transferred, by the Anglo Saxons, to the so-called ‘Christian festival’ that millions today celebrate as the resurrection of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. Through bondage to sin, deception, deceit, and lies, Satan has the world celebrating this man made doctrine, Easter, without questioning it’s origin and traditions
Lent.---Lent is a 40 day period of abstinence that also came out of the Roman Catholic Church, the “Mother of Harlots” of Revelation, chapters 17 and 18. During the 6th century the pope instituted this season by calling it a “sacred fast” and ordering the people to abstain from meat and a few other foods. One gives up chocolate bars. Another does not eat butter. Another smokes one cigarette per day instead of ten, or twenty. Still another gives up drinking for 40 days.
Man is so steeped in sin, he thinks that by denying himself some food, or some fleshly gratification that he can win favor in the sight of God. How tragic!! And just think of the millions of souls who have gone to the grave believing this abominable lie!!
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In Timothy 4: 1-5, we find an expressly spoken prophecy of some of the prevailing false doctrines of the “last days.” “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils: Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron: Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer.” Easter is an invitation to the Occult.
Chapter 3.
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (John 3: 8).
The Occult.---The question is often asked, “Are some of the strange phenomena known today as the occult part of God’s contact with the human race, or are they in opposition to His will? And is there any danger in becoming involved in things that God condemns?
Interest in occultism is growing at a fantastic rate!! Many church people are not aware of its growth within the churches!! It is hard for many Christians to believe that the occult, from Satan worship to the syndicate newspaper column on astrology, has found the interest that it has today. A growing interest in such arts and sciences has been manifest among business and professional people, students, and ordinary working men and women. Today, things that before had been considered “off limits” are the “in thing.”
Hal Lindsey, author of “Satan Is Alive and Well on Planet Earth,” reports that a young Englishman named Os Guiness made a startling discovery as he searched all the great libraries of London for literature on occult practices. His findings were to the effect that the occult was listed in most major works on history, as phenomena that had been all but extinct. The development of modern science following the Renaissance had put to death most occult practices. However, he discovered that beginning with 1966-1967, there was an avalanche of literature, and documentation on the subject.
Occult practices, and interest in them, have become big business that has many takers. In an article entitled “Astrology Revisited: Hit or Myth?” by Mort Weisinger, in the “Signature” magazine, it was reported that there are an estimated 300,000 astrologers practicing in the United States, when the part-timers and amateurs are counted.
Newspapers throughout the country with a total readership of 50 million people carry horoscope columns daily. Astrology, as a business, is reported to currently run as high as $300 million in business each year. There are at least five major companies using computers to cast individual horoscopes at a cost of from $50 to $100 each.
Other signs of the growing interest in the occult may be observed by the popularity of shows and television programs that feature it in one form or another. Programs like Bewitched and the Munsters, now often television reruns.
Today, for the adult audience, there are such programs as Bay-watch Nights, Poltergeist, Outer Limits, Walker, Star-Trek, Texas Ranger, X-Files, etc. Many reruns.
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Some programs, specifically for children, have capitalized on the revival of interest in the occult. The animated series on T.V. feature Ghosts, Goblins, Witches, and Magic. Much of the fun and action in the shows are built around the magic performed by the cartoon characters, and is an invitation to the Occult.
Prominent personalities, and many books, have aided the cause of the occult. Bishop Pike of a few years ago, a national religious figure, by implication, if not in deed, popularized the concept that Christianity and the occult are compatible with each other. The Bishop attempted to speak with his dead son through a spirit medium.
The real problem with the growing popularity and interest in the occult arts is that astrology, and fortune telling are all made to look innocent and full of fun. The witchcraft portrayed on television and other entertaining media appears to be funny and harmless. The horoscope in the daily newspaper may be read casually without thought as to its origin.
A group of high school, or college students may think that a session of table tapping, or with the ouija board is no more than entertainment. Some, looking for a little excitement, may have their fortunes told, or attend a séance of a spiritist without thinking of, or knowing of the tragic consequences of these practices.
Most, if not all of these activities, while holding a certain mysticism, are not considered “off limits” by many people, by many Christians. Their popularity is growing to the extent that many professing Christians participate in one or more of these occult practices regularly. To many people, other than the most dedicated occultist, these practices hold a certain fascination, but may have serious consequences.
One of the dangers of occult practices, however, is that they have a way of becoming acceptable for experimentation until their adventurers become completely convinced of their credibility. Many books dealing with the exposure of occult arts relate how people very innocently become dependent upon them in one form or another as they begin to experiment with them.
A fortuneteller makes a prediction in vague and general terms. To the individual to whom this is addressed it may appear to be a detailed account of some past, or future experience that gives credibility to the seer. Through autosuggestion, a horoscope may appear to have correctly advised individuals to act, and in so doing, the individuals come to believe that they should rely upon astrology because they become convinced that its advice is helpful.
While the occult may appear innocent, funny, and exciting to millions, it is in reality a damning art that enslaves and destroys its adherents. The prophets of God of old knew magic and witchcraft distracted from the worship of the One, and only True God. They warned that indulgence in such black arts would bring God’s judgment upon those who relied on them or practiced them. Those were the physical Jews.
Surely, preachers and apostles of God of today know magic and witchcraft distracts from the worship of the One, and only True God. Surely, they warn that indulgence in such black arts is bringing God’s judgment upon those who rely on them or practice them. These are the spiritual Jews of today, Christianity. The Occult, in any form, is an abomination in the sight of God.
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Chapter 4.
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (John 3:8).
Halloween.---This heathen, pagan holiday is a widely, and ceremoniously celebrated by Christian and none Christian world in general. Christians should, must be vitally interested in the eternal effects of this subject and expect that ready answers can be found in the Word of God to questions pertaining to it. This study is prepared to challenge your knowledge about this special day, and to set forth some interesting Biblical facts about it.
Halloween, which brings to most of us visions of fun and jollity, is an old, old festival. The Heathen, the Pagans celebrated it many centuries B.C., and the Romans held it about the first of November in honor of Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees. In Britain, the druids celebrated a festival at the same time in honor of the sun god, and in thanksgiving for harvest, and the two festivals seem to have become one in the minds of the Britains. When the people became Christians, the Church Fathers of the Holy Roman Empire, wisely let them keep their old feast, but gave it a new association by holding it in commemoration of all departed souls. Thus the eve of the festival cane to be called All Hallow E’en. The name comes from the old English word “halwe,” or as we now say, holy.
Many beliefs grew up about this feast, such as the belief that on this one night of the year, the spirits of the departed were allowed to visit their old homes. In many parts of the old countries food was left, hearths were carefully swept, and chairs were set in order before the inhabitants of the villages went to rest.
Many of the old superstitions, some of them going back to the pagan times, came to this country with our Puritan ancestors, and though they lost their meaning long ago, we still keep some of the quaint old customs.
Why does Christianity observe All Saint’s Day (All Soul’s Day) at all? It was celebrated in May by the seventh century Roman Catholic Church in memory of early Christian martyrs who died for their faith, their beliefs. Yet, by the tenth century it had moved to, and celebrated on November 1st by churchmen who, like many today, compromised with the Heathen, the Pagan to add numbers to their church rolls. These abominable unholy days, were legalized, as far as the Roman Church was concerned, by councils and edicts. Another name is All Hallows. The evening of October 31 was known as Allow’Eve, which was later shortened to Halloween. Is this your answer?
In the Word of God, the Scriptures, the Bible, the Source Book, the foundation of Christianity should be found satisfactory, and convincing information about All Saint’s Day, All Soul’s Day, Halloween, etc., if it is a Biblical endorsed festival. There is no place in the Scriptures where any of the words above, or any names that it is called by, is to be found.
That such significance is attached to an event that is not even mentioned in the Bible, any version or translation, registers as being rather strange. But, much of the “fun?” “the practices of?” “people partaking of?” “etc,” are mentioned in God’s Word.
The date of Halloween, November 1st, is one of the eight major festivals of Witches, celebrated above all other days, as their major festival. Are you aware of this peculiarity
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of the Day? There are celebrations at both solstices and Equinoxes, and at four monthly meetings; February- Announcing Spring, April-Welcoming Summer, August-Heralding Harvest (Fall), and October-Waiting Death (Winter). However, Subjects in the Celebration of Halloween are addressed in a very definite manner in the Scriptures.
Jeremiah warns against heathen/pagan practices:
“Thus says the Lord, ‘do not learn the way of the heathen . . .’” (Jeremiah 10: 2).
Halloween is a heathen/pagan instituted festival and should not, must not be practiced in any manner by the Christian world.
Every heathen/pagan observes the advent of winter with somber foreboding and much religious ceremony, even to celebrating the death of vegetation, which to them is the death of the living. Halloween is a celebration of Death, not life. The characters of this celebration are:
1. Witches and witchcraft, and they are not to be the play of Christians adults and/or
children. It is “an abomination in the eyes of God.” A witch practices magic, witchcraft is the Craft, the “craft of the wise.”
Today witchcraft is respected, and the IRS has given their church (Wicca) tax exempt
status. To the U. S. Government there is no difference, as it should be, between the body of the Christ, the Christian Church, and the body of the antichrist, the Satanic Church. Paulus Grillandus says of the Practice of Witchcraft: page 135. “The customs and ceremonies involve human sacrifices called ‘The Black Mass.’” The Black Mass and Black Magic equals Death.
2. The cat has lived for thousands of years among mankind and has been given
positions of demon and deity. One of the three most popular choices of Halloween characters is the cat.
Few of us realize the meaning of Halloween Cats as a familiar (A demonic spirit who
serves a witch or medium in an animal it may inhabit,) Other familiars (companions) can be blackbirds and crows, and among other lower animals forms such as toads and frogs.
3. The Bat, with its hideous appearance, the leather like wings, along with the unique
ability to hunt in total darkness, has given the reputation of a creature with occult powers. It signifies both the bird (symbol of the soul) and the demon (dweller in darkness). On occasion these significant symbols of Halloween have been honored as gods.
4. The Mask, along with the Witch, Devil, Cat, and Bat, are very popular parts of the
Halloween custom, and the list goes on. Some people use all sorts of “masks” to hide behind for all sorts of reasons.
5. Elves, Goblins, and Fairies are ugly, menacing little creatures who live in dark
places. They are thought to be the ghosts of kings and heroes with a touch of divinity in them. “The goblins will get you if you don’t watch out!!”
6. Ghosts are demons (To the Occultist, any non-human spirit; according to the
Bible, angels who rebelled against God.) are not the manifested spirit apparitions of the souls of the dead.
7. The Jack-O-Lantern, as a symbol of Halloween, comes to us as pale eerie lights that appear over bogs and marshes. These ghostly lights, called Lantern Men, or Corpse Candles, bob along like lanterns in someone’s hand.
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The Jack-O-Lantern, as a symbol of the signals from the souls of the lost, sinners condemned to walk the earth till the end of time, a device of the great deceiver, Satan.
The Spirit of Fear, of mystically strange and supernatural happenings, are not of the Lord God. Haunted houses are not of God: Yet, hundreds of professed Christian youth groups visit them annually, and many of these houses are sponsored by professed Christian churches!!
Halloween is the spirit of fear, a celebration of the Occult, of Mysticism, and Death. It is much more than a time of children dressed as witches, ghosts, goblins, and devils going treating and tricking. There is much more to Halloween, and Christians need/must get it in the right perspective. It is an abomination to God, and therefore, it must be an abomination to Christians.
Fear can cause us to lose our proper perspective on life and lead to illness in the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of life. It is a debilitating force that can cause you to lose faith in God, self, and others. The predominate characteristic of Halloween, television, and the theater is fear. They glorify and exalt Satan, and belittle God. This fear has been brought into our homes in the guise of adult and child entertainment.
God is not a god of fear. We cannot be His people and partake of Satanic entertainment. We must not be perpetrators of this great lie. Fear is not just a time for innocent fun. To be blind and/or ignorant of Satan’s devices is Death, Eternal Death. Ephesians, 6th chapter tells us we must put on the whole armor of God to defend ourselves from the multa media, multa million dollar onslaught of our faith. Continual association with the elements of fear in our entertainment has lead to the Occult and denial of God.
A quote from The Golden Bough, by Frazer, page 361:
“Taken altogether, the coincidence of the Christian with the heathen festivals are to close and to numerous to be accidental. The mark, the compromise that the Church, in the hour of its triumph, was compelled to make with its vanquished, yet still dangerous rivals. The inflexible Protestantism of the Primitive missionaries, with their fiery denunciations of heathendom, had been exchanged for the supple policy, the easy tolerance, comprehensive charity of shrewd ecclesiastics, who clearly perceived that if Christianity was to conquer the world it could do so only by relaxing the to rigid principles of its Founder, by widening a little the narrow gate which leads to salvation.”
We have no divinely sanctioned right to make such changes in our Founder’s Plan pf Salvation. Such a practice is ungodly, unchristian; Devilish if you will, and cannot be called Christian, and such practices are an abomination in the sight of God.
After considering the practices of apostate, nominal, orthodox secular, social Christianity, it must be kept in mind that the True Body of Jesus Emanuel, His Church, can have no connection whatsoever with the heathen/pagan festivals, adopted to Christianity. It seem that Satan has been successful in deceiving most of Christianity, and if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24: 24; Mark 13: 22). The True Body of Jesus Emanuel, His Church, must now know, do, and teach the Truth of the Scriptures. He has instructed us, His Church, to “go . . . and teach all nations . . . to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28: 19, 20). The celebration of Halloween, or any heathen/pagan festival, is not one of His commandments or teachings.
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Halloween, (All Saints Day), along with many other festivals of Christianity, are pseudo-Christian, the acts of the Apostate Church, in cooperation with Satan. The Biblical answer is clear. Stand firm for Biblical faith and practices, denying the encroachment of false practices upon the purity of True Godly worship.
Revelation 18: 4 states: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not be partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.’” God hates false worship. “through your precepts I get understanding: Therefore, I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119: 104).
It is a wicked thing to pretend that Halloween, along with the other ungodly festivals, is innocent fun when they are a damning lie. It is a wicked thing for a professed people of God to bring the practices of the Occult into His Church, the body of Jesus Emanuel, Almighty God personally present. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5: 20, 21).
Then said Jesus Emanuel to those Jews, physical and spiritual) which believed on Him, “If you continue in My Word, ten are you My disciples indeed; you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8: 31, 32).
Halloween is an invitation to the Occult.
Chapter 5.
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (John 3: 8).
Christmas.---Two thousand years ago, in the land of Palestine there occurred a great and important event; the incarnation of the Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. The Holy Spirit, the Father, came as His Son to live on the earth as a human, to teach mankind the True Way of Salvation and then to give His life to pay the penalty for sin.
The birth of Jesus Emanuel was assuredly a very important event, and we enjoy reading the description of it in the Gospels. Joseph and Mary were at Bethlehem, and Mary was about to give birth, but there was no place for them in the inn. They spent the night in, what we would call, a cowshed, and there, Mary gave birth to Jesus; His cradle was a manger. Shepherds, spending the night in the open fields with their flocks, saw angels appear in the sky. They heard the message “To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2: 11). As the shepherds rejoiced at this wonderful event, so we should rejoice and be glad that Lord, Jesus Emanuel was born; that we, through Him, have Salvation.
When did this wonderful event take place? Evidence has recently been discovered that indicates that the birth of Jesus Emanuel occurred at the time of the Hebrew Day of Atonement, 10 Tishri, A.S. 3966; 28 September, B.C. 3. But people the world over commemorate it on the 25th of December, the time of celebration, of the Pagan Saturnalia, and call the day “Christmas.”
Many churches join time, of the pagan celebration, with special Christian services, and in general it is a time of activity, and good will. Many people consider it the best season of the year. 87.
To all Christians this question should come to mind, “Is this commemoration taught in the Scriptures; what is the origin of the Christmas tree, the decorations, and Santa Clause? Since the date of the birth of the Christ was not known till recently, how was 25th of December selected? By whom was it authorized, and for what reason?” It is the purpose of this study to answer these questions and determine what the Christian attitude should be toward the pagan holiday, Christmas.
Its Pagan Origin.---Many works, by many scholars have depicted the pagan origin of the Christmas celebration. One of the more indicting books is “4000 Years of Christmas” by Earl W. Count, Professor of Anthropology at Hamilton College. Here are some excerpts from that work:
“We do not know its beginning . . .we do not really know, or exactly how it was that, over centuries, a bishop; saint of Asia Minor and a pagan god of the Germans merged to become Santa Claus.
“Although the Christmas story centers in the Christ Child of Bethlehem, it begins so long before His coming that we find its hero arriving on the scene after more than half the time of the history has gone by.
“Christmas began over 4000 years ago, as the festival which renewed the world for another year. The ‘12 days’ of Christmas; the bright fires and probably the Yule log; the giving of presents; the carnivals with their floats, their merry making and clowning, the mummers who sing and play from house to house; the feasting; the church processions with their lights and song . . . All these and more began three centuries before the Christ was born. And they celebrated the arrival of a New Year” (page 18).
“For that day [25th of December] was sacred, not to the pagan Romans, but to a religion from Persia which, in those days, was one of Christianity’s strongest rivals. This Persian religion was Mithraism, whose followers worshiped the sun, and celebrated its return to strength on that day. The church finally succeeded in taking the merriment, the greenery, the lights, and the gifts from Saturn and giving them to the Babe of Bethlehem.” (page 27).
“It happened that the date [December 25th] did fall in the midst of the Saturnalia. Far from being an invention to compete against Roman and Persian paganism, the birthday of the Christ [?] ran the danger of being swallowed up in pagan merry making. The [church] Fathers tried strenuously to keep Christmas strictly a church celebration. It was part of their unremitting struggles to break the grip of the pagan gods upon the people. And they broke the grip . . . after a battle of centuries. The pagan Romans became Christians . . . But the Saturnalia remained” (page 28).
Christmas, as we have seen, is of the Mediterranean. . . For the Mediterranean world already had not merely centuries, but millennia behind it, when the Christ was born; and even the religion which He founded had traveled several centuries before it discovered its need of Christmas.” (page 86).
The Christmas Customs.---The evolution of the Christmas celebration has taken several centuries. Most of the features of the celebration are taken for granted by the 20th and 21st century secular and religious community with little thought given to the origin of these popular festivities. Listed are several time honored aspects of the Christmas season and their origins:
The Tree.---We can find enough instances of the use of trees, even decorated ones
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such as the pine tree on which images of the god Attis were hung amid rows of ribbons at a spring festival, to convince us of the ultimately Pagan origin of our customs.” (Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays; Myers; page 310).
“It is a fact that the Christmas tree stems from primitive pagan customs. Its main features, green foliage and candles, were associated with the winter solstice when nature seemed dead, and green branches and trees were used in a magical rite to ensure the return of vegetation and the victory of light over darkness.” (How Did It Begin? Ciustoms and Superstitions and Their Romantic Origins; Brasch; Chapter 25; “Religion and Its Symbols”).
The Gifts.---“The custom of making presents at Christmas time is associated with the gifts presented to the Christ by the wise men of the East; but, in reality, at least so far as English speaking people are concerned, it is derived from an Old Heathen usage.” (the New Standard Encycyclpedia; “Christmas).
The wise men (magi) gave gifts to Jesus Emanuel, but did not exchange gifts among themselves. Their gifts to Jesus were not because of His birth, for they arrived later. The gifts were given because Jesus was royalty; He is the King: “The people of the East never approach the presence of kings, and great personages, without a present in their hands.” (Clarke’s Commentary; Vol. 5; Matthew 2: 11; page 46).
The wise men didn’t institute a new custom, but merely followed and old, ancient, Eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king when coming into his presence. The magi approached royalty in the person of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, “born King of the Jews.” (Matthew 2: 2).
“The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of the Saturnalia and Christmas, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the abomination of Tertullian plainly shows.” (The Bibliotheca Sara; Vol. 12; pages 153-155).
The Wassailing.---“Singing carols from house to house or drinking to someone’s health and prosperity (a toast).
“The wassailing bowl of Christmas had its precise counterpart in the ‘drunken festival of Babylon’ and many other observances still kept up among ourselves at Christmas come from the same quarter.” (“The Two Babylons;” Hislop; page 97).
The Candles.---“Burning candles at Christmas tide is a custom which goes back to the Roman Saturnalia.” (Icks; Chapter 3: “Christmas Cycle;” page 53.
The Kress Kringle (Santa Claus).---“From these (German) people were to come, although not quite yet, those most universal of Christmas customs; the Christmas tree, and the portly, beneficent Kriss Kringle, known also as Santa Claus.” (Myers; “Christmas Day;” page 314).
“Gradually the Presbyterians, Quakers, and Puritans accepted such customs as the Christmas tree, the giving of small gifts, and the Christmas feast. But they spoke violently against the corruption of the Christkinfl, the Christ Child, into ‘Kriss Kringle.’ After Kriss Kringle was fully assimilated, there was much concern among almost all religious groups about the non-religious trend of the holiday.” (Myers; “Christmas Day;” page 316).
“Santa Claus of today is in part an American contribution to the Christmas festival. Originally St. Nicholas, a lean, pale eccentric, carrying a dark miter and staff of a bishop,
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was the bearer of gifts to children. It was the work of three (American) men that gave St. Nicholas the personality of our red cheeked, white bearded ‘Jolly Old Santa Claus.’” (Ickis; Chapter 3; “Christmas Cycle;” page 57).
The December Birth.---The most respected Bibical scholars admit that Jesus Emanuel could not have been born on or around December 25th. Since the rainy season in Judea commenced about October 15th, shepherds, in advance of that time, had their flocks in from the open, damp fields. Thus, shepherds (Luke 2: 8) were not grazing their sheep at any time in December. The flocks had already been removed from the cold, open air for more than two months!!
December 25th, a date greatly revered in ancient paganism, and in the Occult practices of today, was the day manufactured for Jesus’ birthday, because the converted heathen wanted it so!!
Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, Almighty God bodily present, was born as our Atonement, 10 Tishri, A.S. 3966; 28 October, B.C. 3.
The Mixed Religion.---The mixing of religions has long been acceptable to paganism, but it has always been an abomination to God! Taking something that is good, and assimilating it with some ‘foreign’ entity is abhorrent to the God of Heaven. Who Himself is Holy, Righteous, and absolutely Pure! Not only is such religious blending diversionary from God’s way, but it also involves man in that which ends in death (Proverbs 14: 12; 16: 25).
From the annals of the Prophet Jeremiah, who watched his nation decline, and fall into such practices comes this stinging command: “Do not learn the way of the heathen nations, or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the heathen nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the people are false: A tree is cut down and taken from the forest, and worked with an ax by the hands of a craftsman.” (Jeremiah 10: 2, 3).
The New American Standard Bible calls the customs “delusion,” or more literally, “vanity,” meaning empty, useless, and standing for nothing. Spiritual Israel, Christianity, today, like the people of ancient, physical Israel, reject God’s plea for purity, and grasp that which pleases them from the religions around them.
“We, Christianity, reject His statues, His New Covenant that He made with our fathers, and the testimonies He gave them. We go after emptiness and become empty and follow the heathen nations surrounding us about, whom the Lord commanded us not to do as they do.” (Paraphrase; 2nd Kings 17: 15).
Syncretism is the attempt to harmonize preferred qualities of various world religions, making a more desirable creed. It is the way of man, cut off from his Creator. God allows no fusing, intermingling, or uniting of “foreign” elements with His inspired, revealed, and delivered way of Life.
Two churches of the New Testament had syncretistic problems with their doctrines and customs; they obviously acceded to a marriage of the Christ’s faith with paganism:
“I (Jesus Emanuel) have a few things against you: You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice spiritual and physical fornication.” (Revelation 2: 14).
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“I (Jesus Emanuel) have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and is teaching and beguiling My servants, to practice physical and spiritual fornication, and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” (Revelation 2: 20).
With Israel, physical and spiritual, God was, and is not satisfied merely with abstinence from the relics of heathenism. He commands His leadership, to hunt down and root out of Canaan, physical and spiritual, all the vestiges of “foreign” religion. He charges that the seven great (but godless) nations of Canaan, the world, be defeated, destroyed mercilessly and no covenant or marriage be made with them. (Deuteronomy 7: 1-5). Notice the reason for such:
“For they will turn away your sons from following Me, to worship other gods; then the anger of the Lord will flare out against you, and He will annihilate you quickly.” (Deuteronomy 7: 4).
For this cause they were to break down heathen altars, smash their religious pillars and groves, cut down the Asherim (Symbols of Asherah, Canaanite mother goddess, prominent in their fertility cult) and burn their graven images with fire! In Exodus 34: 11-16, Israel was warned to abstain from any heathen covenants with heathenism, “lest it become a snare in your midst.” Israel and Judah were to destroy any semblance of idolatry, which would deter them from faithful allegience to God. Consorting with the customs and ideology of “foreign” nations was considered spiritual forication, unfaithfulness, whoring after strange gods. (Hosea 4: 10-19).
We, Spiritual Israel, are not in a position to destroy all forms of improper religion in our respective nations, lands, states, cities, or denominations. However, we can follow these instructions, and the mind of God, by destroying such evil influences in our own lives, homes, and churches!
1. As the temple of the living God, we can remain holy and undefiled. (1st
Corinthians 6: 19, 20).
2. We can separate from the sins of ungodliness. (Revelation 18: 1-5).
3. We can flee all forms of idolatry. (1st Corinthians 10: 14).
4. We can walk as the wise. (Matthew 10: 16).
5. We can understand how God feels about such practices. (Deuteronomy 7: 25,
26).
Converted Heathens.---People erroneously think that man, institution, church, or nation can sanctify something that God will not sanctify. Mankind cannot legitimize paganism by putting a “Christian” stamp on it, or by clothing it in “respectable” garb. Unless something fits within the will of God, and is part of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) it cannot be surreptitiously included within the gospel of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. Man is simply incapable of turning something that is profane into something that is sacred:
“It is interesting . . .to see how the genius of the human mind has been able, through the centuries, to give them [heathen customs] a different and sacred meaning.” (How Did It Begin? Customs and Superstitions and Their Romantic Origins; Brasch; page 324).
Cohabitation with idolatry, is as defiling to spiritual Israel today, as it was to physical Israel:
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“I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turn in disgust; and they shall deal with you in hatred, and take away all the fruit of your labor, and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your harlotry have brought this upon you, because you played the harlot with the heathen nations, and polluted yourself with their idols.” ( Ezekiel 23: 28-30).
Put Jesus Emanuel Back into Christmas?---To put Jesus back into Christmas, assumes He was once in it, that He once had something to do with it. Understand some facts from history, or “pollute yourself with their idols.” (Ezekiel 23: 28-30).
“The observance of December 25th [as a “Christian” festival] only dates from the fourth century A.D. and is due to assimilation with the Mithraic festival of the birthday of the sun.” (World’s Popular Encyclopedia; Vol. 3).
“Gradually a number of prevailing practices of the heathen nations into which Christianity came were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise pagan practices.” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; Vol. 1; page 805).
“The pagan symbolism was taken over and, in the Christian view, elevated. Jesus became the pagan ‘Sun of Justice’ and the ‘Sun of Righteousness.’” (Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays; Myers; page 310).
The Decree to Register.---This registering, by Agustus, was made when Cyrenius was first governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, every one unto his city.
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is Bethlehem; he was of the family and descent of David: He brought Mary, his betrothed wife, being great with child.” (Luke 2: 1-5).
In a little less than 18 years after the registering brought to view, seeming but a “few days” to the distant gaze of the prophet Daniel, Agustus died in 14 A.D., in the age of 76 years. (Daniel 11: 20).
At this auspicious hour in world history, our Lord, Jesus Emanuel was born in Bethlehem of Judea: 10 Tishri, A.S. 3966; 28 September, 3 B.C.
We are told in Scripture that at the time of our Lord’s baptism He was approaching 30 years of age (Luke 3: 23), the age of ministering:
“And Moses, Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, from thirty years old and upward unto fifty years old, every one that enters into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Numbers 4: 34, 35).
Jesus Emanuel, the Christ was baptized 1 Elul, A.S. 3996; 18 September, A.D. 27, and spent 40 days in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan, and began His ministry 10 Tishri, A.S. 3996; 28 September, A.D. 27, the Day of Atonement, being 30 years of age.
Jesus Emanuel’s birth was never a part of His faith or ministry, nor apostolic teaching; neither was it ever thereafter included.
The celebration of the birth of Jesus, Christmas, or otherwise, was not only omitted by Jesus Emanuel’s ministry, it was also lacking in the early history (first 300 years) of His Church. Jesus never reminded anyone about the date of His birth. There would have been no motive for any such explanation as it was of no concern to the Apostolic Church.
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There is no emphasis of Jesus’ birth until the 4th century, long after God’s chosen historians were dead.
Heathen and Pagan Holidays.---You can now see that St. Valentine’s Day, Easter, Lent, and Good Friday, Halloween, and Christmas are nothing more than demonic holidays that have come to us, from Paganism, through the Roman Catholic Church!! All these days can be traced back to old physical Babylon, the seat of idolatry; perpetuated by the Roman Church, and perpetual in the nominal, secular, social, orthodox Christianity, and are nothing more than an invitation to the Occult.
Once the born again believers understand such pagan, heathen worship, they will separate themselves from it completely. When the members of the Body of the Christ turn away from the simplicity that is in the Christ, then they must have something tangible to hold on to. When they have only an empty religious profession as we see today, then the so-called “church” will, has turned to almost anything. When the Galatian Christians began to turn away from the simplicity in the Christ, they began to observe days, months, times, and years. Paul writes these words:
“But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how do you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days, months, times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” (Galatians 4: 9-11).
So we see that when an individual turns away from the simplicity of the worship of the Christ as his Lord and Savior, he must have something tangible to hold on to: A church, a program, an outward sign, an image, a picture, etc. That’s true with salvation; when a person does not have the foundation, which is Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, they have to have some feeling, some emotion, or some experience to base their salvation on.
“We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth.” (John 4: 24).
Forgetting All Else, Uphold the Bible.---Rejecting Christmas, the celebration of Jesus Emanuel’s birth, is in no way slighting or downgrading the actual, physical act of His birth in Bethlehem, 10 Tishri, A.S. 3966; 28 October, B.C. 3. That historical event is of monumental importance to all Christians, yes, to the whole world. The recorded account of that birth (Matthew 2; Luke 2) are to be held in highest honor. Christians must go on record as believing totally in the truth of these Gospel narratives. The virgin birth, as revealed by God, is a vital part of the theology and Christology that we believe, accept, respect, and preach. This area of the Scriptures should not, must not be shunned or neglected, as an oversight or overreaction against the pagan incursion of the Saturnalia, adapted to Christianity, and called Christmas.
Rejecting the heathen/pagan Christmas, Halloween, Good Friday, Lent, Easter, and St. Valentine’s Day is in no way slighting our Christianity, but lifts us to a closer relationship to our God, Jesus Emanuel in a more obedient, loving relationship. These days were placed upon the people, by the ungodly, Papal Church, the Catholic Church. These practices are an invitation to the Occult
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The Proper Attitude.---What should be the child of God’s approach toward the Christian festivals and those who observe them? How should one act, or react? Surely, Jesus’ disciples will temper their knowledge, and earnest convictions, with mercy and humility. A child of God must be in, and live in obedience, above reproach, upstanding, understanding, and kind, even in the face of heathen, pagan intrusion.
Wouldn’t it be wonderfully exciting if mankind everywhere simply believed, obeyed the Word of God, and acted upon it? Wouldn’t it be exhilarating to see universal enlightenment to truth, light, righteousness, and, yes, obedience? Wouldn’t that be some kind of a world to live in? It will happen when Jesus returns, destroys sin, and makes all things new. Meanwhile, pray regularly that more minds and hearts will open so God may reveal Himself more personally to them. Pray fervently for the multitudes that know better, but procrastinate about the things of God. They need to “get off the fence” and act now, before probation closes. Christianity needs to be aware of the dangers of compromising the Word of God with Satanism.
What Does it Matter?---Your Salvation!!
Babylon, the Great Whore, the Mother of Harlots.---Now, since Papal Rome, the Roman Catholic Church, The Holy Roman Empire, is in deed Babylon the Great of Revelation 17, and Protestantism, Christianity, her Harlot daughters, how utterly should everyone, who loves the Lord, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, forsake the festivals, and not only forsake them, we should, must, condemn them!!! And we should, must have courage enough to warn others against the idolatries of the heathen, pagan Roman Church. It is a shame upon those who hold out their hand to Rome’s heathen, pagan festivals, and hold a Bible in their other hand? What does Jesus Emanuel, Almighty God think of you??
Study # 8. Armageddon. Chapter 1.
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His secrets to His servants, the inspired messengers.” (Amos 3: 7).
Physical Israel.---The signing of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty on the 26th of June in A.D. 1979 marked an emotional moment in the history of the Middle East. After years of bitter animosity punctured by military conflict, an Arab nation and a Jewish nation embraced each other with promises of peace.
What did it signify for the little pocket of Zionist whose struggles for survival have drawn approval and support from the United States of America? Was Sadat able to provide the security and permanent peace that has eluded Israel since the days of Abraham? The answers to these questions are clearly revealed in the fantastic prophecies of the Bible.
According to the Word of God, Israel, both physical and spiritual, will not find true deliverance from her enemies until the consummation (Daniel 9: 27), and that is secured for her, by the Kings of the East. The last war has not been fought. The Book of Revelation describes an alliance with some powerful defenders who finally destroy the oppressors of Israel, and establish her in eternal security. Those allies are given the enigmatic title “Kings of the East” (Revelation 16: 12). They actually intervene to
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deliver Israel during the “Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty (Revelation 16: 14), described in the Bible as the final conflict to take place on Planet Earth. All nations will be involved in this battle, but Israel will be the only victor.
The purpose of this study is to answer a number of questions. What is the nature of this final war, “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty?” How can all nations of the world be involved in it? How is it possible fo only one group, the people of Israel, to survive this holocaust? Who are the mysterious Kings of the East that effect her victory? How is Israel delivered from her enemies by the drying up of the Euphrates River? And finally, what and where is this place called Armageddon mentioned in Revelation 16: 15?
Spiritual Israel.---First we need to find out if the present nation of Israel, the Israeli, is the same Israel that is designated in the Book of Revelation as the people of God. Some tremendous prophecies are found in that Book, most of them are concerned with saving the embattled remnant group of faithful followers of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. Those followers are sometimes referred to as the “tribes of Israel” and spoken of in the context of Jewish customs. Does this mean that the physical nation, the Israeli; the one that is fighting with tanks and bombs; will completely reverse itself and become Christian? Will they lay aside their Zionist ambitions to kill their attackers, espouse the peaceful principles of the sermon on the mount; the one about loving the enemy and turning the other cheek?
Millions of Bible students believe that this kind of spectacular conversion must take place in order for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. They base their belief upon the prophecies found in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, etc. regarding Israel’s restoration and final triumph. Are they correct? It’s true that the prophets painted glowing word pictures of Israel’s future, and recorded scores of promises about her authority over the nations. But is the Israel of the Old Testament the same Israel of the Book of Revelation? Were the promises unconditional and irrevocable? Will the physical, fleshly descendants of Abraham turn en masse to Jesus Emanuel, the Christ; be restored as a godly nation, saved as a righteous people?
Promises to Israel Conditional.---A careful study of the Bible reveals those promises of the Old Testament were not unconditional promises at all. Repeatedly the nation of Israel was warned of the dire consequences of disobedience. Both blessing and curse were set before them, depending on obedience or disobedience. Because of continued patterns of rebellion, God allowed Israel, the northern ten tribes, to be decimated and scattered, and the Judites, the northern two tribes, into Babylon captivity for seventy years. Many prophets were raised up by God to foretell their return from Babylonian captivity. Modern commentators have made the mistake of applying those prophecies of restoration to some future gathering of physical Israel. They refuse to see that the restoration spoken of by Isaiah and Jeremiah had already taken place.
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There is neither time nor space to record here a fraction of the graphic threats of rejection made to physical Israel. Over and over God gave warnings like this:
“And if you will---do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My judgments: Then I will establish the throne of My kingdom upon Israel fore ever---But if you shall at all turn from following Me, you, and your children, and will not keep My commandments---Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for My name, will I cast out of My sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.” (1st Kings 9: 4-7).
Finally, though the prophet Daniel, God allotted a probationary period of 490 years for the people of Judah (Daniel 9: 24) to see what they would do about the Christ, Jesus Emanuel. That prophetic time period of seventy weeks (a day for a year, Ezekiel 14: 6) began with the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem (Artaxerxes’ decree in the spring B.C. 456; A.S. 3513, (Ezra 7: 11) and ended in the fall of A.D. 34; A.S. 4003. The Gospel began to go to the Gentiles, Stephen was stoned to death, and Paul went forth to begin his unique ministry to the non-Jews. The occasion marked the formal separation of physical Israel from its covenant relationship with God.
Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, had explained to the Jewish leaders in the clearest possible language that their rejection of Him would seal their own rejection as the children of the Kingdom. “The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21: 43).
There is no mystery as to why hundreds of specific Old Testament promises were never fulfilled to physical Israel. They utterly and totally failed to meet the conditions of obedience. Otherwise they would have inherited the earth, been delivered from all enemies, and Jerusalem made the worship center for all nations.
Who is True Israel?---The big question is this: Will God’s promise fail just because the physical descendants of Abraham did not, do not, and will not meet the terms of the covenant as a people? Were the promises transferred to the other “nation” to whom Jesus said, “the Kingdom would be given?” Or must we still put our faith in some future turnaround that will restore physical Israel, the Israeli, to divine favor in contradiction to His own words? All these points will be clarified completely the moment one basic rule of Biblical interpretation is established and followed. Without this principle in mind, no one can properly understand the Books of Daniel and Revelation, and others mentioned else where, nor can true Israel of today be properly identified.
Here is the rule: There is a primary, local, and physical application to the Old Testament; and a secondary, global, and spiritual application to the New Testament. By applying this rule, there is absolutely no confusion as to the place of physical Israel, and Spiritual Israel, in prophecies and world history.
All the glorious promises were primarily aimed toward immediate blessings that God wanted to bestow on the nation of physical Israel. But in a secondary sense they pointed forward to a larger spiritual fulfillment on a worldwide level. Even though the local fulfillment failed when physical Israel failed to be faithful, the promises were never nullified or withdrawn. They will be honored, but only to that obedient “nation” which Jesus Emanuel said would, will replace physical Israel as receivers of the Kingdom. Who
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are the people and nation? The New Testament is replete with the most explicit statements as to who Spiritual Israel is.
Peter describes those “which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God” in these words:
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light.” (1st Peter 2: 9, 10).
Here is the new nation that replaces the nation of physical Israel. The Gentiles who receive the Christ, Jesus Emanuel, now enters into the Covenant relationship, ratified by His blood, on the cross, and became His “holy nation.”
Have they received the very same promises that were given to Abraham’s physical descendants? Indeed, the Bible says that they are counted as the actual sees of Abraham because of their obedience.
“If you are the Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promises” (Galatians 3: 29).
Paul makes it even clearer in Romans 9: 8.
“They that are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: The children of the promise are counted for the seed.”
Again Paul wrote:
“For he is not a Jew, that is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, that is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart.” (Romans 2: 28, 29).
Notice that true Israel, Spiritual Israel, is characterized by circumcision of the heart, and not of the flesh. What is heart circumcision?
“You are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off of the body the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of the Christ.” (Colossians 2: 11).
Don’t miss the significance of the text. Just as the Old Covenant was ratified by the blood of lambs, and obedience represented by the cutting off of the physical flesh, so, the New Covenant is ratified by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, and obedience exemplified by the cutting off the fleshly nature of sin. In other words, all who accept Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, and are obedient to the New Covenant, born again, are truly circumcised, Spiritual Israel. And according to Paul they also inherit the promises made to Abraham. After the crucifixion of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, there is not one indication that physical Israel, the fleshly Jews were ever accorded any recognition as the children of God. Its true that the door was left open, through the preaching of the apostles, until 10 Tishri, A.S. 4003; September/October, A.D. 34, the end of Daniel’s 70 week, 490 year prophecy. But from that time on, no recognition is given to physical Israel as a people or nation of God. True Israel, Spiritual Israel, henceforth are God’s people, His nation, made up of all those who accept the Savior, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, in loving obedience, whether Jew or Gentile, from every nation, kindred, tongue, people, and religion. Old Testament imagery and terminology is still used, especially in the Book of Revelation, but God’s people, His Church, His children are now Israel, Spiritual Israel. So, it can now be seen that there was and is no failure of the promises at all. They simply were transferred, from physical Israel, to Spiritual Israel, which is His Church, made up of all true believers, obedient believers to Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. 97.
Physical Israel is a type and shadow of Spiritual Israel. The things that are happening to His professed church, Spiritual Israel, spiritually and physically are foreshadowed by what happened to His Church, physical Israel, spiritually and physically. The following is a simple example of this principle in operation.
In the middle of Ezekiel’s portrayal of ancient Israel’s victory over her enemies and influence over the nations, he begins to describe a magnificent temple that would be built. Several chapters (40-48) are devoted to the precise measurements and physical appointments of the temple. Yet the temple has never been built. Other prophets referred to the program of building, or restoring, such a temple. Amos prophesied:
“In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9: 11).
“Simon has declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.’” (Acts 15: 14-16).
Please notice how this applies the Old Testament temple prophecies to the Living Church. The physical temple has now become the Spiritual Temple, the body of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ’s Church, made up of obedient believers, physical Israel, and Spiritual Israel, the Gentiles. No one should be looking for any restored, physical temple to be built. If one should be built, it is raised by the hand of Satan, and not by the hand of Almighty God, Jesus Emanuel, the Christ. The body of Jesus Emanuel, His Church, is now the Temple (1st Corinthians 3: 16), and we are the “Living Stones” of that “Spiritual House.” (1st Peter 2: 5).
Some have felt confused because much of the Old Testament terminology is carried over into the New Testament description of the Church; words like kingdom, nation, Israel, temple, Jerusalem, Zion, tribes of Israel, etc. Even Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, said to the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you (Physical Israel,) and given to a nation (Spiritual Israel,) bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 21: 43). This is one reason the futurists and dispensationalists believe the Book of Revelation pertains to the physical Jew, the Israeli, modern Israel. But there is no cause for confusion. The explanation had been so clearly made in so many places, that the New Testament writers assumed all were aware that His children, Spiritual Israel, His Church has now replaced physical Israel.
The Two Babylon.---As we look at “The Battle of That Great Day of God Almighty,” and “The Place Called Armageddon,” it is tremendously important to keep this great rule of interpretation before us. Old Testament, local and physical; New Testament, global and spiritual. The vast confusion on prophecy today stems from ignorance of this principle. It is here repeated once more. The prophecies given in the Old Testament have a double application. Primary; physical and local for physical Israel; and secondary, type and shadow, for global and spiritual, Spiritual Israel. The New Testament church, Spiritual Israel takes the place of the Old Testament church, physical Israel, 3.5 years after our Lord’s passion, 10 Tishri, A.S. 4003; September/October, A.D. 34, as God’s chosen people.
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With this background we are prepared to delve into the subjects of: “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty,” and, “The Place Called Armageddon.” This worlds ending conflict is closely tired to the things that have been stated concerning Spiritual Israel and the secondary application of prophecy. A most amazing parallel exists between what happened to ancient physical Israel, and the events concerning Spiritual Israel in the Book of Revelation.
Physical Israel.--- Spiritual Israel.
Persecuted by Babylon.
Jeremiah 50: 33, 34. Revelation 17: 6.
Forced to worship Image.
Daniel 3: 13. Revelation 13: 15.
Called Babylon the Great.
Daniel 4: 30. Revelation 17: 5.
Babylon sits on many waters.
Jeremiah 51: 13, 14. Revelation 17: 1.
Rescued by drying up Euphrates River.
Isaiah 44: 6-8. Revelation 16: 12.
Called out of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51: 6-8. Revelation 18: 4.
Rescuer called “The Anointed.”
Isaiah 45: 1. Daniel 9: 25.
Both rescued from the “East.”
Isaiah 41: 2, 25. Matthew 24: 27;
Revelation 7: 2.
It should be noted that God’s people had almost the same experiences in the Old and New Testaments. They are forced to worship an image; are rescued by someone from the east, who is anointed, and dries up the river Euphrates to set them free. Within this broad outline there are scores of other astonishing similarities between the two Israeli; one physical, and the other spiritual. It is obvious that the True Church, His Church, the people of God, will be persecuted, threatened, and even killed as was physical Israel. In the Book of Revelation they are delivered from spiritual Babylon in connection with “The Battle of That Great Day of God Almighty.”
“The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; the waters thereof was dried up, that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the Dragon (Spiritualism), out of the mouth of the Beast (Catholicism), and out of the mouth of the False Prophet (Apostate Christianity). They are the spirits of evil, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and the whole world, to gather then to “The Battle Of that Great Day Of God Almighty.”
These three, the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet, stir up spiritual and political powers of the earth to take part in the battle, the war. It’s apparent that these spirit powers are religious in nature, for the miracles they work to impress the governments of earth are only operative in the realm of religion.
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Space does not allow for all the Biblical evidence to show how these three symbols incorporate all the modern forms of counterfeit religion, and counterfeit religious practices. Rejecting the authority of God’s Law, His Word, and choosing the easy traditions of pagan worship patterns, combined with ecclesiastical systems, will wield a mighty influence in drawing the whole world into “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.”
Chapter 2.
God, and Satan.---Before we try to determine
the identity of the “Kings of the East” and what it means to “Dry up the River
Euphrates,” we must understand more clearly what “The Battle Of That Great Day
Of God Almighty” really involves. The Scriptures picture it as the final
struggle that climaxes the age long war of Satan, against God, his creator.
(six millennia on the earth). The entire world, every nation, kindred, tongue,
people, and religion, were, and, are involved because the people of God, the
Saints, are now scattered among all the nations and peoples of Planet Earth.
“The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty” is God’s response to the all out
effort of Satan to destroy the Saints, the people who dare to obey God in the
face of threats, torture, and death. God answers by roaring out of heavenly
Zion and rescues the captives of death, and those living; destroying wicked
humanity, and leaving the evil one, Satan, in solitary confinement, by a chin of
circumstances, on a world void of humanity. The wicked are dead, the righteous
are in the heavenly Jerusalem. (Revelation, chapters 19, 20).
”The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty” is but the climax of Satan’s six
thousand year program to keep God’s people from being redeemed. As the
adversary, whose self seeking caused him to be cast out of heaven, Satan
declared his purpose to overthrow God and take over His universal government.
Listen to His boast in Isaiah 14: 13, 14:
“I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the Stars of God: I will sit also upon the Mount of the congregation (Mt. Zion) (Armageddon), in the sides of the North: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High.”
This incredible claim of Satan exposes the heart of his plan to set himself up in place of God. To subvert the worship of God’s subjects to himself it would seem both natural, and necessary for Satan to build his appeal around religion. Working in the guise of counterfeit religious systems, and false worship, he has woven a cleaver composite of truth and error down through the ages. His masterpiece of deception has occurred, here at the end, in the Roman Catholic Church, and in the Apostate Christianity of the United States of America. He works in and through the beast powers, Spiritualism, Catholicism, and Apostate Protestantism, to enforce a spiritual mark of loyalty within every person, and, by civil authority. Those who refuse the mark will be sentenced to death, thus the final obstacle will be removed for Satan to claim all creation as his. So reads the blueprint of Satan’s strategy.
“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Magedon.” (Revelation 16: 16).
“He gathered them.” Who are the ones here spoken of as “gathered,” and what agency is to be used in gathering them? The word “them” refers to the kings of verse 14,
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and it is certain that a no good agency, would be made use of, to gather them; and if the Dragon (Satan), verse 13, is referred to by the word “he,” then “he” the dragon did gather them, for Spiritualism, the Beast, and the False Prophet are under his control.
The kings of the world are gathered against a spiritual Mount Zion, Har-Magedon, Mount Megiddo, and Armageddon. That is, they, the kings of the earth, are gathering wherever the citizens, the Saints of the Kingdom of God are gathered: Wherever the Saints of the heavenly Jerusalem are gathered: Wherever the Righteous are located in the world, is where the demonic spirits, and the kings of the earth will be assembling; and the “Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty,” is on.
God Dwells in Mt. Zion.---Now notice again where Satan wanted to sit. He said, “I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation” is referring to the Holy Mount of God’s dwelling place. Throughout the Bible, it is spoken of as Mount Zion, Har-Magedon, Mount Megiddo, and Armageddon.
“Beautiful for situation, the city of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalm 48: 2).
The striking thing is that God’s place, Mount Zion, is located in the sides of the north. Now it can be understood why Satan wanted to sit on the Mount of the Congregation, in the sides of the north. That is where God will gather His children, His Church, His Congregation. Heavenly Mount Zion is a place of safety, and Satan wants to destroy the Congregation, His Church, His people. He, if possible, would penetrate the very elect, by his deceptions, and take them, along with the throne of God. The Psalmist said, “Sing praises to the Lord, which dwells in Zion.” (Psalm 9: 11).
Moses, having received blueprints from God, built a Tabernacle; later a temple was built on Mount Zion. Mount Zion was the designated spot where the Temple was located, in the north part of Jerusalem. Later it came to be known as a symbol of the city of Jerusalem. It is also applied, throughout Scripture, to the whole of God’s people. But after the whole of physical Israel rejected Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, the term Zion became the destination of His Church. Thus, in the New Testament, it no longer identifies an earthly location, but the Spiritual place of God’s presence and protection.
All through the Bible God is described as drawing, or gathering, His people to Zion where they can be safe with Him.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, . . . call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation.” “For in Mount Zion . . . shall be deliverance.” (Joel 2: 15, 16, 32).
The Redeemed are pictured as having been delivered from the Beast powers, the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet, of the previous chapter, and are safe in heavenly Mount Zion.
“I looked, and Look, a lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred forty four thousand, having His Father’s name written within their foreheads.” (Revelation 14: 1).
But, while Satan is gathering his people to himself, “For they are the spirits of devils . . . to gather them to the “Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16: 14), God has programmed a gathering of His Church, His people to Himself in heavenly Zion. It is a gathering of His Saints, covering period of six thousand years of sin, to Armageddon, heavenly Mount Zion.
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“Look, I come as a thief. Blessed, and happy is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And He gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew language, Armageddon.” (Revelation 16: 15, 16).
This gathering is God’s gathering His Saints to heavenly Mount Zion, 27 March A.D. 2036; 1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 5005. Joel and Zechariah also writes concerning that same gathering.
“Assemble yourselves, and come, all you heathen, and gather yourselves together round about . . . Let the heathen …come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat …The Lord also shall roar out of Zion …but the Lord will be the hope of His people.” (Joel 3: 11, 12, 16).
“Look, the day of the Lord comes, and your property shall be divided in the midst of you. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses robbed, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” Zechariah 14: 1-3).
This is another description of that final conflict called the “Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16: 14). The valley of Jehoshaphat is just another title for the place of battle, Planet Earth. It involves every nation, kindred, tongue, and people on the earth. The “heathen,” Spiritualist, Catholics, and apostate Christians, is a term that describes all those who are not obedient to God, and are not His people, the Saints. Satan will, in marshaling the ungodly kings of the earth, oppose the faithful Saints of God. The Lord will be, is involved in the battle, “The Lord shall roar out of Zion,” because He fights for His people. In essence, it is a tremendous contest, with followers on both sides being involved; and the victory sure.
Here is where we get to the heart of the subject. The verse calls attention to the Hebrew word Armageddon. The word is rooted in the Hebrew term “Har moed,” which means “Mount of the Congregation,” or “Mount of the Assembly.” Do you see where this leads us? The same word, “Har moed,” was used by Satan when he said, “I will also sit upon the Mount of the Congregation.” This ties the place where God is taking His people, “Armageddon,” to the original threat of Satan to the throne of God, Mount Zion. And the final attempt of the devil to carry out his threat reaches down, over six thousand years, to the very last events of Planet Earth as we know it. John, the revelator, describes it under the sixth plague. He saw unclean spirits, demonic spirits going out to the kings of the earth, working miracles, and gathering them to “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16: 14). Since Satan cannot dethrone God, he uses these religious forces to work on the political rulers, influencing them to attempt to destroy the faithful followers of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ, Almighty God personally present.
If you want to read the thrilling account of God’s part in “The Battle,” study Revelation , Chapter 19.
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“I saw heaven opened, and Look!! a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He does judge and make war . . . And the armies
that were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean …and He treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19: 11-15).
Several things stand out in this symbolic picture of the Christ and His second coming. The armies of heaven make war, and “smite the nations.” (verse 15). These are the nations that were stirred up by the spirits in Revelation 16: 14. The Christ prevails in “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16: 14). Notice that this war is described as treading the wine press of the wrath of God. In Revelation 15: 1 the seven plagues are designated as “the wrath of God.” Since “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty,” Revelation 16: 14, is set up under the sixth plague, and the plagues are called the wrath of God; and sense the Christ’s army wars by treading the wine press of God’s wrath, we must conclude that Revelation 19 is a clear picture of “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.” (Revelation16: 14).
Incidentally, the vials of the wrath of God are poured on the whole of Planet earth.
“Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” (Revelation 16:1). This is why all the nations are involved in “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16: 14). The good, and the Bad, the righteous, and the unrighteous, of the world are drawn into it. Since God’s Church is scattered in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, the entire earth is spoken of as being affected by the plagues, the seventh being “The Second Coming Of Our Lord:” “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty:” “The Rescue Of The Redeemed,” “Dead And Living.”
The River Euphrates Dried Up.---We must remember that the New Testament is Spiritual and Universal in its prophecies. We are now ready to examine Revelation 16: 12, and let the Bible interpret the “drying up of the great river Euphrates,” to prepare the way for the “Kings of the East.” Whatever these events are, they occur as the sixth plague, and as the seventh approaches.
It must be noted that the ten horns of Revelation 13: 1, 12, 16, are the same nations of the earth as the ten toes of Daniel 2: 41, 42. These nations are destroyed at the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Emanuel, 1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 6005; 27 March, A.D. 2036.
Just as the physical river Euphrates in ancient physical Babylon (Old Testament; local and physical) was turned from an asset, to a means of destroying her, so the nations (Revelation 17: 15), of the world (The ten toes of Daniel 2: 41, 42; ten horns of Revelation13: 1; 17: 12-14, 16, 17, being as asset to spiritual Babylon (New Testament; spiritual and universal) for two weeks, turns into the means of her destruction. This drying up of support of the nations of the world, is the means of the destruction of the Great Babylon Whore; Spiritualism, Catholicism, and Protestantism, (Revelation 17: 16-18).
It appears, from the description, that there are exchanges of nuclear devices that destroy the nations and peoples, a nuclear holocaust. This drying up of support, their destruction, prepares the way for the return of the “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,” the “Kings of the East,” escorted by the entire heavenly host (there is silence in heaven
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for seven days, one heavenly half hour, Revelation 8: 1) who deliver the people of God, both dead and living, from the hand of spiritual Babylon, Spiritualism, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
The Kings of the East.---Here is one of the most exciting aspects of “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty,” and “The Place Called Armageddon.” Just as God’s place in heavenly Zion is located in the “sides of the North,” so His approach is always referred to as from the east.
Jesus Emanuel, God approaches earth in a straight line from His heavenly Throne, with the entire heavenly host: The earth rotates beneath Him at a thousand miles an hour: We observe them as coming from the east: It takes Him three days to arrive: The earth is harvested in one day: It takes us three days to return.
The Old Testament Mount Zion was the actual hill north of the city of Jerusalem. Anyone coming from the east had to angle north because of the impassable deserts, and come into Zion from that direction. This is why both North and East are used in the Bible for God’s quarters.
“I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.” (Revelation 7: 2). The Anointed One returns from the East. “For as the lighting comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24: 27).
The Harvesters of the earth, Revelation, Chapter 14, and the Armies of heaven, Revelation 19, who triumph over “the Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, are exactly the “Kings of the East, led by the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus Emanuel.”
God’s glory is described by Ezekiel as coming out of the east: “He brought me to the gate . . . that looks toward the east: Look, the glory of the Lord of Israel came from the way of the east . . . and the earth shined with His glory.” (Ezekiel 43: 1, 2).
John reveals the breathtaking majesty of the Anointed One leading the Armies of Heaven to make war: “The armies that were in heaven followed Him upon white horses . . . And He has on His robe and His thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lord’s.” (Revelation 19: 14, 16).
What a picture!! The Kings of the East, riding forth against the kings of the earth, and the whole world. Against the Dragon, and Spiritualism; the Beast, and Catholicism, the False Prophet, and Protestantism; against the Great Babylonian whore, and all the forces that follow her, and they are destroyed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who reigns forever.
At this point it can be easily concluded that the return of our Lord, Jesus Emanuel is the only hope for Israel, physical and spiritual, His Church. Jesus Emanuel, and His kings, the Kings of the East, will come upon this world at the height of man’s extremity. When the living redeemed, the144 thousand, are surrounded by evil forces of spiritual and civil authority, and every human plan of escape has been dissolved; angels of the Lord will be standing between them and the enemies of God, and His Church, and God roars out of heavenly Zion, and His faithful ones, dead and living, are snatched from the earth. (Zechariah 14: 1-3).
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All Eyes on the East.---What a tragedy that millions of professed Christians are looking in the wrong direction, and expecting events to transpire that can never take place. Their eyes are fixed, not on the eastern sky, but on the Middle East where hate filled sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, try to destroy each other with American and Soviet weaponry. What kind of a travesty it would be to expect those political planners, and militarists to fulfill the beautiful predictions of Isaiah’s “lion and lamb” world peace.
True it is, for a moment, Isaac and Ishmael, and the rest of the sons of Abraham may stop fighting. It is also true that one of the signers of the agreement is called Israel. But let no one still cling to the empty hope that this Israel, Israeli, has anything to do with God’s true people, His Church, Spiritual Israel. Physical Israel has been replaced by another nation, obedient and faithful; who have come from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. They are True Israel, Spiritual Israel. They live as Jesus lived, choosing death before disobedience and dishonor.
The frail confederacy of peace signed 1 Abib/Nisan, A.S. 5948; 26 March, A.D. 1979 would be less than futile, even if physical Israel were still the chosen people of God. Many years ago a similar alliance was formed and God appraised it in these words.
“Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For the Egyptian shall help in vain, and to no purpose . . . this is a rebellious people . . . children that will not hear the Law of the Lord.” (Isaiah 30: 3, 7, 9).
God is looking for those who will trust in right instead of might. Those who do His Commandments, His Law. To those He will provide deliverance from every enemy through the conquering Kings of the East. Let us take our eyes off the oil fields, and political intrigues of the Middle East, and fix them on the eastern skies, for it is from there that our true allies will save us.
But what is the force of the caution, thrown out in verse 15? Probation has closed; the Christ has left His mediatorial position, and there is a time of trouble such as has never been since there was a nation. Is there danger of falling after that? It will be noticed that this warning is spoken in connection with the working of the spirits. The inference therefore is that it is retroactive, applying from the time the spirits begin to work to the close of probation, and that by a use of tenses sometimes occurring in the Greek language, the present tense is put for the past, as if it had read, “Blessed is he that has watched and kept his garments, as the shame and nakedness, of all who have not done this, will at this time especially appear.”
Clothed for Armageddon.---Now we have been able to harmonize all the verses of Revelation 16: 12-16 except those strange verses 15 and 16, which appear to be completely out of context with all the others. Why did the Holy Spirit inspire the placing of such verses in the setting of “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty?”
“Look, I come as a thief. Happy is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew language, Armageddon.” (Revelation 16: 15, 16).
What do proper clothes have to do with preparation for the approaching “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and the annihilation of the followers of Satan? Why is the wardrobe important for the ones waiting for Jesus Emanuel to come? And where is this place He is going to take us? Revelation 19: 7-9 gives the surprising answer.
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Like a searchlight these words illuminate the meaning of Revelation 16: 15, 16. Those garments symbolize the righteousness of the Christ, with which every soul must be clothed who would be ready to meet the Lord, Jesus Emanuel in the air. Those who have kept their garments, those who are ready to meet the Lord will be taken to the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion, Armageddon for the marriage supper of the Lamb. These verses are inserted parenthetically to give encouragement to the beleaguered children of God. Only those who have trusted completely in the merits of the Christ’s sinless life and atoning sacrifice, can triumph with Him over the forces of evil and be gathered to our Father’s house, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Mount of the Congregation.
Here is the winning combination that finally will cast down the accuser of the brethren into the pit. The Saints gain the victory by their simple faith in the sufficiency of the death of the Lamb of God. No confidence in the flesh. No faith in the works of the Law to justify. The merits of the Christ alone to cleanse and empower. So the combination is three fold:
1. Faith in the righteousness of Jesus Emanuel, the Christ,
2. Fearless sharing of the Word of our testimony, and
3. We love not our lives unto death. In other words, we would rather die than lie.
When the Christ has done this to a person, they can survive all the concentrated attacks of a thousand demons. Demons, fallen angels, and Satan himself must flee in terror before the authority of the Christ filled life. True faith produces full obedience, and therefore true righteousness by faith includes sanctification, as well as justification. Those who would lay down their lives in death rather than disobey God will be the only ones who will refuse “The Mark Of The Beast.”
Multitudes, with something less than true righteousness by faith, will not feel that obedience to all the commandments is worth dying for. Many will reason that the Christ’s obedience has been imputed to them, and therefore they need not be concerned about the works of the Law. Such do not understand the full Gospel. It is the “power of God unto Salvation;” not just forgiving power, but keeping power. We are not just saved from the guilt of sin, but from sin itself.
So the preparation to meet the Christ focuses on a personal relationship with the Savior. Clothed in the armor of His righteousness, the Saint will prevail even in the face of a death decree. If you do not have the sweet assurance of this spiritual protection now, put on His robe this very moment! Woven in the loom of heaven, it contains no thread of human devising. Shattering the authority of sin in the life, it has the merits and power of the Christ’s life and atoning death. May this be your experience today.
Revelation 18: 4 states: “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not be partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.’” God hates false worship, “Through your precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate false ways.” (Psalm 119: 104).
It is a wicked thing to pretend that the plain of Megddo is the place for “The Battle Of That Great Day Of God Almighty,” when it is the entire Planet earth, and the Saints, His Church are in every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
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