To TEE, a child of God, and to ALL those who suffer
My wife and I were in a church recently wherein there was a man at most every service who was bound to a wheel chair. Being motorized, he would often navigate his way from his home to the church to praise and worship the Lord. He was faithful. One day my wife spoke to me about him and said,
“this man glorifies the Lord by being in that wheel chair.” She was right! Anyone can praise the Lord and worship Him when things in their life are running smoothly. But to praise Him and worship Him when your life is going through difficulty, gives glory and a testimony to the power of God in an individual’s life. How strong that person’s love and commitment towards God in the face of adversity testifies to the strength of the power of God within that person. In an unbelieving world, it testifies to the reality and the presence of the power of God.
We all have read, and have heard about the trials of Job. A righteous man. One who loved God and served Him with fasting, prayer, sacrifices and offerings. No matter what came Job’s way, his faith in God did not waiver.
The trials of Job, losing all of his abundant material wealth, and then his children, followed by being plagued bodily, were not because Job had sinned. He was not being punished or chastised. He was being tested.
We have all been taught that Job was a man of commitment and had great faith in God. But what we NEED to see also, is that not only did Job have faith in God… but God had great faith in Job!
When Satan came before God, flaunting in God’s face the fall of man; God pointed to Job. Job 1:8 says;
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
We all know what happened after that; Satan declared that Job only served the Lord because he was so blessed and protected, then Satan prompted the Lord to allow Job to be tested through affliction. Poor Job! Job was unknowing of the contest, and for reasons unknown to him, though he had done no wrong, he was now being destroyed! God had great faith in Job to allow such a great test. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corthinians 10:13 that God will not put upon us more testing than we can bear, and that statement alone tells us just how much faith God had in the degree of Job’s dedication.
The apostle Paul had an affliction. His affliction did not come because of sin or chastisement, but from Satan. Paul even called it “a messenger of Satan”
2 Cor 12: 7-10 tells us;
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
This ailment that Paul had been given was from Satan, and it kept Paul from becoming overly proud and preaching to others from a standpoint of personal accomplishment! Though he was never healed of his ailment, he continued to preach the power of God and faith despite his personal affliction.
Jesus told him, “my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Like the worshipper who goes to church in a wheelchair, service after service, unstoppable in his praise and worship of the Lord regardless of circumstance, our weaknesses, our infirmities, our hardships, give testimony to the reality of the power of God that He gives us to transcend circumstances and give us an inward joy of being a disciple of Christ that the world cannot understand.
When Jesus told Paul that His strength was made perfect in weakness, Paul responded to that knowledge by saying
“Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
When we are seemingly ‘at our weakest’ in our afflictions, and continue to persevere and give praise and glory to God, it is then when we display the strength of our faith in Him. It is then when we give living testimony to the power of God in our lives that the power of the Holy Spirit, is able, to keep us inwardly strong and looking unto Him, through the fire of trial and affliction. Paul stated in Romans 8: 35-39;
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In all of these things, especially these things of hardship, does our faith glorify and give honor to the Lord who called us. His strength is made perfect by our weaknesses. We could combine Paul’s declaration that nothing can separate us from the love of God, with Job’s determination and say ‘nothing shall separate us from our love of God!’
My wife spoke a word of wisdom by saying that it matters far more to the Lord the manner in which we go through adversity, than the adversity itself! How true that is! Adversity and affliction will most certainly happen (we are appointed unto affliction), but how we react to those adversities reveal what is inside of us, our level of commitment, even our degree of maturity in the Lord.
The apostle Peter, died a horrible death, as did also the other apostles, but when the Lord prophesied ( John 21:19) about what Peter’s death would be like, that Jesus was
“signifying by what death he should glorify God.”
It is not so much by our ‘blessings’ that give glory to God, as much as our successful accomplishment of hardship when we are at our worst earthly distresses. One of my wife’s favorite things to say is that “it matters far more to the Lord how we go through the adversities of life than the adversity itself.”
My heart goes out to those in the ministry, whether from the pulpit or within the flock, who testify to power of God to heal, yet when they are afflicted they are not likewise healed. Those who encourage faith in those they talk to, yet their own ‘faith in Him’ does not seem to be fruitful. To those who speak of miracles, yet they suffer such hardship. Of all people, these are the ones who might ask, “why me?” After all, the old testament prophets demonstrated their anointing. Even in the new testament, the Lord worked with them with signs following. Still to this day we have those signs within our congregations and testimonies are given to that effect, but when the ministry itself suffers the fire of affliction without remedy, some might feel very alone, not to mention the humiliation. How can he be one whom God has worked miracles through, and speaks of miracles to come, if he has not received them when he has need himself? How can he encourage others to reach out to God in faith when by his own example God has not responded to him? As Christians, we try to keep earthly things in their proper perspective of minor importance, and give weight to the greater matter of spiritual things. But it’s hard to place the spiritual things as having a greater reality when in the physical world we are devastated by the reality of pain, sickness or other calamity! Suddenly the reality of the physical world seems overwhelming and the things of the spiritual man start to disappear as if in a vapor. It seems as if during those times of the greatest need we have for our heavenly Father is when we feel the most alone. Might I add that Jesus went through those same feelings of being ridiculed and alone. “He saved others,” his tormentors said, “why can’t he save himself?” “Physician”, who had healed others, “heal thyself!” And at His darkest moment Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?!” Ah but, who better to be afflicted than the ministry! The ministry is the most perfect choice for such trial. The most perfect choice, for feelings of being alone or even abandoned! Why?
Remember the scripture, “for to whom much is given, much is required?”
The Lord most certainly leads and guides his disciples. He teaches us about faith, commitment, trust, patience, perseverance, obedience, hope, love, sin and judgment. He shows us, by examples in life, by miracles, by divine appointment, by both blessings and chastisements. He shows us all the things He wants us to know. Step by step He shows us and as we learn and follow He shows us more. Like a teacher in a schoolroom, the material to be learned is brought to light. Things to be learned are explained to us and we rejoice with new knowledge. We ask questions and the answer to those questions are explained by the teacher. Once the teacher has given us all the information of the particular learning session, we are tested.
A test is to reveals not what the teacher knows, but what we have truly learned. What would it profit us during a test, if the teacher were still there explaining things? The Lord teaches us, reveals His word, gives us understanding and revelation. He expects us to pay attention and use what He has taught, but when a periodic test begins to happen, it should not surprise us if ‘The Teacher is Silent During Testing.’ Even Jesus, immediately after being filled with the Holy Spirit was tested by Satan and was not given further spiritual assistance until after it’s successful completion. The Teacher is Silent During Testing. What good would it be, if we felt the anointing of His presence during a test.
When the time for occasional testing comes along, be it from the Lord or Satan, we must go through it, and sometimes go through it without feeling the anointing of His presence which gives us strength. Those that minister the gospel, have been taught to a greater degree because of their dedication, and therefore the best choice to be afflicted and tested based upon the abundance of what they have been given to teach others. To whom much is given, much is required… and that leads to greater testing. Let us remember, even though at times of testing, that God does not promise to keep us from trials and afflictions but He promises to be with us through them, even though we feel alone.
Considering these things then, that when we are weak and continue to serve Him, we show his strength; then let us be like the Apostle Paul and glory in our infirmities. Instead of feeling abandoned or unloved, let us realize that, like Job, God is giving us no more than what He thinks we can bear. Let us understand that, like Job, God is having faith in us! What an opportunity then!, to have the chance to live up to what He has given us to bear! Let’s not disappoint Him. Let’s have the same attitude as Job when he was tested and said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!” Let us all, no matter what, keep praising Him, keep loving Him, continuing in faith and obedience through the trials of life.
In Acts 16: 23-26; When Paul and Silas were in the bondage of prison they did not pray to be released from it, but instead they praised God with song from the prison they were in! And angels came and set them free. Let us likewise praise Him in spite of harsh conditions and though the flesh might suffer affliction our
Inward man becomes set free of circumstances, enriched, strengthened and gives glory to God.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Understanding Jewish Phrases and Terms
First came the written Torah; the books of Moses as given to him by Yahweh, and they were set and unchangeable laws. But in time there became an Oral Torah, which was a combination of; interpretations of the Law as it might apply to various situations (much like the supreme court interprets the constitution to make rulings in various situations), religious traditions, and sayings of Rabbis who were held in high esteem. The Oral Torah eventually became written and was titled; the Talmud. In order to understand some of the sayings in the Bible, we need to refer back to some of the Hebraic teachings in the Talmud that give us an understanding.
One of the New Testament quotes that is better understood by knowing some of the Talmud is given in Luke 10:10-11;
“But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, “Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you…”
Rabbis taught from village to village and in the countrysides. They taught in temples, in homes, under a shade tree or anywhere people would gather to be taught. In order to learn from a Rabbi, to be more fully taught by him, his followers (students/disciples) had to travel with him on his journeys in order to continue on with their learning. To follow a Rabbi was a total commitment because it meant leaving everything behind including, at least temporarily, their livelihood and their families. The Rabbi, as well as his students, were dependent on people of the area to care for them with food, lodging if possible, and a place to meet if their homes were large enough. Since Israel is a dry place, much fine dust would surround the group as they walked; so to travel with a Rabbi meant to be covered with the dust of his feet. Thus, this was considered a good thing. It obviously meant you following a Rabbi while being taught by him. A Hebraic saying says;
“Let your home be a meeting house for sages (Rabbis) and cover yourself with the dust of their feet, and drink in their words thirstily”
To be covered with the dust of a Rabbi was a good thing; for it meant you were being taught by him the Torah and the ways of God. The proclamation Jesus gave in Luke 10:10-11 was simply to declare to those who would not receive them, that they rejected those whom God had sent to profit them spiritually.
Profiting from Teaching God’s Word
Rabbis were forbidden to charge a fee for teaching scriptures, for it says in m.Avot 4:5 “He who makes profit from the words of Torah has brought about his own destruction” And Derek Eretz Zuta 3:3 says “Do not charge for teaching Torah, accept no remuneration for it.” Those who taught scripture were not to charge a fee for doing so, but they ate and were sustained by those whom they taught. In the Old Testament; the priests lived on a certain number of the flock and grain brought to the temple. This same standard of not charging a fee for teaching was carried over into the New Testament era. In Luke 10:4-10 Jesus instructed not only to take no money, but not even to carry a purse (to put money in);
“Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
Jesus also said in Matthew 10:8; “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” This is a recurrent doctrine of both old and new testaments and is also mentioned in Peters letters to the Elders of the churches to; “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind…” (1 Peter 5:2).
Followers of Rabbis Often Referred to as ‘Sons’
The Rabbi became like a father to his followers, having a special relationship of honor that was even above one’s own earthly father. Disciples were often called ‘sons’ of the Rabbi; just as those who followed the great Prophets were called the “sons of the prophets”. This tradition of being considered a ‘son’ began with Elijah and Elisha,
(2 Kings 2:1-12) where not only does scripture speak of Elijah’s followers being called sons (51 sons to be exact) but Elisha even referred to Elijah as ‘father’. This is why Jesus referred to those who followed the teaching of the Pharisees as ‘their sons’ ( Luke 11:18-19). It is also also why Jesus referred to the Pharisees as sons of Satan, and declared that their father was Satan, in John 8:44, because by their actions they were followers of Satan; “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
When we are truly born again, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that same indwelling Spirit becomes our guide and our teacher; therefore we are followers of God. Therefore we call no man on earth our father (concerning spiritual matters) as did those who followed Rabbis. We are no longer called sons of the prophet or sons of Rabbis but sons of God. We follow only Him. That’s why Jesus said in Mt 23:8-10; “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” Jesus said this for we are to be the sons of God, not followers of men. 1 John 2:27 affirms (written to spirit-filled believers); “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” That’s why
John 1:12 says; “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…” No longer does God lead His children through others, that they might be called ‘their’ sons, but we must be led by God to be called ‘His Sons’. Romans 8:14 says; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (See also Phil 2:15 and 1 Jn 3:2).
Taking the Yoke
‘Taking the yoke of Torah’ was a rabbinic expression for accepting God’s reign over one’s life – to live according to His Will. It means to submit your life to the obedience of God’s word. A disciple was expected to place himself in obedience and dedication to the Rabbi and to the Rabbis teaching of scripture. This is how a disciple “takes the Yoke” of the Rabbi; which, if the Rabbi taught the Torah correctly, equates to the yoke of the God’s Word.
As we know however, what eventually became taught was a combination of not only the written Torah, but the Oral one as well. Since the oral one was rabbinic rulings based on interpretations of the written one, the oral one became equal to the written with the passing of time and in many cases began to supercede the written word. Eventually, the Oral even became contradictory to the written; yet it was the oral Torah (the Talmud) that was adhered to. In this manner man effectually ‘made their own religion’ through misinterpretations and corruptions of scripture that was originally pure and from God Himself. (Sounds like what has happened in the churches of today, doesn’t it? Church groups pick and choose only certain scriptures that they misinterpret in order to validate their own beliefs and doctrines, while carefully avoiding any and all scriptures that contradict their teaching!). One if the instances where Jesus addressed the issue of the Talmud being taught although it was overriding scripture is found in Mark 7:1-13;
1 “Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
Remember though, the Oral Torah which became the Talmud was also from the sayings of great and wise teachers and they contained many of the idioms of expression that even Jesus also used. To discount the Talmud in all points would be a huge mistake.
Binding and Loosing
Binding and loosing refer to decrees made by the interpreters of the Torah. Whatever ruling they made concerning a question became ‘binding’. It became a law. The adherents of the Law then, were ‘bound’ to it. This is much the same as any contract we have in the world today that is said to be ‘binding’. Loosing, then, is to set one free of an obligation. It can also be the rescinding of a decree. Over the centuries and millenniums, many of the multitude of decrees in the Talmud were not only contrary to scripture but there were literally thousands of them! The Talmud has roughly 6000 pages. Jesus spoke of the Pharisees and some of their unrighteous decrees and said of them; “…they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders…” referring to all the decrees now being such heavy burdens (as an ox under a heavy load), grievous to be borne (hard to live under) and lay them on men’s shoulders (the YOKE) (Matthew 23:4). Jesus came to ‘set the record straight’ as we say. He came to set right what had gone astray with the Law. While He was in the process of doing this the Pharisees were continually accusing Him of violating the ‘Law’; at least, the law as they knew it. After all, the Talmud had been passed down for centuries. They accused Him of healing on the Sabbath day in violation of the Law. They accused Him and His disciples of not washing their hands before eating; another violation. At one point they asked Him, “Art thou come to destroy the Law?” To this question Jesus answered; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Mt 5:17-18). Let me explain these two verses in detail with a clearer explanation of the words, ‘I am come’ and the words ‘fulfill’. “I am come” denotes purpose. This is certainly one of God’s reasons for His coming into the world; “I am come…to fulfill the law”. The word ‘fulfill’ here means to sustain, to correctly interpret, to establish. In other words He was saying He had no intention whatsoever in doing away with or undermine the Law at all, but His purpose was to correctly interpret the written word. He further said in verse 18 that the Law would not pass away but would outlive the earth itself! “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” The word ‘fulfilled’ at the end of the sentence is clearer defined as ‘accomplished’…’till all be accomplished’ and of course that does not take place until this present world is destroyed.
Take My Yoke Upon You
Jesus, the great teacher, the Rabbi of Rabbis, gave an invitation; “come unto me” and “learn of me.”
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11: 28-30).
It was an invitation to cast off the heavy burden of yoke of the Pharisees that needlessly overburdened the people, and take HIS yoke which is easy and light; which is a return to unadulterated scripture given as God intended. No, it does not do away with the Laws as given to Moses, it simply gives a correct understanding of them.
“And I will give you rest” Jesus said.” Surely, this casting away of man’s rulings and a return to God’s word is a fulfillment of God’s calling that was given in Jeremiah 6:16;
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Said another way, ‘take my yoke upon you,’ we have to remember who Jesus was; the Word of God made flesh. To take His yoke, was once again an expression for accepting God’s reign over one’s life – to live according to His Word and His Will. Even as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:15; “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
The more I study the Old Testament the more I realize that both Testaments say the same thing; only the wording is different. The part of ‘The Law’ that was done away with was the continual sacrifices for sin and ordinances that Jesus accomplished ‘once and for all’ the scriptures say. Even in these things that are no longer in effect because of Christ,
It was only because those Old Testament directives were metaphors that pointed to Jesus and the new covenant in the first place. They were a shadow of things to come, whereas Jesus was what they were alluding to all along. The bible isn’t two books containing the Old and the New Testaments; they are one book. The Old was not complete until the New. In fact, calling the ‘New Testament’ by its current name is something man did, not God. The New Testament is more of an ‘explanation’ of the Old Testament. It would be better to call the ‘New Testament’ the New Covenant; after all, that’s what the bible calls it.
I hope you have enjoyed this information as much I have in discovering these things!
First came the written Torah; the books of Moses as given to him by Yahweh, and they were set and unchangeable laws. But in time there became an Oral Torah, which was a combination of; interpretations of the Law as it might apply to various situations (much like the supreme court interprets the constitution to make rulings in various situations), religious traditions, and sayings of Rabbis who were held in high esteem. The Oral Torah eventually became written and was titled; the Talmud. In order to understand some of the sayings in the Bible, we need to refer back to some of the Hebraic teachings in the Talmud that give us an understanding.
One of the New Testament quotes that is better understood by knowing some of the Talmud is given in Luke 10:10-11;
“But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, “Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you…”
Rabbis taught from village to village and in the countrysides. They taught in temples, in homes, under a shade tree or anywhere people would gather to be taught. In order to learn from a Rabbi, to be more fully taught by him, his followers (students/disciples) had to travel with him on his journeys in order to continue on with their learning. To follow a Rabbi was a total commitment because it meant leaving everything behind including, at least temporarily, their livelihood and their families. The Rabbi, as well as his students, were dependent on people of the area to care for them with food, lodging if possible, and a place to meet if their homes were large enough. Since Israel is a dry place, much fine dust would surround the group as they walked; so to travel with a Rabbi meant to be covered with the dust of his feet. Thus, this was considered a good thing. It obviously meant you following a Rabbi while being taught by him. A Hebraic saying says;
“Let your home be a meeting house for sages (Rabbis) and cover yourself with the dust of their feet, and drink in their words thirstily”
To be covered with the dust of a Rabbi was a good thing; for it meant you were being taught by him the Torah and the ways of God. The proclamation Jesus gave in Luke 10:10-11 was simply to declare to those who would not receive them, that they rejected those whom God had sent to profit them spiritually.
Profiting from Teaching God’s Word
Rabbis were forbidden to charge a fee for teaching scriptures, for it says in m.Avot 4:5 “He who makes profit from the words of Torah has brought about his own destruction” And Derek Eretz Zuta 3:3 says “Do not charge for teaching Torah, accept no remuneration for it.” Those who taught scripture were not to charge a fee for doing so, but they ate and were sustained by those whom they taught. In the Old Testament; the priests lived on a certain number of the flock and grain brought to the temple. This same standard of not charging a fee for teaching was carried over into the New Testament era. In Luke 10:4-10 Jesus instructed not only to take no money, but not even to carry a purse (to put money in);
“Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
Jesus also said in Matthew 10:8; “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” This is a recurrent doctrine of both old and new testaments and is also mentioned in Peters letters to the Elders of the churches to; “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind…” (1 Peter 5:2).
Followers of Rabbis Often Referred to as ‘Sons’
The Rabbi became like a father to his followers, having a special relationship of honor that was even above one’s own earthly father. Disciples were often called ‘sons’ of the Rabbi; just as those who followed the great Prophets were called the “sons of the prophets”. This tradition of being considered a ‘son’ began with Elijah and Elisha,
(2 Kings 2:1-12) where not only does scripture speak of Elijah’s followers being called sons (51 sons to be exact) but Elisha even referred to Elijah as ‘father’. This is why Jesus referred to those who followed the teaching of the Pharisees as ‘their sons’ ( Luke 11:18-19). It is also also why Jesus referred to the Pharisees as sons of Satan, and declared that their father was Satan, in John 8:44, because by their actions they were followers of Satan; “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
When we are truly born again, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that same indwelling Spirit becomes our guide and our teacher; therefore we are followers of God. Therefore we call no man on earth our father (concerning spiritual matters) as did those who followed Rabbis. We are no longer called sons of the prophet or sons of Rabbis but sons of God. We follow only Him. That’s why Jesus said in Mt 23:8-10; “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” Jesus said this for we are to be the sons of God, not followers of men. 1 John 2:27 affirms (written to spirit-filled believers); “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” That’s why
John 1:12 says; “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…” No longer does God lead His children through others, that they might be called ‘their’ sons, but we must be led by God to be called ‘His Sons’. Romans 8:14 says; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (See also Phil 2:15 and 1 Jn 3:2).
Taking the Yoke
‘Taking the yoke of Torah’ was a rabbinic expression for accepting God’s reign over one’s life – to live according to His Will. It means to submit your life to the obedience of God’s word. A disciple was expected to place himself in obedience and dedication to the Rabbi and to the Rabbis teaching of scripture. This is how a disciple “takes the Yoke” of the Rabbi; which, if the Rabbi taught the Torah correctly, equates to the yoke of the God’s Word.
As we know however, what eventually became taught was a combination of not only the written Torah, but the Oral one as well. Since the oral one was rabbinic rulings based on interpretations of the written one, the oral one became equal to the written with the passing of time and in many cases began to supercede the written word. Eventually, the Oral even became contradictory to the written; yet it was the oral Torah (the Talmud) that was adhered to. In this manner man effectually ‘made their own religion’ through misinterpretations and corruptions of scripture that was originally pure and from God Himself. (Sounds like what has happened in the churches of today, doesn’t it? Church groups pick and choose only certain scriptures that they misinterpret in order to validate their own beliefs and doctrines, while carefully avoiding any and all scriptures that contradict their teaching!). One if the instances where Jesus addressed the issue of the Talmud being taught although it was overriding scripture is found in Mark 7:1-13;
1 “Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
Remember though, the Oral Torah which became the Talmud was also from the sayings of great and wise teachers and they contained many of the idioms of expression that even Jesus also used. To discount the Talmud in all points would be a huge mistake.
Binding and Loosing
Binding and loosing refer to decrees made by the interpreters of the Torah. Whatever ruling they made concerning a question became ‘binding’. It became a law. The adherents of the Law then, were ‘bound’ to it. This is much the same as any contract we have in the world today that is said to be ‘binding’. Loosing, then, is to set one free of an obligation. It can also be the rescinding of a decree. Over the centuries and millenniums, many of the multitude of decrees in the Talmud were not only contrary to scripture but there were literally thousands of them! The Talmud has roughly 6000 pages. Jesus spoke of the Pharisees and some of their unrighteous decrees and said of them; “…they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders…” referring to all the decrees now being such heavy burdens (as an ox under a heavy load), grievous to be borne (hard to live under) and lay them on men’s shoulders (the YOKE) (Matthew 23:4). Jesus came to ‘set the record straight’ as we say. He came to set right what had gone astray with the Law. While He was in the process of doing this the Pharisees were continually accusing Him of violating the ‘Law’; at least, the law as they knew it. After all, the Talmud had been passed down for centuries. They accused Him of healing on the Sabbath day in violation of the Law. They accused Him and His disciples of not washing their hands before eating; another violation. At one point they asked Him, “Art thou come to destroy the Law?” To this question Jesus answered; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Mt 5:17-18). Let me explain these two verses in detail with a clearer explanation of the words, ‘I am come’ and the words ‘fulfill’. “I am come” denotes purpose. This is certainly one of God’s reasons for His coming into the world; “I am come…to fulfill the law”. The word ‘fulfill’ here means to sustain, to correctly interpret, to establish. In other words He was saying He had no intention whatsoever in doing away with or undermine the Law at all, but His purpose was to correctly interpret the written word. He further said in verse 18 that the Law would not pass away but would outlive the earth itself! “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” The word ‘fulfilled’ at the end of the sentence is clearer defined as ‘accomplished’…’till all be accomplished’ and of course that does not take place until this present world is destroyed.
Take My Yoke Upon You
Jesus, the great teacher, the Rabbi of Rabbis, gave an invitation; “come unto me” and “learn of me.”
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11: 28-30).
It was an invitation to cast off the heavy burden of yoke of the Pharisees that needlessly overburdened the people, and take HIS yoke which is easy and light; which is a return to unadulterated scripture given as God intended. No, it does not do away with the Laws as given to Moses, it simply gives a correct understanding of them.
“And I will give you rest” Jesus said.” Surely, this casting away of man’s rulings and a return to God’s word is a fulfillment of God’s calling that was given in Jeremiah 6:16;
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Said another way, ‘take my yoke upon you,’ we have to remember who Jesus was; the Word of God made flesh. To take His yoke, was once again an expression for accepting God’s reign over one’s life – to live according to His Word and His Will. Even as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:15; “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
The more I study the Old Testament the more I realize that both Testaments say the same thing; only the wording is different. The part of ‘The Law’ that was done away with was the continual sacrifices for sin and ordinances that Jesus accomplished ‘once and for all’ the scriptures say. Even in these things that are no longer in effect because of Christ,
It was only because those Old Testament directives were metaphors that pointed to Jesus and the new covenant in the first place. They were a shadow of things to come, whereas Jesus was what they were alluding to all along. The bible isn’t two books containing the Old and the New Testaments; they are one book. The Old was not complete until the New. In fact, calling the ‘New Testament’ by its current name is something man did, not God. The New Testament is more of an ‘explanation’ of the Old Testament. It would be better to call the ‘New Testament’ the New Covenant; after all, that’s what the bible calls it.
I hope you have enjoyed this information as much I have in discovering these things!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thou Art Truly a Son of God
Steve Nixon
I was raised not believing there was a God, but also not believing there wasn’t.
My exposure to the things of God began years prior to ‘church-going’. It started when there became so many supernatural events in my life in which I was amazingly protected or had been shown obvious care, that I finally had to concede that, yes, there really is a God. Logic would then demand that since there really is a God, as many people had said, then it stands to reason that both heaven and hell were real as well. At that point there is only one right-thinking conclusion; seek God. I was extremely fortunate to be born in America, whose religion was by far predominately Christian, so the God that I wanted to find out about was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of Israel.
My first church, like so many people, was a Baptist church. There I felt drawn to the altar, dedicated my life to the Lord and asked Him to be my saviour. At that time I was forgiven for my sins and baptized.
The experience of cleansing was a great experience and I was told that I was now saved and ‘born again’. But in time I began to feel like something was wrong and reading the bible caused me to wonder if I was really ‘saved’ or not. I sure didn’t manifest a lot of the things, inwardly or outwardly, that the bible spoke of. My wonder turned into worry, and worry after a while gave feelings bordering despair. Bringing up my wonderings to others resulted in them showing me ‘certain’ scriptures that, when separated from other scriptures validated my salvation. Such validation did not stop my inner feeling of something just not being right. I was missing something. But what?
As my worry grew, I went to bed one night and had a vision. Visions often occur during sleep, but visions are different than dreams. (That’s a whole different subject). In my vision an angel came near to me while was sleeping and in a very soft voice just above a whisper said, “Thou art truly a son of God”. Then the angel said again, a little bit louder, “Thou art truly a son of God” and then a third time a little louder still, “Thou art truly a son of God.” I had a sense of peace because of that vision, and worry over the matter subsided. Although I no longer worried, after a while I began to wonder at the angel’s words. ‘A son of God?’ Not a child of God, but a son. I was still fairly new to my exposure to the bible but, wasn’t there only one son of God? Isn’t that Jesus? I did not doubt at all the vision I had; I knew what I saw and heard in that vision and the peace I felt afterwards. But I didn’t understand how I, or anyone, could be called a son of God. For 40 years I never told anyone of that vision. It all makes sense now, and because it makes sense now I wonder why I didn’t understand all along (I guess that’s normal).
Several years later found me very busy. We had moved from the city and I was commuting many miles to and from work and raising a family. During this time I was less focused on spiritual things and after a while that feeling of ‘missing something in my life’ returned. I began to yearn for a closeness to God; and yearning became a hunger.
At that time, the Lord directed my steps to a local church where they preached against sin, worldliness and wrong attitudes. They preached a total commitment to the obedience God and God’s Word. Anytime I walked into that church, I could feel this awesome awareness of God’s presence as if electricity was in the air. I would go there and tremble.
God’s spirit was there, and it was powerful. Not many visits later found me back at the altar again, getting baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and for the first time in my life receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost. At that baptism I spoke in a language I did not know, and did not understand. I remembered that utterance though, and through curiosity and research I learned later that what I spoke was Hebrew and what was said was, “behold, salvation!” It was at this second baptism, that I learned the vast difference between ‘being cleansed through the forgiveness of sin’ (which many mistake for ‘being born again’) and the true born again experience of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. There were very dramatic changes in my life because of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost and a new awareness of the reality of God and the seriousness of His Word. Things pertaining to God and His kingdom became a living reality and physical reality seemed to suddenly be far less real or important. Now I had received the true born again experience and even it’s manifested signs that I had read about in the bible but never had.
Having this new life now, after several months, I began to wonder about my vision that had taken place years earlier; “Thou art truly a son of God.” I knew that this new experience was the true new birth, and never doubted it for a moment. So how could an angel tell me what I heard in the vision? I knew the vision was true also. I had no answers. But every few years I would think of it again and wonder, “how can both of these be true?” Just within the last few days I learned the answer to my inner questionings… 40 years after the vision.
In order to understand some of the sayings in the bible, I’m beginning to study some of Jewish culture. It’s very interesting like; “my yoke is easy” (what is ‘yoke’ actually referring to) and ‘wipe the dust off your feet’ (is that an insult? I don’t think Jesus would want to us insult people… so what does that mean?). There are many things in scripture that we would far better understand if we look to the culture of the nation that the scriptures were given to. (To the Jew first, and then to the Greek [gentiles] Rom 1:16, Rom 2:9-10). I’ve learned that rabbi’s traveled the countryside, going from town to town. They would teach in homes, under shade trees, on the shore of the sea of Galilee or anywhere they found room They were sustained by the hospitality of the locals. Those that learned from these teachers had a difficult life, for in order for them to learn, they had to follow the rabbi as he traveled, and that meant leaving their homes and means of income, at least for the time at hand. These disciples (those following) were called ‘sons’. If you followed a Rabbi in such a committed way then you were a ‘son’ of that Rabbi. Perhaps because you would be the ‘offspring’ of his teaching (but I don’t know that). My vision, I’m sure which was meant to give me some inner peace, was acknowledging that I was a disciple, a student, a true seeker while at the same time not verifying whether or not I was really a ‘born-again’ Christian. Which I wasn’t, at least not at that time. There is a difference, between a ‘believer’ and a ‘receiver’. InActs 19:1-6, the apostle Paul came upon a group of believers and asked them, “Have you receive the Holy Ghost since you have believed?” And they said no, and that they’d never heard of it. Then he laid hands on them and they received this same baptism that I did. I cannot help but believe in my heart that if a person is serious about their commitment to God, if they have a yearning and open heart instead of a skeptical and closed mind, if they seek Him with all of their being then they will find Him in this same manner.
Steve Nixon
I was raised not believing there was a God, but also not believing there wasn’t.
My exposure to the things of God began years prior to ‘church-going’. It started when there became so many supernatural events in my life in which I was amazingly protected or had been shown obvious care, that I finally had to concede that, yes, there really is a God. Logic would then demand that since there really is a God, as many people had said, then it stands to reason that both heaven and hell were real as well. At that point there is only one right-thinking conclusion; seek God. I was extremely fortunate to be born in America, whose religion was by far predominately Christian, so the God that I wanted to find out about was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of Israel.
My first church, like so many people, was a Baptist church. There I felt drawn to the altar, dedicated my life to the Lord and asked Him to be my saviour. At that time I was forgiven for my sins and baptized.
The experience of cleansing was a great experience and I was told that I was now saved and ‘born again’. But in time I began to feel like something was wrong and reading the bible caused me to wonder if I was really ‘saved’ or not. I sure didn’t manifest a lot of the things, inwardly or outwardly, that the bible spoke of. My wonder turned into worry, and worry after a while gave feelings bordering despair. Bringing up my wonderings to others resulted in them showing me ‘certain’ scriptures that, when separated from other scriptures validated my salvation. Such validation did not stop my inner feeling of something just not being right. I was missing something. But what?
As my worry grew, I went to bed one night and had a vision. Visions often occur during sleep, but visions are different than dreams. (That’s a whole different subject). In my vision an angel came near to me while was sleeping and in a very soft voice just above a whisper said, “Thou art truly a son of God”. Then the angel said again, a little bit louder, “Thou art truly a son of God” and then a third time a little louder still, “Thou art truly a son of God.” I had a sense of peace because of that vision, and worry over the matter subsided. Although I no longer worried, after a while I began to wonder at the angel’s words. ‘A son of God?’ Not a child of God, but a son. I was still fairly new to my exposure to the bible but, wasn’t there only one son of God? Isn’t that Jesus? I did not doubt at all the vision I had; I knew what I saw and heard in that vision and the peace I felt afterwards. But I didn’t understand how I, or anyone, could be called a son of God. For 40 years I never told anyone of that vision. It all makes sense now, and because it makes sense now I wonder why I didn’t understand all along (I guess that’s normal).
Several years later found me very busy. We had moved from the city and I was commuting many miles to and from work and raising a family. During this time I was less focused on spiritual things and after a while that feeling of ‘missing something in my life’ returned. I began to yearn for a closeness to God; and yearning became a hunger.
At that time, the Lord directed my steps to a local church where they preached against sin, worldliness and wrong attitudes. They preached a total commitment to the obedience God and God’s Word. Anytime I walked into that church, I could feel this awesome awareness of God’s presence as if electricity was in the air. I would go there and tremble.
God’s spirit was there, and it was powerful. Not many visits later found me back at the altar again, getting baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and for the first time in my life receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost. At that baptism I spoke in a language I did not know, and did not understand. I remembered that utterance though, and through curiosity and research I learned later that what I spoke was Hebrew and what was said was, “behold, salvation!” It was at this second baptism, that I learned the vast difference between ‘being cleansed through the forgiveness of sin’ (which many mistake for ‘being born again’) and the true born again experience of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. There were very dramatic changes in my life because of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost and a new awareness of the reality of God and the seriousness of His Word. Things pertaining to God and His kingdom became a living reality and physical reality seemed to suddenly be far less real or important. Now I had received the true born again experience and even it’s manifested signs that I had read about in the bible but never had.
Having this new life now, after several months, I began to wonder about my vision that had taken place years earlier; “Thou art truly a son of God.” I knew that this new experience was the true new birth, and never doubted it for a moment. So how could an angel tell me what I heard in the vision? I knew the vision was true also. I had no answers. But every few years I would think of it again and wonder, “how can both of these be true?” Just within the last few days I learned the answer to my inner questionings… 40 years after the vision.
In order to understand some of the sayings in the bible, I’m beginning to study some of Jewish culture. It’s very interesting like; “my yoke is easy” (what is ‘yoke’ actually referring to) and ‘wipe the dust off your feet’ (is that an insult? I don’t think Jesus would want to us insult people… so what does that mean?). There are many things in scripture that we would far better understand if we look to the culture of the nation that the scriptures were given to. (To the Jew first, and then to the Greek [gentiles] Rom 1:16, Rom 2:9-10). I’ve learned that rabbi’s traveled the countryside, going from town to town. They would teach in homes, under shade trees, on the shore of the sea of Galilee or anywhere they found room They were sustained by the hospitality of the locals. Those that learned from these teachers had a difficult life, for in order for them to learn, they had to follow the rabbi as he traveled, and that meant leaving their homes and means of income, at least for the time at hand. These disciples (those following) were called ‘sons’. If you followed a Rabbi in such a committed way then you were a ‘son’ of that Rabbi. Perhaps because you would be the ‘offspring’ of his teaching (but I don’t know that). My vision, I’m sure which was meant to give me some inner peace, was acknowledging that I was a disciple, a student, a true seeker while at the same time not verifying whether or not I was really a ‘born-again’ Christian. Which I wasn’t, at least not at that time. There is a difference, between a ‘believer’ and a ‘receiver’. InActs 19:1-6, the apostle Paul came upon a group of believers and asked them, “Have you receive the Holy Ghost since you have believed?” And they said no, and that they’d never heard of it. Then he laid hands on them and they received this same baptism that I did. I cannot help but believe in my heart that if a person is serious about their commitment to God, if they have a yearning and open heart instead of a skeptical and closed mind, if they seek Him with all of their being then they will find Him in this same manner.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Dreams
The Importance of Dreams
Steve Nixon
The prophet Joel prophesied of a time when the Holy Ghost would be made available to all flesh, and not just to a select few; such as the prophets of old, certain kings and a few other specially anointed people. Joel 2:28 says;
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”
This prophecy began to be fulfilled as the first group of the New Testament church were assembled together on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:2-4;
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
When onlookers saw what was happening but did not understand, they asked Peter what was going on, he explained to them;
“…this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:16-18).
I’ve been wondering lately about the lack of people speaking out concerning their dreams and visions. I think people have dreams and visions whether they are Christian or not,
but I am especially concerned with the dreams and visions of Christians. Why aren’t people more open about what they dream, or their visions? There is certainly a great lack of teaching by the world’s denominations of Christianity, in every aspect of the Christian faith and experience; and this holds true in the area of dreams and visions as well. I wholeheartedly think that if the Lord were to give a grade the result of the teachings of the majority of churches today that He would grade them an ‘absolute failure’. When people upon having one of those dreams, “that stand out in their minds,” why aren’t they seeking an interpretation? Are we afraid of being laughed at? And worse than that, are we afraid of being laughed at ‘by other Christians?’ If this is so, what does that say about not only the character of today’s Christians but their own level of spirituality? Are we silenced by a fear of skeptics? Or do we not perceive dreams as being spiritual or given by God? Sure, the human mind ‘wanders’ at night and we have what seem to be nonsense dreams that don’t mean anything (and usually vaporize into nothing as soon as we wake up; but there are other dreams we have that we wake up with. Dreams that we are sure ‘mean something’ but we can’t figure out. Some dreams are on our minds all day before they disappear, some for weeks and sometimes years. These are the dreams that I’m wondering about. Why are we not more open about discussing these dreams. If we pray for an interpretation and do not receive one, then why aren’t we feeling the freedom to seek an interpretation from other Christians? If indeed these dreams are given by God, then how dare we ignore them! They are for a reason; and those reasons are always in one way or another to our eventual benefit. These gifts of God are like many other things, if we ignore them, then they become pointless and we either receive them less often, or stop receiving them at all. So this brief study looks at how God spoke to His people in both the Old and New Testaments and what role dreams and visions played in guiding, directing and speaking to His people.
Abraham
When Abram (later named Abraham) first received notice that God was calling him out of his own country and into a strange land and would make him a father of nations; it was in a vision. Abram believed God in this vision, and became known as the ‘father of faith.’
(Genesis chapter 15).
Abimelech
In Genesis 20:1-18; Abimelech had previously, through no fault of his own, received Sarah (Abraham’s wife) as his wife, thinking she was Abraham’s sister. Innocent of knowing she was Abraham’s wife or not (ignorance of the law is no excuse), it would be a sin for Abimelech to have sex with Sarah. So God warned Abimelech not to touch Sarah. How was that warning given? In a dream. Because Abimelech heeded his dream, rather than ignoring or seeing little importance in it, Sarah was then returned to Abraham. What would have happened if Abimelech, like so many of us today, would have ignored his dream? Then Sarah would not have had Issac by Abraham. Isaac would not have had Jacob who through him came the nation of Israelites. Jesus would not have been born and all those who receive salvation by Him would be damned.
Jacob
In Genesis chapter 28:12-16, began the story of how Jacob was to be blessed by the Lord to become a great nation; which later became Israel and ultimately all of those both Jew and Gentile who would be considered in the family of God. And how did Jacob receive this vision and understanding, creating the faith in Jacob to spend his life in the direction to which God had appointed him? In a dream. Jacob understood the significance and
spiritual direction of a dream.
Joseph
In Genesis chapter 37, Joseph, the son of Jacob, had a dream. He dreamed that he would rise above his brothers and they would obey him. His brothers already did not like Joseph because he was the youngest of the brothers, but after Joseph related his dream his brothers hated him. This dream might have been ‘the final straw’ that caused his brothers to sell joseph as a slave to an Egyptian. We understand though, in later chapters in Genesis, that once again it was God behind this dream. What I marvel at about this dream is that Joseph’s dream, like many dreams, was metaphorical in nature… yet his brothers and father instantly understood what the dream meant. People of old had a far better understanding of the spiritual nature of dreams than people of today have. Isn’t it about time we start paying more attention to our dreams as well? Later in Joseph’s life, (Genesis chapter 40), Joseph found himself in prison and two men, a butler of Pharaoh and a baker, each had a dream. Not an ordinary dream but they must have recognized their dreams as having meaning that neither of them could figure out and it made them ‘sad’ because they didn’t understand what the dreams meant. When Joseph asked why the men were so sad they told him it was because they did not understand their dreams. At that time Joseph made a profound statement, that ‘interpretations belong to God’.
(The New Testament declares the fulfillment of “your young men shall dream dreams, and your old men shall have visions”. There is a difference of ‘dreams’ and ‘visions’.
Dreams are usually metaphoric and required interpretation, visions are not. Both dreams and visions usually give direction, warn or assure. Dreams occur during sleep whereas visions can occur either in sleep or ‘daydreaming’ (in a trance). Visions generally are not metaphoric but explain plainly). Getting back to the story; Joseph explained the two men’s dreams to them, both dreams being prophetic in nature, and those dreams came to pass exactly as Joseph had interpreted. Later, in Genesis chapter 41, the Pharaoh himself had a very disturbing dream and was informed that there was a man in prison who could interpret dreams (Joseph’s God being with him) and Pharaoh summoned him to interpret his dream. Pharaoh related his dream (in which everything was metaphoric) to Joseph and Joseph gave the interpretation; warning Pharaoh of a coming serious drought that would last seven years and also of how to spare Egypt during the disaster to come. Pharaoh listened, and did everything Joseph said to do, resulting in all of Egypt being spared throughout the drought, and all of Israel as well. How much credence was given to dreams in centuries gone by? Enough to change the course of nations! In these last days there is supposed to be an abundance of ‘dreams and visions’. Are we so dull of understanding of these spiritual blessings?
Gideon
In the book of Judges, chapter 7, Gideon was going to war against the Midianites and Amalekites, but God wanted Gideon to reduce the number of his forces from 30,000 to a mere 300! Still, the Midianite and Amalekite armies were huge and Gideon was now far outnumbered. How was Gideon reassured to enter this conflict against overwhelming forces? Because of a man’s dream, and Gideon’s understanding of that dream!
King Saul
In 1 Samuel, chapter 28, King Saul, who at one time was filled with the Holy Spirit, received direction from God both through prophets and through his own dreams. By those prophets and dreams, King Saul led the nation of Israel. But there came a time when, through Saul’s disobedience, that God’s Spirit departed from Saul, and Saul no longer received God’s direction himself, and sought Samuel for understanding and direction.
Solomon
In 1 Kings, chapter 3:1-15, Solomon was King of Israel, and he besought the Lord to grant him understanding by which to lead God’s people. God granted Solomon his request and Solomon to this day is known worldwide for his wisdom! And how did Solomon ask this of the Lord, and in what way did God grant his request? The whole
event took place…yes, in a dream.
Daniel
One of the most dramatic dreams and interpretation of dreams to be spoken of in scripture is in the book of Daniel, chapters 1 through 5. If you are reading this article to learn about the importance of dreams and interpretation of dreams that have nation changing effects; then these chapters are an absolute must read. In Daniel, chapter 7,
Daniel has another most amazing and dramatic dream which is the forerunner of the vision of John known as the Book of Revelation; Daniel chapter 7 reveals Daniel’s prophetic dream of earth’s destruction and the kingdom of God.
Joseph and Mary
The virgin Mary had been promised to Joseph. But before the marriage she was found to be pregnant. At that time in history (and in some cultures still true today) a woman found pregnant could be killed. Mary could have been stoned to death, and her husband to be Joseph was fearful of proceeding with the marriage. But in the book of Matthew, chapter 1 verse 20, an angel came to Joseph and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife; and Joseph obeyed and the marriage took place. Had this not happened, what would become of Mary…of Jesus? And how did this angel appear to Joseph? Yes again…in a dream! People not only believed in their dreams, they received heavenly instruction by them.
Wise Men from the East
The wise men of the east were instructed of King Herod to inform him when they had found the infant that was to be King of the Jews. But after the wise men had found Jesus, they were warned not to return to Herod, but return home a different way. How were they warned? In a dream, again. And they listened and followed that warning that came in that dream. What would happen if they didn’t? Herod wanted to know where the baby was so he could kill him. (Mt 2:7-12).
Joseph and Mary
In Matthew 2:13-18, Joseph and Mary were to return to where they had lived before going to Bethlehem. But God warned Joseph not to return, but to flee into Egypt, for King Herod was in a rage trying to find Jesus. Again, the warning came in a dream.
In Matthew 2:19-20, an angel came to Joseph and informed him that King Herod had died, and to return to Nazareth in Israel. This message also… came in a dream. Are we seeing a pattern here… in all these dreams?
Apostle Peter and the Gentiles
At first, New Testament salvation was of the house of Israel, and only for the Jews, but several years after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was poured out and made available to all believers, the Apostle Peter fell into a trance and had a vision. In this vision, the Lord was giving approval for Gentiles to be saved. Just prior to Peter’s vision, in a different town, an angel came to a Gentile household to a man named Cornelius, informing him to send for the Apostle Peter. When Peter came to the house of Cornelius, the Spirit of God began filling all in the house of Cornelius and Peter then understood the vision he had. That Gentiles also could be saved and have eternal life through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts chapters 9, 10 and 11).
John’s Book of Revelation
Even the Book of Revelation, given the Apostle John and now having been read by millions, was given to John in a vision (Revelation 9:17).
There are many other examples as well, of major importance recorded in scripture that came through dreams and visions. Look up ‘dream’ and ‘vision’ in a good concordance to find them. It’s an interesting study. But what am I saying about dreams and visions in today’s world? Share all your dreams? Not hardly. But don’t ignore them, either.
Most dreams are somehow therapeutic to the mind; perhaps it’s way of dealing with the stresses and pressures of day to day life. I’m sure some dreams are simply the mind’s fanciful nonsense. But like I said earlier, some dreams ‘stay with us’ for a while, causing us to wonder what it meant. Some dreams give us a feeling like it’s a warning, but we somehow can’t figure out what it means. THESE are the dreams I’m referring to. We should not ignore them. We should seek to understand them. We should first go to God in prayer and seek understanding. If no understanding is given then it very well could be that ‘someone else’ has the interpretation or ‘will have’ as soon as they hear the dream.
This has certainly been the case many time in the Old Testament. And how will we ever find that person unless we at least feel a liberty to speak of our dreams to those we believe are also Christians.
And what about sharing visions? Where would we be if the Apostle Peter, upon receiving his vision, simply stayed on his rooftop? Where would the Gentiles be now? And Cornelius. What would have happened if he ‘dismissed’ his vision and for whatever reason did not send for the Apostle Peter. What about Daniel, and the vision of the Apostle John and the Book of Revelation? Were it not for their realization of the importance of their visions, and their obedience, the Judean-Christian faiths would not be fore-warned of what is to come. The men of both the Old and New Testaments knew the spiritual nature and seriousness of dreams and visions; so should we. Some dreams and visions are given by God. They are given to warn, instruct or assurance, both for the present day as well as future events and are often prophetic in nature. The words of the Apostle Peter hold just as true today, as they did when he spoke them in Acts 2: 16-18…
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”
Steve Nixon
The prophet Joel prophesied of a time when the Holy Ghost would be made available to all flesh, and not just to a select few; such as the prophets of old, certain kings and a few other specially anointed people. Joel 2:28 says;
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”
This prophecy began to be fulfilled as the first group of the New Testament church were assembled together on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:2-4;
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
When onlookers saw what was happening but did not understand, they asked Peter what was going on, he explained to them;
“…this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:16-18).
I’ve been wondering lately about the lack of people speaking out concerning their dreams and visions. I think people have dreams and visions whether they are Christian or not,
but I am especially concerned with the dreams and visions of Christians. Why aren’t people more open about what they dream, or their visions? There is certainly a great lack of teaching by the world’s denominations of Christianity, in every aspect of the Christian faith and experience; and this holds true in the area of dreams and visions as well. I wholeheartedly think that if the Lord were to give a grade the result of the teachings of the majority of churches today that He would grade them an ‘absolute failure’. When people upon having one of those dreams, “that stand out in their minds,” why aren’t they seeking an interpretation? Are we afraid of being laughed at? And worse than that, are we afraid of being laughed at ‘by other Christians?’ If this is so, what does that say about not only the character of today’s Christians but their own level of spirituality? Are we silenced by a fear of skeptics? Or do we not perceive dreams as being spiritual or given by God? Sure, the human mind ‘wanders’ at night and we have what seem to be nonsense dreams that don’t mean anything (and usually vaporize into nothing as soon as we wake up; but there are other dreams we have that we wake up with. Dreams that we are sure ‘mean something’ but we can’t figure out. Some dreams are on our minds all day before they disappear, some for weeks and sometimes years. These are the dreams that I’m wondering about. Why are we not more open about discussing these dreams. If we pray for an interpretation and do not receive one, then why aren’t we feeling the freedom to seek an interpretation from other Christians? If indeed these dreams are given by God, then how dare we ignore them! They are for a reason; and those reasons are always in one way or another to our eventual benefit. These gifts of God are like many other things, if we ignore them, then they become pointless and we either receive them less often, or stop receiving them at all. So this brief study looks at how God spoke to His people in both the Old and New Testaments and what role dreams and visions played in guiding, directing and speaking to His people.
Abraham
When Abram (later named Abraham) first received notice that God was calling him out of his own country and into a strange land and would make him a father of nations; it was in a vision. Abram believed God in this vision, and became known as the ‘father of faith.’
(Genesis chapter 15).
Abimelech
In Genesis 20:1-18; Abimelech had previously, through no fault of his own, received Sarah (Abraham’s wife) as his wife, thinking she was Abraham’s sister. Innocent of knowing she was Abraham’s wife or not (ignorance of the law is no excuse), it would be a sin for Abimelech to have sex with Sarah. So God warned Abimelech not to touch Sarah. How was that warning given? In a dream. Because Abimelech heeded his dream, rather than ignoring or seeing little importance in it, Sarah was then returned to Abraham. What would have happened if Abimelech, like so many of us today, would have ignored his dream? Then Sarah would not have had Issac by Abraham. Isaac would not have had Jacob who through him came the nation of Israelites. Jesus would not have been born and all those who receive salvation by Him would be damned.
Jacob
In Genesis chapter 28:12-16, began the story of how Jacob was to be blessed by the Lord to become a great nation; which later became Israel and ultimately all of those both Jew and Gentile who would be considered in the family of God. And how did Jacob receive this vision and understanding, creating the faith in Jacob to spend his life in the direction to which God had appointed him? In a dream. Jacob understood the significance and
spiritual direction of a dream.
Joseph
In Genesis chapter 37, Joseph, the son of Jacob, had a dream. He dreamed that he would rise above his brothers and they would obey him. His brothers already did not like Joseph because he was the youngest of the brothers, but after Joseph related his dream his brothers hated him. This dream might have been ‘the final straw’ that caused his brothers to sell joseph as a slave to an Egyptian. We understand though, in later chapters in Genesis, that once again it was God behind this dream. What I marvel at about this dream is that Joseph’s dream, like many dreams, was metaphorical in nature… yet his brothers and father instantly understood what the dream meant. People of old had a far better understanding of the spiritual nature of dreams than people of today have. Isn’t it about time we start paying more attention to our dreams as well? Later in Joseph’s life, (Genesis chapter 40), Joseph found himself in prison and two men, a butler of Pharaoh and a baker, each had a dream. Not an ordinary dream but they must have recognized their dreams as having meaning that neither of them could figure out and it made them ‘sad’ because they didn’t understand what the dreams meant. When Joseph asked why the men were so sad they told him it was because they did not understand their dreams. At that time Joseph made a profound statement, that ‘interpretations belong to God’.
(The New Testament declares the fulfillment of “your young men shall dream dreams, and your old men shall have visions”. There is a difference of ‘dreams’ and ‘visions’.
Dreams are usually metaphoric and required interpretation, visions are not. Both dreams and visions usually give direction, warn or assure. Dreams occur during sleep whereas visions can occur either in sleep or ‘daydreaming’ (in a trance). Visions generally are not metaphoric but explain plainly). Getting back to the story; Joseph explained the two men’s dreams to them, both dreams being prophetic in nature, and those dreams came to pass exactly as Joseph had interpreted. Later, in Genesis chapter 41, the Pharaoh himself had a very disturbing dream and was informed that there was a man in prison who could interpret dreams (Joseph’s God being with him) and Pharaoh summoned him to interpret his dream. Pharaoh related his dream (in which everything was metaphoric) to Joseph and Joseph gave the interpretation; warning Pharaoh of a coming serious drought that would last seven years and also of how to spare Egypt during the disaster to come. Pharaoh listened, and did everything Joseph said to do, resulting in all of Egypt being spared throughout the drought, and all of Israel as well. How much credence was given to dreams in centuries gone by? Enough to change the course of nations! In these last days there is supposed to be an abundance of ‘dreams and visions’. Are we so dull of understanding of these spiritual blessings?
Gideon
In the book of Judges, chapter 7, Gideon was going to war against the Midianites and Amalekites, but God wanted Gideon to reduce the number of his forces from 30,000 to a mere 300! Still, the Midianite and Amalekite armies were huge and Gideon was now far outnumbered. How was Gideon reassured to enter this conflict against overwhelming forces? Because of a man’s dream, and Gideon’s understanding of that dream!
King Saul
In 1 Samuel, chapter 28, King Saul, who at one time was filled with the Holy Spirit, received direction from God both through prophets and through his own dreams. By those prophets and dreams, King Saul led the nation of Israel. But there came a time when, through Saul’s disobedience, that God’s Spirit departed from Saul, and Saul no longer received God’s direction himself, and sought Samuel for understanding and direction.
Solomon
In 1 Kings, chapter 3:1-15, Solomon was King of Israel, and he besought the Lord to grant him understanding by which to lead God’s people. God granted Solomon his request and Solomon to this day is known worldwide for his wisdom! And how did Solomon ask this of the Lord, and in what way did God grant his request? The whole
event took place…yes, in a dream.
Daniel
One of the most dramatic dreams and interpretation of dreams to be spoken of in scripture is in the book of Daniel, chapters 1 through 5. If you are reading this article to learn about the importance of dreams and interpretation of dreams that have nation changing effects; then these chapters are an absolute must read. In Daniel, chapter 7,
Daniel has another most amazing and dramatic dream which is the forerunner of the vision of John known as the Book of Revelation; Daniel chapter 7 reveals Daniel’s prophetic dream of earth’s destruction and the kingdom of God.
Joseph and Mary
The virgin Mary had been promised to Joseph. But before the marriage she was found to be pregnant. At that time in history (and in some cultures still true today) a woman found pregnant could be killed. Mary could have been stoned to death, and her husband to be Joseph was fearful of proceeding with the marriage. But in the book of Matthew, chapter 1 verse 20, an angel came to Joseph and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife; and Joseph obeyed and the marriage took place. Had this not happened, what would become of Mary…of Jesus? And how did this angel appear to Joseph? Yes again…in a dream! People not only believed in their dreams, they received heavenly instruction by them.
Wise Men from the East
The wise men of the east were instructed of King Herod to inform him when they had found the infant that was to be King of the Jews. But after the wise men had found Jesus, they were warned not to return to Herod, but return home a different way. How were they warned? In a dream, again. And they listened and followed that warning that came in that dream. What would happen if they didn’t? Herod wanted to know where the baby was so he could kill him. (Mt 2:7-12).
Joseph and Mary
In Matthew 2:13-18, Joseph and Mary were to return to where they had lived before going to Bethlehem. But God warned Joseph not to return, but to flee into Egypt, for King Herod was in a rage trying to find Jesus. Again, the warning came in a dream.
In Matthew 2:19-20, an angel came to Joseph and informed him that King Herod had died, and to return to Nazareth in Israel. This message also… came in a dream. Are we seeing a pattern here… in all these dreams?
Apostle Peter and the Gentiles
At first, New Testament salvation was of the house of Israel, and only for the Jews, but several years after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was poured out and made available to all believers, the Apostle Peter fell into a trance and had a vision. In this vision, the Lord was giving approval for Gentiles to be saved. Just prior to Peter’s vision, in a different town, an angel came to a Gentile household to a man named Cornelius, informing him to send for the Apostle Peter. When Peter came to the house of Cornelius, the Spirit of God began filling all in the house of Cornelius and Peter then understood the vision he had. That Gentiles also could be saved and have eternal life through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts chapters 9, 10 and 11).
John’s Book of Revelation
Even the Book of Revelation, given the Apostle John and now having been read by millions, was given to John in a vision (Revelation 9:17).
There are many other examples as well, of major importance recorded in scripture that came through dreams and visions. Look up ‘dream’ and ‘vision’ in a good concordance to find them. It’s an interesting study. But what am I saying about dreams and visions in today’s world? Share all your dreams? Not hardly. But don’t ignore them, either.
Most dreams are somehow therapeutic to the mind; perhaps it’s way of dealing with the stresses and pressures of day to day life. I’m sure some dreams are simply the mind’s fanciful nonsense. But like I said earlier, some dreams ‘stay with us’ for a while, causing us to wonder what it meant. Some dreams give us a feeling like it’s a warning, but we somehow can’t figure out what it means. THESE are the dreams I’m referring to. We should not ignore them. We should seek to understand them. We should first go to God in prayer and seek understanding. If no understanding is given then it very well could be that ‘someone else’ has the interpretation or ‘will have’ as soon as they hear the dream.
This has certainly been the case many time in the Old Testament. And how will we ever find that person unless we at least feel a liberty to speak of our dreams to those we believe are also Christians.
And what about sharing visions? Where would we be if the Apostle Peter, upon receiving his vision, simply stayed on his rooftop? Where would the Gentiles be now? And Cornelius. What would have happened if he ‘dismissed’ his vision and for whatever reason did not send for the Apostle Peter. What about Daniel, and the vision of the Apostle John and the Book of Revelation? Were it not for their realization of the importance of their visions, and their obedience, the Judean-Christian faiths would not be fore-warned of what is to come. The men of both the Old and New Testaments knew the spiritual nature and seriousness of dreams and visions; so should we. Some dreams and visions are given by God. They are given to warn, instruct or assurance, both for the present day as well as future events and are often prophetic in nature. The words of the Apostle Peter hold just as true today, as they did when he spoke them in Acts 2: 16-18…
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Quick Course on Creation and timelines
A Quick Course
by Steve Nixon
Let’s take a good look at Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
Try to clear your mind of everything you’ve ever heard about ‘creation’, both of the church, and of science, at least for this fresh look. Forget the ‘typical’ and ‘what’s always been taught’ and ‘what you’ve always hear’ as far as interpretation goes and just take a close look at what God’s Word actually says, and only what it says.
First of all, Genesis begins with the planetary ball we call Earth as being already created.
Verse 1 says;
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
This verse 1 ends in a period. It is done… period. The ‘days of creation’ do not begin until verse 3. The idea of ‘the days of creation’ refers only to what was done to the earth to make it as we see now (with trees, birds, etc). The earth existed before the ‘first day’ of the creation story. How do I know this? Because it is not until verse 3 that scripture begins to record the different days of creation and each of those days begins with “And God said”. Remember too, that God ‘spoke’ all things into existence; this is also verified by Psalms 33: 6-9;
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
So exactly “how old” this planet is, the bible does not say, or even pretends to say.
2 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
The earth was without form (no mountains, valleys, cliffs, nothing was on it… it was without form…void. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. The face of the deep meaning the surface of the water. “The deep” always refers to water (oceans). To veryify this, look at the second half of verse 2. So here we have earth, a ball of water, at least on the surface. Being a ball of water, it is void and without form. All this was already in existence prior to the ‘days of creation’. Now begins the story of creation, not of the earth itself, but of what God did with the earth. Now begins the ‘And God said’ phrases at the beginning of each day.
Where did the ‘light’ come from? The sun was not created yet, and not created until the fourth day of creation. The light is from God Himself. The glowing aura that surrounds the Purity and Holiness of God, called the Shekinah (my spelling might be off) glory of God, was allowed to shine upon the earth. This is similar to the description in Revelation, where there is no more sun, but heaven will be lighted once again by the light that eminates from God himself. This was the first day.
“6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
In these verses above, God has created the sky (which He calls ‘firmament’) and divides the waters below the sky (ocean), from the waters above the firmament (now we have clouds…which… are water also, as we well know). Heaven simply refers to sky, even as we say ‘we look up into heaven’ meaning the sky. It’s the physical heaven, not the spiritual one. This ends the second day.
The third day is really busy!
. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Although the earth was a ball of water, under the earths ocean was land. If you make an object that you can shape, that is covered in water with land beneath, all you have to do is to dip below the water and pull up on what is under it. Or, push down on the bottom below the water to make a deep impression on the bottom. As the water flows to the depth of the impression…other parts of the surface become evident. We see mount Everest as extremely high, being thousands of feet above sea level. Yet we have deep trenches and valleys under the oceans that are as much as 37,500 feet below sea level. Now we have an earth that is no longer “void and without shape”, we have mountains, hills, and deep ocean valleys.
Also on day 3;
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Note that (thousands of years before ‘Darwin’) God’s word is careful to specifically say that every thing living was created had seed within itself, after it’s kind.
There’s no evolution here.
Now we come to day 4;
. 14” And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
NOW we have the sun, and the moon. On the fourth day. And why were they made?
Verse 15 says “to give light upon the Earth.” I love day four; it shows how important the Earth is to God! He made the sun and moon for the earth! Science used to teach that the earth was a meteor cast forth from the sun and found its orbit 93 million miles away to become a planet. They don’t teach that anymore and have come up with a new theory.
But God’s word tells us the earth came first, with the sun and moon to aid the earth.
NOT ONLY THAT, but verse 16 tells us he also made the stars on day 4! This makes earth the oldest thing in the universe… and that all things were made to benefit Earth.
and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. Remember the ‘wise men’ from the east, looking for the newborn king of the Jews? They followed his star…
Ah… on to day 5:
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Once again…’after his kind’. No evolution here.
On to day 6… an extremely important day to understand…
. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man 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 creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 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 moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, 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 meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
First of all, in verse 24 and 25 it is mentioned 5 times that the living things created were ‘after their kind’. Again, thousands of years before Darwin, God prepared His people to have the truth. Notice also, that man was created on the sixth day. On that sixth day, he created male and female on the same day (man too) Notice too… that everything concerning creation was created by God “speaking them into existence”. These verses of creation all begin with “AND GOD SAID…” This is important… to know that God SPOKE them into existence, simply by the power of His word and the strength of His will. On the sixth day, He spoke man into existence as well. Scripture does not say ‘a man’, but ‘man’. The species. Mankind. Not a singular man. Just for fun, look at verse 30 again; all living things like cattle, beasts and man were designed to be vegetarians. This was not changed until after Noah’s ark… which explains how all those animals could
co-exist without killing each other.
The sixth day is now over. Mankind exists. The seventh day is about to come. A big surprise comes after that day of rest, in chapter two. But I want to point out also on the first six days, that even though scripture says ‘a day unto the Lord is as a thousand days’
That this phrase does not apply to the ‘days of creation’. Each day of creation was a 24 hour day as we know it now. Okay, how do I know this? Because at the end of each day of the days of creation, one through six…is the phrase; And the evening and the morning were the (first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth) day. The evening and the morning (singular), not evenings and mornings (plural). The Word of God is not redundant for no reason. It’s trying to drive home a point; just as in the phrase ‘whose seed is in itself, after it’s own kind. Still, people miss it. They also miss the fact, according to scripture, that the earth already existed before the ‘six days’ in which God gave the earth form, mountains, and living things. How long? It could be billions of years, nobody knows. But after a period of time, God went to work on it and spoke all things then created into existence, in six days, including man.
Genesis Chapter 2
“1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.”
Notice in verse 1 that the earth was now finished in six days. Now, stop right here for a moment.
God’s word never had specific chapters and verses… these were all added later.
From verse 7 and onward, the story is NOT a repeat of chapter one at all. IT’S A CONTINUATION of the creation story and history.
Look at verse 5 above; “there was not a man to till the ground”. Man, mankind, was already created at this point; being created on the sixth day. Yet, there was no man to till the ground. Why? So what does God do, to have ‘a man’ (singular) to till the ground?
He creates Adam. Mankind existed from day 6, not Adam.
Verse 7:
“7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Please note that, while ‘man’ was created by God speaking him into existence,
Adam was made later, AFTER the sixth day, and that God did NOT speak Adam into existence but “formed man of the dust of the ground”. Indeed, this was no ordinary ‘man’ like what was spoken into existence on day six. This one God took some time with.
Not only that, but after God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Mankind, which was made male and female on day six, were made the same day as were cattle and every creeping thing upon the earth, were not much more than ‘beasts’ themselves; although they were human (man) and had superior intelligence. But they were not created having the ‘breath of life’ from God which creates in them “a living soul”. Only Adam did, and Adam alone. Adam was meant to live an extremely long life, and did so, as well as all his descendants for hundreds of years.
Verse 8
“ 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
Again, scripture re-states, “there he put the man whom he had formed.” ‘The man’
(singular) whom He had formed (not spoken into existence). Verses 9 through 17 describe where the Garden of Eden is (Africa) and God’s guidelines of what Adam may and may not eat.
9 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 also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Verses 18 through 25 tell the story that there were additional animals made for the Garden of Eden, which were also ‘formed’, not being part of the sixth day creation.
And also the creation of Eve. Rmemeber on the 6th day of creation, God created ‘man’ (mankind) being male and female, which were told to ‘go and replenish the Earth’; yet Adam and Eve were told to STAY IN THE GARDEN, and in fact was made FOR the Garden… to till and to keep it. Remember they were driven out of the Garden after they had sinned.
“18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave 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 an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
TIMELINES:
There is a huge gap, or very could be a huge gap, between the time the Earth was fist made (remember it already existed before Genesis 1:1) and the time when God decided to ‘do something with it’ It could be a few days, or billions of years, the Bible does not say.
The second gap occurs between when God created plants, trees, animals, birds and mankind… and when the story continues on to Adam. The seventh day, God rested. That’s all we know. It never says, ‘on the eighth day…Adam’. So, once again, between the seventh day, and the time when God decided to form Adam, could be hundreds, thousands, or millions of years! Adam and Eve were designed to stay separated, living in the Garden of Eden. Remember, female humans were already created on the sixth day, but Adam (separated from the ‘pack’) was alone and there was no helper found for him and that he was alone. Remember also that when Cain left Adam and Eve that we went and lived in the land of “Nod”, so there was already an established area (which had to be established by mankind [ descendants of man created on the sixth day]). The history of Adam and Eve go back 6 thousand years, historically traceable through well-kept Jewish records and even traceable through scripture (though it’s an exhausting job). Yet mankind, can be millions of years old. It all depends on the ‘gap’ between the seventh day of creation… and when God finally made Adam.
Mankind, was well-established by the time Cain left. In Genesis 6:1- 5 ‘men’ began to multiply on the face of the earth (as they were told to do on the sixth day of creation, but not Adam and Eve). Later, the ‘sons of God’ (descendants of Adam) saw the daughters of ‘men’ and made wives of them. What was the result of this? Complete wickedness; which led to the destruction of all mankind except Noah and his family.
Gen 6: 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
So who were these people, that God created, not having the breath of life, or souls, but were intelligent above animals? God’s word tells us man was created in Africa. So they were Africans. Adam and Eve, were set apart from the rest of man in the Garden of Eden, also in Africa, but history shows they became the foundation of the Jewish race. Our own science traces humankinds beginnings as being from Africa. But remember too, that ALL mankind everywhere was destroyed from the earth by the great flood. So, all mankind as we know it today comes from one family… Noah, and his sons and their wives. We are all related through Noah… even though it was not intended to be that way.
by Steve Nixon
Let’s take a good look at Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
Try to clear your mind of everything you’ve ever heard about ‘creation’, both of the church, and of science, at least for this fresh look. Forget the ‘typical’ and ‘what’s always been taught’ and ‘what you’ve always hear’ as far as interpretation goes and just take a close look at what God’s Word actually says, and only what it says.
First of all, Genesis begins with the planetary ball we call Earth as being already created.
Verse 1 says;
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
This verse 1 ends in a period. It is done… period. The ‘days of creation’ do not begin until verse 3. The idea of ‘the days of creation’ refers only to what was done to the earth to make it as we see now (with trees, birds, etc). The earth existed before the ‘first day’ of the creation story. How do I know this? Because it is not until verse 3 that scripture begins to record the different days of creation and each of those days begins with “And God said”. Remember too, that God ‘spoke’ all things into existence; this is also verified by Psalms 33: 6-9;
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
So exactly “how old” this planet is, the bible does not say, or even pretends to say.
2 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
The earth was without form (no mountains, valleys, cliffs, nothing was on it… it was without form…void. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. The face of the deep meaning the surface of the water. “The deep” always refers to water (oceans). To veryify this, look at the second half of verse 2. So here we have earth, a ball of water, at least on the surface. Being a ball of water, it is void and without form. All this was already in existence prior to the ‘days of creation’. Now begins the story of creation, not of the earth itself, but of what God did with the earth. Now begins the ‘And God said’ phrases at the beginning of each day.
Where did the ‘light’ come from? The sun was not created yet, and not created until the fourth day of creation. The light is from God Himself. The glowing aura that surrounds the Purity and Holiness of God, called the Shekinah (my spelling might be off) glory of God, was allowed to shine upon the earth. This is similar to the description in Revelation, where there is no more sun, but heaven will be lighted once again by the light that eminates from God himself. This was the first day.
“6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
In these verses above, God has created the sky (which He calls ‘firmament’) and divides the waters below the sky (ocean), from the waters above the firmament (now we have clouds…which… are water also, as we well know). Heaven simply refers to sky, even as we say ‘we look up into heaven’ meaning the sky. It’s the physical heaven, not the spiritual one. This ends the second day.
The third day is really busy!
. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Although the earth was a ball of water, under the earths ocean was land. If you make an object that you can shape, that is covered in water with land beneath, all you have to do is to dip below the water and pull up on what is under it. Or, push down on the bottom below the water to make a deep impression on the bottom. As the water flows to the depth of the impression…other parts of the surface become evident. We see mount Everest as extremely high, being thousands of feet above sea level. Yet we have deep trenches and valleys under the oceans that are as much as 37,500 feet below sea level. Now we have an earth that is no longer “void and without shape”, we have mountains, hills, and deep ocean valleys.
Also on day 3;
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Note that (thousands of years before ‘Darwin’) God’s word is careful to specifically say that every thing living was created had seed within itself, after it’s kind.
There’s no evolution here.
Now we come to day 4;
. 14” And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
NOW we have the sun, and the moon. On the fourth day. And why were they made?
Verse 15 says “to give light upon the Earth.” I love day four; it shows how important the Earth is to God! He made the sun and moon for the earth! Science used to teach that the earth was a meteor cast forth from the sun and found its orbit 93 million miles away to become a planet. They don’t teach that anymore and have come up with a new theory.
But God’s word tells us the earth came first, with the sun and moon to aid the earth.
NOT ONLY THAT, but verse 16 tells us he also made the stars on day 4! This makes earth the oldest thing in the universe… and that all things were made to benefit Earth.
and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. Remember the ‘wise men’ from the east, looking for the newborn king of the Jews? They followed his star…
Ah… on to day 5:
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Once again…’after his kind’. No evolution here.
On to day 6… an extremely important day to understand…
. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man 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 creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 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 moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, 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 meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
First of all, in verse 24 and 25 it is mentioned 5 times that the living things created were ‘after their kind’. Again, thousands of years before Darwin, God prepared His people to have the truth. Notice also, that man was created on the sixth day. On that sixth day, he created male and female on the same day (man too) Notice too… that everything concerning creation was created by God “speaking them into existence”. These verses of creation all begin with “AND GOD SAID…” This is important… to know that God SPOKE them into existence, simply by the power of His word and the strength of His will. On the sixth day, He spoke man into existence as well. Scripture does not say ‘a man’, but ‘man’. The species. Mankind. Not a singular man. Just for fun, look at verse 30 again; all living things like cattle, beasts and man were designed to be vegetarians. This was not changed until after Noah’s ark… which explains how all those animals could
co-exist without killing each other.
The sixth day is now over. Mankind exists. The seventh day is about to come. A big surprise comes after that day of rest, in chapter two. But I want to point out also on the first six days, that even though scripture says ‘a day unto the Lord is as a thousand days’
That this phrase does not apply to the ‘days of creation’. Each day of creation was a 24 hour day as we know it now. Okay, how do I know this? Because at the end of each day of the days of creation, one through six…is the phrase; And the evening and the morning were the (first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth) day. The evening and the morning (singular), not evenings and mornings (plural). The Word of God is not redundant for no reason. It’s trying to drive home a point; just as in the phrase ‘whose seed is in itself, after it’s own kind. Still, people miss it. They also miss the fact, according to scripture, that the earth already existed before the ‘six days’ in which God gave the earth form, mountains, and living things. How long? It could be billions of years, nobody knows. But after a period of time, God went to work on it and spoke all things then created into existence, in six days, including man.
Genesis Chapter 2
“1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.”
Notice in verse 1 that the earth was now finished in six days. Now, stop right here for a moment.
God’s word never had specific chapters and verses… these were all added later.
From verse 7 and onward, the story is NOT a repeat of chapter one at all. IT’S A CONTINUATION of the creation story and history.
Look at verse 5 above; “there was not a man to till the ground”. Man, mankind, was already created at this point; being created on the sixth day. Yet, there was no man to till the ground. Why? So what does God do, to have ‘a man’ (singular) to till the ground?
He creates Adam. Mankind existed from day 6, not Adam.
Verse 7:
“7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Please note that, while ‘man’ was created by God speaking him into existence,
Adam was made later, AFTER the sixth day, and that God did NOT speak Adam into existence but “formed man of the dust of the ground”. Indeed, this was no ordinary ‘man’ like what was spoken into existence on day six. This one God took some time with.
Not only that, but after God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Mankind, which was made male and female on day six, were made the same day as were cattle and every creeping thing upon the earth, were not much more than ‘beasts’ themselves; although they were human (man) and had superior intelligence. But they were not created having the ‘breath of life’ from God which creates in them “a living soul”. Only Adam did, and Adam alone. Adam was meant to live an extremely long life, and did so, as well as all his descendants for hundreds of years.
Verse 8
“ 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
Again, scripture re-states, “there he put the man whom he had formed.” ‘The man’
(singular) whom He had formed (not spoken into existence). Verses 9 through 17 describe where the Garden of Eden is (Africa) and God’s guidelines of what Adam may and may not eat.
9 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 also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Verses 18 through 25 tell the story that there were additional animals made for the Garden of Eden, which were also ‘formed’, not being part of the sixth day creation.
And also the creation of Eve. Rmemeber on the 6th day of creation, God created ‘man’ (mankind) being male and female, which were told to ‘go and replenish the Earth’; yet Adam and Eve were told to STAY IN THE GARDEN, and in fact was made FOR the Garden… to till and to keep it. Remember they were driven out of the Garden after they had sinned.
“18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave 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 an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
TIMELINES:
There is a huge gap, or very could be a huge gap, between the time the Earth was fist made (remember it already existed before Genesis 1:1) and the time when God decided to ‘do something with it’ It could be a few days, or billions of years, the Bible does not say.
The second gap occurs between when God created plants, trees, animals, birds and mankind… and when the story continues on to Adam. The seventh day, God rested. That’s all we know. It never says, ‘on the eighth day…Adam’. So, once again, between the seventh day, and the time when God decided to form Adam, could be hundreds, thousands, or millions of years! Adam and Eve were designed to stay separated, living in the Garden of Eden. Remember, female humans were already created on the sixth day, but Adam (separated from the ‘pack’) was alone and there was no helper found for him and that he was alone. Remember also that when Cain left Adam and Eve that we went and lived in the land of “Nod”, so there was already an established area (which had to be established by mankind [ descendants of man created on the sixth day]). The history of Adam and Eve go back 6 thousand years, historically traceable through well-kept Jewish records and even traceable through scripture (though it’s an exhausting job). Yet mankind, can be millions of years old. It all depends on the ‘gap’ between the seventh day of creation… and when God finally made Adam.
Mankind, was well-established by the time Cain left. In Genesis 6:1- 5 ‘men’ began to multiply on the face of the earth (as they were told to do on the sixth day of creation, but not Adam and Eve). Later, the ‘sons of God’ (descendants of Adam) saw the daughters of ‘men’ and made wives of them. What was the result of this? Complete wickedness; which led to the destruction of all mankind except Noah and his family.
Gen 6: 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
So who were these people, that God created, not having the breath of life, or souls, but were intelligent above animals? God’s word tells us man was created in Africa. So they were Africans. Adam and Eve, were set apart from the rest of man in the Garden of Eden, also in Africa, but history shows they became the foundation of the Jewish race. Our own science traces humankinds beginnings as being from Africa. But remember too, that ALL mankind everywhere was destroyed from the earth by the great flood. So, all mankind as we know it today comes from one family… Noah, and his sons and their wives. We are all related through Noah… even though it was not intended to be that way.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Don't They Know?
Don’t People Know?
I do not consider myself to be among the best or the brightest. Not trying to be humble or debase myself; just stating what I believe to be true. I do have an ability to reason, but probably no better than most people. I find myself having many questions about life and people and I do spend some time searching for answers to these questions. Sometimes I think I have found an answer to a question and that answer appears before me so clearly, as like something appearing before me out of a dense fog… only to disappear again into obscurity, leaving me wondering once more. Often I find answers that I’m quite satisfied with, some are very enlightening while others remain unsolved and perplexing. One of the things I’m currently trying to understand is how so many people can claim to be Christians when their words and actions are so contrary to Christianity. I’m having a hard time trying to solve this puzzle. I know that scripture says that ‘light was in the world’ and that man loved ‘darkness rather than light’ but this relates to unbelievers and those who reject the one true God of Israel. What about those who really believe they are Christians, yet walk in the works of darkness? All of them claim to love Jesus, yet the New Testament teaches that it is our obedience to Him that shows our love for Him (John 14:21). All of them claim to have salvation yet scripture teaches that Jesus is the author of salvation of those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Yet regardless of these scriptural statements and others much like them, I see people who claim to be Christian and walk in the disobedience of their own will. How can this be? Don’t they read their bibles that are written in plain English? I’ve seen people be self-sacrificing of themselves in some areas of Christianity while at the same time defending obvious sin in other areas of their lives. Don’t they know that their disobedience makes pointless their acts of goodness? And then, we all know people that ‘talk’ Christianity and live otherwise. Is that some kind of a game… what is that? I see people rightfully being outspoken against what is sin; and turn right around and live those same sins themselves. Are they blind? I have listened to people say very intelligent things about God’s word, seeming to grow deeper in understanding and claim to be a member in His kingdom and yet whenever they get angry or stressed their Christian composure flies right out the window. Don’t they know that it’s not in times of peace and contentment that our lights must shine the brightest but in times of darkness, hardship and spiritual warfare? I know people that are active in church and use every bit the foul language of their co-workers while at their jobs. Don’t they know that commitment and obedience to the Lord and His teaching is not just for church but must be 24 hours every day and 7 days each week? Don’t they read their bibles? Have they been so deceived and deluded by false doctrines that they are blind to scriptures that speak of holiness, righteousness and steadfastness? I have heard it said “most people just read what they already believe; instead of believing what they read.” When people read the bible, do they just discount what they don’t already believe or are not willing to accept? If this is so; then why read it at all? If the bible is read to search for truth, then why ignore those truths when they are found? This makes no sense to me. With all the scriptures pertaining to holiness, commitment, godliness, obedience, of a live lived that is pleasing to God and turning away to all things related to the kingdom of darkness; do some people think God is just kidding? When Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; why is it overlooked… even in churches? I don’t have answers; just questions. Puzzling questions. Are would-be Christians so deceived by the common and modern perversion of salvation by grace and faith that they feel so completely at ease with ignoring scripture that relates how they live? Do some people put more faith in what churches teach than what they do God’s own word to us? Regardless of the error of many church doctrines concerning grace and faith, when they stand before God on the Day of Judgment, haven’t people read what God’s criteria will be for that judgment?
Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13 - And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
I’m not condemning or censuring people, heaven knows God will do that soon enough, but these people are my co-workers, acquaintances and family members spread across the entire country and I really do care about them. Their lack of discernment makes me very sad. It puzzles me; how can people claim to be Christian, read God’s word, and live contrary to it’s teaching? I just don’t understand. I have no answers, but just maybe, even though many profess Christianity, they aren’t fully persuaded that God exists at all! Now, that might sound strange, but I ask you; if they really believed in the reality of God how could they possibly do those things that are contrary to His will? It only seems logical to me that if someone really believed in the reality of God and the truth of His word that to live contrary to Him would be utterly ridiculous! Perhaps disobedience and lack of commitment go hand in hand with unbelief. My wife says “people believe in God, but don’t believe God.” I suppose she’s right.
I do not consider myself to be among the best or the brightest. Not trying to be humble or debase myself; just stating what I believe to be true. I do have an ability to reason, but probably no better than most people. I find myself having many questions about life and people and I do spend some time searching for answers to these questions. Sometimes I think I have found an answer to a question and that answer appears before me so clearly, as like something appearing before me out of a dense fog… only to disappear again into obscurity, leaving me wondering once more. Often I find answers that I’m quite satisfied with, some are very enlightening while others remain unsolved and perplexing. One of the things I’m currently trying to understand is how so many people can claim to be Christians when their words and actions are so contrary to Christianity. I’m having a hard time trying to solve this puzzle. I know that scripture says that ‘light was in the world’ and that man loved ‘darkness rather than light’ but this relates to unbelievers and those who reject the one true God of Israel. What about those who really believe they are Christians, yet walk in the works of darkness? All of them claim to love Jesus, yet the New Testament teaches that it is our obedience to Him that shows our love for Him (John 14:21). All of them claim to have salvation yet scripture teaches that Jesus is the author of salvation of those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Yet regardless of these scriptural statements and others much like them, I see people who claim to be Christian and walk in the disobedience of their own will. How can this be? Don’t they read their bibles that are written in plain English? I’ve seen people be self-sacrificing of themselves in some areas of Christianity while at the same time defending obvious sin in other areas of their lives. Don’t they know that their disobedience makes pointless their acts of goodness? And then, we all know people that ‘talk’ Christianity and live otherwise. Is that some kind of a game… what is that? I see people rightfully being outspoken against what is sin; and turn right around and live those same sins themselves. Are they blind? I have listened to people say very intelligent things about God’s word, seeming to grow deeper in understanding and claim to be a member in His kingdom and yet whenever they get angry or stressed their Christian composure flies right out the window. Don’t they know that it’s not in times of peace and contentment that our lights must shine the brightest but in times of darkness, hardship and spiritual warfare? I know people that are active in church and use every bit the foul language of their co-workers while at their jobs. Don’t they know that commitment and obedience to the Lord and His teaching is not just for church but must be 24 hours every day and 7 days each week? Don’t they read their bibles? Have they been so deceived and deluded by false doctrines that they are blind to scriptures that speak of holiness, righteousness and steadfastness? I have heard it said “most people just read what they already believe; instead of believing what they read.” When people read the bible, do they just discount what they don’t already believe or are not willing to accept? If this is so; then why read it at all? If the bible is read to search for truth, then why ignore those truths when they are found? This makes no sense to me. With all the scriptures pertaining to holiness, commitment, godliness, obedience, of a live lived that is pleasing to God and turning away to all things related to the kingdom of darkness; do some people think God is just kidding? When Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; why is it overlooked… even in churches? I don’t have answers; just questions. Puzzling questions. Are would-be Christians so deceived by the common and modern perversion of salvation by grace and faith that they feel so completely at ease with ignoring scripture that relates how they live? Do some people put more faith in what churches teach than what they do God’s own word to us? Regardless of the error of many church doctrines concerning grace and faith, when they stand before God on the Day of Judgment, haven’t people read what God’s criteria will be for that judgment?
Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13 - And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
I’m not condemning or censuring people, heaven knows God will do that soon enough, but these people are my co-workers, acquaintances and family members spread across the entire country and I really do care about them. Their lack of discernment makes me very sad. It puzzles me; how can people claim to be Christian, read God’s word, and live contrary to it’s teaching? I just don’t understand. I have no answers, but just maybe, even though many profess Christianity, they aren’t fully persuaded that God exists at all! Now, that might sound strange, but I ask you; if they really believed in the reality of God how could they possibly do those things that are contrary to His will? It only seems logical to me that if someone really believed in the reality of God and the truth of His word that to live contrary to Him would be utterly ridiculous! Perhaps disobedience and lack of commitment go hand in hand with unbelief. My wife says “people believe in God, but don’t believe God.” I suppose she’s right.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Who is This Jesus
Who Is This Jesus?
In order for us to understand who Jesus was, and is, we have to go back to the Old Testament and learn some things about God himself as creator of all things. And before we go into the Old Testament to find out who Jesus is, we need to understand some things about God’s name.
God has a name but the word ‘name’ in the bible does not always refer to a proper (personal) name. Sometimes the word ‘name’ as used in scripture is defined as having the meaning of ‘authority’; like, ‘in the name of the law’ means ‘by the authority of the law.’ So the phrase “I come to you in the name of the Lord” means “by the authority of the Lord.” The word name in scripture is also used to mean ‘reputation’. A person who often commits crimes or is known for bad ethics or morals is said to have a ‘bad name.’ A person of good conduct who has a reputation for honesty and integrity is said to have a ‘good name.’ In scripture, the attributes of the nature of God that make up His character are also referred to as names, as in Exodus 34:14 that says; “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” But we know that ‘Jealous’ is not God’s proper name, not the personal name of God himself but of one of His attributes. Another use of the word name in scripture (also not referring to a proper name or actual name of which a being is called) is defined as a ‘title’; such as ‘father’.
‘Father’ is not a name; it’s a title. Likewise ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ are not names but titles. If I gave my daughter a thousand dollars to open up a checking account in my name, then the bank would ask her what that name was. If she said ‘father’ they would laugh at her. Father is not my name but it is my title. The word ‘father’ can also be used to relate to authority, just as ‘in the name of the law’ means ‘by the authority of the law’ so likewise does “I come to you in my father’s name” mean “I come to you by the authority of my father”. The name, or names of God are mention many times in scripture, but in many cases do not refer to his personal and proper name of the Being we call God. They refer to His position, His authority, His attributes, His reputation or militarily His rank (i.e., The Lord of Hosts). When studying scripture we would do well whenever it mentions the word ‘name’ that we would determine which usage of the word ‘name’ it’s referring to. There are books available that further clarify which meaning of the word ‘name’ is being used at the various scripture locations.
Two actual names ascribed to God are Jehovah and Yahweh. These names were man-made creations stemming from the four initials used to represent God’s name in the Old Testament. In the King James where the word LORD appears all in caps, you’ll find four Hebrew letters; YHWH. His name is YHWH. Some pronounce it “Jehovah”, but since there was no letter “J” in the Hebrew language, we call Him Yahweh. The terms ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ are synonymous and interchangeable with each other. These four letters are called the tetragrammaton, which is Greek for “four letters”. In Hebrew they’re pronounced yod, he, wah, he, which probably gave rise to the “Yahweh” we use today. Since Hebrew has no vowels early English language translators added an E, an O, and an A, (vowels they took from Elohim, a form of the Hebrew word meaning God and Adonai, Hebrew for Lord) to form the word Jehovah. Some Hebrew traditions claim that the four letters are God’s initials, standing for His real name that contains 72 syllables. It was forbidden to write or even speak God’s actual name except for once a year on Yom Kippur when it was spoken 7 times.
In order to understand who Jesus was and is, we have to understand who the Father is.
There is only one God, (synonymous with one Lord), in the entire universe. The Lord commanded the children of Israel to do many things in the wilderness, and He commanded them to teach certain things to their children, and their children’s children. They were to teach them these things so that they would never forget the Lord their God. The very first of these things that they were to be taught continually is the there is but ONE God. Deuteronomy 6:1-7 says;
“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his (singular) statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
(Note: in all scripture references I am going to point out everywhere that God is referred to as singular, denoting ONE God, and one God only in the universe. I will use bold print to do so).
Isaiah 45: 5-6 affirms the same view; “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and thee is none else.” Could it be any plainer than that? There is only one God in heaven, the Father, the Lord. Isaiah 45:18 declares that He is the creator, and no other; “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself (singular) that formed the earth and made it; he(singular) hath established it, he(singular) created it not in vain, he(singular) formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” Malachi 2:10 also tells us that there is but One God, our Father, our creator; “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?” Isaiah 43:3 says too, that the Lord thy God, is also the Saviour;
“For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:10-15 specifically declares beyond doubt, and God wanted His people to know, that there will never be another God. Not before Him or after Him. He is the only Saviour there is, there will never be another. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he (singular): before me (singular): there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I (singular):, even I (singular):, am the LORD; and beside me(singular): there is no saviour. I (singular): have declared, and have saved, and I (singular): have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I (singular): am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I (singular): am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”
What very explicit words! There was no God before Him, no God shall be formed after Him, and there is none beside Him! He alone is the Holy One of Israel, the redeemer, the Saviour. God Himself; the Father. Isaiah 12:2-6; “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for YHWH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
In Isaiah 12:2-6 says that YHWH Himself ‘is become’ my salvation; and this speaks of a future time. We know it speaks of a future time because of the wording in verse 4; “and in that day”. It also speaks of “this is known in all the earth” referring to the spread of the gospel in the New Testament era. And this salvation shall come because of “the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee” (speaking of the time of the ministry of Christ).
God is a Spirit
In John 4:24 it is written, “God is a Spirit.” As a Spirit, God Himself is invisible, but He takes on various physical forms on occasion to reveal Himself for specific purposes. He became a pillar of fire by night and a overshadowing cloud by day to the children of Israel in the desert. He became the fourth figure in the fiery furnace and in the form of a Dove as seen by John the Baptist. Isaiah 42:13 gives us a great revelation of prophecy when he declared that God, (and there’s only one) would one day come…as a man! “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” John 1:1-14 explains it this way; “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same (the Word) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him(God); and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He (God) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh (now we have the entrance of the man, Jesus Christ), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (The Word of God was given a physical life, a body to dwell in).
The coming of the God of heaven into the world in the form of a man was to be given and introduction. The Lord is King of Kings, and kings always receive an introduction. This introduction was prophesied in the old testament by the prophet Isaiah, who said there would a voice crying in the wilderness that make a path straight for a highway four God… Isaiah 40:3-5 says; “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” God Himself, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, the God who said there was no other God in heaven but Him nor was there any with Him and neither would there be another God after Him, was going to come in the form of a man. Malachi 3:1 speaks of John the Baptist when the Lord told Malachi; “Behold, I (Yahweh) will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me (God Himself): and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.” That ‘temple’ was the very body of the man Jesus Christ. Jesus himself referred to his body as a temple (John 2:19-21). John the Baptist testified of Jesus saying (John 1:32-33) “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew hin not” but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”
God is a Spirit, and that Spirit lived within the body of the man Jesus Christ, the begotten Son. The Father, the Creator, lived inside that fleshly body. The man Jesus was the temple, the temporal physical housing of an eternal God. Jesus was a willing vessel yielded to the will of the Father to be Gods voice and actions at that time. When people saw Jesus, they saw the human man, born of flesh, the begotten. But as the spokesperson in word and deed for God; his words and actions were that of God Himself. The man Jesus, was born… having a beginning; but the Spirit that empowered Him was eternal, from everlasting. When scripture says “…this day have I begotten thee” it means just that. 2 Corinthians 5:19 also explains that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Matthew 3:17 records; “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Notice God does not say “with whom I am well pleased, but in whom. You might ask, ‘why does that verse say a voice from heaven since God’s spirit was in Jesus’? The answer is that no one human body can contain the God of the universe. God can be everywhere, simultaneously.
Jesus understood prophecy from God’s word, but as a man did not always know what His Father would do next. Jesus did not lead the Spiri but rather, He let the Spirit of God lead Him. Jesus, in his humanity and as our example, received instruction from His Father through prayer. As the man of flesh he prayed for direction; just as Christians should do. “ Of myself I can do nothing. What I see the Father do, that I do.”
In John 14:7-10 Jesus was speaking to the people and he declares that the Father, the creator, YHWH… lived in him. He declared that the things He did were not done because of his own will or power but that it was the Father himself within him that was doing these things. In many instances the very words that Jesus spoke was not coming from his own making but that it was the Father speaking through him. Jesus became the voice and actions of and for the invisible God. John 14:7-10; “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
Jesus had a dual nature. He was a man, born of flesh and a human by birth; but Fathered by the One God of heaven instead of an earthly father. In His humanity He was as all men, and even though He was fathered by God, He did not begin his ministry until he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ is our example, and we are to be like Him, but there are two differences between Christ and his followers; Jesus was Fathered by God is one of those differences but the other difference is that Jesus received the infilling of the Holy Ghost ‘without measure’ whereas his followers receive ‘a measure.’ As a man, Jesus had his own will just like we do; but He yielded that will to the will of the Father. When Jesus spoke, sometimes he spoke his own words while at other times it was not his words at all but the Father of Creation speaking through him. Once we understand these things then scripture is so much easier to understand! Sometimes Jesus spoke as a man, sometimes his words were the words of the Father himself speaking through him.
We can see some of the differences of his human side and the Holy Spirit within him in some of these examples: As a man he increased in wisdom (Lk 2:52) but the Spirit in Him knew all things (Jn 21:17). As a man He grew hungry (Mt 4:2) but through the Father in Him He fed multitudes (Mt 14:19-21). As a man he was a servant (Phil 2:7) but the Spirit in Him was King of Kings (Rev 19:16). As a man, He died (Jn 19:30) But because of the Eternal Spirit within Him he arose from the dead (Lk 24:1-6). As a man, he wept over the death of Lazarus (Jn 11:32-37) but through the power of the Father he raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 38-44).
When Jesus told the Pharisees “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up again” it was not the man Jesus who was talking but was the Holy Spirit, the Father himself talking. The man, Jesus, is a separate being from God (the Father, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit … [whichever name you choose, they all apply to that one being]). The man Jesus was fathered by God, and is the Son of God. The term ‘Son’ refers to the flesh; the human man Jesus. Only the Father is the Father, and only the Son is the Son, and even though one cannot be the other, what we see in Jesus is one inside the other! What must be understood is the scripture of 2 Corinthians 5:19; “for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” In that Jesus often spoke the words the Holy Spirit gave Him to speak, and do those things (miracles) the Holy Spirit anointed Him to do, Jesus became the spokesperson for God. He was God’s representative on earth, his actions and words being those of the Father; and by those things we perceive God the Father himself. When Jesus spoke on his own, he spoke as a man. When we see the man Jesus, the Son of God, going through trials and tests, submitting his will in obedience to His father, displaying an inner character pleasing to his Father, then we see Him as our example of how our lives should likewise be lived. It is very important, if we are to have a better understanding of scripture, to know just who is speaking when Jesus spoke. Was it Jesus, speaking as a man, or was it the Holy Spirit speaking through Him? Knowing the difference unlocks the understanding of many verses in the New Testament. The Father was IN him. Residing IN the body of Christ. Jesus, being led by the Holy Spirit and obedient to the Holy Spirit, was a manifestation OF God. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads; “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” God can manifest himself in any way He chooses to, and God came to earth in the form of a man. Therefore that form, was God. The flesh was man… but the life, the being, was God. The flesh was the temple, but inside the temple was the Holy of Holies. His flesh, his humanity, was the sacrificial Lamb, but residing in him was the Lion of Judah! Colossians 1:15 refers to Jesus as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” Jesus was the incarnate of God in that God, the Father, lived, walked, talked and had his being within the man we see as Jesus the Christ, his Son. Just as when a person would go into the temple there would be the Holy of Holies (God) behind a veil;
so likewise when we see Jesus in the flesh, we see the Son of God; but when we see beyond the veil of that flesh then we see the One True God of all creation; our heavenly Father.
God knew that when He came to visit His people, (fulfilling the prophecy foretold in Isaiah that YHWH would go forth as a man), that most people would not recognize Him as God, because they would not see beyond the veil of flesh that was his Son. In Old Testament prophecy Zechariah 12:10b said of the future visitation and crucifixion, “…and they shall look upon me (the Father) whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him (Jesus), as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” John the Baptist knew, as all Israelites knew, that there is but one God, and that besides Him there is no saviour and never would be. John knew also the words recorded in Isaiah 35: 4-6 that OUR GOD shall come, and certain things would happen when He came; “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, YOUR GOD will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.” (and look at what will happen when He would come…) “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” So when John the Baptist, who already knew that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb, wanted to know if Jesus was the manifestation of “He that should come” (meaning God Himself), Jesus answered John this way, as recorded in Matthew 11:2-5; “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him,, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them”. To paraphrase, John was asking if Jesus was the One, The Messiah, The Holy One of Israel, The Mighty God Himself, who was to go forth as man; and Jesus responded by pointing out the works that He was doing, which were the fulfillment of Isaiah 35:4.
Jesus was a man by His flesh, but God Himself within that flesh. John 1:1 records it this way;
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same (the Word) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him(God); and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He (God) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh (now we have the entrance of the man, Jesus Christ), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (The Word of God was given a physical life, a body to dwell in).
Although the Word of God was with God (and WAS God) from the beginning of creation, the man Jesus never existed before his birth into the world. That’s why scripture says in numerous places, “this day have I begotten thee.”
As I stated earlier, it’s important to know who was speaking when Jesus spoke; Jesus as a man, or the Holy Spirit speaking through him. If we do not understand this then it opens the door to false doctrine. One of the false doctrines is the concept that there are two Gods (many even say three). Many think that the Father is one God and the Son is yet another; rather than understanding 2 Corinthians 5:19 that says “God was IN Christ” and was manifested IN him. Scripture clearly and repeatedly declares that there is but ONE God, and there are none beside, neither will be before Him or after Him. That this ONE God became our saviour who manifested Himself within Jesus.
When Philip said “show us the Father” and Jesus returned with “Have I been so long with you Philip and you still don’t know me?”; it was not the man Jesus who was speaking at that moment but was the Father Himself speaking. The concept of Jesus (the Son) being in heaven with the Father (at the creation or anytime, actually) before his appearance on earth probably comes from the prayer Jesus spoke in John 17:3-5;“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
But again, that was not the ‘man’ Jesus speaking of himself during that prayer but it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Him. Remember that in creation, God created the world by the power of His word. God spoke… and it came into being. God’s word, which was in the beginning, became flesh in Mary’s womb… not before then. The word was in the beginning with God; not the man. “With the Glory I had with thee from the beginning”; that was the Spirit of God, communing from within Jesus, to the eternal spirit. Isn’t that like God, praying to God? Of course it is, in the same exact way in which a Spirit-filled believer, while praying to God in the Spirit prays. It is the Spirit of God within the believer, praying to the Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit within you, praying to the Holy Spirit outside of you. There are many such times when Jesus spoke that it was not His words at all, but the Holy Spirit talking.
The man, the flesh and blood Jesus was the son of God; but the Spirit within that flesh was our heavenly Father, the creator of all. When scripture refers to the Son of God it refers to the man, not the Father within Him. Jesus was the Lamb, the blood sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. When scripture refers to Jesus as God; it refers to the presence, words and actions of the God of Israel within him, no longer the Lamb of God but instead the Lion of the tribe of Judah! Since God Himself is an invisible Spirit, it is only as Jesus that we can visualize a form when we speak of God. It is only when we look through our ‘spiritual eyes’ that when we look upon the flesh of Christ that we can both see and understand our heavenly Father who not only enabled Him, but spoke and did works through Him.
Thomas, one of the apostles of the Lord, walked with Jesus for three years. Thomas was taught by Him and saw His mighty works. Yet Thomas only recognized Him as the Son of God (a man of flesh). Thomas did not really know who Jesus was until Jesus had risen from the tomb and had appeared to Thomas in the upper room. It was then, that Thomas finally understood what was going on. Who Jesus was. It was then that Thomas could see beyond the flesh. John 20:28-29 says; “And Thomas answered and said unto him, ‘My Lord and my God’. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” What did Jesus mean by that? “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed”? Thomas knew already that Jesus was the son of God. Thomas knew already many things about Him, but not the knowledge of WHO JESUS REALLY WAS! This he did not know, until after Jesus had risen and Thomas gained the understanding he summed up by his exclamation “My Lord and my God!”
“Heaven is my throne” says the Lord. The throne is a place from which deity rules; the seat of power. The apostle John saw that throne in his revelation and wrote about it in Revelation 4:2 and he said; “And there was ONE that sat upon the throne.” If the Father and Son are separate, who sits upon the throne? Jesus? If so, then where’s the Father? Where’s the Holy One of Israel, YHWH who says he will never give His glory to another? But if the Father is on the throne, then where’s Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings?
The answer is just as while on earth, God was IN Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, so likewise in heaven Jesus will be on the throne but it will be the Father who reigns through Him.
Water, though ONE element can be in the form of water, as ice, or as steam. So likewise the Lord, YHWH, the Almighty God is manifest as the Father (in creation), as the Son (in redemption) and as the Holy Ghost as indwelling Spirit (bringing salvation). These three ARE ONE. Meaning; one and the same. A man can be a father, a son, and also a husband, but he is still just ONE man. The very same is true with God. He manifested Himself in different ways (as His creation had need of Him), but He is still just ONE God. One being. The doctrine of “God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost” implies three separate beings (three Gods) and has no scriptural backing or foundation. Jesus was the son of God, never God the son. The common song called the “doxology” declares ‘God in three persons’ but the ONLY personage of God that ever existed was in the form of Jesus Christ. The ‘trinity’ and Trinitarian concept are totally contrary to the Holy Scriptures and were unheard of until 300 AD and to this very day Trinitarians are viewed as Polytheists and idolaters (those who worship multiple Gods) by those who have an understanding of God that goes back thousands of years, when God Himself declared;
“I am the Lord, there is none else. There is no God beside me. I am the Lord, beside me there is no Saviour. I am the first, and the last and beside me there is no God. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God is ONE LORD.
In order for us to understand who Jesus was, and is, we have to go back to the Old Testament and learn some things about God himself as creator of all things. And before we go into the Old Testament to find out who Jesus is, we need to understand some things about God’s name.
God has a name but the word ‘name’ in the bible does not always refer to a proper (personal) name. Sometimes the word ‘name’ as used in scripture is defined as having the meaning of ‘authority’; like, ‘in the name of the law’ means ‘by the authority of the law.’ So the phrase “I come to you in the name of the Lord” means “by the authority of the Lord.” The word name in scripture is also used to mean ‘reputation’. A person who often commits crimes or is known for bad ethics or morals is said to have a ‘bad name.’ A person of good conduct who has a reputation for honesty and integrity is said to have a ‘good name.’ In scripture, the attributes of the nature of God that make up His character are also referred to as names, as in Exodus 34:14 that says; “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” But we know that ‘Jealous’ is not God’s proper name, not the personal name of God himself but of one of His attributes. Another use of the word name in scripture (also not referring to a proper name or actual name of which a being is called) is defined as a ‘title’; such as ‘father’.
‘Father’ is not a name; it’s a title. Likewise ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ are not names but titles. If I gave my daughter a thousand dollars to open up a checking account in my name, then the bank would ask her what that name was. If she said ‘father’ they would laugh at her. Father is not my name but it is my title. The word ‘father’ can also be used to relate to authority, just as ‘in the name of the law’ means ‘by the authority of the law’ so likewise does “I come to you in my father’s name” mean “I come to you by the authority of my father”. The name, or names of God are mention many times in scripture, but in many cases do not refer to his personal and proper name of the Being we call God. They refer to His position, His authority, His attributes, His reputation or militarily His rank (i.e., The Lord of Hosts). When studying scripture we would do well whenever it mentions the word ‘name’ that we would determine which usage of the word ‘name’ it’s referring to. There are books available that further clarify which meaning of the word ‘name’ is being used at the various scripture locations.
Two actual names ascribed to God are Jehovah and Yahweh. These names were man-made creations stemming from the four initials used to represent God’s name in the Old Testament. In the King James where the word LORD appears all in caps, you’ll find four Hebrew letters; YHWH. His name is YHWH. Some pronounce it “Jehovah”, but since there was no letter “J” in the Hebrew language, we call Him Yahweh. The terms ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ are synonymous and interchangeable with each other. These four letters are called the tetragrammaton, which is Greek for “four letters”. In Hebrew they’re pronounced yod, he, wah, he, which probably gave rise to the “Yahweh” we use today. Since Hebrew has no vowels early English language translators added an E, an O, and an A, (vowels they took from Elohim, a form of the Hebrew word meaning God and Adonai, Hebrew for Lord) to form the word Jehovah. Some Hebrew traditions claim that the four letters are God’s initials, standing for His real name that contains 72 syllables. It was forbidden to write or even speak God’s actual name except for once a year on Yom Kippur when it was spoken 7 times.
In order to understand who Jesus was and is, we have to understand who the Father is.
There is only one God, (synonymous with one Lord), in the entire universe. The Lord commanded the children of Israel to do many things in the wilderness, and He commanded them to teach certain things to their children, and their children’s children. They were to teach them these things so that they would never forget the Lord their God. The very first of these things that they were to be taught continually is the there is but ONE God. Deuteronomy 6:1-7 says;
“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his (singular) statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
(Note: in all scripture references I am going to point out everywhere that God is referred to as singular, denoting ONE God, and one God only in the universe. I will use bold print to do so).
Isaiah 45: 5-6 affirms the same view; “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and thee is none else.” Could it be any plainer than that? There is only one God in heaven, the Father, the Lord. Isaiah 45:18 declares that He is the creator, and no other; “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself (singular) that formed the earth and made it; he(singular) hath established it, he(singular) created it not in vain, he(singular) formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” Malachi 2:10 also tells us that there is but One God, our Father, our creator; “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?” Isaiah 43:3 says too, that the Lord thy God, is also the Saviour;
“For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:10-15 specifically declares beyond doubt, and God wanted His people to know, that there will never be another God. Not before Him or after Him. He is the only Saviour there is, there will never be another. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he (singular): before me (singular): there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I (singular):, even I (singular):, am the LORD; and beside me(singular): there is no saviour. I (singular): have declared, and have saved, and I (singular): have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I (singular): am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I (singular): am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”
What very explicit words! There was no God before Him, no God shall be formed after Him, and there is none beside Him! He alone is the Holy One of Israel, the redeemer, the Saviour. God Himself; the Father. Isaiah 12:2-6; “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for YHWH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
In Isaiah 12:2-6 says that YHWH Himself ‘is become’ my salvation; and this speaks of a future time. We know it speaks of a future time because of the wording in verse 4; “and in that day”. It also speaks of “this is known in all the earth” referring to the spread of the gospel in the New Testament era. And this salvation shall come because of “the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee” (speaking of the time of the ministry of Christ).
God is a Spirit
In John 4:24 it is written, “God is a Spirit.” As a Spirit, God Himself is invisible, but He takes on various physical forms on occasion to reveal Himself for specific purposes. He became a pillar of fire by night and a overshadowing cloud by day to the children of Israel in the desert. He became the fourth figure in the fiery furnace and in the form of a Dove as seen by John the Baptist. Isaiah 42:13 gives us a great revelation of prophecy when he declared that God, (and there’s only one) would one day come…as a man! “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” John 1:1-14 explains it this way; “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same (the Word) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him(God); and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He (God) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh (now we have the entrance of the man, Jesus Christ), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (The Word of God was given a physical life, a body to dwell in).
The coming of the God of heaven into the world in the form of a man was to be given and introduction. The Lord is King of Kings, and kings always receive an introduction. This introduction was prophesied in the old testament by the prophet Isaiah, who said there would a voice crying in the wilderness that make a path straight for a highway four God… Isaiah 40:3-5 says; “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” God Himself, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, the God who said there was no other God in heaven but Him nor was there any with Him and neither would there be another God after Him, was going to come in the form of a man. Malachi 3:1 speaks of John the Baptist when the Lord told Malachi; “Behold, I (Yahweh) will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me (God Himself): and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.” That ‘temple’ was the very body of the man Jesus Christ. Jesus himself referred to his body as a temple (John 2:19-21). John the Baptist testified of Jesus saying (John 1:32-33) “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew hin not” but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”
God is a Spirit, and that Spirit lived within the body of the man Jesus Christ, the begotten Son. The Father, the Creator, lived inside that fleshly body. The man Jesus was the temple, the temporal physical housing of an eternal God. Jesus was a willing vessel yielded to the will of the Father to be Gods voice and actions at that time. When people saw Jesus, they saw the human man, born of flesh, the begotten. But as the spokesperson in word and deed for God; his words and actions were that of God Himself. The man Jesus, was born… having a beginning; but the Spirit that empowered Him was eternal, from everlasting. When scripture says “…this day have I begotten thee” it means just that. 2 Corinthians 5:19 also explains that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Matthew 3:17 records; “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Notice God does not say “with whom I am well pleased, but in whom. You might ask, ‘why does that verse say a voice from heaven since God’s spirit was in Jesus’? The answer is that no one human body can contain the God of the universe. God can be everywhere, simultaneously.
Jesus understood prophecy from God’s word, but as a man did not always know what His Father would do next. Jesus did not lead the Spiri but rather, He let the Spirit of God lead Him. Jesus, in his humanity and as our example, received instruction from His Father through prayer. As the man of flesh he prayed for direction; just as Christians should do. “ Of myself I can do nothing. What I see the Father do, that I do.”
In John 14:7-10 Jesus was speaking to the people and he declares that the Father, the creator, YHWH… lived in him. He declared that the things He did were not done because of his own will or power but that it was the Father himself within him that was doing these things. In many instances the very words that Jesus spoke was not coming from his own making but that it was the Father speaking through him. Jesus became the voice and actions of and for the invisible God. John 14:7-10; “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
Jesus had a dual nature. He was a man, born of flesh and a human by birth; but Fathered by the One God of heaven instead of an earthly father. In His humanity He was as all men, and even though He was fathered by God, He did not begin his ministry until he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ is our example, and we are to be like Him, but there are two differences between Christ and his followers; Jesus was Fathered by God is one of those differences but the other difference is that Jesus received the infilling of the Holy Ghost ‘without measure’ whereas his followers receive ‘a measure.’ As a man, Jesus had his own will just like we do; but He yielded that will to the will of the Father. When Jesus spoke, sometimes he spoke his own words while at other times it was not his words at all but the Father of Creation speaking through him. Once we understand these things then scripture is so much easier to understand! Sometimes Jesus spoke as a man, sometimes his words were the words of the Father himself speaking through him.
We can see some of the differences of his human side and the Holy Spirit within him in some of these examples: As a man he increased in wisdom (Lk 2:52) but the Spirit in Him knew all things (Jn 21:17). As a man He grew hungry (Mt 4:2) but through the Father in Him He fed multitudes (Mt 14:19-21). As a man he was a servant (Phil 2:7) but the Spirit in Him was King of Kings (Rev 19:16). As a man, He died (Jn 19:30) But because of the Eternal Spirit within Him he arose from the dead (Lk 24:1-6). As a man, he wept over the death of Lazarus (Jn 11:32-37) but through the power of the Father he raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 38-44).
When Jesus told the Pharisees “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up again” it was not the man Jesus who was talking but was the Holy Spirit, the Father himself talking. The man, Jesus, is a separate being from God (the Father, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit … [whichever name you choose, they all apply to that one being]). The man Jesus was fathered by God, and is the Son of God. The term ‘Son’ refers to the flesh; the human man Jesus. Only the Father is the Father, and only the Son is the Son, and even though one cannot be the other, what we see in Jesus is one inside the other! What must be understood is the scripture of 2 Corinthians 5:19; “for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” In that Jesus often spoke the words the Holy Spirit gave Him to speak, and do those things (miracles) the Holy Spirit anointed Him to do, Jesus became the spokesperson for God. He was God’s representative on earth, his actions and words being those of the Father; and by those things we perceive God the Father himself. When Jesus spoke on his own, he spoke as a man. When we see the man Jesus, the Son of God, going through trials and tests, submitting his will in obedience to His father, displaying an inner character pleasing to his Father, then we see Him as our example of how our lives should likewise be lived. It is very important, if we are to have a better understanding of scripture, to know just who is speaking when Jesus spoke. Was it Jesus, speaking as a man, or was it the Holy Spirit speaking through Him? Knowing the difference unlocks the understanding of many verses in the New Testament. The Father was IN him. Residing IN the body of Christ. Jesus, being led by the Holy Spirit and obedient to the Holy Spirit, was a manifestation OF God. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads; “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” God can manifest himself in any way He chooses to, and God came to earth in the form of a man. Therefore that form, was God. The flesh was man… but the life, the being, was God. The flesh was the temple, but inside the temple was the Holy of Holies. His flesh, his humanity, was the sacrificial Lamb, but residing in him was the Lion of Judah! Colossians 1:15 refers to Jesus as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” Jesus was the incarnate of God in that God, the Father, lived, walked, talked and had his being within the man we see as Jesus the Christ, his Son. Just as when a person would go into the temple there would be the Holy of Holies (God) behind a veil;
so likewise when we see Jesus in the flesh, we see the Son of God; but when we see beyond the veil of that flesh then we see the One True God of all creation; our heavenly Father.
God knew that when He came to visit His people, (fulfilling the prophecy foretold in Isaiah that YHWH would go forth as a man), that most people would not recognize Him as God, because they would not see beyond the veil of flesh that was his Son. In Old Testament prophecy Zechariah 12:10b said of the future visitation and crucifixion, “…and they shall look upon me (the Father) whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him (Jesus), as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” John the Baptist knew, as all Israelites knew, that there is but one God, and that besides Him there is no saviour and never would be. John knew also the words recorded in Isaiah 35: 4-6 that OUR GOD shall come, and certain things would happen when He came; “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, YOUR GOD will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.” (and look at what will happen when He would come…) “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” So when John the Baptist, who already knew that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb, wanted to know if Jesus was the manifestation of “He that should come” (meaning God Himself), Jesus answered John this way, as recorded in Matthew 11:2-5; “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him,, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them”. To paraphrase, John was asking if Jesus was the One, The Messiah, The Holy One of Israel, The Mighty God Himself, who was to go forth as man; and Jesus responded by pointing out the works that He was doing, which were the fulfillment of Isaiah 35:4.
Jesus was a man by His flesh, but God Himself within that flesh. John 1:1 records it this way;
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same (the Word) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him(God); and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He (God) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh (now we have the entrance of the man, Jesus Christ), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (The Word of God was given a physical life, a body to dwell in).
Although the Word of God was with God (and WAS God) from the beginning of creation, the man Jesus never existed before his birth into the world. That’s why scripture says in numerous places, “this day have I begotten thee.”
As I stated earlier, it’s important to know who was speaking when Jesus spoke; Jesus as a man, or the Holy Spirit speaking through him. If we do not understand this then it opens the door to false doctrine. One of the false doctrines is the concept that there are two Gods (many even say three). Many think that the Father is one God and the Son is yet another; rather than understanding 2 Corinthians 5:19 that says “God was IN Christ” and was manifested IN him. Scripture clearly and repeatedly declares that there is but ONE God, and there are none beside, neither will be before Him or after Him. That this ONE God became our saviour who manifested Himself within Jesus.
When Philip said “show us the Father” and Jesus returned with “Have I been so long with you Philip and you still don’t know me?”; it was not the man Jesus who was speaking at that moment but was the Father Himself speaking. The concept of Jesus (the Son) being in heaven with the Father (at the creation or anytime, actually) before his appearance on earth probably comes from the prayer Jesus spoke in John 17:3-5;“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
But again, that was not the ‘man’ Jesus speaking of himself during that prayer but it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Him. Remember that in creation, God created the world by the power of His word. God spoke… and it came into being. God’s word, which was in the beginning, became flesh in Mary’s womb… not before then. The word was in the beginning with God; not the man. “With the Glory I had with thee from the beginning”; that was the Spirit of God, communing from within Jesus, to the eternal spirit. Isn’t that like God, praying to God? Of course it is, in the same exact way in which a Spirit-filled believer, while praying to God in the Spirit prays. It is the Spirit of God within the believer, praying to the Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit within you, praying to the Holy Spirit outside of you. There are many such times when Jesus spoke that it was not His words at all, but the Holy Spirit talking.
The man, the flesh and blood Jesus was the son of God; but the Spirit within that flesh was our heavenly Father, the creator of all. When scripture refers to the Son of God it refers to the man, not the Father within Him. Jesus was the Lamb, the blood sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. When scripture refers to Jesus as God; it refers to the presence, words and actions of the God of Israel within him, no longer the Lamb of God but instead the Lion of the tribe of Judah! Since God Himself is an invisible Spirit, it is only as Jesus that we can visualize a form when we speak of God. It is only when we look through our ‘spiritual eyes’ that when we look upon the flesh of Christ that we can both see and understand our heavenly Father who not only enabled Him, but spoke and did works through Him.
Thomas, one of the apostles of the Lord, walked with Jesus for three years. Thomas was taught by Him and saw His mighty works. Yet Thomas only recognized Him as the Son of God (a man of flesh). Thomas did not really know who Jesus was until Jesus had risen from the tomb and had appeared to Thomas in the upper room. It was then, that Thomas finally understood what was going on. Who Jesus was. It was then that Thomas could see beyond the flesh. John 20:28-29 says; “And Thomas answered and said unto him, ‘My Lord and my God’. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” What did Jesus mean by that? “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed”? Thomas knew already that Jesus was the son of God. Thomas knew already many things about Him, but not the knowledge of WHO JESUS REALLY WAS! This he did not know, until after Jesus had risen and Thomas gained the understanding he summed up by his exclamation “My Lord and my God!”
“Heaven is my throne” says the Lord. The throne is a place from which deity rules; the seat of power. The apostle John saw that throne in his revelation and wrote about it in Revelation 4:2 and he said; “And there was ONE that sat upon the throne.” If the Father and Son are separate, who sits upon the throne? Jesus? If so, then where’s the Father? Where’s the Holy One of Israel, YHWH who says he will never give His glory to another? But if the Father is on the throne, then where’s Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings?
The answer is just as while on earth, God was IN Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, so likewise in heaven Jesus will be on the throne but it will be the Father who reigns through Him.
Water, though ONE element can be in the form of water, as ice, or as steam. So likewise the Lord, YHWH, the Almighty God is manifest as the Father (in creation), as the Son (in redemption) and as the Holy Ghost as indwelling Spirit (bringing salvation). These three ARE ONE. Meaning; one and the same. A man can be a father, a son, and also a husband, but he is still just ONE man. The very same is true with God. He manifested Himself in different ways (as His creation had need of Him), but He is still just ONE God. One being. The doctrine of “God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost” implies three separate beings (three Gods) and has no scriptural backing or foundation. Jesus was the son of God, never God the son. The common song called the “doxology” declares ‘God in three persons’ but the ONLY personage of God that ever existed was in the form of Jesus Christ. The ‘trinity’ and Trinitarian concept are totally contrary to the Holy Scriptures and were unheard of until 300 AD and to this very day Trinitarians are viewed as Polytheists and idolaters (those who worship multiple Gods) by those who have an understanding of God that goes back thousands of years, when God Himself declared;
“I am the Lord, there is none else. There is no God beside me. I am the Lord, beside me there is no Saviour. I am the first, and the last and beside me there is no God. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God is ONE LORD.
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