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This is a very vast field. Perhaps we can zero in on 7 facts or steps that might be beneficial to you: 1. Recognize that God loves you with an immense love and desires to save you. 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Peter 2:3-5. 2. Acknowledge that you are a sinner, lost without Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 17:9; Roman 3:23; 6:23. 3. Accept that salvation is a gift offered freely through Jesus. It is not something to be "earned" by righteous deeds or good works. Ephesians 2:8; Romans. 3:24-27. 4. Repent of any known sins, confessing them to Jesus. Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9. 5. Believe that God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. As you surrender your life to Jesus, you are forgiven and accepted. The gift of eternal life is yours by faith. Ephesians 1:4-7; 1 John 5:11-13. 6. Through Christ, we are adopted as God's sons and daugthers, and delievered from being slaves of sin. By the Holy Spirit we are born again, and Christ begins to work miraculous changes in your life; the Spirit renews our mind, writes God's law of love in our hearts, and gives the power to live a holy life. John 1:12; 2 Corinthians. 5:17, John 3:3-8, Romans 12:2, Hebrews 8:7-1, Ezekiel 36:25-27 7. Our loving Savior has pledged to guide us from earth to heaven. You may fall, but remember He is there to pick you up and get you started on the road to heaven again. |
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When the release of Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ hit theaters, it turned the world's eye to a real event that occurred over 2,000 years ago. Some today are now asking how such violence could be an expression of love on the part of a compassionate God. Even though the brutality of the cross was indeed real, one must ask if Hollywood is better at depicting violence than it is at explaining Divine compassion. Is it possible that this movie may have focused more on the shadow of the cross than the sunlight of the cross? Could it have exaggerated a true and ugly focal point in a story that is much larger and much more beautiful? In the Bible the cross is at the center of a cosmic struggle between good and evil, between the forces of darkness and light. The Bible has more to say about the freedom, joy, and happiness brought about by the cross than it does about the letting of blood. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses, of the pain which any departure from perfect happiness causes to the heart of God. The Bible says "...and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10). Here God uses the tender compassion that fathers and mothers feel for their firstborn child to depict the tragedy of sin. God also used the sacrifice of lambs in the Bible to demonstrate how sin hurts the innocent. The Bible says of Christ "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). Many are rightly sensitive to cruelty to animals. Some are appalled that God would allow people to sacrifice animals. In times past God used the display of love for animals as a vivid illustration of how sin crushes the innocent. Today we have little sense of the tragedy of sin. Sometimes it is easier for fallen humans to hate cruelty to animals while practicing cruelty to God. Why did Jesus have to die in order for human beings to be saved? A part of the answer lies in the fact that a just and perfect God could not simply sweep sin under the carpet and go on running a perfect universe. God must deal with the injustice of sin. Suppose a criminal should come before a judge and that judge would simply excuse a crime of murder, rape, or theft simply because the judge loved the criminal. What would society think of such a judge? The Bible says: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right" (Genesis 19:25). Selfishness has a natural consequence that eventually results in death to the innocent (Rom. 6:23). Jesus, the Judge, assumed the consequence of sin on the part of man, rather than inflict death upon the sinner. That consequence was death. How does Jesus' death save us? Martin Luther said that as God, He could not die, so He became man in order to die. On the cross, he accepted the sin of man against Himself. As a perfectly innocent man he accepted the injustice of man against man. The death of Christ accomplishes reconciliation, or reconnecting us back to God. Romans 3:25 says, "...whom God set forth as a propitiation" for our sins. "Propitiation" literally means "something that appeases a deity." However, in the Biblical sense it means much more than this. It can mean to "accept hurt", to "forgive", to "show mercy." As sinners we transgress God's perfect law and have no legal right to exist. But God himself who sits as Judge accepts the hurt, pays the price, forgives, and offers mercy. If a husband should say a harsh word against his wife, and the wife does not retaliate, but lets the word fall upon her heart and crush her spirit; if she forgives and treats her husband as though he had offered only words of praise she pays the price of his sin against her. It is this way that God pays the price of our salvation. The Bible does not say that Jesus paid a propitiation, but that He is a propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25, 1 John 2:2; 4:10). This means that He, being God, bears the hurt in order to give mercy and forgiveness. The Bible has many other ways to show how God Himself bears our sinfulness in order to bring us back into fellowship with Him. The story of the prodigal son is one example (Luke 15:11-32). In this story, the father representing our Heavenly Father, accepted the son back into his home and heart even though the son had taken things that could not be restored. This is what God is like. The cross speaks to mankind for all time. It is graphic enough to reach the most hardened criminal, as well as the most sensitive humanist. Christianity not only acknowledges the cruelty to God in the cross, but dwells on the reconciliation that was won by the cross. The Bible says: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10). Christianity focuses on the loving favor God bestowed upon each one who receives the salvation of the cross. The Bible says: "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). This means that peace with God, eternal life, and a glorious future are ours through the sacrifice of Jesus. We may never fully understand it, but we experience the peace, love, and joy that flow from the cross. Why did Jesus need to die in order to forgive us? There is another reason which is often overlooked. Satan tried to use God's perfect righteousness as a reason why God should not save sinners. Satan accused God of being a self-serving Judge, saving man for God's own benefit. Thus it was necessary for Jesus to die in order to answer this question before the entire universe (Rev. 12:10, 5:9, 12). This accusation of Satan was cast down at the cross, when Jesus demonstrated to the universe that He, a member of the Godhead, was perfectly unselfish, even unto death. The unfallen beings of the universe could see that God did indeed become flesh and that Jesus tasted of eternal death. He died under the condemnation of our sins. The Bible says "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, "Cursed is every one who hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13). This curse was recognized to be eternal loss. When Jesus accepted the consequence of our sin against Himself, He could not see beyond the portals of the tomb. He said: "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matthew 26:38) and "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34). He was fully conscious that He was God, yet existing as man He was willing to accept the hostility of sin against himself and die rather than treat sinful mankind as they deserve. What greater argument could be set forth to demonstrate unselfishness? This gives a perfect God a perfect right to save sinners. Sinners may receive this justification and become safe to save (Romans 5:17)! Repentance comes as we see how our sins treated Christ (Acts 5:31). When we confess our sins and ask Him to remove sin from our lives, He will give us power to become safe to save (1 John 1:9, John 3, 1 John 3:9). As we receive this salvation we will seek forgiveness from those we have wronged and live a life of love by His power. |
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There are many running theories about dinosaurs and their relation to Bible. A general understanding of the most popular range from: 1. Dinosaurs are merely made up to support the theory of evolution. 2. Dinosaurs were animals that had become corrupted, weren't taken into the ark, and died in the flood. 3. Dinosaurs were created by God, possibly even taken onto the ark, but died thereafter. Those who have collected dinosaur remains in the Midwest plains of Canada and the United States or in the Colorado Plateau region have no lingering doubt concerning their reality. Thousands of specimens have been found and excavated, thereby debunking Theory 1. However, simply because we acknowledge the existence of dinosaurs does not mean we must accept that it took millions of years for their appearance/disappearance. Theory 2 comes from those who see the dinosaur bones, but feel there is no direct Biblical supporting evidence for their creation. Theory 3, is one that is rather plausible and even supported by Scripture. Would God have created dinosaurs? Why is there no mention of them in Creation? In Creation, there are many creatures that were not mentioned by name that do exist. When thinking of dinosaurs, most first thoughts are of gargantuan, ferocious lizards. It makes it hard to believe that God would create something so monstrous for the Garden of Eden. Actually, the fossil remains indicate that they were indeed a highly diversified group, ranging in size from that of a rabbit to tremendous beasts 20 feet high, 85 feet long, and weighing up to 50 tons. It appears that some were relatively light-footed and had bipedal locomotion, while others were quadrupedal and moved about in a slow and cumbersome manner. Some were carnivores and others herbivores. Certain types were well suited for aquatic habitat while others remained on land. However, overall most dinosuars were relatively the size of humans. Not only that, something to be considered is that humans at the time of Adam up until Noah lived hundreds of years. Adam died at 930 years, Methuselah died at 969, Noah lived 950 years. With such longevitity, isn't only logical to believe that mankind grew larger and taller? True, it might not be the size of a 20-foot dinosaur, but perhaps proportional to how one experiences the grandiose size of a blue whale compared to the modern average human. What about the large ferocious teeth? How would a "T-Rex" fit into the picture of paradise? If one can imagine a lion in heaven eating grass like a cow, perhaps a Tyrannosaurs Rex in the Garden of Eden is no longer a stretch of the imagination. Isaiah 11:6-7 shares this picture of heaven: " The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. " Predators of our world today were not predators at the start of Creation. Lions used to eat straw and wolves didn't eat lambs. It was not until sin came in and corrupted animals, bringing in death, predation, and "survival of the fittest." Is it also possible that dinosaurs once were peaceful creatures? Now that we can say there is the possibility for God to have created dinosaurs, are dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? There has been much discussion on the topic specifically involving verses in Job 40-41. Job is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible. Scholars in studying Job's longevity (he lived up to 140 years), descriptions of his wealth and household believe he was most likely alive after the time of Noah, but before the time of Abraham. Job 40:15-24 speaks of a "behemoth." No one is really sure what it is, but read its description. 15 "Look now at the behemoth,which I made along with you; he eats grass like an ox. 16 See now, his strength is in his hips, and his power is in his stomach muscles. 17 He moves his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18 His bones are like beams of bronze, his ribs like bars of iron. 19 He is the first of the ways of God; only He who made him can bring near His sword. 20 Surely the mountains yield food for him, and all the beasts of the field play there. 21 He lies under the lotus trees, in a covert of reeds and marsh. 22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade; the willows by the brook surround him. 23 Indeed the river may rage, yet he is not disturbed; he is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, 24 Though he takes it in his eyes, or one pierces his nose with a snare." The way the "behemoth" is described, doesn't it almost sound like a dinosaur? Perhaps one of the sauropods? Some will argue these verses are referring to the hippopotamus or elephant. However, they run into the problem of explaning vs 17, since the tails of both animals are...well, far from looking like a cedar tree (let along moving like one). Their tails more resemble switches. In Job 41:1-2,7,12-32, the "Leviathan" is another creature described that has been hard to find a modern equivalent. 1"Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? 2 Can you put a reed through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook?... 7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears?... 12 "I will not conceal his limbs, his mighty power, or his graceful proportions. 13 Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? 14 Who can open the doors of his face, with his terrible teeth all around? 15 His rows of scales are his pride, shut up tightly as with a seal; 16 One is so near another that no air can come between them; 17 They are joined one to another, they stick together and cannot be parted. 18 His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19 Out of his mouth go burning lights; sparks of fire shoot out. 20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 21 His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth. 22 Strength dwells in his neck, and sorrow dances before him. 23 The folds of his flesh are joined together; they are firm on him and cannot be moved. 24 His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as the lower millstone. 25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; because of his crashings they are beside themselves. 26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; nor does spear, dart, or javelin. 27 He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. 28 The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones become like stubble to him. 29Darts are regarded as straw; he laughs at the threat of javelins. 30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds; he spreads pointed marks in the mire. 31 He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. 32 He leaves a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair. Some have translated the Leviathan to be a "crocodile," because of the large number currently present in the region. However, the crocodile pales in comparison to the description given to the Leviathan. Do crocodiles really raise themselves? Aren't the underbellies of crocodiles smooth rather than "sharp potsherds?" Does the crocodile really move fast enough and graceful enough to leave a "shining wake"? Other verses also mention the Leviathan the Bible furthering the concept that dinosaurs were alive with humans: Psalms 74:14, 104:25-26, Is 27:1. Why are dinosaurs not alive today? The sudden extinction of the dinosaurs, as shown by the geological record, is a mystery that evolutionary paleontologists have considerable difficulty explaining. What happened to wipe out the dinosaurs so quickly? A change of temperature? A change in the plants? Blasts of heat from a meteor? Mammals eating dinosaur eggs? A change in oxygen concentration? Over-specialization? Senility? All these have been offered as explanations by evolutionary scientists. The dominant theory at present is that a large object from space hit Earth and blasted up so much dust that the sun was obscured for months. Plants and animals died. However there are problems with this theory. If this happened, why was the extinction selective? Why did some plants and animals, including some more fragile than dinosaurs, not become extinct? From a biblical perspective, the most likely explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs is the worldwide Flood described in Genesis 6 and 7. Soon after the flood mankind began to rapidly decrease in size, and in length of years. There was a class of very large animals which perished at the flood. God knew that the strength of man would decrease, and these mammoth animals could not be controlled by feeble man. Ironically enough, by trusting the Bible, Christians have no need to "explain away" dinosaurs and do mental gymnastics to try and disprove their existence. The Bible even leaves the door open for Christians to discover dinosaurs alive today. Should a dinosaur ever be discovered today roaming around deep in some jungle, it would not really affect our understanding of the Bible or our faith. On the other hand for evolutionists - or those of the belief of creation and dinosaurs evolved and lived millions of years ago - would have to restructure their entire system if a dinosaur appeared alive on the today's scene. |
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Both evolutionists and creationists use evidence to support their theories, but when dealing with pre-history, it is difficult to come up with "proofs." No one was present as observer when life began, and neither model of origins can be reproduced in laboratory experiments. There is much evidence that Creation is a correct understanding of origins, but the belief that Creation took place in six literal days is based primarily on Scripture. Here are some evidence from Scripture to support this view: 1. The Hebrew word for day, yom, as in English, is used both for a literal, twenty-four-hour day and also for an indefinite period of time, such as in the expression "For the day of the Lord is at hand” (Joel 1:15). However, the word, yom, always means a twenty-four-hour literal day when it is used with a numeral—day one, day two, first day, second day, etc. There are no exceptions to this rule. In the Genesis Creation account, yom is used with a numeral, indicating that it intends the reader to understand that these are literal days of twenty-four hours. 2. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God supplied food—manna—every morning. They were to gather only enough for one day’s use. Anything more than that would spoil by the next morning. However, on Friday, they were to gather twice the usual amount of manna, because none would be available Sabbath (Saturday) morning. When they gathered extra manna on Friday for use on Saturday, the extra manna did not spoil (see Exodus 16:11-26). This illustrates that the weekly Sabbath, marking each cycle of seven literal days, continued to be a memorial of Creation week. Thus the weekly cycle is evidence that the days of Creation were literal days of twenty-four hours. 3. As a unit of time, the week has no basis in the natural movements of earth, moon, or sun as do the day, the month, and the year. Other than the week of creation as described in Genesis, there seems to be no basis for the week as a unit of time. This, too, argues that the Creation week in Genesis was a week of seven literal days. 4. God set aside the seventh day of Creation week as a holy rest day. The Israelites kept the Sabbath in the wilderness and continued to observe in the time of Christ (see Luke 4:16; 23:55, 56) and in the time of Paul (see Acts 17:2). Orthodox Jews continue to observe the seventh-day Sabbath even today. The changes made to the calendar from time to time through the centuries has not affected the weekly cycle of seven days. The integrity of the weekly cycle continues and is an evidence for Creation week being composed of seven literal days. 5. The view that each day of the Genesis Creation account is actually an extremely long period of time—rather than literal days of twenty-four hours—causes problems. For example, Genesis says that plants were created on the third day (see Genesis 1:11-13) and that sunlight was created on the fourth day (see verses 14-19). If the third day is actually a long period of time, how could plants have existed without sunlight? Likewise, many plants require insects for pollination. How could these plants have survived and reproduced without insects which were not created until the sixth day (see Genesis 1:24, 25)—if these days were actually long periods of time? 6. The fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) clearly links the seventh day (the Sabbath) with the weekly cycle. The word "remember" at the beginning of this commandment cannot have meaning if the days were long eons of time (much longer than human lifespans). The admonition concerning days of labor and day of rest would also be meaningless. 7. The wording of the creation account in the first two chapters of Genesis is best understood as meaning literal days. Such expressions as "day and night,” "evening and morning,” "light and darkness” can hardly be understood as indefinite periods of time. There are two aspects of evolution—minor change (microevolution) and major change (macroevolution). Microevolution is clearly a feature of living organisms as seen in the numerous breeds of dogs or the different varieties of roses, etc. Plants and animals can clearly be bred to develop various characteristics. This is microevolution. On the other hand, macroevolution—major changes between species—cannot be clearly demonstrated. Evolutionists present various lines of evidence for macroevolution, but careful examination often reveals that the evidence is weak, subject to alternate interpretations, or incorrect. Microevolution is a fact; macroevolution is not a proven fact. Yet it is macroevolution that is required for the theory of evolution to account for the origin of life. Some evolutionists have called evolution a fact without distinguishing between these two aspects of evolution. Scientists are still looking for a satisfactory mechanism that can produce the kinds of changes needed to evolve plants and animals from simple organisms to complex ones (macroevolution). One must be knowledgeable regarding the evidence for both Creation and evolution in order to determine which view has the stronger evidence. If one looks at the evidence for both positions carefully and impartially, we believe he or she will conclude that the evidence for Creation by an Intelligent Being is clearly the stronger. |
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Is it possible to believe in evolution and still be a Christian? If being a Christian means believing that the Bible is the authentic, trustworthy Word of God and that Christ is our Creator and Savior, the answer is "No.” One cannot believe these things and also believe in evolution as the explanation for the origin of life on our earth as we know it. Some theologians have attempted to reconcile the biblical Creation story with the evolutionary explanation for the origin of life. But to do so requires interpreting the six days of creation in Genesis as long, indefinite periods of time rather than six literal, twenty-four hour days as the text indicates. Such an interpretation of Scripture cannot be supported by sound principles of Bible study. In many ways evolution and Christianity are not compatible. Here are some points to consider. 1. The Creation narrative. The Creation narrative in the first two chapters of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, clearly indicates that the work of creation was done in six, twenty-four-hour days. Evolution directly contradicts this and denies God’s creative power. Just as Christ performed miracles instantaneously while He was here on earth, so also He did His work of creation instantaneously during Creation week. The Bible says, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. . . . For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6, 9, NKJV). God says, "I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded” (Isaiah 45:12, NKJV). One cannot believe these verses and also believe in evolution. 2. The week of seven days. If life developed gradually over millions of years, there would be no explanation for the weekly cycle. The day, month, and year are based on natural movements of the earth, moon, and sun. But there is no astronomical basis for the seven-day week. It had its origin at Creation when God made the earth and everything on it in six days—and rested on the seventh day. If we look carefully at the biblical creation account, it is very difficult to come to any other conclusion but that Moses, the author, intended to describe literal, twenty-four-hour days. The Hebrew word, yom, has the same meaning as our English word day. In both languages the word can refer to literal days or it can refer to longer periods of time. For example, we may use expressions such as "the day of our forefathers.” However, in Hebrew, if a numeral accompanies the word yom, it always means a literal day. There are no exceptions. In the Creation account, yom is associated with day one, day two, day three, etc. Moses also makes use of the following expressions: evening and morning (see Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, etc.), light and darkness (see Genesis 1:5), night and day (see Genesis 1:5). He could hardly have made it more clear that he was referring to literal days. If each day in the Creation account is actually a long period of time, plants would have been created long before insects, since plants were created on the third day and insects were created on the fifth day. Yet many plants cannot survive without the pollination provided by insects. The clear intent of the biblical account is that each day of Creation week was a twenty-four-hour day. If not, then the basis of the fourth commandment is wrong. The fourth commandment (see Exodus 20:8-11) says that the Sabbath is based on the Creation week when God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and blessed it. Evolution does not allow for a Sabbath that celebrates a Creator God who created our world in one week. Theistic evolution, the belief that God created through the process of evolution, has no reason for a weekly memorial of Creation. 3. Creation is the basis for the equality of all humans. If the theory of progressive evolution from lower life forms to humans is true, there could be a biological basis for considering some human races inferior and others superior, because some races would have advanced further up the evolutionary scale than others. America’s founding fathers said that all men are created equal—and they were right. All human beings are equal. All are children of God. All have the same origin. Racial intolerance has no basis for those who believe in Creation. Those who believe in evolution have reason to believe that some races are more highly developed than others. 4. Origin of sin and death. The idea of gradual evolutionary development of living things until humans finally appear makes it difficult to understand sin and the origin of evil. The fossil record gives much evidence of death, disease, predation, and cruelty—all supposedly taking place eons of time before Adam and Eve evolved and sinned. Yet the Bible clearly tells us that God said everything He created was "good” or "very good” (see Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 25, 31, etc.). The Bible teaches that sin originated in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God (see Genesis 3) and that death is the result of sin. But if parasites, predators, disease, and death occurred before the creation of Adam and Eve (as the theory of evolution requires), then death would be part of God’s original plan. 5. Salvation. The theory of evolution raises questions concerning the purpose for Jesus’ death on the cross. The Bible says that death is the penalty of sin (see Genesis 3:3, 4, 19; Romans 6:23). Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin that we should have paid. If the Creation narrative, including the origin of sin, is only myth or allegory, what is sin? And was Jesus’ death necessary? Scripture calls death an "enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26, NKJV), and the whole plan of salvation was designed to eliminate death and bring humans back to God’s original plan of eternal life. Furthermore, if evolution involves the gradual, continuing improvement of the human race, the atonement of Jesus is quite unnecessary. Given enough time, undesirable characteristics, physical weaknesses, social unrest etc. will be eliminated. Even disease and dying could be overcome. History fails to support such improvements. The Bible clearly indicates that mankind’s nature is basically evil. Only through the power of God can human beings have a future of hope. 6. World-wide flood. Evolution makes no allowance for a world-wide flood. The concept of uniformity that has dominated evolutionary thought declares that the present is the key to the past. In other words, the gradual processes of nature that we currently see slowly eroding seashores, reducing the height of mountains, and shaping the course of rivers, etc. happened in the past at the same rates we see today. Thus there is no need for a universal flood as described in the Bible. Yet Jesus clearly accepted Noah and the flood as historical fact (see Matthew 24:37-39). 7. Bible authors believed in Creation narrative. Many of the authors of both Old Testament and New Testament clearly accepted the creation account as accurate history: David (Psalm 33:6, 9), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:6), Isaiah (Isaiah 45:18), and Paul (Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus, Himself, accepts creation as a literal historical event. Referring to the creation of Adam and Eve, He said, "He which made them at the beginning, ‘made them male and female’ ” (Matthew 19:4, NKJV). The expression "at the beginning” is the same expression used in the first three verses of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. If each day of creation were a long, indefinite period of time, the creation of humans, occurring as it did at the end of the sixth day of Creation, would not have been at the beginning of creation, but after six long eons of time. 8. Credibility of God’s Word. If the Creation narrative is only an allegory, what about other parts of the Bible such as the translation of Elijah to heaven, Jonah and the big fish, and the miracles and resurrection of Jesus? If we dismiss the accuracy of the biblical Creation account, we are free to dismiss other parts of Scripture and thus become the judge of what is or is not true in spite of what Jesus and the Bible authors say. 9. The second coming. The creation of earth and human life some six thousand years ago—rather than millions of years in the past—makes believable the soon second coming of Christ as promised in the Bible. If the Creation narrative is only an allegory, what about Jesus’ promise to come again (see John 14:1-3)? If a spark of life was created millions of years ago and organisms evolved over those many years, what is to keep us from thinking that Jesus’ promise of His return is also just an allegory? 10. Free will. Carried to its logical conclusion, evolution—the undirected, random evolving of living things—eliminates the power of the human will. Darwin, himself, came to the conclusion that free will is an illusion. If evolution is true, then it means that all our choices are merely actions or behaviors determined by our genes or our surrounding environment and are conditioned by past choices—either successful or otherwise. Such a view eliminates the power of choice. But God gave humans free will with the power to choose. Adam and Eve could choose to obey God or not to obey Him. God want His human creation to worship, love, and obey Him because they want to—not because they must. Humans are not robots. The Bible says that God created this world perfect in the beginning, but that since the entrance of sin, it has become more and more degenerate (see Genesis, chapters 1-3). This is completely opposed to the evolutionary idea that the world is evolving and progressing upward. Jesus has promised to come again and restore this world to its original perfection (see Revelation 21:1-5). God does not require the slow process of evolution and the cruel method of "survival of the fittest” to create. When we look at the flowers, the birds, the trees, etc., we see the evidences of a great Creator God who loves us and created these things for our happiness. Much more could be said to show that the theory of evolution is incompatible with the Bible and with the beliefs of a Christian that are based on the Bible. Evolution is based on "survival of the fittest” and the reign of tooth and claw. Christians are persons who understand that God is both their Creator and their Savior. They believe that God is eager for as many of His children to be saved as possible. They believe He will return soon as He promised to bring an end to the tragedy and sorrow and evil that exist in the world today. |
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Cremation is a subject that the Bible does not specifically discuss. It is interesting to note, however, that people throughout the Bible times treated the human body with great respect, and often showed deep concern about the disposition of the remains following death. (see Genesis 49:29-31 for instance) Embalming was practiced in both the Old and New Testament times (Genesis 50; 26; Mark 16:1), and it was taken as a great disgrace not to have a proper burial. (1 Samuel 31:9-13; 2 Samuel 2:4-6: Ecclesiastes 6:3)
Cremation is one of the options now available for final disposition of the body at death. It is estimated that less than 5 percent of American families choose cremation, but in Japan and England over half the families take this option.
Funeral arrangements are not necessarily significantly different from other options. The body may still be viewed prior to the service, and a worship service may be held with the deceased present in most cases. There are a number of options available as to the disposition of the cremated remains, including burial and scattering.
In contemplating the choices available, Christians will want to give thoughtful consideration to all who may be affected by the decision, such as loved ones who may have strong feelings on the subject. One certainly would not like to bring unnecessary distress to anyone. Furthermore, the attitude of the Christian's heart will show deep respect for the wonderful body that God designed. (Psalm 139:14) Of course God will resurrect all of His children regardless of what has become of their bodies. When Jesus comes, "The dead in Christ" will be raised and given immortal bodies, "fashioned like unto his glorious body." (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 5:54; Philippians 3:21) How happy we are as we look forward to that great day! |
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Doesn't everlasting fire mean that hell will be burning ceaselessly and eternally?
There are some Bible verses that may appear to say that. Let us look at some of these verses.
In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said, "These shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life."
Mark 9:43, "And if your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched."
Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever."
Before we make a Bible doctrine from these verses, we need to see if there are other verses that speak of the punishment of the wicked.
First let us go to Malachi 4:1,3. "For behold the day is coming burning like and oven, and all the proud, yes allude wickedly shall be as stubble. And the day that is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts,that shall leave them neither root nor branch. . . You shall trample the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet."
These verses tell us that the wicked will be burned up, burned to ashes.
In another place the Bible says in Psalms 37:10, 11, "For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look diligently for his place, but it shall be no more."
Jude 7 makes this subject very plain. "As Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them in a similar manner, having given themselves over to sexually immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Sodom and Gomorrah are not burning today, yet the Bible says they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire. How can this be explained? It means that these cities were completely burned, until there was nothing left.
There is another way to determine the meaning of the word eternal or everlasting.
In English these words mean that the fire will go on forever, but in the Greek it has a different meaning. Dr. Basil Atkinson explains it this way.
"When the adjective aionios, meaning everlasting is used in Greek with nouns of action it has reference to the result of the act, not the process. The phrase everlasting punishment is comparable to everlasting redemption and everlasting salvation, both Scriptural phrases. No one supposes that we are being redeemed or saved forever. We were redeemed and saved once for all by Christ with eternal results. In the same way the lost will not be passing through the process of punishment forever but will be punished once and for all with eternal results. On the other hand the noun 'life' is not a noun of action, but a noun expressing a state. Thus life itself is eternal.
Basil F. C. Atkinson, Life and Immortality. An Examination of the Nature and Meaning of Life and Death as they are revealed in the Scriptures (Taunton, England, n. n.), p.101.
The Bible says, God is love, 1 John 4:8. God loves His enemies. As the soldiers were nailing Jesus to the cross, He prayed, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Luke 23:34). As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel (Ezekiel 33:11).
God cannot allow sin, crime and violence to continue to cause suffering and death in this world. But He is not one to torture His children. So He does the most loving thing He can do, He destroys them eternally. The Bible says, He will make an utter end..Affliction shall not rise up the second time (Nahum 1: 9). |
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What happens when you die? It’s a question that has crossed everyone’s mind, because death happens to everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or status. It is the unconquerable foe that has taken over the likes of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Postulates or theories by minds like Einstein or Stephen Hawking can never be proved upon this subject. So what does the Bible say?
One of Jesus’ most significant miracles recorded in the Bible was the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead (John 11). There are other instances of people who had been raised from the dead, but unlike those mentioned before in the Bible, Lazarus had been dead for an entire period of four days. When Lazarus died, Jesus said, " ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.” (John 11:11-13, NKJV).
The Bible compares death to sleep more than fifty times. When we are asleep, we are unconscious; we are not aware of the passing of time or of what is going on around us. That is what death is like as well. The Bible says, "for the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing… their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, NKJV, see also Psalm 146:4; 115:17). It makes sense that after Lazarus was raised from the dead, he doesn’t share what he saw or experienced. He didn’t have anything to tell, except that once he was dead, and now he is alive! He didn’t experience hell or heaven. He was simply "sleeping” in his tomb. Peter on the Day of Pentecost said the same of King David. "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day…For David did not ascend into the heavens…(Acts 2:29, 34).
Many Christians think of the soul as an immortal entity within us that goes on living after death. What does the Bible say? Describing the creation of human beings in the beginning, the Bible says, "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” (Genesis 2:7, KJV). Other Bible translations say, ". . . and man became a living being” (NKJV; NIV). God did not put a soul into man. He formed the body from the dust of the ground, and then He breathed His life-giving spirit into the lifeless body—and the result was a soul, or a living being. When a person dies, the reverse takes place. The breath of life departs from the body, and the soul no longer exists. That’s what the Bible says. "The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7, NIV). At the resurrection, God reunites the body and His life-giving spirit—and the person lives again.
If souls existed as separate entities that lived on after we died, that would mean we have immortality. However, the Bible says human beings do not have immortality. Only God is immortal (see 1 Timothy 6:15, 16). Paul says that the righteous "seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Romans 2:7). If we had immortal souls, why would the righteous seek after something they already have?
Though we may die, Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25). We will receive immortality when Jesus comes again (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). The Bible says that all those who have died—both righteous and wicked—will be raised to life in one of two resurrections. The righteous will be raised to life at Jesus’ second coming. " For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NKJV). According to this verse, the righteous do not to go heaven when they die. They remain asleep in the grave until Jesus returns and raises them to immortal life (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-57).
The wicked are raised to life in a separate resurrection—the resurrection of condemnation. Jesus said, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (John 5:28, 29, NKJV).
The prophets never mention in the Bible that the righteous immediately go to heaven or the wicked go to hell when they die. Neither did Jesus and His apostles teach it. When Jesus was about to leave His disciples, He did not tell them they would soon come to Him. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3, NKJV).
When He returns, our loved ones asleep in Christ will awake from their tombs. No matter how long the time has passed, be it long or short, will be but a moment to them. By the trump of God, they are called forth from their deep slumber they will begin to think just where they ceased, awakening to a glorious immortality.
"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible…So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”
The last sensation was the pang of death, the last thought, that they were falling beneath the power of the grave, but then, imagine, when they arise from the tomb, to the shout,
"O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). |
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We love our pets and often consider them to be members of the family. One of the most poignant stories in the Bible is the parable the prophet Nathan told to King David. The prophet told the king of a poor man and his pet lamb. He said, "The poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him” (2 Samuel 12:3, NKJV). Because we love our pets, often the question "will they be with us in heaven?" arises. However, the Bible is silent on this question. It neither confirms it nor denies it. Yet there are some points we can consider. God created everything—including animals—for His pleasure and His glory. The Bible says, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11, NKJV). Human beings were specifically created for God’s glory. "Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him; yes, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7, NKJV). But the Bible speaks of even inanimate objects, such as the sun, moon, and stars, praising God (see Psalm 148:3). Of course, we know these objects cannot praise God in the same way we humans can. However, they praise God by shining. By carrying out the role God planned for them, they glorify their Creator. Although all of God’s creation is for His glory and pleasure, human beings alone were created in God’s image. Animals were made from the same dust as humans and have the breath of life in them as we do, but God made men and women in His own image and entrusted them with the responsibility of overseeing, protecting, and enjoying the rest of His creation. "Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;’ and it was so” (Genesis 1:26-30, NKJV). "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15, NKJV). Because humans can reason, we are able to make intelligent and moral decisions; animals cannot. God did not create animals with the ability to choose right or wrong, to accept or reject salvation. Only humans were given this ability to reason. Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV), "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 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.” God warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—"for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17, NKJV). Only humans have the ability to make moral decisions for or against God. "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;" (Deuteronomy 30:19, NKJV) Joshua 24:15 (ESV) And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. The plan of salvation is designed for human beings, not for animals. Since animals cannot reason and make moral decisions, they are not included in the salvation God has offered to humans. Jesus died to "save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJV). We are saved through our faith in Him. John 3:16 (KJV) says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should nor perish, but have everlasting life." In order for one to be saved, one has to believe in Jesus. But animals cannot exercise saving faith in Jesus. Will there be animals in heaven? Yes. God’s original creation has been subjected to degradation and decay through sin, but it will be restored as it was in the beginning. The apostle Paul wrote, "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20, 21, NKJV). Although our sins have destroyed ourselves and nature, God will restore both. Just as animals were part of God’s untainted, original creation, so they will be part of the world and life when He restores everything new—without the corruption of sin and death. Isaiah 11:6, "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." (This sounds as if we will have pets in heaven, does it not?) Isaiah 11:7-9, "The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" Isaiah 65:25, "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." We must not insist that God order things according to our desires or understanding. Perhaps God may allow our beloved pets to be with us in heaven. Or He may choose to create a new pet for you. We must be willing to allow God to order things as He sees best—and trust that we will be happy with the situation in heaven. God says, "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17, NKJV). We may not know all the details of what God is preparing for us in heaven, but we do know that it will be far beyond anything we can imagine. It's in the Bible, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV). The best advice is for us is to love our pets and enjoy them while they are here with us—and trust God in everything for the future. He sees and knows all, and nothing is too hard for Him to do. God knows how much we love our pets and how much they mean to us. The Bible doesn’t directly address whether our pets will be with us in heaven, but we do know that God loves us and wants us to be happy. The Bible says, "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11, NKJV). We can trust God that heaven will be a place filled with everything necessary for our happiness. |
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In the wake of the shocking news of Michael Jackson's death, rumors began to arise of his conversion to Christianity weeks before starting debates among Christians and fans whether or not the pop icon would be in heaven. A recent prime-time TV show focused on heaven with Barbara Walters’ interviewing religious leaders, suicide bombers, and people who claimed near death experiences. Larry King recently told an interviewer that there is a lot of universe out there and he would like to explore it. He had said that he was afraid to die because he was not sure what happens when a person dies. It's a question everyone can't help but wonder: Is heaven a real place? Why will some go there and others not? What does the Bible say about heaven? Why so many confusing ideas about heaven? There are many popular myths about heaven that create misunderstanding. Yet there is good news for Larry King and others like him. According to the Bible, the universe is not only infinite, but also filled with intelligent, friendly, benevolent beings. The most amazing and almost unbelievable fact is that the way to heaven is not complicated. Our title to heaven is given freely to those who accept the fact that God bore our wrongs against himself when Jesus died on the cross. When we ask Him for forgiveness and a new heart in order to keep His commandments, He will freely give us both. There are three major meanings to the word heaven in the Bible. The word "heaven" (Hebrew: shamyim, Greek: ouranos) can mean God’s dwelling place. The Bible says: "The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19) God’s throne is also sometimes mentioned in connection with the mountain of God. (Ezekiel 28:16) Heaven may also refer to the endless planets, stars, and galaxies of the universe. The Bible says: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place…" (Psalm 8:3) The Bible also speaks of the atmosphere that surrounds the earth as heaven or heavens. (Genesis1: 7, 8) One must study the context in the Bible to know which meaning is implied. The Bible is clear on the following: Heaven is a Real Place After Jesus was raised from the dead he went to heaven. The Bible says: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Prior to this Jesus told His disciples: "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2,3) Heaven has Solid Real Estate Popular myths picture heaven as a fanciful place where spirits sit on clouds playing harps or float around in nebulous space. However, such a thought is rather anti-climatic. Why would the infinite Son of God take up finite human condition to offer up His life to die on a cross, only for us to live such a meager existence that is not even half as fulfilling as life in this world, whether or not it is for eternity? The Bible says that Jesus is building mansions in heaven for those who accept salvation. Therefore it must be a tangible material place. Vineyards must exist in heaven. Before Jesus went to heaven he told his disciples: "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom." (Matthew 26:29) The Bible even refers to heaven as a country (Hebrews 11:16). Before sin came into this world, the world was a physical paradise - a beautiful garden full of fruits, trees, and animals. Similarly, when sin is finally eradicated from this universe, we will finally get to live life as God originally intended for mankind when He first created the Garden of Eden - not as wispy spirits on clouds, but in a tangible, material Heaven. There are many intelligent beings in heaven With all the increasing understanding of solar systems, planets, stars, and galaxies it is inconceivable to believe that human beings are the only intelligent life in the universe. It makes sense to realize that there is a country out in the universe, perhaps even the universe itself, known by the Bible writers as heaven. The Bible speaks about hosts or inhabitants of both heaven and earth. "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished." (Genesis 2:1) The Bible mentions that beings on other planets rejoiced at the creation of the earth. "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38: 7) The biblical prophet Micaiah said: "I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. (2 Chronicles 18:18) Perfect unselfish love governs all relationships in heaven The Bible says: "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8) Those who love God keep His commandments. (John 14:15) The inhabitants of heaven obey God’s commandments of love. (Psalm 103:19-21) We will have physical bodies in heaven Our bodies will be free from disease, pain and death in heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:40-49) We will still have physical bodies. The Bible says: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body. (Philippians 3:20,21) The body of Jesus after His resurrection was physical. Jesus said: "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." (Luke 24:39) We will be able to recognize our loved ones. The Bible says: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12) The New Earth as Heaven Real earth, real houses, gardens, hobbies, loved ones, are all part of the perfect future life in store for those who are faithful to God’s Word. This becomes more believable when we realize that the Bible says that the greater part of the future existence of human beings will take place right here on our planet earth, which will be recreated and restored to its original perfection. This life will be free from sickness, war, crime and anything harmful. The future life will have the best of this life plus additional joys beyond our imagination. Bible prophecy points to the fact that Jesus will return the second time. He will not come in secret, but every eye shall see him. (Revelation 1:7) At that time those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior will be taken to heaven for a period of time. They will live and reign with Christ for a thousand years in the mansions Jesus is building and in the New Jerusalem in the heavenly country. Then He will bring the New Jerusalem down to earth. God will recreate a new earth with new atmosphere, and our heavenly life will take place right here. (See Second Coming, Millennium, Heaven.) Life in the New Earth "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." (Revelation 21:1) "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:2) "And" God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4) "The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." (Isaiah 35:1) "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust [shall be] the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:25) "They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit". (Isaiah 65:21) Many of these promises from the Old Testament were given on condition that the Jews would keep God commandments and receive the messiah. (See Jeremiah 17:23-25) God would have put an end to sin and recreated the world at that time. Since His people did not accept Him, the culmination is put off until He will come the second time. He will then fulfill many of these Old Testament prophecies. How does a person get to Heaven and the New Earth? Contrary to popular belief, the Bible says we do not go to heaven or hell when we die. We sleep in the grave until the resurrection when the Bible says: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2) (See Death, Hell, Resurrection.) The entrance to heaven is not automatic for people who have simply tried to be good. The Bible says: "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21:27) The qualifying factor for those who enter will be whether or not their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. |
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In John 19:14 (KJV), the reference is made to "about the sixth hour". This was probably Roman time, or about six in the morning. John's gospel was written near the close of the century, and chiefly for Gentile believers. (see John 1:38) Here he gives the time in terms familiar to them. In other places, he seems to reckon the hours of the day from sunrise rather than from midnight. (see John 4:6, 52; 11:9) The Bible says that when the Jewish leaders shouted for Pilate to crucify Jesus "it was . . . about the sixth hour” (John 19:14, NKJV). This was probably a reference to the Roman method of time-keeping which began counting the hours from midnight—or about six o’clock in the morning. John’s gospel was written near the close of the first century A.D. and chiefly for Gentile believers, so he gives the time in terms familiar to them. In other places, however, he seems to reckon the hours of the day from sunrise rather than from midnight (see John 11:9; 4:6). Most commentaries seem to indicate that Jesus was seized in the Garden of Gethsemane by the Jewish religious leaders at approximately midnight. His first trial was in the house of Caiaphas at approximately one o’clock in the morning, and the second attempt to incriminate Him occurred and hour or two later—around two or three o’clock in the morning. Then the trial before the Sanhedrin took place somewhere between three and four A.M. At this time of the year in the latitude of Jerusalem, dawn begins about four A.M. and the sun rises around 5:30. The trial before the Sanhedrin resulted in a unanimous verdict of death, but that verdict had to be affirmed during daylight hours in order to be legal. Therefore it had to be reaffirmed in daylight. The Sanhedrin did this when it reassembled soon after sunrise. The Jewish leaders came to Pilate around six A.M. or soon thereafter (see John 19:14). The hearing before Herod took place around seven o’clock Friday morning. Jesus’ second trial before Pilate began around eight A.M. and according to Mark 15:25 it ended and the crucifixion took place at "the third hour,” which using the Jewish method of counting the hours from dawn, would correspond to nine o’clock in the morning. Around noon, while Jesus was on the cross, total darkness surrounded the area, until about three P.M. (see Matthew 27:45) when He cried out, "It is finished” and died (John 19:30). In the year of the crucifixion, Nisan 14, the day appointed for slaying the paschal lambs fell on a Thursday; the preparation for (or eve of) the Passover which coincided with the preparation for (or eve of) the weekly Sabbath. (John 19:14; cf. vs. 31, 42; ch. 20:1) The first ceremonial Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Nisan 15, also coincided with the weekly Sabbath. (Leviticus 23:6-8; cf. Mark 15:42 to 16:2; Luke 23:5 to 24:1) |
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Many are confused about this matter. Many are being deceived by false ideas and theories of worldly authors. Let's talk about 666. What does the Bible says about 666? Go with me to the book of Revelation, the last book in the New Testament, chapter 13. Consider verse... |
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How did God get there if there was nothing there to create Him? This is a good question, and if I could answer it, I’d probably be God. I can’t honestly answer it, but the Bible does say a few words about God’s eternal nature. In Psalm 93:2, we are told, “Thy Throne is established of old; thou art from everlasting to everlasting.” That means God has always been, and that’s difficult for us to understand. But it remains true—God has always existed. Before time even began, God was there. That’s why Jesus refers to Himself as “I Am,” meaning He’s the selfexisting one. He’s always been, He always is, and He always will be. Furthermore, the Bible says, “God is love.” You can’t love when you’re the only person around—not the kind of sacrificing love that God is anyway. So God the Father, Son, and Spirit must have always been, showing love for one another even before the first creature was made. It’s very difficult for humans to imagine because we live in a realm where everything has a beginning and an end. But not so for God—God inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15). He can dwell in any and all parts of time at the same time. He lives outside this physical realm, and He created the dimension of time for His creatures. He doesn’t have a beginning, and He won’t have an end. That is a mystery for all ages. |
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What form does God take? The Bible says He is a spirit, but then man was made in His image. In John 4:24, we read, “God is a Spirit: And those who worship Him must do so in spirit and truth.” But keep in mind that because God is a spirit, it does not mean that He is just ethereal vapor or that He can’t have a body. Many believe that spiritual things cannot be physical. That’s a misconception. God wants you to be spiritual, and yet you still have a physical body. Angels are spirits living in a spiritual realm, but the Bible repeatedly identifies them as having a form. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). God the Father is a spirit, but Daniel sees God on His throne and describes what He looked like in that vision (Daniel 7:9). Of course, Jesus now has a physical, human body. When He rose from the dead, He received a glorified body. Remember what Jesus said to His disciples: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39). He said a spirit, or ghost, does not have flesh like Him. He had a spiritual body, yet He ate in front of them to emphasize that He was real. When we get our new bodies, they will be real but also spiritual—like Jesus now has. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44). And Philippians 3:21 adds, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being in the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person … sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Now, doesn’t it ring true that God must have a form if Jesus is sitting at His right hand? |
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My friend says that God commands us to call Him Jehovah? Where does it say that in the Bible? I’m sure many of our readers have had people come to their doors and have been told that Jehovah is the only appropriate name to call God. There is another group that claims that it must be Yahweh, which is the sacred name of God. But I respectfully disagree with the idea that God desires we call Him by one name over another. In reality, God goes by many names in the Bible. It is true that God says to Moses in Exodus 6:3, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.” However, here God simply revealed a new name to them. And you will find that God continues to reveal new names throughout the Bible. He never says we should use just one name when calling on or referencing Him. Those who become preoccupied with the idea that we must only address God by one name are, in a certain way, making their God smaller. Indeed, God’s names tell us about His character. For instance, He also says we should call him Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, and Everlasting Father. And Jesus also has many names: He’s called Alpha and Omega, the Lamb, the Beginning and the End, the Gate, the Door, and Son of God … so many names it would be impractical to list them all here! The real issue is not by what name we should use when speaking with God, though it should always be done with reverence, holiness, and with a sense of awe. The real issue is whether or not we honor and exalt His Word. Psalm 138:2 says, “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Indeed, each language has different names to refer to God; but the real uniting force is how God’s Word transcends language, or simple words, and affects all people regardless of the name one chooses to call Him. |